Chris Wilder could get better of Sheffield Wednesday boss once again amid Sheffield United reunion possibility
Chris Wilder could get better of Sheffield Wednesday boss once again amid Sheffield United reunion possibility
He got the better of his rival Danny Rohl twice last season as he achieved an iconic derby double win for Sheffield United - and Chris Wilder could have the last laugh over the current Wednesday manager once more this summer if he beats him to the vacant Leicester City job. Wilder is out of work after leaving his Bramall Lane post last month.
But his record at Championship level has not gone unnoticed elsewhere, with the relegated Foxes understood to be considering an approach as they look to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt. Leicester sacked Ruud van Nistelrooy at the end of last month after a painful 27-game tenure in the Midlands.
Rohl has made no secret of his desire to escape the ongoing crisis at Hillsborough, with the Blades’ city rivals currently under a trio of embargoes for various non-payments and several members of his squad having handed in their notice, triggering a period in which they must be paid the wages they are owed or could move elsewhere for free.
Some of the German’s coaching staff have also left after their contracts expired and the main man could yet secure his desired Hillsborough exit before the start of the new season, with the Foxes job understood to be one on his radar as he looks to achieve his dream of managing in the Premier League.
But if Leicester instead move for Wilder it would be another bitter blow for Rohl after last season’s clashes between the pair, which began with a great deal of mutual respect but then descended after the Blades’ first of two derby victories back in November.
Leicester could yet start the season with a points deduction after previous overspending - a similar scenario to the one Wilder overcame last term at United, when the Blades kicked off on minus-two points but still won 92 and reached the play-off final, where their hopes of an instant return to the top-flight were cruelly ended by Tommy Watson’s 95th-minute winner for Sunderland.
Wilder subsequently was replaced by Spaniard Ruben Selles but could be set for a quick reunion with his former club, with the Blades set to travel to the King Power Stadium on November 29 before the return leg at Bramall Lane on New Year’s Day.