Sheffield United has canceled their arrangement with Short Circuit Science in light of James Bord’s planned ownership of rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

According to City AM, the consultancy firm hired by COH Sports last year has parted ways with the Blades.

Last summer, Bord’s company was involved in both player recruiting and the decision to change managers.

Short Circuit proposed a data and AI-driven methodology for player trade and advocated Ruben Selles in place of Chris Wilder.

However, Wilder has since returned to Sheffield United after a terrible start to the season under the Spanish coach, and a handful of summer signings are yet to appear consistently, if at all.

Sheffield United are glad to move on from Short Circuit Science.

When asked if the club’s choice was wise, FLW’s Sheffield United fan pundit Jimmy stated that it is a positive step for the Blades because they spent a lot of money last summer with their involvement in player recruitment.

He feels that data-driven models have a place in sport, naming Brighton and Brentford as clear examples, but he is pleased that Short Circuit is now Sheffield Wednesday’s problem.

“I definitely hope [to see less AI-driven recruitment],” Jimmy told Football League World.

“Look, AI and analytics will undoubtedly play a role in future recruitment; we’ve seen successful models at Brighton and Brentford, which are clearly the go-to examples of how to operate a football club for many people.

“But for us, it has resulted in a lot of wasted money in our final year of parachute payments.

“We’ve brought in players who have never played for the first team, which has been quite frustrating.

“James Bord was heading the charge.

“He was also supposed to play a key role in the decision to replace Chris Wilder and bring in Ruben Selles, so in all honesty, I’m overjoyed he’ll be connected with our opponents.

“And I wish them all the best going forward.”

Sheffield United hoped to gain promotion to the Premier League this summer, but they now have slim odds of finishing in the top six again.

Wilder’s side is 16th in the Championship table, nine points behind the top six after 25 games played.

To make the play-offs again this season, the Blades will need to put together a solid second half of the season after losing in the final to Sunderland in 2025.

Sheffield United’s next match is at Charlton Athletic on January 17th, with a 3pm kickoff.

Sheffield United would be better off without Short Circuit Science.

Last summer was a tragedy for Sheffield United, with the club taking a significant step backwards under Selles.

The quality of the squad deteriorated, with prominent players like Anel Ahmedhodzic and Vini Souza leaving, and the club failing to adequately replace them.

So the Blades will be better off without Short Circuit’s participation in player recruitment, and fans will not tolerate the Sheffield Wednesday owners having such a close relationship with their team.

This is a sensible decision, and it is almost certainly an indication that the Owls’ takeover is nearing completion.