Sheffield United are considering sacking manager Chris Wilder following their failure to earn promotion from the Championship, according to Football Insider.
The 57-year-old rejoined the Blades in December 2023 with the club sitting bottom of the Premier League. He was unable to salvage their top tier status but was tasked with an immediate bounce back this season.
United were embroiled in a three-way race for the title for the majority of the season alongside Leeds United and Burnley. However, despite amassing 90 points, they finished third, 10 points behind the top two.
Their play-off campaign started well. Drawn against sixth-placed Bristol City in the semi final, they won both legs 3-0 to earn a place at Wembley. They found themselves up against Sunderland, who were looking to end their eight-year stay outside the Premier League.
Wilder’s side took the lead in the 25th minute through Tyrese Campbell in what was a relatively comfortable first half but were unable to build on their early dominance. Eliezer Mayenda bagged the equaliser for the Black Cats with 14 minutes remaining before Tom Watson secured the victory in the fifth minute of added time.
Wilder’s Job Under Threat
According to reports, the failure to earn promotion may prove costly for Wilder. It is claimed that owners COH Sports are considering his position, despite only extending his contract to 2028 in January.
The Blades won just two of their last seven league games to fall out of the automatic promotion race. It is said that this has been taken into account amid fears that the former Middlesbrough boss isn’t the right man to take the team forward.
Failure to return to the Premier League has also cost the club around £200 million, whilst they are now at risk of losing key players ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. This includes midfielder Gustavo Hamer, who is attracting interest from Everton and Leeds.
A decision on Wilder’s future is set to be made within the next week.
Writer’s View
Sacking Wilder would be an incredibly harsh decision, but it shows the cut-throat nature of the game. Missing out on promotion was a huge blow and and big disappointment considering how dominant they were at times throughout the season. Racking up 90 points is no mean feat, but it is the same tally in which Leeds achieved last season, who then also lost in the play-off final. The Whites stuck by Daniel Farke, who then guided the club to the Championship title a year later. Sheffield United would be well advised to do the same.
