If you thought things couldn’t worse for Sheffield United, their defeat to Everton just about summed things up.
The Blades held proceedings at 0-0 for the vast majority of the game but let a crucial point in their bid for survival slip away late on.
With ten minutes to go, Iceland international Gylfi Sigurdsson popped up for the Toffees to seal all three points for the visitors.
It was a gut-wrenching blow that piled even further pressure on Chris Wilder and his side. Sheffield United still only have a point to their name and are seemingly fading away without a trace.
It was another tough night for the South Yorkshire side which wasn’t helped by the withdrawal of David McGoldrick in the second half. He may not have been his usual bullish self but he received very little help from George Baldock on the right-hand side.
The wing-back was impressive during his first season in the Premier League but has unfortunately seen his performance levels drop in 2020/21. This was a display that typified it, losing possession a colossal 16 times as he struggled to ever really get his foot on the ball properly.
Baldock registered a meagre pass success rate of 62% and was bullied by a rampant Ben Godfrey, someone who surpassed the Sheffield United defender on multiple occasions. In total, the Blades wing-back was beaten for pace three times so it’s no surprise to see that he completed just a solitary tackle.
To emphasise how poor the 27-year-old’s night was, he lost a hefty 69% of his duels, winning only one of eight contested on the ground. Baldock was slightly better in the air – winning three of the five duels attempted but overall, it was a disappointing outing.
It was a performance that will have left Wilder frustrated, especially having conceded such a late goal. Perhaps it’s time for Jayden Bogle to come into the side permanently?
The former Derby defender found the back of the net against Brighton and looked assured going forward on his only league appearance of the season. It’s safe to say that Baldock lacked those qualities on Boxing Day.
Time will tell how patient Wilder is.