'Let them play!' - Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has a swipe at new aspect of football's return

After enjoying nearly three quarters of the possession during the early exchanges of the contest, which finished in a 1-1 draw, United struggled to maintain their grip on the contest after referee Peter Bankes had called a halt to proceedings - with Sean Dyche’s side taking the lead through James Tarkowski just before the interval.

After being informed Burnley had enjoyed a similar dominance of the ball when competition restarted, Wilder said: “Drinks breaks aren’t actually a drinks break. What they are is a tactical time out.

“Listen, I didn’t think anything should be changed, midway through a season. Whether it be substitutes or whatever, because it’s not really a drinks break, is it?”

“It’s a chance, to be honest, for managers to take a tactical look at their team,” Wilder, who also voiced concerns about allowing clubs to increase the number of replacements permitted on the bench, added. “Listen, we use it as well. I can’t pretend that we don’t. But I’m not sure, with the temperatures hardly rocketing sky high here at Burnley, that we needed a drinks break. It’s just turned the game from a game of two halves into a game of quarters.”

The breaks were introduced as part of ‘Project Restart’ - after some coaches expressed concerns that a combination of the congested fixture schedule and potentially hot summer weather could lead to a spate of injuries.

Wilder, who saw John Egan equalise after the break, said: “I thought we should have finished the season as we started it. But I respect the fact people wanted changes, so we go along with it and get on with it.”

The result sees United prepare for Wednesday’s meeting with sixth-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers in eighth - only four points behind the visitors from Molineux.

“We’ve got to get ready for another tough match coming straight up again,” Wilder added. “Rest and recovery is going to be key, for us and everyone else.”

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