Wilder as a player

[Linz]

Threads merged

 

[SwissBlade]

Sharp playing in the hole. Sounds like madness to me. He's a 6 yard box poacher who can hold the ball up. Can't see him running from deep.

Have you not watched him this season? He's come in from Deep, from Wide as he's often been the 'target man' he's had to make late runs into the box... or worse still crossing the ball himself.

Playing deeper might suit him better as he can play facing goal rather than with his back to it.

And also, as he's not a target man, playing off the target man would suit him better.

 

[Barney]

Threads merged

Wilder as a player with Wilders playing style i.e. as a manager?

 

[BladeFisher]

Wilder as a player with Wilders playing style i.e. as a manager?

Yes agree, I think Linz the title of this should have been Wilder as a Manager and er de-merge them again.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

He was in the Bradders/ Kevin Gage type mould. Never shirked a challenge, that was the way things were in that team.

Very much heart on the sleeve, dirty little bastard when he wanted to be and also had a little bit of quality at times.

He knows what this club is about.

He wouldn't have taken the job if he knew what this club was about.

 

[davidpinder]

When i was a mascot i held Wilders hand when running out, i am going to try and dig the photo out.

 

[Silent Blade]

Threads merged

Why?

 

[Lane Ender]

Did a great job for Bradway in Meadowhall Sunday League.

I played for them 91-94 good side great set of lads.
Chris Wilder is a top lad hope it works for him and us.
Mick Fitzpatrick a well known Non League/Sunday League player of yesturyear
is his uncle inherites a bit of vibe from him

 

[LSF]

I played for them 91-94 good side great set of lads.
Chris Wilder is a top lad hope it works for him and us.
Mick Fitzpatrick a well known Non League/Sunday League player of yesturyear
is his uncle inherites a bit of vibe from him

Fitzy, jeez, there was a bloke who gave centre backs the worst treatment, he kicked them before they kicked him, his reputation preceded him all his career.
The funny thing is, it was even worse playing alongside him..... Demanding, screamed at you, moaned, threatened... I know, I felt the wrath....
Hope Chris is not quite so extreme

 

[Lane Ender]

Fitzy, jeez, there was a bloke who gave centre backs the worst treatment, he kicked them before they kicked him, his reputation preceded him all his career.
The funny thing is, it was even worse playing alongside him..... Demanding, screamed at you, moaned, threatened... I know, I felt the wrath....
Hope Chris is not quite so extreme

Fitzy, Youngy, Jack Hobson fucking Abourthorne EA always a good battle.
Mention their age to any of the above it used to wind them up.
Loved getting that grandad line to them

 

[LSF]

Fitzy, Youngy, Jack Hobson fucking Abourthorne EA always a good battle.
Mention their age to any of the above it used to wind them up.
Loved getting that grandad line to them

Bumped into Jack t'other week and had a good chinwag, played against him from 11 years old onwards, I always thought he was a rolls Royce of a player but one nasty bastard when crossed. Youngy, not seen Roy for a year or two but my bro in law sees him regular. He was a hard fucker too.

 

[Lane Ender]

Bumped into Jack t'other week and had a good chinwag, played against him from 11 years old onwards, I always thought he was a rolls Royce of a player but one nasty bastard when crossed. Youngy, not seen Roy for a year or two but my bro in law sees him regular. He was a hard fucker too.

Really miss those days.
But Im bolloxed now can only manage golf.

 

[LSF]

Me too, I could only manage crazy golf these days ☺

 

[Lane Ender]

Really miss those days.
But Im bolloxed now can only manage golf.

Me too, I could only manage crazy golf these days ☺

Probably that describes my game

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Billy Sharp has been head and shoulders above the rest in an admittedly dreadful season, that's why he's won just about all the player of the year awards at the club this year. His hold up play has generally been ok but with the best will in the world he's never going to make a target man. For me, to get the best out of Sharpy he's got to be paired in a front two with a decent target man, in a fairly direct style of play. He's at his best with the ball in the box, the more it's in the box the more he's going to score - picking up on the knock downs from a target man and from plenty of decent crosses into the box.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

In his first spell for us, I thought he was an excellent right back. I recall saying at the time 'This lad will play for England'. (OK, he was'nt that good!) but he had plenty of skill. As I recall, he was excellent at getting forward, but did seem to struggle to get back down the pitch to defend. This is probably why Bassett was'nt too impressed with him.

He played no 6 at Leicester in May 1990.
Great day.

 

[N20 Blade]

Bassett had a habit of discarding some players who seemed to do well and were skilful but perhaps weren't combative enough for him. Wilder was one of these. Alan Roberts was another.

Roberts chose to leave, he didn’t like the style of football.

 

[N20 Blade]

According to Bassett it was a lack of pace that did for wilder at the top level.

