Chris Wilder new contract

[SUFCinks]

Incredibly negative way of looking at things. But each to their own.

It’s just realistic.

 

[Bladezz]

Second in the league , after everything that’s happened last season and this pre season is amazing.

There’s so many negative comments and attempted digs. This forum has really fallen on its arse.

Imagine if we were third forget new contract some would want him sacked.

 

[bornablade]

Second in the league , after everything that’s happened last season and this pre season is amazing.

There’s so many negative comments and attempted digs. This forum has really fallen on its arse.

Imagine if we were third forget new contract some would want him sacked.

It seems to me the vast majority of posts on this thread are in favour of the contract being extended.

 

[AWetFlannel]

If only we had a young, up and coming manager like Rob Edwards we'd be playing attractive football.

It's the same attitude as the Leicester fans last season, clear at the top of the table with fans complaining about boring football. Our manager won't end up at Chelsea next season, but it just shows what fans know.

 

[Tanny1889]

Is he really the person to establish us in the PL? Not a chance imo and he’ll be gone by November regardless of division next season

 

[Yoonited]

It seems to me the vast majority of posts on this thread are in favour of the contract being extended.

Sentiment only gets you so far

 

[SUFCinks]

Is he really the person to establish us in the PL? Not a chance imo and he’ll be gone by November regardless of division next season

I would be willing to put money on the fact he won’t which is fucking sad in itself but i’m confident in my judgement. Would love him to prove me wrong. He just doesn't have enough about him. He’s an old school manager and has qualities but they are limited and not enough for today’s elite level.

 

[MartBlade]

I would be willing to put money on the fact he won’t which is fucking sad in itself but i’m confident in my judgement. Would love him to prove me wrong. He just doesn't have enough about him. He’s an old school manager and has qualities but they are limited and not enough for today’s elite level.

Let’s be clear, the ONLY thing that establishes a team in the Premier League nowadays is spending an absolute fortune. You can do that in one huge gamble like Forest or you can do it over an extended period of recruitment like Brentford and Bournemouth.
Chris Wilder is the only reason we’re even able to consider our prospects in the Premier League because he turned the club around completely despite an abject lack of financial support (comparatively) from the Clubs previous owners.
It’s way too early to decide whether the new owners have the money to sustain a Premier League team.
For me Chris is absolutely the best manager for our club both short and medium term. If the new owners really have the appetite and wealth to properly compete in the PL then other managers may make sense at some stage but I think Chris deserves a chance with decent financial backing first.

 

[Striker]

We've changed managers numerous times when in similar positions and some "idiots" have decided we need a more progressive approach.

My experience is its NEVER worked out for the better.
John Harris
Dave Bassett
Neil Warnock
And even Chris Wilder last time with Javanovich

 

[Tom Bott]

Sentiment only gets you so far

Yes only results count, gerrim out.

Oh hang on we have the highest number of wins and are second, keep him in.

If we had a forrin manager we would have won the division before Xmas, all games won by 5 or 6 to nil.

 

[Big.Dane.w]

We've changed managers numerous times when in similar positions and some "idiots" have decided we need a more progressive approach.

My experience is its NEVER worked out for the better.
John Harris
Dave Bassett
Neil Warnock
And even Chris Wilder last time with Javanovich

Said it before but jokanovic didn’t stand a chance, he inherited a shellshocked squad that were in the habit of being battered week in week out the season before, a squad that could only play one way the wilder way, he didn’t get any players he needed to play his way so he was on a hiding to nothing, Hecky comes in and goes back to wilderball and it worked albeit boring. It’s never worked because the hardworking underdog culture of the club, to turn this around we need to invest but with a new coach with his own recruitment not a new coach with wilders players.

 

[SUFCinks]

Let’s be clear, the ONLY thing that establishes a team in the Premier League nowadays is spending an absolute fortune. You can do that in one huge gamble like Forest or you can do it over an extended period of recruitment like Brentford and Bournemouth.
Chris Wilder is the only reason we’re even able to consider our prospects in the Premier League because he turned the club around completely despite an abject lack of financial support (comparatively) from the Clubs previous owners.
It’s way too early to decide whether the new owners have the money to sustain a Premier League team.
For me Chris is absolutely the best manager for our club both short and medium term. If the new owners really have the appetite and wealth to properly compete in the PL then other managers may make sense at some stage but I think Chris deserves a chance with decent financial backing first.

