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Sheffield United have won their last two Championship matches

Sheffield United have bounced back from their dreadful start to the 2025/26 campaign after the October international break to record successive victories.

The Blades’ nightmare opening innings has been well-documented, which stemmed from their failure to achieve promotion from the Championship last term.

United scored 90 points over 46 games in the 2024/25 season but had to settle for third in the table and a place in the play-offs, despite finishing 14 points clear of Sunderland in fourth.

The Black Cats rose to the occasion at Wembley and managed to defeat Chris Wilder’s side in the play-off final, which saw the Steel City side’s boss dismissed and subsequently replaced by Ruben Selles.

An appointment which seemed risky from the start, Selles was sacked by United after leading his side to five straight defeats to open their Championship campaign, just the second time this had happened during a Football League season in the club’s history.

Back came Wilder for a third stint in charge of the Blades and results have slowly started to improve.

Although more defeats followed against Charlton Athletic, Southampton and Hull City, a win away at Oxford United finally put some points on the board.

Callum O’Hare has come alive back under Chris Wilder

Following the October international break, Sheffield United have looked more like the team of last season, enjoying victories over Watford and Blackburn Rovers.

These points have pushed the Blades out of the relegation zone for the first time all season, which will come as a huge relief to all those connected to the club.

A key factor in United’s recent rise has been a spike in form from Callum O’Hare, who moved to Bramall Lane in 2024 following the expiration of his contract at Coventry City.

The 27-year-old failed to fully showcase his ability last term, scoring four goals and providing six assists in 47 matches, which couldn’t match the 10 goals and four assists he produced for a less competitive Coventry City side in 36 appearances the year before.

There were even rumours that the Blades were open to cashing in on the attacking midfielder during the recent summer window, but that never materialised.

O’Hare has been phenomenal following Wilder’s return, scoring the decisive goal away at Oxford United, which provided the Blades with their first victory of the season.

He repeated that feat again following the October international break, as it was his strike that made the difference in United’s 1-0 triumph over Watford.

Although the playmaker couldn’t get on the scoresheet at Ewood Park, he did set up Harrison Burrows, once again enjoying a role in an important finish which turned the tide of that clash in the Steel City side’s favour.

After a difficult first season at Sheffield United, O’Hare finally looks to have found his feet and is performing at the levels he once showed at Coventry City.

This has been crucial for the Blades, with the No. 10’s creative prowess playing a huge role in them beating their slump and finally putting consistent points on the board.

O’Hare is a joy to watch when in full flow and could prove to be a real asset for United this season going forward.

Sheffield United can use recent victories to build some much-needed momentum

After how terribly Sheffield United started their 2025/26 campaign, any chance of fighting for promotion appeared to be off the cards.

That may still be the case, with the Blades sat 14 points behind league leaders Coventry after 11 matches. However, they are only nine back from Hull City in sixth, which certainly isn’t an insurmountable gap across the span of 46 matches.

If Wilder can continue Sheffield United’s current form and start to build some real momentum, they could soon make progress in the league table and before long, find themselves in the play-off fight.

That will be easier said than done, given how tight and competitive the second-tier has been this season, but the Blades have a large number of quality operators in their ranks who, just last term, managed to score 90 points.