Chris Wilder fears ‘unpredictability’ factor vs Bristol City as Sheffield United boss delivers Liam Manning praise

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Sheffield United face Bristol City tonight at Bramall Lane in another crucial fixture at the top of the Championship.

It’s an exciting promotion race, and it’s by no means over yet, with many Championship fans changing their minds about how things are shaping up at the top now.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	36	22	10	4	72	23	49	76
2	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	36	24	6	6	51	27	24	76
3	BurnleyBurnley	36	20	14	2	49	10	39	74
4	SunderlandSunderland	36	19	11	6	54	33	21	68
5	CoventryCoventry	36	16	8	12	52	46	6	56
6	West BromWest Brom	36	13	16	7	46	32	14	55

We are approaching the business end of the season with Sheffield United now level with league leaders Leeds United going into Tuesday’s game against the Robins.

Bristol City could make the top six, while the Blades are hoping to avoid the play-offs, largely because they have never gained promotion via that route in their history.

• READ MORE: Who will win the Championship Golden Boot race?

Chris Wilder’s verdict on Sheffield United against Bristol City

After defeating Preston North End at the weekend, Chris Wilder needs his side to build on their recent momentum and defeat a Bristol City side who have just four away wins all season.

Speaking ahead of the visit of the Robins, Wilder said: “This is how it’s going to be right the way through [to the end of the season]. It is an accumulation of points. We’re not taking our eye off our job.

“There’s no gimmies, there’s no easy games in this division. This is the unpredictability of the Championship.

“I’ve just got to go on what we’ve done on the pitch, which has been outstanding. It is what it is, and we’ve just had to deal with it since the first game of the season.”

Speaking about the threat posed by Bristol City, Wilder added: “They’re in a good position. The young players that Liam [Manning] is working with, the players they’ve got, and the outstanding season they’ve had.

“And they’ll want to keep that going. They’ll have their fight and their target, which, obviously, is to get into the play-offs.

“We’ve got our own fight. It’s a big game looming and hopefully we can produce another big performance.”

• READ MORE: How much Championship title is worth as Leeds United and Sheffield United chase Premier League prize fund

Sheffield United enter crucial fixture period for their title hopes

United have a great shot at achieving one of the highest points tallies in Championship history, too. However, injuries are apparent in the Blades squad, which could be an issue in achieving their goals between now and the end of the season.

It’s unclear if Wilder will make changes against Bristol City, but what is clear is how important the game is to apply pressure to Leeds ahead of Wednesday night, when Daniel Farke’s team face Millwall at Elland Road.

The next few games are the hardest on paper for Wilder’s side, other than a particularly eye-catching clash with Burnley on matchday 44, meaning they are in a season-defining period for their campaign and their potential long-term future as well.