How many points Sheffield United might need to get into the play-offs after Patrick Bamford claim | OneFootball

Football League World takes a look at how many points Sheffield United need to finish in the Championship play-offs

Sheffield United and star striker Patrick Bamford have given themselves a lot of work to do to secure a Championship play-off spot this season.

The Blades battled to a 1-1 draw with Birmingham City on Saturday, even though Femi Seriki was sent off in the first half.

However, amid their fading play-off hopes, Chris Wilder's men could have done with a victory at St Andrew's, as they are now 10 points adrift of the top six with just eight games remaining.

Sheffield United endured a woeful start to the season under the stewardship of former boss Ruben Selles, and have still struggled for consistency since Wilder returned to Bramall Lane.

Patrick Bamford insists Sheffield United haven't given up in Championship play-off race

Bamford has been a key player for the Blades since joining them on a free transfer back in November, scoring nine goals in 20 Championship appearances.

The former Leeds United man also continued his strong goalscoring record against Birmingham, who will be glad to see the back of him for another season.

Meanwhile, the 32-year-old spoke to BBC Radio Sheffield about United's fading top-six hopes: "I think everyone was kind of down in the dumps after the last two games, thinking we’ve blown it.

"But you honestly never know in this league. It is up to us now to try and win every game we can, and if we do that, it still might not be enough.

"But we are going to try, and funnier things have happened. We will see what happens come the end of the season. But we are certainly going to give it a try."

The Blades' draw with Birmingham means that Wilder's men have failed to win since their 2-0 triumph at Queens Park Rangers last month, which shows why they have struggled to keep pace with the play-offs.

Meanwhile, Football League World has taken a look at what Sheffield United may have to do to land an unlikely sixth-place finish.

Sheffield United may need to win over 20 points to finish in Championship play-off spots

Sheffield United have struggled for consistency all campaign, which is highlighted by the fact that they haven't managed consecutive victories since last month's triumphs over Portsmouth and Steel City Derby rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Opta have predicted that Wrexham will finish sixth in the Championship with 72 points.

To better that tally, the Blades would have to earn 23 points from their last eight games, which would involve winning all of them, as winning seven and drawing one would fall shy of the Red Dragons' predicted total.

United face Wrexham, Swansea City, Bristol City, Hull City, Watford, Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End and Derby County in their remaining fixtures.

The Red Dragons and Hull are the only two play-off sides Wilder's men have to play in their run-in, but their lack of consistency this term shows they are likely incapable of winning eight consecutive games.

Wilder's side are in the bottom half of the Championship table for a reason, and they have never won more than four games in a row this season.

Furthermore, that winning run came in late November and early December and included victories over struggling sides like Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth, and Leicester City.