Basham: After our squeaky bum moment at Villa the boss dug us out, now we’ve shown real grit

CHRIS BASHAM reckons Sheffield United’s “lifechanging” bid for promotion is “unbreakable”.

But Leeds’ Patrick Bamford blasted back, claiming the Blades over-celebrated this crucial win.

Chris Wilder’s side have gone seven games without conceding a goal. They are undefeated in 10, with seven wins, including the “psychologically massive” defeat of Leeds.

That run has lifted the Blades into the automatic promotion places and sown more seeds of doubt at Elland Road. Basham will travel to Valencia for a training camp today, with his team-mates knowing they are eight games from making history.

He said: “We just feel unbreakable. It’s life-changing for a lot of footballers in this dressing room, with the budget we’ve got and the money we’ve spent.

“But there’s a lot of lads in there who are destined to go all the way to the top, and hopefully it’s with Sheffield United.”

The turning point came after a 3-3 draw against Aston Villa, when boss Wilder showed a “video nasty” of the game to sort out their mentality.

Basham explained: “The most we felt it was ‘squeakybum time’ was Aston Villa.

“As footballers, we can all be a bit vulnerable at times.

“The first 80 minutes, when we were brilliant, but the last 10 when we weren’t.

“He (Wilder) dug a lot of people out and I was one of them. But that has really set us on our way.”

Basham (above) was the unlikely hero, ending Leeds’ three-game winning streak with a strike from 18 yards.

The Blades have gone 10 hours without conceding a goal and Basham said: “We’ve shown grit and determination. There were lads chucking themselves in front of balls and making blocks. Everyone is together.”

Wilder has certainly been impressed by that spirit. He called this win “a full-on, big-b ****** s performance by everybody”.

Leeds had 17 shots but none on target and 70 per cent possession. They sometimes lack a ruthless touch in front of goal. Having keeper Kiko Casilla red-carded late on didn’t help either.

But striker Bamford accused Blades’ players of overcelebrating their victory. He said: “Hearing the Sheffield boys, it was as if they think they are already up. Now the pressure will turn on Norwich and Sheffield. For Sheffield, it’s their second time in the top two.

“It will be interesting to see how they cope with the pressure of not being underdogs, but being in pole position. This game hasn’t decided the promotion race.

“We know now it’s been taken out of our hands but, if someone puts together eight straight wins, take your hat off to them. There will be twists and turns.”

LEEDS: SHEFFIELD UNITED: