“It does make me laugh” – Chris Wilder hits back at formation talk following the Blades’ defeat at Elland Road

“It does make me laugh” – Chris Wilder hits back at formation talk following the Blades’ defeat at Elland Road

Leeds United defeated Sheffield United 2-0 at Elland Road on Friday night, handing the former their first loss of the season.

Leeds’ intensity and quality were too much for the Blades to match, and as a result, Leeds prevailed deservedly in a one-sided match.

For the first time this season, Chris Wilder switched changed the starting lineup and strategy, going back to a 5-3-2 (more like a 5-4-1) configuration. In place of Alfie Gilchrist, Sam McCallum, Rhian Brewster, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, and Gustavo Hamer, the starting lineup now included Harrison Burrows, Jamie Shackleton, Rhys Norrington-Davies, and Rhys Norrington-Davies.Despite the fact that the first half ended in a goalless draw, Leeds was clearly the stronger team since they controlled possession and had more quality chances. Finally, in the 69th minute, Pascal Struijk seized on a poorly executed corner by Joe Rothwell to bring the score closer. Struijk’s finish was clinical, blasting the ball into the upper left corner to give Leeds a well-earned lead, even though the delivery was far from flawless.

Sheffield United surged forward as they tried to win the game, leaving them vulnerable at the back. In the ninetieth minute, Leeds capitalised on this as replacement Mateo Joseph sneaked past the Blades’ defenders and finished calmly past goalie Michael Cooper to secure the win.

Chris Wilder’s reaction after seeing Leeds United dominate Sheffield United

Chris Wilder discussed his team’s performance with BBC Radio Sheffield following the game. He conceded that Leeds had been superior from the beginning to the end, having won most of the big games and seemed more adept in every aspect of the game.

“By the better side, we were finished. They were superior right away in every area. They’re by far the finest team we’ve played this season; they won more first balls, dropped more second balls, and were sharper to everything,” Wilder acknowledged.

The switch to a back five configuration, which was up for discussion both before and after the game, was addressed by Wilder, who dismissed the idea that their problems stemmed from the system.

He admitted, “I find it funny when people talk about formations.” “Whether you are playing 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, or anything else, it doesn’t matter whether you give up the ball, if your touches are heavy, or if you lose possession. In terms of ball retention, quality, and decision-making, we simply weren’t good enough.

Wilder also justified the tactical switch, noting that Leeds’ attacking threat necessitated a more cautious approach. “They put six at the top of the pitch. That’s their game. We’ve done heavy study of them tactically… they have six at the top line to stretch your back four and we felt that they would stretch our back four too much, so we had to put another one in there.”

After tasting their first defeat of the Championship campaign, they have another tough away test on their hands when they travel to Middlesbrough on Wednesday night, to take on one of Wilder’s former clubs.

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