• last year
Chris Wilder discusses Sheffield United's 3-0 win over Oxford United as the Blades go back to the top of the Championship. Courtesy of BBC Radio Sheffield
Transcript
00:00We took a win at the start. I've been involved in too many games and managed too many games to know that these are the games that are really important.
00:11Last home game took care of itself, Friday will take care of itself, but Tuesday night it's a little bit cold and you're playing a team that everybody expects you to win, but you've got to go and get the job done and we did.
00:24Delighted for Tyrese to score a couple there. Good contributions from McCallum and Femi when we've changed it up a little bit. I thought there was a period when we went 2-0 up when we were really good and should have put the game to bed.
00:37Then there was a period just before the third or just after the third where for five and ten minutes we had that opportunity to go a little bit more, but I'm not going to be greedy. It's a great home record that we've got and we've kept that going on tonight's performance and result.
00:55What did you make of some of the passing? At times it was a joy to watch really wasn't it?
00:59Yes, at times a little bit frustrating as well for me because simplicity is key. Don't be bored of doing the right things and you've got to move them about the pitch and if we can move them about.
01:11It's a tough ask when teams come out of the First Division and go into the Championship. They've had a couple of difficult games on Saturday at home to Middlesbrough and are coming up the road now, especially when they've been stretched.
01:28They've caused teams problems and they could have caused us problems tonight if we'd have not had our mentality spot on. The mentality was good, the play was good, we controlled the ball, but still at times things can happen.
01:45They go 1-0 up, they sit in and then it becomes an incredibly difficult evening when we have to make it as easy as we can and I believe through the attitude of the players we did that.
01:55You've spoken a lot about Tyreese Campbell over the last few weeks, but just how much does it make your life easier as a manager when you've got a striker you can bank on getting a goal again pretty much?
02:04His record so far has been fabulous. Two great finishes. I thought his second was a great finish as well. I think we were all desperate for him to take the match ball home, but we have to have one eye on Friday night as well.
02:19It's a ridiculously quick turnaround. We've spoke to the EFL regarding it and I do understand that they want to cover the teams at the top of the division, but the time between our games is shorter than the majority if not all of the teams that are playing in the EFL.
02:42So we have to make sure that we prepare right and especially with a couple of the boys being out at the top of the pitch, look after players and we've looked after Ty. We would have liked to have kept him on of course to get his hat trick, but the bigger event now is Friday night and him being right and if he plays like the way he's playing he's a great asset for us.
03:02Just how good was Femi Sariki today?
03:05He was good. He was confident. He was positive. He's going to learn. He's good at running. He's good at running with the ball. He's good at driving at people and when he does that he gets people off the seat. We've got a couple of good players there now. We've got Femi who can take the ball and drive forward. Obviously Alfie has been our main right back through the season and contributed to our brilliant defensive record as well.
03:29So we've got a good mix there. We changed it around the last home game. Alfie was great on Saturday away at Coventry as well. Young players have been good. Siddy was good tonight as well and good to get Sam and there was just a round of applause for Tom Davies in there as well because that's been a tough couple of years for Tom. So to get him out on the pitch for us tonight was great for him.
03:57You've touched on the record as well here now. Seven straight wins. Seven straight clean sheets. It doesn't matter what division you're in. That's incredible really isn't it?
04:04Well we'd have took that at the start of the season. I don't know where that's taken us in terms of league position. We've got to embrace that. We want to win games of football. I've said before when success comes to you and the door opens be ready to step into it whatever part of the season. We'd rather be in this position than halfway up the league. So home form has been fabulous, been key.
04:27I know sometimes there was a little period where it just went a little bit, there was a bit of a lull in proceedings. I get that and I want us to go forward and go from three to four to five. But maybe at times winning a game of football is the most important thing and getting another win under our belt, getting another clean sheet. There's a couple of great bits of defending as well. A fabulous save from Koops when he had to make that save so he's here to make some big saves.
04:57He got blocked by the skipper when their boy got in as well so I like that mentality and that attitude as well even though we're winning three-nil and it feels a comfortable game. They're still willing to put their bodies on the line and make some big contributions to keep that clean sheet.
05:11And as you mentioned finally, it's a quick turnaround but what a game next.
05:15Yes, as I said it'll take care of itself and they've been going great but it was important that we had it when Swansea come to us and we had to make sure that we got that result and we did and we moved quickly on to the game at the weekend.
05:31Big game, I'm sure it's going to be close to a sell-out. It should be a sell-out. Two teams that have started the season off the front foot and deservedly are in the position that they are and I respect what they've done. I'm delighted first and foremost that we've recovered from a difficult afternoon at Coventry on Saturday and gained a big three points for the football club.

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