Boss of Portsmouth and Norwich relegation rival makes 'can't come quick enough' remark as Sheffield United suffer 11th league defeat
Pompey rivals Sheffield United find themselves further entrenched in relegation trouble after their midweek defeat at Coventry
Chris Wilder said the January transfer window ‘can’t come quick enough’ after witnessing his Sheffield United side lose their 11th game of the Championship season on Tuesday night.
The Blades - who are currently in a relegation battle at the bottom of the table alongside Pompey, Norwich, Southampton and city rivals Wednesday - threw away a 1-0 half-time lead against league leaders Coventry to eventually lose 3-1 at the Sky Blues.
The loss leaves the Bramall Lane side 22nd in the table with nine points from their 14 fixtures played - and three points from safety with an extra game played on those teams around them in the standings.
Pompey, 20th, have an opportunity to extend their four-point advantage over Wilder & Co when they host Wrexham at Fratton Park tonight.
The Blues go into that game on the back of three straight defeats against Coventry, Stoke and Birmingham - form that the Blades are all too familiar with following their latest loss
A home game against QPR awaits United on Saturday, before fixtures against Wednesday (away) and Pompey (home) await them after the international break.
Wilder is hoping those games provide him with the chance to turn things around at Bramall Lane. However, his main hope lies in the January transfer window, when he plans to splash the cash to get his side out of trouble.
Wilder pining for January transfer window
Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield after his side’s defeat to Coventry, the 58-year-old said: ‘We just can't feel sorry for ourselves. We're disappointed, it didn't look like a team at the bottom of the division versus one at the top who are flying. We were well in the game right until the 94th minute,’ Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.
‘We have to defend our goal better, you've seen the second one and the first one we've not tracked a runner. It's a long throw that we've got to deal with.
‘There were lots of encouraging signs in the first half, I thought the attitude of the team was really good. I thought the way we played, we caused them problems.
‘We were always in it but that isn't enough for me because we haven't got anything from it.
‘I'm learning about certain things left, right and centre and January can't come quick enough, as you can imagine, to make the obvious changes that we need to make to give ourselves a better chance going forward.’
Pompey know benefits of January
Pompey are well aware of the importance of the January transfer window.
Last season, the Blues sat second from bottom in the Championship table going into the winter trading period. However, they ended the campaign in 16th, five points clear of the drop after some shrewd January business.
That included deals for the likes of Rob Atkinson, Isaac Hayden, Adil Aouchiche (all loans) and Cohen Bramall. It also allowed head coach John Mousinho to say goodbye to those who struggled at Championship level over the first half of the season - Sammy Silvera, Tom McIntyre, Elias Sorensen, Will Norris and Owen Moxon.
Mousinho has already said Pompey’s January transfer business will be on the agenda when owner Michael Eisner makes his first visit of the season to Fratton Park for tonight’s visit of Wrexham.
For your next Pompey read: 'We haven't replaced him': Portsmouth boss' frank admission over absence of Fratton favourite