“That puts into perspective” – Chris Wilder’s Measured Assessment as Sheffield United Travel to Stoke | OneFootball

Sheffield United will make the journey to the bet365 Stadium on Friday evening, to take on Stoke City, with the Blades’ Championship play-off place already confirmed.

While some might view the penultimate fixture of the regular season as a dead rubber, Chris Wilder’s Blades know there’s still much to gain, and Stoke City, their hosts, still have everything to lose.

The Potters are limping toward the finish line after a humiliating 6-0 thumping at the hands of automatic promotion winners Leeds United at Elland Road. It was a performance riddled with unforced errors in dangerous areas, and Leeds punished them ruthlessly. The heavy defeat leaves Mark Robins’ side just four points clear of the drop zone with two games to go, meaning their Championship survival isn’t yet guaranteed.

For Sheffield United, this game follows a narrow 2-1 defeat to Burnley at Turf Moor, a result that mathematically ended their hopes of automatic promotion, and now attention has shifted firmly to the play-offs. Yet, questions are swirling amongst fans and pundits about how the Blades should navigate their final two league games.

The Blades could still reach an impressive 90 points this season, and some supporters are calling for Wilder to field his strongest possible lineup to build momentum heading into the play-offs. Others are urging caution, advocating for key players to be rested in order to avoid injuries and mental fatigue.

Chris Wilder on “Thought Process” in Final Two Games

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 01: Chris Wilder, Sheffield United manager shakes hands with his players after the final whistle in the Sky Bet Championship match between Queens Park Rangers FC and Sheffield United FC at Loftus Road on March 01, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Chris Wilder, speaking to the media, had this to say on the subject: “The thought process doesn’t change whether it’s a preseason friendly or the 45th game of the season,” he said. “We’ll prepare as we’ve always done, to win a game of football. A few players need a rest, a couple might need a rest mentally to freshen them up, and some need match minutes. It’s not going to be wholesale changes. We need to get into a rhythm, we don’t need to disrupt that.”

Wilder also revealed that Ryan Oné will be heavily involved in these final two games. Tom Davies is back from injury, and Wilder said the midfielder will be featuring in at least the Blackburn Rovers clash.

While United gear up for a shot at a Premier League return via the play-offs, Stoke are scrapping to avoid an alarming drop into League One. Wilder was quick to reflect on the contrast between the two sides; not to boast, but to highlight how unforgiving and unpredictable the Championship can be.

“I think that puts it into perspective, a club that was in the Premier League for a long long time and the facilities they’ve got and the stature in the division, are still not safe in terms of dropping into League 1. Do I think they will be safe? Yeah. I like the club, Mark Robins is someone I’ve known a long time and done a great job wherever he’s gone. They’ve got supportive owners, but FFP and all that. When people think going straight back up is an easy achievement, there’s your answer in a nutshell how difficult it is.”

He reflected back to the Blades, saying “Sometimes you can slide [like Stoke], but we haven’t. We’ve been competitive, and although it hurts that we haven’t taken the race further, I still think it would have taken 96 points plus to get promoted automatically. But I know where I am with this season and the majority of our loyal fans do too.”