Chris Wilder is unable to tolerate players who were eager to play after Sheffield United’s significant loss to Burnley.

Chris Wilder, the manager of Sheffield United, expressed his disappointment with some of his players following their heavy 4-1 defeat to relegation rivals Burnley. The loss has left the Blades rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table with just 16 points and only five games remaining.

Wilder’s team is currently seven points behind Vincent Kompany’s 19th-placed Clarets and a daunting 10 points away from safety. Their return to the Championship seems almost inevitable at this point.

During the match, Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lorenz Assignon gave Burnley a 2-0 lead in Yorkshire. Gustavo Hamer managed to reduce the deficit early in the second half, but Lyle Foster quickly restored Burnley’s two-goal advantage. Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s fourth goal sealed the crucial victory for Burnley, which Wilder believes was the breaking point for some of his players.

In his post-match comments, Wilder admitted that the Blades’ season is effectively over and accepted their fate. He expressed his disappointment with certain players who seemed to give up after Burnley’s fourth goal.

Wilder stated, “I won’t name names but there were a few players out there who wanted to get out there when the fourth went in. I can’t accept that. When they smelt blood and were big enough to go for it, we went under. There has been a catalogue of really poor goals during the season. At the moment, there is pain going through pain in every department of the football club – especially the supporters. But we can’t turn it in. The division is too powerful for us individually and collectively. I’m not being defeatist – I’m being a realist – but the season has gone.”

It is clear that Wilder is frustrated with the lack of fight and determination shown by some of his players. With their current position in the table and the limited number of games remaining, Sheffield United’s relegation to the Championship appears to be a foregone conclusion.