Alan Biggs: Why it's right that Sheffield United take their time over Chris WIlder's replacement

Pretty abnormal, in fact. Not just current events, but the last five years, with all of its extremes, taken as a whole.

Sheffield United have good reason to take their time over finding Chris Wilder’s successor. And not just because it’s imperative to make the right choice, if that’s possible, to replace one of the club’s greatest ever managers.

It’s about the end of that last sentence really. A bit of distance between Wilder’s vexed departure and the next appointment certainly won’t go amiss.

It’s going to be hard enough for the next man without inviting instant comparisons.

And Prince Abdullah’s multi-point critique of Wilder on Sky Sports last week, however benign some may have mistaken it to be, stretched the safety timescale just as the storm was abating.

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It’s fair that the Blades owner wanted to outline his reasons for the split after taking much flak; unfair that Wilder is seemingly unable to put his side under the terms of an apparently one-sided non-disclosure agreement.

Members of the former manager’s inner circle know of plenty of counter points without being at liberty to voice them.

Also, it is in no-one’s interests to re-address the arguments right now, especially the club’s, and that is true for Wilder himself, who wants to move on as much as United do.

Time will not be a great healer in this case if things go awry but it will help to make a new start when the climate is a little cooler, if not more settled.

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It’s also important that whoever gets the job has a fair chance to succeed, which also requires supporters to make certain allowances. The main one being that he is not Wilder.

So, while it will be important to have someone in place for major decision-making on the squad this summer, I think it’s best for Paul Heckingbottom to fill the breach until the end of the season.