Chris Wilder reckons his newly-promoted Sheffield United side “will have to take some defeats on the chin” next season.
In an exclusive interview for the Mirror’s Next Generation edition, Blades boss Wilder braced his squad for a tough season in the Premier League.
“The expectation level will be a little bit lower now,” he said.
But he admitted there would be no let-up in the intensity of the training that saw them clinch a place in the top flight.
Wilder insisted “nothing will really change in terms of the way we prepare the players”.
The training he was doing in the Championship to get the squad promoted should be enough to keep the Blades slashing away at the top dogs.
Wilder said the team will “approach every game the same” to ensure the best possible outcome in every fixture.
“Philosophy, method and structure won’t change,” he added.
Sheffield United ended up finishing second in the Championship table, with 26 wins, 11 draws, and nine defeats.
Their path to Premiership glory included tough games with Yorkshire arch-rivals Wednesday and Leeds. The Blades won one and drew one against the Owls, and won one and lost one against Leeds, who failed to gain promotion after losing to Derby in last week’s play-off.
Asked if he will miss the derby matches, Wilder’s deadpan reply was, “I can swallow that”.
Trips to Hillsborough and Elland Road will now be replaced with visits to Anfield, Old Trafford and the Etihad. And Wilder said he was well aware the Premier League would be a lot more ferocious than the Championship.
“When we are 5-0 down after 20 minutes to Man City, I might have my head in my hands,” he said.
Wilder, who played more than 100 games for United during two spells at the club, said his priority in the new season will be staying up rather than cup runs.
“Naturally, Premier League games will take more importance than cup games,” he explained.
He wants to make sure the Blades cement their place in the top league and not join the list promoted teams who go straight back down again the next season.
And he admitted: “Staying in the Premier League will be a big achievement.”
