Chris Wilder backs his Sheffield United players to give a '˜reaction' to Bristol City defeat when they face Birmingham City this week

Chris Wilder has backed his Sheffield United side to give "a reaction" to Saturday's defeat in Bristol when they return to action at home to Birmingham City on Wednesday evening.
Chris Wilder at Bristol CityChris Wilder at Bristol City
Chris Wilder at Bristol City

United missed a chance to go top of the formative Championship table, and instead slipped to fifth, when Marley Watkins' winner for Bristol City condemned Wilder's Blades to defeat in a game they did more than enough to win.

David McGoldrick was particularly culpable, missing three good openings on his own in the first half, while John Lundstram also went close as the Blades surrendered their four-match winning run.

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But Wilder, whose side host Birmingham at Bramall Lane on Wednesday evening, said: "The games come up thick and fast, and we're not in crisis talks... the players know they're playing well enough, but they know we're here to win.

"That's my attitude and has to be the attitude of the players. We don't want to be one of those teams that stroll up and take the plaudits for being a decent footballing side... we want to play the right way, but win as well.

"We ask for a reaction from the players, not just for themselves and me and the staff but for the supporters, too. It wasn't a desperately disappointing day with the way we played, but we want to keep going forward and we took a step back today.

"We talk about being consistent in performance and that steps into consistency in results, and if we can't win the game then we don't get beat and we walk away with a draw.

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"But if you don't defend that situation as well as you should then teams who have quality at the top of the pitch, like City did, will punish you."

Meanwhile, Paul Coutts will take the latest step in his recovery from a broken leg this afternoon when United's U23s host Nottingham Forest at Stocksbridge Park Steels' Bracken Moor this afternoon (2pm).