"Pressure in football can..." - EFL expert issues verdict on Sheffield United, Middlesbrough Championship battle | OneFootball

Icon: Football League World

Football League World

·22 March 2023

"Pressure in football can..." - EFL expert issues verdict on Sheffield United, Middlesbrough Championship battle

Article image:"Pressure in football can..." - EFL expert issues verdict on Sheffield United, Middlesbrough Championship battle

Sky Sports EFL expert Don Goodman has issued his verdict on the battle between Sheffield United and Middlesbrough for the final automatic promotion place in the Championship.

Burnley have opened up a significant gap at the top of the table and are on course to win the second tier title on their way back to the Premier League.


OneFootball Videos


The Blades are second but a rocky patch of form has allowed third-placed Boro to cut their lead to just three points heading into the international break.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Goodman offered his assessment of the battle for second place.

He said (via Teesside Live): “Middlesbrough are certainly the hunters, they’re the chasers in the division. They’re the form team in the division and have eight games to go and nobody has taken more points, not even Burnley, over the previous eight games.

"They’re playing at the peak of their powers. But, they’ll know, from their perspective, it’s not in their hands. So what they must do is keep the pressure on Sheffield United because what we do know is that pressure in football can lead to many, many different variables.

"So Middlesbrough are doing all they can to keep that pressure on Sheffield United, and they’ll have to be there to take advantage of any potential slip-ups. At the moment, they are.

"In Chuba Akpom and Cameron Archer who they’ve got on loan from Aston Villa, as a pair that’s probably as good as there is right now in the Championship. Middlesbrough are looking sharp and I don’t think Michael Carrick would swap those two for anyone right now.”

Goodman has also highlighted the ongoing off-field issues at United, who are under an EFL transfer embargo after failing to keep up to date with payments owed to other clubs and could reportedly face administration if things aren't sorted soon, as a factor in the race for the top two.

He said: “I can’t remember ever being at a club going through that kind of thing before, so I can only really try and imagine. I think when it comes to it, you can only take care of what you can take care of as a player. That’s the onfield business.

"What I would say is, I think this adds a lot of pressure to the players. The takeover doesn’t look promising and they’re under a transfer embargo because of unpaid transfer fees owed. Now there are these rumours about cutbacks. It could possibly make you concerned as a player that, if you don’t get promoted, you could be in a world of trouble financially as a football club.

"That in itself could add a little bit of extra pressure on the shoulders of the players because ultimately it then comes down to what they do on the pitch to help steer this big football club and keep it safe from financial meltdown. So, a lot of pressure, but hopefully things work out for the better in that regard for them.”

The Verdict

Goodman has seen plenty of EFL promotion races so it's interesting to get his insight into the battle between the Blades and Boro.

Michael Carrick's side have the momentum and form at the moment but United have their own destiny in their hands, which could make all the difference in the end.

The Blades still have to play Norwich, Burnley, and West Bromwich Albion as well as a number of clubs that are scrapping down the bottom of the division so it is not the easiest run-in.

View publisher imprint