Sheffield United Misses Promotion, Wilder Criticizes Referee and Stewarding

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder expressed both disappointment and admiration after his team's 2-1 defeat to Burnley ended their hopes for automatic promotion, securing promotion for Burnley and Leeds United instead. Wilder highlighted the 'incredible' and 'insane' achievement of both promoted teams potentially reaching 100 points, noting that his squad would have needed an unusually high points total for promotion in such a competitive season. He attributed Sheffield United's failure to secure automatic promotion to a poor run of results earlier in the month, particularly three consecutive defeats. Wilder also criticized the lack of adequate stewarding and protection for his players following the match, as several Burnley fans invaded the pitch and confronted Sheffield United players, creating a 'scary' situation. Despite these setbacks, Wilder congratulated both Burnley and Leeds, and emphasized his team's determination to regroup for the Championship play-offs. He set a new target of reaching over 90 points and looked forward to high-stakes matches at Bramall Lane.