Chris Wilder previews Sheffield United v Cardiff City

The Star, Sheffield

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00:00If there was something that ended up in the tunnel, has there been a fallout or a comeback from that?

00:06I've got the FA Vastas for our observations, as you will obviously have experienced from yourself,

00:16I'll tell you exactly where it was at, went on to the pitch at the end of the game,

00:22gathered the players, thought it was important, it wasn't, I think Sky put it on as a Phil Brown

00:29moment or as people like to do sensationalise everything, it was a calm chat with the players

00:37to talk about, we have to take responsibility for this last performance and three games where

00:45we've turned a really good position into obviously a not so good position and we have to own it

00:50and accept it, a lot of good things have been said about us this season but over this three

00:55game period we haven't been good enough, time not to split and go our own ways and start

01:02using excuses and blame culture and this that and the other, this club has not been built

01:06on blaming and it's not been built on excuses, it's been built on honesty, in opinion and actions,

01:16not to go our different ways, accept the criticism that most probably will be coming our way,

01:21we have to deal with it and most importantly God acknowledge two and a half, three thousand of

01:26our supporters have made two long distance journeys now from Oxford to Oxford to Plymouth

01:31and we've underachieved so we have to accept that, no reactions, let's go over to acknowledge

01:39their support, let's get ourselves in and we need a big week, we need to clear our heads over the

01:46weekend and we need to have a good week starting on Monday going into Friday and then let's see

01:53where we can take it, as I said there'll be a lot of people that talk about our season being done and

01:59dusted, it isn't, mathematically it isn't, we've put ourselves in not a great position and we've given

02:05up an advantage, that's all we've done and we need to be positive in our approach during the week and

02:12that was it and as we walked off, there's some verbals with a couple of other players and then

02:15you look at it and you go, there's verbal sort of talk between players and whatever and there's

02:25about 70 people going into a really short tunnel, short area and a tight tunnel area, if you look at

02:32it you go, there's 20 odd players from each side, 40, 10 members of staff, 56 stay and about 10 stewards,

02:40so, listen it was verbals and stuff like that but that's, we've responded to the FA in terms of

02:50observations, no issues with Plymouth Argyle, you know, a fabulous resort for them and a poor one

02:57for us, two teams fighting different battles, an emotional game and went to speak to their manager

03:07afterwards, absolutely no issue between two sets of players, two sets of staff, manager to manager

03:12and went to see the referee afterwards and he said he'd possibly have to stick it in his report

03:17but as far as he was concerned there was nothing and same from the assessor, so that was it,

03:21basically, I don't want to really talk about anything else now Andy, I'm not going to go into

03:25any more detail, that's where it was at and, you know, as far as I'm concerned we move on.

03:31The criticism then from some supporters then is that in the last week Sheffield United have been

03:38negative and complacent, how do you respond to that?

03:42Well we haven't been negative in our approach because we've had 70 odd possession, we haven't

03:45been good enough, it really is a simplistic attitude, a simplistic assessment really from

03:51my point of view, people will go, you know, you've heard all sorts of things, players are fighting

03:56amongst each other, this, that and the other, everybody wants to sensationalise it, we haven't been good

04:00enough, it's as simple as that, from a statistical point of view we've had enough ball in three games,

04:05we've had 70% of possession, so that's us with the ball, we haven't been negative in our approach,

04:12the approach hasn't changed from the commentary game, why would it change? Why would we go from

04:16playing against Coventry, one of our best performances of the season, to all of a sudden

04:19go into a negative approach in all three games? We wouldn't and we haven't, we just haven't been

04:26good enough, defensive play we've conceded some really poor goals, the bit in between

04:30from box to box, we've had control of the game, 70% possession, in terms of the opportunities

04:37and where we want to get the ball, we've got the ball in terms of where we wanted to get

04:41to it, we've not been good enough at the top of the pitch, the forward players, we've not

04:44created enough and we've not been clinical enough in our finishing and the stats back

04:49all that up, so subjective and objective, so defensively we've conceded two goals from

04:55set plays which we've been really good with and we've conceded a goal from a long throw

05:03which we didn't deal with and we conceded a goal from a counter attack where we're in

05:10control and in possession and they've counted on us and found a good finish, Coburn.

