Chris Wilder says Sheffield United only have themselves to blame for crucial 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion

The Blades not only lost 1-0 to West Bromwich Albion, but gave their hosts a first Premier League win of the season to take them out of the relegation zone.

It was not through a bad performance, just the failure to convert any of the 22 chances they created.

“There's a lot of boys in there who are disappointed about the outcome of the game because I think we've done enough to get something from the game,” said the Blades manager.

“We took chances in the second half. We started off on the front foot and should possibly have been up early on. It was a poor goal from our point of view.

“In the second half we changed the shape a couple of times and pinned a team back and created opportunities, not even half-chances. From a statistical point of view and just looking at it myself it's quite incredible we've not scored one to get us something from the game.

“That hurts.

“The game for me was decided in our changing room. We can't say we were unlucky because we had the opportunity to put a team to bed with our play our energy but not the final bit, which lies with us.

“It's got to be a confidence and a composure situation. The players tighten up when they get into those situations with the opportunity of scoring but it's an unforgiving league.

“Chances in this division come at a premium so to create the number of chances we've done, that's probably the most we've created over 38 games last season and 10 this. We're not a team that wins three-, four- and 5-0. We'd like to.

“You have to be clinical in this division and if you don't take your chances you don't get what you want out of a game.”

The goal conceded was a poor one from a Blades perspective, Sander Berge not properly clearing a corner, and Conor Gallagher taking advantage.

But the theme of playing well and losing is becoming a recurring one this season.

“In the last two games the play has been generally good,” insisted Wilder. “Last week I don't think anyone would have been surprised if we'd beaten West Ham in a tight game against a team much improved from last year, and today against a team in an around us we've done enough to win with the amount of play we've had where we've moved it from one end of the field to another and the chances we've created but we're just shooting ourselves in the foot.

“It feels like Groundhog Day.

“Nobody was taking anything by the scruff of the net, some players are not grasping the opportunity they've got so yet again it's going to be a tough week and I've got to pick the right team.

“I thought I'd picked the right team.

“It's not always the forwards – chances have fallen to George (Baldock), John Lundstram, Sander and Flecky (John Fleck) and to other players, not just the centre-forwards.”

Kean Bryan made his Premier League debut at left-sided centre-back, the fifth player the Blades have used there this season.

Wilder confirmed that Ethan Ampadu, on loan from Chelsea, would have started there had he not failed a fitness test but Bryan was selected ahead of Jack Robinson, who was not even named on the bench despite being fit to play there.

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