Most people had Sheffield United tipped for relegation this season, but they have soared above everyone’s expectations, higher than the smoke emitted from factory chimneys of the once-booming industrial Sheffield. Between 2011 and 2017, the club played in League One. After two subsequent seasons in the Championship, they are now enjoying their first stint in the Premier League since the 2006/07 season. What a stint it has been so far – sitting in sixth place with 39 points after 26 matches. What is behind this sudden success, though? Reasons for Sheffield United’s Premier League success will be explained in this article.
Reasons for Sheffield United’s Premier League Success
Chris Wilder’s Excellent Coaching
Chris Wilder’s superb tactics no doubt play an instrumental role in Sheffield United’s success. After two seasons with Northampton Town, Wilder took over the Blades in May of 2016, near the end of a League One season that saw them finish in 11th place.
Since then, he has absolutely transformed the club. His 3-5-2 formation is by no means unique, but his overlapping centre-backs are. While it might seem unusual, that doesn’t mean it’s unplanned. In contrast, it’s brilliant and unsettles their opponents.
The overlapping centre-backs grant United a numerical advantage and make sure they have at least one man free for short passes, also enabling the likes of Jack O’Connell and Chris Basham to surge forward unmarked. Then, play is intelligently switched with cross-field passes, the ones from Oliver Norwood being especially noteworthy.
Cohesion, Commitment, and Consistency of the Squad
Three C’s for success: cohesion, commitment and consistency. Silly cliches aside, all of these aspects are relevant for Sheffield United’s sensational season. Wilder said the main reason for United’s success is “good characters”. “Because when you sign players or keep people at the club, you’re looking to sign and keep good people as well. You want ambitious players. You want ones who can overcome disappointments and are selfless”, he continued.
Billy Sharp and John Lundstram are examples of players embodying this philosophy. Both of them reacted constructively to seeing their places come under threat. It motivated them more and shows how committed they are. This commitment is applicable to everyone in United’s squad.
Player Recruitment
Over the summer, Wilder spent £43 million to sign ten players for the Blades. This might sound like a lot at first, but when compared with, for example, the 12 players Aston Villa signed last summer or the 15 players Fulham signed at the start of 2018/19, there is more to it.
It’s not about the sheer volume of players – rather, the quality of the players and Wilder’s tactics, of course. Wilder has brought in more players consistently since 2016. He focused especially on bringing in offensive players this summer, signing Callum Robinson, Oli McBurnie and Lys Mousset, who joined forces with Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick up front.
Across other positions, Wilder largely relies on players he had at his disposal previously; players who were there in League One and the Championship with United. Also, Wilder isn’t afraid to get rid of players he deems to not be good enough.
No Single Reason
The success of Sheffield United cannot be derived from one single factor. However, it can certainly be argued the biggest catalyst to their success is Chris Wilder. He is getting the best of his players and is creating a cohesive and committed group.
This isn’t to take anything away from his players. They’ve been part of the same journey and doing what Wilder has done would not have been possible with any of them. His players have put in just as much work. Thanks to Chris Wilder and his hard-working squad, Yorkshire might see their first Champions League representative since Leeds United in 2001.
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