Sheffield United’s promotion destiny remains in their own hands as boss makes big Burnley game point
Sheffield United’s promotion destiny remains in their own hands as boss makes big Burnley game point
By Chris Wilder’s own admission, it didn’t feel like it inside Bramall Lane after a second successive defeat saw Sheffield United slip out of the automatic promotion places with just five games to go. But the truth remains that the Blades’ Premier League destiny remains in their own hands - albeit with the caveat that they have to improve, and fast.
Tuesday night’s 1-0 reverse at home to Millwall saw United drop to third but they remain only two points behind Burnley and Leeds United, who have both dropped points in recent weeks as the pressure of the promotion run-in intensifies.
Burnley could only pick up a point away at struggling Derby County last night while a huge win for Leeds at Middlesbrough saw them return to the summit, a week after what seemed like their entire fanbase had lost their minds after a fourth draw in their last six games at Luton Town.
In simple terms, if United win their five remaining fixtures then they will be playing Premier League football next season, with Easter Monday’s clash at Turf Moor growing in magnitude with each passing week. But they cannot afford any more placid and ponderous displays between now and the end of the season if they are to avoid entering the dreaded lottery of the play-offs.
“You wouldn’t think so, would you?” said Wilder, when reminded that his side are still in control of their own destiny this season. “But this is how it is. It’s the emotion of football and the narrative will be that we’ve lost two games football that we all expected to win.
“If football was like that, it would be pretty easy and straightforward because we’d all get a coupon and win a win a load of dough. But it isn’t. We have to look inwardly and be better on so many things. And we’ve got to try and take that anxiety away because when we when we do play freely, as we did 11 days ago [against Coventry] it was arguably our best performance of the season.
“We have to deal with that that side of it better. We got frustrated, we got ragged and we were making some poor decisions and that’s what it does to teams at this stage of the season. So hopefully we’ll have a calming performance, a better performance, on Saturday, although it’s not going to be a straightforward game because they’re fighting for their lives as well.
“But a win would settle us down. And we need that. We need a result on Saturday, and we understand that.”
Chris Wilder responds to theory over Sheffield United v Burnley clash
There is a growing view amongst fans and pundits alike that outcome of Easter Monday’s clash at Turf Moor could go a long way towards deciding the promotion race. “Well, if we win at Burnley and lose the other four, it makes no odds does it?” argued Wilder in response.
“We’ve just got to win the next game of football, because we can’t allow that gap to grow if we want to be successful or take the season deep. The Burnley game will take care of itself but from a mathematical point of view, if you win the next five games you go up. We understand that, and so do Burnley and so do Leeds. We’re all in the same situation.”