Sheffield United Need “Tough Mindset” to Get Something at Luton, Wilder Says | OneFootball

Sheffield United travel south to take on bottom-of-the-table Luton Town on Saturday afternoon, aiming to continue their impressive run of form.

The Blades sit in second place in the Championship and have won three consecutive matches, with their latest triumph being a convincing 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough.

Luton, meanwhile, find themselves in a difficult position. The Hatters have not won a game since before Christmas, picking up just two points from their last nine fixtures. However, they remain only two points from safety with a game in hand, keeping their survival hopes alive.

The Blades’ January transfer business has strengthened the squad significantly. The impact of those signings has been evident, as United now have reliable options off the bench. In their last two matches, substitutes have stepped up in the final quarter of the game to secure crucial goals.

One of Chris Wilder’s key concerns ahead of this fixture is the fitness of Tom Cannon and Gustavo Hamer, who picked up minor injuries against Middlesbrough. The manager has assured that both players will be given every chance to feature on Saturday. Meanwhile, Kieffer Moore and Femi Seriki are on track to return in the coming weeks, though Jamie Shackleton’s return remains uncertain.

Luton’s form has been abysmal, with their last victory coming before Christmas. The Hatters’ struggles are compounded by several key injuries, including center-back Teden Mengi, club captain Tom Lockyer, and Reece Burke, who is sidelined with a hip problem. Tahith Chong and Shandon Baptiste are also unavailable due to soft tissue injuries. Alfie Doughty was rested in midweek as a precaution.

Sheffield United were absolutely fantastic on Wednesday evening against Middlesbrough, they created a number of big chances, whilst limiting the away side. However, Boro were given a lifeline late in the first-half when they were awarded a very controversial penalty.

Chris Wilder Expects Sheffield United to Have Tough Game Against Luton Town

Wilder has expressed his frustration with the penalty awarded to Middlesbrough in midweek, saying: “You’re always going to get contact in the penalty area from a set-piece. I would say 99% of football people watching that would’ve said, ‘just let it go, they’ve got hold of each other’. I thought it was a poor performance by the referee right the way through. If Jack Robinson had pulled him to the ground and the other guy didn’t have hold of him, I’d get it, but it was six of one, half a dozen of the other.”

Despite Luton’s position at the bottom of the table, Wilder expects a tough contest.

“Luton Town is always a difficult place to go. You have to have a tough mindset. Their away form hasn’t been great, but their home form is okay. We have to make sure we turn up and get the performance right. Their fans can be a 12th man, so we must control our emotions and the game.”

Wilder also acknowledged United’s points achievements, and he clarified on their points target in order to secure a playoff spot. “Getting to 50 points was our first target, which we’ve reached. Getting to 74 points is our second target, which should put us in the playoffs. I think many of our supporters saw this as a survival or consolidation season after last year, so all credit to the players for their attitude and resilience.”