“It’s My Responsibility” – Ruben Selles Takes Blame For Poor Sheffield United Performance And Explains Defensive Selection | OneFootball

Ruben Selles suffered a nightmare competitive debut as Sheffield United manager as his side slumped to an embarrassing 4-1 home defeat against Bristol City at Bramall Lane on Saturday.

The visitors wasted no time in silencing the home crowd, taking the lead after just five minutes. Japanese winger Yu Hirakawa earned a free-kick on the edge of the area, and Scott Twine stepped up to curl a superb effort beyond Michael Cooper into the top corner.

The Blades responded well and found an equaliser in the 14th minute. Sustained pressure from a succession of corners paid off when Callum O’Hare dispossessed a City defender high up the pitch before delivering a delicate outside-of-the-foot pass into the path of Tyrese Campbell, who rifled home from close range.

However, the home side’s momentum quickly evaporated. Ross McCrorie restored Bristol City’s advantage in the 27th minute with a low, driven strike into the far corner.

Within seconds of the second half starting, the visitors made it 3-1. Rhys Norrington-Davies’ sloppy pass out from the back was seized upon and it led to Emil Riis Jacobsen bursting past him down their right and clipping in a cross, which found Anis Mehmeti in acres of space. The versatile Albanian forward volleyed clinically past Cooper to put Selles’ side in deep trouble.

Things went from bad to worse just six minutes later. Another error from Norrington-Davies led to a high turnover for the Robins as Twine’s strike eventually deflecting off Tyler Bindon, wrong-footing Cooper and sealing a miserable afternoon for the Blades.

Ruben Selles Admits Sheffield United Performance Was “Not Good Enough” And Takes Responsibility

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – AUGUST 09: Anis Mehmeti of Bristol City scores his team’s third goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United and Bristol City at Bramall Lane on August 09, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Ed Sykes/Getty Images)

Speaking after the game to SUTV, a clearly frustrated Selles admitted his side fell far short of expectations.

“We came here today, we wanted to have a good performance in front of our fans and nothing went the way we wanted. There are some technical aspects that we need to improve. After we equalised, we had the chance to score the second and change the game, but we didn’t. They did, and their third goal was a massive factor. It’s not good enough from anyone, starting with myself.”

One of the biggest factors in the game was Norrington-Davies’ errors, which ended up proving costly on two occasions. The 26-year-old started at left centre-back ahead of captain Jack Robinson who sat on the bench before replacing the Welshman just before the hour mark.

Selles explained his decision to start Norrington-Davies ahead of Jack Robinson.

“Jack didn’t play in the last couple of pre-season matches and Rhys has done a good job,” Selles said. “Robbo only joined us for the last couple of training sessions, so I went with Rhys in that position.”

Despite the heavy defeat, the new boss stressed that the issues in defensive transitions could be solved with better structure and coaching. “It’s my responsibility to keep the team more structured in those moments,” he added. “We cannot be that open; those are the moments we must correct.”

Blades Once Again Shoot Themselves in Foot By Selling Key Player Days Before Season Opener

HULL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 13: Anel Ahmedhodzic of Sheffield United reacts with teammate Vinicius Souza following the Sky Bet Championship match between Hull City AFC and Sheffield United FC at MKM Stadium on September 13, 2024 in Hull, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

The Blades once again started another campaign with very weak squad depth, and the sale of Anel Ahmedhodzic just days before the first game of the season proved costly. Granted, the sale makes sense financially, but logically and from a competitive point of view, it made zero sense to sell your standout defender before even having a replacement lined up.

It’s clear Sheffield United need new players in, and quick, or else the owners risk losing the fan base entirely just weeks into their first full season at the helm.

“We have been working to get the players we need. It will never be a massive change. Losing one game shouldn’t be a key factor to change your strategy,” Selles insisted regarding any potential incomings.

Selles’ men are next in action on Wednesday evening as they travel to the Second City to face Birmingham City in the first round of the EFL Cup. It will be interesting to see if he goes strong to try and build chemistry and continuity with his best available eleven. Or, will he rest his key players for the Swansea City away game at the weekend?