Perhaps it is fitting that Sheffield United will restart the Premier League season. With the obvious exception of Liverpool, they have represented the story of it.
Victory at Villa Park on Wednesday will take them fifth and the club with the lowest budget could be in the top four on Sunday. “I can’t hide the fact we are in a brilliant position,” said manager Chris Wilder.
Wilder is a straight talker and United’s approach during a break has been uncomplicated.
“Our attitude has always been that the season was paused and we had great belief it would restart,” said their manager.
“Did I want the season to pause? No, because we did have momentum and we were on a great run.” They had taken 10 points from four games. Now they face an Aston Villa team who were injury-hit and now have the catalytic John McGinn fit again.
Form is less of an advantage. “You are going from a standing start,” Wilder said.
While the table has not changed, United have acquitted themselves well in other respects. Despite having a wage bill that is dwarfed by others' salaries, the players followed the coaching team in agreeing to pay deferrals so there were no redundancies.
“We have done things the right way off the pitch in terms of how we have dealt with our staff,” said Wilder. “I don’t think we could have done any more. Perception is big for us, having a good reputation.”
Standings have been burnished by United’s rise but players had to wait for rewards. Wilder did not believe it was “morally right” to be talking about new contracts when a pandemic was taking its greatest toll. But in the last week, Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick signed new deals until 2022 and Oliver Norwood until 2023.
“As a manager you have to be ruthless at times and form relationships with players that sometimes have to be ended,” said Wilder.
“We have got that within us but the sentiment attached to these players happens and they have deserved the uplift in the financial point of view and adding years to the contract.”
John Egan and Chris Basham could be next in line for deals that reflect their transformation from Championship stalwarts to Premier League revelations but Wilder’s steeliness was apparent in a warning. He has gravitated from divisions in financial trouble.
“Speaking to managers in the Championship, a lot of clubs have to be careful they don’t fall off a cliff,” he said. “I have a responsibility to make sure the deals are right for the club. We have had offers out there. There is a limit we will go up to.”
Further negotiations involve Dean Henderson. Manchester United are set to let the goalkeeper extend his loan for the rest of the season. “Their manager was very pro Dean staying,” said Wilder.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has tipped Henderson as a future regular for both England and the Old Trafford United, though David de Gea represents a roadblock in Manchester. Wilder confirmed talks have taken place about keeping him at Bramall Lane next season.
“Of course we would be open to Dean coming back but I have got huge respect for Manchester United and they will make the decision what is best for them, in conjunction with Dean.”
Sheffield United have lost out to bigger clubs in another respect. “We voted against [five] substitutions,” Wilder said. “We believe it benefits the powerful clubs.”
But a manager who began in the ninth tier is getting ready to adjust to another new normal.
“We are going into an unprecedented period of professional football in my lifetime,” he added. “But I have great experience of adapting because of my career.”
