Sheffield United's 'clear' Player of the Year according to Chris Wilder; Hawkeye; missing Lys Mousset and Billy Sharp's love for Blades fans: SIX big takes from today's press conference

Our man Danny Hall offers six talking points from the press conference, as the Blades look to seal an eighth-placed finish in their first season back in the Premier League.

Moose not cut loose

It was good to hear a bit of clarification regarding Lys Mousset, whose absence from the teamsheet against Everton sent panic through the United fanbase and led to all sorts of speculation about what had happened. The striker's partner has recently given birth and after picking up a few knocks and niggles, according to Wilder, was allowed to return to France. He won't feature at Southampton this weekend, and we'll have to wait and see whether we see him again in a United shirt going forwards.

VAR still cuts deep

Wilder was again asked about his opinion on VAR and although he managed to remain diplomatic - admitting he won't say what he really thinks about the ghost goal farce against Aston Villa - it is clear that the Villa Park situation still rankles. And it's easy to understand why. Assuming United won that game - which, granted, wasn't a given - it could have put a completely different complexion on their post-lockdown season. Even sticking two points on their tally would, with a game left, have given United a sniff of Europe - and Hawkeye's remarkable failure might still have ramifications, at both ends of the table.

Awards season

The manager revealed that United's player of the season awards will be handed out today, after a vote, and although Billy Sharp refused to reveal who got his vote, the skipper believes there will be a clear winner. But it's far from a foregone conclusion and, as we discussed in this piece yesterday, as many as 10 players could be considered a worthy recipient of the award.

My winner is...

Chris Basham. Just like last season, it is far from a simple decision but for me, Basham is the heartbeat of this United side. His defensive stats stack up well against his fellow centre-halves across the Premier League and offensively, he offers so much to this United side. I still remember him taking on three players away at Manchester City and reminding myself that this was a centre-half. He still remains the fittest member of United's squad, despite turning 32 earlier this year, and hopefully has many more years in a red and white shirt yet.

Sharp wants the fans back

He's not alone there, but the amount of times the skipper repeated the 'football is nothing without fans' mantra in his press conference shows how desperate he is to see supporters back inside Bramall Lane. And not just for their support, either - Sharp admitted he thrives on stick from opposition fans, almost as much as he does on the Blades faithful getting behind him. Interestingly, Sharp believes that United took too long to adjust to not having their supporters in the ground. "Football isn't the same without fans..we just want to thank them for what they've given us," he said.

A sentimental return

Southampton is a club that forms a big part of the story for both United's manager and skipper. Wilder spent his formative football years on the south coast, learning not only to be a good footballer but a good person, and credits the grounding he received as Southampton as being key to his life. Sharp, too, spent time on the south coast and helped them gain promotion to the Premier League, but was then jettisoned after a handful of minutes. It took a while to get back into the top-flight, after dropping down into League One with the Blades, but that will have made it all the sweeter for Sharp when he scored his first Premier League goal on the opening day of the current season away at Bournemouth.

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