I've always thought Chris Wilder could be our Alex Ferguson.

[ClintonWestwood]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially seeing how Chris has handled his return.

Comparing anyone to Ferguson usually gets you laughed at, but if you look at the structural and emotional impact on he's had on us, the parallels are hard to ignore.

Firstly, it’s about that cultural soul. Ferguson’s ManU wasn't just a team; it was a representation of the city’s working-class grit. Wilder is the embodiment of that for us. He’s a Stocksbridge lad who stood on the Bramall Lane terraces before ever kicking a ball for us. For Wilder, this isn't just a career move—it’s a vocation. Like Ferguson, he’s created an environment where everyone has to buy into the "no-excuses" mentality. He’s given us our pride back

Then there’s the tactical innovation. People forget that Ferguson was constantly evolving. Wilder did something similar by reinventing the 3-5-2 with those overlapping centre-backs. Seeing Basham and O’Connell bombing forward to create overloads was a genuine revolution that even caught Premier League teams off guard.

He’s also the only manager in recent history who builds for the long term. He took us from League One to the top half of the Prem. Even when he left and eventually returned, the board knew he was the only one who could "stabilise the ship." That kind of gravity—where the manager becomes the face of the entire institution—is exactly what Ferguson had at Old Trafford.

Lastly, it’s the siege mentality. Wilder’s "us against the world" attitude and his refusal to bow to the "cheque-book culture" of the modern game is classic Ferguson. He demands a level of "graft" that makes the team greater than the sum of its parts.
Ferguson has actually mentored Chris over the years, and you can see why. He isn't just a coach; he’s the custodian of our club’s history. In 20 years, we’ll be looking back at the Wilder era the same way MauU fans look at the Ferguson years.

What do you lot think? Am I reaching, or is he truly our GOAT?

 

[Dkc]

Different times for sure but Wilder still has a long way to go to to surpass John Nicholson

 

[raimond]

Like him or not he's achieved (some) unbelievable things and given us some truly great memories. He's also had less great moments.

But are you 'reaching' comparing him in any way to Alex Ferguson? Yep.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Maybe he is. The problem is that once something like that comes to an end, as it will, you’re likely looking at a lot of wilderness years because the individual has become bigger than the club and is irreplaceable. It leaves behind a vacuum. Not a healthy situation for the longer term.

 

[anglian blade]

Different times for sure but Wilder still has a long way to go to to surpass John Nicholson

or John Harris

 

[bornablade]

Maybe he is. The problem is that once something like that comes to an end, as it will, you’re likely looking at a lot of wilderness years because the individual has become bigger than the club and is irreplaceable. It leaves behind a vacuum. Not a healthy situation for the longer term.

When Bill Shankly joined Liverpool in December 1959 he ( maybe by default) set up the 'Boot Room'.
A place where the Shankly Spirit would continue in the guise of Bob Paisley, Roy Evans, Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran.

So it needn't come to an end. Chris Wilder is now 58 - not old but his greatest legacy to the club would be to create a natural succession when he decides to depart.

Sir Alex never did this.

 

[SwissBlade]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially seeing how Chris has handled his return.

Comparing anyone to Ferguson usually gets you laughed at, but if you look at the structural and emotional impact on he's had on us, the parallels are hard to ignore.

Firstly, it’s about that cultural soul. Ferguson’s ManU wasn't just a team; it was a representation of the city’s working-class grit. Wilder is the embodiment of that for us. He’s a Stocksbridge lad who stood on the Bramall Lane terraces before ever kicking a ball for us. For Wilder, this isn't just a career move—it’s a vocation. Like Ferguson, he’s created an environment where everyone has to buy into the "no-excuses" mentality. He’s given us our pride back

Then there’s the tactical innovation. People forget that Ferguson was constantly evolving. Wilder did something similar by reinventing the 3-5-2 with those overlapping centre-backs. Seeing Basham and O’Connell bombing forward to create overloads was a genuine revolution that even caught Premier League teams off guard.

He’s also the only manager in recent history who builds for the long term. He took us from League One to the top half of the Prem. Even when he left and eventually returned, the board knew he was the only one who could "stabilise the ship." That kind of gravity—where the manager becomes the face of the entire institution—is exactly what Ferguson had at Old Trafford.

