Sheffield United's steel a lesson to Hull City as defender pleads for patience

Both have had big overhauls after crushing disappointments last season, but after the Blades' 2-0 win it was hard not to conclude theirs has been more effective.

Not that you would have known it after the match.

Tim Walter spoke about how well Hull played if they could just iron out the mistakes that caused Gustavo Hamer and Sam McCallum to score as the Blades broke from their corners; Chris Wilder grumbled about how much better his side could have been.

But whilst Hull have signed players from Portugal, Swtizerland, Germany and Ecaudor eager to learn Walter's expansive style, those who have come from England are largely pretty inexperienced.

Sheffield United's revamped squad is too, but Kieffer Moore, Harry Souttar and Anel Ahmedhodzic – serenaded almost non-stop for the last half-hour in a show of support after a difficult week – know how to win Championship matches.

It was certainly not beauty versus the beast, the Blades largely looking to play the ball around patiently, but unlike Hull, they were prepared to use more prosaic qualities too.

Walter has been brought in to play eye-catching football, whereas Wilder has the security to know that, especially away from home, he does not always have to take centre stage. By scoring in the 15th minute, they could bide their time.

The drawn-out ovation for the Blades and boos for the Tigers at full-time were clear reviews.

"There's different ways to win football matches," argued Wilder.

"I don't think it was the most free-flowing performance for us, I think we've played a lot better in the last four games but it's a young team, we're still learning.

"I thought we saw the game out well. It (the character) is the sign of a good side.

"It can't be our standard performance, which I don't think it will be and it hasn't been so far this season but the club's lost a lot of football matches over the last nine months."

This never felt like being one of them. Hull's Marvin Mehlem thumped an excellent Lewie Coyle cross against the bar but substitute McCallum had already finished another rapid counter-attack by then.

With a supposedly attacking style reaping just three goals in six games – none in the last three – and no wins, the essence of "Walterball" is rightly being questioned.

Summer signing Cody Drameh, who had to get his head around Marcelo Bielsa's idiosyncratic football at Leeds United, has faith.

"It definitely can be effective," the full-back insisted. "There were some times where it did work playing out from the back. I thought we created a lot of chances at 0-0, 1-0, 2-0.

"The style is unique, a lot different from the previous manager.”

Undermined by uncertainty over a potential takeover, the Blades were slow to carry out their revamp but Hull were slower, and a pre-season injury to one of their few early recruits – Drameh – did not help.

Hull need cool heads.

"I feel quite calm playing this style because the manager's been quite clear with the message and I think we're executing it quite well,” said Drameh.

"It's about sticking together and trying to improve on what the gaffer wants but it's going to take time. It's a very new squad so we're not all going to get it at the same time.

"I feel like we're waiting for something to fall for us. Everything's getting to be in place. I don't really care if we get a 1-0 win with an own goal."