Sheffield United show effort and positivity but the quality is lacking in 1-0 defeat to Everton

Judging by the positive team Chris Wilder sent out against Everton, his mind was willing to go for it against the Toffees but his team, alas, is weak.

The victory may have put them second in the Premier League but a lethargic Everton side missing Lucas Digne, James Rodriguez and Richarlison amongst others offered an opportunity for the Blades to finally get their maiden Premier League win of the season but not only were they not good enough to take it, they were incapable of claiming a first clean sheet either.

It was a lack of creativity rather than the poor finishing so often to blame which undid them at one end, and a lapse at the other. They have bee depressingly familiar stories in this forgettable season for those of a red-and-white persuasion.

As so often, they lost by a solitary goal, scored by Gylfi Sigurdsson. But they did lose.

John Egan and Oliver Norwood did well to pounce on a loose ball before Bernard could volley it goalwards but the Blades never got it clear, and when Abdoule Doucoure played the ball into Sigurdsson, he finished smartly. That was all it took.

For the first time this season, manager Wilder came away from his 3-5-2 formation at kick-off, lining up with a front three of David McGoldrick, Oliver Burke and Rhian Brewster. It was usually the first two playing as inside-forwards but there was plenty of interchanging of positions between them.

With the swirling rain making playing good football difficult, it took a long time for the game to get going and when it did, the conditions played a part.

Chris Basham did well to anticipate a Sigurdsson flick, carry it out of defence and play it to Brewster, who had dropped into the hole. From there the Blades' record signing played a lovely pass for McGoldrick, coming in from the right. He took the ball around Jordan Pickford but slipped as he shot, leaving a weak effort for Ben Godfrey to clear.

Midway through the half came a couple of moments of promise which came to nothing, a good Enda Stevens cross cut out before McGoldrick, who tried to find the left wing-back in the inside-right channel seconds later, only for that to be cut out too.

Everton were just starting to get a foothold at that stage, and unlike the Blades they carved out concrete chances.

Aaron Ramsdale made the first save of note after 24 minutes, getting low to save from Alex Iwobi.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin did well to beat Jack Robinson, on the left of the back three, to Michael Keane's pass, chested it and thumped a volley just wide.

Ramsdale commanded his area well from a Sigurdsson free-kick on 32 minutes but was unable to hold the slippery ball. He needed Egan's block from York City product Godfrey and a linesman's flag to save his blushes.

When Iwobi danced his way from the right wing into the Blades' area, the defenders were able to pounce on Anthony Gordon's heavy touch from the pass but soon Ramsdale was diving desperately across his goal, relieved Sigurdsson's curling effort went wide of the far post.

Oliver Burke ended the half by flashing a shot wide from a tight angle but having appeared to jar his foot pressing Yerry Mina, he made way for Oli McBurnie at half-time, changing the dynamic of the forward line.

McBurnie – rated “touch and go” for the Festive matches by Wilder – gambolled around and won a couple of flick-ons but even with a formation seemingly well suited for it, no one was able to get on the end of it.

Given that Everton's threat had also been largely neutered for the opening quarter-of-an-hour of the second half, it was a surprise to see McGoldrick make way for holding midfielder Norwood. Having changed from 3-5-2 to something different in just about every match this season to chase the game, this time the Blades had done the opposite.

It had needed an excellent Ethan Ampadu interception, but like Sheffield United – who saw Egan head wide at an early corner – Everton had done little to threaten the goal in the second half until Sigurdsson's winner 10 minutes from time.

Once behind, Egan put in what looked like a cross but became a problem Pickford had to touch behind his goal, Enda Stevens had a wild shot from one of a number of corners and McBurnie shot wide with the final touch of the game, but you never really felt an equaliser was coming.

You cannot fault the effort of these Sheffield United players but at this level it only takes you so far.

Sheffield United: Ramsdale; Basham, Egan, Robinson; Baldock, Ampadu, Osborn; Stevens; McGoldrick (Norwood 63), Burke; Brewster (Mousset 76).

Unused substitutes: Fleck, McBurnie, Sharp, Lowe, Jagielka, Bogle, Verrips.

Everton: Pickford; Holgate, Mina, Keane (Coleman 66), Godfrey; Doucoure, Davies (Gomes 74); Iwobi Sigurdsson, Gordon (Bernard 55); Calvert-Lewin.

Unused substitutes: Kenny, Tosun, Nkounkou, Branthwaite, Olsen, Lossl.

Referee: D Coote (Nottingham).

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