Sheffield United

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Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has hailed his Championship leaders for hitting '50 points' before Christmas.

Saturday's 2-0 win at Cardiff maintained their three-point cushion over Leeds United at the top and took them to 48 points after 22 matches, which would have been 50 but for the two-point deduction at the start of the season.

"I told the players before [the game] we've got an opportunity to get to 50 points before the 23rd game of the season and we've got to embrace that," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield, ignoring the deduction.

"We're in a great position but have huge challenges ahead of us - exciting challenges and to come to a ground like this and break down a team, to play with the discipline and control we had was incredibly pleasing.

"We're getting stretched a little bit at the moment with six senior players out, but they keep doing what they do.

"They play with that freedom, they play with that control and when they have to defend they're proud of their clean sheets.

"I thought we were really good good, they were dangerous on the counter-attack, so we had to get so many things right."

United are at home to third-placed Burnley in the standout game in the Championship on Boxing Day.

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Sheffield United will be without Tyrese Campbell for Saturday's Championship match at Cardiff City, but manager Chris Wilder is hopeful he will return for their Christmas fixtures.

The forward has missed the past two games because of a hamstring injury which led to him being substituted in the Blades' 2-2 draw at West Bromwich Albion this month.

"Tyrese won't be available for the weekend - that's a blow for us but as we have done over this last couple of months when we've had some injuries to deal with we've dealt with them pretty well," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"The injuries we don't like are the ones we could have done something about, but that one was just unfortunate. Ty will work hard to get himself back and hopefully he'll get back for the Burnley, West Brom, Sunderland trilogy we've got coming up."

Campbell is Sheffield United's top scorer this season with six goals from eight league starts for the Championship leaders.

Table-topping Sheffield United head to Cardiff looking to at least maintain their three-point lead over closest rivals Leeds.

With rock-bottom Hull City and third-bottom Portsmouth both playing at lunchtime, the Bluebirds could find themselves back in the Championship relegation zone by the time the game kicks-off.

• Cardiff City have lost each of their past four league games against Sheffield United, as many as across their prior 18 meetings with the Blades combined (W7 D7).

• Sheffield United have lost just one of their past six away league games against Cardiff City (W3 D2), a 2-0 defeat in August 2017.

• Cardiff have failed to win any of their past five league games against sides from Yorkshire (D1 L4), conceding 15 goals in total during that time.

• Sheffield United are unbeaten across their past five away league games (W3 D2), scoring exactly two goals in four of those matches. The Blades haven't enjoyed a longer run on their travels since a run of seven matches ending in February 2023.

• Both teams have scored in just five of Sheffield United's 21 Championship matches so far this season (24%) – the lowest tally in the competition.

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The Blades are giving Vinicius Souza as much time as they can to prove he is fit to play against Plymouth Argyle in the Championship on Saturday.

The Brazilian midfielder has started all 19 league games he has been involved in this season but was forced off early in the second half of Wednesday's win at Millwall with a hamstring issue.

"We'll give Vini as long as we can," Blades boss Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"He had an issue in the Sunderland game but got through that and the West Brom game but we said if it needed to be flagged up by Vini he would and he has."

Souza has only missed one league match for Sheffield United this season and while admitting he is a key member of their side, Wilder will not take any risks.

"I've spoken to our doctor who has a background at two Olympics and he talked about professional athletes not always being 100% but having to get out there, but we're not going to risk him and then it puts him out for four to six weeks - we're not that reckless.

"If we have to protect him we'll protect him but he wanted to get out there on Sunday and Wednesday so the attitude of the player is spot on but we'll make a sensible decision.

Sheffield United's progression to the top of the Championship earned Chris Wilder November's manager of the month award this week.

Plymouth head to Bramall Lane having shipped 10 goals in their past two road trips.

• Sheffield United are unbeaten in their past five league games against Plymouth Argyle (W4 D1), with this their first league meeting since a 4-3 win for the Blades in February 2010.

• Plymouth have lost 14 of their past 16 away league games against Sheffield United (W1 D1), conceding 2.2 goals per game on average in that run.

• Sheffield United have won each of their past eight games at Bramall Lane without conceding; the last side in the top four tiers to win nine such games in succession were Chelsea in November 2009 (the Blues won 10 straight 'to nil' across all competitions).

• Plymouth are winless in their past 12 away league games (D2 L10), and have conceded at least four goals in their past two matches on the road; the last Championship side to do so in three successive such games were Bolton Wanderers in February 2015.

• Among all Championship managers to have managed 50+ away games since 2004-05, Plymouth's Wayne Rooney has lost the highest percentage of those (38/57 – 67%), while he has the joint-lowest goals-per-game away from home, along with Paul Sturrock (0.67 goals per game).

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Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has been named the EFL's Championship manager of the month for November.

The Blades were unbeaten last month, taking 16 points from their six matches and climbing to the top of the table.

It is the second time this season Wilder has won the award having also been named the division's top manager in September.

"This award is recognition for a lot of hard work from the players and the staff in the opening months of the season," Wilder told the EFL website., external

"The rebuild of the squad has been talked about numerous times, what needs to be taken into consideration is that this is a new group, providing a new dynamic, which includes the lads who were here last season. There's still a lot of work to do but the signs are good."

