Chris Wilder fires brutal warning to Sheffield United players ahead of January | OneFootball

The 58-year-old spoke after Blades' six-game unbeaten run came to an end on Friday night against West Bromwich Albion

Chris Wilder has issued a stark warning to his Sheffield United squad following their 2-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion on Friday.

The Blades boss was furious when speaking to local media after witnessing his side surrender a strong first-half performance, and he certainly didn't hold back when hinting at potential changes next month.

Two goals in 11 minutes, courtesy of Aune Heggebø and Karlan Grant, meant the South Yorkshire club’s six-game unbeaten run came to an end in the Championship - and it was their first loss since November 4th.

Chris Wilder's brutal warning to Sheffield United players after West Bromwich Albion defeat

Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield after the final whistle at The Hawthorns, Wilder issued a direct challenge to his players about their future at the club.

The 58-year-old began his post-match interview by saying: "Yeah, I'm really annoyed and angry, as angry as I've been for a long, long time.

"Apologise to the supporters because that’s my team out there, but it won’t be my team if they carry on doing that," he added.

With the January transfer window fast approaching, Wilder appears ready to make bold decisions about which players remain at Bramall Lane, indicating that anyone unable to meet his standards could be moved on.

Wilder went on to talk about what frustrated him most about his team's showing against Ryan Mason's side.

"I didn't see it coming, I thought first-half we were pretty good, we have to be more clinical and we should be ahead at half-time," the Blades boss reflected.

"Everybody in the ground smelt the atmosphere in the ground, we smelt the vulnerability of the opponent and that's when you need to be at your ruthless best."

In truth, West Brom had endured a horrible run of form entering this fixture, having dropped into the bottom half of the Championship table after suffering six defeats in their previous ten matches, so you can understand just how 'vulnerable' the home side were at the start of the game.

Chris Wilder claims Sheffield United "have to own" West Bromwich Albion loss

Rather than maintaining the pressure that had made the first half productive, Wilder thought his United players allowed the Baggies to dictate proceedings.

"If it doesn't come first-half, then it has to come second-half, and we've just allowed them to go and dominate the game and we never looked like getting back in it," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"It felt as if they just thought the game would come to them and they didn't have to do the fundamental aspects of what you have to do to win a game of football at any level."

Blades didn't register a single shot on target in the entire second-half, and their failure to even get one point out of the game now leaves them five behind West Brom.

Wilder then apologised once more, saying everyone needs to take accountability: "So, I apologise straight away for that, we have to own it."

Ultimately, his comments suggest that a clear message has been sent to underperforming players that their futures at Sheffield United cannot be guaranteed.