Sheffield United Boss on “Lethargic and Leggy” Performance Against Bristol City | OneFootball

Sheffield United were unable to weather a late onslaught from play-off hopefuls Bristol City, settling for a 1-1 draw under the lights at Bramall Lane.

Despite leading through a clinical Tyrese Campbell strike, the Blades were pegged back in the dying moments by Mark Sykes’ dramatic equaliser.

Coming into the game with just one defeat in their last nine league outings, Bristol City looked confident in possession and dictated large spells of play. However, United remained a constant threat on the counter, with Harrison Burrows coming closest early on, his low-driven effort forcing a smart stop from Max O’Leary.

The best opportunity of the first half fell to Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who found himself just three yards from goal. However, under pressure from George Tanner’s last-ditch challenge, his touch let him down, and the chance went begging.

At the other end, the Robins had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock. Tanner’s pinpoint cross found Sinclair Armstrong unmarked at the back post, but Michael Cooper showed sharp reflexes and clawed the header off the line to keep the game level at halftime.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 61st minute, and it was a moment of real quality from in-form striker Tyrese Campbell. Latching onto a precise through-ball from Rhian Brewster, Campbell spun away from his marker and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner beyond O’Leary’s reach. The goal sent the Bramall Lane faithful into celebration, as the Blades momentarily moved three points clear at the top of the table.

With the lead secured, Chris Wilder made defensive changes to solidify his team’s position. Campbell, who had picked up a knock, was replaced by Kieffer Moore, while Anel Ahmedhodzic and Sam McCallum were introduced to shore up the defence.

But Bristol City refused to give up, pushing forward in search of an equaliser.

With the clock hitting 90 minutes, the visitors finally found their reward. A slick attacking move saw the ball fall to Mark Sykes down the right channel of the box, who made no mistake, firing past Cooper to send the travelling Robins fans into raptures.

Chris Wilder’s Honest Assessment of Poor Sheffield United Performance in Bristol City Draw

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – MARCH 11: Players from both teams try to separate Jack Robinson of Sheffield United and Jason Knight of Bristol City as they clash during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Bristol City FC at Bramall Lane on March 11, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Reflecting on the match, Wilder admitted to SUTV that his side was second-best for much of the contest.

“Just lethargic and leggy with no energy, really,” he said. “They caused us problems, they had a stretch at the top of the pitch and we sat deep and our two midfield players sat too deep. We never made contact with their midfield players, they played in the box and we never stepped into it”.

He added: “We changed a couple of things around at half time; we had to be a little bit more brave and get up the pitch. We were more bothered about a one ball over the top for Armstrong, who has got pace and power, but we have to get after their midfield players because their midfield players were better than our two midfield players in the first half and they dominated the game. But we still had the best chances, we had three or four really good chances so the control of the game was there’s but the best chances were ours.”

“We got ourselves in front and then we were okay but not good enough to go and go two or three even though we had little opportunities, transition counter attacks and we should’ve been better,” he stated. “They were always in the game: if I was their manager I would’ve been disappointed to walk away with no points from a really good performance.”

Wilder admitted his team were poor across the board, while Bristol City were very good: “If I’m honest, performance-wise, there were more fives and sixes than sevens and eights. If you were looking at their team, there were more sevens and eights than fives and sixes.

“The bit at the end [with the penalty appeal and the handbags] is nonsense. I don’t think there was anything in any of those decisions from a penalty point of view.”

Wilder Heaps Praise on Tyrese Campbell as Injury Concerns Grow Ahead of Steel City Derby

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – MARCH 11: Tyrese Campbell of Sheffield United scores his team’s first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Bristol City FC at Bramall Lane on March 11, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Despite his frustration at the performance, Wilder was full of praise for Campbell’s contribution.

“We were all off it, but I thought [Campbell] was good. He was lively all evening, and it’s a great goal.”

Wilder revealed that Vinicius Souza wasn’t close to starting against Bristol City, as the Blades await his scan results.

Meanwhile, United have another injury issue to deal ahead of the Steel City with Tyrese Campbell. However, the United chief told The Star: “It’s just a contact injury, foot on foot I think it was. He’ll be okay, no problem.”

Sheffield United had a great chance to extend the gap over third-place Burnley, but with both teams dropping points at home, Leeds United can take advantage on Wednesday night when they host play-off chasing Millwall.