The next bladey blade manager

[I should coco]

I'd usually rubbish talk like this however Basset aside when did we last have a good manager that got us promoted that didn't have a link to the club ex player or partner of the coaching staff etc. Like the playoffs it just doesn't work for us having these foreign managers.

It really should sound like bollocks, but it's a good point.

Even when we had a manager much rated in football circles, it still ended badly; Kendall, Speed, Clough, Slav.

I'm ignoring the dross of McEwan, Bruce, Heath, Weir & Adkins.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Spineless, entitled and lacking in patience: nope, I can't argue with that.

Go on! You know you want to

 

[Kev Gee]

Sad but true.
We just seem absolutely incapable of looking beyond the end of our nose for most things.

Suspicious of any outsiders and dismissive of people who are not bladey blades.

It's been holding us back for decades and it needs to stop.

 

[RAP51]

The thread is about who the next manager will be. I am simply giving my view of what a lot of our fans will feel most comfortable with. And no, I don’t have a particularly high opinion of a sizeable chunk of our fanbase these days compared to how things were in decades gone by. I find them spineless, entitled and lacking in patience, but I blame the general shitness of English society for that, it’s not just a Blades thing, although ours are particularly parochial.

Think most fans nowadays are the same irrespective of who they support and it's the same with society in general, but I'm perhaps an angry old man. As for parochial I do think that applies to Sheffield in general.
My dad worked at an engineering firm in the 1960s and some German visitors described Sheffield as the biggest village in Europe.
As for the next manager, hopefully Selles is allowed to and chooses to bring in the necessary players, it's surprising how quickly things can change. However if he is sacked in the next few months, I cannot realistically see any suitable replacements who have previous connections to the club and as far as CW is concerned that ship has well and truly sailed.

 

[Farnboroughblade]

As frustrating and irritating the situation is, I’m keeping my powder dry in respect of Selles and the team until the end of the window. However, looking back over the years what appears to happen most seasons is a few clubs near the top of the division, after half a dozen games, tend to drop down the league like a stone and a couple of those at the bottom gradually move up on the rails and finish up at least in the playoffs. I’m just crossing everything that the Blades, no matter who is in charge, or, what the lineup looks like, can do just that.

 

[Bookers Mullet]

Trying to remain objective, given how so far (time to change of course) the boards transfer policy is, do we believe we'd be in a much better situation with Wilder?

The loans players still would have gone, as would Souza, Moore and Anel (I think wilder would have fought to have kept Moore, but be overruled)

Of his rumoured targets I don't think the board would have sanctioned the move for Dunne or oToole, maybe we'd have got Mepham instead of Bindon, not sure what midfielder he'd have gone for.

So we'd still have an arguably weaker squad, however they'd be playing a familiar style, I think we'd have likely drawn both league games, how much improvement there would be as the season progresses I'm not so sure.

The season has started poorly, and it is looking that Selles isn't a wonder manager, but I think the problems are higher than that, very few managers especially at the level we are at can succeed without the correct infrastructure behind them.

 

[luffenhamblade]

Trying to remain objective, given how so far (time to change of course) the boards transfer policy is, do we believe we'd be in a much better situation with Wilder?

The loans players still would have gone, as would Souza, Moore and Anel (I think wilder would have fought to have kept Moore, but be overruled)

Of his rumoured targets I don't think the board would have sanctioned the move for Dunne or oToole, maybe we'd have got Mepham instead of Bindon, not sure what midfielder he'd have gone for.

So we'd still have an arguably weaker squad, however they'd be playing a familiar style, I think we'd have likely drawn both league games, how much improvement there would be as the season progresses I'm not so sure.

The season has started poorly, and it is looking that Selles isn't a wonder manager, but I think the problems are higher than that, very few managers especially at the level we are at can succeed without the correct infrastructure behind them.

Completely agree with last paragraph. Personally I don't think Wilder would have allowed it to come to this but others will of course think otherwise. Time to back Seles and hopefully save the season.