I don’t disagree, mate.

I think Chris can get us promoted—credit to him for that—but in the Premier League, I’m certain he’d be a disaster. We’ve lost any kind of system that brought us initial success in the premiership and failed to implement a new one. That should’ve been the priority from day one, ensuring the squad played in a way that could sustain us at the top level. Right now, our setup might be even worse than before, so big chance we get our bums and gooch spanked all season.

As for giving him a big budget, I wouldn’t. We don’t really know the owners’ financial backing, and we might only get one real shot at this. Wilder’s track record in the market isn’t great—he has a narrow approach to signings, favoring hard workers over real quality, which has its limits.

 

[SUFCinks]

We've changed managers numerous times when in similar positions and some "idiots" have decided we need a more progressive approach.

My experience is its NEVER worked out for the better.
John Harris
Dave Bassett
Neil Warnock
And even Chris Wilder last time with Javanovich

It’s 2025, not 1970—football has evolved massively, even since the Warnock era. Clinging on to the past is exactly what ‘idiots’ do. Our fairly mediocre history has been dominated by average British managers, which clearly hasn’t sustained us in the next level. In 135 years, we’ve had just one foreign manager—for half a season (0.3% of our history). So to claim a ‘progressive approach’ doesn’t work is ridiculous. We’ve never even tried it—we’ve just played it safe, consistently. And consistently we've been on the edge, looking in at all the progressive clubs who have embraced new ideas, managers and styles.

 

[YES Blade]

Let’s be clear, the ONLY thing that establishes a team in the Premier League nowadays is spending an absolute fortune. You can do that in one huge gamble like Forest or you can do it over an extended period of recruitment like Brentford and Bournemouth.
Chris Wilder is the only reason we’re even able to consider our prospects in the Premier League because he turned the club around completely despite an abject lack of financial support (comparatively) from the Clubs previous owners.
It’s way too early to decide whether the new owners have the money to sustain a Premier League team.
For me Chris is absolutely the best manager for our club both short and medium term. If the new owners really have the appetite and wealth to properly compete in the PL then other managers may make sense at some stage but I think Chris deserves a chance with decent financial backing first.

As you mention Forest, do you think they’d be performing as well as they are now if Steve Cooper was still manager? Cause I don’t.

Budget is very important but so is having the right manager.

 

[CPB]

No one can have a crystal ball.

We don't know how this season will pan out yet. But results wise we are well placed for a promotion.
Performances wise of late, less so. (Although against Norwich was OK and everyone seems to forget that).

Whilst I agree with the opinion that at present our current play during a full 90 minutes isn't there enough. The players have still been managing to grind out, luck out or play out results. When we have looked dangerous and scored though we seem to play and knock it around very neatly too.

Lets not forget this season has seen quite the turnover in players, and amongst it injuries to many key players along the way since about October.
We now have more new recruits and are trying to bed these in too.

Wilder said in his post match interview how we didn't deserve to win on Sat. It was not good enough. Yet we did.
We all know we can't play like that for the remainder of the season and accomplish anything. It has to be far better.

As for the future and next season. Wilder was being marked as a down and out done for manager pre-season. Yet here we are.
When we went up under him, we were touted as being the whipping boys then yet finished 9th and without covid likely higher.

Rather than critique/bash. Let's just see where we go because we would be mad to change anything whilst sitting 2nd.

 

[MartBlade]

As you mention Forest, do you think they’d be performing as well as they are now if Steve Cooper was still manager? Cause I don’t.

Budget is very important but so is having the right manager.

As I said … if the new owners are prepared to invest in a similar fashion to Forest then that would allow all sorts of different managers a chance to be successful. Id guess that level of investment is unlikely though. Wilder is once again succeeding despite a very difficult financial background so I’d like to see him given the chance if we do go up and invest appropriately. If he fails then like all clubs we’ll move on.
I don’t understand people wanting rid of him because they think he may not cut it in the Premier League. He’s been successful at every level of the game.

 

[Yoonited]

Yes only results count, gerrim out.

Oh hang on we have the highest number of wins and are second, keep him in.

If we had a forrin manager we would have won the division before Xmas, all games won by 5 or 6 to nil.

Yes only results count, gerrim out.

Oh hang on we have the highest number of wins and are second, keep him in.

