The Premier League season kicks off on Friday, August 11th, with Burnley taking on the league champions, Manchester City. As we navigate through the offseason, I will have previews of the top clubs in the league and the three newly promoted clubs (Burnley, Luton Town, and Sheffield United). This preview is intended for the newly promoted Sheffield United. I will include actionable betting information throughout this series of articles. It’s not guaranteed for all, but at the end of the day, we want to bet on sports, and that’s why I’m here.
Who is Sheffield United?
Newly promoted Sheffield United make another trip into the Premier League after spending the last two seasons in the English Football League Championship. Sheffield is no stranger to bouncing between divisions. It may surprise some that Sheffield is one of only five clubs that have won all four professional English divisions. That statement becomes more believable when you realize they are the oldest football club in the world.
Founded in 1857, it was also the first English club to use “United” in their name. The history of this club is phenomenal, but it’s been quite some time since they have been successful. The last bit of silverware came in 1925 when they won the FA Cup. Despite not winning since 1925, their four FA Cups are more than seven teams in this season’s Premier League (Crystal Palace, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Fulham, Luton Town, and Burnley.
Sheffield United play their matches at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. They will need the support of their fans this season if they want to stay up again this season. They’ve only stayed up for consecutive seasons once since 2004.
To Stay Up or Not to Stay Up
It might be too early to call this one, but I am eyeing a possible bet on United being relegated at -140. I’m not a big fan of betting on futures with a minus sign in front of them unless I get massive value. At -140, the implied probability is 58%. I’d say they have a higher probability of being relegated than the odds suggest. However, I need to see how the transfer window shakes out for them.
The biggest concern for the Blades is that they are selling players. They might buy some new ones during this transfer window, but they must get to work. They are expected to lose one of their stars, Iliman Ndiaye, as Everton are targeting him. Ndiaye was integral in helping the return to the Premier League for United. He scored 14 goals and added 11 assists in 48 appearances.
They are also expected to lose Sander Berge this off-season. Since joining Sheffield from Genk in 2020, he’s been a driving force in their success. Losing Berge will hurt, but they plan on using the funds from selling Berge to sign new players for their Premier League campaign.
My biggest question for United is, where do the goals come from? Losing a key midfielder and their best-scoring forward, they are in trouble. Not to mention last season, the three newly promoted teams scored 37, 38, and 55 goals. The season before that, 23, 34, and 48. Unless they pull off some serious moves this transfer window, they will likely be one of the teams that drop.
Players to Watch
Oli McBurnie – Forward
McBurnie is back in the Premier League for the fourth time. His first two Premier League seasons were with Swansea City, and the other two were with Sheffield United. In his last campaign with United, he scored five goals and registered one assist. Now with more age and experience, the 27-year-old center-forward is primed to make an impact and help his club’s quest to stay up. If he can replicate his 13-goal season from last year, he could provide some value in the anytime goalscorer market.
Iliman Ndiaye – Midfielder
There’s a chance that Ndiaye doesn’t play a single game with United this season. However, if he does, he will likely be the most exciting player for the Blades. His team-leading 14 goals are not the only thing that should excite the supporters. His passing and dribbling are outstanding. He had the highest passing grade on the team and the second-highest dribbling grade of anyone in the EFL.