Chris Basham leaps to defence of Sheffield United teammate Ollie Norwood after Tottenham Hotspur defeat

Norwood was robbed of possession in midfield in the lead up to two goals scored by Spurs in their 3-1 win at Bramall Lane, which left the Blades stranded on five points at the bottom of the table after watching two of their relegation rivals pick up valuable victories a day earlier.

Norwood was eventually substituted, for defender Kean Bryan, with manager Chris Wilder admitting afterwards that the manner of United's defeat was "self-inflicted".

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And Basham, speaking ahead of this weekend's FA Cup fourth-round tie at home to Plymouth Argyle, admitted: "We were really disappointed with our start, coming off the back of the Newcastle game when we were brilliant from start to finish.

"We gave unbelievable, top class players a sniff and they took it.

"We're immensely disappointed to concede from a set-piece and we couldn't get a foothold in the game.

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"That's the most disappointing thing, their third goal was a bit of magic but they've come from our mistakes.

"Sometimes Ollie gets left a lot in midfield and when you're up against players who can close you down as quick as they can, you can lose it in the blink of an eye and it's in the back of your net.

"That's the most disappointing thing, but he kept trying to be brave and getting on the ball as well. Fair play to him because some people go under in those situations."

Thank you for reading this article, one of dozens we publish every single day to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative coverage of YOUR club. This depth of Blades coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to from the football team at The Star, please consider taking out a subscription to our new discounted sports-only package. You'll find all the details HERE. Your support is much appreciated. Chris Holt, Football Editor