What Chris Wilder has said about relegating Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder isn't focused on the fact that the Blades can relegate Sheffield Wednesday in Sunday's Steel City Derby.

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has revealed how focused his side are on the fact that they can relegate bitter rivals Sheffield Wednesday in Sunday's Steel City Derby.

Wednesday are currently rooted to the bottom of the Championship table with a negative points tally, courtesy of the deductions that former owner Dejphon Chansiri caused.

The Owls' time in administration has severely damaged their on-field efforts, as they have failed to win in the second tier since September's triumph at Portsmouth.

In contrast, Sheffield United have reignited their play-off hopes with three victories in their last five games, including an impressive display against automatic promotion chasers Ipswich Town last month.

Chris Wilder reveals whether Sheffield United have extra motivation from the fact they can relegate Sheffield Wednesday

The Steel City Derby played out between the Blades and the Owls is arguably the biggest rivalry in the Championship, although South Coast sides Portsmouth and Southampton may both beg to differ.

Wilder's men are vying to do the double over Wednesday for the second successive season, having beaten Henrik Pedersen's men 3-0 at Hillsborough in November.

Meanwhile, when asked about the fact that United could relegate the Owls this weekend, Wilder told the Sheffield Star: "That's got absolutely nothing to do with me. That's not in my thought process at all. My thought process is winning the next game of football at Championship level. And we know how hard it is to do that.

"There's not a 'they've got this or haven't got that' situation in my thought process. We've done possibly as much preparation on this game as any game all season, and the majority, if not all, of the games last season, apart from the play-off final.

"So, full focus on us. We understand the threats that the opposition might pose. We don't know how they are going to set up. Are they going to come for us, are they going to sit in? We'll only know at 12 o'clock, but we've got complete respect for Henrik [Pedersen] and a group of players.

"The feel and the talk is that it's a mismatch, a gimme. Whether it's bookies' odds, the narrative from Sky or anyone else. And football just doesn't work like that. We've done a presentation on that to the players. They understand it emotionally. I've said to them, it's never just another game.

"Carlos Carvalhal taught me that lesson a few years ago. It isn't just another game, and the players understand that. But they also have to play with a discipline and a control, as well as an enthusiasm and desire to win a game of football. To win a local derby and to get us another three points and gain some momentum and some consistency in our results."

Chris Wilder is approaching the Steel City Derby with the right attitude

Wilder is right to outline that Sunday's clash between the two Sheffield clubs is far from just another game in the Championship, regardless of whether Wednesday can be relegated.

The Steel City was the birthplace of football in its current form, making its two professional clubs among some of the proudest in the country.

However, Wilder's claim that Wednesday's potential relegation to League One has nothing to do with the Blades is the correct stance to take.

The Bramall Lane club have a significant opportunity to close the gap on the play-off places, thanks to the congested nature of the Championship table, and beating the Owls would help them on their way to clinching a top-six spot.