Sheffield United

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When Chris Wilder took over as Sheffield United boss for a second spell at the club in December 2023, the Blades were struggling at the bottom of the Premier League with just one win to their name.

Twelve months on, Sheffield United stand top of the Championship table on a seven match unbeaten streak.

Speaking with BBC Radio Sheffield, Wilder has been reflecting on a "rollercoaster" year.

"It was a tough time and it wouldn't have been met universally, 100%, with acceptance but I felt a little bit of unfinished business," Wilder said.

"I think everyone will be delighted in our early work and, most importantly, the personality and the characteristics of what it takes to be a Sheffield United player and be a Sheffield United team, we are seeing in abundance.

"Over the year - a rollercoaster through difficult times to where hopefully everyone is enjoying the football and watching the team play."

A key aspect to the Blades change of fortune has been recruitment, with Wilder overseeing a massive overhaul in player personnel at the beginning of this Championship season.

"The team wasn't a Premier League team last year. From the off, it wasn't and it got brutally exposed," he added.

"I don't think it's been a normal 'lose a couple, bring a couple in' like the majority - if not all - of these Premier League teams go through. It was a complete rebuild."

Wilder has compared the feeling around Bramall Lane this season to 2019 when he achieved promotion to the top flight during his first stint at the club.

"There's no guarantees, there's still a lot of football to be played but it does have that feel," he said.

"From me walking down the road, walking the dog and speaking to people, I can see people have got the twinkle back in their eyes and the love of the football club back."

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Sheffield United midfielder Tom Davies has said it was like "a dream come true" to score the winning goal in the Blades' 1-0 victory over Sunderland on Friday.

Davies' strike seven minutes from time was his first for over three years, his last coming for Everton in a 5-2 home defeat to Watford who were then managed by Claudio Ranieri.

"It was an amazing feeling, something I’ve been thinking of for a very long time," Davies told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I’ve had plenty of time out to watch the games and I just wanted to get back out there - it’s like a dream come true really."

The 26-year-old missed the Blades' previous 25 matches either side of the close season with a recurring hamstring injury before returning in their win over Oxford United last Tuesday as a late substitute.

"I haven’t played much at Bramall Lane in front of the fans with the team so the support they’ve shown me, the team have shown me - the staff, the manager- it was just nice to give something back in such a big game for us.

"I’ve scored and I’m close to the goal and I’m close to the fans - it's that full elation throughout the body when you get to run off and celebrate in the way that I did.

"It was great to celebrate that with the team, they’ve been amazing with me throughout my recovery and it’s great to be back," he added.

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It is one of the most eagerly anticipated dates in the football calendar as Premier League and Championship clubs join the FA Cup action from round three.

The draw will take place on Monday, 2 December from 19:00 GMT and can be watched live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

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Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder is "incredibly confident" Jesurun Rak-Sakyi will stay at the club until the end of the season ahead of Friday's clash with Sunderland.

The Crystal Palace loanee has become a mainstay in Wilder's teams this season, featuring in all of the side's opening 16 Championship matches and making 11 starts.

Rak-Sakyi, who has also scored in the Blades' last two matches and provided an assist against Coventry, signed a season-long loan deal in August and Wilder shut down talk suggesting his parent club were planning on recalling him in January.

"Mark Bright [Palace's head of under-23's development] was up at the game on Tuesday, so, we’re in constant communication with him - we’re incredibly confident that Jez will be with us," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I spoke to him [Rak-Sakyi] as well about it and he’s got his head down and wants to stay for the season."

Wilder has also confirmed Leicester City loanee Harry Souttar will stay at Bramall Lane until the end of May following rumours the Foxes were looking to recall the Australian international after head coach Steve Cooper's sacking on Sunday.

"I do believe, doing a little bit of digging, that from an appearance point of view with Harry he had to play a certain amount of games, or a certain percentage of amount of games, so he’s passed that now," Wilder added.

"He’s here for the season which is great news for us."

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Sheffield United head coach Chris Wilder has said Rhian Brewster is "really close" to returning to first-team action after missing the Blades' last four matches.

The 24-year-old striker has only started three Championship games so far this season but after picking up a knock in the win at Blackburn Rovers, he could be involved in Friday night's home clash with Sunderland.

"Rhian's really close," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I said that on Tuesday night we have to make a really considered, sensible decision with Rhian considering his past injury record as well.

