Wilder's bravery

[Ricky]

He's the only manager we've had for a long time who would've really gone for the win at 0-0 - certainly in the manner he did.

O'Shea came on for Duffy for a start - like for like positionally.

But then he also brings Lavery on. With 3 attacking players already on the pitch it'll surely be for Hanson or Sharp..... nope. He takes Lafferty off, goes 3 up front and moves J'OC to left back. So we have 3 strikers on and an attacking midfielder in O'Shea. In a difficult away game against a side with plenty of quality.

That is complete and utter commitment to winning the game. He couldn't have been much bolder with the changes he made. And he got his just rewards. As he will at the end of the season when he gets us promoted.

Isn't it great to have a manager like this?

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

I wasn't their but maybe the fact Peterborough were going for the draw helped his decision

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I wasn't their but maybe the fact Peterborough were going for the draw helped his decision

Indeed – not sure if we had been under the cosh whether the same approach would have been taken, but he was right to spot it and right with the changes.

 

[Ricky]

I wasn't their but maybe the fact Peterborough were going for the draw helped his decision

They would've definitely been happy with a point but they still had dangerous players on the pitch. And previous managers would've taken a point away at the mighty Peterborough without any hesitation.

Then after we scored we barely allowed them into our half. Saw the game out with great professionalism and hard work.

 

[Bladepicker]

He's the only manager we've had for a long time who would've really gone for the win at 0-0 - certainly in the manner he did.

O'Shea came on for Duffy for a start - like for like positionally.

But then he also brings Lavery on. With 3 attacking players already on the pitch it'll surely be for Hanson or Sharp..... nope. He takes Lafferty off, goes 3 up front and moves J'OC to left back. So we have 3 strikers on and an attacking midfielder in O'Shea. In a difficult away game against a side with plenty of quality.

That is complete and utter commitment to winning the game. He couldn't have been much bolder with the changes he made. And he got his just rewards. As he will at the end of the season when he gets us promoted.

Isn't it great to have a manager like this?

Agree, but would add he doesn't do it recklessly - he makes sure we still keep some basis of a shape and a structure that suits how we play - just with more attack minded players on the pitch.

In direct contrast to under Adkins - can think of a few occasions he 'went for it' - Southend away, Bury and Colchester at home - but all he did was just chuck extra strikers on. Therefore we lost our shape, lost any supply to the extra forwards and ended up conceding in all those games.

It isn't just that Wilder goes for it, he does it with a plan b that the players seem aware of and can continue playing the way we do to create opportunities for those extra forwards. Brilliant to see.

 

[Tyler Durden]

I've said it before but I want Wilder to have a long tenure with us, an 'era'.

Because I'm convinced that whatever happens in that time he will have left this club in an exponentially stronger position than many before him. We've been crying out for someone to truly believe in for years. We might have just got that now.

 

[northsomersetblade]

And previous managers would've taken a point away at the mighty Peterborough without any hesitation.

I think most of us would have been happy with a point before and 87 minutes of during.

We'll know if he is a tactical genius or a shoot from the hip cowboy at the end of the season.

Whichever it is I already :heart: him

 

[west_yorks_blade]

Ricky is spot on here. Would Adkins or clough have rolled the dice like that and come away with all three points?

No fucking way. He gambled and won.

So pleasing to see after their keeper started wasting time to grind out a 0-0 draw at home.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Then after we scored we barely allowed them into our half. Saw the game out with great professionalism and hard work.

A proper manager would have gone for the 2nd

 

[eccoblade]

I've said it before but I want Wilder to have a long tenure with us, an 'era'.

Because I'm convinced that whatever happens in that time he will have left this club in an exponentially stronger position than many before him. We've been crying out for someone to truly believe in for years. We might have just got that now.

I said to my mate when Wilder got the job we have the right man this time and for gods sake this time board whatever happens with our form next season give him the time he needs

 

[metalblade]

Could you ever imagine Clough or Adkins going for a win late on away from home?