Lastly, it’s the siege mentality. Wilder’s "us against the world" attitude and his refusal to bow to the "cheque-book culture" of the modern game is classic Ferguson. He demands a level of "graft" that makes the team greater than the sum of its parts.
Ferguson has actually mentored Chris over the years, and you can see why. He isn't just a coach; he’s the custodian of our club’s history. In 20 years, we’ll be looking back at the Wilder era the same way MauU fans look at the Ferguson years.

What do you lot think? Am I reaching, or is he truly our GOAT?

We have been and still are very lucky to have Wilder like Man U were lucky to have Fergie. Not just because of the first 11 football side of things, but because of Wilders whole football club approach.

The reason that things fail when Wilder (or Hecky or Warnock) are not in charge is that nobody is able to really pull together the football club

There is no succession plan and no wholistic approach at the club. Whilst you have Wilder thats fine, i don't think it would work brilliantly to have the DoF with Wilder because of the freedom and wide scope that he has, but eventually Wilder could move upstairs into the DoF role, the next manager to come in. There could well be plans to build on this.

 

[Nick Jansky]

We have been and still are very lucky to have Wilder like Man U were lucky to have Fergie. Not just because of the first 11 football side of things, but because of Wilders whole football club approach.

The reason that things fail when Wilder (or Hecky or Warnock) are not in charge is that nobody is able to really pull together the football club

There is no succession plan and no wholistic approach at the club. Whilst you have Wilder thats fine, i don't think it would work brilliantly to have the DoF with Wilder because of the freedom and wide scope that he has, but eventually Wilder could move upstairs into the DoF role, the next manager to come in. There could well be plans to build on this.

Sheffield United and long term planning has never been a thing. I hope this changes, but I’ve hoped that with every change of ownership for the last 50+ years.

I don’t think a Shankly/Ferguson/Wilder type is at all suited to the DOF role. They would cast far too big a shadow over whoever followed them as manager.

 

[SwissBlade]

Sheffield United and long term planning has never been a thing. I hope this changes, but I’ve hoped that with every change of ownership for the last 50+ years.

I don’t think a Shankly/Ferguson/Wilder type is at all suited to the DOF role. They would cast far too big a shadow over whoever followed them as manager.

Thats the Sheffield United culture we unfortunately know too well. Its perhaps also why Wilder is good for us since he knows the club internally, better than anyone. It may also be bad as he can potentially exploit it. Not that i am suggesting he does this.

I do think that in the Championship and below, this model works, but to scale up when we're in the Premier League is also very hard.

Long term on field planning is near impossible when we're up and down the leagues. We need stability

 

[Snake]

Sheffield United and long term planning has never been a thing. I hope this changes, but I’ve hoped that with every change of ownership for the last 50+ years.

I don’t think a Shankly/Ferguson/Wilder type is at all suited to the DOF role. They would cast far too big a shadow over whoever followed them as manager.

Not so sure about this .............. for all McCabe's faults he set the foundations for: 1. Putting the pricing structure in place and associated marketing to lure kids to the Lane. This of course took time to bear fruit, but we are now seeing the benefits of this long-term strategy. 2. The Academy. This took lots of planning and finance to get into motion. The benefits speak for themselves over the past 10 years or so.

 

[Cheets]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially seeing how Chris has handled his return.

Comparing anyone to Ferguson usually gets you laughed at, but if you look at the structural and emotional impact on he's had on us, the parallels are hard to ignore.

Firstly, it’s about that cultural soul. Ferguson’s ManU wasn't just a team; it was a representation of the city’s working-class grit. Wilder is the embodiment of that for us. He’s a Stocksbridge lad who stood on the Bramall Lane terraces before ever kicking a ball for us. For Wilder, this isn't just a career move—it’s a vocation. Like Ferguson, he’s created an environment where everyone has to buy into the "no-excuses" mentality. He’s given us our pride back

Then there’s the tactical innovation. People forget that Ferguson was constantly evolving. Wilder did something similar by reinventing the 3-5-2 with those overlapping centre-backs. Seeing Basham and O’Connell bombing forward to create overloads was a genuine revolution that even caught Premier League teams off guard.

He’s also the only manager in recent history who builds for the long term. He took us from League One to the top half of the Prem. Even when he left and eventually returned, the board knew he was the only one who could "stabilise the ship." That kind of gravity—where the manager becomes the face of the entire institution—is exactly what Ferguson had at Old Trafford.

