After Sheffield United moved within two points of fourth, Paul Higham looks at the odds and asks if it's time to back the Blades to make Europe.
Who wouldn't want to see Chris Wilder's Sheffield United take on European giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Champions League?
Who doesn't want to see what the continent's elite sides deal with the overlapping centre back system that has flummoxed Premier League opposition all season long?
Flippancy aside, Sheffield United’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday put them in fifth place in the table, just two points behind Chelsea in that coveted final Champions League spot, so is it about time we talked about the Blades as serious European contenders?
Upcoming fixtures crucial
From nowhere, the Blades are and break into the top four in the Premier League – which would be something considering their previous best ever top-flight finish is sixth in 1975.
Top Four finish odds
The Blades have a nice run of games after their winter break with winnable matches against Brighton, Norwich and Newcastle that could well get them even closer to that fourth spot, given Chelsea face Man Utd and Spurs in their next two games.
Another big advantage is that the Champions League, and Europa League returns in the next couple of weeks, and while Chelsea, Spurs and Man Utd all have big fixtures in those competitions, Wilder can take more time training and scheming with his side for their league fixtures.
Sheffield United's next six fixtures
- Brighton (H) | Norwich (H) | Newcastle (A) | Man Utd (A) | Tottenham (H) | Burnley (A)
The Yorkshire side also have Man Utd and Spurs to take on in their next five games and positive results in those would see their odds tumbling – now may just be the best time to take the plunge on the Blades bagging European football.
Blades looking up
“We’re trying to catch Chelsea,” proclaimed Billy Sharp after the Bournemouth win. A lofty ambition, yes, but an illustration that this promoted side aren’t happily looking around and smelling the roses just yet.