Sheffield United

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Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder spoke to BBC Radio Sheffield after his side beat bottom club Luton Town 1-0 to return to the top of the Championship.

When asked about it not being a pretty win, Wilder responded by saying: "That's the understatement of the season.

"Their approach to it, from the off – especially when we saw the team sheet with a few of the experienced boys – we talked about having to expect the Luton Town of old," he continued.

"It was everything from the year they went up, it was everything in the Premier League that Premier League teams struggled to cope with - the two centre forwards. It came long from the off, we saw it went straight back to the goalkeeper and bang on top of you. And every free-kick was on top of you.

"You just have to deal with it and, at times, it's really difficult to come out of it and try play your natural, normal game. We tried at times, but they were massively up for it.

"The target on our back, because of the position that we are in and because it was Sheffield United against Luton Town, it never felt like a team at the top of the division versus a team that was rock bottom.

"You have to show different qualities for different games if you want to be successful, and we showed huge personality and huge character."

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has said there is more to come from Tom Cannon, who is a fitness doubt for the Blades' trip to Luton on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The 22-year-old arrived in a reported £10m move from Leicester in January but, after netting 11 goals in 25 games on loan at Stoke earlier this season, he is yet to find the net in four starts for United.

Cannon was replaced at half-time of Wednesday's win over Middlesbrough and was spotted in a protective boot after the game.

Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield's Blades Heaven podcast: "We'll give him as much time as possible to get on the bus.

"Obviously it's a quick turnaround. Tom rolled his ankle in about the first five minutes, but what I will say is he had to be dragged off at half-time - the medical guys made the decision on that, not him.

"He was in a bit of discomfort and pain but these things can settle down pretty quickly and hopefully it will do."

Wilder continued: "He's played his part in a team that's won three games on the spin.

"There's more to come from him, we have to be patient, we can't rush. Everybody wants instant [success], but we know what he gives to the team and his team-mates know.

"He's a young centre-forward, he stretches the game, opens it up, the press was magnificent from our point of view [against Middlesbrough]. It allowed us to create chances and control the game and ultimately get that big win."

Gus Hamer was also withdrawn on Wednesday with a minor hamstring injury but Wilder hopes the problem is not too serious.

Luton sit bottom of the Championship table ahead of the visit of high-flying Sheffield United on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

With leaders Leeds not in action until Monday, the Blades could return to the top of the table with a victory, having closed the gap to two points with Wednesday night's 3-1 win over Middlesbrough at Bramall Lane.

The Hatters are 10 games without a win in all competitions, last tasting victory on 20 December against Derby County, and are on the verge of unwanted history as Chris Wilder's side come to town.

• Luton Town have lost each of their past two Football League games against Sheffield United; they never lost three successive league games against the Blades before.

• Sheffield United are unbeaten on their four previous Football League trips to Luton this century (W1 D3), winning last time out 3-1 in the Premier League in February 2024.

• Luton are winless in their past three home league games (D1 L2), failing to score in each of those games; they've never failed to score in four straight home league games in the Football League.

• No side has won more away league games in the Championship this season than Sheffield United (9), including five wins in their last six games (L1). Indeed, victory here would be the fastest they've ever recorded 10 away wins in a Football League campaign (17th game).

• Luton's Carlton Morris has scored three goals in his last four league appearances against Sheffield United, with him only netting more Football League goals against Coventry (4).

Adam Oxley
BBC Radio Sheffield journalist

Image source, Rex Features

"Are you not entertained?" screamed Maximus in the epic film Gladiator after dispatching his latest opponents in front of a baying crowd.

Well, that might as well have been Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder after his side delivered a scintillating performance of style and substance in putting Middlesbrough to the sword at Bramall Lane on Wednesday night.

Wilder had bristled in his pre and post-match media interviews after questions were raised by supporters over the manner in which the Blades beat Portsmouth last weekend.

One United fan even messaged BBC Radio Sheffield to say football is all about being entertained… win, lose or draw.

Pompey by all accounts were the better team, with the better chances, but crucially it was United who found the moments of quality to win the game.

It prompted Chris Wilder to say ahead of facing former employers Boro that he would "rather have a team that's mentally strong and wants to win than a team that's milky and soft".

Well, there was nothing milky or soft about the way the Blades dismantled Middlesbrough.

Wilder left a couple of new signings on the bench as impact players and reverted to the 4-2-3-1 that's served the team well for the majority of the season, with Callum O'Hare, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Sydie Peck returning to the starting XI to help deliver one of the performances of the season.

Rome wasn't built in a day – and this season remains a rebuild for the Blades – but Wilder is re-establishing a red and white legion capable of invading the Premier League for a third time in six years.

Effective, exciting… and entertaining.

Adam Cottier
BBC Final Score reporter

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield United exerted power and intensity to claim their 21st Championship win of the season on Wednesday night.

