West Ham v Sheffield United - FA Cup stars Jayden Bogle and Max Lowe in contention for Premier League start

George Baldock and Enda Stevens could be in the Sheffield United squad at West Ham United in the Premier League tonight but whether they will be in the team is far from guaranteed.
Jayden Bogle: Adapting to new role. Picture: Simon Bellis/SportimageJayden Bogle: Adapting to new role. Picture: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Jayden Bogle: Adapting to new role. Picture: Simon Bellis/Sportimage

The pair were back in tandem at Bramall Lane on Wednesday, but beneath face masks and big coats, sat socially distanced watching their team-mates knock Bristol City out of the FA Cup.

Last season, Baldock and Stevens were ever-presents and untouchables in the top division’s most refreshing success story but what they watched on a perishingly cold midweek evening will have reinforced the view that their places are no longer assured.

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Right wing-back Jayden Bogle was the Blades’ man of the match against the Robins. Left-sider Max Lowe, who hit the post in the first half, was probably the next best performer.

Max Lowe of Sheffield Utd tussles with Reece James of Chelsea earlier this month (Picture: Andrew Yates/Sportimage)Max Lowe of Sheffield Utd tussles with Reece James of Chelsea earlier this month (Picture: Andrew Yates/Sportimage)
Max Lowe of Sheffield Utd tussles with Reece James of Chelsea earlier this month (Picture: Andrew Yates/Sportimage)

Playing wing-back in Sheffield United’s bold 3-5-2 formation with its overlapping central defenders is arguably different to playing there for anyone else, not that either has done that much.

It comes with a freedom, but also responsibilities. As well as helping with overloads out wide, some of Bogle’s best work would come popping up in the inside-left channel. Lowe rattled the post from the inside-right channel.

“Myself and Jayden have loved every minute of it,” said Lowe in the full-time snow on Wednesday. “Playing this formation has helped us both out massively to learn the game. It gives us so much more freedom than playing a four, which we have done for most of our careers.

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“Jayden’s got more goals in the last month than he has in the rest of his career put together.

Enda Stevens is back but could miss out (Picture: Andrew Yates/Sportimage)Enda Stevens is back but could miss out (Picture: Andrew Yates/Sportimage)
Enda Stevens is back but could miss out (Picture: Andrew Yates/Sportimage)

“Personally, I’m just grateful to learn from the other boys and I’m just soaking it all in.

“When the boys were in the Championship I was watching them from afar and I found it mind-blowing watching Bashy (Chris Basham) overlapping and when you see it in training you see how effective it is.

“You’ve got so much freedom to express yourself. It’s a great education for everyone who’s playing.”

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It has not been the easiest time to learn, with such a condensed fixture list cutting the time spent at Shirecliffe.

“This season’s a completely different one and hopefully a one-off because you’re just dealing in recovery and getting set for the next game,” acknowledges manager Chris Wilder.

“There’s not many Saturday-to-Saturday games where you can sit them down, talk them through on the training ground and make them a better player but that won’t stop them.

“But Jayden’s picked up the position well and so has Max. His opportunity to score on Wednesday was Enda Stevens-like and to get into that position was a great bit of movement.”

But it is about more than just developing players.

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“Jayden’s going to get put under some tremendous pressure by George and that’s how it’s got to be,” says Wilder. “George signed a new contract and Enda was outstanding for us last season but you need competition.

“If I did tell everybody who knows the game what we paid (for Bogle and Lowe), they would be quite shocked and stunned at the deal we got.

“They’ve not played the system before at Derby, or very infrequently. To learn a new system and learn on the job is impressive.

“It’s a test defensively as well with the players they will be up against at West Ham. There’s Jesse Lingard, (Said) Benrahma, (Pablo) Fornals, (Jarrod) Bowen. Usually in the Premier League the really good players are the ones at the top of the pitch.”

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Bogle and Lowe are competitive with one another too. Bogle has three goals this season, Lowe is yet to register.

“I had a shot against the crossbar versus Bristol City and we were giggling at the end of the game because he had a header five minutes after,” says Lowe.

“They’re chances we both should have taken. I need to catch up with him on the goal tally.”

It is another competition the Blades should be relishing.

Their captain Billy Sharp certainly is. He feels that cutting out mistakes is the key to turning the “small margins” in Sheffield United’s favour this season.

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“That’s six wins in nine so we’re winning more games than we’re losing at the minute, which we weren’t doing at the start of the season,” said the centre-forward, whose five goals this season have come in four one-goal wins and a draw.

“We need to win a lot of games but it was nice to win in midweek and it’s good for Monday away at West Ham.

“We need to cut out individual and collective mistakes because we’ve made a lot of them this season and we didn’t make many last season. That’s the small margins.

“Getting that first goal is so important in the Premier League. It gives you something to hold onto and build on.”

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Last six games: West Ham United DDWLWW; Sheffield United WLWLWW.

Referee: S Hooper (Swindon)

Last time: West Ham United 1 Sheffield United 1, October 26, 2019, Premier League.

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