Lastly, it’s the siege mentality. Wilder’s "us against the world" attitude and his refusal to bow to the "cheque-book culture" of the modern game is classic Ferguson. He demands a level of "graft" that makes the team greater than the sum of its parts.
Ferguson has actually mentored Chris over the years, and you can see why. He isn't just a coach; he’s the custodian of our club’s history. In 20 years, we’ll be looking back at the Wilder era the same way MauU fans look at the Ferguson years.

What do you lot think? Am I reaching, or is he truly our GOAT?

He's not a Stocksbridge lad. He just happened to be born in the hospital there.

 

[Silent Blade]

Different times for sure but Wilder still has a long way to go to to surpass John Nicholson

I have mentioned this in here for the umpteenth time, Nicholson wasnt our manager, he was the secretary and his job was to sign and release players also running the club administration. George Waller and Jack Houseley were the trainers responsible for training and coaching. The Football club committee (mainly directors) and the captain (Ernest Needham during the Edwardian years, George Utley in the 1910s and Billy Gillespie in the 1920s) decide the team selections. The captain decide on the tactics.

The first proper manager we had was Teddy Davison in 1932.

 

[Rufus Smalls]

When Bill Shankly joined Liverpool in December 1959 he ( maybe by default) set up the 'Boot Room'.
A place where the Shankly Spirit would continue in the guise of Bob Paisley, Roy Evans, Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran.

So it needn't come to an end. Chris Wilder is now 58 - not old but his greatest legacy to the club would be to create a natural succession when he decides to depart.

Sir Alex never did this.

True, Ferguson never really handed the baton over successfully. Some could say his selfishness wouldn’t have liked it anyway. Is this a trait of Wider, not sure but it’s an interesting debate.

 

[Grizzly blade]

Nobody is comparing Wilder to Ferguson in terms of managerial ability of tactics. But I’d agree his Impact in all areas of the club bear some similarities.
And that’s fine if the team is successful- this is the bit where you will see some pushback from supporters.
For me, success here would be defined as a top championship side with the occasional flirt with the premier league. Am I happy with that? Yes- would I like better? Definitely!!

But at no time in my supporting lifetime have we had a chairman/owner with either the funds or nous to build a club with the stability needed to do that.
All success has been achieved through the brilliance of the manager at the time being able to get their team punching above their weight, rather than a well invested long term plan.
Yes we’ve spent some money at times, but in reality although it’s been a lot for this club based on its history, it’s not close to the same league as clubs that are successful in establishing themselves as a premier league team. We’ve just not had anyone that can take the risks…and the few times we have gambled other forces have dealt us a shitty hand! (Berge purchase)

Would I trust Wilder to build a team if we had a much bigger budget? Probably not, but in the current set up and the last he was the right man to build a team with frees and loans.
But until we have owners capable of sustaining some long term losses while building a team of our own players we will forever be trapped in this cycle. Successful clubs have superb scouting networks worldwide, expensive data analytics, and buy players just as they hit their prime- loans are limited to high impact supplements to their already good squads rather than the mainstay of the team.

So I’m left hoping we will one day catch up off the field so that we can become that team snapping up the best young talent from lower league teams, buying low, selling high and just having another young player ready to step into their place without hurting performances.
But we are miles off that.

 

[ATL Recs]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially seeing how Chris has handled his return.

Comparing anyone to Ferguson usually gets you laughed at, but if you look at the structural and emotional impact on he's had on us, the parallels are hard to ignore.

Firstly, it’s about that cultural soul. Ferguson’s ManU wasn't just a team; it was a representation of the city’s working-class grit. Wilder is the embodiment of that for us. He’s a Stocksbridge lad who stood on the Bramall Lane terraces before ever kicking a ball for us. For Wilder, this isn't just a career move—it’s a vocation. Like Ferguson, he’s created an environment where everyone has to buy into the "no-excuses" mentality. He’s given us our pride back

Then there’s the tactical innovation. People forget that Ferguson was constantly evolving. Wilder did something similar by reinventing the 3-5-2 with those overlapping centre-backs. Seeing Basham and O’Connell bombing forward to create overloads was a genuine revolution that even caught Premier League teams off guard.

He’s also the only manager in recent history who builds for the long term. He took us from League One to the top half of the Prem. Even when he left and eventually returned, the board knew he was the only one who could "stabilise the ship." That kind of gravity—where the manager becomes the face of the entire institution—is exactly what Ferguson had at Old Trafford.

