We know we've had a bad start, we know we've had some rotten luck, we know the upcoming fixtures look tricky...
There's every chance we could be rock bottom for a good while yet. If this turns out to be the case, and a club elsewhere in the league sacks their manager and courts a replacement in Chris Wilder, do we think he would be tempted to jump ship?
I think it's a serious possibility. There's now the start of rumblings between himself and the Board over transfer strategy. He's never had a single relegation on his CV, and his stock has never been higher. He also might not particularly enjoy the bitter taste of having led his boyhood club back down to the Championship and facing his family and pals etc. Strikes me as a very proud man does our Chris and these things could well be factors if his head is turned mid-season. If he has any aspirations of managing higher up the table, of managing his country even, then he most likely won't ever have a better opportunity to move up the managerial ladder. Surely there will be people in his inner circle reminding him of this.
First thing is, I don’t think we’d be having this conversation if we hadn’t lost our first 3 games.
Second thing is: I think Wilder is a true Blade through and through. While ever there’s a chance we can keep progressing, he’ll want to be here. I don’t know the guy, but I saw him debut for us and I think I know what it means to him to manage this club. It’s everything to the lad. And no amount of money or stardom could mean more.
Third thing is: if he sees his own personal credibility and reputation being eroded and damaged by being here, he will need to consider his options. I wouldn’t blame him one iota for that.
He’s a very decent human being with the club’s best interest at heart. If he ever gets to a point where he feels he can’t help any further or that the clubs best future is one without him, he’ll go. That will be a sad day. But it will happen eventually.
He doesn’t strike me at all as putting his own career interests before the club he loves. But depending on circumstances, that’s a decision he may have to make at some point, and if and when he does I’ll be understanding of that.
I hope it’s many years into the future. And I think it will be. He’s earned enough respect in the game already for even our closest rivals to accept that he’s a decent bloke doing a very good job.
All credit to him. And if at some point in the future he needs to go elsewhere then so be it. But it won’t be for want of trying here.
The bloke is a legend imo. Enjoy it while we can.