If we had a forrin manager we would have won the division before Xmas, all games won by 5 or 6 to nil.

Don't know why ya being sarcastic mate.
His football is turgid in my opinion.

Like I've said previously,short termism is not for me.

I want to come away from the Lane feeling entertained and excited about the future.......I don't.

I've not even mentioned overseas managers.I won't use your phrase.

 

[Striker]

It’s 2025, not 1970—football has evolved massively, even since the Warnock era. Clinging on to the past is exactly what ‘idiots’ do. Our fairly mediocre history has been dominated by average British managers, which clearly hasn’t sustained us in the next level. In 135 years, we’ve had just one foreign manager—for half a season (0.3% of our history). So to claim a ‘progressive approach’ doesn’t work is ridiculous. We’ve never even tried it—we’ve just played it safe, consistently. And consistently we've been on the edge, looking in at all the progressive clubs who have embraced new ideas, managers and styles.

Only one of those managers was in the 70s and his teams were always sold from underneath him as is the Blades way. None of the others had fortunes to spend when measured against their opponents, but still managed relative success.

Managers can only get the best out of what's available to them.

How do we know CW wouldn't change style of play with the option of better quality players, we clearly don't.

For every Brentford there's a Sheffield Wednesday, who've tried numerous foreign, progressive, managers and failed miserably.

 

[NAnstonblade]

Oh for that elusive magic wand that guarantees success! FFS after the absolute pits of last season, Wilder has turned it around and we're now... [just looking]... oh we're second in the Championship! Well, well, well, how did that happen? And no, I'm not entirely certain he's a master tactician who can mix it with Guardiloa or Amorim or Maresca or Angie (oops are wheels starting to come off?) and the like. But let's get this feckin promotion thing in the bag and then take a deep breath.

 

[SUFCinks]

Only one of those managers was in the 70s and his teams were always sold from underneath him as is the Blades way. None of the others had fortunes to spend when measured against their opponents, but still managed relative success.

Managers can only get the best out of what's available to them.

How do we know CW wouldn't change style of play with the option of better quality players, we clearly don't.

For every Brentford there's a Sheffield Wednesday, who've tried numerous foreign, progressive, managers and failed miserably.

The managers mentioned did alright, but saying that’s the only way we can compete is ridiculous. They came from different eras where money wasn’t as crucial. The game has changed, in many ways, especially at the top level— I doubt they'd cut it now.

Just because we’ve always had hard-working, modest types doesn’t mean we’re stuck with that. Some people are afraid of trying something new, even though we’ve never given it a shot. I'm not saying we need a foreign manager, just that a more progressive manager (of any nationality) could help us compete with our financial limitations and succeed at a higher level.

On the other point, if CW can't change the style against lower teams like Hull and Portsmouth, how’s he gonna do it against Arsenal, Liverpool, or Newcastle?

If you were a manager, would you wait for a tough time to try something new, or would you do it during an easier period to phase it in? Would you give the squad time to adjust or expect them to adapt overnight?

Right now, it feels like we have a short-sighted plan: charge into the Prem playing worse football than before and expect not to get hammered every week like last time.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Said it before but jokanovic didn’t stand a chance, he inherited a shellshocked squad that were in the habit of being battered week in week out the season before, a squad that could only play one way the wilder way, he didn’t get any players he needed to play his way so he was on a hiding to nothing, Hecky comes in and goes back to wilderball and it worked albeit boring. It’s never worked because the hardworking underdog culture of the club, to turn this around we need to invest but with a new coach with his own recruitment not a new coach with wilders players.

He inherited a much better situation than Wilder x 2 and Warnock. It was up to him to adapt his style of play like they did. He had one of (if not) the best squads in the division so it shouldn't have been hard. He was an abject failure.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Oh for that elusive magic wand that guarantees success! FFS after the absolute pits of last season, Wilder has turned it around and we're now... [just looking]... oh we're second in the Championship! Well, well, well, how did that happen? And no, I'm not entirely certain he's a master tactician who can mix it with Guardiloa or Amorim or Maresca or Angie (oops are wheels starting to come off?) and the like. But let's get this feckin promotion thing in the bag and then take a deep breath.

There seems to be a blind belief that foreign= modern, progressive, tactically astute, inventive, good in the transfer market. British = parochial, backwards, insular, anti intellectual, long ball, resistant to change, dinosaurs, pashun merchants blah blah.

