Former striker sets Chris Wilder deadline to keep Sheffield United promotion hopes alive

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A former Sheffield Wednesday striker has warned Chris Wilder that he only has a limited window to keep Sheffield United’s promotion hopes alive.

Wilder’s third spell kicked off in the worst way possible as Charlton Athletic claimed a stoppage time winner at Bramall Lane to leave the Blades bottom of the table without a point to their name.

Early season predictions tipped Sheffield United to be in promotion contention but a change was made after Ruben Selles was sacked.

There are still 40 games to go, and plenty of time to turn things around, but Cameron Jerome, who played for arch rivals Wednesday as a youngster, thinks that there is a period of the season they need to be in contention.

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Cameron Jerome says Sheffield United have until Christmas to save season

There is no margin for error in the Championship as all 24 teams can capitalise at any given moment.

The Blades need to pick up points quickly and Jerome has told Wilder he has until the Christmas period to keep any chances of reaching the Premier League alive.

“I said from the beginning of the season that the Championship is the widest it’s ever been open for me, in my opinion, in terms of its depth, and it has taken so many clubs who are going through transition periods,” he said on the TalkSPORT EFL All Access podcast.

“If he gets them to an okay position by Christmas, I think in the window in January, he will have a real go, to try and bring some faces that he believes he can work with, to take the club forward.”

Sheffield United situation compared to Coventry City revival

You only have to go back to last season to see that teams can recover from difficult starts to end up in the promotion conversation.

Coventry City sacked Mark Robins to replace him with Frank Lampard and make the play-offs, only to lose to Sunderland.

Jerome believes that the Blades can be inspired by that turnaround in their own season.

He added: “Look at Coventry last year, look at the position they were in before Frank Lampard came in, and they managed to make it to the playoffs.

“So, I look at them with hope; he [Wilder] will back his qualities with his backroom staff like he always has.

“He has been there before, got the t-shirt, so, like I said, I am pretty confident in terms of the ability of the squad.”