Sheff Utd 1 – 4 Bristol City

Sheffield United boss Ruben Selles endured a miserable start to life at Bramall Lane as they began the season with a 4-1 thumping at the hands of Bristol City.

Stepping in for club legend Chris Wilder in the summer, it was an opening-day nightmare for the Blades – but a dream for new Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber on his return to the Championship.

A stunning Scott Twine free-kick and a superb Ross McCrorie netted either side of Tyrese Campbell’s equaliser in the first half, while Anis Mehmeti and Twine’s deflected second sealed an emphatic win.

The result was a far cry from the last team these two sides met back in May, when Sheffield United bagged a record 6-0 aggregate win over Bristol City in the play-off semi-finals.

After the full-time whistle, greeted by boos inside Bramall Lane, Selles conducted an immediate inquest on the pitch with his players – a dramatic end to a nightmare start to his reign.

Bristol City’s fantastic four

Bristol City quash play-off demons with emphatic win

Bristol City were back at Bramall Lane, where they left crestfallen after their play-off semi-final defeat in May, but the emotions were entirely different.

It was just 89 days ago that the Blades thrashed the Robins to book their place at Wembley with a 6-0 semi-final aggregate win, but they found life much tougher this time.

They fell behind in the fifth minute as Twine converted a trademark free-kick, whipping a 25-yard effort over the wall and leaving Blades goalkeeper Michael Cooper rooted to the floor.

It was almost 2-0 soon after as Twine danced through the Blades defence and looked primed to score until Femi Seriki made a vital block.

That proved important as the Blades were level in the 14th minute when they scored an excellent equaliser. Callum O’Hare threaded an incisive pass through to Campbell, who thrashed home from 12 yards.

But, in a game where neither defence looked solid, it was City that regained the lead in the 26th minute. Twine received the ball in the middle and found McCrorie, who drilled into the bottom corner.

Things got even better after the break as they extended their lead just 36 seconds into the second half when Emil Jakobsen got in down the right and teed up Mehmeti to sweep home.

It was 4-1 in the 51st minute after Rhys Norrington-Davies’ pass was intercepted by McCrorie and he passed to Twine, whose effort deflected off Tyler Bindon and into the net.

Selles: We don’t make excuses… we should be doing better

Sheffield United boss Ruben Selles:

“We need to be much better. Every team has a period of pain and to suffer, and unfortunately for us it was today. I need them fully ready for the next game.

“There are some things we need to do much better, but overall we need to see our character after that defeat. We need to know how to react better as a team.

“We don’t make excuses, we had a team good enough to compete in this game. We don’t have to make it about the transfer window. It is what it is. We should be doing better and we are responsible.

“One results won’t change everything. We have a good team and we need to improve. Our application needs to be better.”

Struber delighted with debut win

Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber:

“We realised we had a massive opponent against us today, but our style of play, our football worked today in a very good direction.

“We were so sharp in transitions and so clean and of course our finishing today was on a really good level but I think it’s not only that, it’s the energy together, how we did everything together, the willingness to create the atmosphere. This helps next to the principles to win.

“It was a new one to feel the boys in a real competition. The last friendlies went in a good direction but right now it was good to see how it works, our programme especially of course with leaders like Jason Knight and also Twine made really good steps.”