Sheffield United: '˜We won't take prisoners next season'

Wilder, who took charge of Sheffield United last month, admitted he will be keeping a close on their “attitudes” and “application” after warning the League One club adopt a more confrontational approach next term.

“We are going to be taking the lads out of their comfort zone,” he said. “We’ll be doing that because this is a tough competition which takes you out of your comfort zone also. If you want to be comfortable, if that’s what you think it’s going to be like, then you won’t be doing much. There’s no doubt about that.”

United began their preparations for the 2016/17 campaign at the Steelphalt Academy on Monday. Wilder, together with his assistant Alan Knill, have identified an inability to seize control of games as a major factor behind the team’s 11th placed finish last season.

“We want to be right at it, in the opposition’s faces and giving them a hard time,” he continued. “We don’t want it to be easy for anyone coming up against us and we won’t allow it to be either. Win, lose or draw, that’s something we just won’t accept.

“So that’s why everyone has got to be bang on it, in every single session. Every day, every time they train because that sets the tone for everything else. If you aren’t like that in training, it won’t happen in games. You can’t just switch that on and off.”