Manager Chris Wilder has defended Sheffield United’s record against their fellow promotion-chasers this season, after Boxing Day’s defeat to Burnley saw them edged off top-spot by rivals Leeds United. The Blades are still joint top of the division at the halfway stage but are second by virtue of Leeds’ better goal difference.
United have still won more games and points than any other side in the Championship this season but Boxing Day’s defeat – their first of the season at home – prompted a question to Wilder about United’s record against the sides in and around them this season. All three of their losses have been inflicted by sides also chasing a place in the Premier League next season, with Leeds and Middlesbrough the other two to beat the Blades this season.
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But United have also beaten three of the other five teams in the top six as things stand and having taken 50 points from their opening 23 games, would be on course for 98 points if they continued on that trajectory from here on in. “I’ve just answered a ridiculous question about results against teams in and around the top of the division,” said Wilder.
“Is there a different competition, that you win when you win games against teams at the top? I don’t know. I had to remind him that if we replicate the first part of the season – which will take some going – we might end up on close to 100 points, and that might be enough to go up. Every game is massively important, whatever it is.
“I’m not daft, we’d have loved to take points off the teams in and around us and Burnley were one of them today. But we’re all right. No knee-jerk reactions to anything. We need some players back, we obviously need to look at the group in January, which we’ve talked about.
“There’s no disgrace in losing, we were going to lose and as long as we left everything out there, which we did. They found the moments, they’ve got the good players to keep the ball late on and be streetwise in their approach, which they definitely were. And sometimes you’ve just got to hold our hands up and say we’ve lost a tight game to a decent team.”
“I’m not daft…” – Chris Wilder responds to “ridiculous” Sheffield United question over Leeds United, Burnley situation
