How some wise words from an Everton great could help Sheffield United spring a major shock at Liverpool

“If you can’t change the team, then change the system,” he replied. “And if you can’t change the system, then change the team.”

As he prepares for tomorrow’s match against Liverpool a short stroll across Stanley Park, Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder is likely to have been wrestling with a similar dilemma to the one which prompted Royle to utter those memorable words of wisdom 25 years ago. The job and the game might have changed beyond recognition since then. But the counsel Royle offered remains just as wise now as it did when he took time out to help one of the United manager’s former associates get through a particularly challenging time in their career.

Inevitably, given his side’s results ahead of the visit to Anfield, Wilder was questioned on whether now would be the right moment to unveil a new tactical template during Thursday’s conference call with the region’s journalists. The answer, after he took issue with suggestions that opponents have fathomed how to combat United’s policy of combining enterprising wing-backs with overlapping centre-halves, appeared to be ‘no’. But Wilder’s response confirmed he has been contemplating the possibility of a switch, before focusing his attention on personnel rather than shape in an attempt to kickstart a campaign which had seen United lose their opening four matches of the campaign until last weekend’s draw with Fulham.

“I’m not leaving any stone unturned in terms of what we can do as a staff and as a manager,” he said. “We’re looking at everything, to see where we can do better. But I’m not watching a car crash. If we get a break, you’ll see what that does to belief.”

Wilder trialled a change of approach against Scott Parker’s men last Sunday, until the suspected concussion Max Lowe suffered during a collision with Ruben Loftus-Cheek saw United revert to type - Jack Robinson, who had deputised for Jack O’Connell during meetings with Leeds and Arsenal, being summoned from the bench to facilitate Enda Stevens’ move back onto the left flank. Given the attacking thrust he provides, O’Connell’s absence has presented Wilder with a major dilemma in recent weeks, but unless Lowe is cleared to play, it seems likely Robinson will make his fourth start of the campaign against the club where he launched his professional career.

“I am seeing enough, anybody who has watched us through this difficult period, they can see we are not all over the place,” Wilder said. “It’s not a wreck from a tactical or a technical point of view. They understand that good performances will lead to results.”

Wilder’s reluctance to ditch the 3-5-2 formation he has employed for the overwhelming majority of his understandable. A driving force behind United’s promotions from League One and the Championship, it also helped them finish ninth in the top-flight last term. Over the past calendar year, United have used it in 55 per cent of their matches, making the simple transition to a 5-3-2 in nearly a third. But the loss of O’Connell, whose engine, physique and sense of timing makes him a vital cog in what has been a largely well-oiled machine, has prompted some to suggest a change of approach is necessary. It is not a theory Wilder agrees with, as he made clear during his latest Zoom session with the media.

“You can talk about systems all day long, and I know there'll be a debate about it,” he said. “It does bring a smile to my face when pundits talk about systems, quite blandly, without coming up with why we have been sussed and what the reasons are for us being sussed are. I don’t believe it’s true.”

As Wilder has noted on countless occasions since many observers began diagnosing United with an acute case of ‘Second Season Syndrome’, nothing escapes the attention of his managerial rivals - particularly those at the highest level, who all employ a small army of analysts and video technicians to document every detail of every game. The information they furnish coaching staff with means the element of surprise is now a relatively minor weapon in the armoury of a modern manager.

“There isn’t a huge difference, in terms of the first four last year and the first four this year,” Wilder, whose side were only four points better off at this stage of the previous campaign, insisted. “The difference is we scored at crucial times, didn’t make mistakes at crucial times.”

Liverpool, the reigning Premier League champions, have not been beaten on home soil since September 2018 when Chelsea knocked them out of the EFL Cup. But Jurgen Klopp has issues of his own, with Virgil van Dijk joining O’Connell on the sidelines after damaging cruciate ligaments during last weekend’s Merseyside derby. Although Fabinho proved a more than capable replacement when Liverpool travelled to Ajax on Tuesday evening - and Joel Matip could also be available to face United - United will have been encouraged by the sight of Joe Gomez and goalkeeper Adrian struggling to establish clear lines of communication at the beginning of the contest. If United can break Liverpool’s press - and high up the pitch - they could profit providing their centre-forwards are clinical.

“There’s some players not playing to the best of their ability,” Wilder, who is expected to start record signing Rhian Brewster against his former club, acknowledged. “But that quickly changes.”

“I’d love to be able to wheel Jack (Robinson) out because he’s a Scouser and a Liverpool punter himself,” he added. “Lads always want to do well, but it’s a natural reaction especially when it’s against your old club and we’ve got few more in Rhian and Jack (Robinson).”

Liverpool are even more wedded to their preferred formation - 4-3-3 - than United are to their 3-5-2, with Klopp using it in 84 per cent of their fixtures over the past 12 months. However, studying Aston Villa’s game plan during their recent 7-2 win over Liverpool - a result which shattered some of the aura of invincibility which has developed around Klopp’s squad - suggests a small tweak to their shape could reap big rewards for United. Possession will not be the most important metric; Villa enjoyed a shade over a third during that contest. But where the ball is retrieved is likely to be crucial. In order to smother Liverpool’s defenders, Villa, who usually line-up in a 4-3-3 themselves, switched to a 4-2-3-1 for that match, giving them the numbers in offensive areas to not only force mistakes but also exploit them when they occured.

“There’s no downside to playing Liverpool,” Wilder said. “The skipper Billy (Sharp) made that clear this week, when he told everyone this is where we want to be.”

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