How Sheffield United will approach "incredible" Liverpool challenge after Chris Wilder return

Sheffield United will treat tomorrow night's clash at home to Liverpool like an FA Cup tie, Chris Wilder has suggested, as the Blades boss prepares to make what will be an emotional return to the Bramall Lane dugout. United are bottom of the table going into the meeting with Jurgen Klopp's Reds, who are second in the league and just two points behind leaders Arsenal.

At the other end of the table United are four points from safety but are devoid of belief and confidence after back-to-back defeats in their last two games against relegation rivals Bournemouth and Burnley. United's performances in those games, rather than just their 3-1 and 5-0 defeats, persuaded the United hierarchy to make a change, with Paul Heckingbottom sacked and replaced with one of his predecessors in Wilder.

The 56-year-old returns to Bramall Lane around 1,000 days after he departed in March 2021 and in the meantime has had spells at Middlesbrough and Watford - which have left him believing United are now getting him "at his best" after feeling that "failure and pain" to make him "better". United hope that his return will galvanise both players and supporters, with no-one yet giving up on their hopes of survival.

"It's an incredible challenge," Wilder said of the Liverpool game. "We can treat it as an FA Cup third-round tie. We're playing Liverpool at home, with nothing to lose. Contrary to opinion, I have great respect for Jurgen Klopp and what he's done; he's an absolutely world-class manager and a world-class team. It's not easy but as long as we give the performance right and give the supporters something to shout about, that's the key for me.

Hecky leaves United with pride and reputation intact despite sacking

"I've been looking from a distance but for the majority of the home games, the supporters have made that shirt light for the players and really got behind them. And they've been close at times; everyone knows that. It's amazing when you speak to people about the Covid season, when supporters weren't in Bramall Lane.

"I think that affected us more than any other club in the division. I would say that because it's my club and I know the difference they make and for me, they were turning losses into draws and draws into wins. Not single handedly, because there were 30,000 of them! And hopefully we can give them something to shout about again, in the forthcoming games."