Chris Wilder given Sheffield United selection dilemma - £10m man snubbed as 'worthy' winner named
Sheffield United have a maximum of four games left to secure their Premier League return.
Former Sheffield United loanee Lee Hendrie expects Tyrese Campbell to keep his role as main man at Bramall Lane for the play-offs, having briefly been dropped for Monday’s defeat at Burnley.
Chris Wilder opted to start a front two of Kieffer Moore and Tom Cannon for United’s Easter Monday crunch clash at Turf Moor, a 2-1 defeat in which the latter scored his first goal since joining the Blades in a £10m deal from Leicester City in January. That result consigned United to a third-place finish and the play-offs, with two final games against Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers to prepare for that four-team end-of-season shootout.
Campbell returned to the starting line-up on Friday as United beat Stoke 2-0 and while an 11th goal for the season did not come, he was heavily involved in causing problems for his former side. Wilder again opted to play a front two at the Bet365 Stadium and that sudden change of formation could hint at a major tactical tweak for the upcoming play-offs.
United are well-stocked upfront but Campbell is the only striker into double figures for the season, with Moore on five while Cannon’s first Blades goal came in his 14th appearance. And while that second-striker position might be up for grabs, Hendrie expects Wilder’s top goalscorer to retain ‘main man’ status for the all-important play-offs.
Tyrese Campbell backed to be Sheffield United’s main man for play-offs
"He's got bags of options, that's the thing with the squad that they have,” Hendrie told Football League World. "You look at the likes of Tyrese Campbell who's been their top scorer this season, and really had a point to prove. You do feel that when you look at players that can certainly step up and be pivotal for them going forward.
"I think Tyrese Campbell is such a big player for them, I really do. I know that they've got Tom Cannon that can come in. He hasn't really hit the ground running. Kieffer Moore - straight away, you've got three very, very good strikers who can fit the bill. I know that they've played the two up top against Burnley. So, it's a tough one to call because I think whoever they're coming up against, they're going to have to come up with a formula.
"I do feel that at this moment in time, I know that Tyrese didn't start against Burnley, but I think Campbell is the one that can certainly step up to the mark and prove that he's worthy. But, as I said, they've got three very good strikers that they can utilise."
Wilder opted to rest a few key players at Stoke on Friday, with Gus Hamer watching on from the away end while Anel Ahmedhodzic, Harrison Burrows and Sydie Peck all came off the bench for reduced minutes. United fans might get a clearer picture of what their team will look like for the play-offs when Blackburn come to Bramall Lane next weekend, given the importance of building momentum.
Weekend visitors Blackburn are still in with a shout of breaking into the top-six next weekend, with only one point separating them from Millwall in seventh and Coventry City in sixth - Rovers also have a better goal difference than both. And intriguingly, a sixth-placed finish would set them up for a play-off semi-final clash against United.
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