Former Sheffield United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny believes the Blades have a 'great' chance of winning promotion to the Premier League if they can recruit two or three players in January, speaking to Football Insider.

After an underwhelming start to the season under ex-boss Slavisa Jokanovic, the South Yorkshire outfit have won ten points from a possible 12 since the international break and look in good shape under Paul Heckingbottom, climbing to 10th after yesterday's 3-2 victory against Cardiff City.

This recent run has left them just four points adrift of the top six, a real achievement for a side that fell into the relegation zone earlier in the campaign after failing to win any of their opening five league games of the 2021/22 season.

 

 

However, they have now found their rhythm after reverting to a back five and look much more comfortable, having struggled to adapt to a flat back four under Jokanovic before his dismissal.

To the Serbian's credit, he was the man who switched the system after the most recent international break, setting the Blades on the right course after trying to persist with a 4-2-3-1, which simply didn't work well quickly enough for the second-tier side to climb up the table.

Criticisms have been made regarding how late their recruitment in the summer window - but that has come and gone along with their former manager - and Kenny believes his old side's business in January could be crucial in determining where they finish.

He said to Football Insider: "They have won three and drawn one of the last four. 10 points from 12 and those play-off spots are looking a lot closer.

"I think they would be foolish not to invest. They handed him a four-year deal, I’m sure he’s had guarantees.

"If he wants players, he needs to get them. If we get a few more points then we will be in and around the play-offs.

"That’s crazy to say because we’ve had a poor season and sacked the manager. But promotion has to be the aim this season and I think two or three players in January gives us a great chance.

"Promotion is key and we have a chance."

The Verdict:

The Blades have a real chance of getting into the top six because of the quality they have in their starting lineup and the depth they have in some positions, with the forward department full of quality to compensate for injuries.

However, a couple of areas including centre-back do need to be addressed if they want to stay in their current formation and continue thriving in the same way, because Jack O'Connell isn't likely to be back anytime soon and an injury in this position would be a major blow at this stage.

They may also have to prepare for the potential recall of Morgan Gibbs-White, because the Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee has been a crucial asset for Heckingbottom's men this term and a failure to compensate for his potential loss could be detrimental.

Even if he remains at Bramall Lane for the remainder of the season, recruiting early in January will help any new additions to settle in ahead of a likely promotion push.

A late flurry of signings could rock the boat a little too much, so it's important they start identifying potential targets now and create contingency plans in the event they miss out on some of their main targets, because the winter window is a difficult period for clubs to strike good deals.