Lastly, it’s the siege mentality. Wilder’s "us against the world" attitude and his refusal to bow to the "cheque-book culture" of the modern game is classic Ferguson. He demands a level of "graft" that makes the team greater than the sum of its parts.
Ferguson has actually mentored Chris over the years, and you can see why. He isn't just a coach; he’s the custodian of our club’s history. In 20 years, we’ll be looking back at the Wilder era the same way MauU fans look at the Ferguson years.

What do you lot think? Am I reaching, or is he truly our GOAT?

Bit OTT that but he has done well - only reason he came back twice and stabilised us was no one decent would come near us due to how tin pot and lacking in enterprise we are run at the very top

 

[radio]

Sorry but I disagree with the title of this thread ,,
,, I think you will find that Ferguson is Manchester United's version of our Chris Wider ,
, and not the other way round

 

[Blademan89]

So it needn't come to an end. Chris Wilder is now 58 - not old but his greatest legacy to the club would be to create a natural succession when he decides to depart.

Sir Alex never did this

Both did didnt they?

Wilder had a plan in place with hecky to take over and even had u21s playing same way so he knew this system. Even come out and said he was in place should he leave. We than parted ways with Wilder and replaced with Slav, eventually installing Hecky in place & it worked, until we sacked him and replaced back with Wilder .

Fergie hand picked Moyes for the man utd job. Just as mentioned Fergie leaving created a huge vacuum & would be hard for anyone to fill immediately. At the time of him leaving, the team was weaker and weaker and the poor recruitment started.

 

[Tezza1889]

Both did didnt they?

Wilder had a plan in place with hecky to take over and even had u21s playing same way so he knew this system. Even come out and said he was in place should he leave. We than parted ways with Wilder and replaced with Slav, eventually installing Hecky in place & it worked, until we sacked him and replaced back with Wilder .

Fergie hand picked Moyes for the man utd job. Just as mentioned Fergie leaving created a huge vacuum & would be hard for anyone to fill immediately. At the time of him leaving, the team was weaker and weaker and the poor recruitment started.

Many thought Fergusson ran that team down before he left, Moyes was always onto a hiding to nothing as Fergie "apparently" interfered with the first team while Moyes was boss

 

[Need4speed]

I think one of the key things behind Fergusson's success was how he refreshed his coaching team/assistant manager, from what I can remember over his reign there was Brian Kidd , Mike Phelan, Steve McClaren, Carlos Queiroz, and Rene Meulensteen. Most of which when onto manage somewhere else with varying degrees of success. At Man City Pep has had a few different coaches. It keeps things fresh for the players and brings new ideas.
It maybe that Wilder Mark 3 is a bit more open to the ideas of others. He did bring in the now Brentford Manager Keith Andrews last season and as identified in another thread Guilherme Ramos and Gary McSheffrey this season. I think this is the only wayWilder can continue long term as I don’t see him as a Director of Football

 

[Bladesman]

I think one of the key things behind Fergusson's success was how he refreshed his coaching team/assistant manager, from what I can remember over his reign there was Brian Kidd , Mike Phelan, Steve McClaren, Carlos Queiroz, and Rene Meulensteen. Most of which when onto manage somewhere else with varying degrees of success. At Man City Pep has had a few different coaches. It keeps things fresh for the players and brings new ideas.
It maybe that Wilder Mark 3 is a bit more open to the ideas of others. He did bring in the now Brentford Manager Keith Andrews last season and as identified in another thread Guilherme Ramos and Gary McSheffrey this season. I think this is the only wayWilder can continue long term as I don’t see him as a Director of Football

Agreed and as pointed out elsewhere since McSheffrey and Ramos were appointed we have looked a 100 times better at set pieces.

 

[bladesmanluke]

When Bill Shankly joined Liverpool in December 1959 he ( maybe by default) set up the 'Boot Room'.
A place where the Shankly Spirit would continue in the guise of Bob Paisley, Roy Evans, Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran.

So it needn't come to an end. Chris Wilder is now 58 - not old but his greatest legacy to the club would be to create a natural succession when he decides to depart.

Sir Alex never did this.

Wilder Mk 1 did this with Hecky. Then the Prince had other ideas. Maybe it could happen again with Ramos or McSheffrey, but who knows if they're interested in it or up to it.

