Sheffield United’s key weapon in promotion battle with Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Co.

Previous promotion experience could prove a key weapon for Sheffield United as they look to stay out of the clutches of the chasing pack and secure their place in the Premier League next season.

The Blades are back seven points clear of third-placed Middlesbrough after a crucial victory at Reading in midweek calmed a few nerves on the terraces after their weekend defeat to Blackburn Rovers.

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While supporters are understandably jumpy about their side’s promotion chances, especially considering the impact missing out could have considering the club’s perilous financial state, those in the dressing room are a little more calm and considered about the ups and downs of a Championship season - considering so many of them are veterans of United’s last promotion, back in 2018/19.

The roles were slightly reversed back then, with Chris Wilder’s Blades successfully hunting down Leeds in the table and then fending off the challenge of their West Yorkshire rivals to condemn them to the play-offs. This time around the Blades have been the hunted - but George Baldock, just one member of that class of 2019, insisted today: “That’s where the experience will set in.

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“Looking at the last promotion we had, it’s a different type of scenario. We were the chasers then. I said to a few of the younger lads after the Middlesbrough defeat: ‘There are going to be a lot of ups and downs. We’d all love to be in Burnley’s situation, but we’re in a pretty good one ourselves.’

“First and foremost, our aim is promotion. Every team is going to go through blips in a season and it’s about how you bounce back. It showed a lot of character from the lads in midweek [at Reading], to go there and get the win in difficult conditions and with our fans backing us so well.

“So hopefully that can kickstart us from the little blip and we go again.”

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United face Luton Town this weekend at Bramall Lane, with the Hatters travelling north fifth in the Championship table and harbouring their own hopes of playing in the top-flight next season.

Alongside Baldock, the likes of Chris Basham, John Egan, Enda Stevens, Ollie Norwood, John Fleck and Billy Sharp were all key members of the last United side to get promoted to the Premier League and the right-back, who turned 30 today, acknowleged the experienced members of Paul Heckingbottom’s squad have big roles to play amongst their younger teammates.

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“There is the odd message to them of course but mostly it’s about your actions,” Baldock said. “What you’re like and how you behave after disappointment, in the dressing room and around the training ground. It’s easy when you’re winning.

“It’s not all plain sailing, it never is in this division, so it’s about how you are on a consistent basis and trying to drag people along with you. There’s a squad full of experience at different levels and we know the expectancy put on us by the fans and the club. It’s such a big club and we want to get it back to where it belongs.”

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