Sheffield United striker David McGoldrick has hit back at Garth Crooks after the BBC pundit questioned the “basic” tactics that the Blades have employed so far this season.

Chris Wilder’s side have picked up five points from four games since being promoted to the Premier League, but despite that, Crooks predicts that the team will struggle against relegation.

Speaking ahead of the Republic of Ireland’s game against Switzerland, McGoldrick responded to Crooks’ criticism, saying his comments couldn’t be further from the truth:

“I heard Garth Crooks talking the other day, saying we are a bit down and we’re rubbish but he hasn’t seen anything [from us]. I don’t have a clue what he took that morning, but he needs to think.”

“We’re not ordinary. We play a different way. We’ve come with the same philosophy that we had in the Championship and we need to get respect for the fact we won’t change for anyone.”

“We’ve got a few results and listen, it’s going to be a long season, we are going to have ups and downs, there are going to be games where we get beaten and walk off the pitch and we are just going to have to hold our hands up but I think at home we can give teams a lot of problems.”

Crooks’ words certainly sound like someone who hasn’t watched a lot of United play. They have been praised for their innovative tactics in some quarters, and they will continue troubling established Premier League teams.

No doubt, McGoldrick and his teammates will be using the criticism as motivation for future games going forward. The Blades face Southampton at Bramall Lane after the international break, hoping to add another three points to their total.