Sheffield United made an underwhelming start to the Championship season as they played out a goalless draw with Birmingham City at Bramall Lane. The Blades struggled to find quality in the match, with Chris Wilder's side turning the ball over cheaply. Birmingham City's Chris Davies felt his team was the better side, but neither team could break the deadlock.
What happened?
Sheffield United and Birmingham City played out a goalless draw on the opening day of the Championship season at Bramall Lane. The match was a tightly contested affair, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances.
Why it matters for Sheffield United
The Blades will be disappointed with their performance, particularly in the first half where they struggled to create any real opportunities. Chris Wilder's side will need to improve if they are to mount a serious promotion challenge this season.
What comes next?
Sheffield United will look to bounce back from this disappointing start when they face off against their next opponents. The Blades will need to improve their performance if they are to get back on track.
The only action of note in the opening 45 minutes was a flurry of action just before the half-hour as both teams enjoyed their best moments. The Blades went first as Patrick Bamford hooked Femi Seriki's deflected cross just wide. Birmingham responded straight away and Alex Cochrane's cross was perfect for Paik Seung-ho, but the South Korean could not get enough on his header and the chance passed.
Birmingham started the second half on the front foot and had a big moment in the 58th minute when Carlos Vicente was played through on goal, but his attempted pass was cut out by Japhet Tanganga when the better option was to shoot. The visitors began to turn the screw and produced the first shot on target in the 62nd minute when Jay Stansfield's low show was well kept out by Michael Cooper. Cooper then had a more routine save as Stansfield tried an optimistic effort from distance.
Wilder's side got through that tricky period and began to launch their own attempt to win the game. Callum O'Hare sent Bamford clear into the area, but his shot was straight at Blues goalkeeper James Beadle, who saved with his feet. Neither side showed the quality required to break the deadlock in an opening encounter which will be soon forgotten.
The managers
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder: "For us, we turned the ball over too cheaply. I always thought it was going to be a game of moments where we had to find a bit of quality and we never found that quality that we were after. Out of possession, we were okay. A clean sheet is relatively important for us; we have to have something to build on. Overall, seven out of 10 for us; a lot of work to be done on the training pitch, trying to improve the team because we're light in a couple of areas, but I'm sure we can work that one out."
Birmingham boss Chris Davies: "I think if anyone was going to win it, it would have been us. We were the better team actually in the game. I thought in terms of the chances, the momentum that we had, and the way we approached it, I said to the players, it's often a feeling, and you look like a team that was really ready to compete. That first 10 minutes, the crowd's going to be [on us] their first game of the season and everything else. But we got the job done, and we'll take the point and move on.
