Those that want Wilder back.

[ForgeBlade]

I just don't understand the mentality of wanting him to come back (again). Are we really that small-time that every single time we have a bad start to a season, from now until the end of time, we'll start shouting about getting Wilder back?

He did well, the first time. He did ok last season but ultiumately fell at the final fence. Whatever you think about how this season is going (it's pretty shit) surely we can look to the future, and be more forward-thinking than "well he's a Blade and he gets us so he must be the answer."

Full disclaimer, I didn't want him to come back and I wasn't averse to sacking him. This season is a shitshow so far but we need to look forward, not backwards. Him coming back and thumping his chest and getting pissed with some fans is NOT looking forward. We've got to move past that sort of mentality if we can ever have ambitions of being more than a jobbing yoyo side.

 

[jt64]

And yet all those who wanted him gone are now reaping what they sow.

Some of us have some semblance of a thing called "patience", along with something other than "results oriented thinking"

 

[54yrblade]

Decided parallels with Charles Dicken's 'A Christmas Carol'

Only this time it's the Blades fan base playing the part of Ebeneezer Scrooge being shown the ghosts of Uniteds past, present and future

Eventually, even Scrooge saw a brighter future and he was probably the most miserable sod in the history of English literature.

I'm sure I can hear the clanking of chains, the temperature has dropped, and the distant thump of, could it be, a badge?

Christ this is tedious

 

[KMC-1889]

Heckingbottom had a better squad in the Championship though so there’s nuance to the discussion. Any team with Ndiaye, Berge, Doyle and McAtee involved is going to do ok.

Better than Souttar, Ahmedhodzic, Souza, Hamer, O’Hare, Choudhary etc?

 

[Chimpan-A]

The trouble with Dyche, is that he is gruff, English and very unfashionable.

He'd certainly steady the ship, and probably have us pushing for the top 6, but the 'progressives' on here, would be crying out for a cool 'modern' manager. I'm not sure some of them have a clue what that might mean, but they knew they wanted CW out and would be the same with Dyche.

All this football hipster bollocks has addled people's brains. Managers now have to talk the language of 'modern football', and suggest impossibly complicated systems of play, to show 'progress'.

It's the emperor's new clothes, rewritten for grown men.

Have you actually watched any of Dyche’s sides play football? Ask Everton fans what they think of him. They can hardly have football hipster levelled at them, very much renowned as a workmanlike club, but his “tactics” were derided, and quite rightly. I know the way things seem to be heading in this country, but just being British and having a gravelly voice shouldn’t be enough. And by the way, for a while, Wilder was the darling of the football hipster and seen as a cool modern manager.
When we smashed Dyche’s Burnley all over in the Premier League in Wilder’s heyday, I don’t recall many people crying out for him to come and take over or lauding his football.

 

[Working Class Hero]

I just don't understand the mentality of wanting him to come back (again). Are we really that small-time that every single time we have a bad start to a season, from now until the end of time, we'll start shouting about getting Wilder back?

He did well, the first time. He did ok last season but ultiumately fell at the final fence. Whatever you think about how this season is going (it's pretty shit) surely we can look to the future, and be more forward-thinking than "well he's a Blade and he gets us so he must be the answer."

Full disclaimer, I didn't want him to come back and I wasn't averse to sacking him. This season is a shitshow so far but we need to look forward, not backwards. Him coming back and thumping his chest and getting pissed with some fans is NOT looking forward. We've got to move past that sort of mentality if we can ever have ambitions of being more than a jobbing yoyo side.

I don't think anyone is claiming he's the answer to everything, but that he shouldn't have been sacked in the first place so it would just be reversing the massive mistake that the board made a couple of months ago. It's still pretty much his squad and the players clearly would prefer it.

It's obviously pie in the sky anyway, it'd be too embarrassing for them to go back to Wilder cap in hand. But I do think most blades would say it would be a better move than keeping Selles, or letting the board pick another version of him, in our current situation.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

How do you know that?

20% of our fans have a Chris Wilder shrine in their spare bedroom, wear CW pyjamas, under a CW duvet and have been crying into their dinner since he was sacked.

