“That’s Shown” – Wilder Points Out Key Strength of Sheffield United Ahead of Visit to Oxford | OneFootball

Sheffield United head to the Kassam Stadium on Saturday afternoon to face Oxford United in a pivotal EFL Championship fixture.

Chris Wilder’s side are determined to maintain their position at the top of the Championship table, riding high on a five-match unbeaten streak.

Sheffield United Handed Selection Boost as They Hope For Leeds or Burnley to Slip-up on Saturday

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – MARCH 08: Vinicius Souza of Sheffield United is challenged by Brad Potts of Preston North End during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Preston North End FC at Bramall Lane on March 08, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)

The Blades enter the weekend on the back of a dominant win over Coventry City, and with promotion rivals Leeds United and Burnley involved in early kick-offs, Wilder’s men have the opportunity to capitalise on any potential dropped points and extend their two-point advantage.

This will be Sheffield United’s first visit to Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium since their 2016/17 League One title-winning campaign, where they edged a thrilling 3-2 victory. That result helped propel them to the Championship, and they’ll be looking to channel similar energy on Saturday in hopes of securing the Championship title.

Sheffield United have been handed a significant boost as midfielder Vinicius Souza has returned to full training. Wilder confirmed that the Brazilian was nearly involved last Friday but was held back as a precaution.

Chris Wilder Previews the Oxford Clash

Wilder had high praise for Oxford United, despite their poor run of form which has seen them register just one win in their last nine.

He told the media, “Incredibly competitive and experienced manager that’s gone in and won games at the start [of his tenure], and, as we all know, you’ve got to do a lot of things right to win games of football in the Championship. They got promoted through the play-offs and they’re finding their feet,  and it will be a massive achievement for them [to stay in the division] as it will be for all three promoted clubs. They’ve given themselves a fighting chance so we’re expecting their best.”

The U’s earned promotion through the League One play-offs last term and are now battling to secure their Championship status, but their chances of getting anything from this game are minimal on paper.

Despite this, Wilder is not taking any game for granted, “We won’t [take games for granted]. I’m too long in the tooth for that. Too experienced to know you have to fight for everything. We’ve had to fight all season, I’ve had to fight for everything in my career, this club has had to fight for everything it’s achieved since 2016. It’s not been given to us, it’s not been given by a chequebook. We’ve earned the right to invest in terms of success and getting into the Premier League, and we’re going to have to earn that right in the last seven games. It’s a fantastic tussle between three really big clubs in the division.”

Wilder also highlighted the unity and togetherness within the Sheffield United squad as a key factor behind their success. “The togetherness is crucial,” he added. “The players who are playing, the ones who aren’t, the injured players; they’re at one. I’m not going into the canteen and I’ve got a group over there, a group over there, a little group over there chatting, and the young kids chatting. They’re all together and that’s shown [on the pitch].”