'A weird and concerning period for the Blades'

[BBC] As the full-time whistle blew and Sheffield United stumbled out of the League Cup at the hands of fourth-tier Fleetwood Town, something very different was happening 139 miles to the east. Roared on by nearly 45,000 fans at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland were winning 1-0 against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League. A victorious return to Europe for Regis Le Bris' side after a 53-year wait. 481 days ago the two teams met at Wembley in the Championship play-off final. The Blades were 1-0 up and 15 minutes away from promotion. What has happened since is so stark between the two clubs, it is a damning indictment on the people running the show at Bramall Lane. United's fans, in rather more colourful language, demanded to know what they had just seen at Highbury last night. A major missed opportunity on the one hand, the latest example of a floundering club that has lost its way on the other. This is increasingly becoming a weird and concerning period for the club. Co-chairman Steven Rosen is in the country. He, along with CEO Stephen Bettis and Chris Wilder, met with the fan advisory board this week. The group released a series of posts on X, noting the topics that had been discussed. They said they had received assurances that the club is being run in a responsible manner, yet no details were revealed. Supporters, understandably, reacted to this by requesting actual information to back this up. The FAB say they'll release more information after consulting the Football Supporters' Association and some local MPs. This is part of the problem though. Supporters have concerns. The owners, as custodians of the club, have a duty to address those concerns. A cosy YouTube chat with a pal dressed up as a new podcast, where no challenges were made to Steven Rosen, followed by a meeting with the FAB from which nobody knows what was actually discussed, does not cut it. Rosen is in the UK. If there is truly nothing to worry about, let's hear why. [Getty Images] At the moment the owners are giving the impression they are beyond scrutiny. They seem to be saying the situation, in which they allegedly owe the former owners £35m, something the EFL and the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) are looking at, can just be brushed off. Take the answer in the recent YouTube video Rosen took part in – something that felt like a convenient way to avoid being accused of never talking. He seemed to think simply not being in the same mess Sheffield Wednesday found themselves in a year ago was a positive. To use a film analogy, saying Indiana Jones 4 isn't as bad as Indiana Jones 5 doesn't change the fact that both were offensively rubbish. The whole saga is like a dark cloud hanging over United. And you can't help but wonder if it's infecting issues on the pitch. Not that the manager Chris Wilder, nor his players, are totally blameless. Plenty of fans contacted us last night to question the decision to use a 4-4-2 against Fleetwood. Many were angered at the performance of the team. Yet there are more than a few signs that pressure is building as a consequence of the ownership drama. Wilder seems frustrated. I wonder if, in part, that's why he found himself complaining pre-Fleetwood about the schedule, days before a three-week international break. More than ever this feels like a club that needs proper leadership at the very top to get back on track. One way the current owners can do that is by fronting up, addressing the situation and coming up with a proper, sensible plan for the future – and explaining that plan to supporters, who deserve to hear proper questions and answers from the men running their club. Don't forget to tap the 'follow' button at the top of this page to stay up to date with the latest Sheffield United news. Latest Sheffield United news, analysis and fan views Get Sheffield United news sent straight to your phone