Chris Wilder Makes “Wrecking Ball” Remark As Sheffield United Prepare For Trip to High-flying Coventry | OneFootball

League leaders Coventry City welcome 22nd-placed Sheffield United to the CBS Arena on Tuesday evening in what will be one of the toughest tests yet for Chris Wilder’s side.

Frank Lampard’s Coventry head into this fixture looking to bounce back after their first defeat of the season, a thrilling 3-2 loss at Wrexham last Friday night. It was a game that saw former Blade Kieffer Moore net a hat-trick. Despite that setback, the Sky Blues remain a fearsome attacking force. Lampard’s men have scored 36 goals already this campaign, the only Championship team to surpass the 30-goal mark. The next-highest scorers, Hull City, trail by a remarkable 14 goals, underlining just how prolific Coventry have been in the final third.

In contrast, Sheffield United come into this game after another disappointing outing, losing 3-1 at home to Derby County on Saturday. The Blades have now shipped six goals in their last two matches, both against sides who rank among the division’s weaker attacking units. That’s hardly the form they’d want heading into a trip to the league leaders.

Despite their blistering start to the season, Coventry have had to contend with their share of injuries. United’s summer transfer target Bobby Thomas missed the trip to Wales, while Jay Dasilva, one of the Championship’s standout left-backs, was given the final few minutes off the bench.

Playmaker Jack Rudoni remains sidelined for a few more weeks, but Lampard could be boosted by the return of Victor Torp, who is back in contention following a calf injury. Meanwhile, Milan van Ewijk is expected to slot straight back into the starting XI after serving a suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards.

Saturday’s defeat for the Blades continued a worrying trend of defensive lapses and unforced errors. Wilder handed Ryan Oné and Tom Davies rare substitute appearances against Derby, while Oliver Arblaster continues his steady recovery from injury and is likely to feature for the development squad in the coming weeks as he builds match fitness, as could Tahith Chong.

Sheffield United Manager Chris Wilder Reflects on Mistakes Against Derby County

PRESTON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 24: Chris Wilder, Manager of Sheffield United, applauds the fans following the team’s defeat during the Sky Bet Championship match between Preston North End and Sheffield United at Deepdale Stadium on October 24, 2025 in Preston, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Reflecting on recent performances, Wilder spoke in his pre-match press conference about the need for focus and resilience within his squad:

“We’ve reviewed and talked about things; we’re not taking a wrecking ball to it and we’ve done a lot of work in a short space of time. But we aren’t a ridiculously poor side who have collapsed, we need to stop one mistake becoming two and making it easy for the opposition.

“We don’t get those moments that we have given others, we don’t get the decisions that have gone against us, and we can’t accept it easily, lightly or cheaply.”

The manager also pointed to individual accountability, referencing Sydie Peck’s costly mistake that led to Derby’s second goal just after half-time.

“We are in a profession that is scanned and magnified and if you make a mistake, people come after you, but players will survive, he didn’t go under, and he stuck up his hand and acknowledged his error.”

Chris Wilder on Work-rate And Tactical Flexibility

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 01: Callum O’Hare of Sheffield United during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United and Derby County at Bramall Lane on November 01, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Harriet Massey/Getty Images)

Despite the poor results, Wilder insists the players’ effort and commitment cannot be questioned.

“The attitude is okay. I would bash them up if I thought they had the white flag up or if I thought people weren’t trying or running around,” he said. “Everything in my eyes, and statistically, says that they are. The duels one is always an interesting one because people will talk about Saturday and maybe say we got bullied and they wanted it more and this and that and the other. I think there were a couple of positions they were more dominant than us that we have to be more dominant in. We should’ve dealt with Carlton Morris better and at the top of the pitch.”

The Blades boss also admitted that tactical flexibility has been limited so far this season:

“We’re trying to play one way and I’d like to have on the table another couple of options to play. I’d like to think in January I’ll have the opportunity to play a couple of different ways to suit the situation and the scenario. At the moment it’s quite difficult to change the way we play, but hopefully that will change in January.”

As for players looking to force their way back into contention, such as Tom Cannon and Louie Barry, Wilder’s message was clear to the pair after dropping them from the matchday squad completely:

“Any opportunity, whether it’s in training, minutes, or starts, they’ve got to grab it and put themselves at the front of the queue.”

Coventry City, quite rightly, enter the match as heavy favourites against the Blades. Their attack, led by Haji Wright and BrandonThomas-Asante, will test a Sheffield United defence that has looked increasingly fragile.