20%(like me) After the play-off heartbreak, were looking forward to CW finishing the job this season and were genuinely disappointed by his departure. But think having a manger back for a third time would be highly embarrassing.

20% were not happy when he came back the second time, but grudgingly went along with it because (that’s what fans do) we were winning games, so their opinion of CW probably changed on a game by game basis…So they would probably support the club on this one.

20% Simply didn’t like his style of play and how we were scraping through games. They always wanted the club to move forward on to someone younger and more progressive like errr Selles.

20% hate his fucking guts.


I’m a sucker for statistics.

 

[Alfiesdad]

I would have kept him but think that it would be a mistake to have him back.
From this and any number of threads on this forum its obvious that there is a clear divide amongst the fanbase on Wilder and we need to move on from it.
What I don't like are the constant attempts at rewriting history that some anti Widerists like to promote, or that his supporters are all knuckle draggers and up and at em enthusiasts.
We all want successful winning football, preferably of the attractive variety but you can't always afford the luxury of that.
The football we're getting at the moment is neither attractive or winning.
We've lost height and physicality from the team in Vinni, Hamza and to a lesser extent Kieffer and so constantly lose out in duels and the ability to keep and regain possession so our better ball players look worse than last season.
Selles vision sounds good but he has no idea how to achieve it. He's more stubborn and dogmatic than his predecessor in his tactical approach and if he continues we'll be getting some proper hammerings from the better teams.
That side he put out on Saturday was essentially a 4-1-5 with poor Peck as the 1, no wonder he struggled.
This season is a self inflicted mess. We've got a poor recruitment strategy, a tactically inept coach, a divided fanbase and an absent and silent board.
Not exactly the brave new world we were led to believe we were getting is it?

 

[luffenhamblade]

20% of our fans have a Chris Wilder shrine in their spare bedroom, wear CW pyjamas, under a CW duvet and have been crying into their dinner since he was sacked.

20%(like me) After the play-off heartbreak, were looking forward to CW finishing the job this season and were genuinely disappointed by his departure. But think having a manger back for a third time would be highly embarrassing.

20% were not happy when he came back the second time, but grudgingly went along with it because (that’s what fans do) we were winning games, so their opinion of CW probably changed on a game by game basis…So they would probably support the club on this one.

20% Simply didn’t like his style of play and how we were scraping through games. They always wanted the club to move forward on to someone younger and more progressive like errr Selles.

20% hate his fucking guts.


I’m a sucker for statistics.

At least they add up to 100% which is more than can be said for anything other than failure this season.

 

[TJ blade]

Wilder for those who don't like Him, one question. Would he have lost four games on the trot?

He lost 3 in a week last season!

 

[BigBed]

And still in the Championship!

Yep, but will we be in it come May....?

 

[Koh Samui Blade]

Is Wilder really the only possible manager who would have got us more points? Are our players really that awful that no other manager could get anything from them?

Most of them were signed by him, they came to the club because of him..!

 

[nopigfansintown]

People confuse the toxic, empty vessel anti Wilder ( largely online) hate cult with the vast majority of match going Blades fans. They aren't the same thing. The problem is that these online spaces make them seem a hell of a lot more representative than they are - their bile then muddied the waters and had a toxifying overlap that infects the overall ambience of the club. You'd have been hard pressed to find a dozen Wilder outers in public last season. To the contrary, most Blades I spoke too (and I speak to many) regarded the job he did as anywhere between amazing and very good. The bonus really is on those in that minority to prove otherwise given the results vs pre season expectations. Those with any measure of support for CW were the rationale ones - he earned it.

The unhinged Warnock haters back in the day were a bit of a laughing stock, whereas the Wilder haters have a strange type of online, edgelord kudos. I guess it reflects changing trends and the power of the internet. Even now some of them routinely drone on about him and try to deflect this season's travails so far on to him. They are utterly obsessed with Wilder and should seek help for their obsession. Move on for your own sanity

Mist fans, contrary to some online belief, had the ability to rationalise and contextualise last season and were somewhere between shocked and staggered that we embarked on this monumental gamble this season after that excellent campaign. A gamble that saw revolution over further polishing a successful side as the way to go (regardless of who the manager was). With time of the essence and high short term expectations (board and fans) it was highly naive to opt for boom and bust imo. We are left now with backing the revolution (or false dawn) or bringing in someone who can polish the already successful side from last season with most of the transfer window over.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Better than Souttar, Ahmedhodzic, Souza, Hamer, O’Hare, Choudhary etc?

