Sheffield United 0 Liverpool 2: Blades go out 'by the front door and not the back' and show classic Chris Wilder traits

After a quick wave to a few followers behind the home dug-out ahead of the game, Chris Wilder was formally introduced on his return home at Bramall Lane.

It was met with an instant chant of ‘Chrissy Wilder, he’s one of our own’ from the Shoreham Street end. And then it was down to business.

On the previous occasion that he patrolled the home dug in front of his people at Bramall Lane as Blades manager, the hosts beat Norwich 1-0 to go sixth in the Premier League just before Covid in early March 2020.

That was a time which showcased Wilder-ball at its best. Front-foot football, with the red and white hordes buying into it and providing the petrol.

Times have certainly changed since. Wilder’s second coming sees United having completely lost their mojo and needing some winter fuel.

Wilder is not daft enough to realise that a reprise of those times are not on the table. But showing renewed intensity is.

Wilder certainly was in the first half, when he went crackers after a challenge close to the technical area from Wataru Endo on Auston Trusty.

As he did when James McAtee went down late on after a nudge from Joe Gomez in the box. You never lose it.

Refreshingly - and more importantly - his players weren’t passive and star-struck and their intensity, application and spirit was poles apart from the dross they served up against Burnley and Bournemouth. And threat at times, even if the quality was lacking.

Wilder’s last occasion at S2 as a manager actually came when he brought a Middlesbrough side for a Lane lesson in early 2022 and was on the receiving end of a 4-1 beating.

Here, the home patrons were all onside against Liverpool. Wilder’s dad is from Norris Green and a Reds fan.

Liverpool won, but this was better from the Blades, much better.

A 37th-minute header from the immaculate Virgil van Dijk, who kept things together at the back and another class act in Dominik Szoboszlai, who calmed nerves late on, proved the difference. But United went out by the ‘front door and not the back’, one of Wilder’s favourite sayings.

Alongside Wilder, it was a big night for young Andre Brooks, handed his first Premier League start with none other than Mo Salah for company down his side.

Testimony to Brooks’s display was that he receiving a standing ovation from home fans when he came off in the second half alongside applause from the person who now matters in Wilder.

Will Osula was among others given a chance to impress amid five changes, with James McAtee handed a brief to support Osula and Cameron Archer where possible.

Wilder said beforehand that it was pointless showing two hours of footage extolling the virtues of Liverpool in his match preparation or else his players would be in total thrall to them. There wasn’t the time for that anyway, even if the Blades manager is not one for his team being cowed. They weren’t.

It produced two big opportunities that sides in United’s position simply must take against a side of the stature of Liverpool.

In action on Sunday in a helter-skelter Anfield affair with Fulham, Liverpool were slow out of their blocks by their usual powerhouse standards.

Joe Gomez, operating at left-back saw his pocket picked on the halfway line by Cameron Archer, who surged towards the Liverpool goal before finding McAtee, who cut inside before seeing his point-blank effort blocked by Caoimhin Kelleher, who showed more wherewithal than three days earlier.

Super work by Osula then slipped in Archer. The striker, down the left-hand channel; did not know whether to stick and find a team-mate or twist and have a go. In the end, he sort of did neither. When he decided to think about shooting, it was too late and van Dijk blocked.

It was the warning Liverpool needed. Without moving seamlessly through the gears, they started to move things up a notch.

Konate saw a header saved, while they have United in a tangle or two from set-plays.

That route provided the breakthrough when Van Dijk was left in splendid isolation to bury Alexander-Arnold’s swinging corner, low past Wes Foderingham with the VAR check ruling no foul against Anel Ahmedhodzic, who had fallen to the deck just before.

The same Van Dijk-Alexander Arnold axis then produced another chance for the former, who headed over.

Liverpool finished the half in control with Salah and Alexis Mac Allister posting efforts on goal. Still, United, despite a 1-0 narrow deficit, were still in the game, attacking their Kop in the second half at least. Wilder might not have said it beforehand, but he might have taken that on the quiet.

Speaking of the quiet, a pretty low-key opening to the second period ensued before Salah came alive, seeing his fierce volley turned over brilliantly by Foderingham after United again were caught cold from a corner.

Straightaway, there was hope, Archer broke, but tried to go for glory instead of slotting in Osula.

With Gomez and Konate not exactly convincing, United were entitled to think there might still be something in that for them, with some of the visitors’ big guns having pretty muted evenings in truth.

Salah and Diaz departed and Liverpool didn’t seal it with a replacement in Darwin Nunez seeing his shot blocked by Foderingham when sent clear.

United kept going, powered on by their fans, while those in the away end were worried. It was like old times.

There was fury when McAtee went down in the box. Soon after, Liverpool settled it when Nunez got the better of Bogle and switched the ball to Szoboszlai, who finished handsomely.

Sheffield United: Foderingham; Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Trusty (Lowe 88); Bogle, Hamer, Souza (Norwood 86), Brooks (Fleck 74); McAtee; Osula (Traore 75), Archer. Unused substitutes: Davies, Thomas, Slimane, Larouchi, Seriki.

Liverpool: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Szoboszai, Endo, Mac Allister (Jones 59); Salah (Elliott 67), Gakpo (Gravenbach 86), Diaz (Nunez 67). Unused substitutes: Adrian, Pitaluga, Tsimikas, Quansah, Bradley.

Referee: S Hooper (Wilts).

Attendance: 31,406.