Inside the Sheffield United players’ meeting that could turn season around after Wolves victory

Sheffield United’s private players-only meeting saw senior players impressing the importance of high standards upon some of the club’s new signings, before victory over Wolves a few days later breathed fresh life into the Blades’ campaign. United beat Wolves 2-1 at Bramall Lane on Saturday to pick up their first win of the season.

It was a quick bounce back from the previous weekend’s 5-0 hammering against Arsenal at the Emirates which increased the pressure on boss Paul Heckingbottom, who left his players to their own devices in terms of the get-together before the game against Gary O’Neil’s side. Although those present declined to reveal the content of the meeting, it is understood that questions were raised about how much some players were affected by the Blades’ plight up to that point.

United’s senior players, including Ollie Norwood, are thought to have had their say, with the skipper revealing after the Wolves victory that the meeting “needed to be said and done.” It had the desired effect, with United beating Wolves just days later thanks to Norwood’s late penalty after picking themselves up off the canvas following Wolves’ 89th-minute equaliser.

“It was just about the standards, attitude and application that’s expected to play for Sheffield United. I think it cleared the air,” Norwood added. “It’s about being aggressive, making contact with players and turning the ball forward. A lot of us have been here a long time and worked hard to get back in the Premier League.

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“We don’t just want to let this season sail by and say: ‘We’ve been relegated’. We’re not used to losing so it’s hurt our pride, but you can’t feel sorry for yourself in this game. This gives everyone the belief that we can win football matches because the longer it goes on, the more doubt there is. As an elder member of the squad, it’s about making sure we keep driving the standards.”

As one of the players still at United with experience of promotion to the Premier League and their subsequent ninth-placed finish in the first season, Norwood has been key to ensuring that United’s new players know what is expected of them at Bramall Lane. The summer departures of Billy Sharp, Enda Stevens and Jack O’Connell left a void of experience in the dressing room, with United instead going down a different route and signing younger players to try and replace those that had departed.

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It is not an approach that has worked so far, with Saturday’s victory their first in 11 attempts in the Premier League. But with their first two games after the upcoming international break against the other two teams in the bottom three, in Burnley and Bournemouth, there is a real opportunity there for United to continue building positive momentum.

“That connection between the players and the fans is something you could see in the second half,” Norwood added. “We’ve lost a lot of players who know what that’s about. We’ve got a new squad but I’m hoping they will understand what we’re talking about now.”