ALL LOGIC would tell you Sheffield United will win their first Bramall Lane game of 2026 on Sunday, but the dressing-room decor will remind the home players it is not a foregone conclusion. Manager Chris Wilder is hoping not to add to it any time soon.

Set to again be under the caretaker stewardship of former Blade Craig Short whilst they reportedly pursue Alan Sheehan, Oxford United will arrive in South Yorkshire above only Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, having lost five of their last seven games.

The Blades have blitzed Birmingham City, Stoke City and on Thursday Leicester City in their last five matches, but it is the two others Wilder wants to keep fresh in his players' minds ahead of the noon kick-off.

There will be West Bromwich Albion and Wrexham shirts hanging in the dressing room, just as they were on New Year's Day.

"It's a reminder to players that this is what happens if we're off it," says Wilder, the manager who took Oxford back into the Football League in 2010.

"We were off it in the second half at West Brom, we rolled over. I really didn't enjoy that.

"Wrexham, the goals we conceded were ridiculous, the timings of the goals as well.

"If we do that, we're going to give teams the opportunity to hurt us and teams in this division can hurt us. But we can hurt teams as well, like we have done in the past 10 games. I want more of that feeling.

ON THE UP: Sheffield United's Tom Cannon celebrates scoring the Blades' second goal in the 3-1 win over Championship rivals Leicester City at Bramall Lane on New Year's Day - taking his tally to four goals in nine games. Picture: Eleanor Freeman/Sportimage

placeholder image — ON THE UP: Sheffield United's Tom Cannon celebrates scoring the Blades' second goal in the 3-1 win over Championship rivals Leicester City at Bramall Lane on New Year's Day - taking his tally to four goals in nine games. Picture: Eleanor Freeman/Sportimage

"That West Brom and that Wrexham shirt are going to go up and I don't want to see another shirt for a long, long time.

"At times I'm excited about what we can achieve with the players we've got and hopefully the business we can do in January. I'm a bit frustrated as well but we have to deal with the present situation.

"Oxford United at home, I should imagine people are just expecting us to turn up and roll them over.

"They had a tight game at Ipswich (a 2-1 loss on New Year’s Day), I watched that right the way through and they had a couple of opportunities to get something out of the game. And Ipswich have just moved into the promotion places.

BAGGIE MEMORIES: Harrison Burrows contemplates West Bromwich Albion's second goal against Sheffield United in mid-December (Image: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

"We're going to have to do a lot of things right on Sunday.

"But the players are together and they want to move this forward. I know where I want to take it but they decide the journey.

"We have to be absolutely bang at it. We're going to make some changes to freshen it up."

One of those who will be hoping to keep his place is centre-forward Tom Cannon, after taking his tally to four goals in his last nine appearances in the 3-1 win over Leicester. Before that it was one in 30 for a player who joined from the Foxes on January 23 last year.

LONG DAY: Ryan Longman equalises in Wrexham's 5-3 home win over Sheffield United on Boxing Day (Image: Jess Hornby/Getty Images)

Wilder is full of admiration for the way Cannon has turned his fortunes around since scoring as a substitute at Sheffield Wednesday in November.

"We weren't signing him just for 23 games (last season)," stresses Wilder.

"There's a player there that everyone in the division was after and we won the race. I thanked the board at the time and I thank them now for doing it because there's still a player in there.

"He wanted to come in, hit the ground running and be a success and it's not come to him but he's working his way in, he's earned his right in training.

"It was a great goal in the derby from his point of view and the supporters have got behind him. His workrate and setting off the press is outstanding. it stops teams getting into a rhythm.

"But the most important thing is he links it, he stretches it and he assists and he scores. He's doing all those things.

FRSUTRATIONS: Chris Wilder manager (Image: Andrew Yates / Sportimage

"He needs to keep those standards up and if he does we're going to have good performances off him. I said that to him.

"I told him I've proud of how he's fought his way back. Quite easily he could say, 'It's not worked for me at Sheff United, I don't want to be here, can I go out on loan?'

"He's never once said that."

If Sunday is important, the real quiz starts when the game is over and the Blades knuckle down to some transfer business Wilder hopes will bring "three or four" players in, and could lead to up to eight players following Ben Godfrey and Louie Barry out of the door.

“I don't think anything will happen before Sunday, but the period between that and the Charlton game (on January 17) is going to be a busy period for us," he says.

“Maybe potential targets will see our results and the way we're playing. We’re an attractive clubs for potential players to come and play for.”