Grading Every Sheffield United Player’s Campaign From the 2024/25 Championship Season | OneFootball

Following the end of the 2024/25 Championship season, I have decided to grade every senior player from last season, including the manager Chris Wilder.

Goalkeeper

Michael Cooper: A+

Mentioned this in previous articles but what a goalkeeper we finally have for ourselves. There were some very minor doubts about him when we signed him last summer – the significant knee injuries from prior seasons, but that’s about it. He came with a good reputation, and he showed us why. Great shot-stopper, commands the box really well, barely makes mistakes, distribution at times is very good, but inconsistent with it.

Adam Davies: C-

Only played a few games this season, but in the three league games he conceded an average of a goal a game. Just doesn’t fill you with any real confidence when the ball needs claiming in the air, or when someone bares down on goal. A typical back-up for this level.

Right-back

Alfie Gilchrist: C+

When we signed him in the summer, I identified him as a half right-back half centre-back, meaning I knew he didn’t have good enough technical ability or speed to play right-back, nor does he have the physical attributes to play centre-back in a back four. He got injured in February and was robbed of showing us whether or not he would do a James McAtee type of mid-season turn around of form.

Femi Seriki: B+

Struggle to see any negatives in his game at this level other than the fact he picks up frustrating injuries. Loved watching this guy for years in the development team so I’m glad he’s stepped up to the first-team with us. Unreal pace and power, something you cannot teach. Helps us in transition, and provides a threat in the final third; if he’s left one-vs-one on the outside, I’m backing him every day to beat his man to the byline and knock the ball across.

Harry Clarke: C-

Again, robbed of seeing what this loan player could do because he played just six times before picking up a season-ending injury. Showed bags of energy in his appearances and didn’t look the best in terms of positioning.

Hamza Choudhury: B+

Debating with myself as to whether or not I should stick him in the right-back section? Well… I have, and mainly because I was far more impressed with him at right-back than at holding midfielder, but I think part of that is because Vinicius Souza and Choudhury are so similar in style that they just would never ever work together. Choudhury showed his physical qualities at right-back, and he’s calm on the ball too. He’s a very good defensive right-back option to have at this level.

Centre-back

Anel Ahmedhodzic: B+

Anel Ahmedhodzic looked a completely different player at left-sided centre-back when Harry Souttar was on the right of him. Ahmedhodzic is good at sweeping up danger, and he’s decent on the ball for Championship level, but he does look dodgy at times when he’s having to defend the box from crosses. Entering the last year of his contract, so I think I’d sell him and invest in new blood at this position.

Harry Souttar: A+

His record with us speaks for itself: 20 Championship starts and 13 clean sheets. Not only is he a big lump, he is certainly no slouch in a foot race, and he’s good on the ball too. Loves to win first contact on everything. Such a shame he got injured after Christmas because I truly believe we finish top two had he played the full campaign.

Jack Robinson: B-

You kind of know what you’re going to get with Jack Robinson. Maximum effort and aggression in every duel, but he is flawed. His positioning has to be precise due to his lack of pace, and sometimes last season it wasn’t. Has a mistake in him, but overall I think the good outweighs the bad in the Championship.

Rob Holding: C+

Only started four games in the Championship so it was tough to judge him but I liked what I saw. He has very good composure on the ball, which makes it easier for us to bypass the press and progress into midfield. Isn’t the most physical of defenders, but he does read the game well.

Left-back

Harrison Burrows: A-

Saw some people towards the back end of the season giving him a bit of stick – really not sure why. Very good left-back with room to improve. A solid enough defender but lacks speed. Has great technical ability, and I’m shocked we didn’t score more from corners and free-kicks with his excellent delivery, because it’s not always down to the set-piece takers for the lack of goals. Expect an even better season.

Sam McCallum: C+

Showed very good athleticism in his appearances. Has a good understanding in combination play and rotations, which is why I think he sometimes featured on the left-wing. Never understood how a player can pluck a cross-field ball out of the sky yet smash a cross attempt straight into the stand behind the goal, that’s what McCallum often did. Nevertheless, solid enough rotation and sub option at this level.

