Wilder has talked about seeking to bring in experience rather than gambling (my word, I can't recall how he put it) on youth.
Those of a certain age will remember that we've been here before. Gordon Cowans. Stuart McCall, the sainted Paul McGrath. Each gave a masterclass in how an old head could anchor teams.
There's an earlier example, at the back end of Porterfield (or was it McEwen?). Peter Withe. Phil Thompson. Ken McNaught (who wasn't too bad if memory serves). In an era when the game was so much slower than today we saw how packing a team with 'experience' could unravel.
But it's experience that Wilder wants. Rather than McGrath we have Choudrey and Doherty. Instead of Cowans and McCall we have Rothwell, Shackleton and the rest. Ouch. So players not of the same quality, but of an age that you'd reasonably expect could bring athleticism along with their experience. Ouch.
Wilder has squandered the resources at his disposal in this and previous transfer windows - Chong, McGuiness, Cannon, Doherty, (and I'll call it early) Ayew - and failed to lay any foundations whatsoever for a brighter future. I say limited resources, but I keep reading that our wage bill remains at the upper end of the Championship.
What happens next season? What is to be done?