'No energy, no sharpness to our play at all' - Wilder

TL;DR

Chris Wilder criticized his team's lack of energy and sharpness after a 3-1 loss to Blackburn. He emphasized the importance of the first goal and acknowledged defensive shortcomings throughout the match.

Key points

Chris Wilder expressed disappointment in his team's performance.
Sheffield United lost 3-1 to Blackburn.
Wilder emphasized the importance of scoring the first goal.
Defensive issues were a major concern for Wilder.
The team was 3-0 down at halftime.

Mentioned in this story

Chris Wilder

Sheffield UnitedBlackburn

Blades boss Chris Wilder speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield after his side lost 3-1 to Blackburn:

"Miles off of it, no energy, no sharpness to our play at all. The first goal was always going to be important, they've had some decent results. They're compact, they're organised, they hit you on the break.

"We had to get the first goal but we didn't and we were loose in terms of our passing. They broke on us and if we defend like that then they are going to punish us. There was no energy in the middle of the park and just the looseness about our general play.

"We've not defended well enough at all, we've not got out to stop crosses we've not defended in the box, we've not defended well enough as a back four. From 3-0 down at half-time is a long way to come back.

"We changed the shape [in the second half], we played more direct and there was more energy about us. We went to the end but it's not going to be a pat on the back and a congratulations, the first half was not good enough. I wasn't expecting it we were expecting to finish on a high to try and get to 60 points tonight and to get to 66 and that would still be an achievement in my eyes.

"But it was lethargic approach from us. We've got to get it right for Saturday because I don't want everyone to feel like this in our last home game. We've got to own it and we've got to move on."

Q&A

What did Chris Wilder say about his team's performance against Blackburn?

Chris Wilder stated that his team showed no energy or sharpness and struggled defensively, particularly in the first half.

How did Sheffield United perform in their match against Blackburn?

Sheffield United lost 3-1 to Blackburn, with Wilder noting they were 3-0 down at halftime and failed to defend effectively.

What were the key issues highlighted by Wilder after the match?

Wilder highlighted poor passing, lack of energy in midfield, and inadequate defending as key issues that contributed to the loss.