CONFIRMED Rubén Sellés - Three year deal

[Pollingtonblade]

The only time most United fans knew instantly that a manager was going to be a disaster was when we brought in Bryan Robson. Regardless of Robson's contacts in the game the only person who didn't see a problem with his appointment was Kevin McCabe.

And that fat bastard Terry Robinson

 

[fifty shades of blade]

Do we have to drink Estrella now then? 2

 

[loyalblade95]

Data driven, Fitness minded coach, did well at Southampton (getting impressive draws against teams in the top six which they had no right to do).

Good pedigree having been in and around the Valencia set up (coached the U21s’ and the B team). Did really well at Reading, got them to the play offs with three points deductions having had to play a lot of academy players. Did decent at Hull City who were equally a basket case.

Think they got a 4-4 draw against Liverpool on the last day.

 

[Bladesman]

And that fat bastard Terry Robinson

Forgot about old Terry.

 

[Danetheblade]

Think they got a 4-4 draw against Liverpool on the last day.

Yeah. Were leading 4-2 initially.

 

[Norwood's 6 iron]

Read my post on the previous page.

4: Reputational image of the club. Wilder was generally disliked by fans of other clubs and didn’t have a good reputation in the media. Selles is a young, good looking guy, more appealing to the media. The off field discipline of the players was terrible, often fighting during and after matches and surely a manager is partially to blame for £500K of fines.

We shouldn't underestimate how bad our image is, almost to the point where I would say that it is at an all time low.
Much of this, unfortunately is down to Wilder.
I wouldn't be surprised if this was the deciding factor in the parting of the ways.

 

[HOT CURRIE 10]

Jim’s a top bloke but knows fuck all about football.

He should keep his gob shut then, he gets a D minus for that shite he just spoke of.

 

[Sheffsteel]

It’s evident that we have a sizeable contingent in our midst that don’t want the club to modernise. They are perfectly happy with Sheffield United FC being a glorified working men’s club with a dog-shit covered pitch out back by the bins. They’re equally happy seeing a mirror image of themselves running the entire club, supping pints, sneering at anything in the game introduced after 1989, and scrapping. It maintains their fantasy that, even though they sport a cultivated 10 pint tyre, somehow they are living vicariously as the Blades manager too. If Selles turns out to be teetotal, we’re going to need industrial scale suicide watch.

Well, as romantic as all that seems, in 2025 that doesn’t cut it. Make no mistake, the elite clubs above us are Ivan fucking Drago, except in our reality, plucky little Rocky gets his head clubbed in. Hard to eulogise about old school methods when the 8th goal goes in without lube. The Wilder 1.0 years were magical, but they are over. So, for the first time in my 35 years, let’s see if this data-driven modern lark works…

Excellent post and made me laugh because it’s so true regards some of them.

In fact it’s a common trait of people from Sheffield. We just hate change and distrust ambitious big thinkers. Suspect this is the reason both clubs have struggled to acquire new owners.

Also part of the reason is because our best managers over 40 years have been Bassett, Warnock and Wilder and all 3 have strong similarities regards being so passionate towards the club and preferring 100% triers with great attitudes instead of high quality players.

When ever we’ve tried the foreign approach or trying to play nice football it’s never worked (apart from Kendall and Wilson) because our fans prefer up and at em, “gerrit forad” football.

Regards Selles who knows? He gets my support (no option really I support the club much more than any manager or player) and we’ll just have to wait and see. Wouldn’t surprise me if he turns into a Danny Rohl type appointment where there are games when we are tactically really impressive but expect there to be more inconsistency.

 

[UddersBlade]

The Prince adjacent folk are really embarrassing him and themselves.

Really bitter comments! The Prince’s mates same as Chris’s mates …..just leave it guys and act with a bit of humility & class!!

Nothing lasts forever….

 

[HighfieldBlade]

 

[Thrice]

He comes across well in his first interview. He sounds eloquent and he said all the right things. Seems like a very methodical guy who realises that football is also about passion.

We'll see how it translates on the field, but I'm optimistic.

 

[A Storm of Blades]

Excellent post and made me laugh because it’s so true regards some of them.

In fact it’s a common trait of people from Sheffield. We just hate change and distrust ambitious big thinkers. Suspect this is the reason both clubs have struggled to acquire new owners.

Also part of the reason is because our best managers over 40 years have been Bassett, Warnock and Wilder and all 3 have strong similarities regards being so passionate towards the club and preferring 100% triers with great attitudes instead of high quality players.

When ever we’ve tried the foreign approach or trying to play nice football it’s never worked (apart from Kendall and Wilson) because our fans prefer up and at em, “gerrit forad” football.

