Chris Wilder's emotional verdict as Sheffield United seal derby double over Wednesday. Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield
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00:00Double winners here at Hillsborough today. How does that feel?
00:03Yeah, it feels good
00:05Talked to the players before
00:08I mentioned
00:09I've just mentioned it in the press conference there
00:12We were really cool for so long
00:14six seasons in League One, Pub League and all stuff like that when I took over in
00:192016 and
00:21I
00:22Still think I still talk about it to me pals United pals and Wednesday pals
00:27Sat in a book in a pub, would you believe shock?
00:31Watching Wednesday versus Hull and I said if if Wednesday win today to get into the Premier League
00:36They might be gone for 10 15 20 years
00:38They didn't and we managed to slowly
00:42Close the gap close the gap slowly under points in the first season
00:46Then we came here and won 4-2 the Meadowhall League manager against the Champions League manager
00:51and
00:52Get that result the season afterwards. We sold David Brooks and
00:57With a profit of six million pound
01:00Possibly a 13th or 14th highest budget in the division. We managed to
01:05finish runners-up
01:07To Norwich City find ourselves in the Premier League in the Premier League ninth night finish and then a disappointing season
01:14and then playoffs sure we were gone up if Paul had got the job at the start of season or
01:20Either possibly stayed without being arrogant about it because the team was set to go up
01:25next season go up
01:27disappointing season
01:29And what I wanted to do, which I told the players I wanted to adjust
01:35The narrative adjust the narrative of where we were that we weren't the public we weren't ridiculed
01:42Nobody cared about us. Nobody was abusing me. Nobody was trying to run me run me down in a car or whatever. Nobody's
01:49Giving it my
01:51when that happened then all of a sudden
01:54It changes it changes and changes and now we're a little bit a little bit more of a rival a little bit more of a threat
01:59Then we go above them. Then we go even further above them and tonight with 31 points above them and
02:05It's amazing today that nobody talked about
02:08Was going top and would have gone even further ahead
02:12The two points added on that we should we should be in terms of the team and what we've done
02:17With a team that's been put together for in seven months
02:21Wanted us to dominate the city at Academy level we're doing that wanted to stab the best ground. We're definitely doing that
02:27The supporters are the supporters
02:30Fabulous supporters from both sets passionate the noise in here again today was was it was electric. I knew it was coming
02:36I talked about when Joe scored when we went to each
02:39That we knew what was happening. We knew it would be a fast start
02:43We know what it's like a Bramalean I know it's like here I told the players this is going to happen
02:47This is what the game is going to be
02:50So when I have the best ground when I have to best training ground bought a new training ground somebody's come in
02:55And wants to take the club further, which is I think
02:59Testament for the work that we're doing and they see ambition and life and a future in there
03:03I think the managers gone on transfer market and found out that we were worth
03:08125 million that money's been earned being earned by what happened in League one when we sold Dominic Calvert-Lewin when we showed Chet Adams
03:17When we when we sold other other players it was it was earned when we went into the Premier League
03:24It was earned again by retention
03:26It was earned again by going in the Premier League
03:29So we have that right to improve and be a better club and as I said to you at that moment in
03:342016
03:35When the manager had signed all these unbelievable players
03:39That got to a playoff playoff semi-final and got to a playoff final right we were miles away from him absolutely miles away
03:46We're not miles away now and by the way that I'm even talking about the 90s when we're watching shares and waddle and Earth Day and
03:54Roland Nielsen and Nigel Pearson and all that lot John Hark's and Waddle and all that lot
04:02Swan it not swanning around doing their bit in the Premier League and
04:06I'm being this absolutely from a football pan pan and knowing these guys as well
04:11Obviously don't want to be too
04:14Supportive but watching it and going how good is this?
04:17Try to adjust and alter the narrative and I think when people talk about pressure on managers
04:26And responsibility on managers the pressure on me the response we are made to lead my club in terms of what we've done from 2016
04:33to foot
04:352024-25
04:37With 82 points on the table and done a double over over Sheffield Wednesday our nearest rivals
04:44He's going to always going to be a good day. Can I ask you about this?
04:47So this is the sixth straightaway win that you've had Sheffield United have not had six straightaway wins since
04:551893
04:56How do you what is it about this team that enables you to get the job done like this?
