Chris Wilder explains Sheffield United "gamble" after supporter questions following early FA Cup exit

Hindsight in football is always 20/20 and after their meek exit from the FA Cup at the first hurdle last night, many Sheffield United supporters were left questioning their side’s approach to their third-round tie at Cardiff City last night. Boss Chris Wilder made eight changes to his side and the performance was inevitably disjointed as the visitors booked their place in round four.

The number of column inches written about United’s fitness situation of late could probably stretch between South Yorkshire and South Wales but that didn’t stop question marks being raised about why the likes of Callum O’Hare, Anel Ahmedhodzic and Gus Hamer were left on the bench as United lost 1-0. The answer is two-fold; with more than a dozen players already missing it would be bordering on negligence to risk any more, and all the young players conceivably at Wilder’s disposal were already on the pitch.

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United’s season will be defined by what happens in the last 20 games of their Championship campaign, not the first 90 minues of their FA Cup one. “I knew this was coming,” admitted boss Wilder. “It was unavoidable, really. Off the back of how stretched we were on Saturday [a 2-1 win at Watford] we couldn’t play Tom Davies or Sydie Peck.

“And people say: ‘Why were they [Hamer, Ahmedhodzic and O’Hare] on the bench?' "Well, [without them] I would have ended up putting even younger players on the bench. How would that look? We involved the senior boys to have a little bit of a senior feel to it.

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“That's where we were. I could have gambled, but I didn't. I like to think me making those decisions will give us the best opportunity of starting off an incredibly important phase of the season."

United were dealt a further availability blow when skipper for the evening Rhys Norrington-Davies limped off in the second half. "He just overran the ball and it was a block tackle,” said Wilder. “I think it was a knee on knee. I don't think it's any sort of ligament issue, but he's getting assessed right now."