IF you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
Or in Chris Wilder’s case with Oli McBurnie, get them to join you.
Oli McBurnie scored as Sheffield Utd beat Brighton 1-0Credit: Getty Images
McBurnie scored for Swansea in both of Graham Potter’s league victories over Wilder’s Blades last season.
The first was on the opening day in a 2-1 victory at Bramall Lane to land Potter three points on his Swans bow.
The short-socked striker’s second was in a 1-0 victory at the Liberty Stadium on January 19.
Amazingly, that was the last time Sheffield United have lost away from home.
Wilder responded in the summer by handing Swans £17million to bring McBurnie to his newly-promoted side.
And it paid off handsomely at the Amex as McBurnie netted to down Potter and keep that sensational run going.
Swansea will be due another £3m if United stay up.
That seems a mere formality now given the Blades could be celebrating Christmas just a point off the Champions League spots.
This game served as a great example as to why United have not lost an away game in England for 13 months.
Jack O’Connell had a second goal ruled out for offsideCredit: Reuters
Potter’s Brighton have been free-flowing of late but they could find no way past the the yellow wall of Wilder’s suffocating 3-5-2 formation.
That was even with a tactical tweak themselves as Potter brought on two strikers to join Neal Maupay at half-time.
This Blades team knows the system inside out with many having first worked on it under Wilder in League One and it has been stunningly effective ever since.
And were it not for a couple of VAR reviews, this would have been more comfortable for the visitors.
Ref Robert Jones was officiating his first Premier League game and was flawless, in part thanks to Michael Oliver over at Stockley Park.
United had the ball in the net with eight minutes gone as John Egan turned home Luke Freeman’s corner after Maty Ryan had missed with a punch.
But a review showed the ball brushed Egan’s hand before going in and the video review chalked it off.
The hosts then had their own strike ruled out when Maupay fired in from an offside Martin Montoya’s cross.
Brighton could not cope with Sheffield’s intense gameCredit: Getty Images
United had their opener midway through the first half thanks to a long ball and McBurnie’s perseverance.
The Scot beat Adam Webster to Dean Henderson’s belt upfield and ran onto his own header before expertly firing past Ryan for his third goal of the season.
Wilder will have had a deep sense of satisfaction having brought his former tormentor McBurnie back in to the fold at the expense of Lys Mousset.
One player he has stuck with is David McGoldrick despite the Irish veteran being without a goal this term.
You could see why given the 32-year-old’s hold-up play and silky touch.
Yet he fluffed a gilt-edged chance to break his campaign duck when a weak Webster back-header played him in.
McGoldrick rounded Ryan but could only fire into the side-netting with the goal gaping.
The away fans showed their appreciation nonetheless by chanting the ex-Ipswich striker’s name.
United then had another goal chalked off as former Albion transfer target Jack O’Connell turned home after a Ryan fumble – but VAR proved him to be offside.
Potter played all his cards with 35 minutes still to play as Yves Bissouma followed half-time subs Glenn Murray and Aaron Connolly onto the pitch.
Connolly forced a solid stop from Henderson with a 20-yard blast.
While whistler Jones was impressively decisive when booking Bissouma for a late dive in the box.
But in truth this was a stress-free afternoon for Wilder who finally saw his McBurnie transfer pay off big time.
Jack Rodwell trains with Sheff Utd ahead of potential free transfer as he looks to revive career
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
