The New Ownership

[BiggerBladeThanThou]

Let's not start celebrating just yet.
Remember when Chancer first bought them, the York scene's and to be fair he did splash the cash at first.
Let's judge them in 5 years.

How you took celebration from my post I’ll
Never know!

 

[bornablade]

It’s too early to predict anything yet. They’ve done exactly what I predicted.
The doom and gloom merchants always predict the worse but don’t have a clue.
These are investors and want us to be back in the Premier league…so obviously they are going to help Wilder to give him a realistic chance.
The squad is below numbers, so failing to sign all these players would have been incompetent.

Also you do realise that Chansiri has spent more on transfers than what we have this season.

Regards ploughing money in the club he’s been an excellent owner.
The problem is, there’s no direction or long term plan, so much of his spending is being wasted.

Remember a Bettis interview on Radio Sheffield 2nor 3 year back.
When people criticised how we’re only spending 50 million per season in the Premier league when clubs like Brighton spend 100 million.
Bettis rightly explained that it’s the “player sales” that have a massive effect on expenditure.
Brighton has brought it 150 million in sales so could easily afford to spend 100 million on players.

This season we’ve sold Archer, Ousula, Bogle, Trusty, Slimane, Traore for £40 million and spent £16 million of it, of course we’re handing out big wages and loan fees with the excess. Compare this to SWFC who have sold £0.3 million and spent £3 million.

In fact in the last 10 years, incredibly Chansiri has hardly sold a player, no wonder his purchases are modest.
A major part of any club is the transfer business, which involved wheeling and dealing, sell players high and buy low.

I think the new owners are setting their bar a little higher than just being better at 'this football job' than Chansiri. They have made it quite clear they want the club to be an established Premier league club.

There's another thread on these boards under the heading 'A Time for a Change' which criticises the fans who come across as 'self-entitled'. I disagree with this sentiment. In my humble opinion all fans (and those who travel to away matches in particular) have every right to feel entitled.

Now we have seen a very positive transfer window. The manager has been backed in terms of both his personal contract and player purchases. Here comes the time for 'entitlement.'

The owners have done their bit. In addition they have given a clear objective for the club. They should feel fully entitled to expect the manager to deliver. No more excuses. Just get the job done.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

I think the new owners are setting their bar a little higher than just being better at 'this football job' than Chansiri. They have made it quite clear they want the club to be an established Premier league club.

There's another thread on these boards under the heading 'A Time for a Change' which criticises the fans who come across as 'self-entitled'. I disagree with this sentiment. In my humble opinion all fans (and those who travel to away matches in particular) have every right to feel entitled.

Now we have seen a very positive transfer window. The manager has been backed in terms of both his personal contract and player purchases. Here comes the time for 'entitlement.'

The owners have done their bit. In addition they have given a clear objective for the club. They should feel fully entitled to expect the manager to deliver. No more excuses. Just get the job done.

And we have been in the autos for much of the season so that is job done so far!

 

[Sean Thornton]

£40 million in player sales this season ?

He’s counting Archer where the money won’t have changed hands as it’s unlikely we’d paid the full fee in the first place.

 

[Westran]

It's £25.4m in sales when you convert from euros to pounds and remove Archer where no money changed hands.

 

[Blade56]

56 re..... "Just got a horrible feeling the owners want to do it their way and Wilder wants to do it his. If we get promoted (which I don’t think we will in autos) then fair does but if we don’t then fur will fly between 2 very different football ideologies"....if so why would they have tied him down to a long term contract unless you are claiming Wilder has pulled the wool over their eyes by appearing to be on board with the 'foreign strategy' when in fact he isn't?

I don’t claim anything! Don’t know much about football as I’ve only followed United for 67 yrs. But I know people and Wilder won’t (can’t change).

Just got the feeling while it’s going ok fine but won’t take much to rock the boat either way.

I dream of a rich owner, fast stacking football and a team full of players who’s name I can’t pronounce, you know, like any successful PL club.

Do I see Wilder lifting silverware alongside that team? Do you?

Lap of the gods but I can still dream. We’re all unforgiving with the jtw but I still see a disjointed squad in total with far too many injuries, forrin players forced onto Wilder and to many loans.

Each to their own I hope I’m wrong.

 

[Bell4]

Get the feeling there’s a storm coming. Owners have done well with backing and in their nativity put Wilder on a long contract.

