Sheffield United v Norwich City: Jamie Shackleton has adaptability Chris Wilder needs
Chris Wilder says this season's Sheffield United have to be more tactically flexible than the team he took up from League One to the Premier League at the end of the last decade.
In Jamie Shackleton, he has a player who can give him that. At last. Shackleton made just 15 appearances – all but two from the bench – in his first two, injury-hit seasons as a Blade after moving from Leeds United.
So after three substitute appearances already in 2026-27, a player who can play across the midfield and at full-back is not going to be picky about where he gets a game. Norwich City at home on Saturday is his next chance.
"It's something that throughout my career I've kind of done – moving around position in game and game to game," said the 26-year-old. "It's just something that I feel like I can do and I'm willing to do – play me right wing or left-back or stick me in goals and you'll get the same effort from me.
"I feel like it can help my cause if there's different roles and positions I can play within the team."
Shackleton had adaptability drilled into him playing for Marcelo Bielsa.
"The style of football we played meant that you found yourself in the game in a different position to where you were actually on the teamsheet," reflected Shackleton. "It probably helped me being able to play different positions today.
"Especially being away from the pitch for so long, to be on it anywhere is, at this moment in time, a really positive step for me so I'm not too fussed where that is."
Wilder's first great Blades team was built around a very settled 3-4-1-2, then 3-5-2 shape but this generation will not be like that.
"I had that team from 2016-17 that played in the same way right the way through," said the manager. "Imagine how many training sessions you had, how many pre-seasons you had, how many games that team played?
"Players were deep into 100, 120, 130 games when they got out of this division. You want to get into that rhythm.
"I do think this group is more adaptable and we are becoming more adaptable to change.
"The modern game is becoming more like that, where you try and tweak it to gain an advantage.
"You need to look at how the game's going as well, where you can stop the flow at times if you're under pressure, or you can step on it when you need to adjust to find somewhere, somehow, to get that better result."