Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder revealed a “colourful” half-time team-talk had the desired effect in his side’s 1-0 home win against Swansea.
The Blades extended their unbeaten Championship start to eight matches and kept a fifth straight clean sheet as Swansea defender Josh Tymon’s first-half own goal just before the break proved decisive.
“One-nil to the Arsenal,” Wilder joked after his side climbed up to third place in the table, two points behind leaders Sunderland.
“I think we can play better and be a bit more positive first half. When we did break it up we were very negative and passive. Backwards and square, which is not us really.
“So, as you can imagine, that message, in quite a colourful way, was relayed at half-time and I thought we were a lot better second half.
“We should have been a lot more comfortable in the last 15 or 20 minutes. We still have to be a bit more clinical.”
The Blades struck the woodwork twice in the second period, Tyrese Campbell’s follow-up effort hit the crossbar and substitute Kieffer Moore saw his low shot come back off a post.
“If you do put a team to bed, like we possibly should have done tonight, it just changes the whole atmosphere, changes the game obviously,” Wilder added.
“If you don’t, you have to see a game out. We gave away too many late free-kicks, which allowed them to put the ball in our box.
“But I’ve got to say we defended our box, everybody put their bodies on the line to keep another clean sheet and preserve our unbeaten record, which we’re very proud of.”
Swansea were left to rue a glaring miss by on-loan Brentford midfielder Myles Peart-Harris shortly before the Blades took the lead when Harrison Burrows’ fine cross was diverted into his own net by Swansea defender Tymon.
The Swans’ head coach Luke Williams said: “I think Myles Peart-Harris had an opportunity to tap the ball across the line inside the six-yard box and didn’t take it.
“I think if you want to get anything off Sheffield United this season, you’re going to have to take those chances for sure. In that way it was frustrating because we played pretty well.”
The Swans slipped to 12th, four points off the top six after their third league defeat of the season, while the former Notts County boss is convinced the Blades are among the promotion favourites.
“Probably (the Championship) is a bit more open this season,” Williams added. “But Sheffield United are going to be in the shake-up, there’s no question about that.”
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