Sheffield United urged to pursue glory on two fronts

Second-half goals from Mo Besic and Oliver Norwood saw the Blades book their place in tonight’s fifth-round draw following a comfortable 2-0 win at Millwall, with Steel City rivals Sheffield Wednesday being the only other Yorkshire club to reach the last 16.

It is only the third time since 1998-99 that both Sheffield clubs have progressed to round five, with the Owls also triumphing in the capital with a 2-1 victory at QPR on Friday evening.

Despite making five changes, Wilder still fielded a strong side at the New Den with his team producing the sort of display to suggest that none of the big guns will fancy facing them in the next round, to be played in midweek in the first week of March.

On where Cup success ranks for him, Wilder – confident on further incoming transfer business in the early part of this week – said: “They (players) would have been comfortable with whatever changes were made, but why not – let’s have a go at it.

“We will have a little look before the next Cup game. It is another game to win and we will see where it takes us.

“It is going well, no doubt about it. On the Premier League front and in the Cup. You probably would not think it, but the win at Millwall has given me an enormous amount of pleasure in confirming, not even seeing, what my team is about.

“Players have come in with the likes of the skipper (Billy Sharp) and other players who are really driving it forward and want to produce individual performances and the atmosphere is good.

“I put five things on the board that the opposition would be talking about in their changing room aimed at us. They were that Premier League points would be more important and with the changes that we made, we would not be taking the cup seriously.

“Then it was the pitch and not wanting to get injured for Premier League games. I said that this cannot happen to us.

“I was confident that they wouldn’t, but sometimes a little reminder does not go amiss – but knowing that the players would be on board with that.”

On who he would like in tonight’s draw, Owls chief Monk said: “Part of me would like a home tie because I don’t think I have had a home tie for years in the FA Cup. But whatever will be, will be.”