CONFIRMED Chris Wilder 3.0 - Returns for the third spell.

[Sean Thornton]

I’m hoping that he’ll get some coaches in that our schooled differently from what we’ve had before. Coaches who embrace newer training methods and preparation. I think Knill should be replaced with someone of the Heckingbottom approach to tactics, analysis, professional development. I think with that type of appointment we’d be a force in this division.

Like CW, Knill is back in the building tomorrow.

From someone who does actually work at the club.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Perhaps so. I haven't exactly been encouraged.

I do think it says something about the club that we can't seem to let go, but that isn't necessarily the fault of Wilder. And I personally believe we'd would be a lot stronger with someone working as a DoF, and Wilder has been against that. I don't see that changing, hence my concern for the long term future of the club.

Again, I am happy he is back, because at the moment, we need someone who is familiar with the players and who can bring stability.

There's zero evidence Wilder is against a DOF and less that United have, on any occasion, attempted to impose one on him. Wilder has worked with DOF elsewhere and the Prince and COH haven't opted for a DOF with or without Wilder.

The "all powerful" Wilder myth is pervasive but largely without evidence. Indeed, under the co ownership - and Prince's ownership - we had a democratic process re signings which was discussed during the fan's forum in 2020. The video is still on YouTube. The implication seems to be that he makes all the signings without using modern techniques or collaboration. The facts say otherwise: he never had that power and any signing could've been made (or not made) against Wilder's wishes. It's not quite DOF territory but it's not that far off.

There's a significant lack of information re COH and how they've run the club so far. We know they value AI and data analysis and have ideas re injury prevention - that's pretty much it. Data analysis has been used by United since the Warnock days. It isn't a new development. It isn't something the management didn't use independent of the COH regime

If their was some kind of attempt by the current board to totally control non matchday football operations post Wilder, people would be right to have have concerns after the summer window imo. That's purely speculation though. I'd argue that some of the signings indicate the involvement of the last manager.

 

[SE1Blade]

I’m hoping that he’ll get some coaches in that our schooled differently from what we’ve had before. Coaches who embrace newer training methods and preparation. I think Knill should be replaced with someone of the Heckingbottom approach to tactics, analysis, professional development. I think with that type of appointment we’d be a force in this division.

To be fair Keith Andrews went on to do well and progressed to be an Prem manager and Jack Lester is now in the Premier League as a coach so the coaches can’t have been that bad before.

 

[jimmymuir]

I think that more reflects the general woeful set up of the club then. I'm sure you will have me down as a Wilder hater, I'm not, I appreciate what he has done, I just find it hugely frustrating we can't break this cycle of going back to the same old same as. I know you highly regard him and I get why, but personally I think he's "ok" - if he was anything more I'd expect him to have garnered greater interest from higher up the football echelons, but he hasn't. I'm sure he'll come in and give us a lift, but I worry then about "what next?"

I get where you're coming from, but which high level manager out there would want the job currently? We've lost every single competitive match this season, the owners have ballsed up every single big decision since coming in thus far. There are managers out there that I'd like (who seem fairly realistic), but I still believe Wilder is the best man for the job currently. I think our performances and results so far this season also illustrate how much we perhaps overachieved last term.

 

[Arcott]

I don't care who's in charge as long as I don't need to watch the absolute shit show of the last 6 games. I had no issue with getting rid of Wilder per se but it was the wrong time to do it. Keep the steady progress on the pitch while sorting the infrastructure first. New training ground needs sorting to create that modern footballing club, start to look at ai but bring in slowly and then transition to a new manager and system but that need doing slowly. Selles and Slav tried too quickly using players not capable of doing it. It has to be evolution not revolution otherwise we end up where we are now

 

[Simple Blade]

Let’s not forget in all of this that Chris Wilder is one of our most successful managers. Over the years we have employed a number of clowns but also, by acccident or design, a few excellent managers. John Harris, Dave Bassett, Neil Warnock and, recently, Paul Heckingbottom. Wilder is up with those.

