Chris Wilder's honest admission over Sheffield United future after conversations with Blades' new co-owners
Chris Wilder's honest admission over Sheffield United future after conversations with Blades' new co-owners
Chris Wilder has insisted his own Sheffield United future is “not important” as he prepares to enter the final six months of his current Bramall Lane deal. The Blades boss is under contract at his boyhood club until next summer, with that situation one of a number of pressing matters in the in-tray of new owners Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy.
They are understood to have been impressed with the way Wilder has steered the ship since relegation last season, guiding the Blades to joint-top of the Championship at the halfway point after winning more games and points than any other side in the second tier. Only a two-point deduction at the start of the season denied Blades an outright top spot after 23 games but there is plenty more work to do in the second half of the campaign, especially with United’s threadbare squad stretched even thinner by a succession of untimely injuries.
Wilder was scheduled to meet Rosen and Eltoukhy again earlier this week for an in-depth chat about their January recruitment ambitions, having grabbed a few short meetings with the Americans both before and after their £105m deal to buy the Blades from Prince Abdullah was finally completed just before Christmas. “They’ve not been long conversations,” Wilder admitted.
“Ten minutes before the Sheffield Wednesday game, 20 minutes [before Boxing Day’s defeat at home to Burnley.] I’ve been kept informed by [chief executive] Steve Bettis and I thought the statement the new owners put out nailed everything that we want to be.
“We want to be ambitious and obviously strive to get into the Premier League, but there are a lot of clubs who are striving to do the same. We’ve had a decent start and I think they recognise the good work that’s gone on. I’m sure that they’re here to run the club in the best way possible and be good custodians.
“There are a lot of good things happening there and a reason why they want to get involved. Hopefully they’ll work alongside everybody to drive it forward.”
Asked if the uncertainty over his own future could potentially affect United’s bid for an instant return to the Premier League, Wilder replied: “No. Listen, I can’t control any of that. I just get up every morning pretty early, and go home pretty late, and work as hard as possible to serve the football club. My position is not important. It’s part of where the club wants to go and wants to be in the short, medium and long-term.
“I’m happy to work here. I’ve really enjoyed my time so far and I think that shows in terms of what we’re trying to achieve with young players coming through, the results and the performances. You can’t win all the time, but we’ve got a good group which is going in the right direction. I think everybody – most importantly the new owners – recognise that.”
On whether he’d be happy to wait until the future for his future at Bramall Lane to be decided, Wilder admitted: “Well, it’s out of my control isn’t it? It’s up to other people to decide that. I’ll just keep getting up every morning pretty early and going home in the evening pretty late.”