Chris Wilder needs return to winning ways but Sheffield United fans also have to be patient

All managers need results to sustain them. Chris Wilder, for all his previous success, is no different. And he will know his recent record, including fleeting reigns at Middlesbrough and Watford, needs bolstering.

Wilder has also owned one relegation from the Premier League at Sheffield United and now part-owned another, not that he or Paul Heckingbottom could have done much about it. But the Blades’ redevelopment as a club, including its infrastructure, must come first and it’s clear he is buying into that amid expensive off-field investment.

Outside of which, the club would not have had three seasons in the Premier League, and the lifesaving infusion of cash that came with it, had Wilder not done all the spadework to dig that gold. So it’s more than right that he has the opportunity to do it all over again, as I think most fans recognise.

There are differences this time, though. The starting bar is higher, the Championship rather than League One. And unlike the desperation to finally escape the third tier that accompanied Wilder’s arrival in 2016, the emphasis this time is on retrenching the club as a strong second tier outfit for starters.

It should not be a case of promotion or bust (unlike last year under Hecky) and I reckon Prince Abdullah’s board is right to realign the priorities. For instance, money that could have been used to buy players is going towards a new first team training complex. There’s also been the purchase of land at Bramall Lane to facilitate stadium improvements plus the scheduled reopening of the hotel on one corner. All of which will cut no ice against sequences of poor results on the field. But it absolutely should be factored into expectation levels.

You can’t have it all ways. A far-sighted approach off the field demands a far-sighted approach on it. Wilder will gear everything towards challenging at the top end of the table next season, even with a tight budget, and it’s fair to argue his career needs it. But if you view the club as a whole, and the sacrifices made to put it on a firmer footing, promotion could be a two or three year job. And the only meaningful point about returning to the Premier League is to do so from a position of greater strength. No more wing-and-a-prayer flyovers!

Besides, the Bramall Lane faithful are in a mood to appreciate the Championship as never before, disillusioned as many are with the Premier League. But they’ll expect their team to be competitive, to win more than they lose. Mind you, just winning will be a joy rediscovered. And don’t forget the minus two point start. However impatient he is - and he is by nature - Wilder will doubtless hope most supporters can understand both the breadth of the task and the delicate balance required to accomplish it.