How Chris Wilder plans to change tact in Sheffield United's bid for survival after Leicester City defeat

United remained five points adrift at the foot of the table when they were beaten by Leicester City YESTERDAY, with Jamie Vardy’s 90th minute winner condemning them to their 10th defeat in 11 outings.

Despite refusing to make light of the situation United find themselves in, only five months after finishing ninth last term, Wilder sought to introduce some perspective into the debate surrounding his team’s recent form by reminding how the club was languishing in League One when he took charge in the summer of 2016.

“Am I being a counsellor as much as a manager? Yes, it seems that way because we are trying to keep spirits high and people positive,” he said. “It’s one of the hardest periods I’ve been through in my managerial career because of my connection to this football club and we just want to get through it.

“These players have swum the channel to get this club in the position it is in. So I’m not going to smash them over the head. I support them.

"Sometimes, what they have done, because they have done it in such a short period of time, well it gets overlooked a bit. Yes, we want more and that’s what we are trying to achieve. But we’ve got to cajole and squeeze the pips out. Everyone goes through these periods. That’s part of the gig.”

Wilder, a lifelong United supporter, insisted before City’s visit that results have not always reflected his squad’s performances in recent weeks; insisting a number of factors, including injuries to key players and a chaotic pre-season schedule, have combined to expose its lack of top-flight experience.

Their forthcoming game at Southampton will be only the 50th top-flight fixture United have contested since being relegated to the Championship in 2007.

“I think we’ve all seen how the division has exploded in recent years, and how it’s moved on since Neil (Warnock) got us here back then,” Wilder said. “It’s gone beyond, way way beyond, what it was.”