NafisaThough mostly gracious in defeat, Chris Wilder couldn’t mask his irritation as his Sheffield United team were defeated 2-1 by Sunderland in the play-off final at Wembley.
Wilder’s men were ahead for 50 minutes after Tyrece Campbell put them in front in the 25th minute. But goals from Eliezer Mayenda and Tommy Watson in the final 16 minutes secured Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League after an eight-year wait.
Firstly, paying tribute to Sunderland, the former Middlesbrough manager 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 he was also irritated by the fact his side had a second goal from Harrison Burrows disallowed for offside while still leading 1-0, following a VAR check. While most agreed the decision was ultimately correct as Anthony Patterson’s dive was impeded by Campbell, Wilder’s grievance lay in the use of VAR at all, given it hadn’t been in operation all season in the EFL.
“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.”
Although that incident caused aggravation for the Blades manager, it was ultimately the letdown in his own team’s display that he lamented most, especially what he described as sloppy play from Sheffield United after the interval. That was most evident in Sunderland’s injury-time winner, when Kieffer Moore turned over possession to Watson before he struck from distance.
Wilder reflected: “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.”
Nafisa
