Why Neil Warnock felt “sorry” for Sheffield Wednesday after Sheffield United defeat last weekend | OneFootball

Former Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock admitted he had sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday after they lost the Steel City derby on Sunday.

Former Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock admitted he had sympathy for Sheffield Wednesday after their 3-0 defeat to the Blades at Hillsborough on Sunday.

The Owls have had a torrid season so far, with the club entering administration last month, which ended Dejphon Chansiri’s time at the club. That brought a 12-point deduction, so it would take a miracle for Wednesday to remain in the Championship.

However, there was still excitement heading into the Steel City derby, and with the Blades also in the relegation zone going into the fixture, the Owls supporters would’ve hoped to add to their misery.

Neil Warnock makes Sheffield Wednesday claim after derby day defeat

In truth, though, Wednesday were comprehensively beaten by their bitter rivals, as two goals from Tyrese Campbell and a late Tom Cannon effort meant the bragging rights went to the red-and-white half of the city.

Naturally, Warnock was asked about the game when he was on TalkSPORT, and the former Blades chief admitted he had sympathy for Wednesday due to the gulf in class between the players, even if he acknowledged that Henrik Pedersen’s men were giving their all.

“I did feel sorry for Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, as that was the poorest performance I've seen, but they are trying, they are trying," Warnock told Alan Brazil and Ally McCoist.

"I did honestly (feel sorry for them), because it’s a great rivalry. It is a fabulous club.”

The manner of the victory appears to have lifted the mood at Sheffield United, as Chris Wilder’s followed up their derby success with a convincing 3-0 win over Portsmouth in the week, which moved the team out of the relegation zone.

Sheffield Wednesday’s weak squad is struggling with the demands of the Championship

It’s fair to say that many Wednesday fans won’t care what Warnock has to say about the club, such is the rivalry with Sheffield United and the former boss, but these comments are fair.

Sadly for the Owls, they couldn’t really compete against the Blades, and ultimately their quality was too much on the day, which is what you would expect when you see the difference in value between the squads.

To their credit, Pedersen’s team have shown spirit for most of the campaign, but they are struggling right now, with a few injuries meaning a lot of the group seem to be running on empty, and even the additions of Nathan Redmond and Liam Cooper on free transfers may not arrest the slide.

Of course, in the bigger picture, the only concern for all connected to Sheffield Wednesday is getting a new owner in place, and there should be a development on that front in the next week as the administrators name their preferred bidder.

As for Sheffield United, they will hope they’ve turned the corner, and Wilder will be targeting another derby victory when the teams meet at Bramall Lane in February.