LISTEN: Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder rules out play-off push for '˜maxed out' Blades after Hull defeat

Speaking after Nouha Dicko’s second-half goal condemned them to a shock defeat, Wilder accused the visitors of performing “in second gear” against their relegation-threatened opponents before insisting talk of achieving back to back promotions is now a “waste of breath.”

“We got what we deserved out there,” he said. “Which was absolutely nothing.

“I’ve been going on about trying to get into the top six but, looking at that, I must be off my head.

“I must be away with the fairies.

“Teams in the top six come here and find a way. Fulham, with all due respect, come here and win 3-0. Derby come here and do it, Cardiff come here and do it. As simple as.

“Listen, with all due respect we’ve not come up against an outstanding team, even with all their internationals, because their league position tells you that.

“I told them at half-time: ‘You’re going to get done 1-0 here unless you buck your ideas up.’ You could see it and I’m not Mystic Meg.”

Absolving captain Billy Sharp and Leon Clarke of any responsibility for a result which leaves United seventh in the table ahead of this afternoon’s round of games, Wilder also suggested they could struggle to progress unless the financial resources at his disposal are increased.

HRH Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who acquired a 50 per cent stake in United five years ago, recently launched an attempt to take full control of the club but has yet to publicly reveal what effect his proposed takeover might have upon recruitment budgets.

“Maybe we’ve maxed out with this group?” Wilder continued.

“Maybe I maxed out with what we were given in the summer and maybe we maxed out with what we had in January?

“Maybe we’ve over-achieved but, as anyone who knows me will understand, I want to keep on achieving and driving things forward. What I’ve seen out there isn’t good enough for me.”

City moved three points clear of the relegation zone when Dicko pounced early in the second-half.

“You can talk about tactics, formations and personnel all you want,” Wilder said. “But the biggest part of a game is desire and they showed more desire than us to go and win it.

“I know what I would have been like out there, with the chance to go into the top six.

“But that’s not what I saw from most of them.”