Has Michael Cooper's move from Plymouth Argyle to Sheffield United gone to plan so far? | OneFootball

The goalkeeper left his boyhood club to join the Blades in August

Michael Cooper’s exit from Plymouth Argyle turned into a drawn out, emotional affair, with the academy graduate forcing a move out of the club as Sheffield United came knocking.

The goalkeeper reportedly rejected the offer of a new deal to keep him at Home Park, with the Greens said to have put a deal on the table that would have made him the highest paid player at the club.

But instead, the shot-stopper had his sights set on moving elsewhere, with the Blades eventually winning the race for his signature, after paying a reported fee of £2 million up front, with a further £2 million in add-ons.

After his early performances, the Yorkshire side will be absolutely delighted with such a measly price tag for one of the Football League’s top performers, with Chris Wilder’s side proving to be a hard nut to crack with the 25-year-old between the sticks.

Michael Cooper’s early Sheffield United form

Cooper has slipped straight into the United team since his arrival from Home Park, and doesn’t look out of place in between the sticks at Bramall Lane after a number of top performances.

The summer arrival has only conceded one goal in his seven appearances for the club so far, with that being in a 1-1 draw with Norwich City back in August, in what was his debut for his new side.

Since then, the former Argyle man has been in complete command of his penalty area, with victories over Watford, Hull City and Derby County all in the bag before a stalemate with Portsmouth last month.

Further shutouts produced victories over Swansea City and Luton Town since we moved into October, with the Blades sitting joint top with Sunderland on 19 points as we head into the international break.

With such a solid defence in front of him, Cooper has only had to make 12 saves in his seven matches as a Blade so far, although his most eye-catching performance was in the 0-0 draw with Pompey.

Two point-winning stops that day proved to his new teammates and fanbase that he can be trusted between the sticks, with a superb stop down to his left to deny Paddy Lane, before Marlon Pack’s whipped delivery looked to be heading into the far post, only for a massive claw to turn the ball away from goal.

Argyle fans will have mixed feelings watching on as Cooper continues to thrive in his new surroundings, with the sense of pride as one of their own flourishes on the highest stage, while the regret that he isn’t still a Pilgrim still lingering, with the wounds still fresh.

There is plenty of belief within the Argyle fanbase that the goalkeeper will represent his country one day, and the early showings for his new club have proven he is more than capable of stepping up even further when the opportunity comes along.

What Chris Wilder has said about Michael Cooper

It is no surprise that Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has been pleased with his summer transfer business in bringing Cooper to the club, with the glovesman doing what has been required of him when called into action so far.

Talking after the Portsmouth encounter, the Blades boss [pictured] said, via The Yorkshire Post: “We talk about big moments. Gus (Hamer) had big moments at Preston and against Derby and then there’s Coops's big moment.

"From a personality point of view, he’s nice and calm, which I believe the best goalkeepers are. Apart from Dean Henderson, who wasn’t very calm.

"In the modern game, you have seen the importance of the goalkeeper in how he deals with the football (at his feet).

"From that point of view, it’s been good. He (Cooper) doesn’t really take risks and he sees clear pictures. But most importantly, he’s here to make saves and keep the ball out of the back of the net. Everything he does is really tidy.

"At Hull, he had to deal with a lot of crosses as he did on Saturday. Finally, he’s had to make a save."

Overall, it is safe to say that Michael Cooper's move to Sheffield United has gone to plan so far, with shots kept at bay and the points racking up, the Blades can feel mighty fine about their summer transfer business.