Yes much better, Anel played in both squads. Souttar played about 10 games and Choudhury came in Jan and played right back as a fill in. Berge and Ndiaye are now established PL players, McAtee played CL football last season and has just transferred to Forest for big money.

I’m not detracting from Hecky’s achievement because of the off-field shite he put up with that season but he had a pretty good squad.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Yes much better, Anel played in both squads. Souttar played about 10 games and Choudhury came in Jan and played right back as a fill in. Berge and Ndiaye are now established PL players, McAtee played CL football last season and has just transferred to Forest for big money.

I’m not detracting from Hecky’s achievement because of the off-field shite he put up with that season but he had a pretty good squad.

It's worth noting that Heckingbottom wasn't up against two teams that both finished on 100 points though.

 

[reedy63]

Chris Wilder is a club legend for what He did for us; however, being brutally Honest, He failed to get us back up to the Premier League.
After being in a great position, they lost in the playoff final. That gave the club's owners a good excuse to dismiss him. They bought the club, and they can do what they want.
So I am not blaming the owners for that.
What I am blaming the owners for is appointing Selles, who never played professional football. Poor tactics, hence no points bottom of the championship.
Clearly, the players don't like him, and I think their attitude is that you have never played professional football, you have no idea how to motivate us.
Because of you, we don't understand what you are trying to do. Obviously, I am assuming that. On that footing, He should be sacked ASAP.

 

[I should coco]

Have you actually watched any of Dyche’s sides play football? Ask Everton fans what they think of him. They can hardly have football hipster levelled at them, very much renowned as a workmanlike club, but his “tactics” were derided, and quite rightly. I know the way things seem to be heading in this country, but just being British and having a gravelly voice shouldn’t be enough. And by the way, for a while, Wilder was the darling of the football hipster and seen as a cool modern manager.
When we smashed Dyche’s Burnley all over in the Premier League in Wilder’s heyday, I don’t recall many people crying out for him to come and take over or lauding his football.

I never said his football was good, but thanks for moving the goalposts anyway.

Honest question.
Forget style or ease in the eye, but between Selles and Dyche, who would be the most likely to keep us up this season?

 

[Kev Gee]

Chris Wilder is a club legend for what He did for us; however, being brutally Honest, He failed to get us back up to the Premier League.
After being in a great position, they lost in the playoff final. That gave the club's owners a good excuse to dismiss him. They bought the club, and they can do what they want.
So I am not blaming the owners for that.
What I am blaming the owners for is appointing Selles, who never played professional football. Poor tactics, hence no points bottom of the championship.
Clearly, the players don't like him, and I think their attitude is that you have never played professional football, you have no idea how to motivate us.
Because of you, we don't understand what you are trying to do. Obviously, I am assuming that. On that footing, He should be sacked ASAP.

There's plenty of successful managers that have never played at a professional level.

 

[Davalon]

People confuse the toxic, empty vessel anti Wilder ( largely online) hate cult with the vast majority of match going Blades fans. They aren't the same thing. The problem is that these online spaces make them seem a hell of a lot more representative than they are - their bile then muddied the waters and had a toxifying overlap that infects the overall ambience of the club. You'd have been hard pressed to find a dozen Wilder outers in public last season. To the contrary, most Blades I spoke too (and I speak to many) regarded the job he did as anywhere between amazing and very good. The bonus really is on those in that minority to prove otherwise given the results vs pre season expectations. Those with any measure of support for CW were the rationale ones - he earned it.

