"Rise above it" - Simon Jordan takes aim at Chris Wilder after Sheffield United antics | OneFootball

Simon Jordan has taken aim at Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder following the post-match scenes after the defeat at Plymouth Argyle.

Former Crystal Palace owner and talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan has criticised Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder for his post-match altercation with Plymouth Argyle players on Saturday.

Just over a week ago, Sheffield United sat top of the Championship table, and with Leeds United out of form, they looked in pole position to secure their return to the Premier League, but their automatic promotion push has fallen apart after a nightmare week.

After suffering back-to-back 1-0 defeats to Oxford United and Millwall, it was another damaging afternoon for the Blades as they were beaten 2-1 by bottom side Plymouth Argyle at Home Park on Saturday.

It looked as though United were heading for a much-needed victory when Jesurun Rak-Sakyi gave them the lead just before the break, but Ryan Hardie equalised for the Pilgrims in the 81st minute, and seven minutes later, Muhamed Tijani fired home a dramatic winner to condemn Wilder's men to a third consecutive defeat.

The Blades remain third in the table after their latest loss, and they are now five points behind second-placed Burnley and leaders Leeds United with just four games of the season remaining.

However, the final whistle did not prove to be the end of the drama as Wilder was involved in a post-match confrontation with some of the Plymouth players after seemingly being infuriated by their celebrations, and the angry scenes continued into the tunnel, with plenty of pushing and shoving taking place between members of both clubs.

Speaking after the game, Wilder attempted to play down the incident, stating that "it was nothing really" and admitting that "emotions run high in football", while he also acknowledged that his team must "accept" that they are "not in a great position because of a week full of poor results".

Simon Jordan reacts to Chris Wilder, Plymouth Argyle flashpoint

Jordan has frequently been critical of Wilder in the past, and he took aim at the Sheffield United manager once again following the post-match scenes at Plymouth on Saturday, claiming that he should not be getting involved in such situations.

When asked by co-host Jim White on talkSPORT if managers need to hold themselves to a higher standard than players, Jordan replied: "Yeah, they do.

"He would probably be better served demanding more aggression from his players in these games, rather than taking it out on the Plymouth players who are playing at home and can do as they please in their own ground.

"The fact that he's exasperated and frustrated, I understand and I get, but of course there is a higher burden on managers, they are in a position of authority and influence.

"Whilst I don't expect them to be beyond reproach in every aspect of their judgement calls, I don't think you should be drawn into situations like that.

"Your exasperation is with your team, the fact you've got beaten by Plymouth at Plymouth's stadium and their players are giving it the biggun with your fans has nothing to do with anything other than the fact that you're frustrated with your team.

"You can make it about distractions, and maybe there's some method to the madness.

"Maybe people will say that Chris Wilder shouldn't have been singing mind the gap a few weeks back when they played Sheffield Wednesday.

"I personally think that he's very focused on his team, I think what he's done at Sheffield United after that very poor performance last season, to bounce back in the way they've done and to put themselves in this position has been commendable, and that's why I commended him last week.

"I haven't always seen eye-to-eye with him.

Chris Wilder's Plymouth Argyle actions will only increase Sheffield United pressure

It has been a disastrous week for Sheffield United that has left their automatic promotion hopes hanging in the balance, and the post-match scenes at Plymouth on Saturday suggest that the pressure of the run-in is getting to Wilder.

Last week, Wilder hit out at the reaction of some Blades supporters following the defeat at Oxford, describing it as an "absolute disgrace", which did not go down well with the fan base, and he has come under further scrutiny after his confrontation with the Pilgrims players.

Wilder's actions are not a particularly good look for United ahead of a potentially defining weekend that starts with a home game against relegation-threatened Cardiff City on Good Friday before a crunch trip to Burnley on Easter Monday, and the 57-year-old must regain his composure quickly in order to get his side's season back on track.