Chris Wilder has had plenty to smile about this season.
Sheffield United currently in sixth in the Premier League with nine games to go, having been promoted twice in the previous three seasons.
However, Sheffield United could and should have been going into Sunday’s match at St James Park in fifth place, only two points behind fourth placed Chelsea.
Not a great game on Wednesday night but Chris Wilder and his team denied a clear goal, the Villa keeper carrying the ball over the line.
Ahead of facing Newcastle, the Blades boss is still not happy…
Chris Wilder declaring at his press conference on Friday:
Chris Wilder press conference ahead of playing Newcastle United: ‘I was just expecting the technology to be correct…the officials and the camera angles. It’s unacceptable in this day and age, that is my considered view. I thought I was considered after the game but it still stings a bit.’
Meanwhile, the Sheffield United manager is still hopeful two of his best players return from injury on Sunday.
Chris Wilder pre-Newcastle press conference, asked about first choice players John Fleck and Jack O’Connell who missed the Villa match through injury:
“We will give them [Jack O’Connell and John Fleck] as much time as possible as always.
“It’s a quick turnaround.
“They are two contact injuries, so not soft muscle injuries.
“It’s their attitude as to how they train, we were unfortunate in that situation but maybe we have been fortunate over the season.”
The goal that wasn’t given at Aston Villa on Wednesday:
“I was just expecting the technology to be correct…the officials and the camera angles.
“It’s unacceptable in this day and age, that is my considered view.
“I thought I was considered after the game but it still stings a bit.
“Does it determine [for sure] the outcome of the game? No.
“But the first goal in the Premier League is huge and it would have given us a huge advantage.
“I agree with [Villa boss] Dean [Smith] about many things but I disagreed with him about the amount of time it took for everyone to find out.
“We knew as soon as it happened…we definitely knew after about 10 seconds.
“It was not a subjective VAR decision as the pictures are conclusive and the goal should have stood.
“I didn’t want us to be allowed to walk a goal in but it didn’t come into my thinking.
“Technology has let us down but it should have been backed up by a bit of courage and I didn’t see much of that [from the VAR official] on the night from Stockley Park.”
