‘It can hurt you if you don’t’ – Billy Sharp reveals what Sheffield United must do to enhance promotion chances | OneFootball

Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp has identified a fast start as being key to a successful season next term, speaking to the Sheffield Star.

The 35-year-old has enough experience in the Championship to know how important this component is and it was something they were unable to manage in the top flight as they finished at the foot of the table during the 2020/21 campaign.

Although the Blades were still nowhere near the performance levels they hit last season, they performed much better in the latter half of the campaign but that wasn’t enough to save them from the dreaded drop.

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The South Yorkshire side failed to win any of their opening 17 league games during the 2020/21 Premier League campaign and had to wait until the middle of January to record their first league victory, effectively consigning them to relegation before the start of 2021.

Usually a reliable player at Bramall Lane, 35-year-old skipper Sharp made just 16 top-flight appearances last term and was unable to have a sizeable impact on their fortunes, scoring just three goals in those appearances.

This limited playing time was partly due to the injury he sustained at the latter end of last season, keeping him out until the summer. But with the forward now returning to full fitness, he will be hoping to re-establish himself as a key player under new boss Slavisa Jokanovic as they aim for a return to the Premier League.

Speaking to the Sheffield Star about this objective and what they need to do if they want to achieve it, Sharp said: “We need to start with a clean slate, shrug our shoulders, stick our chests out and be brave and confident with whatever he (Jokanovic) wants to do. Give it a right good go.

“We know we can do that, there’s still a lot of quality in the squad and it’s important to get a good start because it can hurt you if you don’t.”

The Verdict:

When you consider the fact Sheffield United are likely to be joining West Bromwich Albion, Fulham and AFC Bournemouth as hot favourites for promotion, a quick start will be vital if they want to reach a place in the top two and fend off their competitors.

The play-offs are a lottery and the form book goes out the window, something Blackpool showed in 2010 when they overcame Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City who both finished higher than the Seasiders, so the Blades will want to avoid this and secure promotion to the Premier League before the end of May.

There might be a few surprising names at the top of the Championship table as well, so their focus can’t just be on the obvious three other contenders. They also need to look out for the likes of QPR and Luton Town who seem to be on the rise, as well as a capable Barnsley side that secured a place in the top six last season under Valerien Ismael.

Sheffield United seem to have had a settled pre-season after appointing their permanent successor to Chris Wilder at the end of May and seeing Aaron Ramsdale and Sander Berge both remain with the club at this present stage, so there’s no reason why they can’t aim for the league title next season.

Slavisa Jokanovic will want a few players to come in before the end of next month though, to address any gaps and allow the Serbian to shape his squad for the new campaign.