Sheffield United manager identifies why his team keep suffering narrow defeats

Carlo Ancelotti’s side condemned United to their sixth 1-0 reverse of the Premier League season when Gylfi Sigurdsson’s 80th minute strike settled Boxing Day’s contest at Bramall Lane.

The match appeared destined to end in a draw until a lapse in concentration presented the Iceland international with the chance to fire home from close range.

After watching Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Leicester City also edge past United in recent months, Wilder said: “Basically, if we’d have shown a little bit more belief and composure, that would have given us more of an opportunity to get something from the game. Instead, it turns out to be another frustrating night.”

With United and Everton both careless in possession as Storm Bella lashed South Yorkshire, Wilder and Ancelotti cut frustrated figures during a Premier League fixture high on endeavour but low on genuine quality. The result saw the visitors finish the night second in the table while United remained bottom - five points behind 19th placed West Bromwich Albion.

“I feel we’ve got it in us,” Wilder said, as United prepare to enter tomorrow’s trip to Burnley without a win since July. “We’ve had so many tight games and some of them, I genuinely think we’ve deserved to win. Not all, but with more composure, definitely some of them, without a doubt.”

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