Sheffield United: Why Chris Wilder probably loves it when people write his team off

But Chris Wilder, whose Sheffield United side could climb to fifth in the Premier League table if they beat Brighton and Hove Albion today, still could not resist the temptation to take a swipe at those pundits he believes are guilty of failing to recognise his squad’s qualities.

“I’m not interested in what the critics or the pundits say,” he said. “It’s an opinion.

“People will always have one, an opinion, they’ll always talk about stuff. Especially in this division, with all the media coverage and the spotlight that’s on it.

“If you don’t want to be a part of it, then take yourself out of it. But if you do want to be a part of it, which we do, then it comes with the territory.”

Implicit in Wilder’s message is a reminder, to those United supporters angered by some of the analysis surrounding United’s performances, not to waste their time or energy highlighting its mistakes.

“We get on with doing what we’re doing,” he said. “People talk about ‘old school’ values and all of that. Well, I just think its the right values. It’s as simple as that.”