Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has pushed back against claims that his side went overboard in their celebrations after their 3–0 derby victory over Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday.
The Blades dominated the Steel City derby from start to finish, with Tyrese Campbell scoring twice and Tom Cannon adding a late third to seal a convincing win and secure local bragging rights.
Following the match, Wilder and his players celebrated with the travelling fans, even posing for a photo in front of the away end — something that didn’t sit well with everyone. Former Wednesday forward Josh Windass was among those who accused United of celebrating excessively, especially given their position in the relegation zone.
But Wilder has dismissed the criticism, telling the Sheffield Star that his players were simply enjoying a well-earned moment.
“What can you do? How can you win?” Wilder said. “Do people want us to just walk straight into the tunnel? It’s nonsense. We don’t need to justify anything. We won a local derby — of course we’re going to enjoy it.”
He added that there were “a few things said in the tunnel” before and after the match that he only learned about later, suggesting there were extra motivations behind the celebrations.
As a lifelong Blade, Wilder understands what the derby means. He also knows his team still sit in the bottom three after a poor season overall, and he’ll be reminding the squad that one win doesn’t fix everything. Still, he hopes the performance can kickstart some long-overdue momentum, with Portsmouth visiting Bramall Lane on Wednesday night.
For United, the victory boosts confidence and strengthens the connection with supporters — and they won’t be losing sleep over outside opinions. In a rivalry of this magnitude, winning is all that matters.
Leave a Reply