'United haven’t given Heckingbottom a squad ready to start the season'
- Published
Rob Staton, BBC Radio Sheffield
The Blades could have easily taken something from the game at Nottingham Forest and now they face the nice, easy task of hosting Manchester City.
This is something of a free hit for United, with no expectation of a huge upset. Fans have even called our show to suggest treating the game almost like a pre-season match, an opportunity to bed new players in. I’m not sure you can do that against Erling Haaland and co.
There is an expectation that by the weekend another new signing will be completed. Cameron Archer seems like the most likely deal to get done, with Aston Villa prepared to sell. This has been a link for some time and has felt like a complicated deal with a decent fee and a buy-back clause.
Archer had a decent half-season at Middlesbrough on loan and contributed towards the England Under 21’s Euro success this summer. He would be an intriguing signing, yet some Blades fans can be forgiven for seeing similarities to the Rhian Brewster signing, which hasn’t worked out.
They need some firepower though, one way or another. The feeling is that the Crystal Palace and Forest games were two missed opportunities, because United haven’t given Paul Heckingbottom a squad ready to start the season.