Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder sends 'patience' message to expectant Blades fans after remarkable start to Premier League season

Although Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur’s results on Sunday knocked the Blades down to seventh in the standings, Wilder’s men sit on 25 points after just 17 games and realistically need just 15 more from their remaining 21 fixtures to secure their top-flight status for another season.

But a series of impressive results – including beating Arsenal and drawing with the Red Devils, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur – has elevated expectation levels amongst some sections of United’s fan base.

And there was some frustration around Bramall Lane on Saturday at half-time, when United struggled to break down Aston Villa in the first half before scoring twice in the second to win 2-0 thanks to John Fleck’s brace, and Villa captain Jack Grealish’s penalty miss.

And afterwards, Wilder said: “They [the supporters] can’t be frustrated at all.

“There’s no need for them to be, in terms of the journey over the last three years.

“You have to shake your head a little bit sometimes when you see who we’re up against, and you’ve got to accept that teams will play a certain way so we’ve got to go and break them down.

“This is also a sport where players may not always hit the heights they want to do.

“But the fans give their backing to the group when they do hit the heights, and it’s a positive feeling for a proper way of playing.”