Meet the opposition | Sheffield United
As Swansea City get set to take on Sheffield United, we take a closer look at the Blades.
What’s their story?
A side steeped in history, Sheffield United were crowned champions of the Football League in 1899, and have won the FA Cup on four occasions - in 1899, 1902, 1915, and 1925.
After over a decade of top-flight football, they were relegated to the Championship in 2004, once again in 2007, and spent six seasons in League One before finally tasting Premier League football again in 2019.
They finished ninth in their first season back, but their second campaign ended with them finishing bottom and returning to the second tier.
They missed out on an immediate top-flight return after losing out to Nottingham Forest in the play-off semi-finals, but returned for the 2023-24 season before again being relegated back to the Championship.
The Blades were beaten play-off finalists last term, losing to Sunderland at Wembley.
How’s their form?
The Blades endured a nightmare start to the season, losing nine of their first 10 games in all competitions.
Things have improved with Chris Wilder back at the helm, a run of three wins from the last eight looks to have ended any hopes of a late play-off push.
The Yorkshire side have won one of their last five home league fixtures.
Who’s the gaffer?
Chris Wilder. The former Sheffield United defender's playing career saw him feature for 11 clubs, including stints at Rotherham United, Bradford City and Notts County.
Having started his managerial career at Alfreton, Wilder moved on to Halifax, and achieved promotions during his stints with Oxford United, Northampton Town and Sheffield United.
It was at his hometown Blades that he secured promotion back to the Championship and then on to the Premier League, before a ninth-place top-flight finish in 2020.
He left as relegation neared the following year, and was appointed at Middlesbrough following Neil Warnock’s departure before a spell at Watford followed.
Wilder returned to Bramall Lane following Paul Heckingbottom's departure in December 2023 and led them to the play-off final last season, where they suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Sunderland.
Wilder left the club over the summer, being replaced by Ruben Selles, but was soon back in the hotseat after United's awful start to the new campaign.
Who’s the captain?
Japhet Tanganga. The centre-half joined the Blades for an undislosed fee last summer, and took on the captain's armband when Jack Robinson departed for Birmingham City.
Tanganga had previously been with Millwall, joining the Lions permanently in 2024 following an impressive loan spell during the previous campaign.
Prior to that, Tanganga had been at Spurs for 15 years, joining the academy set up at the age of 10. He made more than 25 league appearances for Spurs in that time, although he would surely have made more had it not been for injury problems.
Tanganga also had a loan spell in Germany at Augsburg during the first half of the 2023-24 campaign, although he did not make an appearance.
He has represented England at youth level. He is also eligible to represent DR Congo but has outlined his desire to remain committed to England.
Who are the key men?
Brazilian-born midfielder Gustavo Hamer began his career at Feyenoord after moving to the Netherlands as a child.
Following a season-long loan at Eerste Divisie club Dordrecht, Hamer joined PEC Zwolle in the Eredivisie on a permanent contract.
A move to Coventry City followed where he scored 17 goals in 123 appearances across three seasons. He netted the winning goal in the second leg of the Sky Blues' Championship play-off semi-final against Middlesbrough, whilst he also found the net in the final against Luton at Wembley.
The Netherlands youth international signed a four-year deal with the Blades in August 2023 and impressed during his first season at Bramall Lane despite the club's relegation from the Premier League.
He continued to be an influential figure on their route to the play-off final last season, and he has 10 assists and two goals.
Midfielder Callum O’Hare has enjoyed an excellent second season for the Blades, and he has nine goals and six assists to his name.
O'Hare helped the Blades reach the play-off final last term having joined them from Coventry, where he had been a stand-out performer despite having to overcome the setback of ruputuring his ACL during the 2022-23 season.
O'Hare came through the Aston Villa academy and made nine senior appearances in total for the Villans.
He also enjoyed productive loan spells with Carlisle and Coventry before making the full-time switch to the latter in 2019.
His attacking guile helped the Sky Blues return to the Championship and he went on to register 22 goals in164 appearances for the club.
Patrick Bamford joined the Blades a few months into the season, and has made a considerable impact, scoring 10 goals in just 22 appearances in all competitions.
The forward has considerable goalscoring pedigree with 132 senior career goals to his name.
Bamford was initially on the books of Nottingham Forest before joining Chelsea in January 2012.
He ended up not making a senior appearance at Stamford Bridge, and had numerous loan spells with MK Dons, Derby, Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Burnley before making a full-time move to Teesside with Boro in 2017.
He would join Leeds a year later and ended up spending six seasons at Elland Road, playing his part in two Championship-winning campaigns in 2019 and 2025, netting 60 goals in 205 outings.
Bamford did not sign for a new club in time for the start of the 2025-26 season, but joined United in November and has quickly got himself among the goals at Bramall Lane.