Chris Wilder on Sheffield United 1 WBA 1

The Star, Sheffield

Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, Chris Wilder discusses Sheffield United’s draw against West Brom, Harry Souttar’s season-ending injury and the possibility of early business in the January transfer window

Transcript

00:00Chris, how do you react to a draw today?

00:04I am super proud of my team, super proud. We are so stretched, it's unbelievable.

00:12I thought we were light at the start of the season with bodies and we had to keep everybody healthy.

00:22When we suffer a couple of injuries, more than a couple, we are getting stretched.

00:29As I have said before, I look at the team we played on Boxing Day,

00:33I look at the team that is possibly at the top of the division and even them today.

00:38They have injuries but Dean Garner, Dobbin, Swift.

00:44We were really tested and it was disappointing to come off the pitch on Boxing Day night.

00:53It was a tight game, it was two teams that were up there for a reason, winning games of football.

01:01Two teams that were well coached, a lot of good players on the park and we just didn't get the result we were after.

01:13I know Scott Parker talked about his young team.

01:17If his is a young team, mine is under 10s if I am being totally honest.

01:27Me learning about the group today was a big situation and I really enjoyed watching them go about the business.

01:37First off, we were excellent. We pressed, we arrayed, we won first balls, we won second balls.

01:42By the way, this is against a decent side and by the way as well, this championship is a tough division.

01:49People talk about the division, we have spent three out of the last six years in the Premier League.

01:58We have had three promotions in that period, an FA Cup semi-final since 2016 when I walked through the door.

02:06We have had a decent little go at it and it is tough.

02:11West Brom are trying to get into the Premier League, all the other clubs are trying to get into the Premier League.

02:15Middlesbrough are trying to get into the Premier League, Coventry are trying to get into the Premier League and we are as well.

02:22When we stretched, looking at my group to see if I could learn a few things about it and I have learned loads today about their attitude.

02:30Their attitude before the game, during the game, towards the end where you saw players were absolutely shattered.

02:36There is an illness that has run through the group.

02:38Siddy Pape wasn't very well, Robbo wasn't very well, Rhys Newington-Davies, Rhian Brewster have not been great.

02:44But they left everything out there for the supporters, for me and the team and the supporters.

02:49I have got to say, I know, I understand the dynamics of it.

02:53You are not going to get 28,000 in the ground at the end of a game, so there is no criticism towards that.

02:59But the people that stayed showed their appreciation for a proper Sheffield United performance today.

03:04Proud of the boys, quick turnaround.

03:07First half we were really disappointed to go in 1-1 and we tried.

03:11They got out of the blocks the first 5-10 minutes of the second half, which made a good save.

03:16But after that, we were pushing and pushing and pushing to get a winner.

03:21We were bold, we were brave.

03:23We brought Siddy off.

03:24We played two high eights as two sixes.

03:28We got Rhian on the pitch and we wanted to win.

03:32I wanted to win today so badly.

03:35The majority of times, because that is the way I have been brought up, it is about results.

03:42It is a results-based industry.

03:44But today was about a performance.

03:47I have got to say, Rob, I thought they were really good.

03:50I am very proud of every one of them and their efforts today.

03:53I know you like the young players here and you have got a lot of time for them.

03:56But when you have got a bench with that many on there, you just don't have many options in the second half to change things.

04:01No, attacking. We are putting it from an attacking point of view.

04:06Game changes, which we have always had here.

04:10Go back to the promotion season in 18-19, where Didsey and the skipper,

04:16and then Scott Ogan came on and Gary Medin came on.

04:19We have always tried to do that, freshen it up.

04:21Mark Duffy and boys like that.

04:24We have got young Rhian at 18, who really should be out on loan.

04:29But he is supplementing the group at the moment.

04:32And Rhian has two attacking options.

04:36From a defensive point of view, we have got Rhys Norrington-Davies and Sam McCallum.

04:43So, we have possibly got four subs out there.

04:46It would not have been right for me to expose the young players into that environment today,

04:50because it is not under-21 and it is not League One or mid-table.

04:55It is top-end championship football when you are right up against it.

04:59But, as I have said before, I do not like it when teams leave slots available.

05:07So, the likes of Sam and Billy Blacker and Marshy being involved

05:13and learning about players and players' attitude.

05:17So, another positive today is those boys have looked into the eyes of the Jack Robinsons,

05:22the Indian Nells and the Tom Davieses and Kiefer Moores.

05:27And hopefully learned a bit about that and enjoyed being around a proper football team

05:32and a proper football club.

05:34Really good goal as well, wasn't it, for Andre Brooks' first senior goal?

05:37Yes, delighted for Brooks.

05:39He started off the season very well and then Jez has come in, so he has had to fight.

05:44So, we needed something more.

05:46We have had chats about it.

05:48He needs to do more in training.

05:49He needs to do more on a Monday to Friday.

05:51But, he is sort of getting there now.

05:53So, an opportunity for him and I thought he was outstanding today.

05:58And you could just see, he has not played a lot of football.

