Sheffield United Prepare for Watford Test as Wilder Issues His Thoughts | OneFootball

Sheffield United are back on the road this weekend as they visit Vicarage Road to take on Watford. Both teams find themselves in challenging periods of the season, with Watford seeking to bounce back from consecutive defeats and the Blades battling a mounting injury crisis.

Watford approach this game on the back of a 3-1 defeat to QPR, which followed another disappointing result. Their defence has been a key area of concern, conceding in each of their last six matches. This vulnerability has seen them slip from the playoff positions to 8th place in the Championship.

For Sheffield United, injuries continue to dictate their season. Several first-team players, including Tyrese Campbell, Vinicius Souza, Jamie Shackleton, Femi Seriki, and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, remain sidelined until later this month. Fatigue and limited squad depth have contributed to a drop in performance, with the Blades collecting just one point from their last three outings.

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND – JANUARY 01: Chris Wilder (r) head coach of Sheffield United with his staff on the bench during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sunderland AFC and Sheffield United FC at Stadium of Light on January 01, 2025 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Chris Wilder Previews Sheffield United’s Visit To His Former Club

Chris Wilder, now leading Sheffield United, reflected on his previous stint at Watford and the challenges he faced managing the squad.

“I could’ve gone and watched my mate play golf in Augusta,” he joked in his press conference. “It was a different experience, managing different players culturally and from different attitudes. Sometimes it does annoy me when people define that time as a real failure for me.”

Wilder also touched on his ongoing collaboration with Sheffield United’s new owners, expressing optimism about future recruitment and support in the January transfer window. “They’re excited about the future, just as much as I am,” he noted. “We’ve had positive discussions about bolstering the group.”

United’s recent defeat at Sunderland was a bitter pill to take because they had a golden chance to take the lead from the penalty spot, but Kieffer Moore missed it. Had that gone in, it could’ve been a completely different game which forced a young Sunderland team to chase things.

Addressing Moore’s recent penalty misses, Wilder indicated a potential shift in responsibilities regarding penalty takers. “Kieffer’s record is absolutely outstanding at a top level as well. He missed one vs QPR, missed one the other night in a big moment for us,” he said. “We’ll look at it. It might be a situation where Kieffer comes off penalties now and regroups and gets himself right.”

Wilder also highlighted the impressive yet taxing performances of Tom Davies, who has been forced into heavy minutes despite his limited match fitness over the past two years. “I had a conversation with Tom yesterday; we have to be sensible about this because the boy has not played regular football for two years and all of a sudden he’s going back-to-back 90 minutes and giving everything… Whether it’s the Burnley, West Brom, or Sunderland game he’s driving the game forward for us.” He later added: “Everytime I see Tom train or play he impresses me even more. His attitude is really spot on; a proper Sheffield United player. He gets on the ball, he’s brave, he drives the game forward and he’s got that Premier League quality. He’s going to be a huge player for the last 20/21 games of the season.”

However, Wilder is aware of his injury history and has admitted he would rather be safe than sorry with Davies. “My concern is being super careful. I think Tom knows his body so he has to be open and honest; he’s not letting anybody down if he puts his hand up and says ‘I’m not so sure I can play a full 90 minutes or play my part’.”