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| Nigel Adkins, Sheffield United's route out of League 1? |
At the end of last season, I wrote about Clough's early departure, and how if Sheffield United were going to go forward this season, they needed to get a manager who has a recent record of promotion from League 1, a manager who can get the players we need in the transfer market and push an attacking style of football, win games and get us promoted. Enter Nigel Adkins! Adkins is frankly an incredible appointment, one that shows ambition, a need for a change in strategy and a desire for promotion this season. Over the summer, much has been made of Adkins' previous achievements. The upbeat, forward-thinking ex-physio, the man who stepped up to the plate at Scunthorpe to send them into The Championship, (a huge effort) the man who masterminded Southampton's double promotion back into the Premier League, now plying his progressive, goal-oriented trade in the red half of the Steel City. The guy is just dripping with positivity, which has resonated throughout the club in the few months he has been here. Even the setback of losing Jamie Murphy, arguably one of our best and most consistent players over the past few years was seen as a minor bump on the road in comparison to all that was going on this summer. There is a ever-growing sense amongst the fans that this is finally our year.
After the shock 4-0 away defeat to Gillingham on the first day of the season (Which I and many other fans will be happy to forget) The Blades quickly built up a head of steam. Their performances this month have been really consistent, characterised by a simple set of systems based around a solid 4-4-2 formation. A big problem last season was the lack of goals, something which Adkins has sought to remedy as a priority. Looking at the wealth of forward options The Blades have had just in this first month is promising; 7 games have produced 10 goals with 6 different scorers. This is from an open attacking style of play, executed by a team that create chances and get players in the box. As an aside, the clear pick of the bunch from August's goals was Marc McNulty's bullet strike towards the Kop to seal the win over Blackpool. Coming from a player who is likely to be sidelined in favour of other forwards this season, that's a good sign.
As the month wore on, the results kept coming. Adkins has won every league game since the opening day by a 2 goal margin, keeping 3 clean sheets in the process. The 2 times this month that Sheffield United have lost have been followed by victories a matter of days later. It's easy to slip into a losing streak and drop form, so picking up in the next game is important after a loss. With that in mind, I think the best result this month was the 2-0 away win at Swindon. After losing 3-0 midweek to Fulham and getting 2 red cards in the process it was crucial to bounce back. The fact The Blades managed to keep a clean sheet against a side that slotted 11 goals past them last term makes the achievement sweeter; Last season's promotion rivals put to the sword in an early statement of intent.
One thing I've always found interesting in football is how a new manager can completely turn around a player's form. Che Adams has been a perfect example of this, having flourished early on, scoring a brace to defeat Chesterfield and gaining an instant 1st XI place. He has topped this off during the international break by gaining an England under-21 call-up. His positive attitude, tireless work rate and ability to play up front or out wide has given The Blades options going forward. Adkins has ignited a spark in the young player, enabling him to reach a level of consistency he didn't touch last season. Under Clough, Adams was a perennial squad player, running out as a sub late into the game every now and then, and only gaining a few starts. This seemed odd, as Adams was a Clough signing, and much was made of the amateur non-league player making it to the big time when he came to Bramall Lane, but for some reason, he never slotted into Clough's jigsaw. It's good to see Adkins getting so much out of Adams, and the rest of last season's squad.
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| Che Adams celebrates after his 2nd goal against Chesterfield |
Adkins' summer signings have been astute; Canadian captain David Edgar providing solid support in the back 4, Connor Sammon hitting the ground running with 2 goals and of course bringing the Blades legend Billy Sharp back to Bramall Lane for the 3rd spell of his career in a red and white shirt. There are still clear improvements to be made in the squad, firstly there is a need for a decent back-up goalkeeper, as George Long has proved he is not up to the cut in League 1, but also I feel there is a need for an effective holding player to screen the back 4, a role Michael Doyle fulfilled before his departure this summer. As with last season, the squad often look lightweight in the middle third, losing the midfield physical battle and getting cut through. Doyle was very good at preventing this, and I think Scougall, Baxter, Wallace and others don't quite have what it takes to fulfil that particular role. Overall the squad is in good shape, albeit with some injuries. It will be interesting to see how Brayford and Harris (To my mind the best defenders in the squad) fit in to the set-up once they return to match fitness. There are a number of players out injured (Matt Done especially) that could give The Blades a lot of strength in depth as the season develops.
All in all, this month has been the best start we could have hoped for. Several clean sheets, big wins and bags of goals have marked a strong start to the new season. One stat that I love is that Sheffield United are currently 2nd in the league. The last time they achieved that was for one day at the start of the 13/14 season, and that's only because they played the Friday of the opening day weekend. The last time Sheffield United topped the league at a significant point in the season was in March 2013, now 30 long months and 3 managers ago, so it's good to see them making progress up the league. Surely, it's only a matter of time before Adkins steers the club to the top spot. It's been a fantastic start to the new campaign, and while there's a long way to go until May 8th, we may be looking forward to a successful season at Bramall Lane.
