United have made a record-breaking start to the campaign – in an unwanted sense.
No team in second-tier history has ever had a bigger drop-off in points across the first 15 games of a campaign than their hefty deficit of 23 from last season.
The Blades had accrued 33 points by that stage last term – but began Sunday’s derby on just 10.
They have lost 11 league games already, one more than in the whole of last season.
Since the Football League rebrand in 2004, no team has ever finished above 14th after winning just 10 points from 15 matches.
Last year’s Championship player of the season Gustavo Hamer returned from injury to make a late substitute appearance at Hillsborough, while former Leeds striker Patrick Bamford made his debut after joining last week – and Wilder is happy his group is getting stronger.
“From my point of view, the standard of training when Gus, Oli Arblaster [who has been out for a year with an anterior cruciate ligament injury] and Tahith Chong is there is key,” he said.
“To get arguably one of the best players in the division back among us is a huge boost. If we can keep everyone fit and healthy, I’d like to think we’ll have more days like today.”
Sterner tests than this, starting with the visit of Portsmouth to Bramall Lane on Wednesday, lie ahead but with players coming back to fitness, a turnaround in fortunes is far from out of the question for a team who won 92 points last season.