Chris Wilder laments referee Simon Hooper's display as Sheffield United homecoming tinged by Liverpool loss

Chris Wilder lamented "another poor night" for referee Simon Hooper as his Sheffield United homecoming was tinged by defeat at home to Liverpool this evening. The Blades' battling performance caused the Reds problems but goals from Virgil van Dijk in the first half, and Dominik Szoboszlai in injury time, saw them run out 2-0 winners.

Wilder received a hero's welcome back to Bramall Lane after replacing Paul Heckingbottom in charge earlier this week and was happy with his side's battling performance against the Premier League giants, which re-energised a crowd that had seen their side previously sleepwalk towards relegation.

But he was less happy with the performance of Hooper, who attracted criticism again just days after his horror show in Manchester City's draw with Spurs at the weekend. Both Liverpool's goals could have been ruled out, van Dijk appearing to foul Anel Ahmedhodzic before volleying home unmarked and Jayden Bogle upended moments before Szoboszlai's calm finish.

But VAR cleared both goals and also failed to give United a penalty when Ibrahima Konaté shoved over James McAtee inside his own area. "In any part of the pitch, it's a foul," Wilder said afterwards. "If a centre-half pushes a centre-forward or a midfield player pushes a midfield player, with two hands and he goes down, off balance... it's not up to him to stay on his feet. He's pushed him in the box with two hands. It's a penalty. Simple as that.

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"I was more disappointed with the tackle by the centre-forward on Jayden Bogle. Twenty five years ago if I was playing people would say it was a decent tackle, where you take the ball and take the man. He's wrapped his leg right around Jayden and it's resulted in the second goal.

"I understand the second goal, I'm not a manager who's going to sit back. We took it deep and we opened up in the last 10 minutes. We made substitutions, changed the formation late on and we knew it was going to go to that. The boy's found a fabulous finish. But I think it's a foul, I think there's a foul leading up to that, where he jumps into Jack Robinson, and it's a foul. I think it's another poor night by the referee, if I'm honest. It's not rose-tinted glasses; that's what I've seen."