Adams dismayed by Blades’ lack of desire in attack and defence

The Blades appeared en route to a first win of Adams’s era on Tuesday night after early strikes from Ched Evans and Richard Cresswell gave them a two-goal cushion at Scunthorpe.

But the side beaten by Crystal Palace only three days earlier collapsed dramatically as goals from Joe Garner (2) and Lee Miller lifted the Iron above the Blades in the bottom three.

Adams, who is yet to taste victory in his 11 games in charge at Bramall Lane, launched a withering attack on the lack of desire shown by a group of players who have been guided by four managers this season.

“We’ve talked about having desire in their box when we’ve got set-pieces and we lack that, but we also lack it when we’re defending as well,” said Adams, whose side host another struggling side in Derby County on Saturday.

“You have to question the heart of the players.

“They certainly don’t want to get hurt, that’s for sure, defending or attacking.

“This football club’s had four managers this season, so from day one there’s been a problem.

“You can kid the public some of the time but you can’t kid them all the time. As I’ve said to the players, eventually the public will work it out.

“I’ll take my responsibility, of course, I’m a big boy. But eventually the public are going to turn on the players, and the public have been great with them so far.”

Adams blamed individual errors for the surrender at Glanford Park, when United saw a comfortable advantage evaporate in the 15 minutes either side of the break.

Garner got Ian Baraclough’s side back into the game from the spot and from that moment the confidence drained out of United.

Adams said: “We had a good half-an-hour, played well, dominated, got our rewards and were cruising.

“Then we gave a stupid penalty away, and all the old worries appeared, and we transpired to lose the game.

“At 2-1 it gave them a little bit of a boost and a lift and you can’t afford to do that. The goals we’ve conceded are criminal.

“I don’t know what (Neill) Collins is doing for the first one (penalty concession), Ched Evans loses his man for the second and Ched had played particularly well.

“For the third goal it was Nyron Nosworthy – so it’s three individual errors. It was bad defending.”

Adams’s search for a first win at the club enters its 12th game against Derby, a side who like the Blades are in freefall.

Scunthorpe climbed above United on Tuesday and have two games in hand on the Sheffield club, but Crystal Palace failed to put daylight between themselves and the bottom three by losing at Portsmouth, and remain five points above the Blades in fourth bottom.

Derby are seven points ahead of United.

Hull City manager Nigel Pearson was pleased with the result rather than the performance against struggling Derby County at Pride Park on Tuesday.

Anthony Gerrard’s strike on 70 minutes was enough to separate the teams as the Tigers continue their push for a play-off place in the Championship. They are now only five points adrift of sixth-placed Leeds United.

Pearson said: “We didn’t play particularly well, but results are the key thing at the moment in our position.”