Sheffield United

We asked for your views on Friday's game between Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United.

Here are some of your comments:

Nottingham Forest fans

Keith: Great start by Forest, really thought we would easily win. Credit to Sheffield United, after equalising they put us to the sword. The defence for Forest coped, but no disrespect to United, a better team would have made us pay. We obviously need to strengthen the midfield and defence. Why Ryan Yates does not start is a mystery.

Dave: Chris Wood did the business! I feel sorry for him as he gets a lot of stick because he didn't do much last season. To be fair, we had someone who can head the ball that well and we never crossed to his head at all last season when he played. I hope this will give him some confidence and he may be a useful player for us this season.

Claire: What impressed me most about the game was we went out attacking and didn’t give up. Last season we would have sat back and been happy for the draw, but not this season. We saw it last week at Arsenal and we showed it again against Sheffield United. The subs carried on and say all you want about Wood, but that’s twice now he’s made an impact.

Jamie: On the one hand, this would have been a game we would have drawn or possibly lost last season. On the other, we really have to learn how to kill games off, if only to take the pressure off of Taiwo and Chris. McKenna had a rough night, hopefully a blip, but there were a lot of positives, especially the three points against a pressing team.

Sheffield United fans

Colin: Much improved performance from the Palace game. With a bit more luck in their area we could have scored more. It's a bit worrying that both goals were scored from the centre of our defence. Still, it's only Man City next so we can expect at least a point from that game!

Michael: Blades deserved at least a draw and, with better finishing, could have taken all three. They still need three or four quality signings but they could surprise everyone and avoid relegation with that type of performance.

Paul: Cannot compete if you don’t invest in quality players. The kids on pitch for United are miles away from Premier league. Having said that, we were the better team in much of the second half. We lost two influencing players and had nothing to replace them. Man City up next!

Tony: Super effort by United. Cooper said Forest were far superior. That sort of delusion may cost them dearly.

Image source, BBC

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis of Saturday's five fixtures from the 2023-24 Premier League seasob, plus goals from Friday's clash between Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United.

If you missed Match of the Day then fear not- you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer here

Gustavo Hamer spoke to BBC Radio Sheffield's Blades Heaven podcast after scoring on his debut for the club in Friday's 2-1 defeat by Nottingham Forest: "Amazing. You can’t start better than a goal on your debut but you would prefer not to score on your debut and win the game. It wasn’t that way, but I am happy with my goal but I would prefer three points or one point."

On scoring in front of the travelling Blades fans: "You heard them the whole game. The away supporters are really good. I spoke with Ollie Norwood before the game and the fans are unreal. You can see what it means to them if you score and make the equaliser, so a lot of props for them."

On why the game ended in defeat: "I think after the first 20 minutes we didn’t deserve anything but after that we dominated the game. We did well to keep the ball and play our game. We were unlucky with two crosses they had and Traore had a good chance to make it 2-1 and it’s a different game then but it wasn’t that way today."

On if the game showed promise for the season ahead: "I think we showed brilliant things, we showed brilliant football. We are a good side. We have to grow into the league and injured players will come back. I’m sure we will have a good season."

Hear the full episode on BBC Sounds

Marissa Thomas, BBC Sport

Despite defeat, there are reasons for Sheffield United to feel positive.

New signing Gustavo Hamer, who signed from Coventry City last Friday, scored a delightful goal from the edge of the box on his debut.

Benie Traore proved to be a handful and will rue his missed opportunity when through on goal only to see his shot palmed away by Forest keeper Matt Turner.

United were good value for the point based on their second half performance and Paul Heckingbottom will have been pleased to see his side's improved attitude after the break - even though they lost late on.

Vini Souza had two efforts from range with the newly promoted side growing in confidence after the break.

Both Souza and Traore went off injured and it will be hoped they can recover in time for the visit of defending champions Manchester City next weekend.

Chris Wood headed home the winner for Nottingham Forest in the 89th minute against Sheffield United for their first Premier League win of the season.

