Signs of improvement, no goals and 'magical' Mateusz Klich - Ups and downs from Sheffield United's 1-0 defeat to Leeds United

The fact that it did owed as much to two excellent saves by Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier as anything else. Still only 20, the Frenchman excelled twice to deny John Lundstram and George Baldock as United created two of the best chances in the game, only to be undone by the sucker-punch of an 88th-minute winner scored by Leeds' Patrick Bamford.

But who shone and who had an afternoon to forget at Bramall Lane?

Aaron Ramsdale

The United goalkeeper has come under some criticism early in his Blades career, but had his best game by some margin today and didn't deserve to walk off the Bramall Lane turf on the losing side. He made saves that he will have seen as routine, but one to keep out an effort from Stuart Dallas was top-drawer.

He was probably caught out by Patrick Bamford's poor contact on the winning goal if anything - Bamford admitted later that the ball came off his nose - and for me, he was right up there with United's most impressive performers against their rivals from just up the M1.

The villain of the day… Mateusz Klich

A fine footballer, the Polish international also apparently has incredible powers of recovery. After being felled by Jack Robinson in a superb tackle, Klich had a few rolls around and stayed down on the turf... until the ball ended up in his path, and the pain he was apparently in magically disappeared, just in time for him to cross it.

The BT Sport pundits found it hilarious, on-air, but it needs to be called out for what it really is if we have any chance of eradicating it from the game.

Still no goals

As their run without scoring extended to three games, it was a midfielder and two defenders who probably had United's best chances against Leeds. Oli Burke and David McGoldrick both had their moments, and United look threatening once Oli McBurnie was introduced from the bench as well. But it is becoming more and more obvious by the game that United need someone at the top of the pitch who can consistently put away the chances they have little problems creating.

The ongoing dialogue with Liverpool over Rhian Brewster suggests that there is some sticking point with that deal, while United continue to be linked with a host of names from abroad as well as the likes of Folarin Balogun at Arsenal. With Lys Mousset still injured, United could arguably do with two new strikers coming through the door - but their search doesn't look like it will end anytime soon.

Jack O'Connell

Just to compound a bad day for the Blades, Wilder confirmed that the influential centre-half will miss a large chunk of the current season - if not all of it - after he recovers from knee surgery that he is scheduled to undergo on Wednesday. United have a squad that is greater than the sum of its parts, but O'Connell is an influential member of it and arguably the hardest to replace in terms of the way United play.

That's showing no disrespect to Jack Robinson, who is a capable deputy. But it took O'Connell a long time to master that position, and certainly a lot longer than Robinson has had to do likewise. It's also a crying shame for O'Connell himself, who looked completely at home at Premier League level and made it harder and harder every week for England manager Gareth Southgate to continue to overlook him for his senior squad.

Ethan Ampadu

With John Egan missing through suspension, Ampadu was handed his full Premier League debut in red and white and showed exactly why he is so highly-rated by both club and country, playing in that position. He gave United's play an extra dimension as he brought the ball out of defence down the middle, and let no-one down defensively either.

I still wouldn't fall off my chair in surprise if John Egan came straight back into the side after his suspension, but Ampadu's performance here certainly gave Egan - and Wilder - something to think about. The Welsh international will play a big part for United this season, especially considering his versatility, and it'll be fascinating to see how he develops between now and next May.

Sander Berge

A regular in this column this season, consistently in the 'up' category. He was once again outstanding against Leeds, showing a bit of bite in his game to outmuscle an opponent and then the legs, vision and ability to travel with the ball and then find Ben Osborn with a beautifully-weighted pass, with the outside of his foot. The Norwegian took his time to get used to life in the Premier League but of late, he has put in the kind of performances that persuaded clubs like Napoli to monitor him very closely before United made their move. On this sort of form - and this is never a sentence I thought I would write in relation to Sheffield United - £22million looks like a real bargain.

Thank you for reading this article, one of dozens we publish every single day to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative coverage of YOUR club. This depth of Blades coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to from the football team at The Star, please consider taking out a subscription to our new discounted sports-only package. You'll find all the details HERE. Your support is much appreciated. Chris Holt, Football Editor