Chris Wilder opens up on Blades survival approach amid Nottingham Forest, Everton punishment’

Manager Chris Wilder has stressed that Sheffield United’s players and staff are not concentrating on anything outside of their control as they attempt to mount an incredible fight for Premier League survival, following their victory over Luton Town on Saturday that gave them newfound hope for the future. With 14 games remaining, the Blades defeated the Hatters 3-1 to earn their first away league victory of the year and close the seven-point gap with fourth-place Luton.

Even the most upbeat Unitedite was planning for life back in the Championship after a 5-0 drubbing at home against Aston Villa a week ago, so while the challenge still feels enormous, it isn’t quite as overwhelming. Although they still have a slim chance of relegation, the way they won against Luton—rather than just the three points—addressed a lot of questions regarding the mindset and spirit of this United team and at least gave the supporters some hope for the future.
Following their recent violations of Premier League financial regulations, Nottingham Forest and Everton might face severe penalties that could have an immediate and profound effect on their position near the bottom of the Premier League standings. As a result, every team in risk of relegation will be closely monitoring these developments. But instead of worrying about the distance to safety or potential dangers, Wilder and company will be intently focused on their next assignment, which is to play Brighton at home on Sunday afternoon.

Following his triumph at Kenilworth Road, Wilder remarked, “No one’s talked about the gap.” From the moment we walked through the door, all we could talk about was the upcoming game. Not at all, please. What you can influence is the performance, which is within your control. And hopefully you’ll have a chance to win a football game after that effort.

“I’m not even sure how many points there are. We’re probably about 12 or 13, at this point. Furthermore, you’re unaware of what’s about to occur, are you? You simply need to focus, ensure that we don’t play as many days as we did last Saturday [against Villa], and ensure that you play as many games as we did today.”