However, I get the feeling from Wilders demeanour that he’s not ‘appy with owners ‘supplying’ players via tech driven data. Wilder will have his plan and his players, don’t see him being willing to integrate the Jeff and Chucky into his plans and style of play. Can see them getting sent straight out on loan to ‘assess’ them.

If Holding was ‘his’ first choice that fits with his previous strategy to have a project int squad, dangerous as a CB if it doesn’t work again. Yet, look at Ndiaye, came through from Borham Wood, fast nippy technical player that’s ripped it up to PL given a chance and we got blown out. Put that down to his time with us was with Hecky?

Will Wilder do it with Jeff and Chucky and change his possession based backwards sideways footy or freeze them / loan them out? If owners did champion Cannon and he flops then shame on them at £10m

Just got a horrible feeling the owners want to do it their way and Wilder wants to do it his. If we get promoted (which I don’t think we will in autos) then fair does but if we don’t then fur will fly between 2 very different football ideologies

Going to be a nail biter on and off the pitch but fingers crossed it all comes together.

Top post

 

[GymClassHero]

Positive signs that he might actually be embracing a modern football culture and not one from the 1980s then. As I say I’m sure the new contract has helped a bit

Why are you intent on having a dig at Wilder

 

[Cheeky Blade]

He’s counting Archer where the money won’t have changed hands as it’s unlikely we’d paid the full fee in the first place.

Isn’t that how most transfers work these days?
Argue about how much you have to pay up front then the rest over the length of contract?

 

[Berkshire Blade]

I don’t claim anything! Don’t know much about football as I’ve only followed United for 67 yrs. But I know people and Wilder won’t (can’t change).

Just got the feeling while it’s going ok fine but won’t take much to rock the boat either way.

I dream of a rich owner, fast stacking football and a team full of players who’s name I can’t pronounce, you know, like any successful PL club.

Do I see Wilder lifting silverware alongside that team? Do you?

Lap of the gods but I can still dream. We’re all unforgiving with the jtw but I still see a disjointed squad in total with far too many injuries, forrin players forced onto Wilder and to many loans.

Each to their own I hope I’m wrong.

How many clubs lift silverware? Even the league cup is pretty much wrapped up by top 6 clubs these days.

Getting to be an established premier league side is our trophy

 

[Blade56]

How many clubs lift silverware? Even the league cup is pretty much wrapped up by top 6 clubs these days.

Getting to be an established premier league side is our trophy

Agree but I can dream, why can’t we be a top 6 in the not too distant future? Other clubs are starting to break down the barriers and top 6 are faltering

 

[Sheffsteel]

It's £25.4m in sales when you convert from euros to pounds and remove Archer where no money changed hands.

Still a sizeable sum.

It seems we’ve changed our transfer policy this season.
Deliberately targeting out of contact players or nearly out of contract players.
So we’re paying out a small transfer fee or no transfer fee but then this enables us to award really high wages or pay a high loan fee.
No wonder almost every player we target even when there are other clubs chasing them, they still choose to come here.

So the transfer data showing we’ve not paid out much in transfers will be misleading.
The whole expenditure in the deal will be high but it’s affordable because we’ve done fantastic business bringing in so much for Osula, Bogle and Trusty.

 

[Blade56]

How many clubs lift silverware? Even the league cup is pretty much wrapped up by top 6 clubs these days.

Getting to be an established premier league side is our trophy

Agree but I can dream, why can’t we be a top 6 in the not too distant future? Other clubs are starting to break down the barriers and top 6 are faulted

 

[ben1987]

Lots of speculation here about how Wilder feels. Only the man himself really knows.

Imagine he’s had honest discussions with the owners and signings like the new lads haven’t come as a surprise.

When you look at premier league line ups, something in the region of 70% of the players were born overseas. Sticking to a purely British squad severely limits what talent is available and costs a massive premium. Wilder will know this. He’s not frozen Vini, Gus or Anel out. I imagine he’ll prefer a spine of British players supplemented by foreign talent with good English language skills to have a harmonious dressing room. Jeff needs to get himself booked in at night school.

IF he was against signings like this he’s seriously imposing a self inflicted career ceiling on himself. The only really sufficient way to do football these days is being in lads from overseas for a small fee and develop them and either use them in the team or sell for a profit. League one clubs are doing it, most of the championship is. It’s only really the top 6 who can afford to consistently buy proven players.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Isn’t that how most transfers work these days?
Argue about how much you have to pay up front then the rest over the length of contract?

That’s not the point.

