Manager gets to the heart of Sheffield United's problems this season, as hopes of Premier League survival slip away

Painstakingly dissecting the three goals they conceded - and offering an early prognosis on John Egan’s injury - “It doesn’t look good, when a brave Irish lads like him immediately signals he’s got to come off” - the 53-year-old also delivered a forensic analysis of the visitors’ performance in open play. But it was during an unprompted soliloquy, about their diminishing hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier League, that Wilder inadvertently let slip why they travel to Fulham this weekend 14 points adrift of 17th place and at the bottom of the table.

“It isn’t always enough to run around and be committed,” he said, acknowledging the squad at his disposal lacks genuine top-flight quality. “There’s more to the game than that, particularly in this division. You need more than that to get something out of matches against some of the best in the business.”

Wilder finds it difficult to criticise a group of players who, much to his astonishment, refuse to admit defeat in the battle to avoid the drop. If attitude and character were the most precious commodities in football, if fixtures were decided on fighting spirit, United would be battling for survival rather than destined for the drop, The trouble is, as Wilder himself acknowledged following the final whistle on Monday night, skill settles contests against elite level opponents. And United simply do not possess enough, despite beating their namesakes from Manchester only three weeks ago and reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

“We had chances, yes, but we also made life difficult for ourselves,” Wilder said. “You just can’t make it easy for people up here. There were bits and pieces of the game where we could have lived up. We needed to cross the ball quicker at times. We need to play around the sides quicker. But the timing of the goals were terrible and the manner of two of them was terrible as well. Then, when we created chances, we didn’t take them.”

Although United could have done more to prevent Ryan Fredericks from scoring with the lack kick of the contest, earlier efforts from Declan Rice and Issa Diop were particular sources of concern for Wilder. Cheaply conceding possession higher up the pitch set in motion the chain of events which led to the penalty West Ham’s captain netted just before the break. Diop doubled their advantage by heading home from a corner early in the second period. Aaron Cresswell’s delivery was excellent. But the marking was woeful.

“We were in the game when those went in,” Wilder noted. “Well in a game we felt we could get something from. But it was a backward step from us, given what we’ve done lately. And the scoreline definitely was a backward step.”

There are a host of reasons why United’s progress on the pitch has struggled to keep pace with their ambitions off it. Some, such as the speed of their ascent up the pyramid following Wilder’s appointment, are beyond the clubs control. Others, including the decision not to strengthen during the recent transfer window, are not.

Glancing through the manager’s selections for United’s latest trip to the capital revealed this is a squad in need of help. Teenager Frankie Maguire, still five months short of his 18th birthday, was the only recognised midfielder among their nine substitutes. When Egan was stretchered-off during the closing stages, Phil Jagielka, fast approaching his 39th, was the centre-half’s replacement.

“It’s tough at the moment,” Wilder said. “But we are where we are. It is what it is.”

The meeting with West Ham was United’s season in microcosm. Twenty four matches rolled into one, as missed chances and mistakes cost them dear before yet another injury blow, with Egan joining Jack O’Connell, Sander Berge, Jack Robinson and Jack Rodwell on the treatment table while John Fleck missed out because of illness. The decisions of United’s coaching staff will also come under scrutiny, which Wilder admitted afterwards. Against David Moyes’ men, experly marshalled by Manuel Lanzini and their one-time target Jesse Lingard, United lacked the pace and penetration to punish West Ham’s own lapses in concentration. Oliver Burke, who remained on the bench throughout, possesses both in abundance despite being wasteful in front of goal. Constantly chopping and changing their frontline might make sense in theory. But in practice, it prevents both the Scot and the other strikers at United's disposal from establishing momentum, rhythm and effective partnerships.

Wilder will argue that is because they lack the financial wherewithal to recruit marksmen proven at elite level. But it is a policy which, despite being designed to exploit the opposition’s weaknesses, needs to be reconsidered moving forward.

“We had eight or so (players) who effectively picked themselves back then,” Wilder, who led United to a ninth placed finish last term, said. “That’s not the case at the moment, unfortunately. But these lads are still giving everything. Injuries have also been disappointing and, for the part, unpreventable.”

Although Wilder appears unlikely to tweak their formation, it will be fascinating to see if he changes personnel at Craven Cottage. United’s room for manoeuvre is limited, with Egan, O’Connell and Berge out for the foreseeable future.

“Whatever we do, we have to improve on that,” Wilder said. “What I won’t have, though, is that these lads have thrown it in. They haven’t.”

An important message: Thank you for reading this article, one of dozens we publish every single day to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative coverage of YOUR club. This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to from the football team at The Star, please consider taking out a subscription to our new discounted sports-only package. You'll find all the details at https://www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions/sports. Your support is much appreciated.