 

[botoble]

Even the most successful managers had their first success somewhere. We’ve always been terrified of taking the sort of gamble that clubs who have overtaken us have. I find it pathetic.

I think there’s a reason for this…

David Weir
Gary Speed
Billy McEwan

All decent reasons as to why taking the gamble is often not worth it. What are Sheffield United examples of success with 0 experience?

A real gamble is someone who has never managed before but I’m confused as to why a team in our position would need to take it.

You’ve got to go up to find out you aren’t good enough. Burnley came down and went back up with Dyche and stayed there for a number of years. Burnley then had a change of philosophy and took the gamble with Kompany… he went up and came down.

You could argue we were left behind by Stoke due to Pulis ball but the introduction of a new progressive philosophy with Mark Hughes thankfully rebalanced the situation.

A new philosophy straight after relegation seems fair but to give him last season with a -2 and a full squad rebuild and then sack him after getting 90 points is madness.

Like sacking Klopp for finishing 2nd to Man City with 92 or 97 points.

The damage to our club financially and legacy wise if we don’t finish in the playoffs this season cannot be underestimated.

 

[FlamingLip]

As frustrating and irritating the situation is, I’m keeping my powder dry in respect of Selles and the team until the end of the window. However, looking back over the years what appears to happen most seasons is a few clubs near the top of the division, after half a dozen games, tend to drop down the league like a stone and a couple of those at the bottom gradually move up on the rails and finish up at least in the playoffs. I’m just crossing everything that the Blades, no matter who is in charge, or, what the lineup looks like, can do just that.

I've whinged with the best after yesterday, but there should be no murmur of getting shut. He needs time, and backing - a few windows.

 

[Nick Jansky]

I think there’s a reason for this…

David Weir
Gary Speed
Billy McEwan

All decent reasons as to why taking the gamble is often not worth it. What are Sheffield United examples of success with 0 experience?

A real gamble is someone who has never managed before but I’m confused as to why a team in our position would need to take it.

You’ve got to go up to find out you aren’t good enough. Burnley came down and went back up with Dyche and stayed there for a number of years. Burnley then had a change of philosophy and took the gamble with Kompany… he went up and came down.

You could argue we were left behind by Stoke due to Pulis ball but the introduction of a new progressive philosophy with Mark Hughes thankfully rebalanced the situation.

A new philosophy straight after relegation seems fair but to give him last season with a -2 and a full squad rebuild and then sack him after getting 90 points is madness.

Like sacking Klopp for finishing 2nd to Man City with 92 or 97 points.

The damage to our club financially and legacy wise if we don’t finish in the playoffs this season cannot be underestimated.

Yep, we can certainly decide to never gamble on anything ever again because it hasn’t worked before and simply accept mediocrity. Boring.

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

Can't help noticing there's An Evening with Curtis Woodhouse coming up. Presumably this is mostly an opportunity to tap him up for it

 

[PrestwichBlade]

Can't help noticing there's An Evening with Curtis Woodhouse coming up. Presumably this is mostly an opportunity to tap him up for it

Bet that'll be fascinating

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

Bet that'll be fascinating

I bet he does a good sportsman's dinner, his book is full of colourful stories

 

[Slim Man]

I can see us giving Bruce one last crack at the championship

 

[Slug]

Wonder if Robins could be tempted to leave Stoke for us? He may even have an idea of how to fit Hamer and O'Hare in to the same team!

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

Can't help noticing there's An Evening with Curtis Woodhouse coming up. Presumably this is mostly an opportunity to tap him up for it

Would probably temper some fans criticism, knowing there's a chance he might turn up on your doorstop to knock you out .

 

[botoble]

Yep, we can certainly decide to never gamble on anything ever again because it hasn’t worked before and simply accept mediocrity. Boring

Your suggestion is we HAVE TO GAMBLE to achieve above mediocrity.

