Sheffield United

Ben Meakin
Fan writer

Just when I thought that nothing else could go wrong this season, the news drops that we will start the next campaign with a points deduction. This effectively means that we will finish this season bottom of one league table, and start the following season bottom of another.

It was an alarming development, to say the least, with the added detail that further deductions have been suspended.

The one consolation is that this transgression occurred last season, prior to promotion and the supposed debt-easing prize money that came with it.

At the time, we were hit with a transfer embargo until the payments were made and I am hopeful that this will be the end of the matter – but you'll forgive me if I'm more than a little on edge about it.

Two points may not be much – although removing that many points from about 80% of teams in the Championship right now would ruin their season – but the continuing mismanagement of the club is a tad embarrassing, especially in a season where barely a week has gone by without some kind of on-field or off-field drama.

If anything, it feels like we have got off quite lightly with a two-point deduction.

I can absolutely understand fingers being pointed by teams who failed to catch us for promotion last season, particularly at the fact we were unable to pay (on time) for some of the players that got us into the Premier League.

At this stage, I am just relieved that we are not under another transfer embargo, which would have been far more damaging given the squad turnover we are about to undergo this summer.

All the same, you have to wonder if this will give clubs justifiable pause over doing business with us in the future.

Ben Meakin can be found at the BladesPod, external

Image source, Getty Images

Former Sheffield United defender Ellie Wilson believes Ollie Arblaster's own goal during the 2-0 defeat to Brentford was a "really harsh deflection" in what was a "really good game" for the 19-year-old midfielder.

Speaking on BBC Radio Sheffield's Blades Heaven podcast, Wilson praised Arblaster: "Ollie Arblaster actually had a really good game. He cleared up possession really well on the whole.

"It was a really harsh deflection [for his own goal]. He has tried to block the cross and it has just taken the ball out of the flight of where the goalkeeper was expecting it to go."

Chris Wilder's side are 10 points away from safety with just six games to go, but Wilson is hoping the team can get "another win or two" before the end of the season: "Hopefully it is coming, just to finish the season on a bit of a high. There have been positives to take over the past few games. We have been scoring goals and they have looked fairly good defensively considering there are a lot of players missing.

"There are things to take forward and positives to take, but hopefully they can finish on a high.

"Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be against Brentford, but I don't think the scoreline necessarily reflects the effort and the performance from the boys."

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We asked for your thoughts on Brentford's 2-0 victory over Sheffield United on Saturday.

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

Robert: Poor game, great result and that was the main thing for Brentford - the three points. Vitaly Janelt was the best player for me, so onwards and upwards and hopefully another three points at Luton next Saturday.

Bobby: After being outfought (for once) at Bramall Lane, a scrappy win here was welcome. Janelt excellent again, winning his duels and getting us moving. Sad to see Damsgaard’s goal chalked off, but good that he finally has a run of solid performances. Avoiding defeat at Luton next will surely make us safe. Just happy to survive this season and move on.

Kev: We’ve played much better, but created by far the better chances and deserved the win. Good to see Pinnock and Schade back.

Sheffield United fans

Stuart: Played some good stuff at times - Arblaster is top quality already and has a big future. Substitutions cost us again. McAtee looked like he was running in treacle and let his man go. Grbic - anything on target is a goal.

Shad: Bad substitution on 56 minutes. Wilder takes possibly our best player off, the one who kept all things down that side at bay. He puts Osborne there and we look wide open. Mr Wilder needs to look at himself as all the time this season he's been in charge, most of his decisions have cost us dearly.

Bob: Same old, same old. Not good enough! We need a change in management!

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's six Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra match commentary in full:

Manchester City v Luton Town

Bournemouth v Manchester United

Sam Drury
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Eight games without a win, one victory in 16 Premier League matches and a league-high 84 goals conceded.

Yet even after defeat by another side scrapping at the bottom, and with relegation looming, there have been green shoots of recovery for Sheffield United in recent weeks.

After a season in which they have, at times, failed to compete, Chris Wilder's side appear to have rediscovered their fighting spirit and an ability to stay in games.

They have still leaked goals but in the loss at Brentford, they look solid for long periods and restricted the home side to very few chances of note.

This late-season improvement has almost certainly come too late to save them but the Blades will hope that it provides them with a base to build from over the summer.

The chances of that being ahead of another season in the top flight grow slimmer by the game but until confirmation of their relegation comes, this side are now showing that they will battle to the last to prevent it.

Chris Wilder spoke to Match of the Day after Sheffield United's defeat against Brentford: "From an injury point of view, we don't feel we have had much luck and we have lost another player today and a really significant one [Jayden Bogle].

"I felt there was nothing in the game. This was a tight, cagey affair. We just didn't find that quality when we needed to. We came to win, we felt it was a good opportunity. Brentford are incredible in terms of the game-management. They made really good decisions.

