Sheffield United: '˜Blades deserve better'

Despite starting the campaign as title favourites, Nigel Adkins’ side enter this weekend’s game against Gillingham eighth in the table, six points behind sixth-placed Millwall after winning only four of their last 10 games.

But Hammond, on loan from Leicester City, refuted suggestions that a lack of quality is to blame for their failings this season and backed Adkins to transform the club’s fortunes.

“I don’t know what it is, why we don’t always get what we warrant,” Hammond said. “You’ve got to keep on doing the right things.

“We work very hard, we are very well-prepared by the manager and his staff. They back us, they believe in us and our ability as a group. They give us everything we need. So I don’t know what it is.

“We deserve more this season. We haven’t got it and I don’t know why. But we do deserve more. Okay, the league table might not show it but we are a good team and we’re not giving-up (on the play-offs) unless somebody tells us it is mathematically impossible. Why would we?”

Despite admitting he is at a loss to explain why United’s much-anticipated bid for a top two finish failed to materialise, Hammond insisted Adkins, who took charge last summer, is the right man to rebuild Bramall Lane’s first team squad.

“There have been times when we’ve played really well and lost the game,” Hammond added. “We are playing the right way, we’ve got young lads coming in which is good for the future of the club. That’s good going forward for Sheffield United.”