Sheffield United have taken four points from their opening two games of December and host Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick, Burnley's Scott Parker and outgoing Millwall head coach were also nominated for the award.

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Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder said it was "amazing" for Rhian Brewster to score his first goal for more than two years in the 1-0 victory at Millwall on Tuesday night.

The 24-year-old striker's playing time has been limited due to recurring hamstring injuries and he hadn't scored since October 2022 until his winner at The Den.

"Hopefully Rhian can have a run at it and score the goals and play the part that we all know he can for our club," Wilder told the Blades Heaven podcast.

"I've talked a lot about Rhian and his personality and his character and how he doesn't want to be injured.

"He doesn't want to be on the treatment table, coming in at 8:30am and going home at 5pm and watching all his pals play football and winning games.

"So, there's been some good news stories around the club recently. The Tom Davies situation when he scored and Rhian tonight.

"He takes all the headlines to win the game at a really difficult place, especially when it's a December Wednesday night."

Wilder said the Blades "got the job done" against a Millwall side who had been on a nine-game unbeaten run until their 1-0 defeat at home by Coventry on Saturday.

"We were by no means perfect but performance sometimes suffers when you really have to dig in and get a result," Wilder added, as Sheffield United returned to the top of the table.

"This is, as always, a tough place to come and get a result. There have been plenty of teams who have not got results here, even this year and in the past, and even us as well.

"The win is important, to get that result was a big one."

You can listen to Chris Wilder's post-match interview on BBC Sounds.

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Sheffield United striker Rhian Brewster dedicated his goal against Millwall to his younger cousin, who died in the lead-up to the Blades' trip to The Den.

The 24-year-old scored his first goal in more than two years in the victory, which sent the Blades back to the top of the Championship.

Brewster paid tribute to Kaylen Dennis, who played for non-league side Walthamstow, following the Blades' 1-0 win.

"I want to dedicate that goal to my younger cousin. He passed away earlier today before the game, so that's one for him and the family," he told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"It was a very tough time [for the family], but I played for him today, and I was very happy to come away with a goal, and that's for him.

"It's bittersweet as it happened back in London, so that one was definitely for him."

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Millwall's Neil Harris is among four bosses nominated for the Championship Manager of the Month award for November, even though he will leave the club after Saturday's match at Middlesbrough.

Harris led the Lions on a five-match unbeaten run last month from which they took nine points and conceded only three goals.

Chris Wilder's Sheffield United collected 16 points from six unbeaten games in November during which time they went top of the Championship and beat rivals Sheffield Wednesday in the Steel City derby.

Although they lost two of their six league games last month, Middlesbrough went goal crazy under Michael Carrick as they recorded four wins by scorelines of 4-1, 5-1, 6-2 and 3-1.

Scott Parker watched his Burnley side pick up four wins and suffer just one defeat from their six games in November.

The Clarets also only conceded one goal.

The winner of the Championship's Manager of the Month award will be announced on Friday morning.

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Millwall's 1-0 home defeat by Coventry on Saturday ended a nine-game unbeaten run.

The Lions have only lost back-to-back matches in the league once this season.

Sheffield United have the third best away record in the Championship but have only won two of their past six games on the road.

• Millwall have won three of their past four league games against Sheffield United (L1), with each of those three victories coming via a different scoreline (1-0, 2-1 & 3-2).

• Sheffield United have lost five of their past six away league games against Millwall (W1), winning their only match during that time 3-2 in September 2018.

• Millwall have won each of their past three home league games played in midweek, all 1-0 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday); the Lions haven't won four such matches in succession since October 2001 (5).

• Sheffield United have won just one of their past 18 league games against sides from London (D5 L12), conceding more than two goals in each of their past nine such fixtures.

• Millwall defender Jake Cooper has scored five goals across nine prior league meetings with Sheffield United, more goals than against any other side during his career.

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Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder praised his young players for learning on the job after earning a 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns that he rated as the Blades' "best result of the season".

Despite leading after two goals in as many minutes from Callum O'Hare and Tyrese Campbell, the Blades had to settle for another draw in the Midlands following their 2-2 draw at Coventry a fortnight ago.

But the points were enough to take Wilder's men back in front of Leeds United at the top of the Championship table.

"Leeds are miles ahead of us. We have our own fight to improve individually and as a team and along the way keep picking up points. I'm not focused on anyone apart from us. But that's arguably our best result of the season," said Wilder.

"At one stage we had six under-22 players on the pitch. They're learning at the top of the division.

"This was a big test for us. Fabulous club, a great squad of players and a front four who are right up there. They were aggressive on the press and put us on the back foot from the off.

"We're missing some huge players from our own doing. But these boys keep surprising me. They will all benefit from that great experience from a big club in the division.

"We were a little bit naive at times, gung ho. I need to temper that a little bit, but what I don't want to take away is their ambition and personality to get a result.

"The chat in the week was we could swallow a defeat and it's still a great start, but I told them I'm not having any of that."