Chris Wilder criticises mentality of some Sheffield United players during 4-1 home defeat by Burnley

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Chris Wilder criticises mentality of some Sheffield United players during 4-1 home defeat by Burnley

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has criticised the mentality of some of his players after Saturday’s 4-1 home loss against Burnley.

Wilder added that the Premier League is “too powerful” for his side, who are now bottom of the Premier League on 16 points after their 23rd loss of the season and ten points away from safety with five games remaining.

Burnley went ahead through first-half goals from Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lorenz Assignon, before Gus Hamer pulled one back for United in the 52nd minute. But Lyle Foster and then Johann Berg Gudmundsson added to the away side’s lead and secured the win. The heavy defeat means United are the first side in Premier League history to concede more than 50 goals at home in a single season.

“When we were under, there were a few players that wanted to get the get out of the place,” Wilder said. “That can’t be the case.

“I won’t name names, but I think there were a few players out there that, that wanted to get out of there pretty quickly after the fourth went in, which you can’t have, you just can’t have.

“I can’t accept it. It’s a difficult situation because (of) the lack of players that we’ve got in, you can’t really do anything about it from that point of view but I think there were a few that wanted to get out of there pretty quickly.

“The division is too powerful for us individually and collectively as a group in the longer term.”

Sheffield United have won only three of their 33 league games this season (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Sheffield United have won only three of their 33 league games this season (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Wilder returned to the club in December, replacing predecessor Paul Heckingbottom but the 56-year-old has been unable to change the club’s fortunes.

With relegation back to the Championship now looking likely, Wilder confirmed that decisions would have to be made about certain members of the playing squad over the summer.

Wilder said: “We’ll try (to sell some players). I have to make some big decisions. There’ll be players that will have to go. We have to make decisions on the out-of-contract players.

“I think everybody realises that there’s always a need for a rebuild. I think it’s been a really difficult season. I totally understand that.

“It’s been difficult. It won’t be personal decisions. It’ll be about what’s best for this brilliant football club that at the moment it’s going through some pain and we all are. I think we all understand the situation and not being defeated and just being I’m being a realist that the season really is gone.

“We still have to We have an obligation to our obligation to our supporters. We have an obligation to the league to be as competitive as possibly can.”

Sheffield United are next in action against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

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(Rich Linley – CameraSport via Getty Images)