Many people count the opening match of the season as the most important of the year.

Adkins' side were humiliated 4-0 by the Gills
Adkins' side were humiliated 4-0 by the Gills

It’s often said that the first game sets the tone for the rest of the season ahead and is a key indicator to how a team will perform.

Indeed, all 3 of last year’s Football League champions (Bournemouth, Bristol City and Burton) won their first game last term. Incidentally they all won their second game as well.

Additionally, of the 10 clubs who earned promotion last year in the Football League, only Norwich and Bury lost on the opening day, and both of those teams only finished third in their respective league.

All these stats only add to the shock we all felt after seeing the scoreline of perhaps last weekend’s most surprising result, Gillingham’s 4-0 thrashing of pre-season title favourites Sheffield United.

It must be said that even after last weekend’s display, Sheffield United remain most bookmaker’s odds-on favourites to secure the League One title, but I can’t see many people placing money on that happening any time soon.

The Blades are now in their fifth year in League One, far longer than anyone predicted when they were relegated in 2011 to the third tier of English Football for only the third time in the club’s long and illustrious history.

Unsurprisingly, Sheffield United are regarded as heavyweights at this level. For example, Brammall Lane holds around five times as many fans as Fleetwood Town’s Highbury Stadium.

Since 2011, United have been consistently in and around the League One promotion race but have been unable to get themselves over the line and back in to the Championship.

In 2012, the Blades were on the brink of promotion but lost on penalties to Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield in the play-off final. Since then United have been in stagnation, having twice contested in the play-offs but failing to get beyond the semi-finals and missing out entirely in the 2013/14 season, finishing seventh.

The club also has not been afraid to pull the trigger on any manager who has failed to live up to expectations. New boss Nigel Adkins is the Blades’ fourth permanent boss since relegation in 2011 and is tasked with the same job as all his predecessors; secure promotion.

However, at first glance Adkins seems to be the perfect appointment, having some serious pedigree at this level.

Despite having a less than impressive record at Reading in his last job, Adkins has twice got teams promoted from League One to the Championship, most notably Southampton who he took all the way to the Premier League.

Adkins was also Scunthorpe boss when in 2006, the Iron reached England’s second tier for only the second time in the club’s history and for the first time in 40 years. Following Scunthorpe’s relegation back to League One, Adkins repeated the feat in 2009.

So, they’ve got the right boss for the job, how did that result against Gillingham occur? Naturally, some praise must go to Gillingham for putting a good solid display together against considerable opposition. United had the possession and controlled the ball for long spells of the game but the Kent side had the chances, and made the most of them.

I don’t think any Blade’s fans should be too concerned however. The first games of a new season often produces odd results as squads gel together and new manager’s learn what their best team is. Adkins is experienced enough to know that the League season is a marathon not a sprint and is more than capable of turning this around.

Blades fans..... What do you make of this? Do you agree? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!