Wood, who had come on as a substitute, flicked a header past United keeper Wes Foderingham to send the City Ground crowd wild.

Gustavo Hamer scored a stunner on his Sheffield United debut to give the newly promoted side hope early in the second half.

Hamer, who signed from Coventry City last Friday, struck into the top corner from the edge of the box for his first goal for his new club.

United were significantly improved after going 1-0 down early on and equalised just two minutes and eight seconds after the restart.

Taiwo Awoniyi had opened the scoring for Forest with two minutes and 23 seconds on the clock.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from home?

Nottingham Forest fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Sheffield United fans?

Follow all the reaction here

Chris Sutton will be making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of rivals. Next up is DJ, producer and Newcastle fan Anish Kumar.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Nottingham Forest's home record was decent last season - it had to be, to keep them up. They picked up 30 of their total of 38 points at the City Ground, which was the 10th-best total in the top flight.

Forest will need more of the same on their own turf this time around. I do see them winning this one for starters, but that's got a lot to do with how Sheffield United are shaping up.

Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom has got a heck of a job on his hands to beat the drop after losing his best players this summer without replacements arriving.

Palace were much better than Sheffield United last week, and Forest could run out comfortable winners too.

Steve Cooper's side showed a bit of spirit against Arsenal in their first game, and he has plenty of options in attack, which is always a good problem to have.

Anish's prediction: Sheffield United don't look in a great place after their transfer dealings before the season, and Forest have great home support so I'm going with them on this one. Morgan Gibbs-White was incredible for England Under-21s this summer and hopefully he can take that form into the Premier League. 2-0

Find out what Sutton and Anish predicted for the rest of the weekend's action here

Sheffield United signing Auston Trusty gave listeners insight into his personality on the latest episode of Blades Heaven.

He in turn was given insight into what a greasy chip butty is.

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

As summer signing Auston Trusty settles into life at Bramall Lane following his move from Arsenal, BBC Radio Sheffield's Blades Heaven podcast have been getting to know the new recruit.

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

After completing the signing of former Everton midfielder Tom Davies, Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has been praising the 25-year-old for his attitude and what he will bring to the club.

Hear more on BBC Radio Sheffield's Blades Heaven podcast

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Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom talking about signing former Everton midfielder Tom Davies on a free transfer: "A lot of young, homegrown players who have come through at a club, especially if they’re turning over lots of different managers, always seem to be treated a certain way.

"I've not spoken to Tom about it but this is my impression – you can always be the one that gets sacrificed, you can always be the one that’s always thought of as beneath.

"Tom was keen for a fresh start, regardless of the opportunity to stay at Everton, and after we spoke he’s been holding on in the hope of getting things done and we’ve done that.

"We’ve got a hungry player, who has played all his minutes in the Premier League, which is a bonus for us. There's no occasion, no venue, no team that will faze him because that’s all he knows.

"He knows the club and he's played here before. He knows the stadium and the area. He understands what we showed him on how we want to play and how we want to work with him.

"We've told him what we like about him, how he can add to our squad and we want to do what we can to help him improve."

Rob Staton, BBC Radio Sheffield

The team Sheffield United fielded against Crystal Palace wasn't unexpected but it was still a reality check. This is a very different side than the one that won promotion and it badly needs help. One fan rang our show last night and said this team wouldn't be a top-10 side in the Championship.

Tom Davies' arrival on Wednesday, added to the signing of Gustavo Hamer last week, is a good start but still more is needed.

Chuba Akpom was a target but he's gone to Ajax. Cameron Archer is now on the radar and a Tommy Doyle return would be welcome, even with the Davies and Hamer additions.

Manager Paul Heckingbottom clearly thinks with a cluster of early home games, they need to get some points on the board. That won’t be possible unless they keep improving and adding. The manager and his staff deserve all the transfer backing they can get so the pressure is on the powers that be to deliver.

