Sheffield United 4 Middlesbrough 1: Paul Heckingbottom and Chris Wilder reaction as Blades go up to fifth

Chris Wilder made his first return to Bramall Lane this evening as play-off rivals Sheffield United and Middlesbrough went head-to-head, with the Blades running out 4-1 winners.
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Wilder left United almost a year ago, after a hugely successful time in charge of his boyhood club.

Here’s how managers Paul Heckingbottom and Wilder reacted as the Blades went up to fifth.

Blades v Boro LIVE

Paul Heckingbottom’s reaction

Lot’s of reasons why it’s good. Everyone deserves credit because there’s a lot of work goes into a performance. That was one of them where it comes off for you.

“To lots of people it is [more special] but to us it’s three points. For Chris it is different, 100 per cent and I’m really pleased with how the day’s gone for us. “It was great Chris’s team got announced and got the ovation but we all know when the whistle goes it’s about the win and our fans want us to win, which is great. Everything from that aspect was handled really well.”

CW on United’s fans

They’re right behind Paul and Stuart and Jack and so they should be, because they’ve done a great job turning things around.

CW reaction continued

I’ve been on one journey and I know how to do it, and I’ll go on another one. You’ve got to stick your chest out and play and be a player, and I didn’t have one player. We got dominated 1-11 and we didn’t have anyone who came out with a positive. We created a couple of chances, we should score at 2-0 against the run of play and our goal is a crap goal from Sheff United’s point of view. We didn’t get a foothold in the game. We got dominated, we’ve got to take it on the chin and reflect.

Chris Wilder’s post-match reaction

I take absolutely no positives out of tonight at all. We could be sat in here until 3 o’clock pulling it to pieces but hopefully it’s a one-off. They were better than us in every area. That is nowhere near what I expect and demand and way off what the boys have produced.

and United go fifth in the table after blitzing Boro at Bramall Lane - MGW is announced as the fans’ man of the match and there can be little argument there, but United were superb from the moment they went ahead and never looked like relinquishing that lead. Stay tuned for reaction, player ratings and more on a night to remember for the Blades ... another one!

Standing ovation for Sharp

as he’s replaced by Oli McBurnie

and that’s the best of the lot as Gibbs-White flicks Osborn’s cross past Lumley for the fourth - to have the vision to do that is rare, the confidence even rarer and to have the ability as well marks this lad out as a very special young player indeed

Norrington-Davies heads over

after a lovely combination between Gibbs-White and Berge sees the former cross from the byline, RND got up but couldn’t get his header on target

Gibbs-White’s pass

is just a tad too heavy for Berge to run on to and it rolls through to Lumley - a big block at the other end from Egan prevented Watmore’s shot testing Foderingham

and the visitors have one back courtesy of a bit of a nightmare from Foderingham - he goes to kick the ball, slips and presents a simple chance to Balogun who takes it past him and scores from a narrow angle. 3-1 at the Lane

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