Watch Chris Wilder's emotional 11-minute answer on Sheffield United powershift v Sheffield Wednesday
Watch Chris Wilder's emotional 11-minute answer on Sheffield United powershift v rivals Wednesday
An emotional Chris Wilder detailed the remarkable powershift between his Sheffield United side and city rivals Wednesday, after his first derby double as the Blades boss extinguished Wednesday’s faint promotion hopes and sent his side back joint top of the Championship table. Rhian Brewster was the hero for the Blades, tapping home from close range after Tyrese Campbell’s cross landed in his path.
The Blades claimed the bragging rights back in November thanks to Campbell’s goal and arrived in Hillsborough with a bit more pressure than usual, having fallen out of the top two yesterday after Burnley beat Swansea City. But they dealt with the emotions of Hillsborough brilliantly, weathering an early Owls storm and then taking their major chance when it arrived.
Afterwards, boss Wilder gave an impassioned 11-minute answer to The Star’s Danny Hall about his emotions after the victory, recalling events in 2016 when he was first appointed as the manager of his boyhood club and Wednesday lost in the play-off final to Hull City - and how the Blades have regained the power in the city since.
Click the video above to hear the full answer.
"We win games of football,” Wilder said in part of the answer. “We've won 82 points after 38 games. Sheffield Wednesday are on 51, their season's done. Ours is still alive. Those supporters that had bets with Sheffield Wednesday fans in the summer about who will finish higher, I hope they've cashed in and enjoy their winnings. We're 31 points clear of them, that's quite big.
"We weren't even thinking about going joint top [with Leeds]. The message was all about: ‘You have the opportunity of winning a Sheffield double.’ I enjoy it because I didn't enjoy it for a long time. No Sheffield United fans did.
"We were ridiculed. I was called a Meadowhall League manager and Carlos [Carvalhal, the former Wednesday boss] was called a Champions League manager before we beat them 4-2. I got LMA manager of the year [in 2019], I've got five promotions and now we're in the mix with unbelievable opposition at the top of the division. We might not do it, but we've put ourselves in a good position.
"When I went for a run this morning, at half five, six or whatever daft time, just to get out of my house and clear my head, all I was thinking about was winning a game of football. We've got a lovely habit, no matter anyone says about how we play. We've won a game of football and the opposition would swap it in a heartbeat to be in our position.”