Sheffield United fell to a 3-0 defeat against Hull City in the Championship last night, with Chris Wilder’s side convincingly beaten amid their January recruitment drive.
Tom Cannon and Ben Brereton Diaz were both given starts for the Blades last night after arriving on high-profile January transfers earlier in the year.
Wilder’s priority has been to bring in attacking players, but Hamza Choudhury, a central midfielder, is on his way, and there are plans to strengthen the defence in full-back and centre-back positions.
The latter addition is due to Harry Souttar’s season-ending injury. The Australian ruptured his Achilles in the Boxing Day match against Burnley at Bramall Lane and has returned to his parent club, Leicester City.
Souttar’s impact on Sheffield United
The crushing defeat to Hull generated speculation about the influence Souttar was having on Wilder’s defence.
One fan on X, @ManekiBlades, pointed out that Sheffield United have conceded only 10 goals in 21 games against Souttar this season. They’ve shipped another ten games while the 26-year-old has been absent.
Souttar’s duo with Anel Ahmedhodzic was one of the strongest in the Championship. Jack Robinson has stepped into the starting lineup since then, appearing in the last 13 league games and finishing 90 minutes in each; the captain paired Souttar in Ahmedhodzic’s absence in the games preceding his injury against Burnley.
| Harry Souttar’s Sheffield United clean sheets (Soccerbase) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Opponent | Score |
| 01/09/24 | Watford | 1-0 |
| 13/09/24 | Hull City | 2-0 |
| 21/09/24 | Derby County | 1-0 |
| 28/09/24 | Portsmouth | 0-0 |
| 02/10/24 | Swansea City | 1-0 |
| 05/10/24 | Luton Town | 2-0 |
| 26/10/24 | Stoke City | 2-0 |
| 02/11/24 | Blackburn Rovers | 2-0 |
| 10/11/24 | Sheffield Wednesday | 1-0 |
| 26/11/24 | Oxford United | 3-0 |
| 29/11/24 | Sunderland* | 1-0 |
| 11/12/24 | Millwall | 1-0 |
| 14/12/24 | Plymouth Argyle | 2-0 |
| 21/12/24 | Cardiff City | 2-0 |
| *Souttar was sent-off at 0-0 v Sunderland | ||
Sheffield United defensive targets
Now that Wilder has Cannon and Brereton Diaz on board, with Choudhury to follow, his focus will shift to replacing Souttar at centre-back and finding Ahmedhodzic a reliable partner for the rest of the season.
Football League World reported last week that Bramall Lane is interested in signing QPR’s Jimmy Dunne, who is out of contract at Loftus Road next summer.
Further claims from the Sheffield Star have linked Everton’s Michael Keane, while Jonjoe Kenny is a right-back linked with the club; while he is not a direct Souttar replacement, he might free up Alfie Gilchrist to move centrally from right-back.
What is certain, however, is that Wilder will be bolstered by other acquisitions. Two high-profile forwards have arrived, and the midfield gap will be solved.
Following a terrible defensive performance at Hull, with Souttar’s absence plainly felt, a centre-back may soon be on Wilder and Sheffield United’s radar.
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