Boost for Wilder as Blades finally show their steel
Few Premier League fans will begrudge Sheffield United picking up their first win of the season at the 18th attempt, when they deservedly defeated Newcastle United 1-0 at Bramall Lane on Tuesday night.
What a relief it must have been for manager Chris Wilder in the postmatch interview not have to explain away another defeat.
Admittedly the Blades were helped by a limp performance by Newcastle who were being outplayed even before they were reduced to 10 men just before half-time when Ryan Fraser was sent off after two ridiculous tackles.
It was only fitting that the crucial goal came from 34-year-old veteran Billy Sharp, scoring from the penalty spot to notch his 100th goal for the club.
Sharp lamented: “I wish there were fans in the stadium. That was for them.”
Sheffield United seem to have been one club particularly affected by the empty stadiums.
The fans at Bramall Lane are regarded as some of the most enthusiastic in the league and last season they undoubtedly inspired their team to some unlikely victories.
Despite their lowly position, you rarely see the Blades being thrashed by opponents.
They have just lacked punch up front and invariably succumb by the odd goal.
On Tuesday night, Wilder’s team played well, although the most important thing was that they actually earned three points, clearly a huge boost for the manager and his players.
“It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been counting every minute of every hour, of every day,” said a thankful Wilder after 186 days without a win.
“We’ve got an incredible challenge ahead of us, but nobody is throwing in the towel.”
The strain on Wilder has been undeniable.
The Sheffield Star newspaper captured the moment after the final whistle, observing: “Wilder, who had spent the final seconds of the match with his back turned to the pitch, looked emotionally drained and thoroughly exhausted.”
Their win over Newcastle is probably a case of too little too late. To escape the drop, the Blades will need to pick up something like 10 victories, which seems highly unlikely. But in a strange season like this, you never know.
Most importantly, the victory will gives the players hugely-needed confidence and belief in themselves, especially following a hard-fought FA Cup win over Bristol Rovers.
They are going to need all the confidence they can muster considering their next three games are against Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester City. If they can get anything from that formidable trio they will have done well.
After this week’s match, it is probably Newcastle’s Steve Bruce who is under more pressure than Wilder with disenchanted supporters of the Magpies unhappy with his style of play and poor results which have left his team in an uncomfortable 15th place.
Interestingly, it was Newcastle who gave Derby their only win when the Rams were relegated in the 2007-08 season with just 11 points.
Despite their almost impossible situation, Wilder remains a cult hero at his club and rightly so.
He was responsible for that magnificent effort last season when they finished in ninth place after just about every pundit had predicted relegation.
Wilder knows Sheffield United pretty well, dating back to the days when he played for them (1986-92). Little wonder that their fans chant:
“He’s one of our own.”
Before winning promotion to the Premier League with the Blades, Wilder’s managerial experience was in the lower leagues.
Nonetheless, he has an impressive record, gaining promotion for Oxford United and Northampton Town.
Wilder did a remarkable job turning things around at Northampton who were bottom of League Two when he took charge.
Midfielder Joel Byrom commented: “It was an unbelievable time. He brought the whole club together in a time of need.”
After Northampton, Wilder joined Sheffield United in 2016 and brought them promotion after six long years in League One. Two seasons later they were in the Premier League.
Wilder’s immediate task is how to keep Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min quiet in tomorrow’s match at Bramall Lane.
Best of luck with that, although Fulham showed on Wednesday it can be done.