Chris Wilder's frustration at latest Sheffield United availability blow as he calls for radical re-think
Chris Wilder suggests re-think on “poor” rule ahead of Sheffield United’s trip to Blackburn Rovers
Chris Wilder, the Sheffield United manager, has suggested that the threshold for yellow-card suspensions in English football may be worth revisiting after being hit with a third availability blow in the space of three matches. United have already missed Vini Souza and Gus Hamer for their recent games against Middlesbrough and Stoke City, and will be without Anel Ahmedhodzic at Blackburn Rovers this weekend.
All three have hit the five-booking threshold which triggers an automatic one-match ban, with the cut off currently the 19th league game of a side’s season. The Blades have so far played 12 and had three men banned, with Oliver Arblaster (three yellows) the next under threat in the next seven games. Bookings have certainly become easier to pick up in recent years, with Souza and Hamer’s fifth yellows for waving an imaginary card and kicking the ball a few yards away respectively.
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But the suspension threshold has remained the same for some time now - a situation Wilder suggests could be worth looking at again. “Everyone wants it to be a physical game,” he said after Saturday’s win over Stoke. “Everybody wants it to be competitive. “Stoke City fans want it to be competitive, our fans want us to put tackles in and I just think the threshold is a poor one.
“It’s too early. The threshold hasn’t changed for a long time and the game’s changed, in terms of imaginary yellow cards or delaying restarts or just contact as well. Some of the bookings would go down as pretty soft. But we all want to see that contact game and aggressive game.”
Club skipper Jack Robinson is in line to replace Ahmedhodzic at left centre-half against Blackburn, who have problems of their own at the back after Hayden Carter underwent surgery on a knee injury that is expected to sideline him for the rest of the year. That means John Eustace could utilise brief former Blades Danny Batth or Kyle McFadzean this weekend, with Dominic Hyam his only other fit central defender.
Hamer returns for the trip to Ewood Park, giving Wilder another welcome selection headache after Tyrese Campbell marked his return to the side on Saturday with the second goal against his former side Stoke.