Sheffield United 3 Bristol City 0: This ultimately one-sided contest proved beyond doubt that no two seasons are alike in the unpredictable world of the Coca-Cola Championship.

Almost a year to the day after being played off the park at Ashton Gate, the Blades reminded us that past reputation counts for nought in such an unforgiving environment.

Goals from David Noble and Michael McIndoe swept Sheffield United aside in Bristol 12 months ago and established City in second position behind Watford after 10 games. The current state of affairs offers a stark contrast.

One of a fast-diminishing band of teams looking up at City from the lower recesses of the Championship table, Watford have suffered a calamitous fall from grace.

If City are to avoid a similar fate, then Gary Johnson must pass arguably his biggest test since arriving at the club three years ago.

City's manager likes to assess his team's progress after every 10 games and his mid-term report will no doubt make uncomfortable reading for the players when they report for training today.

Although the Robins began their second season in the Championship brightly enough, winning on the road at Blackpool and Coventry and meting out a 4-1 hiding to Doncaster Rovers on home soil, they have been found wanting against clubs with genuine Premiership aspirations. Birmingham, Wolves and Sheffield United have all won in a manner which suggests City will have to improve significantly if talk of another tilt at promotion is to be given credence.

Johnson's team is clearly falling short in just about every department. Recent outings against Wolves, Plymouth and the Blades have revealed defensive frailties which were not apparent for much of last season, while a lack of creative impetus from the midfield quartet is rendering life difficult for strikers who have, on occasions, laboured in the face of well-organised defences.

Those shortcomings were cruelly exposed at the weekend. City came bearing gifts and were punished accordingly.

The events which preceded United's opening goal during time added on at the end of the first half merely served to illustrate the problems currently assailing Johnson and his coaching staff. Having done well to draw the home side's sting and quieten the crowd, City inexplicably imploded to hand the initiative to their rivals. Johnson was preparing to deliver an encouraging half-time team talk when Adriano Basso made an uncharacteristic error to alter the complexion of the game.

Shaping to throw the ball out to Brian Wilson, the Brazilian goalkeeper spotted that his team-mate was marked and, mired in indecision, allowed the ball to loop out of the back of his hand and land at the feet of Danny Webber.

United's left winger declined to shoot, instead recycling the ball back into the penalty area, where both Jamie McAllister and Lee Johnson spurned opportunities to clear and, between them, conceded a corner kick.

Former City starlet Dave Cotterill swung the ball over and James Beattie, left unattended on the edge of the 18-yard box, was permitted time and space in which to beat Basso with a breathtaking volley which owed everything to refined technique.

Johnson's frustration was understandable. He complained: "We knew that Sheffield posed a threat from set pieces and it was something we'd worked on during the week.

"That first goal was like something out of Fred Carnot's circus. We did well for the first 40 minutes and then shot ourselves in the foot."

Imagine the manager's chagrin when his side let in two further goals from set-piece routines after the interval.

City paid the price for committing one foul too many on the edge of the 18-yard box, Stephen Quinn's dangerous free-kick forcing the unfortunate Liam Fontaine to head into his own net.

And worse followed 12 minutes later when Beattie was once again left unattended to meet Cotterill's corner with a free header which sailed unhindered through a crowd of legs and into the goal to signal the end of the game as a meaningful contest.

Forced to take risks and chase the game thereafter, City's defence was exposed on numerous occasions and only a combination of poor finishing and stoical goalkeeping from Basso averted further embarrassment.

"You cannot concede three goals from set plays and expect to win any game," complained Johnson.

Just as worrying was his team's lack of punch at the other end of the pitch. Johnson deployed teenage striker John Akinde alongside Dele Adebola and, to begin with at least, their physicality and combativeness enabled the ball to stick in the final third.

Yet despite a near-equal share of possession during the opening 45 minutes, the visitors singularly failed to test Blades keeper Paddy Kenny.

It said a good deal that their best chance fell to centre-back Louis Carey, whose rampaging run culminated in a rising shot which drifted harmlessly over the cross bar.

Further chances went begging in the second half, most notably when Marvin Elliott's header flashed inches too high with the score at 1-0.

Fontaine's header later forced the ubiquitous Beattie into a goal-line clearance, but City were already well-beaten by then, their dejected supporters streaming towards the exits.

In the absence of a regular supply of crosses from the flanks and incisive passing from more central positions, City have toiled unsuccessfully to create clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities against the Championship's better teams, a shortcoming which is sure to occupy the thoughts of Johnson and his coaching staff a good deal during the forthcoming break for international matches.

Sheffield United (4-4-2): Kenny; Naughton, Kilgallon, Ehiogu, Naysmith; Cotterill (sub Howard 75), Speed, Quinn, Webber (sub Dyer 82); Beattie, Sharp.

Bristol City (4-4-2): Basso; Orr, Carey, Fontaine, McAllister; Wilson (sub Trundle 58), Elliott, Johnson, McIndoe; Akinde (sub Maynard 65), Adebola.

Referee: Keith Stroud (Hants)

Attendance: 24,712