Chris Wilder details outcome of top-level Sheffield United transfer talks with key January window on horizon
Chris Wilder details top-level Sheffield United transfer talks with key January window on horizon
Chris Wilder has been left enthused by the conversations he has held with Sheffield United’s board about the plans for a crucial January transfer window that cannot come soon enough for his side. The Blades are counting down the days until the chance to reshape their squad and turn around their fortunes this season.
Things started to look up after a much-improved display that should have generated more than a point from a goalless draw at home to QPR yesterday while his side also avoided shooting themselves in the foot by conceding avoidable goals, an issue that has plagued their recent results.
But United are still some way off where Wilder wants them to be and go into the international break still marooned inside the Championship relegation zone, ahead of the Steel City derby against Wednesday next time out.
Wilder held talks with chief executive Stephen Bettis in the lead-up to the QPR game about the direction that United will take in January, and says he’s enthused by the feedback coming the other way.
“There has been that conversation. I’ve said all along that the attitude towards me coming back [three months after being let go by the owners COH Sports] says a lot about them, and how they want to conduct their business in January.
Chris Wilder details top-level Sheffield United transfer talks with key January window on horizon
“It’s not going to be a wrecking-ball approach to it but we need to improve, and we'll do it in our way. And I'm sure that I'll get the backing that I need going into a really key, important window.”
United are still feeling the after-effects of a disastrous summer window that saw them lose a number of key, experienced players and replace them with loan and permanent players who have failed thus far to have the impact required.
The Blades have no focal point in attack after the sale of Kieffer Moore to Cardiff City, missing out on former striker Oli McBurnie to league rivals Hull City, and also have young Femi Seriki as the only recognised right-back at the football club.
“There have been recruitment meetings right the way through,” Wilder added, “and I think it's easy to point fingers and apportion blame on where it's at, and why it hasn't gone the way maybe everybody would have liked it to have gone.
“But that's in the past and we have to get on with it. There are recommendations from coaches and myself in terms of where we need to improve. Players going out, players coming in, and hitting the ground running in January.
“Because there’s going to be half a season left. We've got to just try and improve the performances on the pitch, which I think are at an okay level, statistically. Ultimately, we lost three games on the spin and we've not won in four, which is not good enough from our point of view.
“When you don’t get the numbers everybody wants you to get, you get hit by it negatively and then you get criticised when you do hit all those numbers but you don't get the most important thing, which is three points. So trying to get that balance right is obviously the aim.”