Sheffield United have won four, drawn four and lost four of their opening 12 Championship games, leaving questions over their true standing and whether they have enough match-winning quality to turn tight games into victories.

Sheffield United are not a drawing team. Or haven't been. And certainly not at their best under this manager.

This season, by the pattern of results so far, they look to be one. A likely drawing team, that is.

And it plays into a general area of confusion as to where United are at. Are they better than mid-table, should they be? Or is 12th par for the course in light of events on and off the field?

Certainly, I believe the judgment should be on United the club rather than United the team considering the sale of players and the points reduction threat hanging over Bramall Lane.

So I don't think a sequence of average results is in any way surprising.

Look at this. Played 12, won 4, drawn 4, lost 4. The only thing perfect is the symmetry.

Maybe the closeness of the games is the key to that question of where the Blades are at; in them all but only good enough to win a third. Going back to the top of this column, the draws paint exactly that picture.

Two seasons ago, when Chris Wilder's team just missed out on promotion, they drew only eight of 46. Last season it was just six, albeit with the pieces scattered in all directions after the early-season managerial madness. He is, by nature, a positive manager. Any compromise will be to do with limitations.

Big question bearing in mind last summer's player exodus; do United have the match-winning quality to make the difference in tight games?

It's a compelling point in favour of those who believe Romelle Donovan should be starting games, rather than unleashed off the bench as in his second half cameo in last weekend's disappointing 1-1 draw with Derby.

The young on-loan Brentford winger is the most likely difference-maker in that dressing room. It's a balance between his consistency and all-round game at 19, and how his presence can be most beneficial.

Which is another ingredient of the delicate balance-factor that encompasses all right now. But it's also true that the Championship is wide open. Nothing is on or off the table for a team that clicks into gear.