Regards Selles who knows? He gets my support (no option really I support the club much more than any manager or player) and we’ll just have to wait and see.

Oh I agree. I definitely loved Bassett, Warnock (mostly) and c.2016 Wilder. It’s genuinely special when you feel like a manager and players love a club as much as you. BUT we’ve let that dominate the guiding principles of the club to such an exaggerated extent, some believe it’s the only thing that matters.

I want to see us succeed and play the type of football that gets me off my seat. At the moment, I couldn’t give a shit which club the person(s) that delvers that supports, or whether they drink in my local.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

NOBODY on here would have picked him, yet we have plenty putting the maximum possible positive spin on it while acting like any criticism of the appointment is simply mad. Would have been the same if we appointed a literal dog turd as well

Time will tell but my feeling is that we'll regret it. But so much depends on the budget, not quite sure what to expect and it's a massive variable. As is their approach to recruitment

I hope he can at least get us playing a better style but even that doesn't seem particularly promising

Given the decision has been made what positive is there to the criticism and why wouldn’t you look for the most positive spin?
It’s like people actively want to make themselves miserable just so they can claim to be right later.
We’re on the rollercoaster now, the barriers are down and you can’t get off. You may as well throw yourself into it and enjoy it as much as you can.

 

[Railway Blade]

We shouldn't underestimate how bad our image is, almost to the point where I would say that it is at an all time low.
Much of this, unfortunately is down to Wilder.
I wouldn't be surprised if this was the deciding factor in the parting of the ways.

I would say in the times of Paul Woodhouse, Stephen Hinchcliffe and Sam Hashimi the image took a bit of a battering

 

[Eric_Brooks]

My first thoughts are that this is a risk the owners didn’t need to take, not now anyway, not after the season we’ve had and could build on.

It’s a very strange move on the face of it and reading the intro post about Selles, I can only feel underwhelmed. The CV reads like we’re in for Championship relegation fight, a manager suited to Wednesday when Rohl goes. I admittedly don’t know anything more than has been discussed here the last few days but all the positive things I’ve heard about him appear to be Wilder-light.

When we appointed Slav, he came with credentials of having gained promotions. Selles has a record with Reading under “difficult circumstances” and relegation fight with Hull to his name. A sign of things to come? I hope not.

I’m sure that my feelings will change as we get some signings in and the sales which have already been signed off.

Good luck to him, I think he’ll need it and possibly, so will we.

I do love an elegant flounce. A mark of good style

 

[Nick Jansky]

I would say in the times of Paul Woodhouse, Stephen Hinchcliffe and Sam Hashimi the image took a bit of a battering

And add Carlos Collombotti to that list.

 

[DeanLearner'sCat]

My first impression is that he needs to accept that he's bald and shave it off. Or get a hair transplant and hope it doesn't get rejected like Bannan's.

 

[Sheffsteel]

The only time most United fans knew instantly that a manager was going to be a disaster was when we brought in Bryan Robson. Regardless of Robson's contacts in the game the only person who didn't see a problem with his appointment was Kevin McCabe.

Hear this all time and I agree there were instant strong concerns but that only half the story.

Robson was a bigger star than Frank Lampard, easily one of the best England players in that era.

He was known and respected around the world. Just his name could attract players. Remember Tim Cahill saying he only joined us on loan because Robson was his hero as a boy. Think Hugo Egiogue also only joined us due to Robson too.

Robson record was pretty good regards promotion to the PL and keeping a team up in the PL but he was well backed at the time and the style wasn’t good. There were valid reasons to suggest that Robson wasn’t as a good a manager as it appeared.

However that why we brought in the highly rated Brian Kidd (the tactics man) as assistant. Kidd had been a manager at Blackburn and I vaguely remember he was quite good there.

So the plan was Kidd would have a much bigger than normal involvement in the team and Robson would be mainly the front man to attract players.

We actually tried to play good football under Robson, it was a keep possession passing style, quite similar to Swansea or Bristol City and like those teams the build ups where slow, so there was little action in either box and compared to Warnock fast attacking long ball style it was boring.

Our fans lost patience and demanded more action, so Robson tried to go more direct and got stuck in between styles.

Another point that really angered fans was Robsons post match interviews. They were always exactly the same, no matter what the result, you got the impression that he didn’t know what he was doing, zero insight regards tactics. Also he was monotone with zero personality and slurred his speech like he was a bit drunk.

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

Forgot about old Turry.

Fixed

 

[SwissBlade]

I do love an elegant flounce. A mark of good style

You Smooth talking bastard

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

Ruben Selles.

