The long and painstaking process that threatens to kill off Sheffield United's survival hopes - FIVE points from Blades defeat to Southampton

Against a Southampton side which, under the tutelage of Ralph Hasenhuttl is fast developing into one of the most enterprising in the Premier League, the visitors were disciplined and focused for long periods of a contest shaped by Che Adams’ predatory finish, settled by Stuart Armstrong and then stretched by Nathan Redmond.

But as their manager reflected afterwards, as United’s troubling start to the season continued following an eleventh defeat in 12 outings, pretty much everything has to be perfect in order to win matches at the highest level. And when it mattered most, when opportunities presented themselves at both ends of the pitch, United weren’t.

“You’ve got to do so many things right in this division to put yourself in a position of taking three points,” Wilder said. “You’ve got to get everything pretty much spot on to be able to do that. Yes, you accept there’s going to be mistakes but what you can’t do is make one, then another and then another one after that. In the past, that didn’t happen to us because there was someone there to bail their mate out. Now, that doesn’t seem to be happening, errors are getting compounded and, if you make errors in the top-flight, then they tend to get punished.”

A SHOW OF SOLIDARITY

Still without a win since finishing ninth in the table last season, United’s hopes of avoiding relegation were dealt another painful but not quite debilitating blow on the wind and rainswept south coast.

There are enough games remaining to convince Wilder and his players that survival does remain an option - despite finding themselves six points adrift at the bottom following the final whistle. But a marked improvement is required in a number of areas, including both six yard boxes, for it to be a faint but nevertheless achievable prospect.

Although they are expected to be active in the transfer window next month, albeit using loan rather than permanent signings to paper over some of the holes within a squad hit hard by injuries and loss of form, repairing its confidence and self-belief threatens to be a long and painstaking process.

Fifteen minutes or so before the start of what proved to be another difficult afternoon, Wilder discovered he will definitely be tasked with overseeing it after Prince Abdullah, attending the fixture in person, confirmed the 53-year-old is set to remain at the helm no matter which division United find themselves in next term.

“All I’m doing is trying to focus on getting us back to winning ways,” Wilder said, when questioned on the development. “That’s the only thing I’m really thinking about right at the present.”

A RAY OF LIGHT?

Speaking at United’s training ground on Friday afternoon, Wilder acknowledged the 2020/21 campaign has been a more challenging experience than even he feared - despite warning over the course of the summer that 17th place - not mid-table or Europe - should be his team’s only target. Losing the influential - some might say pivotal - Jack O’Connell to knee surgery has undoubtedly been a factor behind United’s poor results of late. But there was a rare piece of good news on the fitness front before referee Andy Madley got proceedings underway, when Ethan Anmpadu, Enda Stevens and Lys Mousset were all declared available for selection following spells on the treatment table. However, after seeing Oli McBurnie succumb to a shoulder complaint sustained before the break, Wilder later revealed that Kean Bryan had missed the trip because of a calf issue.

“He’ll be out for about a month, probably,” Wilder said, following Bryan’s diagnosis. “We think it’s going to be about four weeks.”

SAINTS HAVE SWAGGER

As you would expect, given that they entered the fixture in fifth, Southampton dominated possession. But it was not until the closing stages of the first half, when a lapse in concentration and lack of physical presence allowed Adams to score his fourth of the season, that Hasenhuttl’s side was able to translate that into a lead.

“It was not as easy as maybe how it looked or people will tell you,” the Austrian, whose men limited United to only 74 attempted passes before the interval, said. “Let me make it clear it wasn’t, because they had nothing to lose and they sat deep. In the past, we would have struggled with that but now I feel we have more solutions to these problems.”

Much to Wilder’s obvious frustration, the answer did not involve a piece of inspiration or innovation. Instead, Adams was merely required to show awareness to break United’s stoic - perhaps a little bit too stoic at times - resistance.

As the ball spiralled through the air in front of Aaron Ramsdale, who had earlier produced a fine block to deny Danny Ings, Jan Bednarek showed greater determination than Ampadu to make his header. When it fell to the ground, Adams’ awareness was better than John Egan’s - with the former United centre-forward poking a shot through the defender’s legs and past Ramsdale.

SPEED MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE

Blessed with pace throughout his starting eleven, Hasenhuttl had clearly instructed his men to pepper United’s flanks, with Adams and Theo Walcott buzzing around Ings. Wilder later acknowledged Southampton were superior in all departments, although it required a piece of good luck on Armstrong’s part to curb the improved levels of purpose and positivity United demonstrated during the early stages of the second-half - the Scot seeing his shot wrong-foot Ramsdale after taking a deflection off Phil Jagielka, who together with Billy Sharp had been selected to try and bring some leadership to a group understandably at a low ebb.

“That killed us really,” Wilder lamented afterwards, confirming that McBurnie is now a doubt for Thursday’s meeting with Manchester United after joining Bramall Lane’s walking wounded.

“We were caught between trying to really press or try and contain things, before trying to pick them off.

“Southampton, I’ve got to say, were one of the best sides we’ve come up against of late. I thought they went about their business as you would expect, with a swagger and a confidence that we had last season. I thought they were really good.

THE COUP DE GRACE

Redmond, introduced as a substitute by Hasenhuttl, swept a perfectly flighted shot beyond Ramsdale as Southampton moved through the gears during the closing stages, much to the delight of the 2,000 home supporters granted permission to attend. But it did not escape the attention of either Wilder or his opposite number than United had opportunities to test Southampton themselves, with Jan Vestergaard and Oriel Romeu, an authoritative presence in front of their rearguard, forced to work hard immediately after the interval. Just before Adams pounced, a low Stevens’ cross presented Sander Berge with a chance but the Norwegian flashed his effort over the crossbar. Likewise Egan when he met a corner soon after the restart.

“You saw, when we went two down, that we are struggling a bit with regards to how we are feeling,” Wilder admitted. “But we just have to keep going, keep trying to make improvements and showing we are willing to work hard. Because that’s what will get us out of this - togetherness and hard work.”