Chris Wilder reacts to Vini Souza’s comments after Sheffield United player’s Brazil claim raises questions.
Chris Wilder has urged Sheffield United midfielder Vini Souza to “do his talking on the pitch” in the Premier League’s last ten games, despite claiming that the Brazilian’s previous media comments were “not an issue at all”. The 24-year-old created controversy among United States citizens earlier this month when he spoke with a news organization headquartered in his home country.
In an unsanctioned interview with Flamengo-dedicated site Coluna do Fla, Souza was asked if he hoped for a call-up to the Brazil team under new coach Dorival Júnior. He answered in Portuguese that he did not, “Not because of me, but at the situation at my club.” Souza insisted that on current form, he was deserving of a call-up to his national team, but allowed that United’s “not keeping the ball much” certainly counted against him.
The translated response led many to believe that the 24-year-old was abdicating responsibility for United’s current woes – they face Fulham on Saturday, bottom of the Premier League table and eight points adrift of safety with ten games remaining – to his teammates, rather than accepting his share of blame for a generally disappointing season since his big-money summer transfer.
