"Crazy" - Pundit responds to Chris Wilder's Coventry City criticism after Sheffield United draw | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer has told FLW his verdict on Chris Wilder's comments regarding the Coventry City squad last weekend

Carlton Palmer has no doubt that the Coventry City players stuck behind Mark Robins until the end despite Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder’s comments last weekend.

Following the Blades’ 2-2 draw at the CBS Arena, the 57-year-old suggested that they had downed tools on the former Sky Blues manager prior to his dismissal earlier this month.

Interim manager Rhys Carr oversaw a comeback draw, with the team twice finding a way back into the game after going behind, while the Yorkshire outfit had been reduced to 10 men before half time.

"I would say top four, top five strongest squads in the division,” said Wilder, via the club’s official Twitter account.

“They've decided to turn it on [Saturday], haven't they? And have a go.

"I'm a Mark Robins fan, and maybe, being a little bit controversial because sometimes I can't keep my mouth shut, if they had run around like that in the previous 14 or 15 games, maybe somebody else would be in a job still."

Carlton Palmer defends Coventry City squad from Chris Wilder’s comments

Palmer believes that Wilder was simply speaking in the heat of the moment after a disappointing result, rather than anything more sinister being at play.

However, he feels that the Coventry players stuck with Robins regardless and that their form was always going to sort itself out in the long run anyway.

“I think Chris Wilder’s comments about Coventry City players downing tools under Mark Robins was a little bit tongue in cheek,” Palmer told Football League World.

“Obviously he’s talking after the game, Chris wears his heart on his sleeve and at the end of the day, the performances that Coventry are putting in now would tend to suggest that.

“But I don’t believe that.

“I think it’s crazy, Coventry were always going to sort themselves out, one or two injury problems or whatever. It always happens.

“You see it when a manager goes in and results pick up, that’s always the way it is.

“I think it’s just, not sour grapes but, disappointment that they didn’t collect all three points.

“Listen, going down to 10 men for as long as they did, that point could be very valuable come the end of the season.

“They didn’t go under, they didn’t get beat and that could be such a valuable point come the end of the season.

“Listen, you’ve got to love Chris Wilder, but you can’t just jump on him and say ‘you said that’, he said it in the heat of the moment, he’s a decent bloke is Chris.

“I don’t for one minute believe that the Coventry players downed tools on Mark Robins, he’d been at Coventry for so many years and the players absolutely were on his side.”

Coventry City’s recent form

Coventry suffered a 2-1 defeat to Derby County in Robins’ final game in charge, ending a seven year return to the club.

Since then, the team have drawn against promotion contenders Sunderland and Sheffield United, coming from behind to secure a point in both fixtures.

Robins oversaw victories over Middlesbrough and Luton Town prior to his departure, but the defeat to the Rams proved the final straw in an otherwise poor start to the campaign.

The Sky Blues now sit 17th in the Championship ahead of a visit to Turf Moor on Tuesday evening in a 7.45pm kick-off.

Chris Wilder’s comments were out of place

What managers say in the heat of the moment post-game should typically be taken with a grain of salt to an extent, especially when they’ve dropped points in a disappointing fashion.

However, Wilder still should’ve kept himself out of it as what happens at Coventry has nothing to do with him.

It was an unfair remark on the players, who are putting in great effort each week to try and get a result for their team.