05:01We find we find a way there's three ways of winning games football over through and round
05:05You know, so I'm not getting hung up on you know, what people think about us
05:11I mean they managed to come out and said with a direct side. We've got good same and we've got Calum away
05:14We've got re and Brewster. Jez right sake Ben Baron Diaz
05:18If they press we go over the press if they're compact
05:21We'll go round and if they open up we'll try and go through
05:25Three ways. It's not about me. It's not about what I want to do to make me look good
05:30Because I'm a little bit too long in the tooth for that
05:32But I know I win games football the team knows I win games football. We will most games football in division
05:37So we have to dig in and see the first 25 minutes out
05:41I'm not naive enough Rob to think that I'm coming here today with the atmosphere and emotion of them off the back of the two
05:47Wins their season hanging on to this their managers saying it might not be the first time might not be the last time we play
05:52chef United
05:53We knew everything was coming at us from the moment
05:56The welcome committee was was out in the car park for us and me
05:59I think the boys were a little bit shocked how much they got after me
06:03To the first first 20 minutes where it was on top where they did exactly what I would have done
06:07Got the crowd involved play forward crossed it an opportunity
06:11We made a couple of silly mistakes that invited that one, but we knew what was coming
06:15But it was the game that we thought it would be we get control of the game in the first half without being
06:20Unbelievably clinical but Harrison should score
06:22We should do better with his header and Ben should do better with it with a shot and then second half we made some poor
06:28Decisions that allowed it on they've had an opportunity of course, but we're never ever gonna come here
06:34And and absolutely dominate the game if the roles were reversed at Bramall Lane and he'll and Sheffield Wednesday were on
06:42Her 79 points and we were on 51
06:46We'd have had chances
06:47but
06:49round through and over
06:50effective football if we have to sit in and defend we have to sit in if I pick people on the counter-attack we have to
06:54pick guys like
06:56Stick your data where you want to stick your data
06:58We're a win and and we've won two big games in
07:03In the city how pleased are you for Rhian Brewster?
07:05He's had a lot of adversity at Sheffield United and yet he will always be remembered now as a goal scorer in a Sheffield
07:12Derby to get a Sheffield United double said it to the to the players before the game
07:17so when we were talking about the journey in
07:192016 and the training ground in the Academy and and the value of the club and whatever we said along the way
07:25There's managers whether it was me where it was a key and it'll be somebody else
07:29And by the way, it will swing it will swing back into the favour of Sheffield Wednesday
07:34Don't know how long that's going to be but it will swing in in time because that's what it's done for the past
07:39125 years they've been on top. We've been on top. They've been on top. We've been on top. We're on top
07:45So I said to the players, you know, you there's an opportunity along the way
07:51Mark Duffy, you know Mark Duffy whether it's Billy Sharp
07:54Whether it whatever it's been the players along the journey from 2016 bash
07:59All those players that played the part McBurnie, Illerman, Zanderberg everybody that's got Sheffield United from there
08:052016 mid-table six seasons in Division One laughing stock ridiculed every time everywhere we went
08:11No, don't talk. Don't worry about them. They'll be there. That's them done for the rest of the season all of a sudden
08:15we've got us up so we talked about then your opportunity now to stick yourselves in there as a team and
08:22Individual like there'll be there'll be players that grab that opportunity and Rhian's grabbed it. He came to us
08:28You know
08:30In a difficult period we really had a difficult period Covid really knocked us not the stuffing out of us
08:35I think we lost 14 games by the single goal. It wasn't you know, we weren't this
08:40Embarrassment to the into the Premier League and he's had injuries. He's had massive injuries. So every
08:47every example of
08:49boys mentally and physically giving everything for moments like that in front of in front of the
08:55Their cop end, you know for me, I never played in a Sheffield Derby, but I've managed Sheffield Derby's now
09:01I never had that opportunity even though I wouldn't even be in that position
09:04But he scored in front of the cop to win 1-0 to give us give us a double
09:08and then and then now focus on
09:12On the main event, which obviously is and it's amazing
09:14I never never took like said Rob and never talked about was going top to nut tonight, you know joint top
09:20Just talked about winning losing was never in our thought process. It was never in my mind
09:24It was never in me
09:25Coming here at the end and talking about losing it was talking about win win win
09:29And we like you talked about there. We found a way and we've won most games and in division
09:34I know you've got a lot of work left to do this season before we can maybe talk a bit more about this
09:38But do you ever think about your legacy Chris? You've won promotions at this football club now
09:44You've done a double against Sheffield. It's the first one since
09:472006 it's been a while for Sheffield United to do that, you know, you just keep ticking these
09:52Things off that a lot of other Sheffield United managers haven't been able to do I've got massive responsibility
09:58It's it's it's an heavy shirt that I wear on myself personally
10:03That's my that's my wife. That's my family
10:05When I live and breathe it 100% it's with me all the time 24 7 to do what we've done since
10:122016 and then come back and we had to suffer last year as well that you know
10:15The suffering that we that we all had to undergo yet again being ridiculed and embarrassed in terms of what was happening