 

[Blade82]

Ricky this is a great post and I'm glad wilder has got recognition for this. He won us the game today as much as the players did. A point away wouldn't have been a disaster and in years gone by we would have settled for a point. wilder is a winner and you become a winner by being brave. He's turned defeats in to draws and draws in to wins. Well done Chris and thank you. UTB

 

[Robboblade1889]

I have been today and it was an incredibly brave move, at the time I did question it. I questioned it because we could have been caught out and sometimes going gung ho away from home like we did at Walsall is foolish. If we had conceded and lost the game he would have been critised for doing it.

When it works like it did today it's amazing I sometimes do think a point away from home isn't a bad result. I totally trust wilder to make the right decisions.

 

[ForgeBlade]

They would've definitely been happy with a point but they still had dangerous players on the pitch. And previous managers would've taken a point away at the mighty Peterborough without any hesitation.

Then after we scored we barely allowed them into our half. Saw the game out with great professionalism and hard work.

This. I was terrified that our players would lose concentration and they'd hit us straight back (thought they looked dangerous on the break). We looked calm, composed and utterly professional to see out the game. A great performance.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Could you ever imagine Clough or Adkins going for a win late on away from home?

Going for a win at home would have been refreshing.

 

[blade67]

Agree, but would add he doesn't do it recklessly - he makes sure we still keep some basis of a shape and a structure that suits how we play - just with more attack minded players on the pitch.

In direct contrast to under Adkins - can think of a few occasions he 'went for it' - Southend away, Bury and Colchester at home - but all he did was just chuck extra strikers on. Therefore we lost our shape, lost any supply to the extra forwards and ended up conceding in all those games.

It isn't just that Wilder goes for it, he does it with a plan b that the players seem aware of and can continue playing the way we do to create opportunities for those extra forwards. Brilliant to see.

Bang on. Adkins going for it was crazy, Wilder keeps some balance to it

 

[blade67]

I have been today and it was an incredibly brave move, at the time I did question it. I questioned it because we could have been caught out and sometimes going gung ho away from home like we did at Walsall is foolish. If we had conceded and lost the game he would have been critised for doing it.

When it works like it did today it's amazing I sometimes do think a point away from home isn't a bad result. I totally trust wilder to make the right decisions.

Ultimately, draws are toxic, its wins that get you promoted. If we do the same on Tuesday and lose, we're still one point ahead aren't we?

 

[Dnblade]

Yeah,good point that Ricky,not many would be brave enough to go for it at 0-0 away from home late on like Chris....Great result today,and Posh are no mugs,they're a decent outfit in this division,but it sounded like we deserved the win.

 

[PokerBlade]

I go on about why you should look at results in the long term whenever I can, but days like today are instances you pick out from the last thirty games. Playing this kind of attacking football and going for the win all the time means that once in a while you get a freak 4-0 loss at somewhere like Walsall, where it all goes wrong and 2-0 turns to 3-0 and beyond, but it means you get a lot more games like today, or against Coventry, where you turn draws into victories. Often it means having the bravery to handle those bad days.

For all his football was far less easy on the eye, one of the things I liked about Warnock was his habit of dropping a keeper on the bench for a striker. He was happy to take the freak event where you lost a game for having a centre half in goal (even if it was Jags and somehow we won with him in the stick anyway...) to take the much more frequent benefit of piling on attackers in close games.

And like I said last week with Lavery and Carruther's impact, almost feel sorry for defenders with what our bench can throw at them in the latter stages.

 

[Roygbiv]

I know some on here are still fans of Clough and he did do a better job than Adkins but I'm so glad I don't have to hear the horrible quote of "you start with a point, make sure you don't lose it" anymore.

Whatever happens this season, what we have seen in terms of consistent entertainment and genuine positivity (not just saying the word but acting on it) is a world away than anything we saw under the previous two managers. With a smaller budget too.

 

[originaltrueblade]

Brilliant tactics by a brilliant manager

 

[Sheffsteel]

He's the only manager we've had for a long time who would've really gone for the win at 0-0 - certainly in the manner he did.

O'Shea came on for Duffy for a start - like for like positionally.

But then he also brings Lavery on. With 3 attacking players already on the pitch it'll surely be for Hanson or Sharp..... nope. He takes Lafferty off, goes 3 up front and moves J'OC to left back. So we have 3 strikers on and an attacking midfielder in O'Shea. In a difficult away game against a side with plenty of quality.

That is complete and utter commitment to winning the game. He couldn't have been much bolder with the changes he made. And he got his just rewards. As he will at the end of the season when he gets us promoted.