Friday's match comes too soon for Brewster's fellow forward Kieffer Moore, however, who is still unavailable due to a calf injury sustained in the match against Bristol City earlier this month.

"We don’t think Kieffer’s going to make it. He'll be one week," Wilder added.

You can listen to the full interview with Chris Wilder via BBC Sounds.

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Sheffield United midfielder Callum O'Hare's sliding goal during their 3-0 win over Oxford United is his first of the season - and he's hoping that it is just the beginning of his name making its mark on the scoresheet.

"We've been getting the results, but personally, obviously, I want to score more," O'Hare told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"Now I've got one; I can just kick on and hopefully keep scoring."

The Blades confident performance featured two assists from an excellent Gustavo Hamer for Jesuran Rak-Sakyi and Tyrese Campbell, the latter of whom scored five in their past six league matches.

The victory extends their unbeaten streak to six league games and sees them rise to the top of the Championship table, with former leaders Leeds United set to play Luton Town for a chance to regain the spot on Wednesday evening.

Bramall Lane in particular seems to be a source of great strength for the Blades, having won their past seven consecutive home games without conceding a single goal.

"We've got a top team, top coaching staff and manager, and then the fans drive us on so you can't really ask for much more, and it's obviously working," O'Hare added.

"When we play here, it kind of feels like a fortress so when we come here, you're excited, you're ready to go, and we've got to keep it going."

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Oxford United head coach Des Buckingham believes the club might not be where it is today had it not been for the work of Chris Wilder.

The U's visit Wilder's Sheffield United in the Championship on Tuesday with Buckingham coming up against the man who gave him his first senior coaching role.

Wilder promoted Buckingham into his first-team coaching group ahead of the 2013-14 season, when he was just 28, after he had spent time in the club's academy.

Wilder led Oxford back into the EFL during nearly six years in charge at the Kassam Stadium and Buckingham says everyone should be thankful for what he achieved.

"Chris Wilder was the first manager who brought me into the senior coaching space so I've got a lot of time for him just for that alone," Buckingham told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I look back now as the head coach of this football club and look at what Chris did at a hugely important time in 2010 to get us back into the Football League and it was a moment where I don't know if we'd be where we are now if he hadn't have done that."

Buckingham takes his Oxford side to Bramall Lane in the midst of a run which has seen them lose four of their past five Championship matches, including a 6-2 hammering by Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Matthew Cresswell
BBC Sport England

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Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has said he looks back fondly at his time at Oxford United as he prepares his side's clash with the U's on Tuesday.

Wilder spent more than five years at the Kassam Stadium and led the team back to the Football League following a 3-1 win over York City at Wembley in the Conference Premier play-off final in 2010.

He did depart in curious circumstances, opting to leave the U's in January 2014 who were in the League Two play-off positions at the time for rivals Northampton Town positioned at the foot of the table.

There was also significant confusion around his departure as Wilder denied initial claims from former club chairman Ian Lenagan he had resigned in the wake of an approach from the Cobblers, only to then formally step down 24 hours later.

"I would say 90% of it was really good," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I will be forever grateful for the opportunity I got given to me by the chairman Kelvin Thomas at the time and the great people that I met along the way.

"The late Micky Lewis, his wife and boys coming to the game, they were a big part of the journey."

Wilder gained promotion with Northampton two years later before moving to Sheffield United in his first stint at the club, but his spell in Oxfordshire remains an important and influential chapter in his career.

"Jim Smith was a director there as well so fabulous experience for me to learn, as a young manager, from an absolute great and Jim Rosenthal as well who was a director at the time, so fabulous people," Wilder added.

"I still speak to Jim Rosenthal every other week and I still speak to the chairman every other week - fabulous times.

"It didn’t end in a great way, unfortunately, but I’d like to think that people will look back at then as a decent time for us.

"I’d like to think we all enjoyed one of the best days of my managerial career - a win at Wembley - first time to win at Wembley and in front of 50,000 supporters and 35,000 from Oxford was an incredible experience and one that I look back fondly on."

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Sheffield United's four-game winning streak was ended when they drew 2-2 with 10 men at Coventry on Saturday but they remain level on points with leaders Leeds and second-placed Sunderland.

The Blades welcome an Oxford side with just one win in 11 games (D5 L5) who will be looking to bounce back from a bruising 6-2 defeat at home to Middlesbrough.

• This is the first league meeting between Sheffield United and Oxford United since the 2016-17 League One campaign, with the Blades winning both games (2-1 home, 3-2 away).

