Sheffield United Boss Criticises Players in Another Unconvincing Win: “It wasn’t down to tactics; it was about attitude” | OneFootball

Sheffield United returned to winning ways at Bramall Lane with a narrow 2-1 victory over Portsmouth, reclaiming second place in the Championship.

Portsmouth started brightly, applying early pressure and should’ve been ahead, but it was Sheffield United who broke the deadlock in the 24th minute. Ben Brereton Díaz played a clever ball down the left to Gustavo Hamer, who showed great composure to cut inside before curling it past the goalkeeper into the far side of the goal.

Pompey responded swiftly, continuing to threaten the hosts’ defence. Just three minutes later, winger Josh Murphy, a constant menace throughout the game, delivered a dangerous low cross that full-back Connor Ogilvie turned in from close range, leveling the score.

As halftime approached, Portsmouth nearly took the lead. Ritchie had a free-kick saved, while Murphy rattled the crossbar with a long-range strike. Ogilvie then missed a golden opportunity to put his side ahead, failing to hit the target from a dangerous set-piece.

The visitors carried their momentum into the second half. Colby Bishop thought he had put Portsmouth ahead after finishing Murphy’s free-kick at the back post, only for the assistant referee’s flag to rule it out for offside.

With Pompey pushing for their first win at Bramall Lane since 1955, Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder made a bold triple substitution, introducing Sam McCallum, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, and Sydie Peck. The changes had a positive impact on United’s performance, and they would pull in front when Rhian Brewster came on.

Just two minutes after coming on, Brewster played a key role in the winning goal. Cannon’s pass freed Brewster on the left side of the penalty area, and his clever assist found Rak-Sakyi in the right place at the far post to slot home in the 73rd minute.

Brewster nearly put the game to bed in the 95th minute, but his shot cannoned off the crossbar.

Sheffield United Manager Criticises Team Performance in Another Unconvincing Display

Despite the crucial victory, manager Chris Wilder didn’t shy away from criticising his team’s performance during his post-match reaction on SUTV.

“I think something that Sheffield United fans have come to expect from me is honesty. We weren’t very good today, simple as that. We sort of escaped with the win because we have the ability to win a game even when we don’t play well,” Wilder admitted.

He acknowledged Portsmouth’s superiority for large portions of the match. “They were better than us in all departments, first balls, second balls. It wasn’t down to tactics today; it was about attitude. We looked to shortcut the game, which was surprising. We had a bit of arrogance about us, and I told the players that at halftime.”

Wilder insisted his team must improve their mindset. “We can’t afford that to happen again. The reaction in the second half was better, but we still need to reflect and learn from this performance.”

Wilder praised the impact of his substitutes, particularly Brewster and Rak-Sakyi, who combined for the winning goal. “Rhian and Jes had an impact. They’re both pushing for more minutes, and there has to be competition in the squad. If we need to make changes for Wednesday and Saturday, we will. But we have to be so much better,” Wilder concluded.