07:00, 07 Dec 2025<\/p>\n
![\"Mark](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_Sheffield-United-v-Stoke-City-Sky-Bet-Championship.jpg\")
Mark McGuinness of Sheffield United heads the ball during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United and Stoke City (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Stoke City returned from Bramall Lane with their tail between their legs after being \u2018bullied\u2019 by Sheffield United.<\/a><\/p>\n Three goals in the first half and one in the second saw the Potters hammered 4-0 by the Championship\u2019s third most in-form team. Only Coventry City and Southampton have taken more points form the last six matches.<\/p>\n By contrast Stoke <\/a>are having a wobble and in truth, apart from the opening exchanges when they forced the Blades back, they were never really in this match.<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s what stood out<\/p>\n Foiled<\/p>\n Going into the match Robins was mindful of the fact he had two players, Ashley Phillips and Sorba Thomas, one booking away from a one-game ban \u2013 and missing Wednesday night\u2019s trip to Ipswich Town.<\/p>\n With half an eye on that fixture he decided to take Phillips out of the firing line and bring Ben Wilmot back into the side.<\/p>\n In recent games the Tottenham defender has been collecting yellows like he is preparing for a trading card convention and protecting him from himself\/the referee\/the opposition (*delete as appropriate) had some logic.<\/p>\n However, Stoke\u2019s defending, especially at set-pieces, was so shambolic in the first half that Robins admitted he had to do something at the interval. On went Phillips, off came Tomas Rigo and into midfield went the slightly chaotic Bosun Lawal.<\/p>\n To be fair to the 20-year-old he did pretty well and he wasn\u2019t helped out by the fact with 14 minutes to go Tatsuki Seko decided to chase the ball and not Andre Brooks into the penalty area.<\/p>\n Phillips instinctively reached out to block the winger, down he went, out came Steve Martin\u2019s finger which pointed to the penalty spot, closely followed by the caution that denies Phillips an evening at Portman Road.<\/p>\n Robins summed it up with gallows humour. \u201cBrilliant, wasn’t it? Great thinking behind it…Obviously you’re trying to work yourself through the game but the game then demanded that I needed to make the change at half-time…and Sod’s law.\u201d<\/p>\n Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package<\/p>\n This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/a> \u00a349<\/p>\n \u00a335<\/p>\n Sky<\/p>\n Get Sky Sports here<\/a><\/p>\n Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports<\/a> bundle for the 2025\/26 season, saving members \u00a3336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.<\/p>\n Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.<\/p>\n Unacceptable<\/p>\n By that time the cream had already curdled, the contest was over and the only real question was how many Sheffield United would insist on scoring.<\/p>\n The result was academic by half time because the visitors\u2019 foundation was so flimsy. Two minutes in they conceded a corner and surrendered a free header to Mark McGuinness who thundered the ball over the bar from eight yards. Completely unmarked.<\/p>\n He would remain so for most of the first half as he won at least five \u2018first contacts\u2019 in the Stoke penalty area and scored once.<\/p>\n The Potters simply had no answer for the set-up which saw United send three decoy runners to drag defenders with them and attack the six yard box and McGuinness hold his run and lurk behind. The splendid Gus Hamer would clip his delivery on to the free head. Again and again.<\/p>\n Without a stable set piece defence it\u2019s virtually impossible to win any Championship match and everything else crumbled around it.<\/p>\n Asked about it post match, the manager was not inclined to share industrial secrets but he did promise an inquisition. He said: \u201cI know exactly what happened there but I’ll have to deal with the players on that because that is unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n Robins surprised some in his pre-match press conference when, on the back of three defeats in four, he talked about smelling the whiff of something special in the bet365 air. \u2018Special\u2019 sounded like code for \u2018promotion\u2019 although it came with the rider that his players had to a) want it enough and b) be good enough to take it.<\/p>\n I\u2019m sure every member of his squad would gladly shed red and white blood to finish in the top two and make it to the Premier League but even if they pass the first test, being good enough is an altogether bigger challenge.<\/p>\n On this evidence relegation-threatened \u2013 at least they were until four games ago \u2013 Sheffield United looked by far the more likely team to mount a bid for the top flight.<\/p>\n![\"Content](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755484668_801_0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Sheffield](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765106238_303_0_Sheffield-United-v-Stoke-City-Sky-Bet-Championship-Bramhall-Lane.jpg\")
Sheffield United’s Patrick Bamford and Stoke City’s Ben Wilmot(Image: PA)Dream Land<\/p>\n