On the positive side, the loss of Doyle (if he doesn't return) and Sander Berge have now been squared off with two new midfield additions. Attacking options are surely now the priority and the unenviable task of trying to replace the output from Iliman Ndiaye.

Paul Heckingbottom has been speaking to the media before Sheffield United's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on Friday.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Heckingbottom confirmed George Baldock, Max Lowe and Oli McBurnie are all in contention to face Forest, but Rhian Brewster is not ready despites progressing in his recovery and training.

• With recent recruitment of players taking place since pre-season, he said many players are going to be "getting a lot of their fitness in first team minutes."

• Gustavo Hamer joined from Coventry on Friday and Heckingbottom is already "pleased" with what he's seen, adding: "He is all action, loves to get on the ball, and energetic player and fearless in the final third".

• On new signing Tom Davies, he said: "He was keen for a fresh start and after we spoke, he had other options but he's been holding on to see if we could do something and get the deal done."

• Asked about the experience he will bring, he said: "All his minutes have been the Premier League which is great for us. No team or venue is going to phase him because that is all he knows."

• He is "still hopeful" of new arrivals before the match on Friday, but added: "The work isn't going to stop regardless of when the fixtures are. We have to just do it as quickly as we can and get working with the players."

• On the improvements he'd like to see after the opening day defeat to Crystal Palace, he said: "We want to have a better balance to the team. We've recruited so training has been better since the new boys came in – the character, the quality. It would have been great to have that from the start and have them match ready now."

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Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United have completed the signing of Tom Davies on a free transfer.

The midfielder joins the Blades on a three year deal after leaving boyhood club Everton in June at the end of his contract.

Speaking to the club website, Davies said: "I'm made up to be here and can't wait to get started. It was time for me to go from the previous club to join Sheffield United and I'm really excited for it, I think it is a great project that the team have here and I'm full of enthusiasm and hunger to get going.

"The Premier League is the best league in the world so when Sheffield United came knocking I thought this was the place to be, playing against the best teams and the best players.

"I played here [at Bramall Lane] twice during Covid, and I think that helped Everton, but I'm looking forward to getting on the pitch in front of the full crowd and showing the fans what I'm about."

The 25-year-old made 179 appearances for the Toffees, scoring seven goals and making eight assists, but struggled to cement his place in the starting line-up.

On the signing, manager Paul Heckingbottom said: "Tom is someone we have admired for quite a while and he's been desperate to come and play at Bramall Lane. We've kept in constant contact but we've got our man and we are delighted that he is now a Sheffield United player because he is someone who provides valuable Premier League experience.

"He brings energy, a work ethic and a good physicality and along with that Premier League experience he will become a valuable asset to us."

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty told the Blades Heaven podcast about his goals and motivations on joining Sheffield United this summer: "I think as a team we are the underdogs really, and I think it’s a really good place to be because we have to believe in ourselves and do our thing.

"For us as a team, we want to achieve our goals and prove to the league that we can play here and thrive in this league.

"For me personally I want to dive into this team, build the chemistry really fast and be a solid member of this team.

"I want to be a player in the city that people can look up to and trust. I think that’s all I can ask for, to do my thing and people appreciate it.

"The opportunity to play in the Premier League was a huge one. I also played against Sheffield United twice last year and they are a good club.

"There are many factors that attracted me towards Sheffield. From what I’ve heard about the team growing up and the city, it’s really attractive for me."

Listen to the full episode here

• This is the first Premier League meeting between Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United since May 1993.

• Forest have lost just one of their past 13 home league games against the Blades (W7 D5, all in the second tier), going down 1-0 in December 2008.

• United have won their first away league game in just one of the past 17 seasons (D5 L11) and are winless in their past 11, since beating Oldham 2-0 in 2011-12.

• Forest's Taiwo Awoniyi has scored in his past five Premier League games. The only Reds player to score in six in a row in the competition is Stan Collymore, who did so in March-April 1995.

• Despite only coming on for the final 10 minutes of their defeat by Arsenal, Anthony Elanga created more chances than any other player for Nottingham Forest (two).

• Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom has won both of his away games against Nottingham Forest - 1-0 with Barnsley in the Championship January 2017 and 2-1 with the Blades in May 2022 (Championship play-offs).

New Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty was the special guest for a special edition of BBC Radio Sheffield's Blades Heaven podcast.

The 25 year-old, who moved to Bramall Lane from Arsenal, says he's "making history for himself every day" in England....

Listen to the full episode of Blades Heaven on BBC Sounds

Ben Meakin, BladesPod, external

Against Crystal Palace, Paul Heckingbottom was left with little choice but to field a starting line-up weaker than anything we saw last season - but help is on the way. On the eve of the game, United announced the signing of Gustavo Hamer from Coventry City, ostensibly as the replacement for the departed Sander Berge.

The Blades have signed themselves a talent. Hamer was sensational in last season's Championship, recording more assists per 90 minutes than almost any other midfielder in the league, as well as putting up elite numbers for shots, goals and progressive passes (source: FBref.com, external)

All signs point to him being the player to help offset the massive drop in creativity we've suffered after Iliman Ndiaye’s sale.

Hamer also looks to be far from a mercurial flair player who doesn't get stuck in. He ranked in the 80th percentile or higher for blocks and tackles compared with other Championship midfielders last season, according to FBref.com.

Best of all, unlike the majority of our other summer signings, Hamer is actually fit to play having had a full pre-season with Coventry. There's no reason not to parachute him straight into the team.

I was critical last week about United selling Berge to leave the squad desperately short of quality. I stand by a lot of that criticism - witness the XI we had to put out in our opening game - but Hamer has a chance of being an upgrade on Berge for about the same money.

Ultimately, if you boil it down to trading away Berge's expiring contract for four years of Hamer, I'd make that deal.

We asked for your views on Saturday's game between Sheffield United and Crystal Palace.

Here are some of your comments:

Sheffield United fans

Robert: First half was just like both teams were in the Championship. The offsides spared our blushes and the triple substitution showed Hecky's frustration. A great crowd, making lots of noise - plenty of Palace fans too. But we are nervous. No real budget, an owner selling, but a great manager.

Blade: Considering the departure of two key players in as many weeks, I thought it was a spirited, but at times lacklustre, performance at the Lane. Lots of positives, but this league is unforgiving when trying to get points on the board. I hope that the team get enough time to gel into a more organised and creative outfit before time runs out.

Graham: Given limitations to available players we fought hard but a difference in class showed.

Malc: We played a team consisting of Basham, Norwood and Osborne, which are not good enough for the Premier League. These players can't score goals, and don't create anything. Defensively we look OK, up front we had two unknowns that have never played in league football, never mind the Premier League. We need new signings quickly, or we are going down.

Crystal Palace fans

Stephen: Sheffield United aren’t exactly a top Premier League team and I feel we will struggle this year. Palace should have really scored three or four goals and I was somewhat disappointed they didn’t. Having said that, this was the first game of the season and a win is a win. Going forward, Palace still need to strengthen their forward line.

Steve: I thought we owned the game and I was very pleased with all our performances but mostly Edouard as he was bought in as a striker and today he looked it.

Josh: Interesting game. Could and should have scored more, but didn't. Just goes to show that we're in need of a goalscorer. However if Edouard scores 10 or more goals this season we'll be alright. Eze impressed as I thought he would. A win is a win, well played lads.

Simon: A solid start. We were creating chances but we need to be more ruthless in front of goal. Tougher challenges await us. Guehi going off injured is a worry. Ayew and Schlupp put in a shift and lots of positives with Lerma and Doucoure building a great partnership in midfield. Edouard made a good start but needs to be consistent and get more than 10 goals.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis of Saturday's first seven fixtures of the 2023-24 Premier League season, plus goals from Friday's meeting between newly-promoted Burnley and Manchester City.

If you missed Match of the Day then fear not - you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer here.