• Oxford have lost nine of their last 12 away league games against Sheffield United (W2 D1) and have never kept a clean sheet at Bramall Lane in 13 attempts.

• Sheffield United have won each of their last six home league games without conceding; the Blades last enjoyed a longer winning run in March 2019 (run of eight).

• No side has won fewer Championship points on the road this season than Oxford (2 – D2 L5), failing to score in their last two such games.

• Sheffield United have lost only one of their last seven Championship games against newly promoted sides (W4 D2), keeping a clean sheet in both such games this season (1-0 v Derby, 0-0 v Portsmouth).

Matthew Cresswell
BBC Sport England

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Sheffield United head coach Chris Wilder has praised the work done at Coventry by their former boss Mark Robins, who was sacked earlier this month.

The Blades take on Robins' former side at the CBS Arena on Saturday.

"I would like to pay tribute to Mark Robins and his work that he did at that football club," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I've known Mark for a long time when he was local at Rotherham as well. I think we all understand the journey that he was on in terms of where they were and the financial issues, supporter issues and the tough journey that that club has been on.

"To get them within a penalty kick of the Premier League, within an incredibly tight decision to an FA Cup final and the group that he assembled [is outstanding].

"His incredible batch of work that he's put into that football club and what he's done will be recognised by everybody around the city and most importantly everybody at the football club.

"I don't think in any way his career will be defined by 10-15 games at the start of this season, it will be defined by the bulk of his work, which has been absolutely outstanding."

United will be without midfielder Oli Arblaster, who is set to be out until the new year because of a knee injury sustained in the derby win over Sheffield Wednesday before the international break.

"He'll get all the support from everybody but there will be a bit of tough love in there as well because he has to use the time diligently - these things happen," said Wilder.

"We have to make sure we're not reliant on a 20-year-old boy on our success, it's the sum of everything that we put together and we have to make sure that we're not a one or two-man team."

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Coventry produced a remarkable comeback after going two goals behind to earn a 2-2 draw at league leaders Sunderland in their first game since Mark Robins was sacked last time out.

The managerless Sky Blues are just one point above the drop zone and face another stern test when they welcome high-flying Sheffield United on Saturday who are joint top and have won four on the bounce.

• Coventry City have lost just one of their last nine home league games against Sheffield United (W6 D2), netting 3+ goals in four of those matches.

• Sheffield United have failed to score in two of their last four league games against Coventry, having found the net in nine of their previous 10 against them. They did win the last such meeting between the sides 3-1 in December 2022, however.

• Coventry City have lost nine home Championship matches in 2024 – they've only lost 10 home league games in four previous calendar years, most recently in 2003.

• Sheffield United have spent 51% of their Championship games in the lead this season, the highest percentage of any side - they’ve also trailed for the lowest percentage (4.4%, just 65 minutes).

• Coventry's Jack Rudoni has made 295 passes that start in the attacking third of the pitch in the Championship this season, with only Luton's Alfie Doughty making more (336).

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Sheffield United midfielder Sydie Peck dazzled on his international debut for England Under-20s during their 4-0 victory over Germany on Friday.

The 20-year-old earned his first call-up after fellow Blade Oliver Arblaster was forced to withdraw with a knee injury and made a big impression, scoring his first international goal with a header from a set-piece.

Peck also had heavy involvement in two other goals, seeing his shot deflected into the net for England's second by Max Dean and providing a headed assist for Will Lankshear to score the fourth.

Meanwhile, on-loan winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi earned his first cap for England Under-21s during Friday's 0-0 draw with Spain.

It was also goalless in Australia's World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia on Thursday as Blades centre-back Harry Souttar helped the Socceroos keep a clean sheet. Souttar's Australia visit Bahrain in their next qualifier on Tuesday.

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Sheffield United striker Kieffer Moore has withdrawn from Wales' Nations League games against Turkey and Iceland this month because of injury.

The 32-year-old sustained a calf strain during the Blades' trip to Bristol City six days ago and was not included in the matchday squad for Sunday's Steel City derby victory.

Before the game against Sheffield Wednesday, Moore told BBC Radio Sheffield he was "taking each day as it comes" but was "hopeful" for a quick recovery.

The Blades are joint leaders of the Championship, behind Sunderland in top sport on goal difference.

Chris Wilder's side are next in action at Coventry City on 23 November following the international break.