05:15The stats all back that up, we've not done enough on both ends of the pitch and when people

05:20talk about the game and talk about transition and all the other stuff, all the modern stuff,

05:25the game boils down to what happens in both boxes and in both boxes in terms of our stats,

05:30in terms of the opportunities that teams have had on us and their conversion rate has gone

05:38up because of our inability to defend properly at crucial times and not have that focus and

05:44concentration.

05:45And at the top of the pitch, when we found big moments right the way through the seasons

05:50and found the finishes and found the right combinations, we've not done that.

05:55I'm not stood in front of the players on Saturday afternoon saying let's sit back for a 1-0 win.

06:03I've never said that, I can't ever say that really at any time in my period here.

06:10We knew we had to go and get the second goal, we wanted to dominate possession, we wanted to

06:14be clinical in our approach, but we haven't been good enough at the top of the pitch.

06:17The players that we've got should be creating more and we should be finishing off chances.

06:22We had chances at Oxford, we had chances against Millwall in the home game and we had chances

06:28on Saturday and we should be creating more chances.

06:32So the quality and the talent that we've got in the group, whether it's out of possession

06:38or in possession, we haven't been good enough and we have to all accept that criticism that

06:44goes with losing three games that we should have definitely won two out of the three.

06:49Can't lose against a team that was bottom on current form, away from home, can't lose a

06:53team that was bottom of the league.

06:54So we have to accept everything that goes and I'm absolutely happy to do that and understand

07:01the narrative at the moment will be that that's it, that's our season done and dusted.

07:08I always think on stuff like this, Andy, the only real reflection you can make is at the

07:12end of the season on how the season's been.

07:15We've still got four games to go, we need to adjust it pretty quickly, we totally understand

07:20that and we need to adjust it on Friday and there'll be, you know, sections of our supporters

07:26that will be ultra-critical, we gave a right to be, there'll be sections of our supporters

07:31that'll be in the middle and there'll be some of our supporters that'll be really positive.

07:36I can't do anything about that, what I can try and do is affect the group to be better

07:41by working hard this week, which they have done, and by putting a better performance in

07:47at both ends of the pitch that ultimately gives us an opportunity to win a game of championship

07:53football.

07:54Two of the sort of sub-themes beneath the general performances have been, well, Jack

07:59Robinson's general performances, so question one, is it maybe time to bring him out of

08:03the firing line and is Vinnie Souza match-sharp?

08:08Well, how do we get him up to match-fitness, match-sharpness?

08:11He should be able to do 70 minutes, even though he's been out.

08:18He's a massive player for us.

08:20We have to get him up to speed somehow as well.

08:24You know, the performances, like I said, have warranted me putting Vinnie back in because

08:30he's such a big player for us.

08:31He's an outstanding player, so the 70-odd minutes that he got at Plymouth will do the

08:36world of good going into the next games.

08:40He's a huge player for us.

08:41He's one of our best players.

08:43So we need to get the best out of him and he needs to get some minutes under his belt,

08:47which he has done.

08:49And the challenge on Saturday, him coming back in, should have been enough for him.

08:56Was he at his best?

08:57No.

08:57Were we at our best?

08:58No, which I've just talked about.

09:01But us at our best and Vinnie at our best makes us a better team, without a shadow of a doubt.

09:06Jack's performances, I spoke to Jack.

09:08He's obviously disappointed with his performances as we are as a team and collectively.

09:14So he understands that he's a leader.

09:16He needs to do better just as much as everybody else in that group and me and the coaching staff

09:21need to be better at our jobs.

09:24So he understands that.

09:26We all understand that.

09:27And he has to lead from the front.

09:31He's been outstanding for us so far this season.

09:39Does one or two games warrant him coming out the side?

09:44There's always, always that question that we need to pick the right side.

09:46And that's up to me.

09:47And that's something always that I need to try and get right.

09:50So, decisions to be made going into Friday.

09:55But, you know, when these big games come up and when the pressure games come up, you want

10:01your leaders, you want your experienced players out there that have been through the process,

10:06been down the stretch like Robbo has in past times and achieved success.

10:11So, he's part of our group and he will hopefully lead us in the way that he has done all season.

10:21Here we go.

10:22Here we go.

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