Isn't it great to have a manager like this?

True but every now and that bravery backfires.

And he'all get stick and booed for losing, no one will be interesting in his bravery excuses.
Then once a few results start going against you, pressure mounts and then the manager stops being brave.

I remember Blackwell being brave and attack minded in his first season but it didn't last.
Let's hope Wilder has the strength of character if he doesn't get the support from some fans when things go pear shaped.

For me personally Wilder has already won himself plenty of breathing space.
Even if he has a poor season next season as long as we stay up then I'll still be 100% behind him.

 

[PokerBlade]

I know some on here are still fans of Clough and he did do a better job than Adkins but I'm so glad I don't have to hear the horrible quote of "you start with a point, make sure you don't lose it" anymore.

Whatever happens this season, what we have seen in terms of consistent entertainment and genuine positivity (not just saying the word but acting on it) is a world away than anything we saw under the previous two managers. With a smaller budget too.

Agreed, I also think it's one of those things that easier said than done. One win and two losses is the same as drawing three, but I bet one manager would have a far easier time giving post match interviews than the other. And there's a lot to be said about being hard to beat, it's just that my preference is for being hard to beat by dominating possession at their end of the pitch than by playing dull low risk low reward miserable football

 

[Ricky]

Whatever happens this season, what we have seen in terms of consistent entertainment and genuine positivity (not just saying the word but acting on it) is a world away than anything we saw under the previous two managers. With a smaller budget too.

Away from home in particular.

I said straight after the Gillingham game that we're going to be well worth following away from home this season, and how right that's turned out to be.

Today was only our second away clean sheet - yet we have the best away record in the league. That says it all.

Then at home our dominance is very pleasing to watch. I'm not taking that for granted in the slightest - just think how many bang average teams have come to Bramall Lane and matched us or bettered us in the previous 4 seasons.

 

[HolmesfieldBlade]

He is tactically a very astute manager. He doesn't just set his side up and watch the game. He manages to out think the opposition managers every time. And by making clever, informed decisions about what's actually going on, on the pitch.

 

[northsomersetblade]

Just worth taking a moment to reflect on what we would be saying if that move had broken down and they had raced up the pitch and stuck one in, just saying, God knows I've seen it happen enough times, feet on the ground at all times is good fellow blades. I am super impressed by cw and what he has done though

 

[Edinblade]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Chris Wilder is our Brian Clough in that he'll take this club further than we could ever have dreamed.
This could just be the best or even better than the John Harris era.

 

[JJ Sefton]

I wasn't their but maybe the fact Peterborough were going for the draw helped his decision

They had enough about them to nick one. They had some good set piece positions which they did weird things with.

 

[dronny_blade]

He's the only manager we've had for a long time who would've really gone for the win at 0-0 - certainly in the manner he did.

O'Shea came on for Duffy for a start - like for like positionally.

But then he also brings Lavery on. With 3 attacking players already on the pitch it'll surely be for Hanson or Sharp..... nope. He takes Lafferty off, goes 3 up front and moves J'OC to left back. So we have 3 strikers on and an attacking midfielder in O'Shea. In a difficult away game against a side with plenty of quality.

That is complete and utter commitment to winning the game. He couldn't have been much bolder with the changes he made. And he got his just rewards. As he will at the end of the season when he gets us promoted.

Isn't it great to have a manager like this?

Great post...and exactly why we are top of the league and we are not football league managers! I'm confident saying that not 1 of the 4K magnificent Blades fans there today would have made those substitutions...live and die by those decisions and bloody hell what a manger we have...proud to be a Blade

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

What underpins decisions and outcomes like today is Wilders total understanding of everything SUFC. As a fan,player and now manager. His interviews exude calm rationality coupled with the demeanour of a man comfortable in his own skin and at one with the needs and expectaions of HIS clubs fanbase and how those needs and expectations have been lacking for so long. He has felt our pain and his methodical and meticulous approach is all geared to bring what the club and fans crave;on field success achieved with a marriage of the commitment and drive of the players along with more than a modicum of skill and panache.
Wilder has all the attributes necessary to take us a long way. He is wedded to the club. It's in his DNA.
I'm completely onside and behind him all the way and back.