Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, Chris Wilder discusses Sheffield United’s draw against West Brom, Harry Souttar’s season-ending injury and the possibility of early business in the January transfer window
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00:00Chris, how do you react to a draw today?
00:04I am super proud of my team, super proud. We are so stretched, it's unbelievable.
00:12I thought we were light at the start of the season with bodies and we had to keep everybody healthy.
00:22When we suffer a couple of injuries, more than a couple, we are getting stretched.
00:29As I have said before, I look at the team we played on Boxing Day,
00:33I look at the team that is possibly at the top of the division and even them today.
00:38They have injuries but Dean Garner, Dobbin, Swift.
00:44We were really tested and it was disappointing to come off the pitch on Boxing Day night.
00:53It was a tight game, it was two teams that were up there for a reason, winning games of football.
01:01Two teams that were well coached, a lot of good players on the park and we just didn't get the result we were after.
01:13I know Scott Parker talked about his young team.
01:17If his is a young team, mine is under 10s if I am being totally honest.
01:27Me learning about the group today was a big situation and I really enjoyed watching them go about the business.
01:37First off, we were excellent. We pressed, we arrayed, we won first balls, we won second balls.
01:42By the way, this is against a decent side and by the way as well, this championship is a tough division.
01:49People talk about the division, we have spent three out of the last six years in the Premier League.
01:58We have had three promotions in that period, an FA Cup semi-final since 2016 when I walked through the door.
02:06We have had a decent little go at it and it is tough.
02:11West Brom are trying to get into the Premier League, all the other clubs are trying to get into the Premier League.
02:15Middlesbrough are trying to get into the Premier League, Coventry are trying to get into the Premier League and we are as well.
02:22When we stretched, looking at my group to see if I could learn a few things about it and I have learned loads today about their attitude.
02:30Their attitude before the game, during the game, towards the end where you saw players were absolutely shattered.
02:36There is an illness that has run through the group.
02:38Siddy Pape wasn't very well, Robbo wasn't very well, Rhys Newington-Davies, Rhian Brewster have not been great.
02:44But they left everything out there for the supporters, for me and the team and the supporters.
02:49I have got to say, I know, I understand the dynamics of it.
02:53You are not going to get 28,000 in the ground at the end of a game, so there is no criticism towards that.
02:59But the people that stayed showed their appreciation for a proper Sheffield United performance today.
03:04Proud of the boys, quick turnaround.
03:07First half we were really disappointed to go in 1-1 and we tried.
03:11They got out of the blocks the first 5-10 minutes of the second half, which made a good save.
03:16But after that, we were pushing and pushing and pushing to get a winner.
03:21We were bold, we were brave.
03:23We brought Siddy off.
03:24We played two high eights as two sixes.
03:28We got Rhian on the pitch and we wanted to win.
03:32I wanted to win today so badly.
03:35The majority of times, because that is the way I have been brought up, it is about results.
03:42It is a results-based industry.
03:44But today was about a performance.
03:47I have got to say, Rob, I thought they were really good.
03:50I am very proud of every one of them and their efforts today.
03:53I know you like the young players here and you have got a lot of time for them.
03:56But when you have got a bench with that many on there, you just don't have many options in the second half to change things.
04:01No, attacking. We are putting it from an attacking point of view.
04:06Game changes, which we have always had here.
04:10Go back to the promotion season in 18-19, where Didsey and the skipper,
04:16and then Scott Ogan came on and Gary Medin came on.
04:19We have always tried to do that, freshen it up.
04:21Mark Duffy and boys like that.
04:24We have got young Rhian at 18, who really should be out on loan.
04:29But he is supplementing the group at the moment.
04:32And Rhian has two attacking options.
04:36From a defensive point of view, we have got Rhys Norrington-Davies and Sam McCallum.
04:43So, we have possibly got four subs out there.
04:46It would not have been right for me to expose the young players into that environment today,
04:50because it is not under-21 and it is not League One or mid-table.
04:55It is top-end championship football when you are right up against it.
04:59But, as I have said before, I do not like it when teams leave slots available.
05:07So, the likes of Sam and Billy Blacker and Marshy being involved
05:13and learning about players and players' attitude.
05:17So, another positive today is those boys have looked into the eyes of the Jack Robinsons,
05:22the Indian Nells and the Tom Davieses and Kiefer Moores.
05:27And hopefully learned a bit about that and enjoyed being around a proper football team
05:32and a proper football club.
05:34Really good goal as well, wasn't it, for Andre Brooks' first senior goal?
05:37Yes, delighted for Brooks.
05:39He started off the season very well and then Jez has come in, so he has had to fight.
05:44So, we needed something more.
05:46We have had chats about it.
05:48He needs to do more in training.
05:49He needs to do more on a Monday to Friday.
05:51But, he is sort of getting there now.
05:53So, an opportunity for him and I thought he was outstanding today.
05:58And you could just see, he has not played a lot of football.
