“It Will Be A Respectable Total” – Blades Target Milestone As Chris Wilder Bangs Drum Ahead of Final Kick-off of the Season | OneFootball

Sheffield United finally bring the curtain down on their 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship campaign on Saturday afternoon with a short trip across the East Midlands to face Derby County at Pride Park.

For the hosts, the stakes could hardly be higher. Derby head into the final day knowing that a place in the play-offs remains within touching distance. Sitting just one point behind both Wrexham and Hull City, a victory, combined with favourable results elsewhere, could complete a dramatic late surge into the top six. .

Their momentum was perfectly captured last weekend, when an 88th-minute winner against Queens Park Rangers kept their promotion hopes alive and set up a compelling final-day showdown.

In contrast, Sheffield United arrive with little but pride left to play for. Another disappointing performance at Bramall Lane, culminating in defeat to Preston North End after conceding three goals, has summed up a frustrating end to the season. Manager Chris Wilder has made little attempt to hide his dissatisfaction in recent weeks, openly criticising performances and making it clear that significant changes are expected in the summer.

Derby’s preparations have been slightly complicated by injury concerns. Former Blade Rhian Brewster remains a doubt as he continues his recovery from a knee issue, while Patrick Agyemang is sidelined with an Achilles problem. Bobby Clark is also being assessed after a hamstring strain, and Sammie Szmodics could face a late fitness test after being forced off in their recent win.

United have their own selection issues to contend with. Kalvin Phillips and Andre Brooks are both expected to miss out again, with Wilder confirming he will not take risks on players ahead of the summer. Brooks, who has been one of the standout performers this season, will sit out after a minor knee injury sustained in training.

Chris Wilder Wants Sheffield United to Reach Milestone

Despite the lack of pressure in terms of league position, Wilder has set a clear target for his side: reaching the 60-point mark. Reflecting on the campaign, he acknowledged that while progress has been made, from battling near the bottom to achieving mid-table stability, the team ultimately fell short of pushing into the play-off conversation.

Wilder said in his pre-match press conference: “We’re desperately going to try to get to 60 points. There was a challenge last year to get to 90 points when the title and promotion had gone. We got there and that’s a challenge for the team on Saturday. I do believe it will be a respectable total. There were three challenges, to get off the bottom, to get into the mid-table and then to try and progress into the top ten, into the top six. That’s where we’ve stalled. We have to accept that. The table doesn’t lie.

Blades Lacking Cutting Edge But Not Giving Up

He has also pointed to moments of resilience, particularly in recent matches where United fought back from difficult positions, but stressed that standards must improve, especially defensively. Conceding from set pieces, as seen in the defeat to Preston, was described as unacceptable and symbolic of the issues that have held the team back.

He explained: “What I will say is the reaction at half-time against Blackburn; I’ve played in teams and I’ve managed teams, and that becomes messy. That becomes 4-5. I thought the reaction of the players, not that it deserves a pat on the back, but it needs to be noted that they didn’t turn it in, and we got back to 3-1. We had chances to get back to 3-2 and make it interesting.

“To concede the two set plays [against Preston] that we did was ridiculous. You can concede from a set play, but you can’t concede two in the space of 20 minutes and give yourself a mountain to climb. I thought the team came roaring back. I didn’t agree with Paul’ [Heckingbottom] assessment of the game that it could have been three or four.

There is, however, some encouragement heading into the final fixture regarding injury news. Several players, including Jamie Shackleton, Michael Cooper, Tyrese Campbell and Sam McCallum, have returned to training, as the squad prepares ahead for the challenge of next season.

But with pride on the line for Sheffield United and a play-off spot on the line for Derby County, Pride Park is bound to be electric on Saturday afternoon for the Championship finale.