Sheffield United happy to be seen as the underdog says midfielder Scofield | OneFootball

Sheffield United midfielder Connie Scofield says that the team are happy to be seen as the underdog this season.

The Blades finished bottom of the Barclays WSL2 table last season but were handed a reprieve following Blackburn Rovers’ resignation from the elite game in May.

Given the huge financial resources held by some of Sheffield United’s rivals, The Blades are likely to be viewed as underdogs this season. When speaking to WSL Full-Time, midfielder Scofield said that the team are comfortable with carrying the ‘underdogs’ tag.

“If people see us as the underdog, I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all, it’s a great position to be in,” Scofield said. “You can go into every game without any pressure, you can take the game to the opposition. I’ve been in that position [before].

“Any team can beat any team in this league. It’s about whoever plays well on the day, who wants it more. It doesn’t matter how much money a team has or facilities; at the end of the day, it’s 90 minutes, 11 v 11 plus subs and who wants it more.

“If people want to see us as the underdog then that’s fine.”

Sheffield United are very much a new-look side this season with several summer additions having been made. Scofield has a good feeling about the squad that has been assembled at Bramall Lane.

She said “We are in a completely different place, we’ve signed so many new players and we are building a really good group. Training has been really competitive.

“The team are in a good position and hopefully, we can make an impact straight away rather than being on the back-foot.”

Sheffield United ended last season with a run of 13 league games without a win and Scofield highlighted the importance of starting strongly this term.

She said “You need to start the season strong and get points on the board as quickly as possible. We’ve had some good pre-season tests and we have had the opportunity to understand each other a bit more.

“[Starting the season] on a Friday night, under the lights at Bramall Lane is going to be unreal.

“The league is so competitive and every team is really strong but hopefully, we can get some points early doors and kick-on for the season.”

Sheffield United kick-off the new Barclays WSL2 season with a fixture against Sunderland at Bramall Lane on Friday evening. Tickets are on-sale and can be purchased by clicking here.