Burnley 1 Sheffield United 0 - Groundhog Day for Blades

As far as Sheffield United’s browbeaten supporters are concerned, this particular ‘old favourite’ when they tuned into events at Turf Moor was unedifying.

The Blades’ slide into Premier League purgatory has been unpleasant, at times brutal and downright embarrassing since those heady days of summer which culminated in a handsome top-flight victory over Chelsea on July 11 - 19 league games ago.

A seemingly endless loop of painful losses since - often by narrow margins - have followed, interspersed with two frustrating rogue draws.

Since mid-July, the consistent feeling has been one of dissatisfaction. Another portion was served up in this part of snow-capped Lancashire by way of an 11th defeat by a single-goal deficit so far this term.

Ahead of the game, the fact that a couple of unnamed players and four or five backroom staff members had tested positive for Covid-19, was indicative of the luckless season that Chris Wilder's beleaguered troops are currently enduring. Football can be cruel when your fortunes are suffering.

Wilder named just seven substitutes, with some players also missing with injury and John Lundstram also suspended.

Commendably, Wilder was not looking for excuses and did not ask for the game to be 'canned' before kick-off in his words.

Unfortunately, what he saw on the pitch is something he will have witnessed many times in 2020-21. Too many times, with no respite.

In a season when United are clocking up unwanted records, like a philatelist collects stamps, a few more were added to the unwanted album.

They equaled the joint worst start to a season ever, with the other unfortunate parties being Newport and Barrow in 1970-71 and Southport in 1975-76, while also becoming the first top-flight side in 118 years not to win a league game by New Year's Day.

Once again, it was the quality count in which the Blades showed themselves to be painfully lacking.

On a night when they were afforded 63 per cent of possession, they could do little with it.

A wrong option here, a misplaced pass there or a poor execution in terms of a cross, elements of United’s play were thoroughly indicative of their malaise.

Burnley were single-minded, embodied in their captain Ben Mee. After his travails at Elland Road, this latest meeting with a Yorkshire rival was more rewarding as he produced a collector's item with his first goal at Turf Moor in almost six years to settle the issue just after the half-hour.

For United, David McGoldrick - operating in a deep role - showed the odd moment of conviction and aplomb, but it was sparing.

Their best moment arrived around the half-hour mark when Ethan Ampadu’s inswinging corner was latched onto by Rhian Brewster with his downward header blocked by the shoulder of Josh Brownhill, positioned on the line with Erik Pieters heading away the loose ball.

It was not United’s evening. It has not been their season.

Shortly, Ampadu’s next contribution was more lamentable. He lost track of Mee following Robbie Brady’s corner and the stalwart centre-back buried a header past Aaron Ramsdale.

It was a weak concession by the visitors, who would have been exposed earlier and found themselves trailing if it was not for two fine saves from Ramsdale.