Sheffield United's Chris Wilder accuses critics of one fellow manager of showing their footballing ignorance

Speaking as he prepares to take his Sheffield United side to Turf Moor on Sunday, for a match which pits seventh versus 10th in the Premier League table, Wilder expressed disbelief that anyone could dare to question Dyche’s record in Lancashire since taking charge eight years ago.

One well-known pundit questioned if Dyche had taken Burnley “as far as he could” when they were beaten 3-0 at Bramall Lane in November.

Eight months on, as the two clubs prepare to renew their rivalry, Wilder revealed he had faced similar questions himself following last month’s defeat at Manchester United - despite leading the visitors out of League One and onto the cusp of the European places following his own appointment in 2016.

“I heard somebody say the same thing about me after the game there, when the ball went from Harry Maguire, to Bruno Fernandes, to Anthony Martial, to Marcus Rashford and then back again the Martial,” he said. “Questioning Sean is complete and utter ignorant nonsense.

“Has Burnley gone as far as they can for Sean? That’s what I would be thinking if I was sat there as him. Has the club done as much as they possibly can for someone who is a brilliant manager?”

“I honestly don’t get it,” Wilder continued, when asked why many do not hold Dyche in the same high regard as many overseas coaches. “Sean can manage at whatever level he wants. Who says you can’t manage at Preston, let’s say, and then Manchester United? Because it’s happened.

“All I can say is that what goes on inside boardrooms clearly doesn’t mirror what goes on inside League Managers Association meetings, where Sean is one of the most respected people there.”

United climbed to within five points of their namesakes from Manchester when they dispatched Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 yesterday, recording their first win since English football returned to action following the Covid-19 pandemic. Burnley are a further two behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Explaining why United studied their latest opponents closely after gaining promotion last term, Wilder said: “In our environment, we talk about them and what they’ve done in terms of consistency.

“How they develop players, how they sell a few and reinvest. They are established and are comfortably inside the top ten. It’s another brilliant achievement by Sean and his players.

“We can’t talk about Tottenham and Wolves and Leicester and even (Crystal) Palace - because they are on a different level to us. We will try and emulate another really hard working football club.”

United are set to enter the game without a number of key players at their disposal, including John Lundstram and John Fleck, while Matthew Lowton is expected to miss-out for Burnley.

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