Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder is relishing the prospect of going head-to-head with Leeds United at the top of the Championship table. Leeds are still at the top of the table but the weekend’s results have again made the race closer than ever. The Blades are level on points with Leeds and Burnley are just two points behind the Yorkshire teams, sitting third in the table. The automatic promotion race has come down to these three teams with eight games left in the season, and Wilder is now preparing to take his mind games to the next level before the teams come back from the international break a couple of weeks later.
Leeds United dropped more points on Saturday when they only managed a 2-2 draw at Loftus Road. It did break their sequence of four straight defeats away at QPR and they did come back from being two goals down.
However, it was two more points dropped and Sheffield United and Burnley took advantage and closed the gap by winning their respective league games.
Sheffield United emerged victors from a closely-fought Steel City derby against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough with a 1-0 scoreline and Chris Wilder appeared ready for a fight in his post-match comments.
The Blades were early season favourites to get promoted straight back up to the Premier League and the Sheffield United boss is under pressure to get the job done within the 46-game season.
However, Wilder is now feeling enthused after the win over his team’s local rivals and provided an insight into what he thinks about his side while taking a swipe at his rivals.
‘We should be clear at the top of the table’ – Chris Wilder
Leeds United have been credited for being the entertainers of the Championship this season and have been widely regarded as the best team in the division.
Even Wilder tipped them to win the Championship recently but Sheffield United have remained on the coattails of the Whites all season and are now level on points with the Whites.
The Sheffield United team were more or less completely dismantled last summer following their relegation from the Premier League and Wilder more or less built a completely new squad for the Championship.
The Blades boss indicated that his team haven’t been given enough credit for being in this position despite being a newly built squad last summer.
He also pointed out that if not for the EFL’s sanction, which led to the Blades starting the season with a two-point deficit, Sheffield United should now be clear at the top of the league table.
“It’s amazing today”, Wilder told Sheffield United TV.
“Nobody is talking about us going top and would have gone even further ahead with the two points added on that we should have.
“And it’s a team that has been put together in seven months.”
Leeds have reasons to worry
Even a few weeks back, Leeds were being backed to win the Championship with points to spare and some feel that could still happen in the final eight games of the season.
However, the automatic promotion race has gotten tighter and the margin for error after the international break will be minimal and dropping points will hurt more.
Leeds are still favourites to get the job done given the level of consistency they have shown but their recent form is patchy and they have won just two out of their last five league games.
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Last season’s playoff final heartbreak is something that is very much on Leeds’ minds and they are keen to ensure that they get the job done in the 46-game season.
However, the Whites will also have memories of Wilder’s Sheffield United beating Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds team to a top-two spot in the 2018/19 season.
Leeds were beaten by Derby in the playoff semi-final and Bielsa had to wait one more year before he could get the Whites to the Premier League.
Sheffield United and Wilder are old enemies of Leeds and they cannot afford to cede an inch in the promotion race in the final eight games of the season.