"I'm a little bit disappointed from a quality point of view. We didn't show enough quality and enough big moments that settle these type of games.

"We've got to go again. I've not really looked at the results yet. From my point of view and from the coaches point of view it has been our biggest task to keep morale going. About five weeks ago we got thumped 6-0 by Arsenal. That's not enjoyable.

"It didn't feel [today] like we were a team languishing at the bottom of the table. Unfortunately that is the harsh reality of it. We are [bottom of the table]."

• Brentford have ended their six-match winless streak (D2 L4) against Sheffield United with this afternoon’s victory, their first against the Blades since a 3-1 win in August 2013 in League One.

• Sheffield United have conceded 84 goals in the Premier League this season, the most any team has conceded after 32 games played and the most of any top-flight team at this stage of a season since Ipswich Town in 1963-64 (85).

• Brentford have kept back-to-back clean sheets at the Gtech Community Stadium in the Premier League for the first time this season and for the first time May 2023. Prior to this run, the Bees had conceded 22 goals across 10 home matches – an average of 2.2 goals conceded per game.

• Sheffield United have now failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their past 17 away Premier League matches, only once going on a longer run without an away clean sheet – a run of 22 between June 2020 and May 2021.

• Despite going in at half-time level for the 16th time in the Premier League this season (the fifth most in the division), today’s victory was only Brentford’s fourth after being level at the break this season. Prior to today’s match, the Bees were winless in their five previous such matches (D2 L3).

Brentford beat Sheffield United to claim their first win in 10 Premier League games and ease their relegation fears.

An unfortunate own goal from Blades youngster Oliver Arblaster just past the hour mark put Thomas Frank's side ahead, as he inadvertently sent Mikkel Damsgaard's cross into the far corner.

Substitute Frank Onyeka sealed the win in stoppage time as the Bees move up to 14th, seven points clear of the bottom three.

Meanwhile, Sheffield United remain bottom and take another step towards an immediate return to the Championship.

Chris Wilder's side are 10 points from safety with six games to play.

The visitors started brightly with Ben Brereton Diaz breaking free down the left but he scuffed the shot with just Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken to beat.

Brentford soon took charge but despite dominating possession, they struggled to create many chances with Neal Maupay stabbing wide their best opportunity of the first half after United defender Anel Ahmedhodzic gave the ball away inside his own half.

It was a similar story after the break with Mathias Jorgensen seeing a goal ruled out for offside minutes before Brentford's fortuitous opener.

Damsgaard thought he had doubled the lead soon after but the VAR intervened to rule out his crisp volley from Bryan Mbeumno's free-kick for a foul on Oli McBurnie in the build-up.

The Blades pushed for an equaliser but Cameron Archer's wayward shot from a tight angle was as close as they came before Onyeka latched on to the fit-again Kevin Schade's flick-on to fire in the clincher for Brentford.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?

Brentford fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Blades fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

Six matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries:

• Man City v Luton

• Bournemouth v Man Utd

All times BST

Follow BBC Radio 5 Live commentaries and live text updates here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's games, he takes on actor and Leyton Orient fan Daniel Mays.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Sheffield United are battling on and are still picking up points, but then I would never expect a Chris Wilder team to just chuck the towel in even if they have got little hope of staying up.

The point they picked up at Chelsea last weekend was the Blades' third draw in four games, but their situation at the bottom of the table means they really need to be winning games to have a chance of survival.

If you look at recent results then Brentford, who have drawn their past three matches, are in similar form but the difference with the Bees is that they are above the relegation zone and appear to be edging towards safety, one game at a time.

Thomas Frank's side are not out of danger yet but a win here would be massive. They should have more quality than Sheffield United in the final third, and I think that will make the difference.

Daniel's prediction: 1-0

Ivan Toney has not really got going for Brentford since he's been back from suspension, but I am still going with a home win.

See the full list of predictions here

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder says Brentford's Ivan Toney is an example of why young players "need time and patience".

Toney played under Wilder at Northampton at the start of his career and the pair are set to meet again on Saturday when the Blades face the Bees.

"You could see what he had in his locker, which took quite a while to put all together, which sometimes happens as a young player," said Wilder in his pre-match news conference.

The 28-year-old striker, who made his first-team debut for Northampton aged 16, moved to Newcastle in 2015. After a number of loan spells with different clubs, he joined Peterborough in 2018.

"Newcastle didn't get him going. This is what you deal in with young players," added Wilder. "Look at our two young players, [Daniel] Jebbison and [Will] Osula and the characteristics they've got.

"Number nines, modern-day centre-forwards. Strong, powerful and athletic. Obviously Ivan had all those tools and I'm not saying our boys will go on to have the career Ivan's had.

