BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan at Etihad Stadium
They may be bottom of the table and seven points adrift of safety with the worst goal difference by some distance of any top-flight team, but Sheffield United’s current mood is certainly not one of doom and gloom.
No Premier League team has stayed up after earning as few points as the Blades have from their first 20 games but, speaking after his side’s defeat at Manchester City, boss Chris Wilder seemed up for the fight, and says his players are too.
While it is clear the Blades need to improve to have a chance of climbing out of the bottom three, Wilder thinks that will happen in January, when he works with his squad, gets some key players back and makes some signings.
“We have got an important FA Cup tie [against Gillingham] that we are going to attack and then we have got Premier League games coming up at the back end of the window,” Wilder, who took charge on 6 December, said.
“Hopefully in terms of personnel we will have the likes of Anel [Ahmedhodzic] and Gus [Hamer] back, and James Mcatee too, who are three huge players for us and walk into our team.
“Plus we will have Tom Davies a little bit closer to fitness, a player who has got Premier League experience, and there will be more minutes for Rhys Norrington-Davies and Rhian Brewster, and also Olie McBurnie after the injuries he’s had.
“And then on top of that, we are looking at bringing two or three in.
“So, I 100% believe that the group will be stronger the next time we turn out in the Premier League [against West Ham on 21 January] through precious time on the training ground, through additions to the group and through players that will be available.
“We go again, and let’s have a right go in the second part of the season.”
