Sheffield United remain on course for Europe after beating Norwich City

Finishing this contest sixth in the rankings, only two points behind Chelsea ahead of their meeting with Everton yesterday afternoon, Chris Wilder, who has previously dodged, deflected and talked around questions about his team’s new objective, appeared to concede that resistance is now futile.

“The stats are there,” he said, “And the table is there. We can’t shy away from it.”

But the United manager’s take on their victory over Norwich City revealed how a squad, dismissed as cannon fodder by many pundits at the beginning of the campaign, plan to get there: by staying focused, humble and refusing to peddle the same lazy narratives about status and place they were subjected to seven months ago.

“You’ve got to always give credit and respect the opposition,” Wilder said, conceding the visitors, despite propping up the rest of the division, had posed a threat throughout. “They had nothing to lose, they are brave and they always go for it.

“So credit to Norwich, because they’re game and I have a lot of respect for Dan. Fortunately, when questions were asked, we came up with the answers.”

‘Dan’, otherwise known as Wilder’s counterpart across the technical area Daniel Farke, arrived at exactly the same conclusion following Saturday’s battle between the two clubs who gained automatic promotion from the Championship last term.

Conceding it might “maybe take a miracle” for his side to avoid the drop, the German noted how Teemu Pukki had missed a good chance before Billy Sharp scored the only goal of the game towards the end of the first-half.

Sharp’s finish, a bullet header from John Lundstram’s cross, did indeed come after the visitors had been asking questions of a defence which has now been breached only three times in six outings. Dean Henderson also produced a memorable save, aided and abetted by David McGoldrick’s clearance, to deny Mario Vrancic a late equaliser. But for the most part, with Oli McBurnie and Lundstram also going close, the story of this fixture was one of carefully crafted pressure being imposed by United and Norwich, who looked better than their perilous position would suggest, being forced to repel it with some clever punches.

“We started well and were disappointed to take a bit of a step backwards,” Wilder said. “But it was much better when we stepped into them.”

“When we had taken control, I was disappointed we didn’t extend our lead. Dean made some saves but that’s what the best do and, for me, he’s one of the best.”

Sheffield United: Henderson, Basham, Egan, O’Connell, Stevens (Osborn 60), Baldock, Norwood, Fleck, Lundstram, Sharp (McGoldrick 71), McBurnie (Berge 90). Not used: Verrips, Jagielka, Mousset, Retsos.

Norwich City: Krul, Aarons, Godfrey, Hanley, Lewis, Cantwell (Drmic 46), Buendia, Pukki, McLean, Duda (Idah 87), Tettey (Vrancic 66). Not used: Zimmermann, Rupp, Stiepermann, McGovern.

Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).

Attendance: 31,379.