Sheffield United are eyeing their return to Championship action this weekend as they prepare to face Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town.
The Blades headed into the World Cup break sat in second place on 38 points, three behind leaders Burnley and two ahead of third-place Blackburn Rovers.
It was a rocky start to the season, with the Blades finding their form very inconsistent week to week, but in recent months Paul Heckingbottom has got his side playing some good football and picking up results in a consistent manner.
Heckingbottom’s side went into this break with a win after beating Cardiff City 1-0. That meant the Blades finished with four wins in five, with the World Cup possibly coming at the wrong time for the Sheffield team.
United will be looking to continue that impressive form when the Championship returns this Saturday. Heckingbottom will be preparing his side for their game against Huddersfield at Bramall Lane, and the aim will be to close the gap to Burnley and overtake the Lancashire outfit ahead of their game on Sunday.
One player who has played an important role in United’s season so far is striker Oliver McBurnie, and while we prepare for the return of the Championship, we have taken a look at McBurnie’s numbers so far in the first half of the season using WhoScored.com:
McBurnie has made a total of 17 appearances in the Championship so far, grabbing nine goals and providing one assist.
But as well as the striker’s obvious attributes in front of goal, there are also other stats in which McBurnie has impressed in the first half of the season.
The 26-year-old has so far averaged 3.4 shots per game, a ratio that reflects the way the striker likes to play in terms of taking shots at goal and how he is always in and around the box, something that has helped him get his nine goals to date.
McBurnie is a very strong and direct striker who isn’t afraid to fight at the top end of the pitch, which is why the striker is fouled on average 0.9 times per game this season.
The striker may not be involved in as much build-up play as you might expect, and with the way the Blades play, he primarily waits in and around the penalty box, looking to finish off the chances created.
This is reflected in McBurnie’s passing stats, as the Scotsman only averages 16.6 passes per game, with a pass success rate of 64%. The striker likes to be the player who is on the end of key passes than be the one who is producing them.
As well as looking at the striker’s attacking display, it is also encouraging to look at the Scotsman’s defensive stats. He has collected an average of 0.5 tackles per game and an average of 1.4 clearances per game. As mentioned, McBurnie isn’t afraid to defend and use his strength in both boxes, as seen this season when Heckingbottom has relied on the striker in both 18-yard boxes this season.
In terms of his overall display this season, McBurnie has an average rating of 7.33 from WhoScored.com, as the striker is showing once again why he is an important player for the Blades and why Heckingbottom can rely on him.
The hope will be that McBurnie can continue from where he finished in the first half of the season, and he will hope he can play a vital role in seeing Sheff Utd return to the Premier League.