"Joke.." - Chris Wilder takes aim at section of Sheffield United 'supporters' with "absolute disgrace" verdict
"Joke.." - Chris Wilder takes aim at section of Sheffield United 'supporters' with "absolute disgrace" verdict
Boss Chris Wilder has taken aim at a section of supporters who jeered Sheffield United after their defeat at Oxford United at the weekend, labelling their abuse as “an absolute disgrace.” The Blades suffered an untimely 1-0 defeat at the Kassam Stadium, seeing them drop to second behind new leaders Burnley.
United’s players were greeted with abuse and hand gestures from a minority of figures in the away end as they went over to acknowledge their support after the full-time whistle, with Gus Hamer and Sydie Peck amongst the United men looking bemused at the sight. The gestures and abuse were called out by other supporters in the away end, leading to some clashes.
With six games to go United’s destiny remains in their own hands, sitting second in the table and a point ahead of third-placed Leeds. They can look to put things right tomorrow when they host Millwall at Bramall Lane and speaking ahead of the clash with Alex Neil’s men, Wilder rallied: “Do you know what? I think it's an absolute disgrace. An absolute disgrace to the players who represent the football club and what they’ve done this season.
“I was speaking to my media guy before and he was telling me to stay away from it, but I’ll meet it head on. It's a joke and a disgrace. If that's what you think of the players then, when we have the good days, don’t be clapping.
“Go home. Be consistent. If you want to come and wait for us to fail and abuse us, verbally and gesturing with abusive hand signals, give your ticket up to someone who wants to be there. Because there are loads of people who can’t get tickets who’d love the opportunity to back us.
“I understand negativity off the back of a bad performance, and it was. But there’s a line. Be consistent. We appreciate the good support and we'll need it on Tuesday night to lift the players. We had the opportunity to break a club record that's lasted about 350 years [of seven away wins on the bounce] and it just wasn't good enough. That's just how football is sometimes.
“You can analyse it and we’re disappointed; we all wear our hearts on our sleeves and we're giving everything for the football club, to get to 85 points with six games to go. if it was happening every other week or was the group I inherited last year who turned it in and were miles off it, then I'd get it.
“But not this group. Not this group. Don't do it to them, don't do it to me. That's how it is. It'll bring us tighter together and I'm sure you'll see a reaction in the players’ performance. The week before [against Coventry] was outstanding and we were just off it.”
Wilder admitted that he cannot dictate anyone’s attitudes towards their side but believes that his side have earned the right to be supported, after registering 26 wins and winning 85 points - two of which were deducted in the summer - after last season’s characterless Premier League surrender.
“We have to own it and take it on the chin. It's just the world we live in, I suppose, with social media and whatever. Everyone wants us to be winning every game,” Wilder added. “We'd all be extremely rich and possibly not sitting here if we knew the outcome of everything in life, not just on a football pitch.
“But football isn’t like that. There are no guarantees and we have to get back onto it, as I’m sure we will from the reaction of the players. They had to feel a bit of pain, going through it, and we accept that.
Bramall Lane at its best can make difference for Sheffield United says Chris Wilder
“At its best, Bramall Lane - as I've witnessed as a young supporter, as a ball boy, as a player and as a manager - gives us a huge advantage and a huge boost. A huge push and a huge energy, as seen in big games we’ve won over the years. I can't demand or I can't force, but I know what I'd be doing if I was in the stands.
“I'd be getting right behind this team who would be top of the division without -2 and on 85 points going into the last six games of the season. But I can't dictate everyone else's attitude towards us. It's most probably always been there and it will always be there.
“But I know what I am, I'm a backer of my club and my team, from knowing them as I do. I can't force anything, but I will highlight what I have highlighted. Because it's an absolute joke.”