In an exclusive interview, Chris Wilder underlines how reconnecting with Sheff Utd fans can help generate belief and positive thinking in the fight for survival;
You wouldn’t know that less than a fortnight ago, the men’s first-team had conceded five goals in the space of 35 minutes in front of their own supporters. In the cafeteria, the women’s squad are convening while the sofas in reception are filled with 16-year-old trialists freed on half-term and filled with nervous excitement.
Through the double doors of the media room, our writer is greeted by a beaming Chris Wilder who gives the Premier League’s toughest handshake.
We go up the stairs to where his players are practicing their darts throw and golf swing in a comfortable common area. This is only one of the many inspirational sayings that hang on the walls: “Nothing is given, everything is earned”.
You can see hard work and a sense of camaraderie everywhere you look. To everybody who joins his group, Wilder has urged his “culture carriers” to impart his non-negotiables. We settle inside an auditorium where the maxim “out run, out fight, out play” is emblazoned on the walls.
When Aston Villa defeated the team 5-0 in their most recent home encounter earlier this month, that benchmark was lowered. The 56-year-old anticipated a response, and he received it, despite calling the performance “unacceptable”.
The manager of Blades is now counting on his team’s survival attempt to pick up steam after they defeated relegation rivals Luton last week, bringing them to within seven points of safety.
“A win does a lot for your mood and the mood of everybody,” Wilder tells Sky Sports. “It’s been the complete polar opposite off the back of a really disappointing afternoon against Aston Villa.
“I know how I want to feel on the training ground and how I want to arrive at work. Positive response has been received. As we have seen, the Premier League is capable of experiencing [huge loses].
“Even on Sunday, we witnessed a European trophy-winning side [West Ham] lose badly against a squad that has been in the top six the entire season. We’ve seen how easily a game may elude you.
“We experienced that against Aston Villa, and it still hurts. Naturally, we want the athletes to feel good about themselves, and they should after a truly strong effort and outcome, but we also need to be aware of the risks of the Premier League and what can happen if you’re slightly off it
“I’ve said it all along: our fans are amazing. I said how much we missed them during our second season together—the first season we spent in the Premier League. That was the Covid season.
“I really think that our fans were the difference between a loss and a tie, and a win over a draw. We missed them during that, and when you don’t put on a show that makes them proud and symbolises the football team, you miss them even more.
All throughout, we must exhibit consistency, the appropriate mindset, and a competitive edge. We have to take ownership of the Villa performance, own that afternoon, and exhibit the tenacity that has brought us this far and truly represent the coaches, the fans, and me as a manager.”
After winning promotion in May, the Blades had only played in the top division three times prior to their first away game of the season, a 3-1 victory at Luton. With the momentum shifting under Wilder, who took over for Paul Heckingbottom on December 5, the win has given supporters new hope that they may still be able to avoid relegation.
Under Wilder, the team has amassed eight of its thirteen points this season, including their sole clean sheet of the year in a 1-0 victory over Brentford soon after his hiring.
An attack that lacked firepower is also starting to find its scoring boots with seven goals in the last four games. It would suggest the side is gaining in confidence and whilst there is still work to do with the defence, they are facing nearly five shots per game fewer than they did under Heckingbottom.
Where does retaining his boyhood club in the top flight rank among his career achievements, for a man who has three titles, five promotions, eight trophies, and over 1,000 games managed? That’s a long way off for Wilder to think ahead.
“Obviously, [it would rank highly] given the position I returned to, how everything has worked out, and the story of it all, but the only thing on the mind right now is getting that next result.”
“I am limited to thinking on the upcoming practice and match. The objective is to remain in the Premier League, as it was stated at the beginning of the season and remains unchanged.
“The players are advised not to get too excited over a single good performance, and to keep working hard even in the event of a bad outcome. That has been the conversation throughout.”
With player departures in the summer interfering with the season, Wilder has witnessed his team battle to move off the bottom of the table.
Some were sold to help the team weather its well-documented financial difficulties, while others—who had played a key role in their promotion from the Championship—went back to their parent clubs at the conclusion of their loan agreements.
The absence of important staff during the campaign has compounded the challenge. Max Lowe injured his ankle on a sprinkler during a preseason friendly at Derby, and there were the indicators.
In a bizarre event against Fulham, captain Chris Basham broke his leg, and in October, John Egan had a foot injury when jumping for a header. Since then, he has not been seen.
“The team and the club have been decimated over quite a long period now from an injury point of view,” Wilder admits. “I hear other Premier League managers talk about their injuries… it’s not so much the injuries we look at but the characters we miss – the ones with Premier League experience.
“The likes of your Bashams and your John Egans, your Oli McBurnies and now Ben [Brereton Diaz] has been out as well, so we’ve lost senior members of a new group. There are a lot of young boys playing for the first time in the Premier League and boys we’ve brought from overseas that are having their first taste of it, so we’re learning on the job and in this league.
“There’s no leeway for an off-day or for mistakes. But having a healthy, competitive squad and having difficult decisions to make is what I want. I’d rather have it that way than have quite a lot of the boys not available for selection.”
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