Chris Wilder may have stoked the flames even more so ahead of his Sheffield United side hosting Sheffield Wednesday in the Steel City derby this weekend.
Sheffield United host Sheffield Wednesday in the first Steel City derby in five years this weekend, and it’s a game that’s been really amped up in the past week.
There’s been some hot takes on the match; Neil Warnock hasn’t ruled out a Sheffield Wednesday win, and nor has Dom Howson as he gave his Steel City derby prediction.
United remain the favourites, though. They sit in 2nd place of the Championship table right now and are 10 points ahead of the Owls in 15th, though both teams go into this game at Bramall Lane on the back of midweek wins.
Neither club has any love for the other, though the Steel City derby is often overlooked. But Blades boss and Blades fan Chris Wilder knows just how fierce the rivalry is.
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Chris Wilder not sold on Steel City derby in the Premier League
Last season marked 30 seasons since the last Steel City derby in the Premier League.
There’s obviously cries from some fans of both teams for there to be another Premier League Steel City derby, with plenty of neutrals wanting to see the spectacle too.
But not Wilder. He made no mistake when asked the question during his Friday press conference, saying: “I’m not on the side of the ‘it’d be great to have a Premier League derby.’ I’m sorry.
“I’ll be totally honest, I know there’s some stuff out there about that but I’ve got to say I’ve never cheered a Sheffield Wednesday win and for them to get into the Premier League, they’d have to win some games.
“We’ve got to win some games of course and I’m sure that’s the same attitude, vice-versa. That’s me being totally honest about the situation.
“We have to concentrate on ourselves, and making sure we progress as we are at the minute.”
What has Danny Rohl said about Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday
Rohl also spoke to the press on Friday. Unlike the experienced Wilder, he’s never managed a Steel City derby game before. But Rohl has certainly been in the dugout for some huge games.
The Owls boss referred to his experiences of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund games in the Bundesliga, saying: “I know what it means to play a big game. What I don’t know is the atmosphere in the stadium [Bramall Lane]. This is my first one in the city.
“I think every derby is a little different. But of course, when you play in Munich against Dortmund, then there’s also big bond.”
He added: “There is pressure, there is enjoying a lot of the other emotional things around, and of course it’s also about take something from such games.”
It’ll certainly be intriguing to see how the younger Rohl fares against the more tried and tested Wilder, and how this more experienced Sheffield Wednesday first-team holds up against a more inexperienced United side.
But we may still be waiting a long time before this game is a Premier League one, with the Owls having shown this season that they’re still a few transfer windows away from realistically challenging for promotion.