Sheffield United have to be disciplined and patient, in the stands and on the field, in Brighton clash
Chris Wilder has told Sheffield United fans that their “knowledge” will be “incredibly important” on Sunday as the Blades take on Brighton and Hove Albion at Bramall Lane. The Blades host the Seagulls just weeks after their meeting in the FA Cup, which saw the visitors progress to the next round with a 5-2 victory.
Wilder believes the scoreline was slightly skewed by two penalties, scored by Joao Pedro, on an afternoon which disheartened a lot of Blades supporters but saw their side compete against Europe-chasing Brighton in terms of many of the key statistics on the afternoon.
Roberto De Zerbi’s team presents a different kind of test than the one United encountered last weekend at Luton Town because of their ability to dominate possession and hold the ball until they spot a weakness in the opponent’s shape, at which point they can rapidly exploit it. It implies that United will need to exercise restraint and patience both on the play and in the stands.
“I felt the final result of the first game was quite unfair. Our team had undergone a significant transformation as we pursued a cup tie,” stated Wilder. The Villa game followed, which we won and which still hurts me to this day. I’m not defending anything here; we all had a terrible afternoon. However, these things are possible for you.
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“I watched the West Ham game last week. They are a Premier League team that has won a competition in Europe, are ranked in the top six, and they are four goals behind Arsenal at the half. These things can occur if players don’t follow our advice and you don’t adjust your game appropriately. We must strike the correct balance.
“On Sunday, audience intelligence is going to be crucial. and how they went about doing it. We’re going to chase you and stand on the halfway line because I could put up the team to go after Brighton, full press, man for man. And based on how they play and move the ball, I can predict what will happen. That is the game they want, that is the game they desire.
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“You need to be patient and have the appropriate game plan, which is something we failed to do in the first game. It does not imply passivity. Strive to be the best, be aggressive and competitive, and possess the ability to take chances. We certainly did in that game. After then, act rationally and put it to rest.
“Hopefully the supporters get that with everything in. That’s how every team in the nation will feel about it. However, it must occur in the appropriate places at the appropriate times. If we do it correctly, that is, if we are precise and clinical, then perhaps the outcome will be as intended.”
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Although Wilder acknowledged that United supporters want their team to play attacking, front-foot football, he also said that experience has taught him that, depending on the calibre and style of the opposition United faces in their division, pragmatism may be the better option. In these situations, United cannot afford to try to force their own style of play on games.
“We all want to see what Jurgen Klopp calls heavy metal football,” Wilder stated. They may be the most talked-about team in the Premier League as a result. We all want to be like that, and while I would love to see my squad perform that way on the pitch, they have had a long time to establish that football team.
Since we play in the Premier League, we must maintain realism. It is not pessimistic or depressing. Although you know what can happen, you would really love to see that. The most important thing is that we achieved a really strong performance both in and out of possession by four o’clock on Sunday afternoon.
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