 

[Badger Blade]

Maybe Wilder and everyone else at the top has realised after the last probably four seasons and even over this one, that the approach has to change for us to be successful over a sustained period - success for us being a floating 10-16th Premier League club for more than 2 seasons in a row - northern Palace basically with the odd flirtation with a cup.

You can't rely just on your own eyes and gut feel on signing someone, being fixated on one player (see Ryan Leonard) or on "win the ball and give it to Gus/Ndiaye/MGW."

Brentford are the blueprint for the data-driven approach and while I don't think Wilder will go to the extent they have, there are various other things at your disposal nowadays to get players who can do the job. The new foreign lads could be as crap as Traore, Slimane, Retsos, Zivkovic, Coulibaly and Grbic or could be heroes and massive cash cows for us if they come in and do a good job for us, all is dependent on the scouting and due diligence done on these guys which clearly wasn't done on the ones I've just mentioned.

We know that Wilder prefers his domestic signings and there's nothing wrong with that to form the bedrock of a team but finding a balance in terms of personnel, cost and ability are where foreign players can provide a difference and level of unknown quantity, especially for the opposition.

Wigan were picking up some great players from central America, Brentford from Scandinavia, Brighton have picked them up from all over the world and all have achieved far more over the last 20 years than we have.

 

[Aston max]

Get the feeling there’s a storm coming. Owners have done well with backing and in their nativity put Wilder on a long contract.

However, I get the feeling from Wilders demeanour that he’s not ‘appy with owners ‘supplying’ players via tech driven data. Wilder will have his plan and his players, don’t see him being willing to integrate the Jeff and Chucky into his plans and style of play. Can see them getting sent straight out on loan to ‘assess’ them.

If Holding was ‘his’ first choice that fits with his previous strategy to have a project int squad, dangerous as a CB if it doesn’t work again. Yet, look at Ndiaye, came through from Borham Wood, fast nippy technical player that’s ripped it up to PL given a chance and we got blown out. Put that down to his time with us was with Hecky?

Will Wilder do it with Jeff and Chucky and change his possession based backwards sideways footy or freeze them / loan them out? If owners did champion Cannon and he flops then shame on them at £10m

Just got a horrible feeling the owners want to do it their way and Wilder wants to do it his. If we get promoted (which I don’t think we will in autos) then fair does but if we don’t then fur will fly between 2 very different football ideologies

Going to be a nail biter on and off the pitch but fingers crossed it all comes together.

Completely agree with this mate. But I fear if we do achieve promotion wilders days will be numbered !! For as much as I love the guy for his passion will they want him in charge ??
16 wins and we're up with no stress

 

[Cheeky Blade]

That’s not the point.

What have I missed?

That it was some ‘clever accounting’ from Villa?

 

[Antarctic Monkey]

Bettis pointed out in his interview on RS last night that the owners prioritised Wilder’s targets over anything and ensured that these came through the door first. The two young overseas players we always an afterthought with the view to the bigger picture.

I would have thought that this is an exciting proposition for wilder to be honest and he will look at it that way. Potential quality sat in the wings and potentially there are his disposal.

I feel like Wilder had been briefed in exactly this way. We will get who you want, but we also wanna try this (2 wingers through AI).

They are at your disposal and hopefully they will fit?

Wilder may jave explained which position he'd be happy to experiment with (Out wide) and the owners have taken the punt with the technology?

 

[SwissBlade]

Get the feeling there’s a storm coming. Owners have done well with backing and in their nativity put Wilder on a long contract.

However, I get the feeling from Wilders demeanour that he’s not ‘appy with owners ‘supplying’ players via tech driven data. Wilder will have his plan and his players, don’t see him being willing to integrate the Jeff and Chucky into his plans and style of play. Can see them getting sent straight out on loan to ‘assess’ them.

If Holding was ‘his’ first choice that fits with his previous strategy to have a project int squad, dangerous as a CB if it doesn’t work again. Yet, look at Ndiaye, came through from Borham Wood, fast nippy technical player that’s ripped it up to PL given a chance and we got blown out. Put that down to his time with us was with Hecky?

Will Wilder do it with Jeff and Chucky and change his possession based backwards sideways footy or freeze them / loan them out? If owners did champion Cannon and he flops then shame on them at £10m

Just got a horrible feeling the owners want to do it their way and Wilder wants to do it his. If we get promoted (which I don’t think we will in autos) then fair does but if we don’t then fur will fly between 2 very different football ideologies

Going to be a nail biter on and off the pitch but fingers crossed it all comes together.

I've not seen anything of Wilders demeanour being anything other than positive when he's talked about the signings.