The unhinged Warnock haters back in the day were a bit of a laughing stock, whereas the Wilder haters have a strange type of online, edgelord kudos. I guess it reflects changing trends and the power of the internet. Even now some of them routinely drone on about him and try to deflect this season's travails so far on to him. They are utterly obsessed with Wilder and should seek help for their obsession. Move on for your own sanity

Mist fans, contrary to some online belief, had the ability to rationalise and contextualise last season and were somewhere between shocked and staggered that we embarked on this monumental gamble this season after that excellent campaign. A gamble that saw revolution over further polishing a successful side as the way to go (regardless of who the manager was). With time of the essence and high short term expectations (board and fans) it was highly naive to opt for boom and bust imo. We are left now with backing the revolution (or false dawn) or bringing in someone who can polish the already successful side from last season with most of the transfer window over.

More of a fog fan myself

 

[Dkc]

Chris Wilder is a club legend for what He did for us; however, being brutally Honest, He failed to get us back up to the Premier League.
After being in a great position, they lost in the playoff final.

The problem was that he completely surpassed expectations in the first half of the season. After the depressing PL campaign, the points deduction and the summer rebuild that followed, most sensible people were not expecting us to challenge for the autos. I predicted mid-table, and would have been very happy with making the play-offs.

If we'd made a late run for the play-offs, finished sixth and unluckily lost in the final, most people would have said that we had a good season which we could build on. But the fact that we were challenging for automatic promotion until April meant that the season finished on a downer. If we'd lost 4 or 5 more games before Christmas people may have been less depressed about the final outcome.

Yes Wilder 'failed' to get us up to the PL but automatic promotion wasn't the expectation of most fans at the start of the season. The over-achievement raised our hopes.

 

[I should coco]

People confuse the toxic, empty vessel anti Wilder ( largely online) hate cult with the vast majority of match going Blades fans. They aren't the same thing. The problem is that these online spaces make them seem a hell of a lot more representative than they are - their bile then muddied the waters and had a toxifying overlap that infects the overall ambience of the club. You'd have been hard pressed to find a dozen Wilder outers in public last season. To the contrary, most Blades I spoke too (and I speak to many) regarded the job he did as anywhere between amazing and very good. The bonus really is on those in that minority to prove otherwise given the results vs pre season expectations. Those with any measure of support for CW were the rationale ones - he earned it.

The unhinged Warnock haters back in the day were a bit of a laughing stock, whereas the Wilder haters have a strange type of online, edgelord kudos. I guess it reflects changing trends and the power of the internet. Even now some of them routinely drone on about him and try to deflect this season's travails so far on to him. They are utterly obsessed with Wilder and should seek help for their obsession. Move on for your own sanity

Mist fans, contrary to some online belief, had the ability to rationalise and contextualise last season and were somewhere between shocked and staggered that we embarked on this monumental gamble this season after that excellent campaign. A gamble that saw revolution over further polishing a successful side as the way to go (regardless of who the manager was). With time of the essence and high short term expectations (board and fans) it was highly naive to opt for boom and bust imo. We are left now with backing the revolution (or false dawn) or bringing in someone who can polish the already successful side from last season with most of the transfer window over.

Great post and especially the 'edgelord' line.

I'm surprised more anti Wilders haven't told you how wrong you are, but like you, most Blades I know, wanted to give him another crack at it.

He's gone now and isn't coming back, which I can accept. The question is, do we stick with this second coming charlatan, or do we get in somebody to rescue the season?

 

[jimmymuir]

I just don't understand the mentality of wanting him to come back (again). Are we really that small-time that every single time we have a bad start to a season, from now until the end of time, we'll start shouting about getting Wilder back?

He did well, the first time. He did ok last season but ultiumately fell at the final fence. Whatever you think about how this season is going (it's pretty shit) surely we can look to the future, and be more forward-thinking than "well he's a Blade and he gets us so he must be the answer."

Full disclaimer, I didn't want him to come back and I wasn't averse to sacking him. This season is a shitshow so far but we need to look forward, not backwards. Him coming back and thumping his chest and getting pissed with some fans is NOT looking forward. We've got to move past that sort of mentality if we can ever have ambitions of being more than a jobbing yoyo side.

Didn't know the criteria for 'ok' was overseeing a huge rebuild and getting 92 points from 46 matches. There's no doubt in my mind that if we'd stuck with him, we'd be in great shape for automatic promotion. I think Selles is hugely out of his depth, but it's the owners who are at fault here. I don't have any faith in any decision they make from here on in.

