Chris Wilder has acknowledged that Sheffield United are going through one of the most turbulent periods in recent memory, with the Blades under pressure both on the pitch and off it. Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield ahead of Saturday's home fixture against 12th-placed Lincoln, the manager was candid about the scale of the challenge but equally firm that a turnaround is coming.

A club taking hits from every direction

"The club are getting bashed about a bit at the moment," Wilder said. "The owners are, [chief executive] Steve Bettis is a little bit, and myself and the players are. We have to come fighting back."

It is hard to argue with that assessment. Sheffield United sit 18th in the Championship after eight matches, having won only two of them, and the off-field picture is no less unsettling. The EFL launched an investigation after the company used to buy the club was placed into liquidation by the High Court in August, though the club's chief executive has since indicated they expect to avoid a points deduction.

Wilder is in his third spell in charge at Bramall Lane. He has seen the club at its highest and lowest before, and that perspective seems to be steadying him now. "I don't enjoy the little period that we're having because there's not a lot of good news going on," he admitted, "but these things happen and we're resetting as a football club."

The summer rebuild in numbers

Part of the explanation for a sluggish start lies in the sheer scale of the summer overhaul. First-team regulars Callum O'Hare, Gus Hamer and Andre Brooks were all sold as the ownership group sought to raise funds and cut the wage bill. According to Wilder, the club brought in around £20 million and trimmed approximately £10 million from annual wages. In their place came loans and free transfers, with 24 changes made to the squad in total.

That is a staggering level of turnover for any Championship club attempting to be competitive. It takes time for borrowed and newly arrived players to understand each other's runs, pressing triggers and defensive shape. That context does not excuse the results, but it does make the slow start considerably less mysterious.

"This is a disappointing start but we are under a fifth of the way through the season," Wilder said. "Players are trying to find form and I'm trying to find a solution."

Is optimism warranted?

Wilder's confidence that the team will improve deserves some scrutiny rather than simple acceptance. Three defeats in the last four league games is a run that has dragged them into the lower half of the table, and a League Cup exit to League Two Fleetwood stung. The market for automatic promotion already looks extremely competitive at the top of the second tier, and the play-off places are far from guaranteed either.

That said, the Championship is notoriously hard to read before October. Squads that have had little pre-season time together do often click into place once the fixtures pile up and rotations settle. We do not yet have enough data from this particular group of players to say with confidence whether their underlying performances justify the pessimism around their results, or whether the results are a fair reflection of where they actually are.

What we can say is that Wilder has rebuilt clubs in this division before. The methods he trusts, hard running, defensive organisation and quick transitions, have worked at this level. Whether the current squad has the personnel to execute them consistently is the question the next ten games will begin to answer.

"I don't want it to be a slow middle bit and a slow ending," he said. "I am absolutely certain it won't be. There's more to come from this team."

Blades supporters will want to see that certainty backed up with points, starting on Saturday.

Frequently asked

Why are Sheffield United struggling this season?
Sheffield United made 24 squad changes in the summer, selling key players like Callum O'Hare and Gus Hamer to raise funds and reduce the wage bill. The squad is largely made up of loans and free transfers who are still finding their feet together, which has contributed to a slow start in the Championship.
What is the EFL investigation into Sheffield United about?
The EFL launched an investigation after the company used to purchase Sheffield United was placed into liquidation by the High Court in August. The club's chief executive has said they expect to avoid a points deduction as a result.
Where are Sheffield United in the Championship table?
After eight matches, Sheffield United are 18th in the Championship, having won two and lost five of their league games so far this season.