Sheffield United have had a tumultuous season so far, with many highs and lows.
From being rock bottom of the Championship table, to having late hopes of a play-off push, the Blades have certainly had a rollercoaster of a season.
This has led to certain players stepping up, whilst other have struggled to make an impact for the Blades.
But which players have been able to shine and which ones have had a difficult campaign?
Andre Brooks has been a constant name on Chris Wilder’s team sheet over the past 3 seasons, however this season has arguably been his best.
The 22-year-old has had eight goal contributions this season, his highest for the Blades in a single season.
These include four goals in five appearances throughout January and February, including a winner against Portsmouth.
His impressive performances have also earned him his first international appearance for Jamaica recently.
Things appear to have finally clicked for Brooks, and the Blades seem to have an effective winger on their cards for the coming seasons.
Since signing for the Blades on a free transfer in October, Jairo Riedewald has been a stand out performer in the Sheffield United midfield.
The Dutchman earned a contract extension after a string of impressive performances.
Since then, Riedewald has constantly been one of the first names on the team sheet.
The 29-year-old often leads the way in defensive contributions in his matches and has even contributed with two goals against Stoke City and Norwich City.
Blades fans will certainly hope that Riedewald can keep up his impressive performances for seasons to come.
The Blades acquired Tyler Bindon on loan from Nottingham Forest after an impressive loan stint at Reading.
After an injury to Ben Mee, Bindon stepped up and formed a formidable defensive partnership with Japhet Tanganga.
Bindon has played most of the games since then, with the 21-year-old playing every minute of the last eleven games for the Blades.
Chris Wilder has recently stated that he would be interested in signing the defender permanently for next season.
A surprisingly key player at times this season, Sam McCallum has stepped up his performances vastly this season.
The 25-year-old was even able to take Harrison Burrows’ starting spot at left back for a period of time in November and December.
This was thanks to his impressive performances, including a goal against Coventry City and an assist against Leicester City.
However, an achilles injury looks to keep McCallum out for the rest of the season.
Gustavo Hamer had a lot of pressure coming into this season, especially after being named the Championship Player of the Season.
However, the Dutchman has struggled to replicate last seasons success to the same degree.
Hamer has netted six less goals this season, and has been frequently dislodged in the team by the likes of Andre Brooks and Tahith Chong.
While he has still been an adequate tool for Chris Wilder, his performances have certainly taken a step down compared to last season.
The Blades signed Danny Ings on a free transfer, and the striker was expected to bring his extensive Premier League experience to Bramall Lane.
However, this has not been the case, and instead he has struggled to find the back of the net.
Ings has only scored one goal all season, that being against Norwich.
Most of his appearances have been short cameos off the bench and he has been frequently kept out of the starting lineup by the likes of Patrick Bamford.
It seems unlikely that the striker will be given a new deal at the end of the season when his contract runs out.
When Sheffield United acquired Kalvin Phillips on loan from Manchester City, a lot of expectation was placed on him.
A former England international and Champions League winner, top performances were expected of Phillips from the start.
However, the midfielder’s time in Sheffield has been a resounding disappointment, with him only making three appearances, with one being cut short by a red card against Sheffield Wednesday.
An injury looks to keep him out of the squad until the end of the season, putting an end to a disappointing stint that promised so much.
Michael Cooper was arguably the second most impressive goalkeeper in the Championship last season, only just behind James Trafford.
However, this season, Cooper’s performances have been no where near as impressive.
Cooper has only kept 9 clean sheets, with a clean sheet percentage of just 26.5% according to Transfermarkt.
The goalkeeper has also been ruled out due to injury for the rest of the season, forcing Adam Davies to step up for the Blades.
