Sheffield United v Preston North End: Chris Wilder's bankers warned to keep standards up
Sheffield United v Preston North End After a dismal midweek defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has stressed his key players have credit in the bank, but warned they need to keep topping it up.
Another home game, against Paul Heckingbottom's Preston North End, offers a chance to draw a line under Wednesday's 3-1 defeat and end the home Championship campaign with smiles on faces.
This ought to have been a promotion season, building on 90 points and a play-off final. But having tried to fix something that just needed polishing, the Blades have left Wilder with a rebuilding job.
There are players who can be pretty confident of being part of it, but Wilder has warned they cannot afford too many off-days.
"Sydie Peck's got credit in the bank, Oli Arblaster has, Femi (Seriki) has, Brooksy (Andre Brooks) has, Harrison (Burrows), but they have to replicate it, they can't just lean back on what's happened," he said.
Wednesday's first half, when the Blades conceded three times without reply, was everything Wilder does not want to see next season.
"We weren't good enough, we knew that," he reflected. "We never got the mix of the game right. They came with a gameplan, we didn't mix it up enough, we lacked energy, we lacked a drive about us.
"I felt the team played too safe, wasn't prepared to take risks, wasn't prepared to hit that long ball over the top that might go out of play, that might get a little bit of a boo, but it is a positive approach.
"Certainly from a defensive point of view, if you look at all the goals they're terrible goals to give away and that's just not like us, wasn't like us last season and it won't be like us next season.
"We have to get back to being that team that we've shown at times at home. There was a period over Christmas where we were blowing teams away, we've just dropped silly points against West Brom, against Swansea, against Wrexham – even Coventry and Middlesbrough.
"You sometimes have in a season slow starts but you have to give yourself an opportunity getting back in the game – 3-0 is not an opportunity.
"If it's one and I poke them at half-time and we change something tactically, that gives us that ability but when it's 3-0 and individual defending and unit defending is really poor it really gives you virtually no chance.
"I thought the team showed a little bit of spirit second half, that's the least that they can show."
Tyler Bindon is a doubt with a rolled ankle. Kalvin Phillips will not feature, but has not been ruled out of the final-day trip to Derby County.
Meanwhile, Wilder would welcome a return for club legend Billy Sharp when his playing career ends, though that may not be just yet.
Doncaster Rovers will release the 40-year-old striker after next week's game at Peterborough United but he is keen to play on if the right opportunity comes his way.
"I don't know where his next move is, whether it's coaching or whether he still fancies trying to get to 300 (goals),” said Wilder.
"But certainly one of the big things our academy is all about, and I'm all about, is people who know what our football club is all about."