 

[Kenilworth]

Maybe he is. The problem is that once something like that comes to an end, as it will, you’re likely looking at a lot of wilderness years because the individual has become bigger than the club and is irreplaceable. It leaves behind a vacuum. Not a healthy situation for the longer term.

When have we been a long term club?
Ever?

Edit. Just seen you made the same point

 

[Kenilworth]

Not so sure about this .............. for all McCabe's faults he set the foundations for: 1. Putting the pricing structure in place and associated marketing to lure kids to the Lane. This of course took time to bear fruit, but we are now seeing the benefits of this long-term strategy. 2. The Academy. This took lots of planning and finance to get into motion. The benefits speak for themselves over the past 10 years or so.

I’d say they were short, bordering on medium term plans. The funding for long term has never been available. The scale of the investment to take it to the next level is magnitudes larger than what we’ve had.

(That’s what makes Wendy’s ridiculous aspirations so comical, since they’re so far behind us)

 

[Blademan89]

Many thought Fergusson ran that team down before he left, Moyes was always onto a hiding to nothing as Fergie "apparently" interfered with the first team while Moyes was boss

Shows what a manager he was, to win league with that team before he called it a day (which I think he knew was the right time, man city becoming stronger and the team he left was honking).

 

[Nick Jansky]

Not so sure about this .............. for all McCabe's faults he set the foundations for: 1. Putting the pricing structure in place and associated marketing to lure kids to the Lane. This of course took time to bear fruit, but we are now seeing the benefits of this long-term strategy. 2. The Academy. This took lots of planning and finance to get into motion. The benefits speak for themselves over the past 10 years or so.

That’s true. Look at what happened in the tiny part of our history when we did actually plan further ahead than the following season. What a shame we’ve never sustained it and followed it through.

 

[Carlton Blade]

We talk about long term plans and half arse it for a while. Then realise it takes knowledge, application and funding and say "nah"

 

[Brian Blessed]

Don't remember Man Utd sacking Alex Ferguson twice. Maybe Darren Ferguson and his multiple spells at Peterborough is a more accurate comparison.

 

[Snowflake]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially seeing how Chris has handled his return.

Comparing anyone to Ferguson usually gets you laughed at, but if you look at the structural and emotional impact on he's had on us, the parallels are hard to ignore.

Firstly, it’s about that cultural soul. Ferguson’s ManU wasn't just a team; it was a representation of the city’s working-class grit. Wilder is the embodiment of that for us. He’s a Stocksbridge lad who stood on the Bramall Lane terraces before ever kicking a ball for us. For Wilder, this isn't just a career move—it’s a vocation. Like Ferguson, he’s created an environment where everyone has to buy into the "no-excuses" mentality. He’s given us our pride back

Then there’s the tactical innovation. People forget that Ferguson was constantly evolving. Wilder did something similar by reinventing the 3-5-2 with those overlapping centre-backs. Seeing Basham and O’Connell bombing forward to create overloads was a genuine revolution that even caught Premier League teams off guard.

He’s also the only manager in recent history who builds for the long term. He took us from League One to the top half of the Prem. Even when he left and eventually returned, the board knew he was the only one who could "stabilise the ship." That kind of gravity—where the manager becomes the face of the entire institution—is exactly what Ferguson had at Old Trafford.

Lastly, it’s the siege mentality. Wilder’s "us against the world" attitude and his refusal to bow to the "cheque-book culture" of the modern game is classic Ferguson. He demands a level of "graft" that makes the team greater than the sum of its parts.
Ferguson has actually mentored Chris over the years, and you can see why. He isn't just a coach; he’s the custodian of our club’s history. In 20 years, we’ll be looking back at the Wilder era the same way MauU fans look at the Ferguson years.

What do you lot think? Am I reaching, or is he truly our GOAT?

Wilder this week said clearly that Bassett is the best manager United have ever had. Whilst I accept that he would not say it was himself I agree with him other than possibly John Harris.
Ferguson was capable, albeit with money , in challenging at the very top of football: nothing yet suggests that CW can do this.

 

[Willglynning]

So it needn't come to an end. Chris Wilder is now 58 - not old but his greatest legacy to the club would be to create a natural succession when he decides to depart.

The idea that Wilder’s going to be the one who ‘decides to depart’ the club is nonsense.

 

[54yrblade]

Wilder will hang on until he's pushed out, but maybe let's hang off a DoF job or building him a nice granny flat next to the fan zone, so he can be worshipped into his dotage, for a while eh?