 

[Andy67]

To be fair Keith Andrews went on to do well and progressed to be an Prem manager and Jack Lester is now in the Premier League as a coach so the coaches can’t have been that bad before.

I agree unfortunately Knill’s role was more central to how we played. From what I was told we had a couple of coaches that would have relished more input. They have gone on to pastures new which is good for Brentford but shit for us. Wilder needs to make some decent appointments if he wants to develop this new group of players.

 

[Bartleby]

Haven't read all the latest updates, but is there any indication Wilder actually wants to come back? Why would he agree to come back somewhere he knows/thinks he's not wanted? I don't know why he was sacked, maybe last season was considered a failure, maybe they just wanted a fresh change or maybe CoH want a structure/system that Wilder simply couldn't/wouldn't agree to (DoF/AI recruitment/etc). Whatever the reason I assume still exists, so why would Wilder think coming back is not just waiting for another sacking?

Purely guessing I'd say it possibly was due to him not agreeing to that structure. But I get the impression this lot are pragmatic and maybe willing to learn and listen (especially the bit in their statement about taking into account the fans) so it could be win win - nowt worse than a stubborn owner.

 

[XH536]

Like it or not, Chris Wilder has to return as manager, otherwise the owners will lose the supporters.
Anyone else ain't gonna turn things around quick enough to attempt a top six position.
All about bedding in rapidly, and getting things back to winning ways.
Only Chris Wilder has the present credentials for the job.
By the way I'm not 100% 'Wilderite', I can see his faults.

 

[GymClassHero]

Don't like Nathan Jones anymore than you do, but I despise what wilder is about far more

Why?

 

[Silky Sabella]

Why?

Just his total demeanor as a person, his arrogance, his personal antics away from football, his attitude that he is something that he is not and also the way the path of life shines upon him. Have been going to Bramall Lane for 50 years , and have never felt so negative towards a manager.
As and when he is next gone, I look forward to a totally positive conversation with yourself.

 

[GymClassHero]

Once they’ve terminated your contract they’ve said clear off so if he’d decided to go and work as a manager elsewhere then that would have been it. It might help him in negotiating a higher wage as they terminated his contract, however they hold a stronger hand that they know he would walk over hot coals to become manager again.

You're right that they have some sort of leverage in the fact Wilder is a blade etc, but Wilder holds the stronger hand in my opinion. The owners have just spent north of £100m to buy us, probably fairly certain that we would be promoted, instantly doubling their money. If we now drop into the next tier, it's almost financial suicide for their investment - they need a guaranteed fix.

I wasn't against Chris leaving at the time, but I'm now glad he's probably returning. While nothing is guaranteed, Wilder is the next best thing to a guarantee. We will not be relegated with him in charge.

 

[Pikey's Shot at Blackpool]

I’m hoping that he’ll get some coaches in that our schooled differently from what we’ve had before. Coaches who embrace newer training methods and preparation. I think Knill should be replaced with someone of the Heckingbottom approach to tactics, analysis, professional development. I think with that type of appointment we’d be a force in this division.

Mark Dempsey has had a great coaching career. Highly respected at Man utd. He's coincidentally an ex blade and played with Wilder. He was recently Man U' s under 23 manager and very familiar with both new and traditional methods.

 

[brownblade]

I'm hearing that we're actually appointing Chris Wilder's non-union Mexican equivalent.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Hope you're fully backing Wilder now, just as the Wilder-out brigade insisted everyone should get behind Selles (which they did).

I agree with your sentiment, but you keep saying everyone got behind Selles and that’s simply not the case.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I must've have imagined his name booming out from the away ends and BL . All the gutted people over the summer and the huge Blades Whatsapp groups that are unanimously buzzing today are also all in my imagination...
The anti Wilders are in a pitiful minority. They really struggle to accept that reality.

