Without wanting to get too carried away, yesterday’s mauling of Peterborough United by the Blades felt like a turning point for everyone.
Gone was the passive, disinterested, and lacklustre performance level of the last 12 months or so. Instead, United delivered a display full of vigour, flair, and crucially, goals.
Lifted
The inclusion of Morgan Gibbs-White and Iliman Ndiaye into the XI has clearly given everyone a lift. Naturally, those two were the talk of the town this weekend and rightly so.
Other also performed well. A number of players, such as John Fleck and Billy Sharp, were back to their very best. Of course, it’s vital the Blades carry this form into the clash with Preston on Tuesday night.
SAKA, ANTONY AND 10 PREMIER LEAGUE STARS HEADING TO THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP
Alarmingly, for the rest of the Championship (but reassuring for United), the Blades smashed six past the Posh without a host of players who many would argue are first-teamers. And that should strike fear into the hearts of the rest of this league.
Depth
When you take a step back and look at the Sheffield United squad Jokanovic now has at his disposal, it should be enough to do well in the second tier. Especially, if players we know can do but had lost form – such as Norwood, Fleck, and Baldock – deliver like they did yesterday.
Sander Berge was missing, and he’ll be worried about getting back into the side in all honesty.
In defence, Robin Olsen is almost certain to come in as the new number one to tighten up a problem position. Ben Davies will also be back for Jack Robinson before long, too. And let’s not forget Enda Stevens is due to make a return. Jack O’Connell is another big name in this squad, although it’s hard to see him featuring this term.
Further up the field, David McGoldrick and Lys Mousset were missing through injury. Both are great players in their own right on their day, and both will have a part to play this term you feel.
All in all, Saturday showed United can do it in this league. And do it with ease when it all clicks. Those aforementioned players would all get into most Championship sides.
Let’s just hope, then, that Jokanovic can find a way to make everything click over the next nine months.
