Sheffield United: Chris Wilder makes classy Michael Carrick, Steve Gibson claim ahead of Middlesbrough reunion | OneFootball

Wilder will face his old side for the first time since leaving Boro two years ago.

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has called Middlesbrough's decision to bring in Michael Carrick as his replacement, after the club sacked him, an "excellent" move.

It's been just over two years since Wilder got the boot from Boro. He had been with the Teessiders for just under a year at the time of his departure.

He was brought in to help steady the Middlesbrough ship after Neil Warnock left the club. They were 14th in the league when he joined, with 22 points on the board after 17 games. They ended up finishing just outside the play-off places on 70 points, averaging 1.65 points per game with Wilder at the helm.

Boro weren't able to carry on this strong form into the next season. They sat just outside the relegation zone when Wilder was told he was no longer needed, having picked up 10 points in 11 games.

Carrick was appointed, and he came in and revolutionised the team, guiding them to a fourth-place finish.

Chris Wilder praises "excellent" Michael Carrick decision by Middlesbrough

Wilder is now set to return to the Riverside to face his old team for the first time since being sacked. Despite how things ended, he doesn't appear to hold any grudge against the club, and, in fact, he admitted that they made an "excellent" decision to bring in the former Manchester United midfielder to be his successor.

"They’re a good team, a really good team," Wilder admitted when speaking before the clash on Wednesday night, via the Northern Echo.

"They're really well coached by Michael. Excellent choice by Steve Gibson (Middlesbrough's chairman and owner)…Michael is a top, top manager now, and he will go on to be as well.

"It’s a really good club, they’ve got some really good players and they’re going to be in and amongst it - one of the outstanding teams in the division.

"We played Friday, we play Wednesday against two of the top teams in the division. It’s a tough ask, but we have to be ready for it and we have to show what we’re about."

The Blades come into the game off the back of losing 2-0 to a Leeds United side that he described as: "the best team," that they have played this season. We'll get to see whether Carrick's Boro can knock Leeds off of that top spot that they hold in Wilder's mind.

Middlesbrough need to start acting like one of the top teams

Almost every opposition manager that comes up against Boro is full of praise for them and their boss. They're always talking about how they're one of the better teams in the division and their team has to be ready for them, just as Wilder did.

The problem with saying that is that Middlesbrough don't always live up to that praise.

They aren't in a situation like Coventry City where they are right down at the bottom and are way underperforming, but their inconsistency must be so infuriating for supporters.

Talent is not a problem for Boro - they have it in abundance across various areas of the pitch - they just need to find a formula that works for them and make sure they stick to it. That should help them get more consistent results.