Blades may have stolen a march but do not write off Town or Owls

While the hammer and chisel are out, put it on every fan’s kitchen table, too, for it is amazing the knee-jerk reactions this sport produces after a couple of matches.

In less time than Aguero needs to have turned Manchester City from bridesmaids to champions-elect, it seems the die has already been cast in some quarters of Yorkshire football.

This is never more the case than in League One where no one would have predicted the opening sequence of results.

The bookies were telling us before a ball was kicked in anger that Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town were two of the favourites for promotion this term. While if the car park protesters at Bramall Lane were to be believed, the appointment of manager Danny Wilson over the summer was akin to inviting old Aunty Nelly round for Christmas dinner.

Yet, this morning the Blades sit joint top of the third tier of English football after three opening wins – complemented by a Carling Cup first-round victory at Hartlepool United.

Suddenly, those United fans who moaned about their new manager having once been in the employment of their city neighbours are strangely very quiet.

And what of the Owls and Terriers – the latter so unlucky last season not to be promoted after finishing the campaign with a terrific unbeaten run – after two weeks?

Both lie near the foot of the table. Lee Clark’s Town have failed to win a single League One match while successive away defeats at the footballing outposts of Bournemouth and Bury have left Wednesday’s opening-day success over Rochdale a distant memory.

Three points from nine is what Hillsborough boss Gary Megson described this week as “relegation form” but it is hard to see that points-per-game ratio continuing for much longer.

Under Clark’s leadership, Town have assembled a terrific bunch of players. The summer addition of Tommy Millers is a masterstroke and he should be a huge success at the Galpharm Stadium.

Three successive draws may have taken the wind out of their sails, but that also shows how hard they are to beat and I expect them to quickly rise up the table.

Across at Hillsborough, it was laughable when the bookies tipped Owls as promotion favourites. On what basis?

They have the biggest support in the division – their opening day crowd of 21,000-plus is the biggest of the season so far in League One – a huge stadium and rich history.

All non-footballing reasons, because if matters had been judged on the pitch, then it is difficult to see how a team which had lost its two top goalscorers from last season – when they finished an unremarkable 15th – could then suddenly be transformed into world-beaters.

Neil Mellor and Miller netted 31 goals between them in all competitions last term (Wednesday only netted 67 times in total in League One), but departed over the summer when Megson was forced to overhaul his squad.

Many were allowed to leave to reduce the wage bill, being replaced by a succession of free transfers. Until last week’s arrival of Chris O’Grady from Rochdale, the Owls had not spent a penny.

After Milan Mandaric bank-rolled a spending spree in January for previous manager Alan Irvine – five new players were signed at a cost believed to be £1.3m plus £1m in wages – many expected a similar outlay this summer, but the Mandaric purse strings have strangely been tightened.

It all leaves Wednesday lightweight up front and without the addition of at least one more proven goalscorer – of the ilk of Mellor or Rotherham United’s Adam Le Fondre – then it will take all of Megson’s skills to engineer a promotion challenge and catch their city neighbours.

Wilson’s squad is packed with Championship-quality players, like midfield trio Nick Montgomery, Stephen Quinn and Lee Williamson, who many expected to have been sold over the summer to balance the books.

Some of United’s big earners may still go before the transfer window closes but Wilson currently has a good balance of youth and experience.

Richard Cresswell has prospered leading the attack with three goals in as many games, while youngsters like Matthew Lowton and Harry Maguire are quickly maturing into the job.

While the Blades may be the pacesetters – it would not surprise me to see them last the distance – it is far too early to write off the challenge of rivals Town and Wednesday.