Sheffield United will have to start swinging punches to stay awake

Chris Wilder believes Sheffield United will need to start “swinging punches” to stay in the top flight after returning to take charge of the Premier League strugglers.

Unveiled as Paul Heckingbottom’s successor ahead of Wednesday night’s game against Liverpool, Wilder inherits a squad of players languishing at the bottom of the table having won just one of their last 14 outings in the competition.

Heckingbottom was sacked following Saturday’s 5-0 defeat by fellow strugglers Burnley, a result which followed a 3-1 defeat by AFC Bournemouth.

Insisting that performance, rather than a lack of points, is his biggest concern, Wilder said: “There has been a bit of a disconnect, in the last two games, between the players and the fans,” said Wilder, who is a supporter of life. of the club and the former player himself.

“I reminded the players what work ethic is. We have to be brave, in and out of possession. It’s not about smashing people all over the place and getting booked or sent off.

“It’s about asking questions physically. If you stay on the ropes for four or five rounds, then someone will land on you. You’ve got to throw some punches, too.”

Labeling commitment and desire as ‘non-negotiable’, Wilder added: ‘You have to come together and you don’t win football games with your head in your lap. There is a bit of trust and belief that has been lost and the way we restore it is by putting in positive performances. It’s easy to talk, though. You have to go there and do it.

“If you’re aggressive and on the front foot, then the people here at this club will always support you.”

Wilder guided United from League One to ninth in the table during his previous spell as manager at Bramall Lane before leaving in March 2021 amid growing tensions with owner Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The two men are now on good terms, with chief executive Stephen Bettis describing Wilder’s appointment on an 18-month deal as a “long-term decision”.

Named LMA Manager of the Year in 2019 after guiding United to promotion from the Championship, Wilder insisted he returns an even better manager after spells with Middlesbrough and Watford.

“I’m better for the experiences I’ve had,” he said. “I worked at different clubs with different profiles. If you learn from things, you can be better for experiences.”

Wilder is joined in South Yorkshire by his long-time assistants Alan Knill and Matt Prestridge. Jack Lester, head of player development under Heckingbottom, has been retained, while former Republic of Ireland international Keith Andrews has been added to United’s backroom staff.

Looking ahead to the meeting with Liverpool, Wilder said: “I’m under no illusions that this is an incredible game to be involved in with over 30,000 people under the lights at Bramall Lane.

“I said to the players, ‘It’s like an FA Cup third-round tie and how would you approach it? You would go out there and give it your all.

“We have to get the performance right. If we do that, then we can be competitive.”

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