Sheffield United have had a season to forget (Picture: Getty Images)
Sheffield United have now conceded more goals in a single season than any team in Premier League history, including the three campaigns in which there were 22 teams in the division.
The Blades were beaten 1-0 at Everton on Saturday afternoon, their 27th defeat in 37 Premier League matches this season.
The South Yorkshire club are rooted to the bottom of the table and have long since been relegated, with just three victories to their names since the start of the season.
Not only are they the lowest-scorers in the Premier League this season (35) but their defence has been record-breakingly bad.
Abdoulaye Doucoure’s goal at Goodison Park on Saturday was the 101st Sheffield United have conceded this season in the top flight.
The Blades had been level with Swindon Town on 100 goals conceded, with the Robins shipping the century of strikes back in the 1993-94 season.
However, Swindon conceded the mammoth amount of goals in a division that contained 22 teams rather than the current 20, with a 5-0 defeat to Leeds in their 42nd and final league game of the season.
Abdoulaye Doucoure confirmed Sheffield United’s place in the history books (Picture: Getty Images)
Manager Chris Wilder, who took over from Paul Heckingbottom in December, felt his team competed well on Saturday, but were guilty of shoddy defending once again.
‘Yet again in another away game, we wrote down at the team meeting was to execute big moments, take big moments,’ he told the BBC. ‘I don’t think I’m looking through rose tinted glasses, the team have took some beatings this year and are a team that clearly lacks confidence and belief. When that happens you take an extra touch or misplace a pass, and that’s what happened today.
‘Everton didn’t dominate the game by any means, we created enough openings to get something. Listen they have made a great run of it lately, but yet again we have competed. That is standard, so I’m not going to praise that or give that a clap.
‘Yet again the goal is poor, we should do better with it. Then we are chasing the game, we created enough in the second half but couldn’t execute it. We are towards the finish line for the season now and it’s not been good enough right the way through.’
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