You definitely did imagine it as it’s not happened at BL this season. I don’t get why you’re pushing this narrative when 27,000 folk know it’s not true.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

I agree unfortunately Knill’s role was more central to how we played. From what I was told we had a couple of coaches that would have relished more input. They have gone on to pastures new which is good for Brentford but shit for us. Wilder needs to make some decent appointments if he wants to develop this new group of players.

With potential budget cuts due to parachute payments ending I doubt we will have a big team off the pitch

 

[Andy67]

Mark Dempsey has had a great coaching career. Highly respected at Man utd. He's coincidentally an ex blade and played with Wilder. He was recently Man U' s under 23 manager and very familiar with both new and traditional methods.

You his agent

 

[Jan Age]

I was hoping we would go with someone other than wilder but it’s a relegation battle now and we can’t afford to brig someone in who takes months to get to know the club.

If it’s a short term deal then we need to take it to secure our position in the league (can’t believe I just wrote that)

One thing is guaranteed some players will be sweating after the non performances this season.

Expect Mee to start immediately alongside taganga and for seriki to come in at RB.

Soumare in with Peck Haner on the left, Campbell back up top

Wilder won’t fuck about with the Godfreys of this world all on the bench or in the stands guaranteed.

 

[Silky Sabella]

To all the panickers. Wilder's reappointment is not a long term solution. It's a pragmatic and necessary immediate fix to stave off relegation and a financial nightmare next season. Jeez, there's some shite being spouted by so-called blades today.

Thank you 1066. You have ended my day far better than it started, and given me some future optimism of being a happy blade again

 

[Andy67]

Like CW, Knill is back in the building tomorrow.

From someone who does actually work at the club.

Ask what they think of Selles

 

[Bladesince59]

When was the last time he did owt?

1925

 

[Rbobw]

I’m hoping that he’ll get some coaches in that our schooled differently from what we’ve had before. Coaches who embrace newer training methods and preparation. I think Knill should be replaced with someone of the Heckingbottom approach to tactics, analysis, professional development. I think with that type of appointment we’d be a force in this division.

I agree absolutely. Wilder gives us a decent chance to recover, but, I want to see some fresh ideas in the coaching area plus the acceptance that a DOF to professionalise our operations.

 

[CPB]

I agree absolutely. Wilder gives us a decent chance to recover, but, I want to see some fresh ideas in the coaching area plus the acceptance that a DOF to professionalise our operations.

He will accept a DOF appointment. Assuming they don't constantly interfere with him just like any manager would get pissed off in that situation.

 

[SUFC1998]

I was hoping we would go with someone other than wilder but it’s a relegation battle now and we can’t afford to brig someone in who takes months to get to know the club.

If it’s a short term deal then we need to take it to secure our position in the league (can’t believe I just wrote that)

One thing is guaranteed some players will be sweating after the non performances this season.

Expect Mee to start immediately alongside taganga and for seriki to come in at RB.

Soumare in with Peck Haner on the left, Campbell back up top

Wilder won’t fuck about with the Godfreys of this world all on the bench or in the stands guaranteed.

I don’t get why everyone thinks we’re going be in a relegation battle the squad is alright it’s better than a lot of the championship and we’re only five games in we’ve got a better balanced squad than last year minus a big striker

 

[Jon B]

I don't know who else would have been available and have a proven track record at Championship level but I do know that Wilder ticks those boxes.

I expect he will get the message across to the players that what matters isn't what has taken place over the last 6 clown car performances, but their attitude and commitment from now on in.

He'll very definitely set out in straightforward terms what their role is on the pitch, how it fits into the formation and what is expected of them.

We started last season with a two point deduction, which was tough, but now just to make it a proper challenge for Wilder we're giving the job back to him with 15 points dropped.

 

[Andy67]

I agree absolutely. Wilder gives us a decent chance to recover, but, I want to see some fresh ideas in the coaching area plus the acceptance that a DOF to professionalise our operations.

