Sheffield United boss reveals his respect for Sheffield Wednesday hero

Many pundits are currently having their say on the tough start being experienced by the Blades, who have picked up just one point from five top-flight games so far this season and have lost seven of their last eight Premier League fixtures - taking the final matches of 2019-20 into account.

Wilder have been around the game long enough to know that it is part and parcel of footballing life, with the vastly-experienced Blades chief not one to shy away from the situation either.

Many 'experts' in the football media are being particularly vocal in their perceived view that United are being ‘found out’ from a tactical perspective following their successful deployment of overlapping outside centre-backs to create overloads in wide areas in the top-flight last season.

Wilder begs to differ and is also selective in listening to the views of those who he respects in the game and others who he does not.

Wilder, whose side visit champions Liverpool on Saturday evening, said: “It does bring a little bit of a smile to my face when pundits talk about systems and other people do quite blandly without coming up with why we have been sussed and what are the reasons we have been found out. I certainly don’t believe it is true.

“I used to love listening to Chris Waddle on (Radio) 5 Live as he would identity a problem and say to the listeners what it was and how to effect it."

As for the 'background noise' regarding criticism amid the Blades' current run being an occupational hazard, he added: "You cannot get away from it and it is one of the things we have spoken about. The noise...

"We all get it and sometimes you use it and it winds you up. But you cannot get away from it, it is the Premier League and on us 24/7.

"My love is football and what I watch away from Shirecliffe and Bramall Lane is pretty much sport-based and football. Unfortunately, at times, you cannot just mute it and turn it off.

"But as I have said about Chris, Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Danny Murphy and a couple of others, I really respect their options and understand why they are coming up with them.

"You cannot get away from the noise at times and you have to put up with it because of the league and media coverage it gets."