"Why change?" - Chris Wilder urged to make huge Sheffield United call involving Gus Hamer | OneFootball

The Blades ran out 2-0 winners against Stoke City last weekend without the midfielder in the team.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sheffield United will be hoping to make it two wins from two on Saturday as they make the journey across to Lancashire in a lunchtime kick-off against Blackburn Rovers.

The Blades had suffered their first two defeats of the season before their 2-0 win over Stoke City last weekend, and while it could have seen Chris Wilder's side slip into a bit of a rut, they looked back to their best at Bramall Lane.

Nevertheless, they once again faced one of the Championship's top six, with John Eustace inspiring his Rovers side to a fantastic start to the season, despite only confirming their second tier status on the final day of 2023/24.

Sheffield United will have to be at their best to deny Blackburn the chance of potentially overtaking them in the league table at Ewood Park, and Wilder has some difficult decisions to make in terms of his team selection.

Wilder urged to keep Gus Hamer out of team

The Blades know that another defeat on Saturday could see them start to lose touch with Sunderland at the top of the table, making this an early must-win in terms of the league title.

Therefore, squad selection will be extremely important, and the loss of Anel Ahmedhodzic due to suspension will be felt. However, Gustavo Hamer, who missed out against Stoke due to picking up his fifth booking of the season in the game prior, will be looking at a chance of returning to the starting XI.

However, when asked by Football League World what changes he would make to the team that beat the Potters, Sheffield United Fan Pundit, Jimmy from Blades Ramble, made a surprise admission.

He told FLW: "Other than an enforced change, which is a defender coming in for Ahmedhodzic, who is suspended now after his fifth yellow card, I would bring Rhys Norrington-Davies in to replace Anel rather than Jack Robinson, but that's a bit of a cop out because, obviously, it's due to suspension. So, which one of your reserve defenders should you bring in?

"I think the bigger decision is, I'm not saying I don't think Wilder will do this, but does Gus Hamer get back in?

"Hamer has been off the boil for the last couple of games and until the last match against Stoke I would have brought Callum O’Hare out of the side because he's not doing it either or certainly not to the level that we were hoping for.

"However, O’Hare had a decent game against Stoke and I always think it's a dangerous precedent to set to have players commanding places in the side despite form just going from reputation."

"If I was picking the team, it would be no. I think I’d have Hamer come off the bench and hopefully make an impact, which would be a fantastic move. But I think, to be honest, Wilder will go with Hamer to come straight back in, and I'll be surprised if he doesn't.

"Why change a winning team? We won 2-0, Tyrese Campbell played up front in a 4-4-2 rather than a 4-2-3-1 like we've been playing when Hamer was available. Campbell scored, as did Kieffer Moore. Why change your winning team?"

Hamer's potential involvement will split opinion

Although it may seem like an easy decision to place Hamer straight back into the starting XI, making him work for that place could be a benefit to both himself and Wilder.

As Jimmy stated, the 27-year-old struggled to have an impact against Leeds United, and although he played less than half an hour against Middlesbrough, he was not the game-changer that was needed and was a passenger before picking up the booking that saw him suspended against Stoke.

Nevertheless, everyone knows the qualities that he possesses, and it could look like a bizarre decision to not play him against Blackburn as he does bring goals and chance creation to the team at a level that is not really seen by anyone else.

Wilder will more than likely start Hamer at Ewood Park, but Sheffield United fans will be expecting him to put in a performance that warrants changing the system to fit him back in, potentially costing Campbell or Moore their place in the team.