Sheffield United Boss Proud of “Incredible Effort” From His Stretched Squad | OneFootball

Sheffield United showed incredible resilience as they secured a vital 2-1 win against Watford at Vicarage Road.

The visitors nearly had a dream start within the first 30 seconds when Andre Brooks delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, narrowly missing an early goal as Ryan Oné’s header glanced off his shoulder. The early scare for Watford set the tone for a first half which was dominated by Sheffield United’s attacking intent.

The breakthrough came in the 13th minute, with Callum O’Hare threading a sublime through ball to Gustavo Hamer. The Dutch midfielder raced through and rifled a shot into the right half of the net, giving the Blades a deserved lead.

Despite Sheffield United controlling much of the first half, Watford found their equaliser in the 37th minute. Ryan Andrews delivered a precise low cross from the right flank, finding Jeremy Ngakia at the back post for a simple tap-in.

The Blades emerged from the break pressing Watford high and creating opportunities. Their efforts were rewarded in the 53rd minute when Andre Brooks produced a moment of sheer brilliance. Collecting the ball outside the box, Brooks unleashed a curling shot into the bottom left corner, leaving Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann with no chance. The 21-year-old celebrated his stunning strike with a backflip in front of the ecstatic travelling supporters.

WATFORD, ENGLAND – JANUARY 04: Gustavo Hamer of Sheffield United celebrates scoring his sides first goal with team mate Jack Robinson during the Sky Bet Championship match between Watford FC and Sheffield United FC at Vicarage Road on January 04, 2025 in Watford, England. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Chris Wilder Praises “Incredible Effort” From Sheffield United Players in Win at Watford

Speaking after the game to SUTV, manager Chris Wilder was emotional and full of praise for his team. “I’ve got to say I’m quite emotional about it regarding this afternoon. I just think it was an absolutely incredible effort by everybody. We’re so stretched and it shows, and our academy has been great, but stretched in terms of some players shouldn’t have walked on to the pitch, never mind play 90 minutes or 75 minutes. How Tom Davies got through 90 minutes I’ll never know.”

He later added: “The supporters were incredible today, they recognised it. They recognised that the boys were running on empty; we didn’t have opportunities to rest players or change it up. We had three senior players to come off the bench. I couldn’t expose the young boys; it wouldn’t have been fair on them.”

He also highlighted the performances of key players, including Tom Davies, Callum O’Hare, and Anel Ahmedhodzic, who all played pivotal roles despite physical and tactical challenges. “I’m so proud of this group and everybody should be,” he exclaimed.

The manager provided an update on Gustavo Hamer, who was substituted after experiencing tightness in his hamstring. “He went as long as he could. We’re living dangerously, but hopefully it’s nothing too serious,” Wilder stated.

With this hard-fought win, Sheffield United remain in third, but they are now just one point behind league leaders Leeds United after they threw away a win late on at Hull City.