Sheffield United's transfer window recruitment at least has the right man making the calls

Somebody at a football club has to be the driver of transfer business. It might as well be the most experienced football person.

Which you’d think would be blindingly obvious. Except that in this particular business it is far from routinely the case. But not - fortunately - at Sheffield United. Fortunately most of all for the club.

The wheels can fall off without it. And they have. Witness last summer’s own goal of a strategy for staying in the Premier League Which is why Chris Wilder’s job, and thankfully it appears his remit, stretches far beyond reinvigorating the team as a fighting unit.

That part of it has been practically done already, albeit evidenced more by performances than results. Bringing clarity and cohesion to the club’s transfer business, applying foresight to whichever division United are in next season, is the more vital bit.

It’s also where Wilder, reunited with a trusted long-time recruitment chief in Paul Mitchell, can be at his best. No-one gets between those two - no “sporting director”, no meddling board member - and nor should they.

It comes across to me as a key part of the deal for Wilder - who has made it defiantly clear he will be hands-on - retaking the reins. There is an understanding on it. Without complaint about funding or lack of it.

Everyone knows money is tight. Not a problem for the Blades manager in return for knowing the score and being trusted to wheel and deal solutions. That is what is happening in this window and you’d want it driven by football specialists rather than movers and shakers behind the scenes.

One of the biggest reasons why Wilder’s move to Middlesbrough did not work out is that they failed to do due diligence on each other. Wilder thought he was being appointed because of the success of his previous modus operandi. Boro assumed he would bend to their ways by being more of a head coach.

The beauty of his move back to Bramall Lane is that both parties know the ways of each other from previous misadventure. They have reverted to what worked before the split. In return, I’d expect Wilder to take full responsibility in public for the success or otherwise of the club’s dealings.

Financing is a separate issue that won’t go away if United are to become competitive in the highest echelons. But at least it’s comforting to know that, unlike at many clubs these days, the man answering the media’s questions is the one doing the moving and shaking.