Sheffield United v Brentford: Chris Wilder demands bravery as standard after promising early signs on his return

It was a word Chris Wilder used in his pre-match press conference for Saturday's Premier League game at home to Brentford, and one his Sheffield United predecessor used six days earlier to describe what was missing at Burnley.

When managers refer to bravery they are often not talking about players throwing themselves in the line of fire. The real bravery in the Premier League, where referees and cameras protect footballers better than ever, is in wanting to receive the ball and take risks with it to win games, not just participate in them.

It was sorely lacking at Turf Moor, as it had been at home to Bournemouth. Those games, back to back, were a huge reason why Paul Heckingbottom is an ex-Sheffield United manager, and Wilder no longer is.

On Wednesday, the Blades got it back.

But it is easier playing a team no one really expects you to beat, and that night Liverpool were in town. It is easier to stand up when you have a new manager to impress, bouncing you into things.

After the 2-0 defeat Wilder made it crystal clear, this was the standard, not the peak.

He needs that bravery again versus Brentford – tricky opponents but ones they will have to target points against at home to have any chance of dodging the relegation most see as inevitable

“It's quite easy to go missing,” says Wilder, back for a second spell as manager after brief interludes in charge of Middlesbrough and Watford. “It is one of the biggest things I demand from players.

“The game's hard enough with 11, playing Liverpool when you're not in a great position. The game's harder when players find those skinny little angles where it might look to supporters, pundits and journalists that they want to get on the ball but really they don't want to accept that responsibility. I was delighted with that on Wednesday night. Everyone wanted to step into the game and take the ball and make things happen. That has to happen.

“I have to try and make that shirt as light as possible for them in terms of our approach and gameplan, the messages we give them and how we go about that, but they still have to step out into a game and it is difficult. Bravery is absolutely huge.”

So how has he tried to find it in his players?

“They've got to believe in themselves and that's their responsibility, I'll stick it on their toes,” he says. “And by the way, if they don't they'll be off, I said I'll substitute you, whether it's first minute or last minute. If a couple are like that I might be struggling early on!

“They've worked extremely hard to get to this stage of their careers playing in the Premier League, they've had to do a lot of things right. Go and grab that opportunity.

“We have been written off in all quarters, we understand that, and the players have to show that fight, determination and bravery to try and change the narrative.”

It has meant more work on buttering up belief than honing tactics. Wilder is fortunate, in that sense, to inherit a team which plays with the sort of framework he laid down between 2016 and 2021.

“I don't want to overkill that (tactics side),” he explains. “I don't want them to sit looking through videos for two or three hours boring the arse off them because you lose them after 10 or 15 minutes.

“We've had short, sharp meetings on what I expect, tactical meetings. Time on the grass is very short because we need to save our legs, save our energy, so there's been three or four meetings. Every manager has his own ideas of how he wants to play tactically but there's not too much difference between the previous regime and where we are now.

“When I left there was quite a big change in terms of approach that without being too controversial, didn't really work with the DNA of the football club but that's what happened. Slav (Jokanovic) is a fabulous manager, it just didn't connect at that time and then Paul got the job and connected it back together.”

For all the talk of reviving past glories, six of Wednesday's starters were signed under Heckingbottom, and academy graduates Andre Brooks and Will Osula given their debuts by him.

Wilder could probably do Sheffield United’s season as a Mastermind subject, but only this week will he have got a better idea of the type of people he is now working with. I always knew they were a good group in terms of the attitude,” he says. “I think I've got a bit of a headstart because already players know what I'm about. I might have changed a few little bits in my approach and my attitude to it but I'm basically the same guy that managed those players a few years ago so I should imagine good and bad they'll be speaking to the players that haven't worked under us.

“You always think who's with you, who might be undecided and who isn't. The players who aren't all-in won't last at all and hopefully we'll convince the middle group to push into the top group.

“The way it's started, we feel everybody's on board. I don't think you produce that type of performance against that type of opposition (Liverpool) unless you're all in and on the same page.”