Bettis said that BBD, Holding, Choudhury and Clarke were Wilders picks, Cannon (and i am correcting myself here from re-reading the summary from Houston_Blade ) is that Cannon was a "bonus purchase based on form and availability but Wilder was consulted and wanted him"

Post in thread 'Stephen Bettis deadline day interview on Football Heaven'

Feb 4, 2025

Bettis:

• Hectic 2 months with takeover and future plans
• New owners very supportive of the team
• Bettis thinks it’s been a very active and forward thinking window
• 2 forrins show different ideas of the new owners
• New owners keen to give Wilder his 4 identified players in certain positions - BBD (specific target), Hamza (DM), Clark (RB), Holding (CB)
• Cannon was a bonus purchase based on form and availability but Wilder was consulted and wanted him
• Process to identify forrins goes back to owners and a data driven approach, historically we were weak in this area, we now...

• Houston_Blade

• 
• 

I've not heard what Wilder has said recently but until we signed Choudhury and Cannon, Wilder had spoken positively about the players being identified AND using the new data driven approach. Wilders comments have given me the view that it's been a collaborative approach using the previous method to identify players AND the data driven approach.

Listening to Bettis myself, I get the feeling (which is also in Houston's summary) that the new owners have added to what we have had before, that we were weak in this area and we're trying a new process. It sounds very positive rather than being something which is going to create a storm.

The benefits to Wilder are potentially huge, he gets players coming through which the club can work with to develop and bring through to the first team and / or add value to what we have paid. It further brings the age of the squad down if we can get these through into the first team and if we do sell for higher values (see Brighton and Brentford as examples), then it puts more money into the coffers to also add experienced players.

Three potential areas that this may not work is if we're trying to rely too heavily on bringing in players that need development whilst playing for the first team and NOT bringing experience in as well (or retaining the experience). Secondly, if we sell them before they make it to the first team and the money doesn't come back to the first team, we'll end up with gaps in the first team. Thirdly, if the data system and process just doesn't work and bring the right players in, then we could also be seen as wasting money which could've been invested in the first team instead.

The potential negatives mentioned above is by no means an exhaustive list, but examples. However, I see this as a very positive model to adopt, in the Sheffield United way, working with Wilder rather than against him.

The fact that we have brought in 4 players for positions that Wilder had identified and a huge bonus in Cannon says far more than i think Wilders demeanour will. Bringing in the two young lads, again says a lot.

Having faith in Wilder enough to give him a very good contract for the next few years will also help ease any concerns. He's been backed personally and professionally.

Many people wanted the owners to make some statement recently, which they have so far not really done, they've followed the Princes model of remaining distant from the media and relied on Wilder and Bettis to do the talking. What they have done is taken positive actions to get us through the JTW and give us a very good chance for the remainder of the season.

Its good to hear Bettis talking in this way, after the last few months working his nuts off with Wilder and many others at the club behind the scenes, i am sure that he's relieved that the JTW is over and he can continue the other work he's been doing as well

Maybe you're right, maybe a storm will brew, but i think from all sides it won't come with any lack of effort towards this positive approach.

 

[finlaytheblade]

Get the feeling there’s a storm coming. Owners have done well with backing and in their nativity put Wilder on a long contract.

However, I get the feeling from Wilders demeanour that he’s not ‘appy with owners ‘supplying’ players via tech driven data. Wilder will have his plan and his players, don’t see him being willing to integrate the Jeff and Chucky into his plans and style of play. Can see them getting sent straight out on loan to ‘assess’ them.

If Holding was ‘his’ first choice that fits with his previous strategy to have a project int squad, dangerous as a CB if it doesn’t work again. Yet, look at Ndiaye, came through from Borham Wood, fast nippy technical player that’s ripped it up to PL given a chance and we got blown out. Put that down to his time with us was with Hecky?

Will Wilder do it with Jeff and Chucky and change his possession based backwards sideways footy or freeze them / loan them out? If owners did champion Cannon and he flops then shame on them at £10m

Just got a horrible feeling the owners want to do it their way and Wilder wants to do it his. If we get promoted (which I don’t think we will in autos) then fair does but if we don’t then fur will fly between 2 very different football ideologies

Going to be a nail biter on and off the pitch but fingers crossed it all comes together.

Wilder has to move with the times and I think he has.Hes spoken of the AI Influence regarding transfers and if not good enough they will not
Get game time and be moved on.

 

[Frankie as in Howard]

Get the feeling there’s a storm coming. Owners have done well with backing and in their nativity put Wilder on a long contract.

