Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder is not taking any moral victories from a 1-0 home loss to league-leading Liverpool, and he’s not shielding his young star goalkeeper after a howler deciding the match at Bramall Lane on Saturday.
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“If he wants to play for the top teams, he wants to play for England then he needs to do better,” Wilder said of Dean Henderson, who watched a fairly routine Georginio Wijnaldum shot go through his hands, off his backside, and into the goal.
“He needs to concentrate more, it’s a disappointing day for him. I am not going to put my arms around him, simply he needs to do better.”
Those thoughts mirror Wilder’s overall take on the loss, as the Blades could’ve easily equalized if Leon Clarke and his attacking teammates had their finishing boots on.
Chances were there, and Liverpool was not on its game. Wilder was asked if he was proud of his Blades.
My kind of manager. On a day Sheffield United could easily have patted each other on the back, its hometown hero is making sure his men know it blew a chance to collect a point or three which could prove invaluable in the race for relegation. And that mindset may prove to be just as vital to those hopes.