A WIN for Sheffield United tomorrow and they will jump into the Premier League top five.
And for all the great attributes Chris Wilder’s side have shown this season, they have added another with the signing of midfielder Sander Berge — flexibility.
Sander Berge has added steel in Sheffield United’s midfieldCredit: Rex Features
Last season in the Championship they played a 3-4-1-2, but so far in the top flight they have preferred 3-5-2.
Assuming they would not dominate possession as much, they wanted that extra man in midfield to be more combative.
What they have done so far is have Oliver Norwood as a sitter with John Fleck and John Lundstram going to join the attack on either side.
But now with Sander Berge coming into the side, as we saw against Crystal Palace, it gives them that option to have two sitters in Berge and Norwood, with Fleck venturing forward.
It is the same system but now there is that flexibility within it — and that is exactly what they have needed.
Teams are now starting to show Sheffield United a lot of respect, matching them up in their formation and trying to hit them on the counter, like Manchester United did at Bramall Lane.
Because of that, Sheffield United are being given more possession.
In their first 14 games they had more possession just once.
But in their last 11 games they have had more than 50 per cent possession three times.
With Berge in the side, Wilder has the ability to change not the system, but the way it operates.
When you dominate possession you are at risk of being countered, which is why you need those two sitters — especially in Sheffield United’s game-plan of overlapping centre-backs.
The dynamic is still the same and you now have enough men behind the ball.
But what is even better about Berge is he can do both — he can sit and be that defensive rock and also get forward and contribute.
It really is another great bit of business.
In the last two transfer windows the Blades have broken their transfer record five times, totalling under £60million.
And before this season their record fee for a player was just £5m.
Berge was treated like royalty on arrival, being toured around the stadium and driven by Wilder himself to the training ground.
Wilder is my manager of the season.
Yes, Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp are achieving so much, but Wilder has still excelled in my opinion.
Regardless of who their next signing is, Sheffield United will continue to do what they have been so good at this season — being solid.
You could argue they could do with Berge nicking a few more goals from midfield — 17th-placed Aston Villa have scored six more than the Blades, while 13 other teams have also banged in more goals.
But with their defensive record, it will not keep Wilder awake at night.
Only Liverpool have conceded fewer, while Villa and Norwich, who came up with them last season and are currently in a relegation fight, have both let in 24 more.
And when Wilder’s men do grab a goal early, they rarely lose. They have scored first on ten occasions, winning eight and drawing two.
The midfielder can help fire Sheffield United into a European spotCredit: Getty Images – Getty
They have also conceded first 14 times but lost just seven of those.
With stats like that, a top-four finish could easily be in sight, especially with the nice run of fixtures heading their way in the run-in.
Two of their three games against the current top four are at home.
With that in mind, Berge could be the final piece of Wilder’s jigsaw, ready to shock the top flight.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
