Sheffield United owners told to avoid Chris Wilder sack - there is "no better man" | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit has been discussing the future of Blades boss Chris Wilder following the club's play-off final loss to Sunderland.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sheffield United are licking their wounds following their dramatic Championship play-off final defeat to Sunderland at Wembley Stadium.

It was a match that the Blades had control of for large parts of the afternoon, with Tyrese Campbell's smart finish after 25 minutes still being enough to send United to the Premier League with 15 minutes of the game to play.

However, an Eliezer Mayenda equaliser on 76 minutes was followed up by a precisely placed low-drive from Tommy Watson five minutes into added time at the end of the game.

Blades also had a contentious offside decision go against them in the first half, as Harrison Burrows' volley to double United's lead was chalked off after VAR ruled that Vini Souza intefered with Black Cats keeper Anthony Patterson's line of sight, preventing him from making the save.

Wilder himself admitted post-match that this defeat was going to take a long time for everyone involved with the club to get over, as the reality of another season in the second tier dawns on them.

"Certainly" - Claim made on Chris Wilder's Sheffield United future after Sunderland play-off final loss

We asked our Sheffield United fan pundit, Jimmy (aka Blades Ramble): 'Do you think Chris Wilder is the right man to try and lead the promotion push next season for Sheffield United after losing in the play-off final, or is a change needed?'

Jimmy said: "It's understandable that Chris Wilder is being questioned in terms of should he be the man to lead us forward.

"People have questioned some of his tactics, people have questioned the mentality of the side; when in big games this season, when it has really mattered, we've unfortunately not got over the line.

"However, this man has led a rebuild, or the start of a rebuild into this season, where we lost 20 players in the summer. We had a two-point deduction, he's brought in seven or eight first-team players - they haven't all worked, but the majority have done really well.

"The assets and the value that he's brought into the football club with signings like: Michael Cooper, Callum O'Hare, Harrison Burrows, Tyrese Campbell.

"The development of players like: Sydie Peck and Femi Seriki. Ollie Arblaster was a really unfortunate situation. Not only that, we've beaten our arch rivals twice this season - bragging rights for the city.

"The ultimate one is that we won 92 points on the pitch. We finished on 90 points, but we won 92 points on the pitch. In any other season, that would get you automatic promotion.

"Had that been the case, had two teams not been better than us by getting 100 points this season, nobody would be having the conversation about Chris Wilder.

"So, certainly for me - and this is just my opinion on the matter - other Blades may disagree, but I certainly think that there's no better man to lead us into next season, and continue the rebuild that he started so well, than Chris Wilder."

Chris Wilder has surely banked enough Sheffield United credit to feel his Blades job is safe

Having taken Sheffield United from League One all the way to a ninth-placed finish in the Premier League in just four seasons during his first spell in charge, Wilder has taken the club to some of their biggest heights in modern times.

It was only in January that the 57-year-old penned a new long-term contract extension, which will see him contracted as Blades boss until the summer of 2028.

This was an evident display of trust and confidence in the club's future under Wilder's stewardship, and not only that, it would surely mean sacking him this summer would cost the club a significant amount of money in compensation.

2024/25 was also an unprecedented season in the Championship, with it being the first time that two clubs have reached 100+ points in a single English league campaign.

Therefore, in many respects, Sheffield United were unlucky not to win automatic promotion this past season, with undoubtedly the bigger frustration being their inability to earn a place in the Premier League via the play-offs given the quality in their team.

However, Wilder is a proven winner at Championship level, and given his obvious passion, love and committment to the club, many Blades fans will surely be standing steadfast behind him to remain in his post for the 2025/26 campaign.