Revealed: The real reason why Sheffield United changed their shape

Speaking after a late Gylfi Sugurdsson goal condemned United to their 13th defeat in 15 outings, Wilder described himself as “bored and tired” by suggestions Premier League teams have now fathomed out how to combat the 3-5-2 system responsible for propelling them to ninth in the table last term.

With John Lundstram ruled-out of the meeting with Carlos Ancelotti’s side through suspension and Sander Berge expected to be absent until March following surgery to repair a detached hamstring, United began the match with David McGoldrick and Rhian Brewster deployed just behind fellow centre-forward Oliver Burke before reverting to type midway through the second-half.

But Wilder, whose squad enters Tuesday’s game against Burnley still searching for its first win of the campaign, rejected claims the tactical adjustment indicates a radical overhaul of the tactics which proved so successful during United’s promotions from League One and then the Championship is being considered ahead of the trip to Turf Moor.

“This isn’t a system situation,” Wilder said. “To be honest, I’m bored and tired of hearing about that.

“Anyone involved in the game, people who know, will appreciate what I’m talking about when I say that isn’t the issue. It’s about more than that - it’s decision making and composure and quality on the ball.”

Despite attempts to portray them as one trick ponies, United have actually been pretty flexible in recent months as they search for ways to rediscover the form which saw them challenging for a place in Europe before March’s lockdown. Utilising a back five in more than a third of their contests since September, United lined-up on a 4-4-2 for long periods of their game against Southampton earlier this month, with Wilder instructing them to work in a 4-4-1 following Lundstram’s red card at Brighton and Hove Albion eight days ago.

Lamenting the inconsistency of some of his most influential players, the United manager said: “There’s so much I like and admire about my team. Their desire, their will to win and their fight can’t be questioned. But there needs to be more there than just that because we are coming up against world class players every single week. That’s the nature of this division.”

“People who do this job or who work in the business know what I’m talking about,” Wilder added. “They’ll know that the biggest thing we are lacking at the moment isn’t anything to do with the set-up. It’s just that bit of calmness and composure to take the right decision when it really matters.

“That’s what we’ve got to try and find. It’s nothing to do with the system, which I’m sick of talking about with all the theories and whatever some people keep coming up with or going on about all the time.”

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