SHOW STEELERS

Baldock reveals how desire to prove their critics wrong lifted Blades from pre-season write-offs to pride of the Prem

GEORGE BALDOCK has revealed how Sheffield United’s band of brothers were inspired by everyone writing them off.

Blades boss Chris Wilder pinned articles up in the dressing room to challenge his players to prove all the critics wrong.

One radio show dismissed their chances of staying up, labelled Billy Sharp a League One striker and claimed “They would end up being worse than Huddersfield.”

But the barbs have only inspired Baldock and his United team-mates.

Baldock, 27, who has played every minute of their 28 games, said: “I think it was on TALKSPORT, the line was, ‘Sheffield United aren’t even taking this Premier League seriously. Billy Sharp is a League One player.’

“What? He scored 25 goals last season in the Championship!

“Another one was we play basic football. That was baffling because if you watch us then one word you can’t call us is basic.

“I understand some people try to get a reaction, that we would have our doubters and critics. I try to laugh it off and prove people wrong.

“And through hard work we have been able to do that. But I have always said that if I got to the Premier League it would suit my game more than the Championship.

“I love testing myself against the best players, going one-on-one, testing my speed and agility and I’ve always had a burning desire to show people that is my game.”

Baldock (above, with Mirror Sport’s John Cross) has a down-to-earth attitude and, having worked his way from MK Dons and going out on loan to Oxford, Tamworth and an important learning curve in Iceland, he appreciates what he has now.

Wilder’s talent for signing the right type of player has ensured a strong mentality in the dressing room, and that has been their driving force all season and the reason they have caused so many upsets.

“I could honestly say that if I got married tomorrow, then I would invite 15 of them!” said Baldock.

“We seem to have this culture where after a training session, there’s probably about 10 of us who congregate at a coffee shop after training, everyone is having coffee and cake and really enjoying everyone’s company.”

That togetherness has got them a long way, upsetting the odds and giving them a great chance of qualifying for Europe.

“It’s definitely a dream of mine, 100 per cent,” said Baldock.

“This manager has been so successful wherever he’s been. There’s this trust in him, like he trusts us, and we can achieve great things with the right mentality.

“He keeps telling us, ‘We’re in a great position, don’t pass up this opportunity, don’t be nervous, don’t be anxious, take everything in your stride.’ You can see a real culture now around the training ground – everyone is enjoying it, with their chests out, and trying to make it special.”

‘Someone said Billy Sharp was just League One standard.. but he scored 25 goals in the Championship last season!’

BY JOHN CROSS CHRIS WILDER laid the foundations for Sheffield United’s incredible season with his ‘Terror Tuesdays’ pre-season sessions. Boss Wilder (right) has inspired one of the great success stories of the Premier League era by taking newly-promoted Blades to the brink of the Champions League. It has come via a mix of team work, dressing-room spirit and extreme fitness – starting with an unforgettably painful day in Portugal back in July. It has helped sustain their whole campaign. Wing-back George Baldock, who has played in all of their 28 games, said: “Terror Tuesdays, ooh, that’s not nice. It’s not nice. “The whole week the manager would be talking about it, walking past you in the breakfast room and saying, ‘Not long till Tuesday, get your running spikes on’. You’re going out in 25 degree heat, full-size pitch and, depending on pre-season testing, he’ll put you in groups – no shortcuts. “So it’s tight, competitive and the 11-a-side pitch was split into six, a pole in each corner. “You have to start with a jog, get to the pole and then it was run as quick as you can for one minute, jog for five, run as quick as you can for two, jog for four, run as quick as you can for three, jog for three, all the way round the whole pitch. “I remember doing it, everyone was on their knees and then he says, ‘You’ve got to go do it again from one now’. “Then you’re doing it for six, running for five, then he’s got us all to the halfway line. ‘Right, you’ve got to run 1,200 metres as quick as you can’. “When I look back, it was a clever way to test how mentally strong you are. He just wants to see you go to the absolute max.”