Thank Christ for autocorrect and spelling wiggly red lines. Soooo much talking and my typing spaz hands couldn't keep up accurately
Injuries & Absences:
- No new injuries following Pompey
- "Alfie [Gilchrist]'s attitude has been superb. Needed to come out of the team. He took that as I would expect with his character and the way he's been brought up" (positively, he means)
- "Tom Davies will be involved on Wednesday"
- "Kieffer Moore back involved on Saturday"
- "Femi Seriki isn't far away"
- "Shackleton is back in full training"
Reflecting on Portsmouth:
- "Didn't deal with their press well enough"
- "Didn't play quick enough. We invited the pressure onto us. Didn't really defend our box"
- "They missed some big chances. Second half, [we] made some substitutions, wrestled [some] control back"
- "We are still building. This is a team that [is still being built from the summer]. We are trying to integrate players, learn, build, win games of football. The players learning about us, me and the staff are learning about the players. I didn't want to have to bring this many players in at this time of the season, but after losing Blaster [and Souttar, we had to]. The magic is we still win games."
- "We are trying to give minutes to players [not used to our style]. We are trying to find the balance."
- "Maybe there's a reminder to players that they have to go full tilt, we have to be tactically better [with teams bringing] different stuff [that we have to adjust to]"
- "There's a nice habit of winning. I bet if you had a poll of Sheffield United supporters, would they have expected to be joint top of the division at this point, I guarantee they wouldn't, but we are."
- On us not playing too well but winning 5 out of the last 6 due to a winning attitude, "I'd rather have a team that's tough and wants to win than a team that's milky and soft"
- "[Saturday] can't be our stock performance"
- "You have to give them credit n'all, they're fighting for their lives"
Middlesbrough:
- His take on them, "Tough game up there. One of the outstanding teams in the division,. Well managed, well coached, good group of players. Really difficulty opponents. Control possession, make good chances. It'll be a really interesting game".
- He talked a little bit about the game earlier in the season. "A Tight game [there]. Expecting a tight game [here]
General:
- He was asked about small margins and how all the teams at the top get slated if they drop any points. "Unbelievable innit. Tell you what, let's be average in the first half of the season and then let's get better and scrape into the playoffs"
- He talked about the recent history of the club and how it's been really good. Interestingly he talked about 21/22 and "the club changed manager and style" to a 4-3-3, which was a mistake because "we were set to go straight back up". He made the point of saying "Slav's a great manager" a couple of times, but was wanting to make the point in the main that the club has been in a really good position either on the up, or maintaining a high level since 16/17 and I think meaning we should all remember that when we lose a couple of games. Interesting to get other people's take on this bit about the club and Slav's period as there were a lot of words, a bit all over the place, and I didn't keep up, and had my head down typing so couldn't read his body language
- "I like my teams to play great free flowing games of football, but I want to win first and foremost. Other clubs may want it to look good and feel good. That's happening a lot more now, that's the way it is. I've been brought up to win and we are winning"
- "I could have brought in just 1 or 2 players [in the JTW, minimising disruption] and hit the ground running straight away, but we will get better, absolutely. The players we've brought in are great players and want to adapt. It may be a bit rollercoasty, but we'll give ourselves the opportunity of getting the points total [we need to get promoted]
- "We may not be [perfect] at the start of games. That's football", then talking about other teams who are the same, "some mid-table when they should be higher", hinting again that whoever you picked for the title ,they haven't ran away with it as we are on the same points as the top
- On Rhian Brewster's contract being up at the end of the season, "We are talking to [his agents]. I'd love him to stay. I'm a big fan. I don't go along with what people say. Because he's now having a run of games, he's part of a front group that I'm delighted to have". "I'd love him to get that deal sorted out. Hopefully we can come to some agreement. Sheffield United have not seen the best of Rhian, through no fault of his. He came with big expectations and still needs to prove that player he was then that he can still do it now", going on to say his price tag was nowhere near the 23m that was in the press.
- He talked about that front group, basically saying all the front group can play in any position up there, whether it be central or off the wing. Only exception was he only mentioned Cannon in a 9 or 10
- On Sai Sachdev, nothing but positive things about his attitude towards recovery and they're glad to extend him. "He's got a long way to go but we'll be patient with him"
He definitely looks at social media, BTW. No doubt at all. Many businesses have someone, or a department, that gather the noise from external and provide notes to key staff, so they are aware. However, I reckon Wilder does it himself. He's too prickly towards questions, or his own topic he raises to have had some plain factual stats presented to him, he's reading emotional posts for sure. What's his username on here?
Interviewers: Andy Giddins, Danny Hall
UTB