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Sheffield United face a test of their steel after an awful start to the season

Sheffield United face a test of their steel after an awful start to the season
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Last season Sheffield United and head coach Chris Wilder were a breath of fresh air in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship.

The Blades with their overlapping centre-backs and distinctive style of play caused many a shock.

However, it seems something has gone badly wrong this season and the team from Yorkshire have picked up a measly one point from their opening seven Premier League games this season.

A 1-0 home defeat against Manchester City last time out means that Sheffield United have now failed to win in their last ten top-flight games dating back to last season. To make matters worse they have suffered defeat in nine of those ten league outings.

To say that the Blades are suffering from second season syndrome would certainly not be an understatement.

There is a long history of teams doing well in their first top-flight season, only to tank in their second season when teams have found them out.

It may be harsh to say that teams have found out the men from the steel city, but there is certainly something not right for United at the minute. Maybe injuries to the likes of Jack O’Connell and John Fleck has affected the team.

The lack of any real investment on strengthening the squad may also be a contributing cause. However, Chris Wilder has built the team’s success on by bringing in players from the lower leagues and improving them.

This season is a real test of their metal. Sheffield United need to start winning football matches and quickly otherwise they may well find themselves in the hole that they cannot escape in the coming months. On recent evidence Wilder and his staff have their work cut out to turn the team's fortunes around.

Premier League
OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
1
Arsenal 80 35 25 5 5 57
2
Manchester City 79 34 24 7 3 50
3
Liverpool 75 35 22 9 4 41
4
Aston Villa 67 35 20 7 8 21
5
Tottenham 60 34 18 6 10 13
6
Manchester United 54 34 16 6 12 1
7
Newcastle United 53 34 16 5 13 19
8
Chelsea 51 34 14 9 11 6
9
West Ham 49 35 13 10 12 -9
10
Bournemouth 48 35 13 9 13 -8
11
Wolverhampton 46 35 13 7 15 -7
12
Brighton 44 34 11 11 12 -5
13
Fulham 43 35 12 7 16 -4
14
Crystal Palace 40 35 10 10 15 -12
15
Everton 36 35 12 8 15 -11
16
Brentford 35 35 9 8 18 -8
17
Nottingham Forest 26 35 7 9 19 -20
18
Luton Town 25 35 6 7 22 -29
19
Burnley 24 35 5 9 21 -32
20
Sheffield United 16 35 3 7 25 -63

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