 

[GeorgeDonis1889]

People confuse the toxic, empty vessel anti Wilder ( largely online) hate cult with the vast majority of match going Blades fans. They aren't the same thing. The problem is that these online spaces make them seem a hell of a lot more representative than they are - their bile then muddied the waters and had a toxifying overlap that infects the overall ambience of the club. You'd have been hard pressed to find a dozen Wilder outers in public last season. To the contrary, most Blades I spoke too (and I speak to many) regarded the job he did as anywhere between amazing and very good. The bonus really is on those in that minority to prove otherwise given the results vs pre season expectations. Those with any measure of support for CW were the rationale ones - he earned it.

The unhinged Warnock haters back in the day were a bit of a laughing stock, whereas the Wilder haters have a strange type of online, edgelord kudos. I guess it reflects changing trends and the power of the internet. Even now some of them routinely drone on about him and try to deflect this season's travails so far on to him. They are utterly obsessed with Wilder and should seek help for their obsession. Move on for your own sanity

Mist fans, contrary to some online belief, had the ability to rationalise and contextualise last season and were somewhere between shocked and staggered that we embarked on this monumental gamble this season after that excellent campaign. A gamble that saw revolution over further polishing a successful side as the way to go (regardless of who the manager was). With time of the essence and high short term expectations (board and fans) it was highly naive to opt for boom and bust imo. We are left now with backing the revolution (or false dawn) or bringing in someone who can polish the already successful side from last season with most of the transfer window over.

This has genuinely made me feel better

 

[Bladesince59]

Don't hate him. Don't rate him.

 

[ATL Recs]

But did we get hammered by Bristol, and beaten by, Birmingham, Swindon and Millwall??
Because I can stomach losing to premier league sides in fairness.

Yes hebgot beaten by Millwall a number of times including last season and played off the pitch in two league games v Bristol
Swindon??? Didn’t go to that one
Birmingham have spent and have momentum they will finish top 6

The problem was that he completely surpassed expectations in the first half of the season. After the depressing PL campaign, the points deduction and the summer rebuild that followed, most sensible people were not expecting us to challenge for the autos. I predicted mid-table, and would have been very happy with making the play-offs.

If we'd made a late run for the play-offs, finished sixth and unluckily lost in the final, most people would have said that we had a good season which we could build on. But the fact that we were challenging for automatic promotion until April meant that the season finished on a downer. If we'd lost 4 or 5 more games before Christmas people may have been less depressed about the final outcome.

Yes Wilder 'failed' to get us up to the PL but automatic promotion wasn't the expectation of most fans at the start of the season. The over-achievement raised our hopes.

buy autos was our expectation by December cemented in Januarys transfer window

 

[Dkc]

buy autos was our expectation by December cemented in Januarys transfer window

It wasn't my expectation given the form of Leeds and Burnley. But it was definitely a possibility, due to us initially performing so well. We had a bit of luck too. Some of those wins should really have been draws.

 

[blade too long]

Other managers are available.

Yes ...true .just like one with experience of getting 89 points plus

 

[blade too long]

Other managers are available.

Would welcime any manager with a sumilar promotion record to Wilder...no problem with that..but not someone dining out on staying up on gd

We did get hammered by Hull,Oxford,Plymouth and Millwall last season,thou

Liverpool lost at plymouth..so they did nt deserve to win the prem
Ans weve lost to millwall under Selles, already

 

[Dkc]

Ans weve lost to millwall under Selles, already

Granted, but at least it wasn't turgid football with no plan B and a dinosaur in the dugout.

 

[KMC-1889]

It wasn't my expectation given the form of Leeds and Burnley. But it was definitely a possibility, due to us initially performing so well. We had a bit of luck too. Some of those wins should really have been draws.

We were two points clear with 7 games to go and the easiest run in of the three.

Nothing about our performances from Boxing Day should give anyone any confidence he’d have gone again this season. Performances & results were on the decline, he was falling out with players left and right, he was persisting with his mates when he should have been taking them out the team.

Some people are telling on themselves here by saying they would have been happy to finish mid table last season after a rebuild. Selles is having to do the same rebuild after losing a dozen players but now we have to get promoted? Interesting.