It's a whole combination of things with them currently, but Wilder definitely isn't helping them. I've watched them a lot this season and their issues are:
1) They won a lot of games by 1 goal last season - they didn't score many (I think Mousset was their top scorer with 6) but conversely their defence conceded very few.
2) The biggest major factor in their decline is their defence - it leaks a lot more goals. Why? They've lost Henderson. Jack O'connell picked up a long term injury. The replacements have been poor so they're conceding more but still not scoring many.
3) Their summer singings and replacements by Wilder have been poor. Ramsdale is a poor keeper, he looked poor at Bournemouth too. He'll be okay at Championship level but £20m on him is such poor scouting, especially considering it puts him in the top 10 GK transfers of all time.
Ampadu in midfield and defence is young and will improve, but he's not good enough currently at either positions. Luckily only a loan.
Brewster imo is terrible and an incredible waste at £25m. He has no link-up play and no runs in behind. True they barely create anything with no midfield which may be masking his finishing, but he's only real contribution currently is running and he's probably the 4th best striker at Sheffield currently, which is saying something as the other 3 (Mousset, Mcgoldrick, Mcburnie) don't score many.
Of their summer signings, Burke has been fairly impressive. Bogle also looked very impressive in the game where he scored 2 games back, but for some reason Wilder hasn't played him since. A bit baffling since theyre struggling to create.
Given that Wilder also signed Mcburnie and Berge for about £45m combined, I'd have to question how good he is in the transfer market and how much of the current squad he built and what prices he paid for them. A lot of wasted money.
4) Tactics. Teams have figured out how to beat Sheffields back 5 - keep your wingers or full backs out wide hugging the touch line forces Sheffields wingback to drop and defend - which means Sheffield are forced to become a back 5 more often than they're a back 3. This causes them to basically have no midfield. Probably the last 5 matches I've watched from Sheffield, they've had no midfield and lose the ball after 3 or 4 passes. Their modus operandi is having Mcgoldrick drop deep and create - he does it well but it's not enough.
I think Wilder either needs to change formations or step down because currently with the formation they're playing they won't pick up many more points. They should switch to a 4-3-3 - their defence will concede goals regardless but this way with a midfield they may actually score some. I'd line up something like this and try to get goals:
Mousset - Mcolgdrick - Burke
Work horse Midfielder - Midfielder - Midfielder
Enda Stevens - Egan - Defender - Bogle
Ramsdale
1) They won a lot of games by 1 goal last season - they didn't score many (I think Mousset was their top scorer with 6) but conversely their defence conceded very few.
2) The biggest major factor in their decline is their defence - it leaks a lot more goals. Why? They've lost Henderson. Jack O'connell picked up a long term injury. The replacements have been poor so they're conceding more but still not scoring many.
3) Their summer singings and replacements by Wilder have been poor. Ramsdale is a poor keeper, he looked poor at Bournemouth too. He'll be okay at Championship level but £20m on him is such poor scouting, especially considering it puts him in the top 10 GK transfers of all time.
Ampadu in midfield and defence is young and will improve, but he's not good enough currently at either positions. Luckily only a loan.
Brewster imo is terrible and an incredible waste at £25m. He has no link-up play and no runs in behind. True they barely create anything with no midfield which may be masking his finishing, but he's only real contribution currently is running and he's probably the 4th best striker at Sheffield currently, which is saying something as the other 3 (Mousset, Mcgoldrick, Mcburnie) don't score many.
Of their summer signings, Burke has been fairly impressive. Bogle also looked very impressive in the game where he scored 2 games back, but for some reason Wilder hasn't played him since. A bit baffling since theyre struggling to create.
Given that Wilder also signed Mcburnie and Berge for about £45m combined, I'd have to question how good he is in the transfer market and how much of the current squad he built and what prices he paid for them. A lot of wasted money.
4) Tactics. Teams have figured out how to beat Sheffields back 5 - keep your wingers or full backs out wide hugging the touch line forces Sheffields wingback to drop and defend - which means Sheffield are forced to become a back 5 more often than they're a back 3. This causes them to basically have no midfield. Probably the last 5 matches I've watched from Sheffield, they've had no midfield and lose the ball after 3 or 4 passes. Their modus operandi is having Mcgoldrick drop deep and create - he does it well but it's not enough.
I think Wilder either needs to change formations or step down because currently with the formation they're playing they won't pick up many more points. They should switch to a 4-3-3 - their defence will concede goals regardless but this way with a midfield they may actually score some. I'd line up something like this and try to get goals:
Mousset - Mcolgdrick - Burke
Work horse Midfielder - Midfielder - Midfielder
Enda Stevens - Egan - Defender - Bogle
Ramsdale
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