Sheffield United owner made request to Blades fans at Bramall Lane - it may be a struggle | OneFootball

Sheffield United co-owner Steven Rosen's recent comments about the supporters may not go down too well

Sheffield United were in the fight for automatic promotion when COH Sports completed their takeover of the club in December 2024.

Chris Wilder’s side went on to reach the play-off final in that campaign, losing out on a place in the Premier League to Sunderland.

And a disastrous summer followed that led to the team declining to 13th in the table in 2025/26, with the Blades coming 13th points adrift of sixth place Hull City.

The owners will be hoping that they can turn things around in 2026/27 under Wilder, but a difficult transfer window, coupled with issues off the field, have led to fans feeling quite frustrated.

COH Sports’ request to Sheffield United fans

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Co-owner Steven Rosen made a rare public appearance in early September of this year, taking part in an in-house interview in which he urged supporters to always stay behind the team despite the ongoing frustrations.

He believes that the support players receive at Bramall Lane can even influence the outcome of their transfer pursuits, and that it gives the team an energy that pumps them up.

“Support the players, cheer, don't boo, stay to the end,” said Rosen, via the club’s YouTube channel.

“If you have time, and you can get there, try and get to some of the away matches, it means so much to the players.

“These players are, think about this, 17 to 32, and most of them are early 20s.

“They're nice, kind, wonderful, putting it all out there for the supporters.

“And when you leave early, or you boo. Just cheer and cheer and support because it pumps them up, it means more than I think most people supporters know — maybe they do know.

“I also think having a community where players want to play means a lot.

“There’s not a player, or an agent who will allow a player to go to a club for a penny less in the prime of his career — that’s a fact.

“But it’s often a tie, and when it’s a tie, playing in a big club like Sheffield with great supporters makes a bit of a difference.”

Rosen has been the most involved figure of COH Sports, but has still rarely made public appearances in the almost two years since they bought the club.

Meanwhile, supporters have seen the team go from challenging for a place in the Premier League to the bottom half of the Championship in that time.

Fans won’t welcome being told how to back the team

Fans are ultimately the ones that decide how to show their support for the team, not the owners, and these comments may not go down so well.

The lack of investment in the team in the summer, along with the looming spectre of former owner Prince Abdullah threatening to take the Blades into administration, has led to a lot of anger towards COH Sports.

And the team’s performances on the pitch haven’t helped the situation either, with Wilder’s side enduring a mixed start to the new campaign.

That Rosen only refers to the club as Sheffield, instead of Sheffield United, will only further wind them up, as it shows a lack of understanding of the Blades’ history.

COH Sports risk losing the fans completely

The lack of transparency regarding COH Sports’ legal dispute with Prince Abdullah has been another source of frustration for Sheffield United fans.

The summer transfer window also saw a lack of funds being made available for Wilder to improve his squad after their underwhelming 13th place finish last season.

Unless major changes are made to how the club’s being run, the owners risk losing the fans completely.

These comments won’t help matters either, as it can be quite condescending to tell the supporters how they should get behind the team.

Sheffield United have to do their talking on the pitch

Sheffield United fans have voiced their disappointment in the team, and have walked away from games early, since COH Sports came on board.

But it’s up to the team to do their talking on the pitch, and that starts by improving results and performances.

If Rosen and co. can’t help deliver that, then supporters will continue to express their disappointment, particularly as the direction of travel is negative at the moment.

Sheffield United were a Premier League side just a few years ago, and were clearly going in the right direction, but under COH Sports everything has started to spiral.