It's a case of what might have been. When Sheffield United travelled to Southampton during a cold midweek in January, one point separated the two clubs. Saints, relegated from the Premier League, and finding it hard to adjust to the Championship, sat in 16th position. The Blades, who went so agonisingly close to replacing their opponents in the top flight, 17th. Southampton were without a win in their last seven matches and United fans still harboured thoughts of making the play-offs. Saints won 1-0 in a poor match, courtesy of a an early deflected goal to begin an unbeaten run of 16 matches in which they doubled their points total to 66. A run which propelled them into a play-off position with six matches remaining. United, meanwhile, remain in 17th position, having flattered to deceive, undermining progress with frustrating inconsistencies. Over the same period they have added 19 points, crossing the 50-point mark which, given their calamitous start before Chris Wilder returned as manager, has to be viewed as a big achievement. Nevertheless, he and most supporters expected more. Now, with five matches remaining, the challenge is to finish the season on a high, starting with the visit of promotion-chasing Hull City.

SUMMARY::

• Sheffield United improved performance under Chris Wilder have been undermined by a lack of consitency.
• Despite optimism for much of the latter half of the season, the reality of United's campaign has been disheartening.
• Southampton's resurgence under new management offers a stark contrast to United whose squad is just not good enough to fulfil expectation.
• The so-called summer recruitment strategy employed by United has undermined the entire season, making it a write-off.
• With a limited squad and recent performance declines, United face significant challenges moving forward.

Links referenced in this episode:

• viewfromthejohnstreet.com