Chris Wilder is keen to use his whole squad to make sure they get over the line, and, after some January recruitment, he has plenty of options at his disposal. Not many teams will be able to call upon a player with the ability of Ben Brereton Diaz, for example, to aid such a win like the loanee forward did against Middlesbrough.

But it's one of the emerging talents of the EFL who may be a key component in their quest for a swift return to the Premier League: Sydie Peck.

Peck dominated the midfield areas against Middlesbrough, complimenting players like Gus Hamer, who also shone in a Bramall Lane thriller.

Peck's measured-through pass for Brereton Diaz's goal underlined his excellent technical ability and vision; his all-round play exudes balance, awareness and stamina. He appeared constantly involved and engaged in the game. A colossal presence.

Wilder will have been glad he chose to bring Peck - who is just 20 - back into his team for such a frenetic game. He has been named in all 32 Blades matchday squads in the Championship this year, making 20 starts and eight sub appearances, and earning a call-up for England under-20s before Christmas.

The former Arsenal youngster was given a standing ovation and had his name sung when he was taken off near the end. He deserved it.

Wilder later told me in his press conference that he enjoyed Peck's contest with Boro's Hayden Hackney, a contest Peck dominated too.

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Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield he was delighted with his side's response against Middlesbrough after accusing them of arrogance in Saturday's below-par win over Portsmouth.

"We reviewed and reflected after the weekend and they've come roaring back, so I'm delighted," he said.

"They've taken on board how we wanted to play. That was more us tonight, There was a real good feel about us.

"I thought we controlled possession, our out of possession work was excellent and we got the press spot on.

"We made it difficult for a team that dominates the majority of teams in this division and creates big chances, and I can only think of one chance second half that they had.

"We had to regroup and reset after the ridiculous decision for the penalty. There'd be five or 10 penalties a game if that was the case.

"The decision rocked us a little bit for five minutes, but we reset in the changing room at half-time and we had to keep our cool and discipline and still play, and we did that so I'm delighted.

"We had to put a big performance in tonight. We knew we had to be close to, if not at, our best to get a result because they're a really good side."

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has been speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield as they prepare to host Middlesbrough on Wednesday (20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines:

• On a winning mentality: "I'd rather have a team that's mentally strong and tough and wants to win than a team that's milky and soft that plays beautiful football. End of conversation. I'm a winning football manager."

• He added: "It's still an early part of the build. We are there because we've got that attitude that the supporters want to see. When they walk out the ground, we are a winning football club. A lot of teams would swap that in a heartbeat - and some big clubs."

• There are no additional injuries to the squad that beat Portsmouth at the weekend and will be boosted by the return of Tom Davies for the game against Boro.

• Striker Kieffer Moore is expected to return on Saturday, while wing-back Femi Seriki is around "a week or two away" and right-back Jamie Shackleton is back in training.

• On new transfers: "I was maybe too enthusiastic and too hopeful that we'd absolutely hit the ground running in terms of these players - but we'll get better."

• He added: "The players that have come in are good players. They want to learn, they want to adjust and adapt and they will. It might be a little bit rollercoaster-ish towards now and the end of the season but as long as we keep our attitude about winning games of football, having that mentality, then we might give ourselves the opportunity of getting towards the points total that makes us successful."

• On Middlesbrough: "Really difficult opponents; control possession, create big changes. A good side and it's going to be a really interesting game."

You can listen to the full press conference on BBC Sounds

Sheffield United eye a place at the top as they host play-off contenders Middlesbrough on Wednesday evening (20:00 GMT).

The Blades could see themselves at the apex of the table should current leaders Leeds United fall to Watford on Tuesday, with just two points separating the two teams at the top.

While a win for Middlesbrough could see them back in the play-off spots.

• Sheffield United have won six of their last eight home league games against Middlesbrough (L2), though did lose this exact fixture 3-1 when it was last played in February 2023.

• After winning the reverse fixture 1-0 in October, Middlesbrough will be looking to record just a second league double over Sheffield United since the 1987-88 season (also 2010-11).

• Sheffield United lost their last midweek home game in the Championship (0-2 v Burnley in December), after having won each of the previous four without conceding a single goal.

• Middlesbrough have lost three of their last four league games (W1), more than they had in their previous 13 combined, while they've lost each of their last two. They haven't lost three in a row since December 2023.

• Delano Burgzorg has scored in each of his last two Championship appearances, scoring as many goals in those games (2) as he had in his previous 31 Championship games combined.

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder admitted his side had dodged dropped points when he spoke to BBC Radio Sheffield after the 2-1 win over Portsmouth.

"We weren't very good today and it's as simple as that," he said.

"It was one we escaped with because we have the ability to win a game of football when we don't play very well.

