After a summer littered with upheaval and uncertainty at Bramall Lane – and it is not over yet – Chris Wilder could not have wished for a better opening five days to start life back in the Championship for Sheffield United.
Wilder, by his own admission, said in the run-up to the big kick-off last weekend that his squad was not where he would have wanted it to be going into last Friday night’s Championship opener against Preston. Sixteen senior players out, only a handful coming in the other way and still no end in sight to a takeover saga that has rumbled on all summer.
But one thing Wilder always does well in management – particularly here, at the club he holds so closely to his heart – is defy expectations. The early signs look incredibly promising in that regard, as a deserved win over Preston was backed up with a comfortable passage into the next round of the Carabao Cup.
Wrexham represented a stern challenge, something the Blades would know all too well from their two meetings in the FA Cup a couple of seasons ago, which had huge flashpoints and controversy attached to them. But there was none of that in truth this time, as United overcame a sluggish start and falling behind to run out deserved winners.
Charlie Adam's Fleetwood Town earned a shock 2-1 win over West Brom in the Carabao Cup first round on Tuesday. First-half goals from Ryan Graydon and Ronan Coughlan earned the League Two side a famous win after Modou Faal had put the Baggies in front early on.
Watford thrashed MK Dons 5-0, with Tom Ince notching a hat-trick, while Blackburn won 6-1 at Stockport as Sammie Szmodics scored twice. Preston beat Sunderland 2-0 in their first match since the departure of manager Ryan Lowe, while Ellis Simms' goal saw Coventry past Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
Norwich were pushed all the way by Stevenage before prevailing 4-3 at Carrow Road, with Onel Hernández on the scoresheet twice. QPR held on to win 2-1 at Cambridge, Cardiff saw off Bristol Rovers 2-0 at home and Brandon Kehla's goal steered 10-man Birmingham to a 1-0 win over Charlton at the Valley.
Wimbledon saw off League Two new boys Bromley 2-1 with Josh Kelly and Joe Pigott grabbing the goals after Levi Amantchi had put the hosts ahead in the first half. Derby edged their local battle with Football League returnees Chesterfield 2-1, with Kayden Jackson scoring the second-half winner.
On a night where more than 100 goals were scored, several games went to penalties with Barnsley beating Wigan 4-2 in their shootout. Bolton held off Mansfield 5-4 on penalties and League Two's Colchester knocked out Reading 4-3 on spot-kicks, while Grimsby beat Bradford 9-8 in a marathon shootout.
“I’m delighted. It was a good night for us,” Wilder said. “I liked the attitude to adversity in terms of going a goal behind. We had to be patient but we kept our discipline. It opened up a bit in the second half and I’m delighted we took our chances. We were fully deserving of the result.”
Further good news appears to be on the way for the club too. Plymouth’s goalkeeper Michael Cooper and Crystal Palace’s Jesurun Rak-Sakyi were both in attendance at Bramall Lane ahead of completing respective moves to the club in the coming days. That will provide Wilder’s squad, which has talent aplenty but lacks depth, with a much-needed boost.
Wilder and his opposite number Phil Parkinson made 21 changes between them from their sides’ opening-day victories, with Wrexham’s James McClean the sole survivor. That led to a fairly stop-start tie throughout the majority of the first half, though it was the visitors who took the lead when Will Boyle turned home a corner from McClean to put the League One side ahead.
With Wilder admitting pre-match he made so many changes out of necessity, you wondered at that stage whether his young squad could be vulnerable to an upset. But they responded well and by half-time they were level, when Auston Trusty’s header was adjudged to have crossed the line to bring United level.
If the first half was scrappy, the second half was much more decisive in the hosts’ favour as they pulled away towards a first home win all year. Lewis Brunt turned a Rhian Brewster cross into his own net as the hour mark approached, before Brewster had a penalty saved by Callum Burton – but Louie Marsh was on hand to turn in the rebound.
Three then became four when Anis Ben Slimane converted from close range and what had been a fairly even tie in the early stages was now fairly one-sided, with the Championship side coasting to victory. But one thing we have come to expect from Parkinson’s Wrexham since their surge up the leagues is that they do not roll over easily.
They battled until the very end here and got a reward of sorts when Sebastian Revan finished well to add a shade of respectability to the scoreline. Their attention will now turn towards a third consecutive promotion, and building on last weekend’s opening-day victory against Wycombe.
“A lot of our lads need that game tonight in terms of minutes,” Parkinson said. “But their goal gave them a lift and they played well in the second half, give them credit. But we stuck at it and on the night, we know we’ve got to defend better in certain moments. It wasn’t to be, but the lads have given us a lot.”
