Ruben Selles told to make big Sheffield United decision v Ipswich - Tanganga or McGuinness may need to be dropped | OneFootball

Sheffield United's FLW Fan Pundit Jimmy believes Ben Mee could have a major impact in terms of leadership at Bramall Lane.

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...

It has been a woeful start to the season for Sheffield United, who have yet to collect a point from the opening four matches of the campaign, sitting rock-bottom in the Championship table.

The Blades, who were play-off finalists last season, replaced Chris Wilder with Ruben Selles over the summer and underwent major surgery to their squad, which continued with a flurry of late additions before the close of the transfer window.

Arguably the area of the pitch that was most transformed was in defence with several loanees, such as Harry Clarke, Rob Holding and Alfie Gilchrist departing, whilst Anel Ahmedhodzic was sold.

Japhet Tanganga and Mark McGuinness have since been purchased from Millwall and Luton Town respectively, whilst Ben Mee has arrived on a free transfer from Brentford, as well as the loan addition of Tyler Bindon from Nottingham Forest.

United simply must bounce back but there is a lot of mounting pressure on Selles and his seemingly inexperienced squad as they now head to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town.

Sheffield United need Ben Mee to become a leader for the squad

That addition of Mee could be a crucial one for Selles and for United, with a lack of experience quite apparent in their opening set of defeats to Bristol City, Swansea City, Millwall and then Middlesbrough.

It is a signing that FLW Fan Pundit Jimmy, of Blades Ramble, believes is a positive one, but he isn’t necessarily sure as to whether he will be thrown in to start against Ipswich this weekend.

Jimmy says: “We’ve needed leadership for such a long time. Really, we haven’t had a proper leader in the dressing room since Billy Sharp left.

“John Egan did a good job as captain, but he wasn’t really that vocal leader that you need, to sort of pull you out of the mire.

“The signing of Ben Mee is a really astute signing, and really quite a shrewd one in terms of building that culture again, that we are proud of and that can elevate people in difficult times, as well as good.

“If Ben Mee is match fit, which is tough to get when he hasn’t had much football, then I would love to see him thrown in from the start. I do, however, think it will be Tanganga and McGuinness.

“Ben Mee is a fantastic signing for us, for what he brings behind the scenes as much as he can offer us on the pitch. Danny Ings is another one who has been there, done it and he can sort of help these younger players and quite a young squad pull ourselves out of the predicament we’re in currently.”

Sheffield United could do with trusting Ben Mee

The biggest issue as to whether Mee starts in Suffolk or not could come down to whether or not Selles wants to continue to play with the back four system.

If so, then it may well end up being the best case scenario to throw Mee into the middle of a back three, perhaps alongside both Tanganga and McGuinness.

However, due to that lack of match fitness having not had a pre-season and also fallen out of favour at Brentford last season, it would surely be a risk to throw Mee into a back four against the star studded squad of Ipswich, albeit the Tractor Boys are yet to start firing.

Their start has been so poor and haphazard and lacking direction, though, that someone of the authority and experience of Mee would surely be a benefit to the starting eleven for the Blades.