“Most ill-judged soccer prediction of the season”

This letter sent to the Star was written by Tony Meggitt, (Blade since 1949), Sheffield, S17
Chris Wilder manager of Sheffield Utd at Bramall Lane, Sheffield. Picture credit should read: Simon Bellis/SportimageChris Wilder manager of Sheffield Utd at Bramall Lane, Sheffield. Picture credit should read: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Chris Wilder manager of Sheffield Utd at Bramall Lane, Sheffield. Picture credit should read: Simon Bellis/Sportimage

The Sunday Times published an article on December 1 which was headlined ‘Sheffield United are my tip for the drop’.

Written by Rod Liddle, it was the most ill-judged soccer prediction of the season.

And we do not even have to wait until May.

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Only two months on from the publication of this article, the Blades have not only already secured their Premier League status for next season, but currently sit fifth in the Premier League league table - putting them in a possible qualifying position for European competition in three months’ time.

I look forward every Sunday to reading Mr Liddle's controversial articles in the Sunday Times.

However, my advice to him would be ‘stick to what you know’, for predictions of this nature are likely to undermine his CV.

He obviously has absolutely no understanding of the club's chief coach, Chris Wilder's, managerial methods.

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Winning four LMA manager of the year awards throughout his progress from League Two to the Premier League, since 2016, was sufficient evidence for pundits to understand that Chris – with mega support from his assistant Alan Knill - has been the most successful English manager in recent times.

He has developed a unique style of play that confuses most opposing teams and many experts that boast of their knowledge of football.

Unprecedented in the history of the game, and on a shoestring budget, Wilder's phenomenal achievement may already have resulted in the board currently considering a further commission of the sculptor to produce a figure to stand between Derek Dooley and Joe Shaw, in the Bramall Lane stadium car park off Cherry Street.

A wise chairman, though, may keep his patience until Chris Wilder's “Freedom of the City” is confirmed.

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