Leeds United and Sheffield United will both seek to compete at the top of the table this season.
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder wants Bramall Lane to ‘recreate the environment of Elland Road’ after praising the atmosphere at Leeds United last season.
As the Championship season begins this weekend, the Blades are considered to be among the promotion contenders, along with Leeds. Sheffield United were relegated from the Premier League last season following a genuinely disastrous campaign in which they finished last in the top tier, with survival never appearing certain.
However, Wilder believes it is a new beginning as his team prepares to compete with Leeds and others for promotion. He has pushed his players to provide plenty of reasons for the Bramall Lane crowd to generate a tremendous atmosphere, drawing comparisons to last season’s Elland Road. Wilder admitted that Elland Road was as loud as he’d ‘even heard’ during last season’s 3-1 triumph over Hull City, in which Crysencio Summerville and Dan James scored late goals in a frantic finish in early April.
“It’s a fresh start and a new beginning,” Wilder stated as the Blades prepare to begin their season. “I’ve already commented on Leeds being relegated the year before, and the game versus Hull was the loudest I’ve ever heard at Elland Road. To recreate the environment we knew at Bramall Lane, we must put on good performances and win football games. It’s critical that we get out of the blocks early since each game is worth three points. The three points at the beginning are equally as crucial as the three points in the last three games at the conclusion.”
Players have moved between the potential promotion rivals this transfer window, with Jamie Shackleton joining the South Yorkshire club on a free transfer after leaving Leeds at the end of his contract, and the Whites signing Jayden Bogle from the Blades for a fee in the region of £5 million after two initial bids were rejected. The Blades open their season against Preston North End on Friday night, while Leeds begin their season at home against Portsmouth on Saturday at 12.30pm.
