“Do Something Different” – Wilder Annoyed With Dissapointing Sheffield United Display in Oxford Loss | OneFootball

Sheffield United’s Championship promotion hopes suffered a setback as they were beaten 1-0 by relegation battlers Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium. Despite dominating large parts of the second half, the Blades were unable to break down a resilient Oxford side fighting to avoid the drop.

The only goal of the clash came in the 38th minute. A trademark long throw from ex-Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Will Vaulks caused havoc in the Blades’ box. When the ball wasn’t properly cleared, Siriki Dembele reacted quickest, calmly finishing from close range at the back post to give the U’s a crucial lead.

Heading into the match, Sheffield United boasted the best away record in the Championship, but they couldn’t turn possession into goals. Chris Wilder’s side had the majority of the ball after the break, while Oxford defended deep and looked to strike on the counter.

The visitor’s best chance came in stoppage time. A long throw from Jack Robinson bounced kindly for Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, but with defenders swarming, the winger couldn’t get a clean strike away. That summed up a frustrating afternoon for the Blades.

The result means Sheffield United sit in second in the Championship table, stuck between leaders Burnley and third-placed Leeds United. With Leeds only managing a draw at Luton Town, Wilder’s side missed a big opportunity to open up a four-point gap in the race for automatic promotion.

Chris Wilder Shares His Disappointment as Sheffield United Fail to Capitalise on Leeds’ Dropped Points

OXFORD, ENGLAND – APRIL 05: Sheffield United FC players react at full time during the Sky Bet Championship match between Oxford United FC and Sheffield United FC at Kassam Stadium on April 05, 2025 in Oxford, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Speaking to the media after full-time, Chris Wilder said: “We were up against a team fighting for their life and they stuck it on us with long throws which were massive, and quality at the top of the pitch, and we never really dealt with that.

“We had one or two opportunities before they scored which we should have taken. But that’s what happens when you’re up against an opponent you’re expected to beat and the crowd’s vociferous and right behind their team. When they get a goal in front in that situation it becomes a difficult afternoon.

“They sat in, the pitch was dry, it was windy, so it wasn’t a fast game from our point of view and we tried to slow it down, which I didn’t enjoy. We played too slow, we were too ponderous, the ball speed wasn’t quick enough from us and allowed them to sit into their shape.”

“We’ve got to make better decisions, to do something different. We didn’t do the basics right”, he added.

Meanwhile, Oxford boss Gary Rowett hailed his players for a gritty, determined display. He stated: “It was a massive performance. I thought from the word go we looked on it and up for the fight and up for making it a very competitive game.

“When you looked at the conditions and the opposition we were up against, we had to make it a little bit scruffy and a bit of a fight, and I thought we started on the front foot, very brightly. At this stage of the season it’s just about trying to get the results you need, not about how they come about,” via Sky Sports.

For Sheffield United, it’s back to the drawing board and they need to secure all three points at home against Millwall on Tuesday evening. They’ll also hope for some help from elsewhere with Leeds United entertaining Middlesbrough, and Burnley travelling to Derby.