10:22But getting the club a lot of things that people talk about you give us our club back
10:27I've helped give us a club back
10:28there's a lot of people involved in that and it is now in where it should be so
10:34When I'm when I'm walking walking down the street or going to watch United or coming here
10:38Maybe in in five ten years time might even be two years time
10:42Or ever, you know, I like to think that we've we've all played our part and whatever people talk about it people talk about but
10:49You know all that up I and giving everything for the football club and service the football club. I'm a servant
10:54I love the club love the supporters
10:57we've suffered as we talked about as a football club for a long time in the shadow of
11:03Sheffield Wednesday and we've managed to break out of that and
11:07Said you know
11:09Taking kids and grandkids to games. It's no doubt will happen in the next, you know, five ten fifteen years
11:16I'll go I'll go content wherever that is, but there's still work to be done. There's another promotion on the horizon
11:22We've got an incredible challenge
11:24It's ridiculous the amount of points that all three clubs have got at this stage of the season
11:28We talk about Leeds United not going up with 90 points. We're on 82 points
11:32I know it'll say it'll say eight say 80 points with eight games to go
11:36You know, how good are the teams that have been there
11:40How consistent they've been in their approach their attitude and they want to win and it's going to be an absolute Titanic
11:46Tussle between now and the end of the season. We've got a brilliant game coming up on Friday
11:50Everybody should be unbelievably getting behind us, which I'm sure they will we've made their day today
11:56It's good to be a United fan. It's good to be involved at this football club
12:00whatever happens Rob, whatever happens late on it happens, but there's still work to be done and
12:06And goals to achieve there's a couple of other things I want to ask you about
12:09first one
12:11How good can your goalkeeper be? Yeah, it's no he's not bad, is he?
12:16Wait, where could he get to? Yeah, so when people talk talked about it the build so we haven't done it
12:22We haven't done this with an open checkbook
12:25You know, it's like Taylor talks about the Sheffield Wednesday chairman in those days and you've obviously reported on it
12:31But lads on 40 40 50 grand a week
12:34You know, we've done it by earning the right to but we've been smart in the summer
12:37we
12:38Spent two Bob and a conquer in the summer to get to get Michael Cooper for three million to get Harrison Burroughs for
12:44For two million to get you know, Calum O'Hare on a free Tyrese Campbell on a free, you know all these other boys
12:51Spent a couple of quid in January, which we needed to but we don't we don't it because we sold
12:56Trustee we sold Jaden. We sold other players
13:00Which we saw will so we had that ability to to basically replace will with a young up-and-coming
13:06short medium and long term center forward who's got pace so
13:11and delighted that the owners of
13:14Supported me in terms of what we wanted to bring in what we needed to bring in to give us power
13:18With the top clubs, so we've not done it on an open checkbook. We've done it by looking and working hard and
13:25Finding and then persuading which is a big part of it. Do you want to be on this journey?
13:29Do you want to join this fabulous football club, but you have got to be all in
13:34Its performances have been outstanding another clean sheet
13:37Is there to make safe? I think the first one is a pretty comfortable safe from from from Smith
13:44The second one's a decent safe, but it's calmness is incredible. Whether that's where he comes from
13:50In the country it might it might be a be a reason
13:55Without being being too controversial. He's a down-to-earth boy. He just gets on with his job and he's been outstanding
14:02I think all teams that
14:04Don't want to win and want to achieve something in this division. We had it with Dean
14:08last time out
14:10Wes did a great job for Chef United and
14:13And
14:14Michael's following the footsteps
14:16final thing the game finishes and you
14:19pull out shirt with number two on the back George Baldock shirt and
14:24You and the players
14:26Celebrated with that shirt you had a picture in front of Leppings Lane with a shirt and you finished the celebrations
14:31With the shirts above your head
14:33What did that moment?
14:35means you all
14:37This club's been through a lot this season from the from the changing of the ownership for the struggles priest preseason
14:45You know
14:47Getting the getting the players in for the miners two points trying to stick a team together
14:52Trying to get the ground running
14:53Having the target on our back straight away
14:56From a lazy journalistic point of view that always Chef United just been in the Premier League
15:00So, you know
15:01We should be one of the favourites to go back up to stick a team together to change the way we played
15:07It's all the other things and then the tragic, you know death of
15:12just a
15:13incredible player an
15:15incredible incredible culture
15:17carrier
15:18Popular player amongst ex-players and even players here. So we all knew his journey
15:23He's been on the journey
15:24so when we talk about those players when we talk about like Sebastian and skip and
15:29McGoldrick and Olly Mack and all that lot of elements and and right the way through
15:34He's he's right up there absolutely right up there because of what are you what he was about and I remember him coming here
15:43When we played in the in the 4-2 and he was he was absolutely outstanding against some really good players
15:49And he would have loved today. It would have been right down his street. So yet again, we recognize him. He's not forgotten
15:58we have his shirt up in every away game and every home game and he's there with us and
16:02And you know, we wish he was still here. Chris, thanks for your time. Congratulations. Thanks