{"remix_data":[],"remix_entry_point":"challenges","source_tags":["local"],"origin":"unknown","total_draw_time":0,"total_draw_actions":0,"layers_used":0,"brushes_used":0,"photos_added":0,"total_editor_actions":{},"tools_used":{},"is_sticker":false,"edited_since_last_sticker_save":false,"containsFTESticker":false}
‘Tough to take’ – Chris Wilder makes Sheffield United admission after Sunderland heartbreak
Chris Wilder Admits Sheffield United Were Too ‘Loose’ in Second Half of Play-Off Final Defeat to Sunderland
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder expressed his disappointment following his side’s 2-1 defeat to Sunderland in the Championship play-off final, admitting the result will be tough to digest for everyone connected to the club.
The Blades started strongly, taking an early lead through Tyrese Campbell’s composed finish. They thought they had doubled their advantage when Harrison Burrows struck a powerful effort into the net, but the goal was disallowed after a lengthy VAR check ruled Vini Souza offside for interfering with the goalkeeper’s view.
Sunderland responded in the second half, with Eliezer Mayenda leveling the score before Tom Watson—set to join Brighton this summer—clinched a dramatic winner in injury time. United were left to reflect on missed chances and what might have been.
Wilder admitted the timing of the winning goal was especially painful and conceded that his team lost their discipline in the second half.
“It’s going to take a while for the players, staff, and especially the fans to get over this,” Wilder told Sky Sports. “There were key moments where we could’ve managed things better.”
He added: “Credit to Sunderland, their manager, and their players—they’ve had a great season and deserved their promotion to the Premier League. But from our perspective, it’s a tough one to take. There were defining moments in that match.”
Despite holding the lead for much of the game, Wilder said he never felt under real threat until his side began to lose shape and control.
“They had to come out and chase the game, and we didn’t capitalize when the space opened up. We didn’t get the balance right—especially after they started screening Kieffer [Moore] and playing out. We were too loose in the second half,” he explained.
Reflecting on the late winner, Wilder said: “Conceding in the 97th minute, especially when we were down to 10 men, was tough. The ball goes up to the striker, it’s not held, and they capitalized. We failed to find that one key counter-attacking moment.”
With this defeat, Sheffield United’s wait for a Wembley victory continues—stretching all the way back to their 1925 FA Cup final triumph.
