Football Season Guide

After failing to win promotion last season despite all the resources that were invested into their squad, few were surprise when Sheffield United opted to part ways with their manager Nigel Clough. The Blades were well capable of beating very much anyone on their day under Clough and have enjoyed their fair share of cup giant killings under him, but their main problem is that they were not able to do it with enough consistency against lesser sides. Clough has identified a lack of firepower as the main reason for his side's struggles a long time ago, but his attempts at signing a proven goal scorer were thwarted time and time again. His successor will be Nigel Adkins, who has achieved great success with both Scunthorpe and Southampton, but who will be looking to rise his stock a bit after his most recent managerial stint, which saw him take charge of Reading, ended in failure. Adkins has been successful where Clough has failed, as Billy Sharp has signed for the Blades during the off-season. Sharp is a striker of highest quality by League One standards and, having already proven himself as a capable scorer in the second tier, will be expected to bang in goals for fun and give the Blades just what they have missed last season. The other signings are Martyn Woolford and Conor Sammon, who will give the Blades some extra much-needed options on the wings - they are both well established names at Championship level, and will also be expected to set the third tier alight. All of the players who have left played only bit-part roles last season, meaning that the Blades' squad is settled and stronger than it was last time around.