Billy Sharp weighs in on Sheffield United relegation fight after Liverpool defeat

Sheffield United's struggles continued on Wednesday night as Chris Wilder was denied of a fairytale homecoming. The returning manager was unable to steer his side to a positive result in his first match in charge back at Bramall Lane.

The Blades suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of an unconvincing Liverpool side, who scooped three points for their Premier League title drive.

Despite a respectable performance, United remain rooted in the relegation zone with just one win on the board so far.

Heading into the final weeks of 2023, Wilder and United will know the mountain they have to climb if they want to keep their place in the Premier League next season. The top flight is known for its twists and turns and Blades icon Billy Sharp has belief that his former side will resurrect their troublesome campaign.

Sharp, who was released by the club this summer following their promotion from the Championship, also returned to Bramall Lane on Wednesday to carry out pundit duties. He weighed in on Wilder's chances of clawing Sheffield United out of the bottom three.

"We've got to believe they can [avoid relegation]," Sharp said during the Amazon Prime Video post-match discussion. "They need a win soon, they've got another home game on Saturday. If they can put on a performance like they've done tonight and get that first goal, I think that's important and will give the boys a lift, give them something to hang on to.

"They've got to try and close that gap sooner rather than later. I've been in this position with Sheffield United before and the longer it goes on, the harder it gets."

United's next match will see them host Brentford at home on Saturday. The Bees missed out on a result after falling 2-1 to Brighton, despite Bryan Mbuemo putting them ahead in the first half.