Chris Wilder has slammed Mark Duffy for his celebration in Saturday’s defeat to Birmingham City, admitting he ‘had a pop’ at the Sheffield United midfielder.  

Duffy had put the Blades into an early lead at St Andrew’s on Saturday afternoon, before wheeling away to celebrate in front of the home supporters, which sparked an expected reaction from sections of the crowd.

The 32-year-old was left red-faced, though, with goals from Marc Roberts and Jacques Maghoma turning the contest around.

Garry Monk’s side were 2-1 winners, with Wilder particularly critical of his side’s effort post-match.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Wilder launched an attack on his players, particularly Duffy for his premature celebration, he said: “Players should self-police.

“Duffy is someone I had a pop at. What he did after scoring was poor. To get the supporters on his back was unnecessary.

“He had done the hard bit by scoring. He didn’t need to rev it up and get booked.

“He should get back to the halfway line and on with the game – go and stick the ball in the net again. He doesn’t need to antagonise anyone. That upset and annoyed me.”

Defeat on Saturday dealt Sheffield United’s play-off push another crushing blow, with the top-six looking a big ask now for Wilder’s squad.

Despite not losing any ground on Millwall, who sit sixth, the Blades remain three points adrift of the play-offs, with just two fixtures of the regular season remaining.

The 11th placed Blades are back in action on Saturday afternoon, when they welcome Preston North End to Bramall Lane, before they head off to Ashton Gate on the final day of the season to face Bristol City.

The Verdict  

Duffy has clearly annoyed Wilder, who will be furious that his side missed a good chance to put some pressure on the top-six.

Victory on Saturday would’ve put the Blades in a great position, and Duffy’s lack of professionalism has made him look foolish.

Wilder’s harsh words will leave Duffy learning a very valuable lesson.

Sheffield United fans… Let us know your thoughts!