Sheffield United's defensive performances this season have been outstanding.
Not as excellent as that of promotion rivals Burnley – who conceded a freakishly impressive nine in 28 games – but 18 goals in 28 games is still excellent. In fact, third best in English football's top four divisions.
What makes it all the more satisfying for the Blades and their fans is that it comes after a season in which they set Premier League records for all the wrong reasons.
It is their name that is in the history books next to the records for most goals conceded in a season (104), most goals conceded at home in a season (57), worst goal difference at home (-38) and worst goal difference (-69, along with Derby in 2007/08).
Sky Sports' Dan Long reminds Chris Wilder of last season's eerie figures as the pair chat over Zoom – but the Blades boss cringes when asked how much the relegation style has hurt. “Oh, please don't!”
He is promised that the conversation will then proceed positively.
“I was delighted when we were 5-0 down against Arsenal at half-time. It was a great feeling,” he says jokingly.
“When they just run over us and after 20 minutes we're 4-0 down against Villa and Brighton and stuff like that. Oh, it's painful.
“But when you go through it, game in, game out and you see the ruthlessness of the division and how teams find those moments of quality, that's what makes it the best division in the world – and you get exposed if you're not good enough.
“It's a tough place to be and a pretty lonely place for a manager to be. But I've been in the game long enough to know that wouldn't last forever and we need a reset in the summer had.”
As part of the reset, the backline changed – almost completely – over the summer. 'A clean slate', as Wilder puts it.
A back six of Wes Foderingham, Jayden Bogle, Anel Ahmedhodzic, Auston Trusty, Jack Robinson and Max Lowe on the final day of the 2023/24 season became a back five of Michael Cooper, Alfie Gilchrist, Harry Souttar, Ahmedhodzic and Harrison Burrows for the 1-0 win over Watford in the first match after the close of the summer transfer window.
Bogle and Trusty were sold to Leeds and Celtic respectively, Lowe joined Steel City rivals Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer and Foderingham did the same at West Ham.
The playing style is also different, using a back four almost exclusively.
“We never designed our group as a team that plays on the counter-attack and hits people on the break; we want to control possession and we want to create chances,” says Wilder.
“I don't think it's old fashioned, I just think it's the right school that you have to get both sides of the game right and get out of possession. We've had to tackle it to give ourselves the chance to win games, whatever we do.” Are.
“Of course we understand the different levels we play at and we are not punished as heavily in this division as we are in the Premier League. We are still proud of the work that is being done and we have to keep it going.
“There are a lot of people who expected us to go through the Championship and maybe get into League One, which is where we were a few years ago, so to stop that slide and get the feel-good factor back into the football club, start Winning football matches has been positive, not only for me, the coaches or the players, but especially for the supporters.
“They have seen a team that plays with passion, plays with dedication, pride and personality and also plays with structure, and I am sure they are happy to see.”
Even if there were, Wilder is not the kind of man who would reveal the secret to the success of the first 28 games of the season.
But it does have its main ingredients, so to speak; the foundations on which everything is built.
“You need an attitude to be a team player,” he continues. “Everyone has a job to do, whether it's recovering wingers, strikers getting back into solid, compact shape, recovery runs from midfield players, set plays against – and just a general attitude of keeping the ball out of the net.
“It's a pretty simplistic way of putting it, but sometimes that's what it comes down to. What is your attitude to training? If it's a small-sided match, do you want to win? Do you want to keep the ball out? in the back of the net? Do you want to make that recovery run? Do you want to make that tackle? Do you want to make that block?
“If you have that attitude in you, you give yourself the opportunity to win football games.
“We're not excited, we don't want it to be a basketball game. There are times when we are put on the back foot that we have to deal with, and we also want to start punishing teams.
“I don't think there's any secret to that. You want to be the best at what you want to do. You want to be the best at set play. I heard Mikel Arteta talking about it; they want to be the best team.” for counter-attacks, transitions, defending, attacking, xG – that's what you're trying to aim for.
“The attitude of the players and their acceptance and enthusiasm to tackle things individually to get better and as a team is always a great asset to have. We have players who want to get better individually and hopefully that will lead us to get better become.” overall a better team.
“Behind that you need a goalkeeper who can make a big save and certainly Michael (Cooper) has done that this season when he has been called up, which is crucial.
“We had Dean Henderson here, and I talk about Dean a lot with a lot of affection. From a character perspective, he's a very different character than Michael, but what Michael does now is what Dean did for us that season. [promotion from the Championship in 2018/19].
“There's still a long way to go, a lot of work to be done, but we're in a great place.”
Watford and Preston jointly hold the record for fewest goals conceded in a Championship season; the Hornets only conceded 30 goals in 46 games during their 2020/21 promotion campaign, which equates to just 0.65 goals per game. North End did the same in 2005/06, before eventually losing to Leeds in the play-off semi-finals.
The Blades currently average 0.68 per match, but Burnley are on course to break the record with just 0.32 per match currently.
Either way, it's not on Wilder's radar.
“That's one you can enjoy!” he answers. “You look back at how many points you need to reach the play-offs; last year we know three teams got over 90 points, which is an incredible achievement.
“Sometimes you see and say that maybe you have to score over 75 and you have to concede under 45 if you want to have a successful season, so we are on track to hopefully have a good season, but you never know.
“There are a lot of exciting matches and you need a little bit of luck every now and then, but you need players who make big decisions and sometimes once is enough to win a game of football.
“From a manager's perspective you'd like it to be a little more comfortable at times, but getting over the line every now and then is key. Sometimes we enjoy the gritty 1-0s as much as the free-flowing moments. ” 2-0's or 3-0's you could have in a season.
“You just have to keep your head down and go from game to game. If we can continue to improve these numbers along the way and improve these numbers on all fronts, then we will try to improve throughout the season. That must be the great ambition and be a great goal.”
The main goal is of course automatic promotion. Wilder has previously taken the Blades out of League One and the Championship and would not say no to another promotion.
Five points separate the top four – Leeds, Sheffield United, Burnley and Sunderland – ahead of Friday night's match, but Wilder is wary that more could join the race.
“We are judged on winning football matches, so we have to win football matches,” he says.
“I have to say there are other clubs involved in the mix that can come out of nowhere. Some of these clubs can win six, seven, eight games on the spin and suddenly it's happening.” The landscape changes dramatically for those teams.
“Of course you enjoy this position because it means that you are doing something well, that the players are doing something well and that we are winning football games, so we want to keep it that way.
“We've worked hard to get to this position and we have to embrace it. You can't hide from it, it's everywhere. When you turn on the TV, go online or whatever, it's there. We have to embrace it and definitely enjoy it.”
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