'Massively hurt' - Chris Wilder reacts to Sheffield United defeat as Leeds United return to the top
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder says his team's defeat to Plymouth Argyle has 'massively hurt' their chances of pipping Leeds United and Burnley to automatic promotion.
The Blades sit third in the Championship table after 42 games, five points off the automatic promotion places after losing three matches in the space of a week.
Wilder's men were beaten by Oxford United last Saturday after Leeds were held at Luton Town but the South Yorkshire club remained in the top two. They did drop out of the automatic places in midweek with defeat at Bramall Lane against Millwall, as Leeds recorded a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.
Sheffield United looked to have corrected their course away at Argyle on Saturday lunchtime, going a goal up through Jesurun Rak-Sakyi during the first-half, however, late strikes from Plymouth duo Ryan Hardie and Muhamed Tijani delivered a crushing blow to the Blades' automatic promotion hopes.
"I'm gonna be scratching my head, I think, for quite a long time," Wilder told Sky Sports following his team's latest defeat. "You can't afford to lose three games in a week like we have done. We needed to be consistent in approach, performance and attitude and results over this last week. To lose to a team at the bottom of the league that are fighting for the life - I respect it and congratulate Plymouth Argyle - to lose away to Oxford, who were struggling at the time, and to lose a home game and not pick up any points in three games is obviously going to massively hurt you and stop you getting to the position where you want it to be."
Leeds are in pole position to make a return to the Premier League at the second time of asking, joint on 88 points along with Burnley but in top spot by virtue of superior goal difference. It is the Whites' goal difference that means seven points will be enough to guarantee automatic promotion, even if Sheffield United win each of their four remaining games.
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The Blades still have to visit Turf Moor and play promotion rivals Burnley before the end of the season, the outcome of which is likely to have a considerable bearing on Leeds' own promotion chances, which have been given a shot in the arm after today's results.