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Premier League 'too powerful' for us - Wilder
Manager Chris Wilder says the Premier League has been 鈥渢oo powerful鈥 for relegated Sheffield United this season but that supporters can 鈥渢rust him鈥 to stay at the club beyond the summer.
The Blades鈥 relegation was confirmed after Saturday鈥檚 heavy 5-1 defeat by Newcastle at St James鈥 Park.
Wilder, who replaced Paul Heckingbottom in December, has a year left to run on his current contract at Bramall Lane but has vowed to 鈥済et it right鈥 as his team start to plan for next season鈥檚 Championship campaign.
鈥淚t stings and it hurts 鈥 we鈥檝e not been good enough,鈥 Wilder, who guided the club to a ninth-place top-flight finish in 2019-20, told 大象传媒 Match of the Day.
鈥淪heffield United is a really good football club, I think everyone understands that.
鈥淚鈥檓 enthusiastic and committed, along with my coaching staff. We know exactly what direction we need to go, what the culture needs to look like, what pre-season needs to look like.鈥
Wilder says his team need to 鈥渙wn鈥 their relegation after collecting just 16 points and conceding 97 goals in 35 games 鈥 the worst top-flight defensive record since Swindon Town shipped 100 goals in the 42-game 1993-94 season.
The Blades spurned several opportunities to add to Anel Ahmedhodzic's early opener at St James鈥 Park before Alexander Isak鈥檚 double, efforts from Bruno Guimaraes and Callum Wilson, and an own goal from Ben Osborn completed a miserable afternoon for the South Yorkshire club.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a reason why [the second-half collapse] happens,鈥 Wilder said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an incredibly young side and there鈥檚 a complete lack of leadership out there. I thought at times I was going to have a heart attack in terms of trying to get the messages on.
鈥淭here have been plenty of games where we have been put to bed early, but today we could have been 3-0 up at half-time.
鈥淣ewcastle upped their game and got a head of steam. Then our old mistakes start to fall in and goals go from two to three to four to five pretty quickly.鈥
With Ben Brereton Diaz, Mason Holgate, James McAtee and Yasser Larouci due to return to their respective parent clubs on 30 June and Jayden Bogle, Oli McBurnie and goalkeeper Wes Foderingham all out of contract in the summer, Wilder has plenty to think about this summer but has no intention of leaving Bramall Lane.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got so much work to do on the training ground. We have to have a proper pre-season,鈥 he said.
鈥淚've still got another year left of my contract. I'd like to think that the supporters can trust me [to stay].鈥