Proving anybody wrong or right is way down the order for Chris Wilder at Sheffield United
Alan Biggs on Chris Wilder and his determination “to deliver” for Sheffield United
Chris Wilder is determined to “reward” the people who sacked him by leading a Sheffield United promotion charge next season.
Well, that’s the most eye-catching way of framing the Blades boss’s end of term pledge to this column.
The other way is that he’s desperate to repay them for bringing him back - and that’s the way Wilder himself prefers to look at it.
Overriding everything is that United is “his” club since boyhood and I doubt he’s ever been more desperate to succeed.
In the manager’s eyes, proving anybody wrong or right is way down the order of the latest Bramall Lane reset. Reflecting on his highly controversial, and certainly misguided dismissal of a year ago, Wilder tells me: “I don’t think anybody would have expected it but that’s the way the game is.
“The owners made the decision and they were brave enough to ask me to come back. And they put their money where their mouth is and supported the club in terms of the players coming in.
“So I don’t think any criticism should go towards them. I really appreciate the faith that they’ve put in me and the coaching staff to get it back to where it should be. And I’m incredibly determined and driven to deliver for them - but most importantly to deliver for the supporters and the club.”
Notice the order of that but also the lack of any bitterness.
Wilder was certainly well supported in the January window and events on the field from there were arguably an under-performance.
But you have to look at a season in the round. Given the way the season started, mid-table is a respectable finish.
Was it a top six squad? Given a whole, normal season, I think it should have been close.
Given that next season, with shortfalls repaired, it should be a realistic aim.