Coventry player reunite with former teammates at Sheffield United after what transpired
Sheffield United signed Gustavo Hamer for £15 million in the summer transfer window, he came to the Blades after excelling for Coventry City. Now could the Blades be willing to steal another outstanding midfielder from the Sky Blues?
Much like Hamer, Callum O’Hare has already proven his outstanding qualities in the Championship. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Sheffield United could step up and poach the attacking midfielder.
There is evident apprehension among Coventry supporters that the 25-year-old might leave as a free agent at the end of the season, per Coventry Telegraph. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the club is making every effort to prevent this scenario. Like Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres before him, he stands as one of their significant assets, both on and off the pitch.
With a full contract in place, his value would be estimated at a minimum of £10 million. But if he is unwilling to sign a new deal, perhaps teams will come sniffing seen as though he will be massively discounted.
Certain fans have speculated whether the club’s cautious approach is influenced by his recent injury history. However, it’s evident that since his return to full fitness, he has demonstrated that he is back to the level he enjoyed before the long-term layoff. The 25-year-old has scored three times and claimed an assist in 13 Championship appearances so far.
We all know O’Hare has previously played with Hamer at Coventry, but did you know he also came through the Aston Villa academy alongside Cameron Archer during Dean Smith’s tenure.
Sheffield United have the worst defensive record in the Premier League, having conceded 31 goals, as well as the joint-second worst goal tally (10 goals).
This poses a tricky question for Paul Heckingbottom: does he look to tighten the shape up more and sacrifice a more attacking player for a proper midfielder, or, does he attempt to make the Blades more aggressive up the top end of the pitch?
In the second halves against Wolves and Brighton he chose the latter, and as a result United looked really positive and far more of a threat than we’ve become accustomed to seeing this season.
Despite that, it does feel like the Blades are still trying to find the right formula and balance.
Sheffield United’s expected goals (xG) for this season stands at 8.1 [Opta], indicating that, excluding penalties, they were anticipated to score approximately eight goals based on the quality of chances created.
This figure represents the lowest xG in the Premier League, reflecting their challenges in breaking down opposing defences. They have managed to score a total of 10 goals, including two penalties and four own goals.
In alignment with their position near the bottom of the table, Sheffield United’s xG against, which signifies the expected goals conceded based on the quality of chances for the opposition, is also the league’s lowest at 25. The freak scoreline against Newcastle will of course impact both expected numbers and reality.
Big Chances Missed
The Blades have only managed to register 12 big chances created, Burnley are the second-lowest with 13 [SofaScore]. What is quite staggering is that Sheffield United have missed all ten of their big chances they’ve created in open play.
This is alarming and will have to change very quickly; United are in a predicament where high quality chances are scarce, so to be missing every single one of them in open play is bound to spell trouble.
Comparing these numbers to the 19/20 season – Sheffield United were the 10th-best team at creating big chances (71), scoring 23 of them. United were the joint-fifth lowest scorers that term.
No player came close to double figures. Oli McBurnie and Lys Mousset were the club’s top scorers with six. United’s number nine had a 12% goal conversion rate that season. While Mousset had 16%.
That gives you an idea of what the Blades should be aiming for.
