Stoke City v Sheffield United: Cup hangover will be hard to shake off
Stoke City v Sheffield United Chris Wilder wants his Sheffield United players to put their League Cup exit to bed at Stoke City on Saturday, but it was clear from his pre-match press conference that will be easier said than done.
Wednesday's 1-0 defeat at League Two Fleetwood Town was a big theme of it, and it has left the manager bruised.
By leaving the culprits out and reverting to the team he says has performed well in the Championship, he hopes to end a run of three defeats in four games.
"Should we be putting Fleetwood to bed? 100 per cent," said Wilder. "Have we let the supporters down? Absolutely.
"I'm really sorry because we filled out (the away end) and ultimately it wasn't good enough. Every criticism that I receive or whatever, we'll take and we have to accept.
"I wanted to go into the last eight. I think you've seen maybe a trend – not one Championship club in the last eight, only three in the last 16.
"We've done all right against Wolves (despite losing 1-0 last Sunday). I ain't got those (selection) decisions this week. "
Former Stoke striker Tyrese Campbell was one of those Wilder felt let him down on the west coast. He had an excellent debut season at Bramall Lane, but a poor second one did not stop him earning a two-year contract, which in turn has not lifted his form.
"Has to do more," was Wilder's blunt verdict. "A bit inconsistent, does well in certain bits and needs to be more consistent.
"I think there was a contractual situation from our point of view, protecting an asset by offering him a deal. We didn't offer him a three-, four- or five-year deal."
Wilder was less sympathetic of fan criticism of his decision to play a 4-4-2 formation at Fleetwood.
"We built in a three," he said. "Matt Doherty wasn't on the right wing.
"Romelle (Donovan was) right wide, Rhys Norrington-Davies wide, that's a five. Two midfield players, Blaster (Oliver Arblaster) off the left and two centre-forwards.
"We pressed in a 4-4-2 because that was the best pressing shape to play against the team that we were playing against.
"We played the same shape when we beat Mansfield – won 3-0.
"We played pretty much the same shape at Blackburn Rovers – won 2-1.
"It was the attitude that disappointed me, it wasn't the shape.
"I thought the front two’s movement wasn't good enough.
"You want to keep the ball, to probe. If you force it, you get barked at. If you bang it, you get barked at. If you keep the ball, you get barked at.
"I thought the front two were poor. The midfield two were poor and they're better than that. They're good players, all four of them.
"I couldn't start Pat (Bamford) because he's got a situation. I couldn't start Liam Kitchen because he had an issue."
Wilder is keen not to get his team's start to 2026-27 out of proportion.
"It's not halfway, it's not three-quarters, it's a sixth or a seventh in," he pointed out. "We're in seventh and people are making assumptions about how we're going to be.
"Judge the team at Christmas – statistically, points-wise, everything people have an opinion about."