Sheffield United: Crystal Palace transfer interest makes little sense if Chris Wilder goes back to basics - View | OneFootball

Chris Wilder has a very strict system and signing Jesurun Rak-Sakyi may not make sense as he won't fit into it.

Chris Wilder is a manager who will always hold a special place in the hearts of Sheffield United fans, having led the team to a record ninth-place finish in the Premier League after securing two promotions in just four years.

A large part of this success was the system that Wilder employed with overlapping centre-backs in a 3-5-2 formation for the Blades. This tactical nous earned him a lot of praise from pundits and in that 2019-20 season, it caught a lot of top sides by surprise.

With Wilder's return to Bramall Lane last season, following the sacking of Paul Heckingbottom, he continued to use this system at times, but also moved between a back four at times and also a 3-4-3, and it is currently unclear what his current plans are for the 2024-25 campaign.

Wilder's preferred formation ultimately excludes wingers though, and, based on the transfer targets so far, it is unclear how the likes of Jesurun Rak-Sakyi would fit into the Sheffield United side.

For Wilder, the question is, should he stick to his guns, or should he make a change to accommodate more exciting talent?

Sheffield United target Jesurun Rak-Sakyi doesn't fit into Chris Wilder's preferred formation

The Crystal Palace winger is a name on a number of Championship club's shortlists this summer, and one of those teams is Sheffield United.

For the Blades, this would prove a brilliant signing, but many will question how Rak-Sakyi would fit into Wilder's team, given his 3-5-2 favouritism in the past.

For the manager, his tendency to utilise this formation means that he sees his width provided by multi-functional wing-backs.

Of course, we could see the former Charlton loanee feature here, but looking back, Wilder tends to prefer a more defensively-minded player in the ilk of George Baldock or Enda Stevens.

This is undeniably a form of Rak-Sakyi's game that he does not thrive in and, if placed in this position, it would somewhat limit the threat he holds in the final third.

In 35 games for Charlton Athletic as a right-winger im League One, he managed 15 goals and seven assists, so if signed, the Blades backroom staff would have to do everything in their power to get him in this position.

Chris Wilder would have to change Sheffield United tactics to accommodate Rak-Sakyi

To effectively integrate new wide players like Rak-Sakyi, Wilder could adapt his formation to include wingers.

This doesn't necessarily mean he has to revert from his favoured three-at-the-back system, with the 3-4-3 formation a suitable option, as was used at times last season.

This would allow the Crystal Palace winger to feature either on the left or right-hand side of the front three, reducing the amount of defensive work he would have to contribute to the team.

In addition, it would allow Wilder to retain that defensive solidity which he highlighted the importance of in the Blades' 2018-19 campaign where they conceded a minimal 41 goals as they secured promotion to the Premier League.

Of course, this change would be something that Wilder would have to adapt to, but as all good bosses have shown, evolving your systems is crucial.

The inclusion of a player like Rak-Sakyi could make all the difference, with his dribbling ability combined with his eye for goal being a trait that is severely lacking in the current squad.

Whilst in their current position, signing the Palace winger may not seem sensible, an adaptation to Chris Wilder's current system could see Rak-Sakyi fire Sheffield United back to the Premier League.

Should Wilder want to go back to basics with the 3-5-2 formation that has served so well at Championship level in the past though, then Rak-Sakyi is someone that should be moved on from, given he has only really played the one position out on the right flank in his career so far.