Sheffield United continued their excellent start to the season by beating Reading at Bramall Lane on Saturday.

Next up for the Blades is the short trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United in what should be a thrilling encounter.

The Whites are up to fourth after an impressive result at Bristol City last time out, however, Chris Wilder’s men can go top of the league for at least 24 hours with a victory on Friday night.

After a journalist suggested that, combined with the local aspect meant his players ‘wouldn’t need any geeing-up’ for this game, the Blades boss said that’s never the case. “They don’t need any geeing up for any game. I’d be embarrassed if I had to gee my team up. That would be a right insult,” he told the Sheffield Star.

Wilder also praised the character and approach of his squad. “Whoever puts the shirt on for this football club knows that. There might be times when standards slip a little bit and we’ll jump on that when it does. These are top class lads with top class attitudes who give their all in every single game.”

The Verdict

This is a great response from Chris Wilder and judging from Sheffield United’s performances since he took over, nobody can argue with him.

The Blades possess commitment, desire and energy for every game, along with a lot of quality, hence their position in the table.

Friday night will have an extra edge given the local aspect but this side displayed their ability to deal with that pressure at Hillsborough last month, so they will relish the prospect of silencing a big Elland Road crowd.

Thoughts, Sheffield United fans? Let us know in the comments below.