Nigel Adkins insists Sheffield United's lack of January window signings wasn't through lack of effort

The Blades were snubbed in several deadline-day transfer bids as Adkins looked to strengthen United in their pursuit of promotion from League One.

It left many Unitedites unhappy at the club’s perceived lack of ambition – United sit ninth in League One – and prompted joint-chairman Jim Phipps to issue a statement claiming it would be better “to avoid both panic buying and purchasing for cosmetic reasons”.

Twelve months ago United brought in big-money signings including Matt Done and John Brayford during the January transfer window.

While Adkins’s transfer kitty was unlikely to match that of predecessor Nigel Clough, the current United manager did have cash to spend.

“The crux of it is we wanted to bring a couple in,” Adkins said. “The crux of it is that there was money put on the table.

“People will say that we set our sights too high. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing because we want to improve the group.

“There was a genuine desire to bring a couple in.

“A very important aspect was that we didn’t bring just anybody in. It would have been easy to spend this amount on player ‘x’ or this amount on player ‘y’, but we didn’t want to do that.

“There’s frustration across everyone, the owners, myself and the supporters, that it didn’t happen. But that wasn’t through lack of endeavour. Part of the strategy was to reduce the size of the squad, restructure that, which we’ve done.

“We’ve got a consistent team selection, which is important too. We’ve lost a couple of league games in two months so we can see there’s a spirit there.”

Fulham’s Dan Burn is understood to have been one of United’s targets, while Blades are hopeful of resurrecting one of the transfers in a loan deal next week.

Adkins said: “The targets we have, have been targets for a long time. We have done our due diligence on them.

“We identified young, hungry and ambitious players. Maybe one or two of the targets that we endeavoured to get, we realised at about 6pm (on Monday) that perhaps it wasn’t going to happen. But we stayed at the training ground, still trying, until 11pm.

“You also have to make a call that we’re not going to panic, as I’m sure people have done over the years, and bring someone in just for show or for the numbers.”

Adkins defended United’s hierarchy when asked if he had received sufficient financial support in the transfer window.

“People will always look to apportion blame,” he said. “From my point of view, I can see that the ownership has a strong desire to get back to the Premier League. It has a strong desire to do well now, too.

“Over the tenure of the ownership, it might not be for me to say, but I can see there’s been good money spent. On the pitch and off it as well.

“This is a big football club. We are in a position now we don’t want to be in. But when we do get out of it, which we will, we have to make sure it’s not a position we are ever in again.”

Adkins pleaded with disgruntled fans to stick with the team, starting with tomorrow’s visit of Wigan to Bramall Lane.

“You have to keep believing because if you don’t believe then you won’t achieve,” he said.

“If you want to surround yourself with negativity then that’s what the outcome will be.

He added: “We’ve got 18 games left and a group of lads who are having a go.

“Our supporters are part of the team. Come the final whistle, everyone has the right to an opinion.

“But, at this moment in time, we need everyone to be strong and behind the players because they are the ones who need to do the business on the pitch.”