Collins stepping up is very good news, his ideas are innovative

 

[Champagneblade]

Yeah, it's not real. That explains why Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton continue this conveyor belt of churning out talent, despite the management, despite the fact they keep selling their best players (for huge profit)

It's just a myth

It was put to Ron Atkinson once about the evolution of diets and how Serie A teams like Juve etc were all eating pasta.

His response was simple: the crap teams at the bottom of Serie A also eat pasta.

Same argument here. Spurs have a sporting director, probably the 4th or 5th highest budget and finished 15th or so.

Both examples you provide may operate with some DoF fellow but their success at churning out players lies elsewhere.

Brentford as we all know benefit from piggy backing from Mathew Benham’s sports betting business and leverage an infrastructure from there that individual clubs can only dream of. Their capacity to mine those players comes from there.

Brighton, who are also part of a multi-club set up, also benefited from Tony Bloom’s data driven decision making.

Having a DoF is a bit of a straw man. Some successful teams may have one, but it doesn’t mean their success is down to that. It’s often related to multiple other factors.

if United want to go down that route it’s a fallacy that Wilder cannot work with that. It takes in multiple assumptions to arrive at that conclusion. How United use demarcation in their work is up to the owners but it will still come down to hiring quality operators.

 

[Lower Drop Blade]

After Friday I would have welcomed Jack the Ripper as manager with Fred West as his assistant but a word of caution with Wilder is there is no argument that form after Christmas last season was on a downward curve and over a full season would struggle to get top 6. Now what no one will ever know is if his recruitment through the summer would have tweaked it to an upward curve once again? Different circumstances now inheriting this lop sided shite of a squad so he gets a free go at it. I hope as others have mentioned in thread a new voice on the coaching staff is brought in and maybe a football man to be between him and board to sound off etc. Lets see as ever UTB
P S Some players need to look at them selfs in the mirror way they down tools just because Selles wasn't their cup of tea. Unforgivable.

 

[JS Blade]

I totally understand the "we look daft" and "back to Wilder again" quotes ......... this is an open forum for opinions and discussion and i am not here to disagree with anyone.

However FWIW we look a lot more stupid with a decent squad, a tidy ground and a decent infrastructure wallowing at the bottom of the championship running the risk of been cut a drift with a clueless manager in charge who isn't capable of managing Llorett De Mar let alone Sheffield United.

For me Chris should have never been sacked. You need continuity. You need someone that knows and more importantly cares. If he remains in charge were top 6 now and we would have only dropped 2-3 points.

Everybody has critics no one anymore than Chris - i dare say he even knows his own faults. I don't believe for one minute he hasn't had other opportunities, he will have had them but they more than likely weren't right for him hence why he was still available.

The reason you see the players turn out for a decent manager week in week out is because they manage, they build relationships and they run the team. There's more to management than moving some magnets round a magnetic board and a flip chart on the training ground. Relationships are vital and for me the last 2 weeks the players distanced themselves from Selles because they knew the fans and club weren't buying this S*** show and the board had made a mistake.

Last season every win was celebrated between management, players, staff and the fans because they are a unit and that comes from one man. An actual manager and figurehead at the club.

Last season we over achieved, we weren't the finished article and halfway in to a rebuild on a decimated squad post premier league relegation and an embarrassing showing he achieved wonders only to be sacked in the summer.

The achievements last season ultimately became his down fall as people believed we had a right to promotion when in reality he elevated a top 6 squad to almost achieve automatic promotion. When people were calling that games were boring and we should be beating Luton by more in reality he was in the background turning draws in to narrow wins.

For me any critics need to look at the situation now and see it for what it is. He is an outstanding manager of people, a brilliant bloke and a blade but is also human and i'm yet to meet anyone who is everyone's cup of tea - including him.

Give him 6-8 weeks and i guarantee you see improvement.

Get Hamer back on the left and give him some TLC

Get Burrows back to his best and utilise the wingbacks

Realign the new CB's in to an organised back 3 utilising Tanganga

Get Ogbene in the side

Welcome back, Chris - Ignite that fire and do what you do best pal!

UTFB