Sheffield United Eager to Get Back on Track at Plymouth as Wilder Makes “No One Would Be Saying Anything” Remark | OneFootball

After two disappointing results, Sheffield United make the long trip to Devon this weekend to face bottom-of-the-table Plymouth Argyle.

In the space of just a few days, the Blades have gone from sitting top of the Championship with a two-point cushion to slipping down to third, now trailing both Leeds United and Burnley by two points.

Tuesday night’s 1-0 home defeat to Millwall followed a similarly frustrating loss to Oxford United, with both opponents finding success through a deep defensive block and clinical counter-attacks. Plymouth, under pressure to survive, are expected to adopt a similar approach, which the Blades will be hoping they can cope much better against than the last two outings.

Argyle were comfortably beaten 3-0 away at Swansea in midweek and, while they did manage a 2-1 home win against Norwich City recently, their overall home form has been a concern. Prior to that win, they suffered back-to-back defeats at Home Park, conceding three goals against both Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday.

The Blades have no new injury concerns, though it remains uncertain whether Tom Davies or Harry Clarke will be fit enough to return to the bench.

Chris Wilder Addresses Media Ahead of Plymouth Argyle vs Sheffield United

OXFORD, ENGLAND – APRIL 05: Chris Wilder, Manager of Sheffield United FC shows his appreciation to the fans following the Sky Bet Championship match between Oxford United FC and Sheffield United FC at Kassam Stadium on April 05, 2025 in Oxford, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Speaking to the media in his pre-match press conference, Chris Wilder defended his side’s performance against Millwall. He said, “The performance on Tuesday, looking back, and I felt on the night, we were okay. There was a reaction to a pretty poor performance versus Oxford and we got the reaction; we just didn’t get the result we were after. But we’re in the game for results and to lose two games at this stage of the season isn’t going to help our cause.”

With five games remaining and the top three sides all locked on 85 points, the margin for error is razor-thin. Wilder acknowledged the intensity of the title and automatic promotion race:  “We’re all in the same situation, the twists and turns as we all talk about.”

“Keeping calm; there’s highs and lows, and we’ve all had that right the way through the season. For all three clubs to be on 85 points, and I’m not trying to be clever about it, just on results and wins, for all clubs to be on 85 points with five games to go is insane really,” Wilder stated.

Making changes to the starting eleven has been the topic of discussion on social media over the last week, and Wilder addressed this topic in front of the media: “It’s the hardest job. I’ve had to deal with it for a thousand games: are you picking the right team? Are you playing the right tactics? Are you making the right changes? Are you making the right substitutions? Should you have done this? Should you have done that?”

“We’re on 85 points. A lot of thought goes into everything in terms of the physical and tactical aspect, and freshening it up, and a three game week, and who is in form. It’s the biggest thing I and the coaches wrestle with, and I’ve wrestled with it for 25 years. If we’d have kept the same team and won, which we quite easily could’ve, no one would be saying anything,” he exclaimed.

With the Blades kicking off at lunchtime along with Leeds United versus Preston North End, we shall see which part of Yorkshire will be the happiest come Saturday afternoon.