Sheffield United: Gus Hamer & Chris Wilder name-dropped in "biggest issue" at Bramall Lane | OneFootball

Our Blades fan pundit thinks the club's biggest issue right now is the uncertainty around Wilder's best starting eleven

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit has identified Chris Wilder's struggle to fit his best players into his starting eleven as the club's biggest issue right now, as the Blades aim to consolidate their position in the top two of the Championship.

United have bounced back emphatically this season, after a dismal Premier League relegation campaign last year saw them drop back into the second-tier with just 16 points and 104 goals conceded.

Wilder has been able to revitalise his squad, with key summer and January signings performing well, on top of a group of players that already looked pretty well set-up for a crack at Championship success.

They currently sit in second place in the second-tier table, two points ahead of third-placed Burnley with just 11 games to go before the campaign is over. Automatic promotion is obviously the aim, but there has been a slight drop-off in their performances in recent weeks, and certain players being shoehorned into the team may well be a contributing factor.

Sheffield United fan pundit offers 'biggest issue' team selection verdict

It is no wonder that boss Wilder has had to chop and change his starting eleven throughout this season, given their relatively large squad and consistent injury concerns, but it may well be to their detriment as a vital run-in to the campaign now begins.

He has been forced to play standout midfielder Gus Hamer out wide for the majority of the season, and he has impressed, but the 27-year-old is usually at his best in an advanced role in the middle of the park.

The Blades also have an absolute wealth of options at centre-forward, despite playing with only one striker, with Tyrese Campbell, Kieffer Moore, Rhian Brewster, Ryan Oné being joined by Tom Cannon and Ben Brereton-Diaz in the January window.

Brereton Diaz has had to settle for a place on either wing, while it cost a sizeable £10m to sign Cannon from Leicester City, but he is yet to score and has had to settle for a place on the bench in each of the last three league outings.

Our United fan pundit, Jimmy, of the Blades Ramble YouTube channel, believes that the club's biggest issue right now is centred around Wilder fitting all of his best players into the starting 11, especially Gus Hamer playing out of position, with a potential formation change mooted to help them win automatic promotion in the coming months.

“I still think the biggest issue we have got as a club is fitting our great players, because we have got some great ones at this level, into a system that suits all parties,” Jimmy told FLW.

“At the minute, there is still a little bit of…like playing Gus Hamer wide left, his numbers have been brilliant from out there, but I don’t think anybody thinks that is his natural position.

“He’s come in as an inside 10 recently, because we have got Callum O’Hare, who also plays the 10 and has been playing very well.

“It now means we are forcing Ben Brereton Diaz over to the right wing, when he is more comfortable on the left, but it is to accommodate Hamer who has been playing very well there.

“There are other things, like how we haven't settled on a right-back this season, certainly not one that we can consistently rely on.

“There have been certain issues. I think playing one up top hasn’t suited all of our striker options as well. We have got some very good players, certainly at this level.

“We’re picking holes, aren’t we? Because we’re second in the league as we speak, but I think if you’re looking for areas of improvement, those would be it."

Chris Wilder needs to find his best XI as Sheffield United chase a top-two finish

Squad rotation is often a welcome commodity in the Championship, given how many games teams have to play each season, but it has arguably worked against Sheffield United this term with numerous players unable to hold down a consistent starting berth simply due to the quality of depth that Wilder has at his disposal.

The Blades have rarely named an unchanged team, particularly in weeks gone by, due to players coming back from injury and the abundance of fixtures that they have had to take on.

With just 11 'cup final' esque games to go, and no more cup distractions, Wilder must now settle on a starting eleven that he feels can have a run of games together and take the club back to the Premier League.

Right-back has been a contentious issue throughout the campaign, with the likes of Alfie Gilchrist, Harry Clarke, Femi Siriki, Jamie Shackleton and Hamza Choudhury all playing there at certain points.

Once either Gilchrist or Clarke is back fit, they are likely to start, but a decision needs to be made as to which player will be given a real chance to stake a claim there over the next two months.

The rest of the defence seems relatively settled, as does the holding midfield pairing of Sydie Peck and Vinicius Souza, but wingers and forwards are more positions where selection consistency has been lacking at times.

Hamer looks to be the main option on the left-wing, but that then leaves Brereton Diaz on the right side, where he could come unstuck due to his lack of experience in the position.

Centre-forward has been Wilder's biggest issue in terms of selection this season. Tyrese Campbell has been his go-to up front, but a decision needs to be made now that Kieffer Moore is back fit, and he still faces the conundrum of what to do with star winter signing Tom Cannon, who has flattered to deceive so far.

There are lots more questions than answers for Blades supporters as it stands, but the main concern is their results, which have continued to be mostly positive despite a slight recent downturn in performances. Wilder's main aim is to get the club into the top-flight automatically, and he is on track to do so as long as they keep winning at all costs.