Sheffield United: After drawing with Manchester United, the planning continues

Some of the details emerged via social media when a picture, designed to showcase their meeting, was published on HRH Prince Abdullah bin Musa'ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's Instagram page.
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder watches his team play Manchester United: Danny Lawson/PA Wire.Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder watches his team play Manchester United: Danny Lawson/PA Wire.
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder watches his team play Manchester United: Danny Lawson/PA Wire.

The aide behind the camera captured Sheffield United's owner and manager Chris Wilder perfectly. Unfortunately for them, a whiteboard outling the summit's agenda, was visible as well.

But having returned from Dubai where the get-together took place, Wilder has chosen to fill in some of the gaps. The talks, which took place inside one of the emirate's most opulent hotels, also focused on the need to negotiate a new contract for John Lundstram and, intriguingly, the 52-year-old's desire to see United's academy upgrade its status.

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"Forward planning, the January (transfer) window and end of the season," Wilder said. "Those were the things we talked about. Planning, contracts, targets and improving Bramall Lane for the experience of the supporters.

"Also the academy and ambitions to move to category one. There's all sorts of things which happen at a football club, not just what takes place on the pitch."

Although his primary focus remains on the Premier League - United finished yesterday's game against Manchester United sixth in the table - Wilder has also made it plain he wants to retain an influence other other aspects of the club's operations.

With Jan van Winckel, Prince Abdullah's advisor and a former assistant manager of Marseille, also present at the get-together, Wilder's comments will be interpreted by some as a reminder that he does not want his authority elsewhere to wane. After guiding United from the third to the first tier of English football in the space of three seasons, Wilder recently showcased the extent of his powerbase by overseeing an overhaul of their youth development programme; including the appointment of Jack Lester as academy manager. Vastly experienced and well-connected, van Winckel is expected to have an input into United's future masterplan. But the Belgian, who also serves as technical director of the Saudi Arabian FA, displayed an understanding of diplomacy too when, aware of how many fans regard his presence, he elected not to attend Prince Abdullah's official unveiling in September.

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A lifelong United supporter and former player, Wilder said: "I've not demanded but I've had the ability to have my fingerprints on what we do. That is important to me and valuable to the football club, because of my past, my connections and the way I manage as well.

"We've talked long and hard about the training ground and lots of other things. There was a whole host of topics that we debated and talked about."