However, I get the feeling from Wilders demeanour that he’s not ‘appy with owners ‘supplying’ players via tech driven data. Wilder will have his plan and his players, don’t see him being willing to integrate the Jeff and Chucky into his plans and style of play. Can see them getting sent straight out on loan to ‘assess’ them.

If Holding was ‘his’ first choice that fits with his previous strategy to have a project int squad, dangerous as a CB if it doesn’t work again. Yet, look at Ndiaye, came through from Borham Wood, fast nippy technical player that’s ripped it up to PL given a chance and we got blown out. Put that down to his time with us was with Hecky?

Will Wilder do it with Jeff and Chucky and change his possession based backwards sideways footy or freeze them / loan them out? If owners did champion Cannon and he flops then shame on them at £10m

Just got a horrible feeling the owners want to do it their way and Wilder wants to do it his. If we get promoted (which I don’t think we will in autos) then fair does but if we don’t then fur will fly between 2 very different football ideologies

Going to be a nail biter on and off the pitch but fingers crossed it all comes together.

what a load of rubbish the spouts, this is totally against everything that Wilder, the club, and local journalists have told us.

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

Let's not start celebrating just yet.
Remember when Chancer first bought them, the York scene's and to be fair he did splash the cash at first.
Let's judge them in 5 years.

Can we judge them next season if we finish in a European qualifying position?

 

[Sean Thornton]

What have I missed?

That it was some ‘clever accounting’ from Villa?

See post #12 and start from there.

err, no.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Get the feeling there’s a storm coming. Owners have done well with backing and in their nativity put Wilder on a long contract.

However, I get the feeling from Wilders demeanour that he’s not ‘appy with owners ‘supplying’ players via tech driven data. Wilder will have his plan and his players, don’t see him being willing to integrate the Jeff and Chucky into his plans and style of play. Can see them getting sent straight out on loan to ‘assess’ them.

If Holding was ‘his’ first choice that fits with his previous strategy to have a project int squad, dangerous as a CB if it doesn’t work again. Yet, look at Ndiaye, came through from Borham Wood, fast nippy technical player that’s ripped it up to PL given a chance and we got blown out. Put that down to his time with us was with Hecky?

Will Wilder do it with Jeff and Chucky and change his possession based backwards sideways footy or freeze them / loan them out? If owners did champion Cannon and he flops then shame on them at £10m

Just got a horrible feeling the owners want to do it their way and Wilder wants to do it his. If we get promoted (which I don’t think we will in autos) then fair does but if we don’t then fur will fly between 2 very different football ideologies

Going to be a nail biter on and off the pitch but fingers crossed it all comes together.

It’s looking black over Blade56s ladder……

 

[Blade56]

Completely agree with this mate. But I fear if we do achieve promotion wilders days will be numbered !! For as much as I love the guy for his passion will they want him in charge ??
16 wins and we're up with no stress

It’s not the wins that bother me as much, I expect them to be ‘ground out’ and some fans seem to like us doing it. I’d love to see us bulldoze and dominate a few games with some fast attacking football.

Leeds and Burnley have recently destroyed sides with performances that were exciting for the neutrals. We’ve failed to do that even against struggling sides.

Yes the squad was thin after an admirable rebuild and injuries abound. But there no excuses now. Seven in and a handful of young Accademy players proving they’ve got what it takes to challenge plus the two AI lads Jeff and Chucky.

 

[Blade56]

Wilder had spoken positively about the players being identified AND using the new data driven approach.

This is what I can’t get past. After saying before Norwich game he’s made a few more positive comments but I still feel he was picked up on this comment….


View attachment IMG_0966.mov

 

[Blade56]

Wilder has to move with the times and I think he has.Hes spoken of the AI Influence regarding transfers and if not good enough they will not
Get game time and be moved on.

Agree, like SwissBlade says there are many negatives, we can try it but if it doesn’t work for us we have to be careful not to lose the ability for the coaches and manager to override the computer even if it does say yes.

 

[Blade56]

what a load of rubbish the spouts, this is totally against everything that Wilder, the club, and local journalists have told us.

Each to their own.

 

[Charlieblade]

The current squad has the potential to seize an automatic promotion spot. If they make the play offs, all bets are off.

When they do get promoted, it will need to show a willingness on both sides to work closely to enable the squad, with changes, to stabilise in the EPL.

If Wilder wants to stay, he must build a strong relationship with the new owners, and play things their way. There is no doubt now who holds the keys to the cheque book.