Sheffield United began the season on a low, a 4-1 home defeat, Ruben Selles's first competitive match in charge, and finished on a high, a 2-1 triumph at Derby. Chris Wilder has guided the Blades to 60 points and a mid-table finish, 13 points short of the play-offs. When he resumed control in September, United had lost all six Championship matches under Selles and scored just one goal. Most Blades would have settled for the eventual outcome. And yet there is a feeling of disappointment. 29 points lost from winning positions. Only bottom club Sheffield Wednesday have suffered more defeats (32) than United's damning statistic of 22 and they drew just six. Had they turned half of those dropped points into wins and a third of their defeats into draws, United would have finished comfortably in the play-offs. So near, yet so far. No-one, not even Wilder, has known which Sheffield United was going to turn up.

Summary:

• Sheffield United supporters could saw a snapshot of the season in the final match at Pride Park.
• The team's performance has been inconsistent, oscillating between abysmal and promising throughout the season.
• At Derby, United displayed a remarkable turnaround after a poor first half.
• Manager Chris Wilder has acknowledged the necessity for a substantial overhaul of the squad this summer.
• The team finished mid-table, with a total of 60 points, which could so easily have been significantly higher.
• Persistent defensive errors have undermined United for the entire campaign.

Links referenced in this episode:

• viewfromthejohnstreet.com