Sheffield United have never won the Championship play-offs, but they have a secret weapon this time

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Sheffield United have had to settle for a place in the play-offs this season after missing out on the top two, and their record suggests they will fail in their pursuit of promotion now.

The Blades came down from the Premier League last year as one of the strong favourites to go straight back up, and for much of the season they were firmly involved in the three-horse race with Burnley and Leeds.

However, a drastic dip in form over the last month or so saw Chris Wilder’s side drop out of the running and defeat against Burnley at Turf Moor two weeks ago sealed their fate.

As we look ahead to the Championship play-offs later this month, Sheffield United fans can look ahead to a clash with Bristol City, but they may be fearing the worst.

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Sheffield United have failed in all eight of their play-off attempts in the past

That’s because Sheffield United’s play-offs record is, quite frankly, abysmal. The Blades have had eight attempts at play-off success in their history, and have failed every single time.

Their most recent effort, back in the 2021/22 campaign, saw them fall in the semi-finals, with eventual winners Nottingham Forest defeating United on penalties at the City Ground.

Prior to that, Sheffield United had three pops at promotion via the play-offs in League One, and couldn’t get it over the line.

Even the legendary Neil Warnock couldn’t manage to get Sheffield United to the promised land through the play-offs, losing an absolute whitewash of a final in 2002/03 to Wolves.

The Blades fanbase are right to have doubts, then, but many outside the club would definitely pin them as favourites to go up this year after a strong campaign.

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Chris Wilder has never led Sheffield United in the play-offs, but he can be the key this time

The truth is, things could very well be different this time around, and that’s all down to Chris Wilder.

You see, while the Blades have historically struggled in the play-offs, they’ve never been through that particular adventure with Wilder at the helm.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	46	29	13	4	95	30	65	100
2	BurnleyBurnley	46	28	16	2	69	16	53	100
3	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	46	28	8	10	63	36	27	90
4	SunderlandSunderland	46	21	13	12	58	44	14	76
5	CoventryCoventry	46	20	9	17	64	58	6	69
6	Bristol CityBristol City	46	17	17	12	59	55	4	68

Wilder has outlined his intention to break the curse this year, and the Sheffield United manager does have experience in that area.

Way back in 2010, Wilder led Oxford United to promotion from the Conference (now the National League) via the play-offs, so he clearly know how to navigate the unique challenge Sheffield United face.

Indeed, Wilder has been ‘ultra positive’ about the play-offs so far, and insists it is only the supporters who are letting the history of it all get into their heads.

He now needs to keep his players focused and driven towards their ultimate ambition. First up is the tough task of getting past Bristol City, though the Blades are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with the Robins, and will surely fancy their chances over the two legs.