Just over three months after his surprise sacking in June, Chris Wilder has returned for a third spell in charge of Sheffield United, following the short-lived and unsuccessful reign of Ruben Selles.
The Spaniard lasted just five Championship games, losing every one of them before the Blades board pulled the plug. Now, with six defeats from six games, and the club rooted to the foot of the table, Wilder returns to a squad in crisis — but perhaps not without hope.
Former Sheffield United striker Dean Saunders — who played alongside Wilder and later managed against him — believes the club were wrong to part ways with him in the first place.
“Six games gone and they’ve not won yet. They were harsh to sack him in the first place,” Saunders said in an exclusive interview with BestBettingSites.com. “The advantage for him now is that he knows the club. He’s a Blades fan.”
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Wilder’s connection to the Blades
Wilder’s connection to Sheffield United runs deep. A local lad, a supporter, and a man who’s already brought success to the club, including promotion in 2019 and an extraordinary ninth-place Premier League finish in 2020/21 — their highest since 1991/92.
But football is unforgiving. After the heartbreak of losing the Championship play-off final to Sunderland in May, the club opted for change. That decision has backfired in the most painful way possible.
Now, Wilder returns not as a saviour with momentum behind him, but as a firefighter, tasked with stopping the rot and stabilising a team already losing touch with the rest of the division.
His first game back, a 1-0 home defeat to Charlton Athletic, was further evidence of how far the side has fallen in just a matter of months.
Tomorrow, they face Oxford United away — a match that suddenly carries far more weight than anyone could have imagined at the start of the season.
Still, Saunders believes Wilder has the tools and the personality to turn things around.
No-nonsense
“I played with him, and I managed against him. He’s no-nonsense, but he was a good footballer and he’s a good manager,” Saunders explained to BestBettingSites.com.
“He could get stuck in and that’s how his teams play. He will expect the side to be committed, being solid, and defending properly.”
It’s that blend of grit and tactical innovation that helped Wilder make waves during his first stint in the Premier League. Saunders remembers it well:
“He’s no fool. He was one of the first managers to have central defenders in a three and getting them to step out ahead of the wing-backs. In the Premier League, people struggled to figure it out, and he deserves praise for that.”
However, this isn’t 2019, and the current situation demands a more pragmatic approach.
“I think for now he will want to calm things down, even if they have to grind out some nil-nils,” Saunders adds.
“Let’s get some points on the board, some clean sheets, and then start moving up the table.
“I think with six games gone, it’s too late to be targeting promotion.”
Wilder, more than anyone, will know that sentiment only goes so far. Results are what count now.
His reappointment may be tinged with nostalgia, but it’s the hard work ahead — starting tomorrow at Oxford — that will determine whether Sheffield United can salvage anything from this dismal start.
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