Chris Wilder hits back at Sheffield United slump theory as Blades let Leeds United, Burnley advantage slip — Sheffield Star 14/4/25
By Danny Hall
Chris Wilder hits back at Sheffield United theory as Blades
let promotion momentum slip away
Chris Wilder rejected the suggestion that Sheffield United’s
players are suffering from “mental fatigue” after watching his side’s automatic
promotion hopes take their latest blow with defeat at Plymouth Argyle on
Saturday. That 2-1 reverse, their third in the space of a week, leaves the
Blades third and five points adrift of joint leaders Burnley and Leeds.
With just four games of the regular Championship season to
play, it would take another almighty twist for the Blades to overtake one of
those two sides and avoid the lottery of the play-offs. United have scored once
in three games against Oxford United, Millwall and Plymouth and couldn’t hold
onto a 1-0 lead in the latter, conceding twice in the final 10 minutes against
the side bottom of the table.
Things could have been very different had United not missed
a couple of golden chances, with Jesurun Rak-Sakyi denied by Conor Hazard and
then substitute Tyrese Campbell only able to find the side netting at 1-1 after
his poor touch sent him wide of the Plymouth goal.
It has been a draining season for United’s players, who kept
pace with rivals Leeds United and Burnley for the most part of the campaign
before a disastrous week. Asked if his side were suffering from mental
tiredness, Wilder replied: “No, I don’t think they played mentally fatigued.
“I thought we controlled the game. Especially second half.
We had enough of the play, but we have to go and find that ambition and the
players have to find that quality to get that second goal.
“We had enough opportunities. We got the ball into the areas
we wanted to get it into, but you’ve got to go and get that second goal.
Because anybody can score from anything; a long throw, a corner, or a mistake
by us. But we were in control, so I never felt that.
“I never felt they were mentally tired and didn’t look it.
We weren’t on the ropes for any part of that game. And even in terms of the
last bit, I didn’t even feel that was coming. It wasn’t like they’ve had corner
after corner after corner, the goalkeeper’s making saves and we were clearing
stuff off the line and last-ditch tackles or blocks or headers. There was none
of that.
“It’s just come from nowhere. Vini [Souza] is off the pitch,
we’ve not dealt with a corner. And then the place explodes, which it’s going to
because they’re fighting for their lives and they’re trying to stay in the
division. We’re fighting to try and get out of the division.
“Ty should score when he goes through, to kill the noise
again and win the game. He doesn’t. Their boy goes past one of our players too
easily, puts the ball into a dangerous area and they find the winner.
“Then it’s for us to try and get him back in the game with
their supporters and their players absolutely dying and fighting for their
lives. We’ve still had enough of the ball but still made some not great
decisions late on to get ourselves back in the game.”
United return to action on Good Friday at home to Cardiff
City looking to arrest their recent slump in form, but also knowing that it may
be too little, too late. “We put ourselves in a great position after the
Coventry game,” added Wilder. “And basically, we’ve let it slip. So, we have to
own that and take responsibility for a really poor week in terms of results.”