The Blades became the first top-flight team to return to the championship this season
Sheffield United have been relegated from the Premier League with six games to lose following their 1-0 loss to Wolves on Saturday, tying an unwanted Premier League record.
The Blades were sunk just before the hour thanks to the arrival of the right foot from Willian Jose, to doom them to a return to the championship after two seasons in the top flight.
With just 32 games under its belt, that means the club are writing another unwanted piece of history in their demotion, tying the lowest number of games for a team to return to tier two.
What was said?
“It’s a very disappointing day for me guys and the football club,” defenseman John Egan told PLP. “You work so hard to get into the Premier League. It’s hard to take but the writing was on the wall for a while.
“We haven’t been good enough this season. It’s a bitter pill to swallow. That sums up a lot of our games this season. It’s a recurring theme. We gave a better performance tonight but the result didn’t. has not rained. It’s a sad day for the football club. “
What did Sheffield United accomplish?
By dropping out of the Premier League with six games to go, it means the Blades have joined the ranks of three other teams who jointly hold the record for first tier two: Ipswich Town, Derby County and Huddersfield Town.
The Tractor Boys’ 1994-95 campaign saw them concede 93 goals en route to end their three-year stint in the top flight.
The 2007-08 Rams’ round remains the low bar that few teams will likely ever break, winning a single game all season – although it was not until March that they were officially doomed.
The Terriers then tied the pair for aggregate games when they were relegated to 2018-19 with just three wins to their name and 16 points overall.
Now Paul Heckingbottom’s side have joined their selection squad, although they at least still have time to carve out three more points to review rivals Yorkshire for a total total.
Furthermore, they became the first team to finish as high as ninth and to be relegated the following season since Birmingham City achieved the feat ten years ago in 2009-10 and 2010-11.
Rusty blades in second year of doldrums
After illuminating the Premier League with a ninth place finish last season, hopes were high that Chris Wilder’s side could once again beat the odds after an unlikely push for Europe in 2019-20.
But after dropping to three trotting losses to close their previous campaign, the South Yorkshire side continued to slide down the table and found themselves firmly anchored at the foot of the relegation zone, with just two points taken before the arrival of 2021.
A first league win came in early January against Newcastle, before a shock win over Manchester United sparked suggestions of an unlikely comeback in the second half of the season.
Still, other results did not materialize and Wilder – who had brought the club back to the heyday of the Ligue 1 slump – was sacked on March 13, with academy coach Heckingbottom installed provisionally. .
The Blades have failed to win since the former Leeds boss took the helm, and with their fate now assured, they will look to begin the rebuilding process as they prepare for a second tier return.