I’d question what your league position of mediocrity is…

I’d say top 4 of championship is certainly a good performance far surpassing mediocrity each season considering we have clubs like Southampton, Leicester, Birmingham, Boro, Ipswich and West Brom this season who I think will all have ambitions of top 4. Last season teams like Leeds Burnley were always considered far more likely to be promoted than us and neither of them gambled, Scott Parker and Farke are hardly left field appointments.

I don’t think Wilder the first time round was a massive gamble and he finished 9th in the prem after 4 seasons from league one. I’d say any finish above relegation zone is an unbelievable achievement, 9th is ridiculous.

Just look at the best people for the job and employ them, not the most different, the biggest gamble or the cheapest.

It’s like we had the option of red or black on a roulette table and we went with green as if it wins the returns will be huge! Ignoring the odds of success.

 

[Cheeky Blade]

Surely there is some Bladey Blade managing in the Meadowhall Sunday league we can pluck from obscurity?

 

[Davalon]

Yep, we can certainly decide to never gamble on anything ever again because it hasn’t worked before and simply accept mediocrity. Boring.

We had people saying foreign managers weren't right for us before Slav managed a proper game. If Selles doesn't work out then it will only strengthen this belief for those who hold it.

Two foreign permanent managers in 136 years and I find it genuinely bizarre, let alone a bit depressing, how many are uncomfortable with the thought of a foreign manager.

I'm surprised it's taken to this weekend for the first comment I've seen criticising his accent and how understandable he is.

Selles may well turn out to be a move too far in this direction at first change, rather than maybe changing more incrementally, but he needs to be given the tools before he can be properly judged. I'm pretty sure he's been employed to implement a different vision and style and his comments this week show he's not been brought in to get by after selling everyone and being a 'yes' man as some have claimed.

I think we all understand that with this being the final year of parachute payments, we don't want to properly waste the opportunity and so far there's legitimate concerns, but my gripe is with those who've preached and predicted doom and gloom since June spouting the predictable stuff you know you're going to get from a section of this fanbase.

I genuinely find it odd that people really believe we can only have any modicum of success with someone who knows the club, has been at the club, gets us etc etc. There's absolutely no logic to that argument outside of the fact that some fans are only happy getting behind that type of person.

And it's not purely down to xenophobia as some of the people like this aren't remotely like that in other areas of life.

 

[N20 Blade]

Yo-yo is a bit too ambitious for me. I just hope nobody cuts the string

Yo-yo is simply a temporary state. West Brom and Norwich were the standard-bearers, but it's impossible to keep the plates spinning. Burnley is the latest, but it will catch up with them soon. The real challenge is to avoid doing a Luton and slipping down to League One. Perhaps a few stable years in the Championship will be a blessing.

 

[Youngand70]

So firstly Klopp wasn't sacked by Liverpool he stood down to take some time out from football. After successfuly coaching a "world" class club supported by a "world" class overall club structure. Something we have yet to aspire to, or have the ambition to have.

Yes Kompany took Burnley up and then back down. He then, a surprise to many, became head coach at Bayern Munich. He then coached them to their 6th Bundesliga title in 7 years. In those 7 years Bayern have had 5 coaches and also include winning the Champions League. So why this continued, stable success, well they have an experienced Sporting Director and experienced Managing Director of Sport? Again in addition to a "world" class overall club structure. Are we missing something?

Comments made that Brighton (8 years in PL, qualified for Europe x 1) and Bournemouth (3 years in PL plus 5 previous years) are Premier League "non-entities, well how about that for being entitled and an insult to their supporters.

I suppose we should add Brentford (4 years in PL), Palace (13 years in PL, and FA Cup and FA Community Shield wins, in UEFA Conference League this year), Fulham 3 years in PL, 17 out of 24 years in PL) and Forest (3 years in PL - in Europa League this year). All clubs similar in size to us or smaller who not only are in the Premier League but have managed to get a foothold, win and qualify for things. Are they all Premier League non-entities?

So is the good old Sheffield United way of doing things the road to success, more like the farm track to mediocrity? When were we in the Premier League longer than 2 years. When did we last win the FA Cup or FA Community/Charity Shield. When did we last qualify for a European competition?

