Sheffield United fans only had good things to say about striker Oliver McBurnie after they beat Bournemouth on Sunday.
Storm Ciara wreaked havoc around the country but on the pitch, it was the Scottish forward who was doing the damage.
McBurnie failed to score but he won 12 aerial duels throughout the game in what was a phenomenal lesson in hold-up play and how to lead the line alongside another attacker.
He played next to Billy Sharp, one of the Blades’ goalscorers on the afternoon but it wasn’t just him who gained the plaudits.
Naturally, his ability to head the ball earned praise while his efforts without possession were a particular highlight among some fans.
Some fans also thought he was deserving of man of the match.
Further fans thought that the £20m summer arrival was getting better with each passing game. It’s hard to argue with those sentiments as the Blades now sit just two points outside of the Champions League places.
Despite not finding the net on a regular basis, it can’t be overlooked just how much McBurnie brings to the side. In his last five outings, he’s won WhoScored’s MOTM on two occasions. He’s also cleared an average match rating of 8 twice and earned a 7.88 for his display at Arsenal.
For away day veterans only: Can you name all of these defunct stadiums?
This, however, was his best performance of the season per WhoScored’s rating system – the 23-year-old earned an 8.08 for a display that also saw two key passes.
There was also comparisons with former and current footballers. One took the chance to claim the former Swansea man could be like Wolves’ Raul Jimenez.
The Blades striker stands at 6 foot 2 while the Mexican is an inch taller so there are clear similarities in terms of their stature. Both possessing smart feet for relatively tall men, there are more direct correlations between their style of football. That being said, McBurnie has a long way to go to match Jimenez’s goalscoring abilities.
The Wolves striker has 20 strikes to his name in 2019/20 but Sheffield United’s number 9 has only four.
Further similarities were drawn with two Blades players of the past.
Where McBurnie takes his goalscoring tally to this term remains to be seen but in recent weeks he’s certainly starting to look more like the type of player United would expect from somebody who cost £20m.
In other Blades news, journalist Richard Sutcliffe has made a BIG CLAIM about Dean Henderson’s future…