Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan issues "needs to change" Sheffield United claim amid Chris Wilder return | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan has given his verdict on the return of Chris Wilder at Sheffield United.

Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan believes Sheffield United will soon start to climb the table following the return of manager Chris Wilder.

It has been a nightmare start to the season for both sides of the Steel City, with Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday currently sitting in the Championship relegation zone, and despite their off-field issues, the Owls are four points ahead of the Blades as things stand.

After losing to Sunderland in last season's play-off final, United made the controversial decision to part company with Wilder in June, with disagreements over the club's new data-driven recruitment model believed to have been one of the main factors behind his exit.

Ruben Selles was appointed as Wilder's replacement, but the Spaniard endured a nightmare tenure at Bramall Lane as he lost all six of his games in charge in all competitions, and he was sacked earlier this month following a horror 5-0 defeat at Ipswich Town.

Just 89 days after his summer departure, Wilder made a shock return for a third spell in charge of the Blades last week, but his reign got off to a frustrating start as his side were beaten 1-0 at home by Charlton Athletic on Saturday, with Isaac Olaofe's 90th-minute strike sealing all three points for the Addicks to ruin the 58-year-old's homecoming.

The defeat means United have now lost their first six league games, and of the three sides who have had such a start in Championship history, Wednesday are the only ones to have survived, with Peterborough United and Wycombe Wanderers going on to suffer relegation.

Barry Bannan issues surprise Sheffield United claim following Chris Wilder return

While there is certainly no love lost between the two clubs, Wilder spoke of his "respect" for Bannan after his side's 1-0 victory in the last Steel City derby at Hillsborough back in March, describing him as a "fabulous player" who puts "everything on the line" and is the "heartbeat" of Sheffield Wednesday.

It seems the admiration between the pair is mutual, with Bannan predicting that Sheffield United will soon get out of their current predicament now Wilder is back at the helm, and he admitted that it has been a difficult start to the season in South Yorkshire with both clubs languishing towards the bottom of the table.

“They find themselves in a tough situation as well," Bannan said on talkSPORT.

"I know they’ve re-appointed Chris Wilder, so they’ll probably think things will start picking up for them. They’ve got a good squad, so I think they’ll probably start picking up points.

"It’s not a good place to be with both teams down near the bottom, and it needs to change because it’s such a big footballing city with two big clubs."

As the Blades continue their search for their first win of the season, they make the trip to face Wilder's former club Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday, while the Owls will be looking to escape the relegation zone by securing three points against Queens Park Rangers at Hillsborough.

Sheffield United will be looking to emulate Sheffield Wednesday after nightmare start

While much of the talk since Wilder's return has been about whether Sheffield United can still challenge for promotion this season, the fact that Sheffield Wednesday are the only team in Championship history to have avoided relegation after losing their first six games underlines just how serious the Blades' current situation is.

Given the excellent work Wilder did in his previous two spells at Bramall Lane, it is difficult to disagree with Bannan that he will get his side moving in the right direction, but they need to get their first win on the board as soon as possible to avoid being cut further adrift at the bottom of the table.

With a game coming up against 20th-placed Oxford this weekend, United have a big opportunity to close the gap to safety and kickstart their season, but should they fall to another defeat, the pressure will only increase further.