Sheffield United Chief Issues Complacency Message Ahead of Plymouth Argyle Test | OneFootball

Sheffield United return to Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon, aiming to solidify their position at the top of the Championship as they host struggling Plymouth Argyle.

Chris Wilder’s side are on an impressive nine-match unbeaten streak, highlighted by a hard-fought 1-0 win over Millwall earlier this week. That victory propelled the Blades back to the summit of the Championship and showed their resilience in a packed fixture schedule.

Heading into the season, plenty of neutrals thought the Blades were going to struggle after their horrendous Premier League campaign last time out as well as the huge rebuilding job, plus starting the season with a two-point deduction.

Nonetheless, Wilder overcame all of those early obstacles and he’s rebuilt Sheffield United in various ways. He lowered the average age by signing players with huge potential whilst being Championship quality players. He refreshed the system and the core of the squad to fit a new and vibrant style of play. And, he’s instilled incredible confidence and belief in everybody in the squad.

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 29: Chris Wilder, Manager of Sheffield United, applauds the fans after the team’s victory in the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Sunderland AFC at Bramall Lane on November 29, 2024 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Chris Wilder on “Team Effort” After Being Awarded Championship Manager of the Month

Quite simply, he has done remarkable things in the latter half of 2024 and Wilder was recently named EFL Championship Manager of the Month. But, the boyhood Blade did not want to hog the limelight as he praised his staff and players for their collective efforts during his recent press conference. He said, “It’s always a collective from that point of view. The work behind the scenes from the staff, from an analysis point of view, medically from a sports science point of view; we’ve got a fantastic group – a really connected group of staff that work tremendously hard together and all got a part to play.” He added, “It comes out as manager of the month but really it’s team of the month. Delighted for everybody, but there’s a bigger reward at the end of the season and that’s what we’re all working towards.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 11: Chris Wilder, Manager of Sheffield United, looks on prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall FC and Sheffield United FC at The Den on December 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images)

Chris Wilder Urges Sheffield United To Avoid Complacency As He Previews Plymouth Argyle

Despite their strong form, Wilder is urging caution against complacency, both from his players and the fans as we tick closer to the end of 2024: “We understand the challenge ahead. I talked about arrogance and complacency; there has to be no sign of that. I’ve got to say I don’t think there will be from my messages to the players. I don’t want there to be arrogance or complacency from the supporters. We understand we were in League One for six years. A massive football club in League One for six years, so we can’t afford to be complacent as a club and the supporters can’t. I don’t want it to be ‘it’s going to be three or 4-0 and it’s just a given’.”

He discussed the challenging fixture list during the festive period: “The schedule has been hectic; there’s a lot of tired players. So, we’ll need the supporters because there will be a lull in the game where everybody expects us just to turn it on and ‘it’s Plymouth and lets just roll these over’, but we’ve got to do the job on the pitch first and foremost. And, the supporters have got to help us get through this game on Saturday.”

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 10: Vinicius Souza of Sheffield United reacts after he challenges Yan Valery of Sheffield Wednesday during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Sheffield Wednesday FC at Bramall Lane on November 10, 2024 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Ed Sykes/Getty Images)

Wilder Provides Injury Update For the Blades

Wilder faces some selection headaches ahead of Saturday. Midfielder Vinicius Souza, who was substituted with a hamstring issue against Millwall, is a doubt. Meanwhile, Tyrese Campbell and Femi Seriki are recovering well, but defender Anel Ahmedhodzic is likely to miss out due to an ankle injury sustained in training, as the club are waiting for the swelling to go down so they can assess it further.

In stark contrast to Sheffield United’s form, Plymouth Argyle are enduring a torrid run. Wayne Rooney’s side have managed just one win in their last ten matches, leaving them languishing in 23rd place. A 2-1 home defeat to Swansea City midweek has only added to the pressure on Rooney, with speculation mounting over his future at the club and a poor result and performance at Bramall Lane could spell trouble for him.

Wilder spoke about Argyle’s current predicament, he stated: “You can’t get away from the fact that they are in a tough spot, but they fought their way out of that position last season, and the season before that they got promoted. So, they know how to win and they’ll be looking to puncture our home record and then get themselves up and running.”

That may be easier said than done though as Plymouth have picked up just two points on their travels all season, scoring a mere three goals. In contrast, United have kept eight clean sheets in a row at home, and won all of those games.

Of course, those clean sheets are partly down to the brilliant and ever-reliable Michael Cooper, who joined the Blades from Plymouth Argyle this summer. This will be the first meeting against his former club and he’ll want to show the travelling supporters just what they’ve been missing. Though, given their horrific away form, Cooper may not have much to do on Saturday afternoon.