Feature

Premier League 2023/24 club previews: Sheff Utd

9 Aug 2023

Alex Keble analyses the challenges the Blades face to stay in the top flight

Ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season, Alex Keble takes an in-depth look at each of the 20 clubs.

Sheffield United

Promotion is supposed to be an uncomplicated moment of celebration but for Sheffield United, re-joining the Premier League was of high economic importance.

Financial issues last season, though alleviated by promotion, have limited the Blades' ability to prepare for life in the top flight.

There is excitement, of course, but it may be tempered among fans as to what this season may bring.

Manager Paul Heckingbottom has not spent much on transfers while three of their most important players last season – Iliman Ndiaye, Tommy Doyle, and James McAtee – are no longer at the club.

Losing Ndiaye hurt the most, coming on the eve of the new season after the club “reluctantly” accepted losing their striking talisman to Marseille.

It has left the Blades widely tipped for relegation. Yet perhaps that works in their favour as that is precisely what people said in 2019/20, when Chris Wilder led them to a ninth-place finish, having been promoted as Championship runners-up with 89 points.

Last year Heckingbottom, who has seamlessly continued the Wilder way, won two more points that, as well as beating Tottenham Hotspur on the way to the FA Cup semi-finals. It would be naive to write them off.

Performance last season

Competition	Performance
FA Cup	Semi-final
EFL Cup	First round

PL performance last five seasons

18/19	19/20	20/21	21/22	22/23
Champ 2nd	9th	20th	Champ 5th	Champ 2nd

How to improve on 2022/23

The biggest concern for Sheff Utd is how to build on last year’s success despite losing those three key players.

Ndiaye, who contributed 14 goals and 11 assists in the Championship, leaves a big hole in the team, despite the reported £20million fee they received from Marseille.

The EFL had placed the club under a transfer embargo in January after the club were unable to keep up with instalments owed, but that was lifted in the spring.

Promotion has helped the finances, but it remains unclear how much Heckingbottom can invest in the playing squad this summer.

Key Transfers

Sheffield United’s biggest outlay so far is a reported £5million on Arsenal centre-back Auston Trusty, who was impressive on loan at Birmingham City last season.

They have also added Anis Ben Slimane from Brondby (pictured top) to inject some creativity and dynamism into central midfield, as well as left-back Yasser Larouci and forward Benie Traore (pictured below), who scored 12 goals in 14 Swedish top-flight matches last season.

Tactics

Heckingbottom uses the same 3-5-2 formation as his predecessor Wilder, complete with overlapping centre-backs, although these are predominantly carried out on the right, where Anel Ahmedhodzic shone in the final third last season.

However, Ndiaye’s departure may signal a move towards a 3-5-1-1, leaving Oliver McBurnie alone up front as Sheff Utd look to cope with their change in status in the top flight.

United attack very quickly and directly, hence their average possession of only 51.2 per cent last season, the 10th-highest tally in the Championship. This will remain.

But we are unlikely to see them repeat their high press - they ranked second for high turnovers, with 366, in the Championship.

Heckingbottom's side will almost certainly become a more conservative team, relying on their excellent set-pieces, from which they scored 22 league goals last season.

Reasons to cheer

Their success upon promotion four years ago provides hope for Blades fans, as does an excellent record at Bramall Lane, where they only lost four matches last season – and won each of their last five, conceding just twice in total.

They will certainly need defensively robust performances at home to avoid a relegation battle.

See: Can promoted clubs repeat feats of 2022/23 sides?

Reasons to fear

Besides the sudden loss of Ndiaye, at the time of writing the club have not signed anyone with Premier League experience. This could be a problem towards the end of the season should they be fighting for their status.