"But it's been a while coming and he'll possibly be the first to admit that [with] loans here, there and everywhere. Obviously he found a good home at Peterborough and developed off the back of that. He then got his move [to Brentford] and the numbers you are talking about and getting in the England squad.

"With young players you need time and patience because they're going to make mistakes and I'm sure Ivan did as a young player. But if somebody believes in them, which we do in our young players, then hopefully they come through.

"We're all looking for it to be now of course, the next six and 12 months, but he's a great example to our players and everyone at the club that this might take a bit of time with the young ones."

We asked for your thoughts on Sheffield United's points deduction and whether it will affect the rest of this season, after it was decided that the Blades would start their next English Football League campaign with a two-point deduction.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Joe: This is very frustrating and an indication of how the club has been run - not well. It puts into perspective how financially important our promotion was, even if this season has been a write-off. Worryingly, I can see us in this position again and being hit with the second two-point deduction. I highly doubt we will see investment in the squad next year.

Glenn: I'm not surprised or shocked. It is the club's fault as it is run so poorly. We got what we deserved and the club hasn't appealed the decision, so they knew it was coming. I don't think it will have an effect on the season, as many of the players, coaches and staff know the club is getting relegated.

Neill: Disappointing, but it could have been worse and it probably will be when the owners repeat it all over again. As if being the most ill-prepared team to face a season in the Premier League wasn't bad enough. The sooner they are gone, the better we will be.

Matt: Not a big surprise that we face more consequences for such a bad 2022-23 season behind the scenes. It just shows how well Heckingbottom did, bringing us out of the Championship with such alarming off-the-field issues. Here's hoping a big rebuild will settle everything down for us over the summer. Hopefully we can put some more sustainable plans in place.

After it was announced on Thursday that Sheffield United will begin the next campaign that they are in the English Football League with a two-point deduction, we want your thoughts on the news.

Are you disappointed with the punishment? Will it have an impact on the rest of this season?

Send us your views

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United will be deducted two points at the start of the next season in which they play in the English Football League.

The penalty relates to the Blades defaulting on payments to other clubs during the 2022-23 season, at the end of which they won promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.

A further two-point deduction has been suspended until the end of the season in which the initial deduction is enforced, and will only be imposed if the club defaults on further payments.

The Blades face the prospect of the sanction being applied next season, as they are bottom of the Premier League and nearing relegation to the Championship - they are nine points from safety with seven games left to play.

In a statement, Sheffield United said: "The club has co-operated with the EFL to reach a negotiated settlement on the issues in question.

"While disappointed to have the deduction imposed upon the return to the EFL and highlighting that awaiting overdue monies from several other clubs affected Sheffield United's financial situation, the club took the view that it was better to reach an agreement which minimised the risks of a higher deduction or further transfer embargoes being imposed, and being distracted by lengthy and costly legal proceedings.

"The club is now in a position to close this matter and concentrate on the future."

Henry Brownsey
BBC Sport journalist

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has been speaking to the media before his side face Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.

Here are the main headlines from his news conference:

• Defender Jack Robinson will be "given every chance to be involved" after rolling his ankle against Chelsea.

• Revisiting last weekend's draw against Chelsea, Wilder said he was not "a massive fan of Sunday games" as he feels the atmosphere and feel around Sunday games are different to a Saturday afternoon or a night match - but he thought the atmosphere was excellent on that occasion.

• He joked the club are "on a roll - were unbeaten in one". Wilder said he has been happy with performances but "would have liked to have seen them earlier and been more consistent with it". He also praised the players' attitudes in recent games and said a similar type of performance will be needed to get a result against Brentford.

• On the Bees, Wilder said: "I've been incredibly impressed with Thomas [Frank], we've known him since the Championship days, we were battling it out for a couple of seasons with them and I'm delighted that they've got their rewards."

• Ivan Toney played under Wilder at Northampton and Wilder said "you could see what he had in his locker. It's taken quite a while for that all to be put together." Wilder added that to stop Toney scoring on Saturday, his defenders and team "need to have a good day".

• Wilder compared Toney's journey to the Premier League with Blades strikers William Osula and Daniel Jebbison, and how the pair need to be managed with "time and patience". Wilder said he will use his own "gut feelings and experience on when to play them and when to pull them out and how to deal with them".

Follow Thursday's Premier League news conferences

It might look like it is only showing in the past few games but Sheffield United have always been up for the fight.

Chris Wilder has come in and changed some things around, brought some players in. They have tried to come out and play and take on teams to get the three points but they have been caught out.

After that heavy defeat by Arsenal they had a chance to win against Fulham when VAR prevented them from going 4-1 up. They held their own against Liverpool for a long period of time and then they rallied against Chelsea. There has always been fight at the football club, they just have not had the quality needed.

Is it frustrating it is happening now? They are at a stage where quite a few of these players know they are probably going to be leaving the football club so they are playing as hard as they can to get get the best move possible for themselves.

