Analysis: Sheff Utd 0-2 Liverpool

Michael Beardmore, BBC Sport

On the face of it, a haul of just five points from a possible 45 should be no reason for positivity whatsoever.

But there was no denying the presence of hope at Bramall Lane on Wednesday evening, even at the final whistle of a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool.

The return of Chris Wilder to the dugout was always likely to elicit a response from both fans and players after the shambolic nature of the 5-0 loss at Burnley.

Admittedly it did not prove enough to produce a tangible return points-wise against a clearly superior Reds side who likely had gears to spare but the Blades, as Wilder demanded, were certainly competitive.

Had James McAtee taken their best chance, superbly created by the excellent Cameron Archer, at 0-0, it might have been a night to truly remember.

But it is the next two home games - against mid-table Brentford and fellow strugglers Luton - that will give a better indication whether Wilder cam achieve mission impossible. This, though, was an encouraging start even in defeat.