06:02He is cramping up towards the end, but he was willing to get off the canvas

06:06and go again, recover to Old Palfey and then get to the top of the pitch.

06:09So, I have got to say, I loved the attitude and the personality of the team today.

06:14And I have loved it all season.

06:17And I said to the boys afterwards, sometimes these results have not gone for you.

06:22But, if you keep producing that for me, for the staff, for each other

06:27and most importantly the supporters, you will see that reception that they got at the death.

06:32You need some help though.

06:33Yes.

06:34The next time we will see you, it will be 2025 and it will be the January transfer window.

06:37It will be open.

06:38So, have you had the kind of conversations that make you think

06:42you can do some early business in the window?

06:44Well, another one, Ari Suter, he goes back to Leicester now.

06:48Snapped his Achilles, so he is out for the season.

06:51So, that is a big blow for us.

06:53We will have players back, I think, for the Norwich game.

06:56So, most probably be the same group that we are picking for the Sunderland and the Watford game.

07:03We have had those conversations after the 27th of December.

07:11They are ongoing, as we talked about, positive conversations with the owners

07:18to sensibly help the group.

07:22It puts us in a brilliant position.

07:24So, help me, help the group, help the supporters in terms of having a strong second part of the season.

07:30Also, massive numbers coming in.

07:34I like the chemistry of the group, the way they are together.

07:38Definitely, players need resting, players can't play.

07:42The likes of Tom Davis, who has had modified training since he has been out for a long time.

07:46Rhian, Rhys Norrington-Davis.

07:48I know players might say, why didn't you pick him and why didn't you pick him?

07:52We are making decisions from a medical point of view and a physical point of view.

07:56I don't really want to do that, but we are having to do that because Tyrese is background

08:01and the other boy is background.

08:04So, that's when you need to be able to move it around and freshen it up.

08:10There are a lot of tired bodies out there, but the desire and the attitude under the shirt

08:17to try and eke out a win against a big football club and a good team was amazing.

08:26So, that's my thoughts for today, really.

08:30How much of a bitter blow is it for the player, for Harry Suter and for yourselves as well to lose him?

08:35Yeah, it's been amazing. His partnership with Anel and his partnership with Jack as well.

08:40He's been outstanding, great player to work with, great personality, character, devastating for him.

08:46He loved it here. He's absolutely gutted.

08:50I spoke to him the day after Boxing Day, so a big blow.

08:56One of the things I keep talking about, which we didn't have last year, was the attitude to disappointment.

09:01I know it's a different league, but the attitude to disappointment, the attitude to losing Vinny,

09:05to losing Tyrese, who was absolutely on fire, to losing Suter, to Blaster losing Neymar

09:11and all the other players that we've lost.

09:13Attitude to things that go against us, like today, going in at 1-1 when we really should be 1-0, 2-0,

09:20in terms of the balance of the play. Attitude to a defeat on Boxing Day, what it's going to be like.

09:27We all have to get on with it and show what we're really about.

09:32I think that's my message to everybody today, watching these players and watching how they line up

09:38and how they coach and how they're motivated. They're giving everything.

09:43We're not always going to win games, but we'll win more than not win.

09:49But, like I said, a big disappointment to lose the big fella because he's been incredible.

09:54Finally, do you have a bit of luck, do you think?

09:57You mentioned there are Blaster, Suter, at times other players have been absent.

10:02Raksaki's not available at the minute, you can run through it.

10:04You've had all sorts of injury issues and yet you're still where you are on the table.

10:08Yeah, just that little period we're going through now where we've just got to get over these hurdles

10:13that are in front of us, but we'll be stronger, we'll be better.

10:17So, players are stepping up to the plate, the experienced boys are stepping up to the plate

10:21and we're just going to have to deal with it.

10:24And I would say as well, I would chuck in a couple of refereeing decisions as well

10:28because the decision on Callum O'Hare on Boxing Day is absolutely ridiculous

10:33when I'm speaking to the hierarchy and they're talking about I'm not sure if it's a foul.

10:36It's on the edge of the box and it's our free kick and their boy gets sent off, he's gone.

10:42So, we're down 40 minutes, we're down obviously in the game, but they're down to 10 men.

10:47And today, any other part of the pitch, any other part of the pitch apart from that

10:52where they put them lines in that little bit of a half circle,

10:55because what happened about 30 seconds, 45 seconds later in the far corner

11:00was exactly the same and it happened in another corner and it happened about three or four times.

11:04Callum is just about to pull the trigger and their boy smashes him from behind.

11:08Regardless of anybody coming across, it's a penalty.

11:11So, we're going to have to ride these sort of decisions that are going against us,

11:15the decision that went against us and we are relying on good refereeing decisions as well

11:20because these are tight games.

11:22As I said, we've never said we're the perfect team, we're a learning team, we're a young team.

11:26These teams have been put together at the start of the season,

11:30but tight games get decided by tight moments and that might have been another big moment.

11:36So, hopefully, as everybody keeps telling me, they might even themselves out,

11:40but it certainly doesn't feel that way at the moment.

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