Sheffield United slipped up on Monday night when Leeds United came to town with the Whites running out as 3-1 victors in the Championship.
But, the ball is firmly in the Blades’ court next match with a trip to Queens Park Rangers giving them a perfect opportunity to bounce back, with third-placed Burnley not playing this coming Saturday owing to the FA Cup.
Chris Wilder will know that even if his team do move up to the Premier League once more, a number of his top talents could still be poached, with that gutting reality happening to the Blades under Paul Heckingbottom before the cursed 2023/24 season got underway as Sander Berge departed.
Sander Berge's time at Sheffield United
This news would have been a bitter pill to swallow, considering Berge had become a real fan’s favourite in South Yorkshire after a £22m move from KRC Genk.
In total, the Norwegian notched up 109 appearances at Bramall Lane across four campaigns, with his most impactful season coming right at the death in terms of goals and assists.
Berge helped himself to a stunning six goals and five assists across 37 league games to steer his side to automatic promotion glory, taking his overall tally to 15 strikes and 12 assists, before a move to Turf Moor then materialised.
But, it was his well-rounded game from the middle of the park that would have really caught the eye of the devoted Bramall Lane masses, with 4.3 duels won per second-tier clash that season when the Nordic ace had to roll his sleeves up and put in some gritty displays.
The ex-United number 8 has since solidified himself as a Premier League calibre star at Fulham, with a current midfield talent in Wilder’s ranks hopeful he can make an impression on the top-flight soon as the 57-year-old’s very own Berge.
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Chris Wilder's new version of Sander Berge
Coincidentally, United now have another star taking the Championship by storm having also been purchased from Belgium.
That man was Vinicius Souza who left Lommel S.K. behind in the summer of 2023 for a fresh challenge in England.
Wolverhampton Wanderers were reportedly interested at one stage too, but the South Yorkshire side would win their desired Brazilian who has slotted in perfectly to Championship football this campaign so far.
The 25-year-old might not possess the same flair in terms of providing goals or assists when comparing his overall game to Berge’s, but Souza didn’t look out of his depth completely during United’s bottom-of-the-table top-flight finish.
He won a sizeable 6.1 duels during his debut Premier League season, more than making up for just one goal finding the back of the net.
The £30k-per-week ace still hasn’t come alive with his output in the division below, but he continues to be a brute centrally, with Wilder going as far to say that Souza is a “leader” for his side with his constant full-blooded displays.
Games played
26
Games started
25
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches*
62.0
Accurate passes*
41.2 (88%)
Tackles*
3.2
Ball interceptions*
4.3
Total duels won*
7.0
Looking at the table above, it’s clear Souza prides himself on being dogged and determined with his duels won bumped up to seven in the second tier, but he is also capable of being a classy operator on the ball.
That was seen in United’s devastating 3-1 loss to Leeds – despite the final score being a kick in the teeth – with 32 accurate passes alongside three successful dribbles to try and make something happen from the middle.
Wilder will just hope Souza’s efforts can help his team climb back up to the Premier League like Berge managed, but there will be a concern this tale plays out like the Scandinavian’s did with the South American rumoured to be worth around £30m last summer.
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