'You can do this' Sheffield United are told as they prepare for 10 games set to decide their Premier League future

United enter the international break at the foot of the table after suffering a 4-1 defeat by Chelsea - a result which leaves them still without a win since finishing ninth last term.

Speaking after the game, Wilder insisted United’s fate “will not be decided in games like this” or against reigning champions Liverpool and Manchester City, who they faced en route to Stamford Bridge.

However, he conceded a run of fixtures which sees them face fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion and Brighton and Hove Albion will shape the rest of their campaign.

With that in mind, and despite expressing concerns about United’s defending in Jack O’Connell’s absence - the centre-half is recovering from knee surgery - Wilder nevertheless tipped his squad to silence the critics he accepts are circling both at Bramall Lane and beyond.

“I believe in the players, I really do,” he told The Star. “They’ve done fabulous for me. I know there’s going to be opinions out there, with people saying this and that on social media or whatever, but this group will stick together. We will fight our way through it.

“Everyone is an expert at times like this, when it’s not going well. You just have to stick your chest out, fight through it and get through it. And, do you know what? It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if we do, because I know what these lads are like. It really wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

United, who have also faced Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers this season, return to action a week on Sunday when West Ham make the journey to South Yorkshire. They then travel to The Hawthorns, before meetings with Leicester City, Southampton and Manchester United ahead of a trip to Albion.

“The next 10 games, we need points on the table,” Wilder said. “We need to do that to establish a foothold in the competition. If we don’t do well, then it won’t be enough to get us out of the situation we are in, because of the opposition we are coming up against.

“But our season won’t be decided by matches like this one.”

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