Chris Wilder Admits Sheffield United Midfielder is a “Big Miss” After Blades Defeat Plymouth in a “Hard to Watch” Performance | OneFootball

Sheffield United managed to secure a hard-fought 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle at Bramall Lane, ensuring they extended their lead at the top of the Championship table.

Goals from Gustavo Hamer and Kieffer Moore provided the difference on a cold day where the Blades struggled to hit their stride but did enough to claim the crucial three points, with help from goalkeeper Michael Cooper.

The home side took the lead in the 19th minute through a moment of brilliance from Gustavo Hamer. Harrison Burrows delivered a corner that was cleared to the edge of the box, where Hamer unleashed a volley into the ground and it flew past the goalkeeper and into the net.

Despite taking the lead, United failed to dominate and allowed Plymouth to stay in the game. The visitors had spells of possession and some great chances, but the Blades were able to register a goals prevention tally of 1.50 per SofaScore, highlighting the excellence of Cooper’s goalkeeping abilities.

It wasn’t until the 88th minute that Sheffield United secured the win. Tom Davies was fouled in the box, and Kieffer Moore stepped up to take the penalty. The striker confidently drilled the ball low and hard into the centre of the goal. The late goal ensured there would be no late drama as United extended their unbeaten run to ten.

Kieffer Moore celebrating after scoring his penalty to make it Sheffield United 2-0 versus Plymouth Argyle. (Image Credit: Sheffield United Football Club).

Chris Wilder on “Hard Watch” As Sheffield United Grind Out 2-0 Win Over Plymouth Argyle

Speaking after the match to SUTV, Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder admitted it was a challenging performance to watch. “It was a hard watch for me so I should imagine it was a hard watch for everybody else. You want your team to go and pop it about and play free-flowing football, but with the circumstances, when I put my head on the pillow tonight and reflect on the game, I always said it wouldn’t be a straightforward game. Decent first half; they’ve got nothing to lose. They had an extra man in midfield and they pinned us back. We couldn’t get enough pressure on the ball at the top of the pitch. Our two sixes got stretched so it became a really open, and dangerous, game. But, we tightened it up in the second half; kept that clean sheet record and managed to create the better chances in the second half.”

Wilder also highlighted the challenges his squad faced due to injuries and fatigue. “We’re light: It’s there to be seen. With a couple of injuries that we’ve had, that’s when it hits home. Vini [Souza] is a big miss for us. When Vini’s out of the team we lack that physicality and energy. That’s no disrespect [to the other players].”

He added, “We’re playing young Sydie [Peck] who’s played three Championship games in the space of six days for the first time. We lost Femi [Seriki] so we needed to use Shacks [Shackleton] in a different position when we changed shape, which for me personally nullified them in terms of playing out. The likes of Harrison Burrows and Alfie [Gilchrist], and the other younger players, it’s an absolutely new experience for them to play top end Championship football when the pressure is on and physically try and get through the week we’ve had.”

Wilder also confirmed that key players like Anel Ahmedhodzic and Vinicius Souza are expected to return for the upcoming match against Cardiff City this Saturday, while others like Tyrese Campbell and Femi Seriki remain doubts.