Number 38

[EmleyMoorBlade]

So the next incumbent of the mangers office will be number 38 in my many years of supporting the Blades dating back to the John Harris days in his first spell at the club.

Yes 4 of the last 5 seasons have been truly epic and probably some of, if not the best in my time as a Blade. Been reading lots of comments by people saying they will never go again, the club will collapse etc, a lot of knee jerk reactions and if you don’t go again it will be your loss. Once a Blade always a Blade

I truly have very mixed emotions about Wilder going, the way he came in re energised and reconnected the club almost certainly saved us from many more years of oblivion in the lower leagues.

He gave us so many great days which for those of us lucky to have been there will live with us for the rest of our lives. For all of this I am and will always be truly grateful to him.

This next paragraph will no doubt get a lot of negative comments but IMO his weakness has been recruitment and those that say he was not backed are conveniently ignoring the fact that we spent well over £100 million in under 3 transfer windows over 2 seasons. There have been simply too many errors in that department so is it so radical by the owner to want a Director of Football to help out here. Furthermore in key positions like midfield and the left side of defence were not addressed well in transfer dealings. CW‘S background in management has meant he had previously always absolute control but higher up the football ladder this perhaps is not a model that works out well. It seems that CW has walked rather than have his authority challenged which is incredibly sad.

No one knows what the next chapter will bring, it maybe more misery but then long time Blades have seen this before and we will return, clearly not with CW at the helm but all I can do is hope that incumbent number 38 will be able to bring first some stability to the club and then bring us roaring back.

See you at the Lane next season fellow Blades ️

 

[EmleyMoorBlade]

 

[Snowflake]

So the next incumbent of the mangers office will be number 38 in my many years of supporting the Blades dating back to the John Harris days in his first spell at the club.

Yes 4 of the last 5 seasons have been truly epic and probably some of, if not the best in my time as a Blade. Been reading lots of comments by people saying they will never go again, the club will collapse etc, a lot of knee jerk reactions and if you don’t go again it will be your loss. Once a Blade always a Blade

I truly have very mixed emotions about Wilder going, the way he came in re energised and reconnected the club almost certainly saved us from many more years of oblivion in the lower leagues.

He gave us so many great days which for those of us lucky to have been there will live with us for the rest of our lives. For all of this I am and will always be truly grateful to him.

This next paragraph will no doubt get a lot of negative comments but IMO his weakness has been recruitment and those that say he was not backed are conveniently ignoring the fact that we spent well over £100 million in under 3 transfer windows over 2 seasons. There have been simply too many errors in that department so is it so radical by the owner to want a Director of Football to help out here. Furthermore in key positions like midfield and the left side of defence were not addressed well in transfer dealings. CW‘S background in management has meant he had previously always absolute control but higher up the football ladder this perhaps is not a model that works out well. It seems that CW has walked rather than have his authority challenged which is incredibly sad.

No one knows what the next chapter will bring, it maybe more misery but then long time Blades have seen this before and we will return, clearly not with CW at the helm but all I can do is hope that incumbent number 38 will be able to bring first some stability to the club and then bring us roaring back.

See you at the Lane next season fellow Blades ️

I agree with most of that having first seen United in 1958 !
Where I think most on here are going wrong is seeing the club as something special and no more. It is special to so many of us, BUT it is a huge business with a turnover well in excess of £100m and many employees.
Asking one person, no matter how good, to do all the jobs CW has taken on is not substainable.
It may work for a time and in lower leagues, but the constraints of the Premiership with more press duties and protocols are just too much and potentially damaging to both the club and the individual if pursued.

 

[Glen Luce]

Number 38 for me too Emley. I agree with your analysis. There were obviously other factors contributing to how this has all played out, but your point is well made about recruitment and the potential value of a DoF taking on some responsibility from a proud (perhaps justifiably) and perhaps somewhat stubborn man, who had been used to getting what he wanted. The Premiership is unlike other leagues and Chris might have wisely delegated more off-pitch matters; learning to trust others can be difficult. Gratitude for five great years, which I never expected to see; sad ending.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

1959 my first match, Jesus Christ, I feel old today

 

[Boxer Blade]

1959 my first match, Jesus Christ, I feel old today

Hopefully you weren't 40 when you went to that first match Jud if you were you are

 

[EmleyMoorBlade]

1959 my first match, Jesus Christ, I feel old today

And my word we have been through some pain over the years