Rhys Norrington-Davies: D

He’s just always out with injuries. And whenever he does play, he’s playing catchup with match sharpness, which is probably why he looked way off and too sloppy in most of the games he played last season.

Central Midfielders

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 10: Vinicius Souza of Sheffield United reacts after he challenges Yan Valery of Sheffield Wednesday during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Sheffield Wednesday FC at Bramall Lane on November 10, 2024 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Ed Sykes/Getty Images)

Vinicius Souza: A-

Looks a class above this league. Dominates the physical battle in midfield, screens the defence really well. Good composure and agility on the ball to play his way out of tight spots. Can he chip in with a few more goals and assists next season? That, and his persistent mid-season injury issue stops him from getting top marks for me.

Oliver Arblaster: B+

Showed bags of promise before the injury. Really like the way he can, and also knows when to switch up the tempo in midfield. A great eye for a pass and very good at carrying the ball. Also solid enough defensively to play in a double pivot.

Sydie Peck: B-

Even though he played many more games than Arblaster, I’m giving Peck a grade lower than Arblaster. Why? Because, while I think both are very good young midfielders, I think Arblaster knows how to control a game better. Peck has all the tools he needs to succeed, it’s all about knowing when to use them though. For example, we could be piling on the pressure, pinning a team back and the ball keeps getting recycled, but Peck would often try a very audacious clipped ball over the top which would go out of play. The correct play would be to just keep it ticking over and in the final third and work for a higher percentage pass or cross.

Tom Davies: C+

Zero question about Tom Davies’ ability. You can see he is quality by the way he can take the ball on the half-turn under pressure or drop a shoulder to evade pressure. It’s whether or not he can stay fit for 35+ games, and nobody really has much trust in that happening right now.

Jamie Shackleton: E

Honestly can’t even remember this lad having a touch of the ball for us.

Attacking Midfielder/Winger

Gustavo Hamer: A+

It felt like quite a few of United’s games last season were won from a bit of magic by Hamer. Of course, that’s what you have a player like him in the team for, but at times it felt like we became far too reliant on him pulling something out of the back. Played as an inverted left-winger for virtually the entire campaign, and while he got nine goals and seven assists, I still feel like his ability to dominate a game is being limited with him playing in that position.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi: B-

Never really had a long run of games, and for whatever reason, Chris Wilder dropped him from the squad completely in the play-offs which I found bizarre; he is a match winner. Has very good agility and balance, and a great left-foot. Just needs to mix it up on the flank and go on the outside every so often to keep the opponent guessing.

Andre Brooks: C+

Very hot and cold player. When he’s on it, he looks very good. But, often he looks like he can’t be bothered, or, he wants to do things on his terms. Has very good athleticism and uses this along with close control to zig-zag his way past opponents. Just needs to work on his composure in front of goal and his workrate and I think he’d become a quality player at Championship level.

Callum O’Hare: B+

By now I’d assume we all know what we have in Callum O’Hare. My analysis piece when we signed him stated that we have a player that is willing to do the hard yards, and that whilst he is a number 10, his best creative work is done after a dribble rather than splitting the defence open with a pass. Grading him a B+ though because I think, at times, he looked reluctant to have a crack at goal when he was in position to, and then he’d turn sideways and pass it. That’s a big reason why he only scored twice – need more goals from him.

Ben Brereton Diaz: C-

For a player that scored four times and added three assists in 17 appearances, I thought his overall performances were very poor. In fact, I thought he was miles better for the Blades in the Premier League, and I think this is because we was constantly on the counterattack that season, so he had acres of space to sprint into past the halfway line. A lot of his goals were tap-ins last season after someone else did the hard work, let’s not forget that.

