Not for the first time in recent years, Sheffield United go into a new season looking a bit of a mess. At least unlike 12 months ago, they have Chris Wilder to fall back on.

The manager and a new set-up for the Championship play-offs give hope in what has so far been a bleakly low-key Bramall Lane summer.

The decision by former owner Prince Abdullah bin Musaed Al Saud to take Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy to the High Court the week after next claiming he is owed £35m from selling the club, plus a further change of ownership from COH Sports to the similarly-led but differently-named 1919 Partners are worrying in a city which cornered the market in tales of financial woe 12 months ago.

A repeat of what happened at Hillsborough does not seem on the cards, but dodging that is such a low bar it is practically touching the ground. Another year punching below their weight will not go down well on the terraces.

STILL ON BOARD: Chris Wilder has signed a contract extension as manager of Sheffield United (Image: Simon Bellis / Sportimage)

placeholder image — STILL ON BOARD: Chris Wilder has signed a contract extension as manager of Sheffield United (Image: Simon Bellis / Sportimage)

Missing promotion last season was always going to make this summer tough, yet still it has felt harder than expected.

Failing to go up last term – a disastrous campaign shaped by the terrible decision, quickly reversed, to replace Wilder as manager with Ruben Selles – means for the first time since 2019, the Blades are not either in the Premier League or being heavily subsidised by it through parachute payments.

Every summer Gustavo Hamer is not in the top division makes you wonder if it will be his last at Bramall Lane and although Coventry City's opening bid is said to have been way below the Blades' valuation, it would be a surprise if he was not back in sky blue this month.

Andre Brooks' sale to Norwich City on the back of a player-of-the-season campaign, was a more jarring reminder of new realities.

MOVING ON? A return to Coventry City looks likely for Gustavo Hamer (Image: Simon Bellis / Sportimage)

With last season petering out long before the finish line, Wilder inevitably spent many a press conference talking about this summer's rebuild, but at the time of writing the only new players are a loanee and a free transfer – hardly inspiring.

Hamer's sale should put money in the pot, so hopefully Coventry's lowballing is not the start of a saga stretching until the 11pm September 1 deadline, or anywhere near it.

Brooks has at least been replaced by Brentford's Romelle Donovan, an exciting right winger on loan from Brentford.

All the rebuild talk was of robustness, experience and leadership, so it is not hard to see why Wilder signed 34-year-old defender Matt Doherty having shown Tom Davies, Ben Mee and Danny Ings the door.

HIGH COURT DATE: Sheffield United co-chairmen Steven Rosen (left) and Helmy Eltoukhy (Image: Richard Sellers/PA Wire)

At 27, Harry Souttar is far from a veteran but showed in a 2024-25 loan cut short by injury the impact he can have, and to the annoyance of his current manager, Russell Martin, Wilder has confirmed his interest is far more than just tittle-tattle.

Central defence is a huge priority, with Mark McGuinness and Nils Zatterstrom still on the books but probably not for long, leaving Japhet Tanganga as the only senior specialist Wilder appears to trust.

Midfield is a strength, especially now the club have gone back on their decision to release Jairo Riedewald. Neither Oliver Arblaster, as he recovered from anterior cruciate ligament damage, nor Joe Rothwell, struggling for rhythm after time in cold storage at Rangers, were at their best last season, but get one or both of them there then add Sydie Peck and the Blades could have something formidable.

That, and the stress on "robust" makes continued interest in Kalvin Phillips, on loan from Manchester City in the first half of the year, surprising, despite the outstanding player he was at Leeds United.

THE BIG HOPE: Ryan One impressed on loan at Lincoln City (Image: Harriet Massey/Getty Images)

If Phillips and Rothwell struggled as sticking-plaster signings, another ex-Leeds man, Patrick Bamford did not. His 12 goals in 28 league appearances were one of the highlights, but the club will be hoping Ryan One can lighten the load, especially with trust in Tyrese Campbell apparently waning after just six goals last term.

One, by contrast, had a very good half-season loan at League One champions Lincoln City. Five goals in a stint of only seven starts – plus nine substitute appearances – and a frame which leaves nothing to fear from the Championship’s physicality raise hopes he can follow the path trodden by Will Osula and Will Lankshear, just hopefully with more first-team outings before moving on.

So far, the most significant signings appear to have been off the field.

A contract extension for Wilder was a vote of confidence Rosen and Eltoukhy badly needed, and his backroom reshuffle is intriguing.

Cutting adrift Alan Knill, so long his right-hand man but now Martin Drury's at Huddersfield Town, was a major shock, replacing him with Phil Jones an eye-opener.

Wilder’s choice looks comparable with the decision to employ Keith Andrews in December 2023. Will the former England and Manchester United centre-back prove as exciting a coaching talent as the current Brentford manager?

Another change could be big too.

Next year sees the Championship adopt a National League-style play-off format where, in their case, fifth to eighth go into quarter-finals. Given how historically awful the Blades are at play-off football, you might think two extra carrots are just cruel but in a miserable summer, every chink of light is welcome.

Ins: Romelle Donovan (Brentford, loan), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers, free).

Outs: Andre Brooks (Norwich City, undisclosed), Christian Nwachukwu (Sabah FK, undisclosed), Luke Faxon (Boston United, loan), Mihail Polendakov (Ludogorets, loan), Alex Matos (Goztepe, loan), Jili Buyabu (Rotherham United, loan), Tom Davis, Danny Ings and Ben Mee (released).

Key man: Oliver Arblaster

Expectations: Whenever in the Championship in recent years, Sheffield United have always been considered promotion contenders.

Prediction: Two extra play-off spots give hope that the Blades can take their season into extra time. Much will depend on what business they do before September 1.