Sheffield United now have two opportunities to prove Chris Wilder right after narrow Middlesbrough defeat
Sheffield United will be looking for an immediate return to winning ways when they face Portsmouth this weekend.
Monday night’s visit of Middlesbrough was always going to represent a stern test for Sheffield United.
Kim Hellberg’s side arrived at Bramall Lane knowing a sixth successive Championship victory would see them leapfrog Coventry City and move to the summit for the first time since October.
First half goals from Tommy Conway and Riley McGree proved to be just enough for Boro to successfully achieve their mission with Patrick Bamford’s second half strike proving to be nothing more than a consolation by the full-time whistle.
MORE: Sheffield United's next six fixtures compared with Championship rivals as play-off race intensifies
However, to United’s credit, they ensured Middlesbrough left the Steel City knowing they had had to fight for all three points. The Blades came flying out of the traps, intent on taking the game to the Riverside outfit, and it was just a shade unfortunate that Hellberg’s troops got their second goal when they did.
Although it spelt their end of their eight-game unbeaten run in the league at Bramall Lane and denied United the opportunity of winning successive league games for the first time in 2026, manager Chris Wilder refused to criticise his players’ efforts.
“I thought we gave it a right go,” Wilder said. “So no criticism of the players' attitudes from me.
“I thought we swung the momentum back when we got ourselves 2-1.”
After beating Ipswich Town 3-1 at Bramall Lane last month, some felt United would throw another grenade into the title race and disrupt Middlesbrough’s quest to climb to top spot. As Wilder rightly said, United “gave it a right go”. Ultimately, just as Wilder did, the Blades had to hold their hands up and accept they were beaten by a better side on the night.
With 15 games still to play, Monday night’s defeat to Boro is unlikely to be a result that will define United’s season. Despite currently sitting 17th in the standings, they are only eight points shy of the play-offs, meaning it is not an impossible gap to make up in the time that’s remaining.
In their quest to bridge that gap and work their way through the traffic that is building up in the race for a play-off spot, United are going to have to take points off the teams in and around them and beneath them in the table, starting against Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Saturday.
United must see Pompey trip as an opportunity
Pompey are currently 20th in the standings, just one point above the drop zone, meaning United should be targeting their long trip south as an opportunity to get three points on the board and secure a first away win of 2026.
On the flip side, Portsmouth, of course, will be desperate for the points themselves, meaning they will not simply roll over and allow United to tickle their tummy and cruise their way to three points. United will have to roll their sleeves up and be prepared to fight. Additionally, Pompey are five home games unbeaten in the league.
At the same time, United, with respect, need to be winning these sorts of fixtures if they are to position themselves right in the thick of the play-off battle come the business end of the season. The same can be said of their upcoming clash with neighbours Sheffield Wednesday at Bramall Lane in just over a week’s time.
You can talk about cliché’s and nothing being guaranteed in a derby, but United, when you strip it all back, should be beating Wednesday with minimal fuss amid their current off-field situation and horrendous form.
With their next two games seeing them come up against teams either in or just above the relegation zone, these are the fixtures United need to take full advantage of, similar to the way they did against Oxford United last Tuesday night.
Speaking after the win over Oxford, Wilder said: "The Middlesbrough game, the Coventry game, the Ipswich game, the Birmingham game, the Stoke game take care of themselves. These are the ones you have to nail.
"We kept doing the right things and I was delighted with the contribution of everyone, including the punters."
Neither the Portsmouth nor the Wednesday clashes will come under the lights midweek, meaning they are not completely comparable to the recent win over Oxford, but the point Wilder was making still stands. The games United are expected to win are the ones they need to take three points from at this stage of the season.
Ahead of welcoming Coventry to Bramall Lane in a fortnight’s time, United now have a realistic opportunity to get six points on the board and bolster their play-off bid. Do that and Wilder’s suggestion that the clash with Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues will take care of itself will once again be correct.