Worrying Trends Emerging For Sheffield United Ahead of Steel City Derby Clash | OneFootball

Sheffield United have now suffered three consecutive defeats, and alarmingly, have shipped three goals in each of those matches.

This poor run of form began with a frustrating 3-2 loss away at Preston North End, where individual errors undid much of their positive attacking play. That was followed by a 3-1 defeat at Bramall Lane to Derby County, in which defensive lapses again cost them dearly.

Most recently, a 3-1 loss on the road at Coventry City compounded the misery, leaving fans questioning their chances of staying up in the league, with them currently sitting in 22nd.

A Worrying Theme is Emerging For the Blades

COVENTRY, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 04: Brandon Thomas-Asante of Coventry City scores his team’s third goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Coventry City and Sheffield United at The Coventry Building Society Arena on November 04, 2025 in Coventry, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Perhaps most concerning for manager Chris Wilder is the recurring pattern; United have conceded almost immediately after half-time in each of those matches. This points to lapses in concentration and a lack of defensive leadership, two qualities that must be addressed if United are to start climbing out of the relegation zone and up the table.

Wilder admitted to BBC Sport after the Coventry defeat that “We just can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’re disappointed, it didn’t look like a team at the bottom of the division versus one at the top who are flying. We were well in the game right until the 94th minute.”

Sheffield United Must Address Form Heading Into Steel City Derby

The Blades host Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon in what feels like a must-win game before the international break. Anything less than three points will likely increase scrutiny from the fans with the season nearing its halfway point.

After the interval break, United face Steel City rivals Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. Of course, the Owls are bottom of the table after being handed a 12-point deduction. However, since entering administration, Wednesday have seemingly been injected with a bit of life due to supporters returning to Hillsborough. This is what makes this game very dangerous for United because the general consensus among the Wednesday fans is that they’re expected to lose the game given their situation.

It really is shocking to think that Sheffield United were generally fourth-favourites to win promotion from the Championship before a ball was kicked, across most of the bookies. Yet, they are sitting in the bottom three as we stand in early November. For fans looking to bet on the ever-changing picture in the Championship, sport.netbet.co.uk/football/ offers an in-depth look at upcoming fixtures, team form, and odds.

A win at the weekend and avoiding defeat at Hillsborough in a few weeks time will certainly stop some of the panic among the United fanbase. On the flip side, two bad results could see the atmosphere become extremely toxic as the genuine threat of relegation stares them in the face.