WON- HUNDRED
Getting a ton of Blades wins is a real weight off Wilder’s back.. so will this victory kick- start the Great Escape?
BRISTOL ROVERS ROV Kilgour Ehmer
SSTUCK on 99 since last July, Chris Wilder is b banking on his 1 0 0 t h w i n a s Sheffield United boss signalling b better times.
After f i nally na nailing that personal ton in a tight, topsyturvy FA Cu Cup tie at League One Br i s t o l R o v e r s , t h e Bl ades chi ch ef ’ s att ention immediat immediately turned back to the club’s desperate plight at the foot fo of the Premier League.
With Without a top- f light victory in 17 outings this term, Wilder’s W basement boys d desperately need to rectify rect that appalling situa situation as soon as possible. poss But that i s easier said than done. Their remaining fixtures this month are Newcastle, Tottenham , Manchester United and then Manchester City. Gulp!
Which i s why Saturday ’s success, albeit in a different competition against opponents 42 places below them in the p y r a m i d , w a s u t t e r l y imperative.
After 19 defeats and two draws in six sorry months, at last the Yorkshire strugglers can add a ‘ W’ to the stats.
Wilder, under pressure like never before during four- anda - h a l f y e a r s i n c h a r g e , admitted: “Hopefully, we can use this and take it forward. That would be great.
“O bv i ously, i t ’s di f f i c ul t because we have Newcastle on Tuesday, who are a real l y established Premier League side.
“Then it’s Tottenham, who look li ke they might have a we e k ’s r e s t o n u s , n e x t weekend. They are a top side, with a f abulous group of pl aye r s – a nd a br i l l i a nt
OUR BUMP START.. Wilder greets the goalkeeping coach at Rovers, David Coles manager. So, it ’s tough. It ’s game on again for us – as it was today. But there is no downside to winning. I have just told the players that.”
Wilder then dismissed his own centur y mileston e as irrelevant, while opening up on the heavy mood hanging over his beloved Blades throughout a wretched second campaign back among the elite.
“The players care, they hurt. T h e y a r e n o t t o i l e t - b a g footballers,” insisted the former Bramall Lane defender, 53.
“I look into their eyes and see t h e y ’r e hur t i ng i ncredi bly. Hopefully, they can feel a little bit lift off them with this win.
“I ’m really not interested in 100 wins. It’s never, ever been about me.
“Every decision I make is for the benefit of the club.”
Wilder certainly got those right in the West Country on Saturday.
Firstly, car- smash striker Lys Mouss e t ’s h e a d e r l e d t o United’s opener – an own goal by unlucky Rovers goalkeeper
Jo e Day. Then , af t er Alf i e Kilgour equali sed f or Paul Tisdale’s hosts before the break, Blades substitute Ollie Burke came off the bench to make it 2- 1 with a fine 58th- minute run and finish.
Impressive Rovers, 18th in League One but with several games in hand on the majority, l e v e l l e d a g a i n – t h r o u g h defender Max Ehmer.
But j ust a minute l at er Burke’s dummy allowed rightback Jayden Bogle ( left) in for the winner.
New Gas boss Tisdale said: “We can t ake c onf i dence. There wasn’t a lot in it against a Premier League side.” BRISTOL ROVERS: Day 8, Ehmer 6, Kilgour 8, Baldwin 7, Leahy 7, Westbrook 7, Upson 6 ( Rodman 80), Mccormick 6, Oztumer 6 ( Grant 60, 6), Hanlan 6, Ayunga 7 ( Barrett 60, 6)
SHEFFIELD UNITED: Ramsdale 6, Basham, 6, Egan 6, Ampadu 7, Bogle 7, Lundstram 7 ( Bryan 73), Norwood 6, Fleck 7 ( Lowe 86), Osborn, Mcgoldrick, Mousset 7 ( Burke 52, 8)
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