Sheffield United looking for 'balance' after absence of identifying factors in loss to Norwich City - analysis
Analysis of Sheffield United’s 3-1 defeat to Norwich City with further reflections from Chris Wilder
Chris Wilder has taken charge of over 350 Sheffield United matches, leading the Blades in each of England’s top three tiers.
He has never been married to one particular philosophy for too long but there have always been identifying factors. Whether they have been promotion-chasing in the EFL or trying to stay afloat in the Premier League, a ‘Chris Wilder Sheffield United team’ has had noticeable characteristics.
Rarely have Wilder-led Sheffield United sides been labelled self-pitying, yet they were by Wilder himself after they slipped to a 3-1 defeat to Norwich City.
Sheffield United lack identifying characteristics
It was a rather alarming observation delivered after a particularly lacklustre second-half display, one that lacked the drive and energy often associated with the manager’s Blades teams.
“We always have to go game-by-game,” said Wilder. “We're not that type of football club at the moment that's got an absolute unbelievable clear identity - I understand that and I'll go game-by-game to try and get a result.
“I know goals change games and the feeling of being 3-1 up away from home with possibly sell-out away fans, we've been in that situation before. You enjoy it and you've got a bit of a strut and we just felt sorry for ourselves, looked sorry for ourselves physically. We were off it.
“We didn't have any energy in the team [in the] second half really. There were a lot of boys that were flagging. In every aspect of the game in the last half an hour, they were better than us and they deserved the win.”
Fans could be forgiven for indulgence in pity given the off-field uncertainty that has lingered around Bramall Lane of late. They could have certainly been forgiven for a sulk when Callum O’Hare was sold to Wrexham on deadline day.
Sheffield United’s players, however, cannot afford the luxury of dwelling on frustrations.
After Patrick Bamford cancelled out Anthony Musaba’s opener, the Blades were in the driving seat. Mohamed Toure restored the away lead before the break and the Blades emerged from the interval looking toothless.
When Mathias Kvistgaarden extended the Norwich advantage, it was hardly against the run of play.
“I just didn’t think that we looked physically strong enough to get back into the game,” said Wilder. “They controlled the game.
“They had all the answers to everything we did. We didn't play well second half, especially the last 20-25 minutes. We never looked to gain any momentum.”
State of flux
Wilder is presiding over a squad in flux. Players have left and players have arrived - some of whom are not yet up to speed.
Few would argue the transfer window resembled anything like a success for the Blades but beyond a scour of the free agent market, nothing can be done to remedy that in the short-term.
If an identity of some sort is going to be found within this current iteration of Wilder’s Sheffield United, it must dug from within.
“We're just going to have to battle through because we are missing players.” said Wilder. “We're trying to get players up to speed as well.
“We're trying to get Hamza [Choudhury] up to speed. We're trying to get Ben Brereton Diaz up to speed. Matt Doherty missed today [through illness] . Kalvin Phillips is not a starter for us until after the international break.”
The defeat was Sheffield United’s first of the season and they will not be reaching for the panic button. Some, however, would highlight the number one in the win column before looking at the one in the losses column after five games.
Wilder feels his side have been “pretty succesful” - but acknowledges the need for balance to be found.
“We've been pretty successful, unbeaten all pre-season,” said Wilder. “Now you look on the back of the Birmingham game and the Swansea game. they’re okay performances.
“For me, it's getting the balance right. The criticism of the team at the start of the season, or the opinion is, where do we get the goals from and how do we score goals? Then we score at Blackburn, we score at Cardiff, we score three on Tuesday night.
“It's a little bit like the duvet. You pull it up, your feet are cold and you expose your chin. I've got to try and get the balance right in terms of the shape of the team.”
Sheffield United: Cooper, Choudhury, Tanganga, Kitching, Norrington-Davies (McCallum 58); Peck, Riedewald (Phillips 45); Donovan (Arblaster 77), Brereton Diaz (Shackleton 77); Campbell (Cannon 58), Bamford.
Unused substitutes: Davies, McGuinness, Bapiste, Rothwell.
Norwich City: Kovacevic, F|isher, McConville (Darling 85), Cordoba, Chrisene; McLean, Mattson; Brooks (Crnac 85), Slimane (Wright 61), Musaba (Diallo 70); Toure.
Unused substitutes: Grimshaw, Yongwa, Stacey, Mahoma.
Referee: Josh Smith (Lincolnshire)