Chris Wilder’s focus remains firmly on last four games at Sheffield United

The Blades dented Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Champions League hopes with a 1-0 home win on Thursday, and can do similar to Frank Lampard’s Blues, but more important would be what it means for their own chances of a first European campaign.

Victory would put them sixth ahead of Wolves’ game at home to Everton on Sunday.

Wilder, though, is refusing to get distracted by talk of the club’s greatest season of modern times.

“Just to add to our points total would be great, we’ve got four games left and the time to reflect will be at the end of the season,” insisted Wilder, a right-back under Dave “Harry” Bassett, whose status as the Blades’ best post-war manager is under threat. “We’ve got more to do than look at Rothmans books from 20, 30 years ago.

“We don’t want it to finish on 51 (points), we want to add and the boys are determined. We’ll reflect at the end of the season.

“What Harry did at this football club is right up there if not the best in the modern era as a Sheffield United fan. The club was going out of the second division (relegated four months after he took over in 1988) and in the space of three years, they found themselves in Division One.

“It’s not felt like we’ve been pushing for Europe all the way through, it’s been media talk. I can’t control that.

“We’re looking for a big finish. We demand one, regardless of the size of squads or quality or whatever advantages the majority if not all Premier League clubs have over us.”

Quite apart from not putting pressure on his players, there is another good reason for not getting caught up in talk of Europe.

Until there is a decision on Manchester City’s appeal against a two-year European ban – expected on Monday – it is unclear where they must finish. If the ban is upheld, sixth and seventh place in the Premier League will qualify for the Europa League, with the final spot going to the FA Cup winners, or the team in eighth if they have already qualified.

Editor’s note: First and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you. James Mitchinson, Editor