Well, it’s nice to wake up on a Sunday morning with a good feeling inside you when it comes to Sheffield United, isn’t it Blades fans?
Rather than picking apart team selection, individual performances, and whose fault things are from top to bottom at the club, we are left simply to digest a wonderful display of football.
Billy Sharp led the team from the front, while Iliman Ndiaye and Morgan Gibbs-White were insatiable on their debuts at Bramall Lane. John Fleck looked back to being the player we all know, and Ben Osborn was buzzing about as usual. Add to that the space Ollie Norwood had to get a foothold in the game, and it was a hugely successful day at the office.
Manager Slavisa Jokanovic admitted that he’d gone with the XI he picked thanks to performances in training. And with the likes of Sander Berge, Ben Davies, Robin Olsen, and Lys Mousset all still to return, the next few weeks look bright for the Blades.
But – there’s always a but – could yesterday’s performance actually mean we might see less of Sander Berge? Given the display, it certainly seems that way for now.
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Berge faces big fight to regain his place
Most Blades fans will concur that there is a player in their with Sander Berge. We’ve seen it in glimpses. Against Premier League opposition last term, and in flashes this season.
But the problem Berge now faces is where does he fit in this side? If Jokanovic plays the same formation, the only obvious route into the side for him is in place of Ollie Norwood. However, the manager knows and trusts the United number 16, and he had a good game yesterday.
It would be impossible to drop Fleck after seeing him roar back to form, while Gibbs-White, Osborn, and Ndiaye will surely go again against Preston.
Of course, it’s a squad game, and a long season ahead. Berge will play games, and he might even step in for Norwood longer term. After all, that is what Chris Wilder predicted when he bought him.
But for now, Berge might have to take a watching brief. United were back yesterday, and Jokanovic will need to ensure that momentum is maintained for as long as possible. With, or without Sander Berge.