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Sheffield United booed off as Ruben Selles takes the blame for 4-1 defeat to Bristol City

Sheffield United were booed off by fans as manager Ruben Selles takes the blame for his side’s 4-1 defeat to Bristol City.

A massively disappointed Ruben Selles addressed his players on the pitch directly after the game and demanded improvement from them when speaking to the media.

The Blades, after losing the play-off final to Sunderland, were looking to bounce back but much toe everyone’s surprise, struggled in their first match under new manager Ruben Selles, who replaced Chris Wilder.

Bristol City and Sheffield United last met back in May, when Sheffield United won 6-0 on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals.

But this Championship opener was a far cry from then. Despite flashes of brilliant attacking play, basic errors and a shaky defence—missing key player Jack Robinson due to injury—cost them.

A dream start for Bristol City, led by new boss Gerhard Struber, putting in a confident performance, driven by standout players Emil Riis and Twine, who produced quite the worldie of a free kick, plus effective wing-back play from Ross McCrorie.

If anyone had doubted they would struggle for a playoff place this season, and while it is still early days, this victory signals Bristol City’s potential as promotion contenders.

Sheffield United’s strong squad depth keeps them in the title conversation despite the loss, will the public post-match critique from Selles give them a wake up call?

sheffield united

Sheffield United boss Ruben Selles, per Sky Sports: “We need to be much better. Every team has a period of pain and to suffer, and unfortunately for us it was today. I need them fully ready for the next game.

“There are some things we need to do much better, but overall we need to see our character after that defeat. We need to know how to react better as a team.

“We don’t make excuses, we had a team good enough to compete in this game. We don’t have to make it about the transfer window. It is what it is. We should be doing better and we are responsible.

“One results won’t change everything. We have a good team and we need to improve. Our application needs to be better.”

Sheffield United manager Ruben Selles told BBC Radio Sheffield:

“I’m massively disappointed.

“We came here today, we wanted to have a good performance in front of our fans and nothing went on the side that we wanted.

“There are some technical aspects that we need to improve. But we have some parts of the game, especially after we equalised, where we can use that moment to score the second one and change the dynamic of the game.

“We didn’t, they did and their third goal was a massive factor in the game and we conceded the fourth one too quick.

“There is a lot of things to improve, it’s not good enough from anyone starting from my side.”

Selles said, per Yorkshire Post: “I think we started slowly, the first five minutes and conceded, but we came back to the game and created situations to score a goal.

“There was a period (where) we were good enough to score the second one but we conceded a goal when we were open and that became the problem of the game, being too open in transition.

“They took their chances, so we’re disappointed on that. We can, we should and we must do better. And that includes myself.

“After they scored the first goal and we came back, we had the game,” lamented Selles. “It was there to score the second goal but we didn’t, we didn’t defend the transition and at half-time we felt there were goals in the game.

“We made a couple of mistakes quickly in the second half and that killed any reaction. We tried to stand in the game and created enough chances to score again but it doesn’t matter because we never did it, and we didn’t get the crowd back with us.

“A disappointing day for me.”

Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber: “We realised we had a massive opponent against us today, but our style of play, our football worked today in a very good direction.

“We were so sharp in transitions and so clean and of course our finishing today was on a really good level but I think it’s not only that, it’s the energy together, how we did everything together, the willingness to create the atmosphere. This helps next to the principles to win.

“It was a new one to feel the boys in a real competition. The last friendlies went in a good direction but right now it was good to see how it works, our programme especially of course with leaders like Jason Knight and also Twine made really good steps.”

Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber told BBC Radio Bristol:

“We did many things in the right way today.

“Our pressing worked most of the time – we had a little bit of a gap in the first half for 15 to 20 minutes.

“But we changed our trigger moments a little bit and how we press, especially in the second half, and this worked much better.

“We are so clean in our transitions, so sharp and also the finishing was on a very great level today.

“We are very happy with the performance and of course with the result.”

Struber said, per VAVEL: “The atmosphere changed a little bit in the stadium.

“I would say the fans, the supporters from Sheffield were a little bit awful, it also helps a little bit when you can hear our supporters louder than them.

“This is exactly the football that I like, that we are very direct in moments, using the chaos and in this direction the boys were very clinical and clear and the determination today was on a very high level.”

Here’s how fans reacted as Ruben Selles takes the blame for Sheffield United’s 4-1 defeat to Bristol City and demands improvement…

@soccerbase: Selles isn’t going to last long is he?

@TDShepherd20: Beat them 6-0 in May 🤣 That’s what arrogant owners can do to a club when they know nothing about the championship

@FG_utb2: Selles out. Owners out. Wilder in 👍🏻

@SUFCmatt: Sign competent defenders like we’ve all been screaming for for over a week and MAYBE we’ll have a functioning squad

@Jonzysufc: You literally had our greatest ever manager ready to go again for promotion after he’s just got us 92 points, lives and bleeds this club and you chose to sack him rather than back him. Thankyou COH Sports.

@daisyproperties: @SheffieldUnited have gone from The Prince to The Paupers. Sell your best players and sack your most successful manager and you get yesterday’s performance. I now know what sort of Artificial Intelligence the owners are using. Madness. #sufc #twitterblades

@M22LLR: wtf like? Absolute joke. Does anyone that knows anything about football not know that RND isn’t good enough, if Robinson is good enough for 30 mins he’s good enough to start.

@maxreid250: Norwich can keep manning glad we got rid of him

@AlexF1BCL: Top of the league and a +3 goal difference, you love to see it!

@shahanshahan: We all know how that season ended the last time we won at Sheffield United on the first day of the season. History will repeat itself, surely!?

@woolcottage59: Sunderland fan here, watched that game…electric performance blew Sheff Utd away really impressed…great goalkeeper too, top six minimum this season if you can keep that up

@alex_duffell: Superb. Struber-ball has arrived. Sexy football. Statement performance. And a very very enjoyable evening on comms. What a start to the new season. Starting XI barely put a foot wrong all afternoon. New signings excellent, smiles all round

@RobertC_Robins1: Some performance!! That’s arguably a better performance, certainly entertainment wise, than anything from the last 2/3 years! A few small things to improve, but brilliant 1-11, Vitek, McCrorie, Riis standouts, but everyone deserves praise! Looking forward to Tuesday! UP THE CITY

@MaxineH91775285: I wasn’t expecting THAT! 😂

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