The important point Chris Wilder made about Sheffield United's results before and after lockdown

So although Sheffield United will enter the final match of the season knowing their dream of qualifying for Europe is over for at least another year, the fact they featured in the conversion at all reflects just how well Chris Wilder’s squad has performed since being promoted last term.

Despite losing to Carlo Ancelotti’s side on Monday - a result, combined with Wolves’ win over Crystal Palace, which left them four points behind seventh place ahead of Sunday’s visit to Southampton, United’s manager insisted his players should “feel proud” of what they have achieved across the course of a campaign disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. And reflecting upon their results since English football emerged from a three month lockdown five weeks ago, Wilder made a very important observation which, amid the tributes and inevitable disappointment of failing to reach the Europa League, got lost among the noise.

“It’s been hugely challenging for everybody,” Wilder said, conceding the break in the fixture schedule had not been as kind on United as some other clubs. “Maybe it’s not suited us, the restart, like a lot of other teams with the momentum and the backing we had.

“Even then though, you look at it, and after initially struggling to get going, we’ve still had some fabulous results. Even over the restart period, they would have been enough to stay in the division over the course of the season.”

As Wilder noted immediately after the loss to Carlo Ancelotti’s side, United have struggled to consistently reproduce the form they had shown before the schedule ground to a halt in March. Then, after beating Norwich City in front of a sold-out home crowd at Bramall Lane, they were unbeaten in six, sixth in the table having played a game less than fifth-placed Wolves and averaging 1.54 points per game. Since returning to action, that figure has fallen to 1.22 but is still higher than the 1.03 recorded by Brighton and Hove Albion across the course of the campaign as a whole. Graham Potter’s team confirmed their survival following a goalless draw with Newcastle earlier this week.

United provided a glimpse of their potential during their recent wins over Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers. But the performances against City and Everton exposed one weakness they need to address in order to build upon the progress they have made since Wilder’s appointment four years ago - when United were preparing to begin their sixth consecutive season in League One.

“We just lacked a little energy,” Wilder, whose squad lacks the same depth as over leading clubs, said following the meeting with Ancelotti’s men. “Maybe that’s why we lacked that little bit of quality when we needed it.”

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