Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has insisted his players won’t be ”starry-eyed” when they welcome the reigning European Champions to Bramall Lane on Saturday lunchtime.
The Blades will be looking to become the first side to take points off Liverpool this season and Wilder has spoken to his players about not getting up caught up in the occasion when lining up against the Reds and their global stars.
Speaking to reporters in his press conference, the 52-year-old had this to say:
We’re not going to look at this game starry-eyed, I’ve said it before, talking to their players asking if they can swap shirts or sign this, we’re in this game on a level playing field in that it’s a Premier League fixture.
United will be up for Saturday’s test, having already taken points from their trips to Stamford Bridge and Goodison Park this season.
Wilder knows how hard Saturday’s game will be, but has insisted they wont go down without a fight:
Of course there’s an enormous gap between both clubs at the moment and one where we’re trying to make that gap a little bit closer.“If you ask all our players before the game, they want to get stuck into the opposition.
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Saturday’s game has the potential to be a banana skin tie for Liverpool.
Wilder’s side have shown so far this season that although there is a huge gap between themselves and other teams in terms of quality, they are the more than capable of putting up a fight.
His demands are simple: work hard and win your individual battles on the pitch.
Saturday will, therefore, be no walk in the park for the Reds, with the crowd right behind the hosts. If they don’t start the game quickly, they could be in for a huge shock.