'That's football?' Chris Wilder's Sheffield United legacy is worth more than that

For all the furore, it won’t be long before Chris Wilder’s crazy departure from Sheffield United is shrugged off and helplessly filed under “that’s football.”

Which is just as terrifying for the game as a whole as the decision itself.

The last time that file was opened at Bramall Lane was when Wilder left the first time - and that didn’t work out too well, did it? Initially at least.

The problem with the “that‘s football” trope is we become conditioned, submissive and immune to the whims of modern club owners over things that, at face value, make absolutely no sense.

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Like Wilder being awarded a new deal to summer, 2028, less than five months ago. So what? That’s football.

Like being judged to have failed after a season of near total rebuild that started with recruitment only half completed. So what? That’s football.

Like being condemned ultimately on one football match that had a freakish one-off element to it. So what? That’s football.

Like new owners wanting their own man in, no matter the quality and suitability of the current incumbent. So what? That’s football.

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Like a takeover of the AI recruitment model when it had virtually nothing to do with United spending three of the last five seasons in the Premier League and nearly making it four in six. That’s football.

I’d put Wilder’s departure even more firmly in that basket than the last time in 2021. The reasons then were clear and logical, a breakdown with the board.

This time, no personality issues as far as I’m aware. Which makes it all the more bizarre that newly installed owners, COH Sports, would preside over the departure of one of Sheffield United’s most successful ever managers.

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And yet it’s no huge surprise, which again smacks of the ludicrous after the Wilder-led turnaround of last season which was never expected initially to achieve promotion and only fell short by one game.

Effectively, Wilder was sacked whether he was sacked or not. The deafening silence from the board across nearly four weeks since Wembley as good as smoked him out.

Appalling treatment of anyone. Terrible PR, albeit that having multiple investors will have complicated it.

The central issue in Chris Wilder’s exit

A central issue was that COH Sports have wanted to dilute this popular and successful leader’s proven methods and replace his recruitment ideals with the spearhead switch to AI.

The appointment of replacement Ruben Selles, as more head coach than the “manager” title, points to confirmation of this - alongside an anticipated director of football with board adviser Des Taylor thought to be among those in the running.

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Again, that’s football. As to whether it’s foolish only time will tell. But it had better not be.

There will be plenty of reminders of what the club has jettisoned when so much was so right.

Sheffield United owners’ decision is destruction rather than innovation

Of course, you expect and welcome a degree of innovation from new owners. Otherwise what’s the point? But not what appears to be destruction on this scale.

You could say it’s “that’s football” for Chris Wilder as well. But Sheffield United means a bit more to him than that.

And a whole lot more than to anyone who walks in his shoes.

No-one’s saying the club can’t succeed in spite of all this. Football moves on quickly, memories are short.

But it’s a mighty hard act to follow when, in my opinion, it didn’t need to be even attempted.

Will the Blades win promotion next season? I’d have said a very good chance. Now I very much doubt it.

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