In his defence of his poor performances, it probably didn’t help him playing out on the right, a brand new position, and one I knew wouldn’t work the moment I saw it. Brereton Diaz’s entire style is explosiveness cutting inside from the left and wrapping the inside of his right-foot around the ball and finding the far corner. That tendency and key strength of his was taken away while playing out on the right.

Forwards

Kieffer Moore: C+

The start of Kieffer Moore’s Sheffield United career was tough. For the first five months, he was playing through an hernia, which he eventually had surgery on early in 2025. In the back end of the campaign, we saw Moore fully healthy, and we saw him impacting games with his physicality, particularly in the play-off semi-final. He scored five goals in 27 games, but I still think he left way too many goals out there. With Oli McBurnie more than likely coming in, I expect him to be a rotation and sub option in 2025/26.

Rhian Brewster: B-

The debate is whether or not it’s the right thing to offer him a new deal this summer. Based on his performances last season, I agree with the club’s decision. He was fitter than ever before last term, and this saw him score four goals and add three assists – his best return since joining the Blades. He showed his versatility by playing as a striker, a number ten and over on the right as a wide playmaker. His linkup play with Gustavo Hamer and Tyrese Campbell was particularly impressive. I think he can improve on his performances and goal return in 2025/26.

Tom Cannon: D

Struggling to see what he genuinely adds to the football club other than another body on a top-end Championship wage. Days before the January transfer window I wrote a piece about transfer targets, in which I wrote about Cannon: “I personally have doubts as to how much Cannon would improve United anyway. He has nine goals this season, three of those were penalties. Besides, he has a poor non-penalty xG per 90 (43rd percentile vs other Championship forwards). And, it’s not as if Stoke City are considerably worse at creating chances compared to the Blades; there is less than 2xG difference separating the two sides from open play.”

I also mentioned that he is not a creative outlet. Wilder mentioned after signing him that his numbers “look good”, I’d love to know which numbers he and the recruitment team were looking at.

Tyrese Campbell: A-

Mentioned earlier about Gustavo Hamer dragging us through games and winning us three points with moments of class, and Tyrese Campbell can be included in that. Without his threat in behind, flair, and composure in front of goal, the Blades would’ve seriously struggled in attack last term. Ten goals in 20 starts (13 sub appearances) for a striker that didn’t take a single penalty last season is some going. He’s got to stay fit though.

I see some people giving him stick about not being able to last more than 70 minutes. The last time I checked we have a thing called the substitutes bench, and subs are there to freshen up the team and make an impact. It’s not his fault the team can only function up top when himself and Hamer are on the pitch together. That’s on the manager and recruitment team; they should’ve done more in January to add at least one player that is a like-for-like threat to Campbell. Instead, they spent reportedly £10 million on Cannon.

Manager

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 24: Chris Wilder, Manager of Sheffield United, reacts during the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final match between Sheffield United and Sunderland at Wembley Stadium on May 24, 2025 in London, England. This weekend’s EFL play-off matches at Wembley will all kick-off one minute late, to raise awareness for the ‘Every Minute Matters’ campaign, which aims to encourage people to learn CPR. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Chris Wilder: B+

With that in mind, Wilder gets a B+ from me. He did an excellent job at re-shaping the squad and changing the mentality last summer. But, the negatives for me are: we struggled to create high quality chances regularly, some of the selection choices were strange (e.g persisting with Brereton Diaz at right-winger, even though he never played there previously and clearly wasn’t playing well there), and he wasted a large chunk of money on Tom Cannon in January, who fits zero striker profile.

In January, for most teams, it’s a chance to add depth to either help fight to stay up or go up. You can’t just add a striker because he’s a striker. We had two clear striker templates in the squad heading into January: a target man, and a more complete forward in terms of link-up, creating chances and stretching defences. Where does Cannon fit in?

Another thing I’d like to mention, it arguably took us until about the 44th game of the season to find our most effective style of play (4-4-2, quick and direct). Would we have finished on more points if we had gone with this style sooner?

Stats taken from FBref.