Chris Wilder delivered a blunt warning to his Sheffield United players after admitting he saw qualities in their West Brom defeat that he “hates”, cautioning that continuing in the same manner could drag them into a relegation fight.
The Blades boss was left furious by a woeful second-half showing in the 2–0 loss at The Hawthorns, a performance that prompted him to apologise to the travelling supporters. Wilder acknowledged the scoreline could easily have been heavier and made it clear his players were told some uncomfortable truths after the final whistle.
Sheffield United had arrived in the Midlands buoyed by a seven-game unbeaten run that had sparked talk of pushing towards the top end of the table. However, that momentum was abruptly halted, and Wilder warned that complacency may be creeping into his squad’s thinking.
“Maybe players start to believe games are going to come to them,” Wilder said.
“You look up the table and think a win puts pressure on teams above you.”
While United had suffered defeats earlier in the season, Wilder stressed there had always been fight and resilience in those performances. Losses to Derby and Coventry, he explained, were narrow and came down to individual mistakes rather than a lack of effort or mentality.
“This one was different,” he said.
“The second half was decided by our mindset and our approach. Full stop.”
Wilder was scathing in his assessment of how his side unravelled after gifting West Brom their chances, accusing his players of shrinking as the hosts grew in confidence.
“They were handed opportunities by us and took them,” he added.
“After that, a pin was put in the balloon. We looked nothing like the team we’ve been.”
The United manager went on to describe the display as limp and lifeless, saying it showed traits he despises in any player or team, regardless of club. He insisted he had made those feelings clear in the dressing room rather than offering excuses.
“I’m not going to stand here and say we were unlucky,” Wilder said.
“We weren’t. We were nowhere near the required level. We didn’t take our chances, and in the second half they deserved to win. We deserve the criticism that comes with that.”
With a home clash against Birmingham City looming and a demanding festive schedule ahead, Wilder warned that unless standards improve quickly, Sheffield United could find themselves glancing nervously over their shoulders rather than aiming higher up the Championship table.
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