"They were better than us in all departments, first and second balls. It wasn't anything about tactics today, it was about an attitude towards the game which I told them at half-time.

"We looked to short-cut the game which is really surprising and we won't do that again.

"There's an arrogance about us. I want us to have belief, I want us to be confident, I want us to stick our chest out and believe we're a good team because we are - we've won as many games as anyone in the division and sit on 60-odd points."

"The reaction in the second half was better, even though it wasn't to my liking, but there's a little bit of arrogance about us which I talked about at half-time and we can't afford to let that happen.

"If we think that is going to be the stock standard performance from our point of view then we're going to get hurt and we're not going to achieve anything."

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder says he is "delighted" with how Rob Holding has settled in since joining on loan from Crystal Palace.

The 29-year-old former Arsenal defender signed for the Blades until the end of the season on transfer deadline day and Wilder said the door is open for the move to become permanent.

"Rob is just a straight loan until the end of the season but certainly somebody that we would be interested in if the loan goes well," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"As we have talked about in terms of all the players that we've brought in, whether it's Hamza [Choudhury], whether it's Ben Brereton Diaz.

"Harry Clarke as well, he's not been in the frame at Ipswich and he wants to play first-team football.

"We've been delighted with all the boys, so there is always that medium to longer term view with all the players that we bring in."

Wilder praised Holding's "outstanding career" and said he will be involved in the Championship fixture against Portsmouth on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

"You don't get signed by a club like Arsenal if you haven't got anything about you and aren't a little bit special," Wilder added.

"As sometimes happens, a situation at Palace where he was not involved and we've taken advantage of that.

"Everybody has been impressed with Rob and his early days at Sheffield United."

Listen to Chris Wilder's pre-match press conference on BBC Sounds.

Sheffield United will be hoping to keep their quest for automatic promotion on track when they welcome Portsmouth on Saturday afternoon (15:00 GMT).

The Blades bounced back from a surprise 3-0 defeat at home to Hull City with a 1-0 win at Derby last time out and will move back into the top two with victory.

Pompey are without a win in three (D1 L2) but are three points above the drop zone in 20th position.

• Sheffield United have won just one of their past four league games against Portsmouth (D1 L2), scoring just one goal in total across those matches.

• Portsmouth have failed to win any of their past 23 away league games against Sheffield United (D4 L19), since a 3-1 win in the top-flight in November 1955.

• After a run of nine consecutive home wins between September and December in which they didn't concede a single goal, Sheffield United have won just one of their past four at Bramall Lane (D1 L2), conceding six goals in the process.

• Portsmouth have lost each of their past six away league games, last having a longer run between November 2005 and March 2006 in the Premier League (9).

• In no 15-minute period (1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-75, 76-90) have Sheffield United scored more league goals this season than in the opening 15 minutes (10). Meanwhile, in no period have Portsmouth conceded more than in this timeframe (12).

Adam Oxley
BBC Radio Sheffield reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Few, if any clubs, will have had a better January transfer window - on paper - than Sheffield United.

The club's new American owners COH Sports arrived at Bramall Lane just before Christmas with a commitment to supporting the management team after a strong start to the season.

The short-term priorities were clear; a new contract for Chris Wilder, whose deal was up at the end of the season, and new signings to improve the team and add the squad depth that was missing at the end of the summer.

Many supporters will have been sceptical - and with good reason given previous transfer windows - but the new owners have delivered, with Wilder's services secured until 2028 and seven new signings, including most of the club's top targets.

Ben Brereton Diaz, Tom Cannon, Hamza Choudhury, Harry Clarke and Rob Holding tick the areas and numbers Wilder talked about at the start of January in attack, midfield and defence.

There was even time on deadline day for a surprise double signing as the owners' new data-driven transfer strategy delivered Jefferson Caceres from Peru and Christian Nwachukwu from the Bulgarian top flight.

A few weeks ago, the Blades' bench was filled with academy players. Now Wilder and his staff have the headache they wanted.

With players coming back from injury, coupled with the new additions, the resources are in place to push for an immediate return to the Premier League.

Image source, Rex Features

On Tuesday we asked what you made of Sheffield United's business in the transfer window.

Ben Brereton-Diaz returned on loan from Southampton while Leicester striker Tom Cannon was also brought in for a reported £10m.

Ipswich defender Harry Clarke, Leicester midfielder Hamza Choudhury and former Arsenal defender Rob Holding signed on loan while Nigerian winger Christian Nwachukwu and Peruvian striker Jefferson Caceres were brought in for undisclosed fees under the club's new 'data driven' approach to transfers.

Here are some of your responses:

Steve: Overall a few decent signings, but I doubt many of them would hold their own in the Premier League if United managed promotion - massive investment by the new owners would be needed.

