Sheffield United told what must change to fuel play-off push as boss outlines Wrexham, Birmingham City contrast
Sheffield United told what must change to fuel play-off push as boss outlines Wrexham, Birmingham City contrast
Sheffield United are looking to get back on the horse quickly this afternoon when they return to Championship action against Portsmouth at a rowdy Fratton Park. The Blades’ good recent run took a slight setback earlier this week with a 2-1 home defeat to new league leaders Middlesbrough.
There was enough in the United display, especially early on, to retain optimism about a late-season surge up the table but in a way it also highlighted one of boss Chris Wilder’s main criticisms of his side since he returned to Bramall Lane back in September.
Since that point there have been numerous games where United have not gained the rewards that their dominance suggested they should have, with conservative suggestions from inside Bramall Lane that United could be seven or eight points better off in the table based on some of their displays that yielded only draws, or even defeats.
The 1-0 loss to a poor Charlton Athletic side not long ago is one stinging example, with United shooting themselves in the foot by missing some golden chances and then having two men sent off, and the challenge to the Blades is to quickly get back to winning ways against John Mousinho’s Pompey.
“Both teams are after three points in an attempt to climb the table,” said Wilder before making the long journey to the south coast. “So nothing changes in our approach. We understand the challenges that we've had over the last three games against Portsmouth.
“It’s a really tough place to go and get a result, as it proved going down there last season. We could have won it. We could have lost it. And I believe a draw was maybe a fair result. It was definitely a tight game at home. I think we nicked that one. The sending off maybe played a part in the home game this year, and us running out comfortable winners on the night.
Sheffield United told what must change to fuel play-off push as boss outlines Wrexham, Birmingham City contrast
“And I don’t anything will change this time. But I don't think anything changes in terms of any game in the Championship. People will look through the fixture list and think it was just a foregone conclusion that we'd roll Oxford over.
“They go to Coventry and get a draw against a side at the top of the division. So this is the challenge of Championship football, wherever you go. As John said, we've got a talented squad. We're a big club in the division. We've earned the right to be a big club in the division, by our actions over the last 10 years.
“As I've said, a few times, we’re a top 25 club in English football, in my opinion. We've done that because we've been successful. And that's allowed us to purchase players and improve the squad and improve the academy, and improve the ground.
“So it's done from within. It has been done from within. It's not done by somebody coming over the top, maybe like a Wrexham or a Birmingham and going down that road. So it's been a lot of hard work to get us in this position.
“But we're a big club and we have to deal with that. And we have to deal with the situation on Saturday. A really honest group that we're playing against. A tough place to go. A team that's well coached.
“We've got a few injuries and we'll be tested but we're going to have to produce a good performance to get a win. My criticism of the team, which I've said for about the last six or eight weeks is that we've not turned enough losing positions into draws and losing positions into wins and even Monday night.
“I see some results go and you feel that we possibly could have turned that result into a draw. Definitely at Southampton. We can write off the Charlton game, obviously, and there are other games through that period where we have to come away with something.
“We have to try and get back onto a run. We've got ourselves going. We've lost a game and now reset and go again.”