Wilder on relegation, improvement and Foderingham
- Published
Chris Wilder has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game at Newcastle.
Here are the key lines from the Sheffield United boss:
On injuries in the squad: "Oli McBurnie is out for the season, that's a massive blow for us. It's a really disappointing one. He went to see a specialist, he doesn't require surgery but it's a big one to miss certainly from a leadership and experience point of view. Jayden Bogle was taken off against Manchester United as a precaution, James McAtee went for a scan and we're waiting for results this morning so fingers crossed that he's OK. We believe Jayden will be OK and there is a question mark about McAtee."
On young talent coming through the academy: "The way they've been brought up and nurtured through the set up in the academy is brilliant. From an attitude and a talent point of view, we're really in a good place and looking forward for them to develop. Maybe part of the next three or four games will see the introduction of those boys being involved. We have to be careful that we don't break them, that they don't have incredibly poor experiences so the timing of it has got to be good but them being around the first team will be good and looking forward to them being involved maybe in the last two or three games of the season."
On Wes Foderingham being in goal: "He'll stay in the team, he was outstanding so I'm just after best practice. We made a change in December [signing Ivo Grbic], we felt that we needed that change. It hasn't worked out so far, we have to accept that. Ivo has and has to accept that. Myself and the coaching staff have to accept that so I'm not doing something from a personal point of view. Wes has trained really well. There was a situation that we needed to make a change last week and Wes has come in and done the business. I like to think that's what proper pros look like. They take the disappointment on the chin, they bide their time and when the opportunity comes they take it and they carry on."
Wilder said there have been discussions over Foderingham's contract, which expires in the summer.
On potentially being relegated this weekend: "Through good times we all enjoy it and then you have to own and suffer for the times where it goes wrong. There are certain things as a football club which we haven't done right. We've had a poor season and we have had to take the words, the criticism and we have to learn. We are sat here with a load of optimism about the future of the football club. We have been in far worse positions than this. We'll be ready if the inevitable happens at the weekend. We'll go right to the end, no matter what the situation is."
Wilder says he feels performances have improved, adding: "We really believed we were in decent nick and we would get the opportunity to turn really good performance into big results. The Brentford and Burnley games really have sealed our fate but obviously the gap now is too big. We'll come fighting back. You get judged on results and certain weaknesses in certain departments have let us down. There are things that we need to reset to get better."
On facing Newcastle: "It's one of my favourite clubs and one of my favourite teams to watch. I've got enormous admiration for Eddie [Howe] and his career and how he has gone about it . They've had their ups and downs but they're still in the position that they are. They've got some fabulous players, it's an incredible environment, another one that we can really look forward to going and hopefully leaving everything out there like we did on Wednesday night."
