Before his Sheffield United team hosts Sheffield Wednesday in this weekend’s Steel City rivalry, Chris Wilder might have fanned the flames even more.
This weekend’s Steel City derby, which has been much anticipated over the previous week, pits Sheffield United against Sheffield Wednesday for the first time in five years.
There have been some heated opinions on the game; neither Dom Howson nor Neil Warnock have ruled out a Sheffield Wednesday victory in their predictions for the Steel City derby.
However, United is still the frontrunner. Although both clubs enter this match at Bramall Lane fresh off victories in the middle of the week, they now sit in second place of the Championship standings and are 10 points clear of the Owls in 15th.
Although the Steel City derby is frequently disregarded, neither team has any affection for the other. Chris Wilder, a Blades supporter and manager, is aware of the intensity of the rivalry.
Chris Wilder not sold on Steel City derby in the Premier League
The last Steel City derby in the Premier League took place 30 years ago last season.
Many neutrals want to witness the spectacle, and certain supporters of both teams are clearly calling for another Premier League Steel City derby.
Not Wilder, though. During his news conference on Friday, he answered the issue accurately, saying: ‘I’m not on the side of the ‘it’d be fantastic to have a Premier League derby.” I apologise.
“I’ll be really honest; I know there are some rumours about it, but I have to admit that I’ve never applauded a Sheffield Wednesday victory, and they would need to win some games in order to qualify for the Premier League.
“Obviously, we need to win some games, and I’m sure that mindset is the same, and vice versa. That’s me being completely truthful about the circumstances.
“We need to focus on ourselves and make sure we keep moving forward as we are right now.”
What has Danny Rohl said about Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday
On Friday, Rohl also addressed the media. He has never managed a Steel City derby game before, in contrast to the seasoned Wilder. However, Rohl has undoubtedly watched several important games from the dugout.
The Owls manager said, “I know what it means to play a big game,” alluding to his time playing in the Bundesliga against Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. The mood at the stadium [Bramall Lane] is something I’m not familiar with. I’ve never been to the city before.
Every derby, in my opinion, is a bit different. Naturally, though, there is a strong affinity when you play against Dortmund in Munich.
“Obviously, it’s about taking something from such games, but there’s also pressure and enjoying a lot of other emotional things around,” he continued.
How the younger Rohl performs against the more seasoned Wilder and how this more seasoned Sheffield Wednesday first team fare against a less seasoned United outfit will undoubtedly be interesting to see.
However, the Owls have demonstrated this season that they are still a few transfer windows away from actually contending for promotion, so it may be a while before this match is in the Premier League.
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