Ipswich Town might be shocked by this aspect of Kieffer Moore's Sheffield United move | OneFootball

Kieffer Moore begun his spell at Ipswich Town in blistering goalscoring form, but his start for Sheffield United could not differ more

Sheffield United have enjoyed a relatively-strong start to the 2024/25 Championship campaign, although they will surely be wanting a greater return from Kieffer Moore - and his form may just leave Ipswich Town with a tinge of surprise, too.

By and large, it has been a positive return to the second-tier for United thus far, who find themselves fifth in the league standings after eleven outings, and they would be tied on points with second-placed Burnley had they not faced a deduction of two.

Widely billed as one of the outstanding favourites for promotion following an eye-catching summer transfer window which included the arrivals of Harrison Burrows, Callum O'Hare, Alfie Gilchrist and Michael Cooper along with retaining star midfielder Gus Hamer, the Blades have generally underlined their credentials and appear poised to compete at the right end of the table all year long, despite losing their last two games against Middlesbrough and Leeds United.

There is positivity for the most part, and they have a strong opportunity to return to winning ways when they welcome Stoke City to Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon.

However, Moore's barren run of form infront of goal has been a disappointment for Chris Wilder's side and Ipswich may find it hard to believe that one of their promotion heroes is enduring such a tough time of it at the moment.

Kieffer Moore's Ipswich Town form

There was tangible excitement and expectation when United completed the permanent signing of Moore from Bournemouth in the summer, and much of that was due to his prolific loan spell with Ipswich during the second-half of last season.

The towering striker spent the first-half of the campaign predominantly on the bench for Bournemouth before securing game-time by returning on loan to old club Ipswich.

Moore's impact with the Tractor Boys was instant; he scored a brace on his second debut for the club in a 3-2 defeat at Preston North End and then proceeded to find the back of the net against Millwall, Rotherham United, Plymouth Argyle, and ex-side Cardiff City, taking his tally up to six in ten before the March international break.

He played all 120 minutes on international duty for Wales as they were denied of a place at EURO 2024 by Poland on spot-kicks in the play-off qualification final, and it does feel fair to say that Moore hit something of a burnout after that.

Moore only scored one goal in his final eight matches for the Portman Road outfit, although his loss of form did not prove costly as Ipswich eventually gained arguably the most improbable promotion in Championship history at the end of the campaign.

Make no mistake about it, his initial goal-laden spell was crucial to that, which is why they may be looking down from the Premier League with a certain degree of shock.

Kieffer Moore's early-season struggles for Sheffield United

In contrast to his time at Ipswich, Moore is yet to really hit the ground running and has failed to make the instant impact many had hoped.

Moore has undeniable pedigree at this level, where he has so often proved an extremely reliable source of goals, but they have not flowed in the Steel City just yet.

The 32-year-old did score against QPR on his Bramall Lane debut, but after nine more games, he has still not added to his account since then, and it has been a sticking point among supporters.

Many fans are underwhelmed by his start to the season, and while it is worth noting the qualities Moore offers this side away from just goalscoring such as his link-up play, intelligent runs in the channels and a clear physical and aerial presence, he will ultimately be judged on how regularly he finds the back of the net.

Wilder has persisted with his summer purchase, and just how long that continues remains to be seen.

United will want to see good on their investment and are undoubtedly holding out hope that Moore can rediscover the goalscoring levels which made him such a big hit with Wigan Athletic, Cardiff and Ipswich, but his time so far could not be any different from his productive, brief stay in Suffolk and that will surprise all involved.