Chris Wilder remembers when Wolves were so good against Sheffield United that he and Alan Knill just applauded them

So much so that at one point, Sheffield United's coaching staff could only stand and applaud.

The Blades had beaten Nuno Espírito Santo’s men 2-0 at Bramall Lane early in the campaign but by the time they headed to the Black County in February 2018, Chris WIlder's side found Wolves in irresistible form.

The headlines may have gone to Rúben Neves for his beautiful curling effort after just five minutes but a high-tempo, brilliantly executed passing move finished off by Diogo Jota stunned Wilder and his assistant Alan Knill so much that they themselves clapped their hands in admiration.“They destroyed us at their place," admitted Wilder as he prepares to take on Wolves again at Molyneux on Sunday.

“One of the big things I always remember was their second goal. Knilly and I were clapping, because it was so good. But I had to tell him ‘Knilly, that was scored against us.’ You just appreciate good football.”

While Wolves would appear to provide the blueprint for promoted teams to find success, Wilder points out that there aren’t too many similarities between United and Nuno’s expensively assembled squad.

“Nuno has done a fantastic job," added Wilder. “It’s a different club to a lot of the promoted clubs, because they were set for the Premier League when they were in the Championship. Then they were set for the top ten. But you still have to win games.

“I think that comes down to the manager, what he instills in the players and how he sets them up.”

Wolves welcome United off the back of a 3-3 draw with Braga in Portugal, a result which secured a place in the knock-out stages of the Europa League.

It’s already been a busy campaign but Wilder isn’t banking on the extra rest days for his team playing a part in the match’s outcome.

“We will only know if the schedule has given us an advantage on Sunday afternoon,” he added.