Chris Wilder praises Sheffield United for managing emotions in first home game since George Baldock's death
When he woke up on Saturday morning, manager Chris Wilder was anxious Sheffield United get everything right on and off the field for George Baldock and when he headed back down the tunnel after the game, he was satisfied they had.
You only need look at Wilder, never mind listen to him, to realise how affected he was by the death earlier this month of the wing-back he signed from Milton Keynes Dons in in 2017.
Seventeen days after Baldock, who left for Panathinaikos in the summer, was found dead in his swimming pool in Athens aged just 31, the senior men's team played at Bramall Lane for the first time since.
Both clubs paid tribute to Baldock beforehand, and Sheffield United afterwards, but Wilder was also keen that his team did the former Greece international justice in between time. They did, with a 2-0 win over Stoke City.
"When we got up this morning, (I thought) how did we want today to look? We've done that," said Wilder, who signed Baldock and got his best years out of him.
"We needed to get that performance right and I believe we did. We controlled possession, we played really well.
"They played with freedom, belief, personality, courage and togetherness and that allowed them to dominate a dangerous outfit.
"It's a difficult league, no easy encounters for any of us, and we had to make sure emotionally we were spot on and controlled our emotions and played in the way we wanted to play."
The Blades went into October's break unbeaten in the Championship only to lose both matches since Baldock’s death away to Leeds United and Middlesbrough.
But once Kieffer Moore redirected Alfie Gilchrist's 14th-minute shot past Viktor Johansson, they controlled the game, and when Tyrese Campbell scored his first goal for his new club five minutes into the second half, victory never looked in doubt.
Campbell has also had to deal with a high-profile bereavement with the death of his father, former Arsenal and Everton striker Kevin, in June, shortly after Tyrese was released by Stoke.
"He's on a hiding to nothing when you play your old club," said Wilder. "He would have loved a win for his new team and a goal. He's got that and there's a lot more in the bank to come.
"He's had a tough old go recently but there's something in him."