And just like that, Manchester United’s epic Premier League title charge is over.

After Manchester City put themselves at the top of the table with a victory over West Brom, the onus was on United to reclaim top spot with a home fixture against 20th place Sheffield United.

Of all the games United could lose to derail an unexpected title charge, surely it wasn’t going to be at home to the worst side in the league this season. Except of course it was, because that’s what the Red Devils do.

When you lose to 20th-place Sheffield United and don’t go top of the league… pic.twitter.com/OLC99y5tdX

— 90min (@90min_Football) January 27, 2021

A resilient and incredibly organised Blades dug in and stole two scruffy goals to secure their first victory at Old Trafford since December 1973, and only their second of the current season.

For the Red Devils, however, the defeat was a humbling and deserved one. By no means are United a train wreck; they are not far off from competing for the top spot in the league, but the loss against Chris Wilder’s side was a much-needed reality check and highlighted a number of key weaknesses that they must fix if they want to make good on progress.

And it must start at the back.

Sure, there were calls for a foul on David de Gea during Sheffield United’s first goal, when Kean Bryan nodded beyond him from the corner. But let’s be honest, defending crosses and corners have been the Spaniard’s kryptonite ever since he joined United in 2011, and his lack of improvement in the area is disappointing to say the least.

There is more than just De Gea at fault, however. Harry Maguire is caught wrong-sided while Axel Tuanzebe misjudges the header to clear the ball. At no point was there ever a Manchester United player moving the two men off De Gea that were pinning him back.

This was the start of a poor evening for the two centre backs. Maguire, for all his capabilities in bringing the ball forward, still performs far too inconsistently at the back. And as captain of a side that is chasing down a league in an open season, there’s simply no room for his pit falls, especially at the price he cost. Tuanzebe endured a poor return to the XI also, while neither Alex Telles or Aaron Wan-Bissaka looked convincing.

United are desperate for another centre back, which shouldn’t be the case when you consider that the Red Devils have spent over £200m on defenders since Eric Bailly’s arrival in 2016. A world class centre half to sit alongside Maguire – let’s face it, he isn’t going anywhere – and a right back to compete with Wan-Bissaka would shore up a rocky backline, but so would some improved defensive coaching.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side conceded 36 league goals in their 2019/20 campaign, but have already conceded 27 this season and still have 18 games to play. Demba Ba’s goal for Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League in November was bad enough, so for these defensive mishaps to be continuing simply cannot go on. Solskjaer has proven that he can learn from his shortcomings; it’s now time for him to take action against his defence on the training pitch, and go again with improved recruitment moving forward once the foundations are down.

It was dismal all round for United against the Blades, however, which seems to be the case when Bruno Fernandes isn’t firing on all fours. The 26-year-old was nowhere near his usual, impactful self, and other attacking colleagues weren’t at the level to pull him up. This is the problem United face; for as much attacking talent as they have, there is an abundant lack of responsibility among the cohort.

‚Character‘ is an overused cliché in football speak these days, but for good reason. Winning doesn’t come without being able to dig in deep and power through games when they get a little tough, but Fernandes feels like the only one who consistently bares that trait at United. If Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood want to make good on the talent they possess and the manager’s faith, they must show more fight in tight, cagey games and alleviate some of the pressure on Fernandes.

A signing would again alleviate this, but truthfully there’s enough talent there for United to utilise without rushing to the transfer market when the going gets tough – in the eyes of Solskjaer, at least.

In such an open season, a lot can change. We’ve already seen Liverpool and Tottenham squander title charges, and Arsenal and Chelsea battle with relegation. United are down after a disappointing result, but they aren’t out. Solskjaer needs a big reaction from his men when they visit Arsenal.