Sheffield United: Martin Cranie explains how Chris Wilder's pioneering approach has given the club its own identity in an era of tactical tedium

But the more he analysed how Sheffield United played, the more he watched their centre-halves surge forward and lauch attack after attack, the more he realised this was something, if the opportunity ever arose, he fancied being a part of. 

"I remember coming to Bramall Lane with Middlesbrough last season and we lost 2-1," Cranie remembers. "But it wasn't the result that really stuck in my mind it was how United went about their business. We were being totally peppered.

'I didn't know if it was happening off-the-cuff or if they were being told to do it. I was sat there thinking 'How are they doing this?' It was pretty amazing stuff to watch."

Nine months on and Cranie, reclining on a sofa inside the Steelphalt Academy's common room, now understands a system which has torn-up the tactical textbook is actually part of his new club's Championship masterplan. Learning how to master it, becoming totally familiar with the finer details, has been an arduous process for the 32-year-old and required every last ounce of his experience.

But Cranie, who returned to South Yorkshire at the beginning of the season, is adamant all those hours on the training pitch have been worth it. Because being innovative, he explains, has helped United stand-out from the crowd and prosper in an era where imagination and invention are becoming dirty words.

"The gaffer here has a distinctive style, like a few of my managers," Cranie continues. "The centre backs overlapping the full backs was something I had not seen before. 

"It's a unique style that works really well with the group of players he has got. He identified who he wanted for those specific positions. It all gels together very well and he has done a fantastic job.

"He's got it working really well. Everyone knows what they are doing. You need the right individuals to play that system and I don't think any squad could play it. It is important for a club to have that unique identity. Going out and playing off the cuff every week is hard."

This weekend, when a resurgent Queens Park Rangers visit Bramall Lane for what promises to be a compelling Championship fixture, Cranie and his colleagues will enjoy another opportunity to showcase their trailblazing approach. Steve McClaren's side are ninth, eight points behind third-placed United, after winning four and drawing two of their last six games.

The match, which could also mark Gary Madine's debut for the hosts after signing on loan from Cardiff City, will pit Wilder's team against two players he courted over the summer. Luke Freeman and Nahki Wells, a Bermuda international, were both on target during Rangers' 2-2 draw with Aston Villa on New Year's Day.