Chris Wilder does not believe Sheffield United's season is a write-off despite their awful form heading into Sunday's trip to Southampton.
The Blades are bottom of the Premier League and without a win this term, taking just a single point to fall six points adrift of safety.
It is a far cry from an impressive first year back in the top flight in 2019-20, but Wilder is not looking for excuses and is determined to turn United's campaign around.
"It is not a good run but there have been cases where teams have been on losing runs and still achieved what they have wanted to," said Wilder.
"We are part of that, we have to accept we haven't been good enough. People can talk about stats all day long and playing well in the majority of games, but I'm honest in my assessment and we haven't done enough."
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl was under pressure at a similar stage last season and now has Saints fifth.
"The second year after promotion is always the most difficult," Hasenhuttl said. "The first you have a lot of emotions and only have the positive experience of the Championship.
"I had the same experience at RB Leipzig. So it is not a surprise that they have a bad start but they are a still a good side and we have to be very careful and concentrated.
"(Wilder) has done a fantastic job at this club and will also get the time to turn things around and he will do everything to finds the right answers, hopefully he will do it after Sunday.
"It is not so long ago when we were in a similar situation and we know how much we were fighting together to get out of it, so we know what it will be like against such teams."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Southampton - Danny Ings
Ings has been directly involved in eight goals in eight Premier League games this season (six goals and two assists), the most of any Southampton player. The England striker has only failed to score or assist in one of his past seven appearances in the competition, versus West Brom in October.
Sheffield United - Oli McBurnie
After returning to the scoresheet last time out against Leicester City, his breakthrough strike in 2020-21, McBurnie will target another first at Saints. He has never scored in consecutive appearances in the Premier League. The Scotland striker's seven goals since the start of last season are the most of any Blades player in the competition.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- Southampton won both Premier League meetings with Sheffield United last season; they have not won three league games in a row against the Blades since winning four consecutively against them in the second tier in 1950.
- Sheffield United have conceded exactly three goals in all three of their Premier League away games against Southampton (D1 L2), with their most recent top-flight victory at Saints coming in January 1992 (4-2).
- Southampton have won six of their opening 11 games in the Premier League this season - only in 2014-15 (eight) have they picked up more victories in their opening 11 games of a top-flight campaign.
- Sheffield United are winless in all 11 of their Premier League games so far this season; the last side to fail to win any of their opening 12 Premier League fixtures from the start of a campaign were QPR in 2012-13 (a competition record 16 without a win). In English top-flight history, only Manchester United in 1930-31 have won as few or fewer points after 11 league games (zero) as the Blades (one).
- Wilder's side have lost all five of their Premier League away games this season; the club last lost their first six on the road in a top-flight campaign back in 1975-76.
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