Signs suggest there's even more to come from Sheffield United - Alan Biggs

The answer to the big pre-season question in the process of being answered emphatically just a few weeks in at Sheffield United.

Who expected that?

And while this column is always there to be shot down, my suggestion at the end of last season that the last department the Blades needed to strengthen was the attack is holding true.

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There’s a good balance and variety of striker at the club where you’d expect the likes of Rhian Brewster, Daniel Jebbison and, yes, Oli McBurnie to start chipping in besides the gifted Iliman Ndiaye.

It’s a youthful, athletic look up there. The one key reservation is that you need the wiles of Billy Sharp in among it and his latest injury lay-off upsets the balance, hopefully not for long.

It’s more behind the strikers that the Blades needed an injection of creativity and devilment. The danger of a rut of predictability has been removed.

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Young Premier League loanees James McAtee and Reda Khadra look just the job, with the tenacity and temperament, alongside the talent that is a given, to develop further in the Championship.

Khadra offers the bonus of being able to operate as a striker, as he showed in last Saturday’s outstanding win over Blackburn.

But I still reckon he’s more effective coming from deeper, ahead of a midfield in which Oliver Norwood and John Fleck are reasserting all their authority of old.

With Sander Berge edging ever closer to the top of his game (it makes no sense to sell), and Norwood orchestrating imperiously behind, I don’t think we have scratched the surface yet on what this team can achieve.

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Last Saturday was simply stunning, as complete an obliteration of an opposition (Blackburn were leaders at that point) as I can remember.

My “pushing for play-offs” prediction is looking undercooked, even at this early stage. If this group fulfils it’s promise you have to be considering a realistic top two challenge.

Individually and collectively they are setting themselves a standard that, even in an ultra competitive league, will take some matching.