06 December 2020

Chris Wilder frustrated after another single-goal loss for Sheffield United

06 December 2020

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder is fed up of hearing about fine margins after his side slipped to yet another single-goal defeat in the Premier League.

The Blades boss said he has the “arse-ache” with repeating the same things and bemoaned his side’s decision-making following Sunday’s 2-1 home loss to Leicester.

Sunday’s defeat was particularly cruel, with the winning goal for the Foxes scored by Sheffield Wednesday fan Jamie Vardy in the final minute at Bramall Lane.

The Blades have made the worst ever start by any Premier League team and remain rooted to the bottom of the table with only one point from 11 matches, with eight of the 10 defeats being by a single goal.

“I’ve got the arse-ache with people saying it all the time, about fine lines,” Wilder said.

“We are a losing team at the moment and I am the manager of a losing team. Whether it is cruel or deserved, we have to make the right decisions.

“If we make the right decisions we get something from the game against a really decent team. There has to be a mindset when you get deep into a game that we get something from it, but we didn’t.

“We can’t lose in that manner. If someone wins it with a bit of brilliance then we can accept that.

“I’m not going to sit here and say we are a decent team. We turned the ball over too cheaply and again we didn’t show the quality you need for momentum in the game.”

For Leicester, it was a first victory in five games in all competitions and a first in three Premier League matches.

You could argue it was what the Foxes deserved, having dominated possession at Bramall Lane, particularly in the first half when both Vardy and James Maddison struck the same post.

In between those efforts, Ayoze Perez marked his first Premier League start since October 18 with the opening goal, before Oli McBurnie immediately equalised with what was his first goal of the season.

Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for Perez on his return to the team.

He said: “He deserves a huge amount of credit, his attitude and everything around his behaviour while he has been out of the team has been first class.

“He understood the team had been doing well and that he had to wait for his chance, and he kept that aggression and quality in training knowing that his time would come.

“It was a great finish to move his body and score. He was really aggressive today and when he plays with that intensity he is a really good player.”

On the match overall, Rodgers added: “I thought it was very much deserved. We hit the post twice and created other chances and our combination play was good, while defending very well.

“We just need that final pass and it came late in the game and wins us the match, and Jamie Vardy is one of the best in Europe in that position.”

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