Exclusive Chris Wilder interview: Sheffield United manager on ‘simple’ components behind Blades’ middling defensive record | Football news
Sheffield United’s defensive record this season is excellent.
It’s not quite as excellent as that of promotion rivals Burnley – who have conceded an incredibly impressive nine in 28 games – but 18 goals conceded in 28 games is still excellent. Third best in the top four divisions of English football, in fact.
What makes the Blades and their fans even more pleased is that it comes after a season in which they set Premier League records for all the wrong reasons.
It’s their name in the history books alongside the records for most goals conceded in a season (104), most goals conceded at home in a season (57), worst home goal difference (-38) and worst goal difference (- 69, shared with Derby in 2007/08).
Sky Sports‘ Dan Long spares Chris Wilder the reminder of last term’s gruesome numbers as the pair chat via Zoom – but the Blades boss flinches when asked how much the relegation process hurt. “Oh, please don’t!”
He was promised that the conversation would take a positive course after that.
“I was delighted when we were 5-0 down at half-time against Arsenal. It was a great feeling,” he says jokingly.
“When they just run over us, and after 20 minutes they’re 4-0 down to Villa and Brighton and things like that. Oh, it hurts.
“But when you live it, play in the game, play out and see the ruthlessness of the division and how teams find those moments of quality, that makes it the best division in the world – and you get exposed when you’re not good enough.
“It’s a tough place, quite a lonely place for a manager too. But I’ve been in the game long enough to know it’s not going to last forever and we need a reset in the summer.”
As part of the reset, the backline changed – almost completely – in the summer. “A clean sweep,” as Wilder says.
The back six of Wes Foderingham, Jayden Bogle, Anel Ahmedhodzic, Auston Trusty, Jack Robinson and Max Lowe on the final day of the 2023/24 season. became the back five of Michael Cooper, Alfie Gilchrist, Harry Souttar, Ahmedhodžić and Harrison Burrows for a 1-0 win over Watford in the first game after the summer transfer window closed.
Bogle and Trusty were sold to Leeds and Celtic respectively, Lowe joined Steel City rivals Sheffield Wednesday and Foderingham did the same at West Ham.
The style of play is also different, with the back four used almost exclusively.
“We’ve never designed our group as a counter-attacking team that sits back and hits people on the break; we want to control possession and we want to create chances,” says Wilder.
“I don’t think it’s old school, I just think it’s the right school that you have to correct both sides of the game and get them out of possession, we had to manage to give ourselves a chance to win, which we are.
“Of course we understand the different levels we play at and we don’t get punished as harshly in this division as we do in the Premier League. We’re still proud of the work that goes on and we have to keep it going.
“A lot of people expected us to go through the Championship and maybe end up in League One, which is where we were a few years ago, so to stop that slump and get that feel-good factor back into the football club, start winning football games was positive, no only for me or the coaches or the players, but most importantly, for the fans.
“They saw a team that plays with passion, plays with commitment, pride and personality and also plays with structure, which I’m sure they’re delighted to see.”
Even if there were, Wilder is not the type of man to give away the secret of success in the first 28 games of the season.
But it has its key ingredients, so to speak; the foundation on which everything is built.
“You need an attitude to be a team player,” he continues. “Everybody has a job to do, whether it’s wingers recovering, forwards getting back into solid, compact form, midfielders recovering, set pieces – and just the general attitude of keeping the ball out of the backfield.
“That’s a pretty simple way to put it, but sometimes it comes down to that. What’s your attitude in practice? If the game is small, do you want to win? Do you want to keep the ball out. Do you want to make that block?
“If you have that attitude in yourself, then you give yourself a chance to win football matches.
“We’re not gunslingers, we don’t want it to be a game of basketball. There are times when we’re put on the back foot that we have to deal with and we also want to go and punish teams.
“I don’t think there’s any secret to it. You want to be the best at what you want to do. You want to be the best at set-pieces. I’ve heard Mikel Arteta talk about it; they want to be the best team for counter-attacking, transitioning, defending, attacking, xG – that’s what you’re trying to aim for.
“The attitude of the players and their acceptance and enthusiasm to deal with individual things to get better and as a team is always a big asset. We have players who want to get better individually and hopefully that leads to a better team overall.
“Behind all that, you need a goalkeeper who can make a big save and certainly Michael (Cooper) has done that this season when he’s been called on, which is key.
“We had Dean Henderson here, and I talk a lot about Dean with a lot of affection. From a character point of view, he’s a completely different character than Michael, but what Michael is doing now is what Dean did for us that season [promotion from the Championship in 2018/19].
“We still have a long way to go, a lot of work still needs to be done, but we are in a great place.”
Watford and Preston jointly hold the record for fewest goals conceded in a Championship season; The Hornets conceded just 30 goals in 46 games during their 2020/21 promotion campaign, which equates to just 0.65 goals per game. North End did the same in 2005/06, before eventually losing to Leeds in the play-off semi-finals.
The Blades currently average 0.68 per game, but Burnley are on course to break the record with just 0.32 per game currently.
Regardless, he’s not on Wilder’s radar.
“You can enjoy it!” he answers. “You look back at how many points you need to get into the play-offs; last year we know three teams won more than 90 points, which is an incredible feat.
“Sometimes you see and you have to score over 75 and concede under 45 if you want to have a successful season, so we’re on track to hopefully have a good season, but you never know.
“There are a lot of close games and sometimes you need a bit of luck, but you need players to make big decisions and sometimes one is enough to win a football game.
“From a managerial point of view, I’d like it to be a bit more comfortable now and then, but occasionally it’s crucial to cross the line. Sometimes we enjoy a difficult 1-0 as much as the free-flowing 2-0 or 3-0 you can have in a season.
“You just have to keep your head down and go from game to game and, by the way, if we can continue to push them and improve these numbers on all fronts, then throughout the season we will try and improve, that has to be a big ambition and a big goal.”
The main goal is, of course, automatic promotion. Wilder has previously kicked the Blades out of League One and the Championship and wouldn’t say no to another promotion.
Five points separate the top four – Leeds, Sheffield United, Burnley and Sunderland – ahead of Friday night’s game, but Wilder is wary that more could join the race.
“We’re graded on winning football games, so we have to win football games,” he says.
“I have to say, I think there are other clubs involved in the mix who can come out of nowhere. Some of those clubs can go and win six, seven, eight games in a row and, all of a sudden, the landscape changes dramatically for those teams.
“Of course you enjoy the position because it means you are doing something good, the players are doing something good and we are winning football, so we want to continue that.
“We worked hard to get to this position and we have to accept it. You can’t hide from it, it’s everywhere. Whenever you turn on the TV, go online or whatever, it’s there. We have to accept it and definitely enjoy it.”