The guy managing us invented and implemented arguably the most tactically innovative way of playing this century - you'd think this would give at least some pause for thought and reflection. To question that premise. If not about British coaches at large, at least about the current management staff. His team (that, lest we forget, remains only partially rebuilt) is playing in a radically different way to last season and sits in second despite an injury crisis, and the general enforced ad hoc nature of it all.

Renaissance man Slav was "thrown under the bus" whilst Wilder is a dinosaur because he has totally changed the formation and results whilst getting a paper thin squad second by January. He's clearly been too successful for his own good, and is now a victim of his own success.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Let’s be clear, the ONLY thing that establishes a team in the Premier League nowadays is spending an absolute fortune. You can do that in one huge gamble like Forest or you can do it over an extended period of recruitment like Brentford and Bournemouth.
Chris Wilder is the only reason we’re even able to consider our prospects in the Premier League because he turned the club around completely despite an abject lack of financial support (comparatively) from the Clubs previous owners.
It’s way too early to decide whether the new owners have the money to sustain a Premier League team.
For me Chris is absolutely the best manager for our club both short and medium term. If the new owners really have the appetite and wealth to properly compete in the PL then other managers may make sense at some stage but I think Chris deserves a chance with decent financial backing first.

Precisely

 

[SUFCinks]

There seems to be a blind belief that foreign= modern, progressive, tactically astute, inventive, good in the transfer market. British = parochial, backwards, insular, anti intellectual, long ball, resistant to change, dinosaurs, pashun merchants blah blah.

The guy managing us invented and implemented arguably the most tactically innovative way of playing this century - you'd think this would give at least some pause for thought and reflection. To question that premise. If not about British coaches at large, at least about the current management staff. His team (that, lest we forget, remains only partially rebuilt) is playing in a radically different way to last season and sits in second despite an injury crisis, and the general enforced ad hoc nature of it all.

Renaissance man Slav was "thrown under the bus" whilst Wilder is a dinosaur because he has totally changed the formation and results whilst getting a paper thin squad second by January. He's clearly been too successful for his own good, and is now a victim of his own success.

Probably aimed at me so I will respond. The wording of foreign = progressive and British = dated is incorrect and I absolutely agree that being outside the UK has no reflection on the qualities you possess as a manager. The argument that 'foreign doesn't work' came from the 'we can't try anything different' camp who always spout Slav as the reason why we should never try anything different or more progressive, which is quite frankly a fucking thick POV.

Any progressive manager of any nationality I would welcome. Restricting ourselves to the small confines of Yorkshire or England and choosing managers because they 'get the club' is restrictive and not progressive. It keeps us in this mould of scrappy underdogs.

Back onto Wilder we are not playing radically different, we are playing Hull instead of Liverpool. The Quality is radically different which has allowed us not to pinned against our goal for 90 mins. The way we play has not changed. Wilder version 1 was absolutely fantastic, Wilder version 2 is efficient at grinding result at this level.

 

[Big.Dane.w]

He inherited a much better situation than Wilder x 2 and Warnock. It was up to him to adapt his style of play like they did. He had one of (if not) the best squads in the division so it shouldn't have been hard. He was an abject failure.

Disagree. He got a few short months then got binned, if he was allowed to recruit rather than inherit I believe we would have seen a better outcome. You won’t convince me wilder is the best we can hope for and should hang on to him at all costs. I hope one day we have a bit of vision as a club and look to progress, maybe then the excitement of going to the lane will come back cos for the last few years it’s been more of a chore.

 

[Blade56]

Let’s be clear, the ONLY thing that establishes a team in the Premier League nowadays is spending an absolute fortune. You can do that in one huge gamble like Forest or you can do it over an extended period of recruitment like Brentford and Bournemouth.
Chris Wilder is the only reason we’re even able to consider our prospects in the Premier League because he turned the club around completely despite an abject lack of financial support (comparatively) from the Clubs previous owners.
It’s way too early to decide whether the new owners have the money to sustain a Premier League team.
For me Chris is absolutely the best manager for our club both short and medium term. If the new owners really have the appetite and wealth to properly compete in the PL then other managers may make sense at some stage but I think Chris deserves a chance with decent financial backing first.

Think I’m right in saying Wilder was the biggest spender in the PL the season we got religated.

