Sheffield United's Chris Wilder: 'There'll be a lot of people talking about our season being done and dusted, it's not'

With only 12 points to play for, the Blades' goal difference means they have to win six more than one of the two teams above them for automatic promotion. If not, they must take their chances in the play-offs.

Helping them in that respect is Monday's trip to Burnley, but first they must win at home to Cardiff City on Friday to stop themselves falling further behind.

The Blades play after Burnley – who are at Watford – but before Leeds' game at Oxford United on Friday. Anything other than victory will take pressure off the Whites.

But with two games over the Easter weekend there is a scenario, albeit improbable, that could see the Blades return to the top ahead of the final two games of the campaign.

Keeping his players positive was part of the pep talk Wilder gave on the pitch at full-time after the 2-1 defeat to Plymouth Argyle, something he often does after games.

"I thought it was important," said Wilder. "It wasn't a Phil Brown moment (a reference to the then-Hull City manager's infamous on-field half-time team talk with his team 4-0 down to Manchester City).

"It was a calm chat to say we have to take responsibility for three games where we've turned a really good position into a not so good one. We have to own and accept that we haven't been good enough.

"There'll be a lot of people talking about our season being done and dusted, it's not. We've given up an advantage, that's all we've done."

The Football Association have asked for and got the Blades' observations of what happened after that, with Wilder confronting Plymouth players Darko Gyabi – on loan from Leeds – and Mustapha Bundu, then in the middle of jostling down the tunnel caught on television.

"As we walked off there were some verbals with a couple of players and then about 70 people gong into a tight tunnel area," explained Wilder. "We've responded to the FA in terms of observations.

"I went to speak to their manager, there’s no issue between the managers and staff. As far as I'm concerned we moved on."

Wilder rejected suggestions his side were too negative for the 37 minutes they lead 1-0 before Ryan Hardie and Muhamed Tijani scored.

"We haven't been negative in our approach because we've had 70 per cent possession, we haven't been good enough, it's as simple as that,” he insisted.

"We've had 70 per cent possession (on average, over the last three games),we haven't been negative.

"The approach hasn't changed from the Coventry game – why would it? Why would we go from one of our best performances of the season to all of a sudden go into a negative approach in all three games? We wouldn't and we haven't.

"We just haven't been good enough. Defensively we've conceded some really poor goals, from box to box we've had control of the game, we've got the ball where we wanted to get it to, we've not been good enough at the top of the pitch.

"We've not created enough and we've not been clinical enough in our finishing.

"The stats back all that up."