Chris Wilder admits that the ‘quality’ of players such as Jesse Lingard and Jarrod Bowen made the difference as Sheffield United were thumped 3-0 by West Ham on Monday evening, as he told Yorkshire Live.
24 hours after Fulham produced a performance full of intensity, verve and creativity, beating Everton 2-0 away from home to boost their slim survival prospects, the rock-bottom Blades did precisely the opposite.
Wilder’s side dominated the ball for large spells at the London Stadium but were made to pay for the sort of defensive lapses which have cost them dear all season long.
Declan Rice opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a slack Oli Norwood pass and an ill-timed Chris Basham lunge, before Issa Diop and Ryan Fredericks were handed the freedom of East London to seal a win with minimal fuss.
And, just to rub salt into the wounds, Sheffield United were also given the runaround by a rejuvenated Lingard; a player they tried to sign before he joined West Ham on loan in January.
“In our position, you can’t make it easy for the opposition. We gift-wrapped two goals and the first one, the timing of it with half-time, we were well in the game up to that moment,” said a disappointed Wilder.
“We had to play quicker and be better in possession but after a poor start we got a foothold in the game – but the manner of the goals are really poor.
“You have to have that structure and (West Ham) will have that because of the quality that they have – it’s in to Lingard, it’s in Bowen – they have that quality.”
If there was one positive that could be taken out a game which plunged Sheffield United ever closer into the relegation mire, it was the performance of Aaron Ramsdale.
The £18 million goalkeeper has been a lightning rod for criticism at times, but it was his shot-stopping skills that restricted West Ham to just three goals on Monday.
Although, when the goalkeeper is your best player in a 3-0 defeat, you know you have got problems.
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