'They have to go up' - Chris Wilder heaps promotion pressure on Leeds United ahead of Sheffield United clash

Chris Wilder understands why the ‘fabulous’ Leeds United are favourites to win promotion this season as his Sheffield United side prepare for Friday’s visit to Elland Road.

Sheffield United are the only Championship outfit yet to taste defeat and despite starting the campaign on minus two points, sit level with top-of-the-table Sunderland after nine games. Leeds could have been right up there as well, were it not for Illan Meslier’s late mistake costing them two points at Sunderland a fortnight ago.

Daniel Farke’s side have not enjoyed a perfect start by any means but are much-improved compared to 12 months ago, losing just once at home to Burnley last month. They were tipped as favourites throughout the summer and have retained that tag according to the bookies - and Friday’s visiting manager.

"They're favourites to win the league and rightly so,” Wilder told reporters of Leeds on Thursday. “I'm not trying to pile anything on them, they know and their fans know they have to go up, they possibly should've gone up last year but didn't. The squad is a fabulous squad littered with top players, I think their chief executive [Angus Kinnear] has gone on record saying it's the highest budget in the history of Championship football."

Friday’s clash at Elland Road will likely be seen as the biggest game of the season by both sets of fans, with the derby atmosphere adding extra spice to a meeting between automatic promotion contenders. Leeds made a habit of getting one over on their rivals at home last season and Wilder has warned his less experienced squad members of the hostile welcome.

"We're a young side, there's players that won't have had the hostility of Elland Road on a Friday night but if you want to be top players and play at the highest level you've got to get used to it and handle it,” the Blades boss added. “We've had that experience before, it's something you can't take a step back on, you've got to attack it and look forward to it. You're in football for nights like this.

“Looking at the players' body language over the week and talking about it, you look through our team and the likes of Vini Souza, Anel [Ahmedhodzic], [Harry] Souttar, Kieffer Moore, Gus Hamer, they want to play in these games. It'll be a new experience for the likes of [Jesurun] Rak-Sakyi, [Alfie] Gilchrist, Harrison Burrows and [Michael] Cooper but if they want a big career they've got to deal with 39,000 on a Friday night under the lights at Elland Road."