Foreign coaches/managers- 16 of 20 clubs in the Premier League last year had foreign coaches/managers. The only British coach/manager doing anything is Eddie "loads a money" Howe.

Critisizing Selles's communication skills - at least he has some communication skills and speaks several languages unlike the COH board including "Del Monte" Bettis who to date their communication skills would struggle in a "karaoke bar", that's if you could hear them!!!

So while the club continues with the same management structure with heads buried in the sand, no vision, no ambition and being unprepared to learn from other successful clubs throughout the footballing world then it is us who will remain the non-entities.

 

[Slugger]

I think there’s a reason for this…

David Weir
Gary Speed
Billy McEwan

All decent reasons as to why taking the gamble is often not worth it. What are Sheffield United examples of success with 0 experience?

A real gamble is someone who has never managed before but I’m confused as to why a team in our position would need to take it.

You’ve got to go up to find out you aren’t good enough. Burnley came down and went back up with Dyche and stayed there for a number of years. Burnley then had a change of philosophy and took the gamble with Kompany… he went up and came down.

You could argue we were left behind by Stoke due to Pulis ball but the introduction of a new progressive philosophy with Mark Hughes thankfully rebalanced the situation.

A new philosophy straight after relegation seems fair but to give him last season with a -2 and a full squad rebuild and then sack him after getting 90 points is madness.

Like sacking Klopp for finishing 2nd to Man City with 92 or 97 points.

The damage to our club financially and legacy wise if we don’t finish in the playoffs this season cannot be underestimated.

Nigel Spackman being the exception to this rule. We were flying high, certs for promotion, playing fantastic football and the last unbeaten league team in the country before the board interfered and started sanctioning sales behind his back.

(Yes I'm still bitter about it! )

 

[SittingontheBall]

So firstly Klopp wasn't sacked by Liverpool he stood down to take some time out from football. After successfuly coaching a "world" class club supported by a "world" class overall club structure. Something we have yet to aspire to, or have the ambition to have.

Yes Kompany took Burnley up and then back down. He then, a surprise to many, became head coach at Bayern Munich. He then coached them to their 6th Bundesliga title in 7 years. In those 7 years Bayern have had 5 coaches and also include winning the Champions League. So why this continued, stable success, well they have an experienced Sporting Director and experienced Managing Director of Sport? Again in addition to a "world" class overall club structure. Are we missing something?

Comments made that Brighton (8 years in PL, qualified for Europe x 1) and Bournemouth (3 years in PL plus 5 previous years) are Premier League "non-entities, well how about that for being entitled and an insult to their supporters.

I suppose we should add Brentford (4 years in PL), Palace (13 years in PL, and FA Cup and FA Community Shield wins, in UEFA Conference League this year), Fulham 3 years in PL, 17 out of 24 years in PL) and Forest (3 years in PL - in Europa League this year). All clubs similar in size to us or smaller who not only are in the Premier League but have managed to get a foothold, win and qualify for things. Are they all Premier League non-entities?

So is the good old Sheffield United way of doing things the road to success, more like the farm track to mediocrity? When were we in the Premier League longer than 2 years. When did we last win the FA Cup or FA Community/Charity Shield. When did we last qualify for a European competition?

Foreign coaches/managers- 16 of 20 clubs in the Premier League last year had foreign coaches/managers. The only British coach/manager doing anything is Eddie "loads a money" Howe.

Critisizing Selles's communication skills - at least he has some communication skills and speaks several languages unlike the COH board including "Del Monte" Bettis who to date their communication skills would struggle in a "karaoke bar", that's if you could hear them!!!

So while the club continues with the same management structure with heads buried in the sand, no vision, no ambition and being unprepared to learn from other successful clubs throughout the footballing world then it is us who will remain the non-entities.

