Alan Biggs: Sheffield United have given fans the chance to REALLY show their backing

We can all salute a winner. In sport, winners can’t be winners all the time - though I can think of someone who comes pretty close.So now is the time when Chris Wilder and his Sheffield United players truly need and deserve consideration. Now is the time when it is worth far more.And it’s more important than ever in the absence of supporters in stadiums, which gives an unhealthy degree of power to the cybersphere.How clever or praiseworthy has it been to hail manager and team during their storming assault from League One to the higher ramparts of the Premier League? All inside four years, by the way.

Sincerely meant undoubtedly and we’ve all, from every seat in the stand and press box, tried to do justice to the scale of successive achievements.Doing justice being the hard part; everything else very easy, like patting an obedient dog.But the sincerity test, for fans especially, requires exactly that - a test. Up to this point, Wilder’s regime has steadfastly refused to provide it.Unless, that is, you count fleetingly sticky starts to both promotion seasons that are barely remembered. For the rest, a story of relentless, unremitting progress.Now, at last, a chance to show the truest and most genuine form of support. Because this manager and these players are entitled to unconditional backing for the rest of the season.Writing ahead of Manchester United at Old Trafford in midweek, the soundtrack to a restart blip is almost exclusively in the hands of those who populate chat rooms, phone-ins and social media.Not the most representative group, despite false perceptions to the contrary, but very loud. And influential, too, when it comes to a football club.Had it not been for lockdown, the moderate majority in grounds would be drowning out those among United’s support (as in every crowd) with half empty glasses.Blimey, there’s an FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday besides a rapid acclimatisation to the Premier League.While Wilder is a master of mood, the coronavirus outbreak has set him new challenges, including keeping a sense of perspective around his club’s spectacular over-achievement. Without fans in the stadium, he needs help on that front.It said everything about social media madness that he felt moved to reference words like “disgrace” and “diabolical” used in the aftermath of a 3-0 defeat at Newcastle following the low-key 0-0 return at Aston Villa, albeit that United were robbed of a goal.Granted, my performance rating was “no excuses” based on the only true yardstick - the standards set, which have been amazing. A judgment of one game only.Further, United’s essential default position is full throttle. It’s accepted that a dip below that won’t win them a game at this level. So Wilder’s men, having been in a groove before the break, had more to lose than most in trying to get back up to speed.What they mustn’t lose, whatever the results from this point, is the unreserved, unequivocal backing of ALL their supporters.