The most important Sheffield United voice in Sydie Peck form talk
Alan Biggs leaves Chris Wilder to do the talking this week about Sydie Peck
For better or worse, this is an opinion column. Mine. Personal views and an attempt at balance.
But there are times when I look for a stronger, more influential voice to amplify them.
This is one of those, prompting a question to Chris Wilder about his young Sheffield United midfielder Sydie Peck.
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I wondered if he’d agree with my view that the groans you sometimes hear when Peck is on the ball, or occasionally loses it, are mainly because … he always seems to be on the ball.
Always available, always trying to link play, ploughing on regardless of the odd rick, not letting crowd grumbles affect him.
Which is pretty remarkable - irrespective of this not being the best spell of his embryonic career - considering this is a 21-year-old who only came into the team as a regular last season.
Wilder’s opinion is more than supportive, suggesting those who deride one of his “most strong-minded” players should “give their head a shake.”
Worth bearing in mind also that United’s troubled season is testing far more experienced players.
So, for this one week, it’s mainly Wilder’s column from here: “There’s nobody more strong-minded than Sydie in our group.
“I think he got isolated and exposed early on in the season and maybe that’s where the criticism came. But he still wanted to get on the ball. And he wanted to get on the ball all the time in our last game against QPR.
“He made an unbelievable mistake against Derby recently that really turned the game in their favour. But he took that on, he carried on. He accepts the ball.
“He’s an England Under 21 international and he’s in his second season as a Championship player.
“So I think when people are giving him that type of criticism or niggling away at him maybe, they should give their head a little bit of a shake, look where he’s at and what he’s giving us as a player.”
Just butting in here to say this is by no means a general criticism of the Bramall Lane crowd - Wilder made a point of acknowledging staunch support during and after last Saturday’s frustrating goalless draw with QPR.
But you can probably guess who’ll be one of the first names on the teamsheet for the Steel City Derby at Hillsborough next weekend.
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