'The second half of the season brings renewed hope'

Rob Staton, BBC Radio Sheffield

The second half of the season for Sheffield United brings renewed hope for 2024.

Chris Wilder has galvanised the team and the old fighting spirit associated with the Blades is back in abundance. It remains a seriously tall order to keep United in the Premier League but it will not be for a lack of effort with Wilder in the dugout.

New signings are crucial but the extent of United’s business is unclear. It is unlikely there is going to be a big splurge. The one signing that would really excite the fans would be a loan return for Iliman Ndiaye but the latest chatter is he is keen to stay at Marseille for now, while other teams (such as Everton) are also monitoring the situation.

The squad is going to need resetting in the near future with ageing players and out-of-contract big names, so we’ll see if that work begins in January.

The early fixtures in 2024 are full of opportunity. Two Premier League games in January against West Ham and Crystal Palace at least offer an opportunity for points (with the usual caveat of nothing coming easy at this level). February includes rematches with Aston Villa and Luton, plus games against Brighton and Wolves.

By the end of that month, it will be intriguing to see if United have raised hopes of a great escape or whether attention will be turning to the future and rebuilding efforts.