Chris Wilder was left without the Callum O’Hare replacement he wanted on deadline day but after taking a closer look at his Sheffield United squad, our man Danny Hall suggests there are still ways to make it work this season...

The transfer window slammed shut on Tuesday night with Sheffield United failing to land the Callum O’Hare replacement that Unitedites – and, crucially, Chris Wilder – wanted. Cue plenty of talk about what that means for the Blades’ season.

But in the cold light of day, are things at Bramall Lane really as desperate as they seem? Perhaps surprisingly, I would argue they aren’t. Not quite, anyway.

That comes with an important caveat: this is purely from a footballing perspective. Off the pitch is an entirely different ball game, and you do wonder when - or if - Messrs Rosen and Eltoukhy will bother showing their faces in Sheffield again.

But take the ownership mess out of it for a moment and look at what Wilder actually has to work with. As part of a post-window exercise, I jotted down what I believe is United’s strongest XI and squad – on paper, everyone fit, all the usual caveats. And it wasn't as easy as I had initially imagined.

Some picks were obvious. Michael Cooper and captain Japhet Tanganga barely required a second thought. Others were considerably harder. Some good players will be on the bench in the coming weeks; some even in the stands.

And that, in itself, is interesting. Because United may have obvious holes, but they also have options. Quite a few of them, in fact. The biggest question is how boss Wilder puts them together.

Usually, a football club recruits players to fit the way its manager wants to play. Instead, Wilder now finds himself trying to work out how to get the best from the pieces of the puzzle he has – or, more accurately, the ones he has been left with.

The obvious place to start is the No.10 position. There isn't one, after O’Hare went to Wrexham on deadline day. So forget that shape, at least for now. United's midfield options point towards a three in the middle, with Kalvin Phillips the obvious anchor once he gets up to speed and, hopefully, stays fit.

Phillips’ presence could give Sydie Peck and Oliver Arblaster the freedom to get forward, or he could be paired with Joe Rothwell when United need more possession and control of games. There is enough variety there for Wilder to tweak things depending on the opposition.

At the back, United have flirted with a back three already this season – one suspects partly to protect some of the deficiencies in Mark McGuinness' game – and Liam Kitching's arrival could make that a more attractive option.

The Coventry loanee is left-footed, experienced and brings balance to the defence. A three of Tanganga, Kitching and McGuinness is easy enough to envisage, with Jamal Baptiste waiting in the wings.

It also gives Wilder another option to change things during games rather than being wedded to one system. But a partnership of Tanganga and Kitching in a four is easy to see as well.

Femi Seriki and Hamza Choudhury offer very different solutions at right-back, while Matt Doherty can also operate there and on the right of a three. On the other side, there isn't a great deal between Sam McCallum and Harrison Burrows, while Rhys Norrington-Davies is clearly determined to prove his Sheffield United career still has something left in it.

So, the big question - 4-3-3 or 3-5-2? Probably both. The flexibility to switch between them could become one of Wilder's biggest weapons over the next few months, at least until the January transfer window gives Rosen and Eltoukhy their next chance to make amends.

And then there is the attack. Ben Brereton Diaz can obviously play in either system, as a wide forward or through the middle. Romelle Donovan is United’s wildcard, the teenager’s late winner against Bolton in midweek offered a timely reminder that there are still players in this squad capable of producing something unexpected.

Tahith Chong and Ryan One will add further competition when they return from injury and up front, Wilder has options depending on the shape and the circumstances of the game. Patrick Bamford looks one of the first names on the teamsheet if United play with two strikers; Tom Cannon or Tyrese Campbell could offer different options as the lone forward when a threat in behind is required.

None of that changes the fact that United have lost a lot. O’Hare, Gus Hamer and Andre Brooks were responsible for 60 per cent of the Blades' league goals last season and losing that amount of creativity was always going to hurt.

Not replacing O’Hare leaves a particularly unavoidable hole. But it doesn’t automatically mean that the rest of United’s squad is suddenly devoid of all quality. There may not be as many of them as anyone would like, but there are good Championship players here.

There is versatility. There is experience. There are players with something to prove and, in Donovan's case, potentially a lot to discover. And there is a manager who knows what it takes to get out of this division and is willing to adapt when needed.

Many will undoubtedly see United’s transfer window as a mess. But that doesn't mean their season has to be one. The pieces are there; now it’s over to Wilder and his staff to work out how to fit them all together.