"Phone doesn't stop - Sheffield United man issues defiant transfer message amid growing fan concern
Assistant manager Micky Collins insists Sheffield United's coaching staff are blocking out the transfer speculation surrounding Bramall Lane, while revealing Chris Wilder's phone "doesn't stop" as he works to strengthen his squad.
Sheffield United’s coaching staff remain confident that they will have the squad at their disposal to push for promotion next season by the time it kicks off, with boss Chris Wilder “working as hard as he can” to secure the reinforcements needed to keep pace with the rest of the division.
The Blades travelled to Spain after Saturday’s friendly draw at Chesterfield with Romelle Donovan as the only confirmed fresh face from last season’s squad, after a raft of departures.
Even Donovan only arrived as a direct replacement for Andre Brooks after he was sold to Norwich City, with a number of key positions Wilder and his staff had already identified still waiting to be filled.
One, on the left wing, could be plugged by the former Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo, who is free to leave Norwegian club Brann just months after signing from Rangers. But United still need a right-back and at least two central defenders before the window slams shut on September 1.
They are also keeping tabs on the free transfer market for potential goalkeeping options and have compiled lists of other targets should any more of their key players, such as Gus Hamer or Sydie Peck, be prised away this summer.
Assistant manager Micky Collins and new coach Phil Jones were on media duties after the goalless draw at Chesterfield, rather than boss Wilder. It was a pre-planned move to put them up to the local media, and had nothing to do with the latest off-field controversy surrounding the owners earlier in the week.
And, when asked about transfers, Collins said: “That is one for Chris. I think you're always looking to strengthen the squad where possible. So in simple terms, yes, of course. But our job at the moment is to keep doing the work with the lads that we've got and keep pushing. Making sure that the message is going across nice and clear.
“We’ll get the work in, both from a physical point of view and from a football point of view. Beyond that, as I say, it's down to Chris and the club. There's a lot of talk. I see it. I see it with a lot of other clubs as well.
“There are names banded about and we've just basically, as a group, said: ‘Let’s just get our head down, focus on what we do day to day. Don't worry about any noise outside of it. And what will be, will be.’
“Chris is working very hard to make things happen. He's very busy, his phone's not stopping at the moment. He's working as hard as he can. And I'm sure that the fans will see over the next two, three, four, five weeks, changes if they're going to happen. But up to that point, we just crack on with what we've got, as I said.”
Many of United’s Championship rivals once again pushing the boat out financially, in the hopes of reaching the Premier League, with United target Lewis Dobbin undergoing a medical at Southampton ahead of a £9m move from Aston Villa.
Asked how important it was for United to assemble a competitive squad, to try and achieve their ambitions next term, Collins replied: “Yes, and we believe we will have. We believe that we've got the hallmarks of that. When we looked at last season, it was very clear for everybody the areas that we needed to improve in. And that's all we've done.
We haven't come in and all of a sudden there are 10 bullet points on a board and it has to be this, this, this and this. The lads were shown a presentation on the areas that we think we need to really push in and improve.
And if we do, we'll be competitive. And everything else alongside that, bodies coming in, etc, will just take care of itself. And we'll run with whatever we have.”