Chris Wilder's verdict on Sheffield United defeat at Leeds United, speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield
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00:002-0 defeat here to Leeds United. Chris, your take on the team's performance today?
00:04Yeah, we got done by the better side. They were better in all departments.
00:08From the off, they won more first balls, dropped on second balls, were sharper to everything.
00:15And as I've just said, by far and away the best team that we've played all season, Eden shoulders.
00:22And that's no disrespect to the other teams that we've played.
00:25In terms of the Swift analysis, why were they like that and so much better?
00:30Well, they've got really good players in all positions and they've got a few injured as well,
00:34so they've got quality right the way through.
00:37And they've done that to other teams as well this season.
00:41So, you know, we're disappointed with our performance.
00:43I think obviously the spotlight will go on, why did we change it?
00:46It'd been quite easy for me not to change it, but we felt this was the best opportunity of getting a result here.
00:54So we have to, as we always do when people say nice things about you,
00:59the other bit about it, you have to take on your chin as a coaching staff and a manager.
01:07You know, listen, first goal comes from a corner.
01:11You know, that's not a tactical situation.
01:15It's just that we've not dealt with a corner well enough.
01:17We gave the ball away cheaply, turned it over too cheaply.
01:21Never found a structure to play through them as we have done.
01:25Made poor decisions and it wasn't our night, but it's not the end of the world.
01:30We'll dust ourselves down and we'll have to go again.
01:33You know, it's the first time that we've had a little bit of a hiccup in our season so far.
01:37So 10 games in and now we react is crucial.
01:42And I'm sure knowing what the players inside the changing room are feeling right now,
01:47then they will come roaring back.
01:49I suppose people will talk about the change and switching to a back three.
01:54Run us through your thought process.
01:55Why did you do that?
01:56Michael's at the top of the pitch.
01:57That's their game.
01:58So, you know, we've done a heavy study of them tactically.
02:08What other teams have done that's got them success.
02:12Southampton had success last year.
02:15End of season in the playoff final by changing around.
02:18And we felt that that could work.
02:20They have six at the top line.
02:21So basically they stretch your back four.
02:24And we felt that they would stretch our back four too much.
02:26So we had to put one in there.
02:30But for us, it was the other bit.
02:32You know, when we turned it over, we just weren't good enough with the ball.
02:35So when you're not good enough with the ball and you keep turning it over
02:37and you make poor decisions when you break it up, they're going to come back at you.
02:42So that's pretty simplistic way of putting it.
02:46They dominate possession.
02:47Their XG is better than anybody else.
02:49Their XG against is better than anybody else.
02:51So we have to find a way.
02:52And as I said, I could quite easily have come here and played 4-2-3-1.
02:56And unless you've got a crystal ball, it might have been the same.
03:01It might have been better.
03:02It might have been worse.
03:03But we have to be brave in those decisions for experience and belief.
03:07We got done for the first goal on a set play.
03:11And the second goal was a counter-attack.
03:15But saying that, they had the bigger chances.
03:17They had the better chances.
03:18We didn't really create enough.
03:20We never really knitted our game together, regardless of the formation.
03:25And we ended up losing a game, which we really didn't deserve to get anything from.
03:30Can I just check finally?
03:31Harmer looked as though he was hobbling a bit.
03:33Is there anything there?
03:34Yeah, just a real tight calf.
03:36So you can't afford.
03:38We've seen the squad.
03:39It's a pretty tight squad.
03:42We can't afford to lose anybody by just keeping them on the pitch.
03:45So we made a decision on that.
03:47It's a good experience because it's a different experience.
03:50We've not had that experience of playing in front of 39,000, 40,000 punters
03:54who gave their team an incredible amount of energy.
03:59We gave them a helping hand in the way that we played.
04:04So we have to learn from it, I keep saying.
04:07It's a long way to go.
04:10Dampen expectations.
04:12We've had a fabulous start, and this is our first little bump in the road.
04:17So we will, as you know, I will, we will internally stick together
04:23and work our way through it.
04:24But there's no disgrace in losing.
04:26We didn't come here to lose.
04:29We came here to win.
04:30We've had two fabulous last occasions here.
04:34And I've got to take that on the chin, and that's just part and parcel of the game.
04:39How you react to a loss, and that really defines you as a player and as a team.
04:45And I'm sure that we'll come roaring back.