Really good post.
Lots of conjecture in this thread about whether our manager should be one of our own or not but not about how he has been picked or what he has been told to do.
If we assume that Ruben isn’t the man for the job, does anyone know or have any idea how he came to be identified and selected? We also don’t know what objectives he was given (a new playing style within our budget whilst surviving in year 1 and go for promotion in year 2?)
Without that all that kind of information (which can only come from communication from the club) what belief can we have that any replacement will give us a good outcome?

 

[Silky Sabella]

Excellent, intelligent statement by Ruben Selles

 

[jimmymuir]

We’ve only had 2/3 successful managers in the last 25 years and two were self confessed Blades, and the other heralded from South Yorkshire so not sure why we need to buck the trend!

 

[Balham]

I think there’s a reason for this…

David Weir
Gary Speed
Billy McEwan

David Weir was a gamble which didn't pay off...in 2013. He also had his best player, and the fulcrum of his tactical ideas, engineer a move away after one league game.

Gary Speed managed us for 18 matches before leaving for the Wales role. We got 23 points in those 18 matches, extrapolated over a season that would have seen us finish 19th. Instead, we went for the Bladey Bladey option of Alehouse Mick and we collapsed like a large cake in Hillsborough. With that in mind, I'm not sure Speed qualifies under your criteria - although five of his 6 wins were 1-0 and the other needed two goals (including a ridiculous penalty) in the last 5 minutes.

Billy McEwan managed us before I went to school. That makes his time in charge irrelevant in the context of Sheffield United in 2025.

If those are the only three examples you can come up with then it could be said that the argument for change grows stronger. With the exception of Chris Wilder (mk1) and Paul Heckingbottom, each manager since McEwan has left us at the level they found us at*, irrespective of their background. That includes the idolised Dave Bassett.

The problem at the moment isn't the manager. It's the off-field setup and, apparently, the attitude and approach of some of the senior players. That brings worrying parallels with 2010/11...let's hope that this time we stick with the process and not hole the ship by appointing someone born within the city boundaries.

 

[brownblade]

Selles should be given time, but let's be honest, this has got 'sacked in November and we'll bring in a former blade to pick things up' written all over it.

So of the ex blades that have done coaching/managerial role somewhere, who's it going to be?

Rob Page, Monty, Neil Collins? Wilder? Warnock?

Anyone else we can be looking at?

#GERRIMBACK

Unpopular but very likely correct prediction:
Selles will be the most revered Blades manager of all time when he departs in 2045 to become Spain head coach.

 

[Youngand70]

David Weir was a gamble which didn't pay off...in 2013. He also had his best player, and the fulcrum of his tactical ideas, engineer a move away after one league game.

Gary Speed managed us for 18 matches before leaving for the Wales role. We got 23 points in those 18 matches, extrapolated over a season that would have seen us finish 19th. Instead, we went for the Bladey Bladey option of Alehouse Mick and we collapsed like a large cake in Hillsborough. With that in mind, I'm not sure Speed qualifies under your criteria - although five of his 6 wins were 1-0 and the other needed two goals (including a ridiculous penalty) in the last 5 minutes.

Billy McEwan managed us before I went to school. That makes his time in charge irrelevant in the context of Sheffield United in 2025.

If those are the only three examples you can come up with then it could be said that the argument for change grows stronger. With the exception of Chris Wilder (mk1) and Paul Heckingbottom, each manager since McEwan has left us at the level they found us at*, irrespective of their background. That includes the idolised Dave Bassett.

The problem at the moment isn't the manager. It's the off-field setup and, apparently, the attitude and approach of some of the senior players. That brings worrying parallels with 2010/11...let's hope that this time we stick with the process and not hole the ship by appointing someone born within the city boundaries.

The off field set up overall is no where near it needs to be to take the club forward and achieve COH'S stated intention of being an established Premier League club. Therefore no matter who the manager is progress will not be made. The club needs to adopt an approach that there is a "modern" football world outside the Sheffield city boundary. The wheel doesn't need reinventing there are numerous clubs out there doing things the right way, we need to open our eyes and minds and use those clubs as an example instead of continuing in the good "OLD" Sheffield United way - doesn't work!!!