Stan Collymore isn’t convinced Rhian Brewster made the right decision in joining Sheffield United this season.
Brewster signed for the Blades in a club record deal from Liverpool in October, for an initial £20m with a further £3m in add-ons.
After fetching such a large fee, there is now a certain amount of pressure on the striker to perform.
This is despite the fact that Brewster is still only 20-years-old and hadn’t played in the Premier League before this year.
Yet in five appearances so far, the youngster has failed to score. Not that the circumstances are exactly easy for Brewster.
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Overall, the Blades are the joint lowest scorers in the top flight with just four goals in nine games so far.
It’s contributed to them being bottom of the table with a single point.
And Collymore wonders if Bramall Lane is the right place for Brewster to be continuing his development.
Should Brewster have joined Sheffield United?
“Let’s hope Rhian Brewster made the right calculations before choosing Sheffield United,” Collymore wrote in his Mirror column (November 24, page 51).
“Blades manager Chris Wilder has an abrasive but close relationship with a solid group of players and has worked wonders.
“But a young rookie on relatively big money, like Brewster can be swallowed up when things don’t go well. The club will expect him to be the difference, which is a big burden.
“That’s why it’s important youngsters find a football home instead of choosing the big-money deal first.”
Collymore makes some interesting assertions here, some of which we don’t agree with.
A former Reds forward himself, the 49-year-old knows all about the pressures of top flight football.
Which is why his comments on choosing “home” over money could be fair.
But then Brewster will not have chosen South Yorkshire for the cash. The fee paid for the England Under-21 international is admittedly high for United, but not in general Premier League terms.
Plus, with their biggest earners getting £30,000-a-week, Brewster will not be receiving huge wages.
To call Chris Wilder “abrasive” also seems a little off the mark. Wilder is a stern defender of his players, but always seems nurturing of those under his management.
It seems as if Collymore may be the latest to fall into the trap of stereotyping the Blades boss without any actual knowledge.
