Passionate Chris Wilder bringing best out of Sheffield United

Chris Wilder believes his passion for boyhood club Sheffield United is quickly starting to rub off on his players.
Ethan Ebanks-Landell of Sheffield United is mobbed as he celebrates the equalising goal at Fleetwood.Ethan Ebanks-Landell of Sheffield United is mobbed as he celebrates the equalising goal at Fleetwood.
Ethan Ebanks-Landell of Sheffield United is mobbed as he celebrates the equalising goal at Fleetwood.

The Blades manager – in the first few months in charge at the club he supported and played for – has instilled a camaraderie at Bramall Lane, not seen since the glory days of Dave Bassett and Neil Warnock.

Wilder’s touchline celebrations at Ethan Ebanks-Landell’s 95th-minute equaliser at Fleetwood Town was a mixture of raw emotion and relief.

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It mirrored scenes behind the goal at Highbury as Ebanks-Landell was mobbed by his team-mates and United’s travelling support.

Chris Wilder.Chris Wilder.
Chris Wilder.

“That’s why we are in the game, for moments like that,” Wilder said. “I am not embarrassed by it.

“That’s my emotion for my football club. You saw the reaction from the staff and the players, and more importantly the supporters. We deserved something from the game and it was a difficult afternoon.

“Scoring a goal is the hardest thing in football, so when you do score you have to celebrate. I didn’t get that opportunity to do that many times in my playing career. Once I scored and ran to my pals in the John Street and nobody followed me, wondering “where’s he off to….”

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“I want players to play with passion, commitment and pride – representing themselves, team-mates and more importantly the club – and they are doing that.

Chris Wilder.Chris Wilder.
Chris Wilder.

“I am a big believer in that, and if I haven’t got any passion, or my staff haven’t, to work for this football club then how’s that going to look to the players?

“We were delighted at Fleetwood. It wasn’t the best result this football club has ever had, but it was an important one.

“I believe a lot in the reaction of supporters, what they and see and how they judge, and they’re seeing a fully committed, front-foot performance.” Ebanks-Landell’s equalised grabbed a 1-1 draw for the Blades which stretched their unbeaten run to seven games, ahead of tomorrow’s visit of Port Vale.

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While a goal tomorrow might not spark similar celebrations, Wilder has no intention of toning down his emotions.

“If you run about, you have lost your head, if you stand still you have no passion,” he said. “You just have to be yourself, and that’s me.

“I won’t apologise for anything. It’s not going to happen every week, but it was an afternoon which was frustrating (until the equaliser).

“If the supporters had not been happy with that performance, 500 of them would have been on the tram back to Blackpool having a beer after 60 minutes.

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“But they are not, they can see the players are putting the effort in, and being positive.

“Sometimes it’s not your afternoon, but the players refused to let that happen and even in the 95th minute thought they could get something from the game.

“You never know how important that is, in terms of momentum, in terms of a point in the grand scheme of things.

“That last thing I want is for us to be a team who comes back in the changing room and says “I wish we had done that….”

“Sometimes it’s not going to be your day, but it won’t be for that want of trying. We want to leave it all out there.”