N Rodrigues: It's disappointing that we didn't get the centre-halves we were looking for, and so desperately needed. It feels like we were left with no real options before the window closed. I'm very interested to see how AI and the use of analytics to determine the quality of a player, now and in the future, works out for The Blades.

Trev: Let's hope the new faces gel as soon as possible - the Hull defeat really exposed how thin we'd become in depth of squad choices. Let's not get too carried away either - remember you can only field 11 so Wilder needs impact players he can use to change games when needed.

Tom: In general this is the second great window in succession. Chris Wilder has completely re-structured and re-invented the team within the space of six months, not the usual "three or four windows" nonsense that managers tend to spout to suit their own agendas. There is only one issue that I can see and that is I believe Chris wanted to get TWO centre-backs in because Holding is clearly a player with huge pedigree but zero match fitness. Ahmedhodzic and Robinson have done well enough, but Souttar's loss has really hurt us and until/unless Holding gets quickly up to match fitness we're no better off in that key department.

Steve: My only concern is the time it takes for a raft of new players to be integrated into a new system and whether that disrupts the group dynamics. However, I really like the look of Choudhury and Clarke already. BBD is a known quantity to us. Tom Cannon will hopefully start firing soon. What it shows is real ambition and backing of the manager - whose judgement of players brought in during pre-season was excellent. Fingers crossed it gives us the momentum to get over the line of automatic promotion.

John: Best transfer window I've ever known, and I've been going since 1960.

Dave: The number of players "on loan" worries me somewhat!

Wolfgang: Overall pleased. I think especially Cannon, Choudhury, BBD, and Clarke make us a completely different prospect in terms of depth. However, I am not convinced by the signing of Holding. Yes, we desperately needed a replacement for Souttar, but at 29, with fewer than 200 senior games, it doesn't scream "the ready-made answer to our recent defensive problems". I feel like he's the weak link of our January transfers, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

Neil: I think with the signings in this window it takes pressure off the players in a very small squad, giving them chance to rest so to spread the workload out. It also gives us a bit more quality to hopefully carry us over the line for a top-two spot.

Tim: Excellent window for the Blades - not least signing Wilder for another three years. The new owners seem fully supportive and, as a club, we're in very good nick.

Image source, Getty Images

Birmingham City have signed teenage striker Kurtis Havenhand from Sheffield United on a deal that runs until the end of the season.

The 19-year-old, who has a further 12-month option on his Blues deal, will link up with the League One club's Under-21 side on his arrival.

Havenhand came through the youth ranks at Sheffield United, and while still only 15 years old, he made his debut for the club's Under-18 and Under-21 sides.

A knee injury suffered in the 2022-23 season ruled him out for more than a year, but he recovered and signed his first professional deal with the Blades in the summer of 2024.

Image source, Rex Features

It's time to talk about Sheffield United's transfer business...

"A bit more depth and competition could be just what they need to make an instant return to the Premier League," is what BBC Radio Sheffield's Rob Staton said the Blades needed at the start of the window, when injuries were threatening to hamper the club's promotion push.

It's fair to say it's been a busy one.

Ben Brereton-Diaz is back at Bramall Lane on loan from Southampton and already back in the goals while Leicester's 22-year-old striker Tom Cannon was also brought in for a reported £10m after a spell on loan at Stoke.

Ipswich defender Harry Clarke and Leicester midfielder Hamza Choudhury have joined on loan while deadline day itself was hectic with former Arsenal defender Rob Holding signing on loan from Crystal Palace and 19-year-old Nigerian winger Christian Nwachukwu and 22-year-old Peruvian striker Jefferson Caceres being brought in for undisclosed fees under the club's new 'data driven' approach to transfers.

The Blades are second, two points behind leaders Leeds, despite a two-point deduction for financial breaches, of course, but have these signings given Chris Wilder the platform for United to complete an instant return to the Premier League?

We want you to tell us what you think about the Blades' transfer dealings...

Let us know your thoughts here.

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United's two permanent transfer deadline day signings came off the back of work with data experts, says chief executive Stephen Bettis.

The Blades completed deals for winger Christian Nwachukwu from Bulgarian side Botev Plovdiv and striker Jefferson Caceres, who has arrived from FBC Melgar in his Peruvian homeland.

"There was a discussion about long-term planning and bringing in some young players who, with the right coach and the right development, could hopefully push on and become real assets for the football club," Bettis told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"This was real data-driven stuff, which is nothing new, but we had a weakness in that area historically, and it's something we wanted to look into and try to progress with."

Sheffield United were taken over by American-based consortium COH Sports in December, and Bettis said they had a big part to play in the signings.

"With the support of the owners and the people they know, we're working with a group who work with data that highlights young talent that potentially has the ability to push on and become really good players.

"A handful of players were highlighted, and we went around the clubs and inquired about them, and when we thought the value was right, and the pricing was right, we made moves to sign them, and that's what's happened with these two."