The age-old maxim goes that form counts for nothing when the stakes are so unbearably high, but there is no doubt that the 130th Steel City derby is a meeting between two teams ostensibly heading in different directions. In the red corner at Bramall Lane will be third-placed Sheffield United and in the blue, a disorderly and off-colour Sheffield Wednesday who will make the four-mile journey south after four successive defeats. When Wednesday arrive on Friday evening, they will be entering Chris Wilder territory. The United manager was a boyhood Blade; ballboy, fan and then full-back before being offered his dream job in May 2016. Wilder’s first taste of the Sheffield derby was on the terraces in 1980 as a 12-year-old, but savours every one like it is his last. His workaholic captain and top scorer, Billy Sharp, is made of the same stuff, the striker in his third spell at his hometown club. When United overcame Hull City on home soil last month to soar to the Championship’s summit, Wilder pulled a hamstring amid the celebrations when he booted the match ball up into the sky at the final whistle. “I’ve still got that player mentality, a little bit of edginess about me,” he said. “I enjoy working for the club that I love.” For Blades supporters, Wilder – who has a tattoo of the club crest – is their working-class hero. He is, as they sing, one of their own. Before the last derby, which finished goalless, Wilder said: “I don’t know how I can put this in a way that won’t offend people, but I know that if I’m on the Titanic and there’s a Blade and an Owl and one space left on that life raft, I’m dragging that Blade into it.” He grew up in Stocksbridge, north of Sheffield, but was born an old-school manager; he tells the story of how, a few weeks into the job, he pulled £100 out of his back pocket to pay for some beers for his squad to enjoy on the journey home from Millwall, despite a failure to curtail a winless start to the season. Team spirit is the foundation for any success; through the spine of his side are not only talented individuals but also big characters. Wilder’s first move as manager was to sign Mark Duffy and the wily winger who joined on a free transfer from Birmingham has since proven himself a priceless commodity. Duffy turned to scaffolding while playing for non-league Prescot Cables after being released by Liverpool as a schoolboy, but he has shone in Sheffield. If Duffy is their catalyst, Sharp is their trusty source of goals, while the defender Chris Basham, summer signing Oliver Norwood and Dean Henderson, the England Under-21 goalkeeper on loan from Manchester United, have all been influential this season. Wilder’s other eye-catching loanee, Ben Woodburn, has struggled to make the impact many had predicted; the Liverpool forward has just one league start to his name. Wilder insists the 19-year-old is not a “special case”. There is plenty room for improvement, though, and Wilder may take heart that his team can call on a
The age-old maxim goes that form counts for nothing when the stakes are so unbearably high, but there is no doubt that the 130th Steel City derby is a meeting between two teams ostensibly heading in different directions. In the red corner at Bramall Lane will be third-placed Sheffield United and in the blue, a disorderly and off-colour Sheffield Wednesday who will make the four-mile journey south after four successive defeats. When Wednesday arrive on Friday evening, they will be entering Chris Wilder territory. The United manager was a boyhood Blade; ballboy, fan and then full-back before being offered his dream job in May 2016. Wilder’s first taste of the Sheffield derby was on the terraces in 1980 as a 12-year-old, but savours every one like it is his last. His workaholic captain and top scorer, Billy Sharp, is made of the same stuff, the striker in his third spell at his hometown club. When United overcame Hull City on home soil last month to soar to the Championship’s summit, Wilder pulled a hamstring amid the celebrations when he booted the match ball up into the sky at the final whistle. “I’ve still got that player mentality, a little bit of edginess about me,” he said. “I enjoy working for the club that I love.” For Blades supporters, Wilder – who has a tattoo of the club crest – is their working-class hero. He is, as they sing, one of their own. Before the last derby, which finished goalless, Wilder said: “I don’t know how I can put this in a way that won’t offend people, but I know that if I’m on the Titanic and there’s a Blade and an Owl and one space left on that life raft, I’m dragging that Blade into it.” He grew up in Stocksbridge, north of Sheffield, but was born an old-school manager; he tells the story of how, a few weeks into the job, he pulled £100 out of his back pocket to pay for some beers for his squad to enjoy on the journey home from Millwall, despite a failure to curtail a winless start to the season. Team spirit is the foundation for any success; through the spine of his side are not only talented individuals but also big characters. Wilder’s first move as manager was to sign Mark Duffy and the wily winger who joined on a free transfer from Birmingham has since proven himself a priceless commodity. Duffy turned to scaffolding while playing for non-league Prescot Cables after being released by Liverpool as a schoolboy, but he has shone in Sheffield. If Duffy is their catalyst, Sharp is their trusty source of goals, while the defender Chris Basham, summer signing Oliver Norwood and Dean Henderson, the England Under-21 goalkeeper on loan from Manchester United, have all been influential this season. Wilder’s other eye-catching loanee, Ben Woodburn, has struggled to make the impact many had predicted; the Liverpool forward has just one league start to his name. Wilder insists the 19-year-old is not a “special case”. There is plenty room for improvement, though, and Wilder may take heart that his team can call on a
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