Chris Wilder was not a happy man after seeing Mason Holgate sent off after just 13 minutes against Brighton today.
The Everton loanee smashed into Karou Mitoma and was given a red after VAR had another look at the challenge. On the replays, it was as bad as it seemed and arguably worse as Holgate simply got it completely wrong.
Holgate was a late January window signing and has had a bit of a nightmare start to his Blades career, being part of teams who have conceded 11 in the first three games he’s played in.
For United manager Wilder, seeing Holgate get his red completely ruined the game plan and speaking to the media after the game, the Blades boss shared what he’d said to Holgate in the dressing room.
“Just that you have to get the balance right. Jack Robinson has made challenges like that they’ve just got to get the balance right. There’s no hiding place in that. It’s a mis-timed tackle or too powerful, however they want to dress it up,” Wilder said.
Mason Holgate should hang his head in shame
There is no point dressing this up. The tackle from Mason Holgate here was simply inexcusable and there’s nothing else to be said about it.
Holgate should be sat in that changing room with his head in his hands and he owes his teammates a massive apology for basically costing his team the game.
Holgate’s signing was a controversial one anyway among Sheffield United fans and his start to life in a red and white shirt has done nothing to get those fans onside.
Quite whether we’ll see him in a Blades shirt again remains to be seen. But if Chris Wilder decided to not play him again, every United fan would probably understand it.