Paddy Kenny sends warning to Sheffield United over potential Rhian Brewster decision | OneFootball

Former Sheffield United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny says the club should not look to play striker Rhian Brewster away from the centre forward role this season.

Since joining the Blades from Liverpool last summer, it has been a hugely frustrating time for Brewster, who has scored just once – in a League Cup win over Carlisle – in 38 appearances for the club.

The 21-year-old has been used in a number of different of attacking positions recently, with Brewster himself recently admitting he is willing to play wherever manager Slavisa Jokanovic tells him to.

Jokanovic meanwhile, has suggested that Brewster needs to learn how to adapt to a different role, potentially in order to retain a place in the side.

Now however, it seems Kenny believes that using Brewster in more than one position, would be a mistake by Sheffield United.

Giving his verdict on a potential rotation of positions for the young striker, Kenny told Football Insider: “I think it’s difficult for him. He’s had a difficult start to his career at Sheffield United. Being in and out of different positions doesn’t help.

“He’s obviously used to playing down the middle as a natural striker. He wants to be in the middle between the goal posts, in the six-yard box scoring goals.

“I think when you find that when he’s playing out on the right, does he go outside, does he cut inside? Out on the left, does he stay out wide or cut back inside?

“It’s difficult for him. All of a sudden you’re playing in different positions and your mind will be all over the shop. You won’t know what decisions to make. It is difficult, I do get that.”

Sheffield United are currently 14th in the Championship table, ahead of their clash with Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.

The Verdict

This feels like a difficult call to make for Sheffield United and Jokanovic over how they use Brewster.

On the one hand, Kenny does have a point that it may be difficult for him to adapt to playing in a variety of different positions, something he may not have done in his career before.

However, it can’t be denied that things haven’t worked out for him as a centre forward so far, meaning it could make sense for them to try him different positions, in order to try and get the best out of a player they paid so much money for.

You wonder therefore, whether it could be sensible to give Brewster a run of a few games in each different position, to give him a chance to familiarise himself with them, before making a decision on which suits him best, and use him in that one going forward.