Chink of light for Sheffield United's future despite Chris Wilder's "time running out" admission

A battling point at home to Chelsea on Sunday may not be the sort of result that helps Sheffield United pull off the greatest of escapes and secure their Premier League status for another season but considering the sort of results that had preceded it at Bramall Lane, it certainly felt like a big step in the right direction. Earlier this year United became the first side to concede five or more times on home soil in four consecutive games, but deserve credit for dragging themselves off the canvas.

The Blades are still at risk of breaking the unwanted record of conceding the most goals in a 38-game Premier League season - they have shipped 82 in their 31 so far, with Derby’s 89 in 2007/08 the low bar - but there is much more defensive structure to their play of late, with the defence that conceded five against Aston Villa and Brighton (twice), plus six against Arsenal, solidifying against the threats of Liverpool and Chelsea in their last two games.

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It may have come too late to save this season but could potentially impact on their next. If United had carried on in a similar vein to those home hammerings for the rest of the campaign they ran the risk of going into the Championship as a broken club, without any positive momentum whatsoever. Three draws in four, which could easily have seen two wins but for last-minute concessions with the only defeat coming away at Anfield, at least gives Chris Wilder’s men something to cling onto for the rest of the season - and hopefully beyond.

“I enjoyed the game, apart from the first 15 minutes and I enjoyed watching my team,” Wilder said after Oli McBurnie’s 93rd-minute strike rescued a deserved point against Chelsea. “I think every Sheffield United supporter will have as well. We’re just looking at performances at the minute. The results are incredibly important of course but we have to get the performances right.

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“Listen, we’re coming to the back end of the season so it’s pretty difficult for me to be patient and give us time but we’re sort of getting to what I want it to look like. Unfortunately time’s running out and the Premier League is quite ruthless in terms of what it does to you if you just don’t quite get it right.

“But I’m really positive. We understand it’s a painful season for everyone but you wouldn’t have known that today coming into the ground and during and after the game. people recognise it’s a painful season and we've had to go through it, some games have been more painful than others but today feels like a step in the right direction and we’ll build. The club will be here next season, it’s not just going to fall away.

“We’ll keep going until the end and if we can be competitive like we have been for the last three games, then we’ll make it difficult for the teams we play between now and the end of the season. And if that’s enough for us that’d be incredible. And if it isn’t, then we’ll use it as a springboard going into next season.”