Why Chris Wilder hopes Sheffield United keep 'overachieving' as they target Champions League place

With 12 games remaining Wilder’s men are sixth in the table, with fifth place likely to be enough to secure Champions League qualification after Manchester City’s two-year UEFA ban was handed down.

The first of those definitive dozen games comes on Saturday when Wilder’s men face Brighton and Hove Albion at Bramall Lane.

And, asked how news of City’s punishment went down at United, Wilder said: “Nothing changes in regards to the Champions League. The Premier League is an extremely competitive league.

"We are proud of our position and we’ve worked hard to get there. We need a bounce of the ball and to keep our key players free of injury. But we have got a focused group who have belief in themselves and are looking forward to the next game.

"That’s the approach all season and assessments will be made at the end. We are in a great position and are looking for the next win – without taking our foot off the gas.

"We are playing another established Premier League club and are still new in the division. But I am not a comfortable manager and am looking for the next result. So are my players.

"I haven’t talked about it [qualifying for the Champions League]. I have been in the game long enough to know the pitfalls of patting ourselves on the back.

"We are always looking to overachieve. I have always looked to do that as a manager and so have the players. We will always try to overachieve, that’s a good way to put it and it is a good view and attitude to take."