Sheffield Derby: ‘Bigger pressure is on Sheffield Wednesday’ insists Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder ahead of Hillsborough clash

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder celebrates victory after the Sky Bet Championship match at Hillsborough, Sheffield.

For United, victory over their fiercest rivals at Hillsborough will secure bragging rights and keep them well in the hunt for promotion to the Premier League, while Wednesday still retain hopes of an outside push for the play-offs after a mini-revival under new boss Steve Bruce.

Wilder, a Blades fan from birth, remembers watching Wednesday’s play-off final in 2016 hoping Hull would prevail and knows that Owls fans would take great delight in damaging United’s promotion bid.

And, before boarding the coach for the short trip to Hillsborough, he insisted: “Regarding pressure, we are second in the division and have the chance to beat our local rivals in front of a capacity crowd live on Sky.

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“There’s bigger pressures on Sheffield Wednesday. They want to go and win a game of football for their supporters, and they want to stop us going up.

“I don’t think any Sheffield football fan will have a different opinion on that.

“Being totally honest, I was not sat there watching them play in the play-off final wanting them to get into the Premier League. It’s vice-versa. That’s just part of being involved in Sheffield.

“But we are competitive now in the city, and I think our neighbours know that.”