Chris Wilder makes Barry Bannan Sheffield Wednesday transfer admission ahead of Sheffield United's Millwall test
Chris Wilder makes Barry Bannan Sheffield Wednesday admission as Sheffield United prepare for Millwall reunion
Chris Wilder, the Sheffield United manager, admits he is surprised to be going up against former Wednesday skipper Barry Bannan as early as this afternoon following the Scot’s shock move to Millwall earlier this week. The 36-year-old’s departure saw the Owls’ crisis season go from bad to worse.
United were preparing to face Bannan with Wednesday towards the end of next month but instead his Lions debut is expected to come against the Blades after his decade-long stay in Sheffield came to an end.
Wilder has long been a paid-up member of the Bannan fan club and despite the city rivalry there is a great deal of mutual respect between the pair. Asked if he was surprised at the turn of events, the Blades chief admitted: “I am, yeah.
“But reading the sporting director’s quotes at Millmoor, they’re all spot on. But I am surprised about it, yeah. Yet again, people draw themselves into the rivalry of Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday but they know where I am with it.
Chris Wilder makes Barry Bannan Sheffield Wednesday transfer admission as Sheffield United prepare for Millwall reunion
“Everybody knows where Barry is and what he's done for that football club, and what he's done in the city as well. I was one of the first, as I said, to talk about his influence and the effect that he had in the summer regarding trying to pull the club together and it was there to be applauded, in my opinion.
“As a football guy, putting aside the Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday bit. He's had a fantastic career and he still wants to achieve something. Clubs don't give players 18 months on a deal if they don't think he can add something to their group and they're smart, Millwall.
“They’re smart in terms of what they do and what they buy and how they go about the business. And they'll think that’s another bit of smart business for them, to help them in terms of getting into the playoffs and chasing down the top two.”
The Lions are fifth in the Championship table ahead of kick-off and United travel south in 17th, nine points off Wrexham in sixth. United are looking to build on last weekend’s impressive win over Ipswich Town at Bramall Lane, which ended a run of three successive defeats in all competitions.
“The perception of that game on Saturday is that we wanted it to be a rough and tumble game,” Wilder said of the Tractor Boys win. “We wanted it to be a spiky game, not to be a game of football. It's absolute nonsense.
“I heard their captain [Dara O’Shea] come out and say it was a direct game and we can't get sucked into that type of game. I just thought it was absolute nonsense and a lack of respect, really, to us, if I'm honest.
“Because the aim of the game is to run around, win tackles, win headers, win races and play. We did, and they [Millwall] do. They're a really honest bunch of players. I like the manager. I've known him for a long time. He's had a successful managerial career, starting off at Hamilton and then going into the Premier League with Norwich.
“He's a good operator and they've got a real honest bunch of players that find themselves in fifth position. It's a great challenge, and one that I'm really looking forward to.”