“Completely different...” - Chris Wilder’s welcome Sheffield United vow as key ingredient highlighted in big rebuild
“Completely different...” - Chris Wilder’s welcome Sheffield United vow as key ingredient highlighted in big rebuild
Chris Wilder is convinced that his Sheffield United side “will look completely different next season” when he has had the benefit of a full summer to work with his players and prepare them for the rigours of a Championship campaign. The Blades boss was robbed of that luxury last year, when he was dismissed following defeat in the play-off final.
But United’s owners quickly abandoned the disastrous experiment of Ruben Selles and went back to Wilder in September, since which point the Blades’ form would have them a lot closer to the top six than they currently are.
Even the returning Wilder was caught by surprise at how a big job he faced in turning around a group of players whose confidence and belief levels had dropped through the door and to go into the final 10 games of the season with the play-offs still a mathematical possibility is testament to the job he has done, considering they were rock bottom of the league.
And even if they do fall short this season, having given themselves an almighty handicap at the start of it, Wilder is determined to ensure that his side return stronger next time out. Pre-season is huge,” he said ahead of this afternoon’s trip to Birmingham City.
“Completely different...” - Chris Wilder’s welcome Sheffield United vow as key ingredient highlighted in big rebuild
“Not having pre-season with this group was huge. It'll look completely different next season when that opportunity arises for me to take hold of the group and put in place what I need to put in place.
“To be physically robust for the division, to be athletically good enough to go and press teams like we have done at our best. To continually do that, not to make physical substitutions like we're having to do at this particular moment. It's pretty difficult, because of the intensity and the schedule of the Championship.
“I can't just go and shut the place down for three or four weeks and have a mini pre-season. So, yeah, it'll look different, and I think all the players understand that and recognise that it's going to have a different look to pre-season next time.
“But physically, the way the game's going and what we're asking these players to do, they have to be at it and produce physically good performances in and out of possession.”