The Shocking Fall of a Once Feared Club - And Why No One Saw It Coming

The Shocking Fall of a Once Feared Club - And Why No One Saw It Coming

Recently the favourites to win promotion back to the Premier League through the playoff route, a certain Championship club now lie rock bottom of the table and with one win in nine.

Amidst managerial changes and a shocker of a summer transfer window, perhaps it's no surprise that they are now fighting for second tier survival rather than another push for Premier League riches.

This is the story behind Sheffield United's dreadful start to the 2025/26 season.

The Fateful Fixture

The story starts on the 24th of May, 2025, at Wembley Stadium, when the Blades faced Sunderland for the final place in the top flight.

The Black Cats had finished a huge 14 points behind Sheffield United, and it looked like it, as Chris Wilder's Blades largely dominated the first hour and held a one-goal lead.

However, the tables started to turn as Sunderland grew into it and started to look the side most likely to score - which they did in the 76th minute through Eliezer Mayenda.

Then, with extra time seconds away, Sunderland's Tom Watson picked up a loose pass from Kieffer Moore, mazed his way towards the penalty area and put a dagger through Blades' heart with a last-gasp winner - condemning them to another Championship campaign.

TOM WATSON IN THE 95TH MINUTE TO SEND SUNDERLAND BACK TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2017 🐈‍⬛ pic.twitter.com/hHGMd1r2M4

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 24, 2025

Summer of Nightmares

Two-and-a-half weeks after the playoff final loss, the club announced they had relieved Wilder of his managerial duties despite the excellent haul of 90 points.

In his place came Ruben Selles, marking his fourth job in three years, and coming off the back of a torrid campaign with Hull City in which only goal difference kept them in the division.

Before that, he had previously been in charge at Southampton for three months, as the Saints won two in 17 under the Spaniard and finished bottom of the Premier League.

Understandably, many were confused and slightly concerned at the switch, letting go of a man who knew the club inside out across both spells at the helm for a man with a less than impressive track record.

Sacking him for selles is like watching your best pal leave the love of his life for an absolute munter who treats him like shite 🤣

— Jclear06 (@jclear06) June 17, 2025

However, arguably the biggest reason for their downfall was the departures.

Vini Souza's departure to VFL Wolfsburg in a bid to make Brazil's upcoming World Cup squad left them without their midfield engine, which was then compounded by the loss of captain Jack Robinson and best centre-back Anel Ahmedhodzic.

Only £5m was spent in the summer, and the defensive reinforcements of young Nils Zatterstrom, 35-year-old Ben Mee, Mark McGuiness and Ben Godfrey haven't brought either the quality or leadership that the departing duo possessed.

Start to the Season

Their first fixture of the new campaign came against Bristol City, the side they walloped 6-0 on aggregate in the playoff semi-final, and you would have expected the Blades to have been full of confidence with this knowledge.

Yet, it was their turn to be on the end of a hiding, losing 4-1 at Bramall Lane in a game where only two new players were involved, loanees Louie Barry and Tyler Bindon.

This Sheffield United fan has fully lost the plot after his side lost 4-1 to Bristol City today 😅#SUFC pic.twitter.com/bHlBvJMRl6

— The 44 ⚽️ (@The_Forty_Four) August 9, 2025

After that, successive losses to Birmingham, Swansea, Millwall, Middlesbrough and finally a 5-0 drubbing away at Ipswich Town were enough for COH Sports ownership to recognise their error and sack Selles after six matches - with Wilder brought back in once more on an improved contract.

Ruben Selles' reign at Sheffield United SHORTEST for any permanent manager in Championship history.

Darko Milanic, Dave Hockaday (both Leeds) and Alex McLeish all managed more league games in fewer days than Selles. pic.twitter.com/dZebUNIdCr

— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) September 15, 2025

Post-Selles

Since Wilder's return to the dugout, the Blades have played four times, and it's fair to say that their fortunes have hardly spun North.

Defeats to Charlton, Southampton and most recently Hull City sandwich a 1-0 win at Oxford United, leaving them on three points after nine games and still no closer to escaping the relegation zone.

This would suggest that, despite Selles' tactics and poor managerial record, the failure of Wilder to pick up the same dressing room he was in just four months prior is down to the inability to replace the key names who all moved on over the summer.

Clearly, if you were to have told any Championship fan where the Blades would be at the end of May, no one would have believed you.

However, a deep dive into the off-pitch moves would paint a different picture, and one that represents a decline towards the peril of the division.