Chris Wilder responds to "must-win" theory ahead of Sheffield United's crunch trip to Luton Town

Chris Wilder admits that he and his Sheffield United players have to "accept" the narrative surrounding them and their Premier League status at the minute, despite stopping short of agreeing that Saturday's trip to fellow strugglers Luton Town is a "must win" game. The Blades travel to Kenilworth Road bottom of the table and 10 points behind their hosts, who are a point and a place above the drop zone.

Survival belief amongst their fanbase, which was already stretched, took a further blow at the weekend courtesy of a 5-0 home hammering to Aston Villa and the trip to Luton, who have made a better fist of their bid to survive in the top-flight after joining United in winning promotion from the Championship last season, will be a test of a different kind, with the Hatters playing with a belief and swagger that has eluded the Blades and with a home crowd that will get right behind their players.

But, asked ahead of the game if it was a "must-win" one, Wilder said: "We've talked about this right the way through and I should imagine people do look at the table - we've tried not to. We've tried to just focus on the next game in front of us, which is Saturday against an in-form team who are doing fabulously well.

"So the narrative will be how well they're doing as a promoted side and how poor we are at the moment. We've got to understand that and we've got to accept it. They've got a roll and they've got some results, including one against us. It was a tight afternoon that could have gone either way and been us on a roll.

"With that and Villa we could ahve stuck five points on our tiotal and the belief and confidence that could have given us, we could have built on. They're not ninth, or eighth or seventh or sixth. They're still in and around it. Yes they have more points than us, and that's not me being negative or disrespectful towards them.

"I've been very positive towards them and everyone at that club has done a brilliant job, right through their history. They have momentum, belief and confidence. And that will make them a team that's expected to win on Saturday."

United lost 3-2 at home to Luton on Boxing Day, scoring two own goals to finish empty-handed after going 2-1 ahead, and are still looking for their first away win of a tough season so far. "There are no downsides to winning a game of football, but it's no good me saying it," Wilder added. "We've got to do a lot of things right and we've got to do a lot of things better than we did last Saturday.

"Defensively we were open. We didn't get the fundamentals right. I've got to say as well though, there was some incredible movement, passes and finishes from Aston Villa. Outside the Premier League, they don't find that pass or they don't find that finish. But they do in the Premier League and very quickly the game can get taken away from you."