Wilder - Get Rid Now, or After Last Game

[Nick Jansky]

I don't get the "CW is the only man who can do it" mantra, I really don't. It's absolutely in keeping with the attitude some of our fans have of pining for past times. Agricultural football, pints with the lads, up and at 'em, wasn't it so much better in the Bassett era etc etc.

Football clubs have bad spells and change managers all the time. Very few clubs repeatedly go back to the same manager once, let alone twice, based largely on fans' opinions and "well he's one of us, he just gets the club and the city.

A manager's worth is not based on if he supports the club, or likes a beer with the fans, or is a local boy made good. It's results-based, and the results are not good enough. Yes he turned around a truly shite start to the season, but since then, barring a brief purple patch of seemingly scoring 3 goals in every game, we've stagnated. We've repeatedly lost or drawn games from winning positions, performances have been lethargic, substitutions have been easy to predict and counter.

Chris Wilder gave me the best spell as a Blade that I suspect I will ever have. The first spell, from the doldrums of L1 to the top half of the premier league, was genuinely, insanely brilliant. We took it to the biggest clubs in the country and we were never really outclassed or humbled. That first prem season we did not lose in the league to a london club. Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs...they could not beat us. We finished 9th and would have finished higher if not for the pandemic.

But a club can't exist forever on past glories (however hard our neighbours try). In 2026, is Chris Wilder really still the only and best option for us as we look to negotiate a tricky summer? We will lose some of our best players. We have to, to balance the books and not run the risk of financial meltdown and worse. Saying "he's done it before" is irrelevant to me. The game has moved on, and we need to as well.

I can't see the point in sacking him now. This season will peter out to a mediocre finish in the lower 3rd of the league. I think it should be agreed behind the scenes that he will step away after the last game, and the search and recruitment process for his successor should already be underway. Give him a parade round the pitch after the last game to thank him for everything he has done, and then make a clean break. Give the new guy, whoever he is, all of pre-season and the summer window and start completely fresh in August. It might take a couple of years of belt-tightening and mid-table finishes but hopefeully we can then start to moe forward again.

EDIT: I watch very little football outside of United, so no, I have no idea who the prospective replacements should be. I leave that to the people who work in the industry and should be capable of identifying valid replacements.

Best post of the weekend.

 

[ForgeBlade]

I go along with everything you say here except I am not sure we have any "best players". UTB

Fair comment...I was referring to the likes of Hamer, O'Hare, Brooks, Seriki, Peck...all of who may attract interest in summer and who we should be prepared to lose to avoid financial issues.

 

[54yrblade]

'Wilder is the only man who can do it' is exactly what he's created, deliberately or not. It's a comfort blanket for his most ardent support to cling on to, in the face of evidence that utterly contradicts it.

 

[SBSP]

Now! (again)

 

[luffenhamblade]

'Wilder is the only man who can do it' is exactly what he's created, deliberately or not. It's a comfort blanket for his most ardent support to cling on to, in the face of evidence that utterly contradicts it.

Don’t understand why you think people think Wilder is the only one who can do it. That’s not what I read into most posts.

 

[Tarqs]

Why is it going stale under Wilder ?

He’s trying to turn around a squad that was on its arse and was improved terribly during the close season . Not by him btw .

It still needs changing of course - but come on it’s not Wilders fault

Its common knowledge many of the signings werent selles and were on our shortlist from wilders tenure.

Chong ognbene, tangagna, godfrey....

 

[Bell4]

Its common knowledge many of the signings werent selles and were on our shortlist from wilders tenure.

Chong ognbene, tangagna, godfrey....

Well then , for those four alone he should stay

 

[Tarqs]

Well then , for those four alone he should stay

Hes done imo. We were lucky last year we could hold onto leads, but the common factors of our disastrous fitness record is wilder and his chums.

 

[luffenhamblade]

Hes done imo. We were lucky last year we could hold onto leads, but the common factors of our disastrous fitness record is wilder and his chums.

He was slated for our style last year! Not supporting him it’s just that he can’t win really. Think his time is coming to a close though.

 

[Tarqs]

He was slated for our style last year! Not supporting him it’s just that he can’t win really. Think his time is coming to a close though.

I thought we got very lucky often. We couldnt play more than 60 mins and we were purely economical.

Ya get away with it when winning, but not when losing.

 

[VonBrysonsExpress]

He needs to go now. With or without a behind scenes restructure and bringing in a DOF the biggest problem is whilst wilder remains in place we won't evolve, ever.

 

[LBA_Blade]

I would say get rid and allow a new manager as much time as possible before the pre-season however who do we realistically replace him with. What price range are we capable of and calibre of manager are we able to bring through. We do have plenty of young coaches here that could be promoted maybe with a DoF in place or we could be looking for another bladey mcblade to fill the void. The “curve-ball” manager hasn’t been successful previously maybe the middle ground is promoting Guilherme Ramos to head-coach?

