Sydie Peck breaks Sheffield United dressing room silence on 'unacceptable' defeat vs Fleetwood
Sheffield United exited the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night after losing 1-0 to Fleetwood Town.
Midfielder Sydie Peck has described Sheffield United’s 1-0 defeat to Fleetwood Town in the third round of the Carabao Cup at Highbury Stadium on Wednesday evening as “unacceptable”.
Rhys Norrington-Davies’ own goal 12 minutes into the second half was enough to seal the League Two side’s passage to the fourth round of the competition for the first time in their history and book a date with Premier League champions Arsenal next month.
Although Norrington-Davies’ header was the only difference between the two sides in terms of the scoreline, United produced a lacklustre performance on the Fylde Coast, leaving boss Chris Wilder and supporters seething at the final whistle.
The Blades, who were trying to reach the fourth round of the competition for the first time in 12 years, recorded an xG (expected goals) of just 0.73 against the League Two outfit, who are yet to concede in the Carabao Cup this season.
United were flat after falling behind, offering very little to suggest they could mount a comeback. As a result, Wilder was critical of his side post-match, accusing some players of going “off plan”. He also accused some of them of showing a sense of “entitlement and arrogance”.
Peck was introduced in the second half, replacing Joe Rothwell with just over 20 minutes remaining, and he tried to have a positive influence on proceedings. Ultimately, the former Arsenal youngster’s introduction was not enough to drag the Blades back into the contest.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Peck posted: “Unacceptable last night, down to us as a team to put things right. We can only apologise to the travelling fans and thank you for your continued support.”
United will, of course, be hoping to issue a strong response when they face in-form Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday lunchtime. The trip to Staffordshire will mark the Blades’ final outing before the international break.