Sheffield United handed the ultimate FA Cup compliment

Some top-flight clubs might take his team lightly, the Reading manager conceded ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup tie. But United are not among them, Bowen conceded, after studying their journey into the fifth round of the tournament.

“What gives me great confidence is the attitude of the group,” Wilder said, reflecting upon the victories over AFC Fylde and Millwall which set up the visit to Berkshire.

“Gary Rowett, down at The Den, admitted he was hoping to get a top-flight side but that he was disappointed to draw us because he knows what we’re all about. And we want Mark to be the same because, no doubt about it, we want to go far in this competition.”

With a quarter-final place awaiting the winners, neither Wilder nor Bowen, whose squad are 16th in the Championship, are expected to make wholesale changes at the Madejski Stadium. (Kick-off 8pm).

After twice leading United to promotion since taking charge in 2016, Wilder’s sights are now set on steering them into Europe. Either via the Premier League - they stand eighth in the table - or the world’s most prestigious domestic knockout tournament.

“We’ve got the attitude I wanted from day one of walking through the door,” he said. “And that is that everything is important on and off the pitch.

“Be it the intensity in training, pre-season games or whatever, it’s important that was running right the way through the building. When we came in, perhaps it wasn’t.”

“We tried to improve that straight away,” Wilder continued. “We’ve tried to change that.

“You can see now, with the results these boys have got, that it’s spot on. There’s a real desire to be the best they possibly can.”

Without a game over the weekend because Aston Villa, their scheduled opponents, were involved in the EFL Cup final, United are set to select a strong starting eleven for the meeting with Reading. Panos Retsos and Richairo Zivkovic, signed on loan from Bayer Leverkusen and Changchun Yatai respectively, could make their debuts while John Lundstram also hopes to feature.

“We’ve changed the team around a bit in the past and, when you do that, of course if affects the balance a little bit,” Wilder said, referring to his selections for the meeting with Fylde. “We made some at Millwall but it wasn’t seven, eight or nine changes. It was three or four and even though injuries might force you to make some, we want to be successful in everything we do.”

United return to PL action when Norwich City travel to South Yorkshire on Saturday but, underlining his commitment to reaching the last eight, Wilder stressed: “We’ve not done anything on them yet. Everything has been all on Reading.

“I don’t like a team being under prepared and having a poor attitude. If the lads want to still be playing at the back end of the season, then this is another great chance to cement that position.

“If we get beat and they have a great one technically or tactically, then that can happen.

“But mentally and physically, we have to show up.

“If it is their night then it’s their night. That can happen in cup competitions. But we’re positive and the good thing is, I know what I’m going to get from the lads.”

Bowen also cited United’s attacking brand of football and quality of Wilder’s recruitment as things he admires following Reading’s win over Barnsley two days ago.

That was only the hosts’ second success in 12 outings, with their fourth round replay at Cardiff being settled on penalties.

“The Championship is a tough league,” Wilder said. “We know that from the two years we were in it. Mark has got some really talented players and we recognise that.

“They’ll be giving it everything to get through into the quarters and they’ll fancy their chances of giving it a right go. It’s a great chance for them as well as us. So the attitude and the character has to be spot on.

“What gives me great confidence and comfort is the the attitude of the group.”