- Founded 1889
- Stadium Bramall Lane
- Manager Chris Wilder
- Competition Championship 2026-27
- Goals 9
- Goals Conceded 11
- Yellow Cards 14
- Total Red Cards
Sheffield United Squawka Score ratings 2026/27
Sheffield United have scored nine goals in eight games and sit 18th, which is not where a club with their recent history expects to be in October. Chris Wilder’s side have won twice, drawn three and lost three, and the shape has changed repeatedly in search of a settled front two. Below, we take a look at the Blades’ most-used XI so far and how each player has performed, based on the Squawka Score rating system.
The Squawka Score is a metric developed to assess a player’s performance relative to other players in the same position. It is shown as a percentage, and it is worth knowing that 66% is average rather than 50% – a 70% is a good afternoon and 85% or above marks out one of the best players on the pitch. Each score is calculated from a range of per-90-minute statistics, taking in the obvious numbers such as goals and assists alongside some more obscure ones that are far more position-specific. A player’s season figure is simply the average of his match ratings.
One note on the Championship: the division does not carry expected-goals data, so these ratings are built on volume and quality of actions – shots, big chances, duels, clearances, passes into the box – rather than xG and xA.
GK: Michael Cooper – 71% – The best player at the club. Twenty-seven saves and a club-leading 75 progressive passes from every available minute, with eight completed sweeper actions. Cooper has kept United in games their outfield play did not deserve.
RB: Hamza Choudhury – 57% – The lowest rating in the back four. Ten tackles won and 11 interceptions from five starts are decent, but seven occasions beaten one-on-one and no attacking output at all leave Choudhury short of what a 4-4-2 needs from a full-back.
RCB: Japhet Tanganga – 68% – The captain leads the club for clearances with 51, aerial duels won with 31, interceptions with 13 and possessions regained in his own third with 17, and he has added a goal from every available minute. Three yellow cards and 11 conceded on his watch are the debits.
LCB: Mark McGuinness – 61% – Twenty-six clearances, six blocked shots and two clean sheets from five starts. McGuinness has been steady when fit, and the defence has looked more secure with him alongside Tanganga.
LB: Sam McCallum – 69% – Sixty-five duels won is the most of any Sheffield United player, with 31 aerials, 37 clearances, 33 passes into the penalty area and an assist. McCallum has been the most complete full-back at the club by a distance.
RM: Romelle Donovan – 59% – A goal and a club-leading nine completed take-ons from five starts, with 30 duels won. Donovan runs at people willingly but the end product has not followed.
RCM: Sydie Peck – 67% – The most involved outfield player. Fourteen chances created, 45 passes into the penalty area, 76 into the final third, 12 shots and 15 corners are all club highs, with a goal and two assists. Against that: an error leading to a goal, another leading to a shot and nine fouls.
LCM: Jairo Riedewald – 58% – Two starts and 156 minutes with nothing recorded. The lowest rating in the side, and a sample far too small to read anything into.
LM: Ben Brereton – 54% – Five starts, 390 minutes and a big chance missed. Brereton has not produced anything from the left and it is the position where United look thinnest.
RST: Patrick Bamford – 61% – Two goals and an assist from nine shots, with 17 touches in the opposition box, the most in the side. Three big chances missed and 53 duels lost tell the story of a centre-forward isolated in a struggling attack.
LST: Tyrese Campbell – 66% – An assist and a clear-cut chance created from two starts and 206 minutes. Campbell has been used sparingly and the rate suggests he deserves more.
Sheffield United’s set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Thomas Cannon
- Free-kicks: Harrison Burrows, Kalvin Phillips
- Corners: Sydie Peck, Joe Rothwell
Sydie Peck has taken 15 of Sheffield United’s corners to Joe Rothwell’s 5. Harrison Burrows has had one of the direct free-kicks. Thomas Cannon has converted from the spot.
Sheffield United FAQs
How have Sheffield United started the 2026/27 season?
Poorly by their own standards. The Blades are 18th on nine points from eight games, with two wins and three defeats, and have scored only nine goals.
Who is Sheffield United’s best player this season?
Goalkeeper Michael Cooper on 71%, with 27 saves. Sam McCallum is next on 69% and captain Japhet Tanganga on 68%.
Where did Sheffield United finish in the 2025/26 Championship season?
Sheffield United finished 13th in the EFL Championship with 66 points (18 wins, six draws, 22 losses).
Who is the Sheffield United manager?
Chris Wilder is the manager of Sheffield United. He was reappointed for his second managerial tenure at Bramall Lane in September 2025.
Who is the current Sheffield United captain?
Japhet Tanganga is the Sheffield United club captain. The central defender took over captaincy duties following his permanent arrival at Bramall Lane.