Wilder backs Blades to end play-off curse

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has backed his Premier League promotion chasers to "make history" by finally ending their play-off curse at the 10th attempt.

Wilder's side booked their place in the Championship play-off final with a 3-0 semi-final second leg win against Bristol City at Bramall Lane on Monday.

Goals from Kieffer Moore, Gus Hamer and Callum O'Hare fired United to a 6-0 aggregate victory that ranked as the biggest winning margin in English play-off history.

The Yorkshire club will face Sunderland or Coventry in the final at Wembley on May 24.

No team has failed more times in the play-offs than the Blades' nine wasted attempts across the Championship and League One.

But Wilder, who is eyeing a third promotion as United manager, says previous play-off misery will be forgotten forever if they can seal promotion this time.

"I don't feel there's a negativity because of our previous campaigns," he said. 

"It feels as if there is a freshness about it, a real belief that we can make history and put to bed all that, other things have gone on previously."

United have lost three Championship play-off finals, but no matter who they face at Wembley they will be favourites to secure an immediate return to the Premier League after last season's relegation.

The Blades finished in third place, missing out on automatic promotion to Leeds and Burnley, who both amassed 100 points.

But United were 14 points ahead of fourth-placed Sunderland and 21 in front of fifth-placed Coventry.

"We've had to have the challenges of the narrative of being the team that's got so close," Wilder said.

"The narrative as well of Sheffield United's play-off history and stuff like that, so we've had to make sure that we were right.

"We have had to play well and do a lot of things right over the two games to get to the final."

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