Midfielder Will Vaulks says Oxford United need to be “realistic” about expectations in games against sides such as Sheffield United who are chasing promotion from the Championship.

The U’s suffered a 3-0 defeat at Bramall Lane on Tuesday – a result that leaves them two points above the relegation zone having won just one of their past 12 games (five draws, six losses).

“From Saturday [a 6-2 loss to Middlesbrough], we obviously wanted a response,” Vaulks told BBC Radio Oxford.

“But if we’re just realistic and honest about it – and that’s the way I’ll always be – these aren’t the places we come to keep us in the Championship at this point.

“We’d like to come here and take points, obviously that was the aim. But I think this time, we have to have a bit of realism.

“They’re a very, very good team. They’ve got Premier League players on four times the wages, probably. It’s a tough place to come.”

Vaulks said there is “no denying the last few weeks have been tough” but said it is what he expected when he joined the club.

“I think the first few games we played, we did well, but the teams we played against, to be honest with you, didn’t turn up,” Vaulks said.

“Essentially that gave the fans and the outside a slightly false view of the way the league would be.

“You have games like this and you have to really be together. We can’t give anything. We’re not good enough to give teams chances.

“You play Watford for example, they’ve got four or five players in that team that can score a worldie goal. They’ve got top, top players.

“We have a team that needs to be together and as soon as you just come away and make little mistakes, you get punished.”

When asked whether the recent run of three straight defeats makes Saturday’s encounter with Millwall even bigger, Vaulks added: “It’s big, but we can’t get carried away now saying ‘how big is this game, how big is that game?’

“I think every game is big. We want to take points from every game.”