‘Chris Wilder head loss factored into Sheffield United sack decision’
Chris Wilder has not helped his own case with some of his antics as he faces the sack at Sheffield United.
Following the Blades relegation from the Premier League last season, they will have been aiming to win an immediate promotion from the Championship during the 2024/25 campaign.
Ultimately though, they would fall just short in their attempts to do that. After a third place finish in the regular season, Sheffield United were beaten 2-1 by Sunderland in the play-off final at Wembley.
That cost the Yorkshire club a place in the top-flight, and it now looks as though it will have significant implications for their manager as well.
Chris Wilder set for Bramall Lane exit
In the wake of that play-off final loss, Football Insider reported that Sheffield United were considering sacking Wilder this summer.
Now, an update from The Telegraph has stated that the club’s new owners COH Sports are expected to dismiss the 57-year-old after they missed out on promotion, despite only signing a new deal last season.
Having previously managed the Blades between 2016 and 2021, Wilder returned to Bramall Lane in 2023, but his second spell with the club now appears set to come to an end.
In this eventuality, his exit from Sheffield United may well have been influenced by some of his recent eye-catching outbursts in the heat of the moment.
Sheffield United pressure told for their manager
As the Blades fought for an automatic promotion spot towards the end of the regular season, their manager did find himself in the eye of the storm.
After a 2-1 defeat back in April, Wilder was involved in a clash with several Plymouth Argyle players, after reacting angrily to their celebrations as they looked to avoid relegation.
Meanwhile, despite a 3-0 win over Bristol City in the first leg of their play-off semi final, the Sheffield United boss still launched a furious tirade over the decision to disallow another goal for his side.
In the circumstances, it could make sense if those extreme moments from Wilder have contributed to his sacking.
For starters, those could prove costly for the club, both in terms of fines, and suspensions on the pitch – if his players are dragged into it or touchline, that could make it harder for them to pick up positive results.
Beyond that, there will also be a concern that sense of chaos and lack of control under pressure could trickle down to the Sheffield United playing squad as they looked to their manager for guidance.
If that was to be the case, it may then make it harder for them to keep their own heads and respond in the right way when they find themselves up against the wall in key matches.
Some would argue that has already proven to be the case, with Sheffield United players clashing with their Burnley counterparts at full time after the Clarets beat the Blades to secure promotion back in April.
As a result, it may not just be results, but also the behaviour of Wilder and his team to them, that may have contributed to apparently being dismissed for a second time at Bramall Lane.