06:02He is cramping up towards the end, but he was willing to get off the canvas
06:06and go again, recover to Old Palfey and then get to the top of the pitch.
06:09So, I have got to say, I loved the attitude and the personality of the team today.
06:14And I have loved it all season.
06:17And I said to the boys afterwards, sometimes these results have not gone for you.
06:22But, if you keep producing that for me, for the staff, for each other
06:27and most importantly the supporters, you will see that reception that they got at the death.
06:32You need some help though.
06:33Yes.
06:34The next time we will see you, it will be 2025 and it will be the January transfer window.
06:37It will be open.
06:38So, have you had the kind of conversations that make you think
06:42you can do some early business in the window?
06:44Well, another one, Ari Suter, he goes back to Leicester now.
06:48Snapped his Achilles, so he is out for the season.
06:51So, that is a big blow for us.
06:53We will have players back, I think, for the Norwich game.
06:56So, most probably be the same group that we are picking for the Sunderland and the Watford game.
07:03We have had those conversations after the 27th of December.
07:11They are ongoing, as we talked about, positive conversations with the owners
07:18to sensibly help the group.
07:22It puts us in a brilliant position.
07:24So, help me, help the group, help the supporters in terms of having a strong second part of the season.
07:30Also, massive numbers coming in.
07:34I like the chemistry of the group, the way they are together.
07:38Definitely, players need resting, players can't play.
07:42The likes of Tom Davis, who has had modified training since he has been out for a long time.
07:46Rhian, Rhys Norrington-Davis.
07:48I know players might say, why didn't you pick him and why didn't you pick him?
07:52We are making decisions from a medical point of view and a physical point of view.
07:56I don't really want to do that, but we are having to do that because Tyrese is background
08:01and the other boy is background.
08:04So, that's when you need to be able to move it around and freshen it up.
08:10There are a lot of tired bodies out there, but the desire and the attitude under the shirt
08:17to try and eke out a win against a big football club and a good team was amazing.
08:26So, that's my thoughts for today, really.
08:30How much of a bitter blow is it for the player, for Harry Suter and for yourselves as well to lose him?
08:35Yeah, it's been amazing. His partnership with Anel and his partnership with Jack as well.
08:40He's been outstanding, great player to work with, great personality, character, devastating for him.
08:46He loved it here. He's absolutely gutted.
08:50I spoke to him the day after Boxing Day, so a big blow.
08:56One of the things I keep talking about, which we didn't have last year, was the attitude to disappointment.
09:01I know it's a different league, but the attitude to disappointment, the attitude to losing Vinny,
09:05to losing Tyrese, who was absolutely on fire, to losing Suter, to Blaster losing Neymar
09:11and all the other players that we've lost.
09:13Attitude to things that go against us, like today, going in at 1-1 when we really should be 1-0, 2-0,
09:20in terms of the balance of the play. Attitude to a defeat on Boxing Day, what it's going to be like.
09:27We all have to get on with it and show what we're really about.
09:32I think that's my message to everybody today, watching these players and watching how they line up
09:38and how they coach and how they're motivated. They're giving everything.
09:43We're not always going to win games, but we'll win more than not win.
09:49But, like I said, a big disappointment to lose the big fella because he's been incredible.
09:54Finally, do you have a bit of luck, do you think?
09:57You mentioned there are Blaster, Suter, at times other players have been absent.
10:02Raksaki's not available at the minute, you can run through it.
10:04You've had all sorts of injury issues and yet you're still where you are on the table.
10:08Yeah, just that little period we're going through now where we've just got to get over these hurdles
10:13that are in front of us, but we'll be stronger, we'll be better.
10:17So, players are stepping up to the plate, the experienced boys are stepping up to the plate
10:21and we're just going to have to deal with it.
10:24And I would say as well, I would chuck in a couple of refereeing decisions as well
10:28because the decision on Callum O'Hare on Boxing Day is absolutely ridiculous
10:33when I'm speaking to the hierarchy and they're talking about I'm not sure if it's a foul.
10:36It's on the edge of the box and it's our free kick and their boy gets sent off, he's gone.
10:42So, we're down 40 minutes, we're down obviously in the game, but they're down to 10 men.
10:47And today, any other part of the pitch, any other part of the pitch apart from that
10:52where they put them lines in that little bit of a half circle,
10:55because what happened about 30 seconds, 45 seconds later in the far corner
11:00was exactly the same and it happened in another corner and it happened about three or four times.
11:04Callum is just about to pull the trigger and their boy smashes him from behind.
11:08Regardless of anybody coming across, it's a penalty.
11:11So, we're going to have to ride these sort of decisions that are going against us,
11:15the decision that went against us and we are relying on good refereeing decisions as well
11:20because these are tight games.
11:22As I said, we've never said we're the perfect team, we're a learning team, we're a young team.
11:26These teams have been put together at the start of the season,
11:30but tight games get decided by tight moments and that might have been another big moment.
11:36So, hopefully, as everybody keeps telling me, they might even themselves out,
11:40but it certainly doesn't feel that way at the moment.