Many teams were in transmission the season we finished a credible and astonishing 9th with all credit to Wilder.

Can’t agree more than with YES Blade, Forest would probably have been religated last season with Cooper in charge. Wilder and Cooper are so similar, old school, grinding out results, pashun galore but they are not PL technically, politically or media savvy material for the top flight. Make it worth his while with a contract pay off if he gets us promoted or waste money on relegation with pashun and a crate of Peroni.

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

I would be willing to put money on the fact he won’t which is fucking sad in itself but i’m confident in my judgement. Would love him to prove me wrong. He just doesn't have enough about him. He’s an old school manager and has qualities but they are limited and not enough for today’s elite level.

Who does have enough? You just have to look at the Southampton situation. Ipswich who have spent good money and in my opinion have a decent manager are 2nd bottom.

Sometimes it’s better the devil you know.

The alternative point that I’ve said on other threads is that we’re not winning big games, I’ve not seen us comfortably win many games this season. I don’t think we have a unique way of playing, we’re quite predictable in our set up. We’re beating teams by simply having better players than the opposition.

We have a bad habit of not going for the kill when we’re on top and letting the opposition back into games.

Wilder 2.0 for me is doing a good job but it could be much better (style of football not points collected)

 

[Striker]

The managers mentioned did alright, but saying that’s the only way we can compete is ridiculous. They came from different eras where money wasn’t as crucial. The game has changed, in many ways, especially at the top level— I doubt they'd cut it now.

Just because we’ve always had hard-working, modest types doesn’t mean we’re stuck with that. Some people are afraid of trying something new, even though we’ve never given it a shot. I'm not saying we need a foreign manager, just that a more progressive manager (of any nationality) could help us compete with our financial limitations and succeed at a higher level.

On the other point, if CW can't change the style against lower teams like Hull and Portsmouth, how’s he gonna do it against Arsenal, Liverpool, or Newcastle?

If you were a manager, would you wait for a tough time to try something new, or would you do it during an easier period to phase it in? Would you give the squad time to adjust or expect them to adapt overnight?

Right now, it feels like we have a short-sighted plan: charge into the Prem playing worse football than before and expect not to get hammered every week like last time.

I have been a manager in numerous jobs, and what I can say for certain is that the people you have dictate the results you get far more than the tactics employed.

 

[FriethBlade]

Wilders contract will have all sorts of performance clauses in it, both positive and negative. It made sense for the new owners to put the distraction of his previous contract to bed to stop it being a problem as the season progresses (anyone remember Warnock in the WestHam/Wigan season).

If we go up I'm guessing he will be given a chance to prove himself and if we stay down he will have to have us challenging for promotion the whole season or he will be gone.

 

[SUFCinks]

Who does have enough? You just have to look at the Southampton situation. Ipswich who have spent good money and in my opinion have a decent manager are 2nd bottom.

Sometimes it’s better the devil you know.

The alternative point that I’ve said on other threads is that we’re not winning big games, I’ve not seen us comfortably win many games this season. I don’t think we have a unique way of playing, we’re quite predictable in our set up. We’re beating teams by simply having better players than the opposition.

We have a bad habit of not going for the kill when we’re on top and letting the opposition back into games.

Wilder 2.0 for me is doing a good job but it could be much better (style of football not points collected)

Yep, fair.

I think Mckenna is a very good progressive British manager who has a good style of play and tactics. The signings they have made (which have been heavily, heavily backed) are all smart, even if they get relegated they have lots of saleable assets that will make them money or take them straight back up. Whats worrying is that like you say, even with all that money and a decent style of play they are only 2nd bottom. But they have made a huge leap forwards in regards to transitioning towards being a potentially stable outfit in the prem, even if they go down I would fancy them to bounce straight back up. Would Wilder be as savvy in the market with transfers plus tactics (long term thinking) and would a season in the prem with him move us towards being a more stable prem team with the quality and style of play needed to survive?

Southampton are very similar to how pathetic we were TBH, they do try and play football at times but don't have the quality or coaching. That haven't had the number of heavy pastings we took though, yet.

That habit of sitting in and not going for the kill I remember heavily from the prem. We would score first and then try and defend a 1 goal lead for 70 mins. When we inevitably conceded we were knackered and the momentum of the game was almost impossible for us to overcome. Something we haven't learnt from or fixed.