Sheffield United's next chapter starts with one clear objective as key man opens up on important advantage
Patrick Bamford insists Sheffield United should again be targeting promotion to the Premier League, despite last season's disappointment and the financial challenges facing Chris Wilder's side.
Patrick Bamford believes Sheffield United’s target next season should still be promotion to the Premier League, despite the financial challenge facing the Blades, and insists: “We don’t have anything to prove.” The Blades are looking to improve on last term’s disappointing 13th-placed finish.
One of the few bright spots of an underwhelming campaign was the arrival of Bamford, who only signed in November after his summer release by Leeds United but ended up scoring 13 goals in 29 appearances.
The 32-year-old is set to spearhead United’s attack again in the upcoming campaign and will have the added bonus of a full pre-season with Chris Wilder’s side, after training on his own last summer.
"I think the end result's always [that] you've got to aim for promotion," Bamford said, speaking to our sister ‘paper the Yorkshire Post. "Obviously, there's various ways that you can achieve that.
"You set out with the sights you want to win the league, but the main aim is getting promoted. I wouldn't necessarily say that I think players have got something to prove," he said. "I think we're more just excited to put things right and to do better next season.
"Last season wasn't what anyone expected and wasn't what we expected of ourselves either. It's almost a fresh start. Take a little bit of experience from last season, but try and put it to the back of your mind. This is a fresh season."
United have already begun a major squad overhaul this summer after last season's underachievement, with 11 senior players so far departing Bramall Lane and further changes expected before the transfer window closes.
Bamford admits that United “underachieved massively” last season but believes that United are still an attractive club for players to join - and whoever does arrive will be joining a good dressing room.
"Obviously, it helps when you kind of know a lot of the players anyway," he said of his own settling-in process. "It's not like you're a total unknown going into a dressing room where no one knows you.
"A lot of people knew what they were getting with me, and I knew roughly what everyone was like. It was easy to settle in, to be honest.
“The group of lads here, even though last year we underachieved massively, it's a great group of lads and it's such a good changing room. It was easy, regardless of whether any of the boys that I knew previously from Leeds were there or not."