Tantalising Sheffield United proposition burns beneath current pragmatism ahead of Derby County “free hit” - Alan Biggs
Tantalising Sheffield United proposition burns beneath current pragmatism ahead of Derby County “free hit” - Alan Biggs
Any team taking 0 points from the first 15 can consider itself to be dicing with a relegation battle. And let’s remember it was zero from 18 after Chris Wilder’s first game ended in another, thoroughly unscripted defeat.
So to be talking now about things other than staying up seems to be out of context for Sheffield United. But, much as realities have to be faced, it was never part of anybody’s plan to be hanging on to Championship status, was it?
It’s now steady as you go under a Wilder-led recovery, as it has to be. Why should he talk himself into promoting the kind of over-achievement that led to his ridiculous sacking after last season?
No way should promotion or not be a measure of this one. But you can bet that under the pragmatism a fierce ambition burns. Will it be satisfied by safety? No way. Is there a sneaking, unspoken belief that United could yet be focusing on a push towards the play-offs come the end of the season? That, I believe, would be nearer the mark.
Certainly, as a personal view, I’ve never not rated this as a top six squad. Which doesn’t mean it should finish there after such an horrendous start but it does raise tantalising possibilities that cannot be discounted altogether.
The difference between this season and last is that, surely, the Blades boss can’t be held to account for supposed failure in that event. In that respect, it’s something of a free hit or should be.
Again, that won’t be Wilder’s thought process. Derby’s visit this weekend is another foothill to climb before the Blades can look higher.