Sheffield United must hate what’s going on at Burnley right now | OneFootball

Anel Ahmedhodzic hasn't been utilised to the level that Sheffield United know he can reach

It's been a mixed campaign at Sheffield United so far to begin 2026/27, with a run of four defeats in five in all competitions before the international break souring what was an unbeaten start before then.

On the face of things, the Blades look to be one of the sides who have fallen victim to what has been an incredibly busy opening six weeks of the campaign, playing 11 times and going Saturday/Tuesday for four weeks leading up to the break.

However, while the likes of Harrison Burrows, Femi Seriki and Ryan One have missed time on the pitch, the underlying numbers suggest that Sheffield United simply haven't been good enough to begin the season.

According to Opta's expected tables, Chris Wilder's side should be 21st. Defensively, they've struggled, allowing the second-most shots in the Championship, the third-most shots on target, and the sixth-most expected goals.

Sheffield United were hoping to bring back a former defensive stalwart under Chris Wilder in Anel Ahmedhodzic

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So, while improvement will be needed across the board after the international break, it's clear where the main focus lies. The Blades have to be better at limiting chances, something which could have been done with Anel Ahmedhodzic in their backline.

Those at Bramall Lane know exactly what the 27-year-old can bring at this level. Sheffield United brought him to South Yorkshire ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, where he played a strong part in their promotion under Paul Heckingbottom.

Then, when relegated back to the Championship the following year, Ahmedhodzic stayed and made 38 appearances for the Blades under Chris Wilder, helping the side accumulate 92 points and concede just 36 goals all season.

After their play-off heartache at the end of that 2024/25 term, the Bosnian moved to Feyenoord for £7 million, but due to financial difficulties at the Dutch outfit, he was on the move back to the EFL a year later, with it being reported over the summer that his preference was to return to Bramall Lane in a deal which would have required just a nominal fee.

Sheffield United missed out on Anel Ahmedhodzic, with Burnley swooping in

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Indeed, with Feyenoord still needing to owe Sheffield United part of that £7 million transfer fee, the Blades wouldn't have needed to spend much at all to bring the former fan favourite back to Bramall Lane.

However, a deal was not signed off by the owners of the Bramall Lane-based side, who have been under fire this past summer due in part to their underwhelming business in the transfer window amid the winding-up petition served to them relating to their purchase of the club back in 2024.

That allowed Championship rivals Burnley to come and sign Ahmedhodzic in what was seen as a big coup at the time, with both sides expected to be battling for the play-offs at least, given their recent Premier League ventures.

The Blades desperately needed defensive reinforcements. In an ideal world, Mark McGuinness would have been moved on, while 22-year-old Jamal Baptiste, who spent last season as part of a Rotherham United side that were relegated to League Two, likely wouldn't have played much, either.

As it happened, while they were able to secure the loan services of Liam Kitching, Sheffield United were left to rue not strengthening their defensive core earlier in the window.

Anel Ahmedhodzic hasn't begun life at Burnley well at all

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And to make matters worse, Sheffield United have had to watch from afar as their former promotion-level defender has struggled to get regular minutes for the side at the bottom of the Championship in the infancy of his time at Turf Moor.

Granted, it's been an incredibly hectic summer which has bled into the start of the season for the Clarets, starting with the hiring of the head coach being delayed into the start of pre-season, which subsequently slowed transfer activity and the implementation of a style.

Therefore, it could be argued that new Burnley boss Nicky Hayen hasn't figured out his best eleven just yet, but seeing Ahmedhodzic start more league games on the bench than he has in the starting eleven must sting for Sheffield United fans.

The 27-year-old has started just three league games for Burnley: in their heavy 4-1 defeat against Norwich City, in draws against Middlesbrough, and in their most recent game against Derby County, which came after consecutive games unused from the bench.

Anel Ahmedhodzic wouldn't have needed such a teething process back at Bramall Lane

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Burnley have the worst defence in the Championship. Through eight games, they've conceded more goals than they did in the entire 2024/25 term under Scott Parker — although that arguably says more about that squad than it does this one.

Nevertheless, it's been a terrible start for the Clarets, and for Ahmedhodzic at his new club; something you feel wouldn't have been the same if the Bosnian had returned to Sheffield United.

The 27-year-old knows what Chris Wilder requires from his centre-backs, and would likely have been thrown straight back into things at Bramall Lane. Instead, he's been left to ride the bench more often than not for the side that has conceded over two goals a game so far this season.

It is only early days, but you get the feeling that Ahmedhodzic would have enjoyed a better, more productive return to the Championship with his old club, while Sheffield United's own underlying numbers would read more positively with him in the backline.