“It Will Take A Lot To Recover From This” – Sheffield United Manager Reviews Play-off Final Loss | OneFootball

Sheffield United should be immune to feeling play-off heartbreak by now, and to many, letting a 1-0 lead slip in the final 15 minutes to Sunderland was probably predictable in the heat of the moment.

From the first whistle, the Blades looked a class above. Gustavo Hamer set the tone early with a pinpoint cross to Kieffer Moore, whose towering header was destined for the bottom right corner until Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson pulled off a stunning full-stretch save to deny a dream start.

United’s early dominance eventually paid dividends. A corner for the Black Cats threatened danger, but it was the Blades who capitalised on the ensuing counterattack. Hamer, once again the architect, surged forward before threading a pass to Tyrese Campbell, who calmly chipped the ball over the onrushing Patterson to give United a deserved 25th-minute lead.

The Blades thought they had doubled their advantage soon after. Harrison Burrows unleashed a thunderous 20-yard strike after a corner was only partially cleared. But VAR had other ideas. After a lengthy review, referee Chris Kavanagh ruled that Vinicius Souza, in an offside position, had obstructed Patterson’s line of sight. The goal was disallowed and it was a largely controversial decision that changed the momentum.

United pushed for a second. Rhian Brewster and Campbell made way on the hour for Andre Brooks and Callum O’Hare, and the fresh legs nearly brought instant impact. A defensive mix-up by Dennis Cirkin gifted Brooks a chance, but Patterson once again came to Sunderland’s rescue with a vital save.

Another pivotal moment came when Hamer was forced off with an injury and replaced by Ben Brereton Diaz. With Hamer’s departure, United lost their midfield grip, and Sunderland sensed an opportunity.

With 14 minutes left, Sunderland struck back. Patrick Roberts, introduced off the bench, picked apart United’s defence with a mazy run and incisive pass to Eliezer Mayenda. The forward kept his composure under pressure and rifled a shot past Cooper to level the match.

Further calamity struck for the Blades as Brereton Diaz was forced off with an injury shortly after coming on. Tom Cannon and Tom Davies were introduced, but disaster loomed. Cannon’s first involvement saw him inadvertently collide with Anel Ahmedhodzic during a corner, forcing the defender off with a head injury.

As United adjusted to playing temporarily with ten men, a fatigued and wayward pass from Moore gifted possession to Sunderland substitute Tommy Watson. The youngster surged forward unopposed and drilled a low effort into the bottom right corner, completing a stunning comeback and condemning United to another heart-wrenching play-off failure.

Chris Wilder’s Reaction After Sheffield United Suffer Another Unsuccessful Play-off Campaign

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 24: Trai Hume and Jobe Bellingham of Sunderland celebrate victory at full-time following the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final match between Sheffield United and Sunderland at Wembley Stadium on May 24, 2025 in London,

Speaking after the match to Football Heaven, manager Chris Wilder struggled to mask his disappointment:

“It is going to take a long time to get over. We’ve all been involved in the game for a long time, through the highs and the lows and coming off as a losing football team hurt for myself and the players, but most importantly the supporters.”

He added: “The start was what we were after. It is a fabulous save (from Kieffer Moore’s header). We then get our noses in front and the contentious decision will be the one from Harrison’s shot; it was a subjective decision from the referee. But like their manager said, why are we using VAR when we haven’t for 46 games plus two in the play-offs? For me, the goalkeeper isn’t saving it, it is past him.

“That gave them more energy. It was a lifeline, but we never really felt in danger, and I think the stats back that up. We just needed to be better when they opened the game up. We were too loose in transition and on the turnover and if we’d been better, we would have gone on to score a second and possibly third goal to kill the game.”

He finished off by analysing the poor defensive display in the final moments of the game: “The goals we’ve conceded are poor ones. The first one we got caught in a poor situation and the second one came with Anel off the pitch and the middle of the park was wide open. We should have seen those added minutes out and gone to extra-time, we should have seen that moment out. It will take a lot to recover from this.”

Sheffield United were once again left with a bitter taste in their mouth after enduring another painful play-off campaign. If you didn’t believe in the curse before, maybe you are now.