“One thing I’ll say is. . . “- Chris Wilder Can’t Resist Dig Amid Magnanimous Sunderland Verdict
Though largely magnanimous in defeat, Chris Wilder couldn’t hide his frustrations as his Sheffield United side were beaten 2-1 by Sunderland in the play-off final at Wembley.
Wilder’s side led for 50 minutes of the game after Tyrece Campbell fired them in front in the 25th minute. But goals from Eliezer Mayenda and Tommy Watson in the final 16 minutes sealed Sunderland’s return to the Premier League after an eight-year absence.
Firstly, congratulating Sunderland, the former Middlesbrough boss said: “It can be cruel and that will take quite a while to get over, for the players, for the staff, but most importantly, the supporters. In key moments, there were certain things we could have done better. Congratulations to Sunderland as well, and their manager and the players for their achievements, not just today but the season.”
But there were some frustrations for him in the fact that his side saw a second goal from Harrison Burrows ruled out for offside when still leading 1-0, though only after a VAR review. While the general consensus was that the correct decision was made in the end as Anthony Patterson had his dive obstructed by Campbell, Wilder’s annoyance was that VAR was even used in the first place, with the EFL not having it in place all season.
“The VAR one is a subjective decision,” he told Sky Sports. “The one thing I will say regarding that, I don’t think, having played 46 league games and two play-off games, that it’s right it all of a sudden comes into play. Their manager said that before the game as well. But, there we are. Big moments.
“We could have been 2-0 up and I think if we did that, we’d have won that game comfortably because that really punctures them. But I think that gave them belief and gave their supporters belief. From that moment, they gained energy. I’m just disappointed when we did have control of the game, we didn’t find another moment to go 2-0 up. You get punished for your mistakes and we have been.”
While that was a source of frustration for the Blades boss, it was ultimately the disappointment in his own side’s performance that he rued most, with particular frustrations in what he called loose play from Sheffield United in the second half. That was particularly the case for Sunderland’s stoppage-time winner, as Kieffer Moore gifted the ball to Watson before he fired in from range.
Wilder summarised: “It’s a tough one to take from our point of view. I never really felt like we were in danger in the game, even in the second half. Of course, they’ve got to open up and try to get back in the game. We just needed to be better on that turnover. We didn’t get that balance right.
“When they put a screener in to screen Kieffer when we played out from the back and they went for the high press, we needed more quality when going more direct. I think the biggest thing is, we were just too loose in the second half. We have the ability to sit in as they plough people forward, we go and kill them on the counter attack. We just didn’t find that moment.
“I’m disappointed with the second goal. To concede like that in the 97th minute. And I know we were down to ten men but it goes up to the centre forward and it’s loose again.
“They ultimately found the two moments. People may talk about stats and we’ve had the biggest chances, but stats don’t win games. They found their moments, we haven’t found ours, so they find themselves in the Premier League and we’ve got to try and go again.”
