Ollie McBurnie – a player who scored 24 times for Potter’s Swansea City team last season – got the only goal in the first half and although Albion had a lot of the ball after the break they struggled to create clear-cut chances.
“We weren’t good but credit to the opposition. In the first half in particular they were better at what they do than we were,” he said. “It was a poor goal to concede. We needed to deal with it better.
“It was a game of not many chances, but we just didn’t play well - and we have to look at ourselves for that. We’re not the only team who has found it difficult to play against Sheffield United at home.
“We didn’t find the space we needed and they deserved to win but there are things we can learn from the game and do better which we’ll have to do.”
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Potter made two changes at the break, bringing on Glenn Murray and Aaron Connolly with Yves Bissouma coming on early in the second half, but it didn’t make the difference.
“We had to change the dynamic of the game at half-time,” added Potter.
“In the second half we huffed and puffed and there was better pressure from us but not enough in terms of chances created. The challenge was to find a way through and we couldn’t."
Albion now prepare for a Boxing Day test at Tottenham Hotspur. “We will want a response," said Potter. "Today's match is a setback, but we have to put it into perspective and get ready for a tough game at Tottenham on Boxing Day."