Sheffield United have been urged by former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie to avoid sacking manager Chris Wilder following their failure to earn promotion.
The Blades spent the entirety of last season embroiled in a three-way battle for a top two finish alongside Leeds United and Burnley. They suffered a poor end to the campaign which saw them fall away at the wrong time, with their rivals both finishing on 100 points.
United dropped into the play-offs as a result and were the favourites to obtain the final spot in the Premier League. They finished on an impressive 90 points, 14 ahead of fourth placed Sunderland.
Chris Wilder’s side breezed through the semi final stage with a 6-0 aggregate win over Bristol City. They came up against Sunderland in the final, but it was the Black Cats who enjoyed success courtesy of a 95th minute winner from the outgoing Tommy Watson.
Sack Reports Refusing To Disappear
News emerged at the end of last month that owners COH Sports were considering Wilder’s future. These have intensified over the past 24 hours, with respectable journalists Miguel Delaney and John Percy both indicating that the end is near for the 57-year-old.
It’s a decision that would baffle Sky Sports pundit Hendrie though. Speaking to Football League World, he claimed it would be a ‘massive blow’ for the club to part company with the former Middlesbrough boss:
“I think this would be a massive blow for the football club, I’m not going to lie.
“I think what Chris did last season, he all but got them a promotion. He’s been away from the football club, come back to them. He’s rejigged things, he’s changed formation, so he’s not one-dimensional. He has got different solutions in his locker that can certainly change games.
“I just think that they were really unfortunate [last season]. They had a two-point deduction, and they were still in the thick of the promotion race to the Premier League, so I do think that, personally, they should stick with him. I know that he’s very well liked by the squad. You add to what they already have and I think that they’ll be strong again next season.
“I’d be pretty disappointed if they went elsewhere and looked to bring someone else in, because I think Chris wears his heart on his sleeve and he’s a very good manager. You can see how enthusiastic he is and how much it means to him.
“I’d be sticking with Chris, there’s no doubt about that.”
Writer’s View
Hendrie’s thoughts echo many, who would be shocked to see Wilder given the boot after the season they just had. He has had to contend with point deductions and a rebuilding of a squad which were deflated following an exceptionally poor Premier League season. To combat that and keep pace with Leeds and Burnley is a testament to the job he did. He is perhaps a victim of his own success in that respect and there’s little doubt that losing to a team who finished 14 points below them in the regular season was a big disappointment. However, that’s play-off football. Changing guard wouldn’t guarantee success next season and they’d be well advised to stick with Wilder for the time being.
