#PremierLeagueStories – #ChrisWilder praises young strike pairing despite defeat to Liverpool #SHUFC
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Chris Wilder
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder thought Oli McBurnie was outstanding against Liverpool on Saturday night. The Blades boss was full of praise for the Scotland international, describing his performance as that of a ‘proper number nine’. McBurnie won a staggering 14 aerial duels and won a 13th-minute penalty when he was fouled from behind on the edge of the area by Fabinho. It was his best performance of the season so far as he proved a real handful for a Liverpool defence who did not enjoy as comfortable a night as they thought they might. He partnered Rhian Brewster, who was handed his first start in a United shirt and although it was a difficult night for the record signing, playing against the champions and his former club, it gave Wilder a glimpse into the future. Aged 24 and 20 respectively, Wilder believes the pair have the attributes to form a successful partnership and could well be the future of the club.
Chris Wilder said “I thought Oli was excellent, a proper number nine performance, He got up against their two centre halves, he linked the play well. I thought it was difficult for Rhian, I wanted to get him a game, he’s going to be the future of the football club. We have to get him up and running. He’s unfortunate with the timing. The first opportunity he gets to start, and it was the first opportunity, it’s against his old club. You’ll understand that’s a weird situation as a 20 year-old boy, but he’ll be better and he’ll come through it. McBurnie held his hand all night and that’ll be a decent partnership for us. But I thought Oli was outstanding.”
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