Blades will cut a swathe next term

ATHLETIC manager Lee Johnson is tipping Sheffield United to have a huge impact at the top of Sky Bet League One next season.

The Blades reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup but were defeated by eventual losing finalists Hull City 5-3.

Nigel Clough’s side arguably had only a shocking start to the campaign to blame for their failure to make the play-offs. The Blades, who bought Jose Baxter from Athletic during the first transfer window, lost 10 of their opening 14 matches.

After being beaten 3-2 away to Coventry in mid-October, the club was rock-bottom of the division with only five points from 11 fixtures. That game was the first after the sacking of David Weir.

Clough’s arrival heralded a wholesale change in fortunes. It culminated in a glorious cup run, ended by Hull but featuring wins over Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Charlton, while a sequence of nine straight victories in the New Year helped United towards a finishing spot of seventh.

Johnson, commenting on which teams underachieved and who he expected to improve, said: “Sheffield United are a big club. In Nigel Clough, they now have a manager to take them to the next level. They are two or three players short of doing very well in the Championship. With a few summer signings, they could be unstoppable in this division next term.”

The Blades are currently favourites at 6-1 to lift the League One title in 2014-15, in front of each of the three sides to miss out on promotion to the Championship through the play-offs this term. Athletic are at 40-1.