The Blades are without a win in 12 Premier League matches going back to last season but when asked if he feared for his job, Wilder replied: “It’s great how you guys talk about peoples careers so flippantly, I love all that.

“I haven’t had the sack in 20 years – 911 games if you hadn’t noticed – I don’t fear it.

“I need to be careful because I don’t want to come across as arrogant and look like I think I’m untouchable, but I don’t feel it should be asked given the journey that we have been on over the last four years.

“We were in League One when I arrived and now we are in the Premier League. It’s a ruthless, relentless division and a cut-throat division which doesn’t give you hand outs. It’s not a time to go into our shells and I certainly won’t as manager of the football club.

“We have to embrace the challenge and everything that goes with the Premier League.”

The Hammers, on the other hand, have 14 points from a tricky opening set of fixtures which has already seen them play Arsenal, Wolves, Leicester, Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool, and David Moyes’ men are in the top 10.