 

[luffenhamblade]

I would say get rid and allow a new manager as much time as possible before the pre-season however who do we realistically replace him with. What price range are we capable of and calibre of manager are we able to bring through. We do have plenty of young coaches here that could be promoted maybe with a DoF in place or we could be looking for another bladey mcblade to fill the void. The “curve-ball” manager hasn’t been successful previously maybe the middle ground is promoting Guilherme Ramos to head-coach?

Exactly, I’m not sure anyone could
Unite fan base right now. Would be best if Wilder announced he was “retiring” at least then we’d have more of us facing the same direction.

 

[Sean Thornton]

He needs to go now. With or without a behind scenes restructure and bringing in a DOF the biggest problem is whilst wilder remains in place we won't evolve, ever.

His early review statement and “know what l’m going to do” comments arent the best adverts for season ticket sales.

 

[Sportbilly /Detroit Blade]

I saw SpongeBob against the thread title, I was hoping he was the new manager.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Exactly, I’m not sure anyone could
Unite fan base right now. Would be best if Wilder announced he was “retiring” at least then we’d have more of us facing the same direction.

I’ve said before that this fan base won’t be united until at least the manager after next. The next one is on a hiding to nothing.

 

[SLB]

Exactly, I’m not sure anyone could
Unite fan base right now. Would be best if Wilder announced he was “retiring” at least then we’d have more of us facing the same direction.

Except his disciples would accuse the rest of forcing him to retire.

 

[ben1987]

I’ve said before that this fan base won’t be united until at least the manager after next. The next one is on a hiding to nothing.

It’s also probably 50% of the reason the atmosphere is so flat. The fan base is so divided.

We need him to move on and never come back to work towards a united fan base again.

The other 50% is because the footballs largely shite.

 

[luffenhamblade]

Except his disciples would accuse the rest of forcing him to retire.

I don't think there are that many like that; social media/forums make it seem like there are. If he were to choose to go, and it was genuinely his decision, I think most of the fanbase would at least stop being at each other's throats day in and day out. Best thing he could do for the club IMO.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I don't think there are that many like that; social media/forums make it seem like there are. If he were to choose to go, and it was genuinely his decision, I think most of the fanbase would at least stop being at each other's throats day in and day out. Best thing he could do for the club IMO.

The majority on both sides of the argument are generally reasonable. You get those who abuse CW and those who are abusive to them back are few and far between. Some strong held views yes, but then you sometimes have to take into account certain posters posting style and those that actually are friends of our manager.

 

[Bell4]

Hes done imo. We were lucky last year we could hold onto leads, but the common factors of our disastrous fitness record is wilder and his chums.

Do you think the board will sack him ?

 

[Tarqs]

Do you think the board will sack him ?

Nope, they've said he can do what he wants. Basically, he's untouchable through the duration of his contract.

 

[Blade56]

I’ve said before that this fan base won’t be united until at least the manager after next. The next one is on a hiding to nothing.

Thomas Frank would unite us

 

[AWetFlannel]

I’ve said before that this fan base won’t be united until at least the manager after next. The next one is on a hiding to nothing.

If Selles won games the fans would be united behind him.

 

[Englebert Wincobank]

Posters are fully entitled to a change but we can't just have 50% of the conversation and spin the wheel. Of course, first and foremost, I want a winning manager who can take us on a journey in the right direction but I want a connection too and no, that doesn't mean I'm only prepared to accept and ex player someone from Sheffield. When Slav was the manager, I hadn't a clue what he was trying to do and he was quite rightly sacked.

I tend to agree that the next guy will be on a hiding to nothing but even if we're fishing in a pond full of recently sacked EFL types, we need to get someone with the right credentials. Not a Rowett type journeyman, but certainly not another Selles wildcard or Ramos who had a year at Forest five years ago and five months since then as assistant at bleeding' Plovdiv.

 

[Tarqs]

If Selles won games the fans would be united behind him.

He was on a hiding to nothing before the season started. People bitching about his awful interviews and stuff.

 

[Cheeky Blade]

If they are serious about progress , they should be quietly thinking of candidates already - but who have they got in the UK with any experience or knowledge of the game to help them ?
They have got themselves hitched to Bettis & Wilder & the whole cohort of their mates.
To such an extent that Rosen - in his Bladey effort to appear that he "gets the club" - tells fans in the fanzone that he's got Billy Sharp in his cross-hairs.
Surprisingly naive thing to say in public.
They are bumbling about in the dark and it's sad to witness.

There’s a lot in that with the truth being we’ll need to see new owners before we see the changes some are suggesting. As you say, this lot just don’t have the knowledge.

 

[ben1987]

Thomas Frank would unite us

He would, but there’s also more chance of shitting gold

 

[Kenworthy’s Tash]

Has he mentioned 92 points yet?

 

[AWetFlannel]

He was on a hiding to nothing before the season started. People bitching about his awful interviews and stuff.

He was difficult to understand and not the most charismatic bloke, some people online complained, but you're surely not suggesting that it contributed to our bad start?

People had a lot of negative things to say about Wilder, Hecky and Wilson too before they started their seasons.