Analaysis: Huddersfield Town have nailed down key positions but Sheffield United look far from ready for Championship kick-off
If Huddersfield Town's 1-1 draw with Sheffield United had been an Olympic boxing bout, the visiting Blades would have won on points.
Having opened the door for the Terriers to pounce on Gustavo Hamer's sloppy pass, they equalised through a poacher's finish by Anel Ahmedhodzic and were much the likelier scorers throughout. Anis Slimane was only denied a stoppage-time winner by brilliant Lasse Sorensen defending and goalkeeper Lee Nicholls had to be on top form.
Yet Huddersfield looked in better shape for the season to come.
For one thing, they will be playing at a lower level and in Michael Duff they have a manager who knows League One well, having taken Barnsley to the play-offs, only to be beaten by virtually the last kick of extra time in the final.
They clearly know their plan A, building up through a three-man defence, a holding midfielder with a brief to get on the ball, four midfielders in front of him and two up top leading the press. On a good playing surface against the remnants of a team in last season's Premier League, it looked promising.
How they fare on boggy mid-season pitches against more rugged opposition, we will have to wait and see, although Friday’s friendly did not lack physicality with a few minor flare-ups and hefty challenges.
Worryingly for Town, their scorer and in-form player of pre-season Ben Wiles limped off after one.
Harrison Burrows rattled into Rhys Healey in the first half and Ahmdehodzic took a risk tackling Josh Koroma from behind, both in the penalty area.
We do not really know what either manager made of it. Duff only spoke to his club website about "some really good stuff first half particularly", with nothing on Wiles. Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder did speak, but had to bite his tongue.
His team-sheet said a lot. Huddersfield only had five on the bench because their squad members played behind closed doors earlier that day, but still had more senior substitutes than the Blades.
With summer signings Kieffer Moore, Sam McCallum and Jamie Shackleton injured, only Callum O'Hare and Harrison Burrows started; Slimane and Auston Trusty were the only substitutes to have started a league game for them.
When Rhian Brewster went off after an hour, Hamer and O'Hare played as what Wilder called "two false nines" until the introduction of Louie Marsh – two League Two starts on loan at Doncaster Rovers, one Football league Trophy goal.
Striker Will Osula was absent under concussion protocols but with Newcastle United lurking, may have played his last game for the club.
Femi Seriki and central midfielder Andre Brooks patrolled the right of their 4-2-3-1 until left-back Burrows shifted there. Talk of a move for Stoke City right-back Ki-Jana Hoever falling through over concerns thrown up by a medical predictably met with an "I'm not going to talk about individual players".
Seriki went on loan to Rotherham United last season and struggled, 18-year-old Sam Curtis was handed a Blades debut at Everton.
"Sam Curtis we feel is just not ready to play at the top of the Championship so he's got a loan lined up and Femi, I'm not so sure he's going to play 46 games for us," said Wilder, who feels he needs more signings before the Blades start at Preston North End on Friday.
"I believe we have to and I'll let other people make their assertions about the group,” he said.
"There's going to be some kids that are going to come through but if you look at all the teams who got promoted over the last four or five years you've just got to get that sweet spot in terms of numbers, competition for places, age and experience."
Considering they are basically resetting too after relegation, Huddersfield have not done masses of recruitment either, but look to have nailed down some key positions.
New right wing-back Sorensen jumped on a pass sold short by Hamer to create Wiles' goal, and his stoppage-time defending showed stamina in a tiring team. Kane looks a better fit for the passing side of the holding midfield role than Jonathan Hogg, Wiles revitalised as one of the more advanced midfielders.
"Some of the football was really good, and I was pleased with the first half of the second half in terms of the shape because we were a bit more aggressive," said Duff.
Sheffield United have had their clearout, but waiting for a proposed takeover to be approved – a couple have not been in recent years – has delayed the building. Their signings look good, Burrows curling a beautiful free-kick onto a post to set up the equaliser, but insufficient.
"You're looking at 20 per cent being unavailable (each game)," argued Wilder.
"I always thought from a loan point of view we'd be waiting pretty late. We've got our eyes on some decent ones. You want everybody rocking and rolling for the first game but if it's not going to be, we'll still put a team out that's going to be competitive."