Graham Potter has praised the “amazing” job Chris Wilder has done with Sheffield United.
The Blades, promoted last season and tipped by many to struggle in the Premier League, head to Brighton on Saturday lying seventh, level on points with Manchester United and one behind Tottenham.
Seagulls boss Potter has been hugely impressed with the work of opposite number Wilder, who has battled his way through the divisions to take the club he supports into the top flight.
“He’s done amazingly well and it’s a career to be proud of,” Potter said at his pre-match press conference.
“I had a lot of respect for Chris anyway having seen his work first-hand in the Championship.
“I’m sure he’ll be able to tell you better than me, but I’d imagine he’s had some bumps in the road. But he’s kept going and kept learning. Management is never a straight-line journey.
“The job he’s done at Sheffield United is amazing. They were struggling when he arrived, but he’s come in and given them a real clarity and identity. Everyone buys into it and you can see the power of that way of working.”
Brighton, undefeated in their last three matches, now face the challenge of ending United’s unbeaten away record this season.
Potter added: “I saw them last year in the Championship and I understood how hard it is to play against them.
“If you have that collective understanding and belief, along with confidence in each other, then I think you can go a long way and achieve fantastic results.
“They’ve got 25 points and the third best defensive record in the league, if they repeat those achievements in the second half of the campaign then they will have had a fantastic season.
“It’s nice for the competition that a side can come up from the league below and do so well.
“Perhaps people were looking at them as the whipping boys of the division and to go back down, but football isn’t as simple as that.”