 

[Russ]

He played no 6 at Leicester in May 1990.
Great day.

Hello hello

He played number 5 mate. I think Mark Morris was 6. No idea who the zone man was though. Wilf or Jock.

 

[Bladesman]

 

[coaxingstar71]

I remember seeing Wilder make his debut for the Blades. Remember thinking who's this skinny kid with the shock of spiky blonde hair. It was a 3rd round FA Cup game at home to Brighton, fowl weather on a soggy pitch. The game was truly dreadful and not surprisingly a 0-0 draw but Wilder did ok. Was impressed that he got stuck in and didn't seem to have any fear.

We won 2-1 at Brighton in the replay which was the first time we'd won an away replay for about a million years (I'm sure Silent Blade or Revolution can give the exact length of time it was).

 

[Revolution]

I remember seeing Wilder make his debut for the Blades. Remember thinking who's this skinny kid with the shock of spiky blonde hair. It was a 3rd round FA Cup game at home to Brighton, fowl weather on a soggy pitch. The game was truly dreadful and not surprisingly a 0-0 draw but Wilder did ok. Was impressed that he got stuck in and didn't seem to have any fear.

We won 2-1 at Brighton in the replay which was the first time we'd won an away replay for about a million years (I'm sure Silent Blade or Revolution can give the exact length of time it was).

57 years. Our previous win in an away replay was v York in 1930.

we had a good run in replays then. We did not lose a replay between 1984 (Birmingham) and 2005 (Arsenal). It encompassed about 15 games.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Hello hello

He played number 5 mate. I think Mark Morris was 6. No idea who the zone man was though. Wilf or Jock.

Incidentally the Leicester no 6, Marc North, had a freakish game that day.
Went in the net after keeper injured, came out again and got 2nd Leicester goal, then ended the game back in the net.
He died of lung cancer in 2001 roughly.

 

[bonobo]

He was the first poster on my wall. I can't remember who we played, but he hit this ridiculous thunderbolt, 35-40 yards out, grazed the crossbar, so I went looking for his image. Not sure what my judgement of a player was like back then, but felt technically Championship level, but as an athlete a couple of leagues down, not for want of effort or commitment

 

[GymClassHero]

He wasn't the most gifted of players, but he was one who understood what it was like to be a Blade, and he show the grit and determination to get maximise his performance,

The Bassett sides were always sides who were never the best players in the world, but when you had them in the team the sum total was always more than more than the sum total of the parts. Wilder fitted in perfectly with that,

Similar to teams under Wilder tbf

 

[broomhillblade]

I remember seeing Wilder make his debut for the Blades. Remember thinking who's this skinny kid with the shock of spiky blonde hair. It was a 3rd round FA Cup game at home to Brighton, fowl weather on a soggy pitch. The game was truly dreadful and not surprisingly a 0-0 draw but Wilder did ok. Was impressed that he got stuck in and didn't seem to have any fear.

We won 2-1 at Brighton in the replay which was the first time we'd won an away replay for about a million years (I'm sure Silent Blade or Revolution can give the exact length of time it was).

I saw that match too. My memory is that half the pitch was actually frozen but Wilder kept his feet, and his balance, and performed very well. I don't think the refs would allow play on a frozen pitch these days, although they used to allow Cup games to go ahead even when the pitch was covered in snow. If the lines were cleared it was ok, and they would sometimes use a yellow or orange ball.

 

[corner_flag]

Can anyone offer any insight into what he was like as a player for us (and for other clubs)? Heart on sleeve type character?

I'm too young to have seen him play.

Really enjoyed reading this whole thread. A pleasant break from all the recent bed wetting.

It's a hard and lonely time right now. I come to the forum to chat about the Blades but also feel part of something, part of a community of Blades

I've not been able to come on for a while cos the negativity is getting me down. Yes it's bad when we lose, but we seem to have lost our sense of humour and abandoned our players and manager when they most need our support. They deserve better

 

[ancientblade]

According to Bassett it was a lack of pace that did for wilder at the top level.

he was too much of a footballer for bassett and not physical enough but for me was in the top 5 right backs i have seen at the lane in 60 years of following the blades very very classy

 

[N20 Blade]

he was too much of a footballer for bassett and not physical enough but for me was in the top 5 right backs i have seen at the lane in 60 years of following the blades very very classy

I agree, he always seemed to have that most important of attributes - time - always composed and in control. I liked the back four of Barnes, Stan, Hill and Wilder. Beesley proved a good addition too. I never felt Barnes got the recognition either, a really skilful player and good going forward. I remember when he played left midfield for aldershot against us and ran us ragged. We eventually won 1-0 but he was the best player on the pitch by a mile. No wonder we signed him.