'Leeds United did a job on us' - Chris Wilder's blunt Sheffield United verdict after first loss
Chris Wilder paid a huge compliment to Leeds United after seeing his Sheffield United lose 2-0 at Elland Road tonight, labelling the Whites as the "best side they have faced" this season.
The Blades' unbeaten start to the season came to a shuddering halt after second half goals from Pascal Struijk and substitute Mateo Joseph. The result saw the Whites leapfrog their South Yorkshire counterparts into the automatic promotion places. Daniel Farke's side are now level on points with table-topping Sunderland.
Wilder told Sky Sports: "Beaten by a better side. No doubt about it. We didn't have any answers to them.
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"Head and shoulders the best side we have played so far this season; no disrespect to the other teams that we have played. It's a disappointing evening for us but we didn't deserve anything from the game."
Leeds had to wait until the 69th minute to break the deadlock when Struijk fired home from Joe Rothwell's corner. It was the first time Sheffield United had conceded in over 11 hours of Championship football.
Wilder's decision to switch from a back four to a back three failed to pay dividends in West Yorkshire. On the formation change, Wilder said: "I am the manager and I have to go with what I feel is the best opportunity (to get the result). It would have been easy for me to stick with that formation but we felt as a coaching group and myself personally that it was the best way to go about it.
"I have to take that criticism if it comes but I have to make those decisions. We hadn't played a team like Leeds United before; we hadn't played a team of their quality and structure.
"We got done from a corner for their first goal. It's a poor goal from our point of view. Listen, no complaints. Our performance wasn't good enough. We weren't good enough in terms of ball retention, decision-making and quality.
"Leeds were outstanding tonight and did a job on us."