Sheffield United will hope they can shore up their grip on second spot in the Championship this coming Monday night, but it won’t be easy for the promotion-chasing Blades.
After all, table-topping Leeds United come into town fresh off a last-gasp win over Sunderland to further cement their authority as the main dogs in the second tier, whilst Chris Wilder’s men lurk behind.
Wilder will just have to hope his strong Blades team can keep the visiting Whites at bay, with the South Yorkshire outfit taking great pride in their defensively resilient performances this season after a horror show Premier League relegation.
United's improved defensive displays
One brief look back at the 2023/24 Premier League table is enough to send shivers down the spines of many a United supporter, as the Blades sunk back down to the second-tier rock bottom of the division.
That’s before you even consider the alarming fact that the relegated side shipped a horrendous 104 goals across a largely dismal 38-game stretch, meaning things had to change big time back in the Championship.
Stat
Record (per 90)
Ranking
Goals against
0.68
Top 8%
Save percentage
80.6%
Top 5%
Save % (penalties)
33.3
Top 29%
Clean sheet %
54.8%
Top 8%
Clean sheets
0.55
Top 8%
Touches
41.39
Top 34%
Crosses stopped %
9.4%
Top 8%
Defensive actions outside area
0.87
Bottom 21%
Wilder has thankfully managed to turn his team into a far more solid defensive unit in the league below, helped by the £2m capture of ex-Plymouth shot-stopper Michael Cooper last summer now looking to be a masterstroke.
All of last campaign, the Blades only managed to collect a sorry one clean sheet in league action. Now, with a breath of fresh air in between the sticks, Cooper has picked up a stunning 18 clean sheets, with that total only bettered by automatic promotion rivals Leeds and Burnley.
Off the back of his excellence in goal, the 25-year-old’s value has already started to steadily rise, with Cooper’s dreams of entering into the top-flight with Wilder’s men potentially coming true.
This isn’t the only time United have struck gold on a promising ‘keeper, however, with this former England international rejoining the ranks in South Yorkshire back in 2020, which would set him up for a path to stardom down the line.
Wilder's "brilliant" former goalkeeper
Fresh off the back of a seriously impressive ninth place finish in the Premier League during the 2019/20 season, the mood around Bramall Lane would have been sky-high.
Market Movers
But, as has been seen in more recent campaigns, Wilder’s men love seesawing between the second tier and the promised land of the top flight, as the 2020/21 season then saw a gutting relegation occur.
The Blades weren’t helped by some disruptive business taking place the summer before the troubling campaign properly got underway, with reliable ‘keeper Dean Henderson moving back to then parent side Manchester United after collecting an encouraging 13 clean sheets in Premier League action.
To make up for this harsh blow, United took a punt on ex-shot stopper Aaron Ramsdale for a fee in and around the £18m mark, having previously shipped him out to AFC Bournemouth for a mere £1m fee.
Whilst Ramsdale’s arrival onto the scene couldn’t save his side from the doom of dropping down a league, the now 26-year-old would help the Bramall Lane faithful get over Henderson’s exit quicker, with this save just one golden moment from the 6 foot 3 ‘keeper’s formative time at the Blades.
In total, Ramsdale would notch up a hefty 147 saves during the 2020/21 season in the top flight, leading to many a higher-up onlooker watching the Stoke-on-Trent-born star with intrigue to see if he could fit into a less stressful environment.
Arsenal would eventually pick up the recently relegated ‘keeper for £30m, with Wilder and Co unbelievably making a £12m profit on their “brilliant” ex-number one – as he was labelled by his former manager in the wake of his exit – after just one season, even with Championship football hitting them in the face.
Whilst Ramsdale would initially go down as a resounding success at the Emirates Stadium, based on his gleaming highlights reel above, it’s fair to say his time with the Gunners unravelled pretty quickly, leaving him now submerged in another basement battle.
Ramsdale's declining value
Ramsdale was worth every bit of his £30m fee during his first few standout campaigns in North London, with the 26-year-old becoming a top Premier League performer further up the table, away from United’s relegation woes.
In total, the five-time Three Lions senior figure would go on to amass 89 appearances for the Gunners across three seasons, with the calm waters of his first two seasons then replaced with choppy seas by the abrupt time he was offloaded by Mikel Arteta.
Season
Games played
Goals conceded
Clean sheets
23/24
11
12
3
22/23
41
44
15
21/22
37
41
14
As can be seen looking at the table, Ramsdale effortlessly fit into the Arsenal first-team picture upon his arrival with 29 clean sheets picked up across 78 appearances, before everything turned sour.
By the close of the 2022/23 season, the 26-year-old’s value would even stand at a mammoth £33m, only to then be frozen out of Arteta’s XI for one too many error-strewn displays.
This would result in Ramsdale seeking a move away from the Emirates with lowly Southampton picking up the ego-bruised ‘keeper for around the £25m mark last August.
Already, his value has taken a slight decline at St. Mary’s – as per Transfermarkt – with his side’s disastrous nine-point haul not exactly helping matters, leading to Ramsdale now being worth around £18m.
That is a £12m decline from the amount the Blades sold him for, representing fantastic business on the end of Wilder’s men, as Ramsdale attempts to pick up the pieces of his career again.
He, of course, managed to bounce back at Bramall Lane when his side were destined for the drop, but with only three clean sheets next to his name on the South Coast, he could well be hurtling down to the Championship with Ivan Juric’s side, whilst United push back up to the top-flight.
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