Okay, first things first, it's not pronounced Cellars or Sell less. Imagine it's your birthday or Valentine's day and you ask your missus that brave question in the hope that she might "say yes!"

Got it?

 

[Boxer Blade]

For me I'm now looking to draw a line under it all, let's look and hope the future is good, new owners, new manager, let's get behind it , who knows?

 

[fifty shades of blade]

Hear this all time and I agree there were instant strong concerns but that only half the story.

Robson was a bigger star than Frank Lampard, easily one of the best England players in that era.

He was known and respected around the world. Just his name could attract players. Remember Tim Cahill saying he only joined us on loan because Robson was his hero as a boy. Think Hugo Egiogue also only joined us due to Robson too.

Robson record was pretty good regards promotion to the PL and keeping a team up in the PL but he was well backed at the time and the style wasn’t good. There were valid reasons to suggest that Robson wasn’t as a good a manager as it appeared.

However that why we brought in the highly rated Brian Kidd (the tactics man) as assistant. Kidd had been a manager at Blackburn and I vaguely remember he was quite good there.

So the plan was Kidd would have a much bigger than normal involvement in the team and Robson would be mainly the front man to attract players.

We actually tried to play good football under Robson, it was a keep possession passing style, quite similar to Swansea or Bristol City and like those teams the build ups where slow, so there was little action in either box and compared to Warnock fast attacking long ball style it was boring.

Our fans lost patience and demanded more action, so Robson tried to go more direct and got stuck in between styles.

Another point that really angered fans was Robsons post match interviews. They were always exactly the same, no matter what the result, you got the impression that he didn’t know what he was doing, zero insight regards tactics. Also he was monotone with zero personality and slurred his speech like he was a bit drunk.

Gary Cahill and Ugo Ehiogu

 

[Boxer Blade]

Who said a couple of weeks ago that Chris was going and Seles was coming in ?

 

[robbiez666]

Read my post on the previous page.

I’ve given 6 reasons where Selles betters Wilder, they are

1: Suspect SUFC have changed from the old fashioned UK style manager system, where the manager controls almost everything at a club and has a big input and final decision in buying players. Everywhere else in the world, the owners/ advisors/ director of football run the club and choose the players. They consult with the 1st team coach but the 1st team coach is basically given players and told to prepare them and divide tactics. This is the system used around the world and in the top flight.

2: Maybe the club want to buy more foreign players. Wilders CV is pretty poor regards foreign players. Selles is multi lingual, worked as a coach in several countries and has vast experience working with numerous nationalities.

3: Wilder is passionate and fans love it. It was more in fashion in previous decades but these days almost all managers are computerised robots. Maybe the owners want to drag the club into the current day. Wilder was sometimes a liability regards his emotions where as Selles is a much safer pair of hands regards emotional stability and behaviour.

4: Reputational image of the club. Wilder was generally disliked by fans of other clubs and didn’t have a good reputation in the media. Selles is a young, good looking guy, more appealing to the media. The off field discipline of the players was terrible, often fighting during and after matches and surely a manager is partially to blame for £500K of fines.

5: Selles was known for a high pressing style and let’s be honest Hull looked good at the Lane, think Wilder was tactically out smarted that day, think that will have played a part in their decision.

6: This hasn’t been mentioned anywhere but was or is Wilders daughter in a relationship with a player? This is really risky as it can create favouritism and/ or internal politics totally disrupting a harmonious squad. Wouldn’t be surprised if this was seen as a massive negative and potential future disaster.

Arblaster is. I suspect he'll end up in Wilder's special cage if he cheats on her, regardless of whether he's managed or not

 

[themaninblack]

Good luck to the lad. The owners clearly think he’s a better manager than Wilder; let’s hope they are right.

 

[blade67]

We have about 3 manager threads. 2 Gary O'Neill threads and 1 Danny Rohl thread. But not a Ruben Selles thread.

He joined Hull when they were bottom in December. 15pts from 19 games.

He accumulated 34pts from 27 games (1.26ppg). A ppg ratio that would have seen them finish 12 if extrapolated over the 46 game season.

He did a decent job at a poor side and was surprised they let him go.

Is he any good Matt?

 

[Melbourne Blade]

Sounds like he confirmed the 2 coaches are also joining him. He also said a more experienced coach would also be joining the team. Will be interested to find out who.

Any word on what's happening with Lester?

 

[Jon Bon II]

This guy has a good take on the situation, from a neutral perspective.

 

[Jon Bon II]

Ruben Selles.

Okay, first things first, it's not pronounced Cellars or Sell less. Imagine it's your birthday or Valentine's day and you ask your missus that brave question in the hope that she might "say yes!"

Got it?

What, Can I take you up the fudge tunnel???