That is not the only thing spurring them on though, Wilder is also finding the solutions of what is going to work in each game. He was never going to do it that simply straight away. He needed the window to get hold of a few solutions, bring in a striker that works for the team and try and find a formula that works for the group.

When you come in when things are not going so well these things take time. There are still going to be tricky roads but they can cause problems for teams they have coming up like Brentford.

When they set off we all knew it was going to be tough, but we would have all expected them get more than the 16 points,. And that will be the concern.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's game between Brentford and Sheffield United in the Premier League.

• Brentford are winless in their last six league games against Sheffield United (D2 L4) since a 3-1 home win in August 2013. They have lost each of their last three against the Blades.

• Sheffield United have not kept a clean sheet away from home in the Premier League since May 2021, in a 1-0 win over Everton. They have conceded in each of their last 16 away games in the top-flight, at an average of 2.3 goals per outing (36 conceded in total).

• Brentford are winless in their last nine games in the Premier League (D4 L5), with their last victory coming against Wolves in February (2-0). Should they not win here, it will be the first time since September 2017 in the Championship that they have gone 10 consecutive league matches without a win (a run of 10 under Dean Smith).

• Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has won all three of his previous league meetings with Brentford’s Thomas Frank (twice in the 2018-19 Championship and 1-0 in this season’s reverse fixture). During his time in English football, the only opposition managers Frank has lost his first four meetings with are Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter.

• Ivan Toney has not scored in any of his last seven Premier League starts for Brentford, despite attempting 21 shots and having 36 touches in the opposition box across those games. This is his longest run of starts without scoring in the competition.

• Oliver McBurnie has scored six goals for Sheffield United in the Premier League this season and has never managed more in a single campaign in the competition (also six in 2019-20). However, all of his league goals this term have been scored at Bramall Lane. The Scot has not found the net in any of his last 30 away games in the top-flight.

Ben Meakin
Fan writer

It’s early days, but the start that Oliver Arblaster has made to his Blades career has been a huge source of encouragement for what may follow for the young midfielder and boyhood Blade.

Arblaster’s latest performance was against a Chelsea midfield three that cost over £250m – and he flourished. No player in the league created as many chances in this weekend’s round of fixtures as Arblaster did against the Blues.

I can’t overstate how impressive this is for a teenage midfielder who was on loan in League One earlier this season. He’s been dropped into the central midfield of the worst team in this year’s Premier League, and has immediately looked at home at this level.

Better still, Arblaster looks like a player who doesn’t carry any scars from the rest of the season. He’s playing without fear of failure, trying to progress the ball up the pitch whenever he can without simply passing it off at the first opportunity. Only James McAtee and Gustavo Hamer are creating chances from open play at a higher rate than Arblaster has so far. But he hasn’t been careless in possession either: Arblaster currently has the highest pass completion of any midfielder in the squad this season.

It’s been a superb start for the local lad, and one that gives us fans added hope for what we might see out of him and the team next season.

Ben Meakin can be found on BladesPod, external

We asked for your thoughts on Sunday's Premier League game between Sheffield United and Chelsea.

Here are some of your responses:

Sheff Utd fans

Andy: Pity we didn’t start the season with the same determination and mindset. Effort was outstanding and I would say we looked the better side, other than Chelsea had better individual players.

Bob: The Blades gave all they had in a determined and exciting performance. This seemed miles away from the humiliating hammerings from the likes of Newcastle and Arsenal. Well done, you Blades - you actually made us fans proud!

Green: Brilliant, fighting performance from the boys. If only we had this all season we might not have gone down. On to Brentford now!

Mandy: Absolutely outstanding. Brilliant team performance. Midfield totally fantastic. Osbourne and Arblaster really stood out. UTB.

Chelsea fans

Nic: Normal service is resumed. Poor substitution decisions by Pochettino and even worse timings. Sunday afternoon stroll again for the five same players. Do management not watch re-runs of the games? Or are they totally oblivious to those same players continuously only giving 50%. When is the wake-up?

Jason: There is no real change from the beginning of the season. A manager who still hasn’t decided on who our best XI are and whose ideas are technically short of the mark. Yes, we have a young side who are still learning, but how many will wait until we have a leader who can successfully show them the way. Roll on the end of the season!

Matt: Really poor. Thursday's match was a waste of time with the three points we got. I also cannot understand how we couldn't see the game out at the end. It pains me to say it, but I think that our season may be over. Pochettino needs to be sacked for how badly we have performed throughout the season. He is too tactically inept - it's unreal.

Sharif: Honestly, beyond a joke now for Chelsea. Manager needs to go, no gameplan and again subs too late. Poch has had a path to some form of European football on a plate twice this season and has bottled it both times.

Watch the best of the action from Sheff Utd v Chelsea on Match of the Day 2 on BBC iPlayer