I have to say I have been impressed by Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder since the Blades promotion to the Premier League. I have sung his praises in the past, but that was based on watching some of his interviews and a handful of games. It was enough to show me that Wilder was a very good coach and could definitely cut it at Premier League level.
A good all-round coach
If you read anything or listen to anything that former players have said about Wilder, everything seems to point to him being a very good coach. Despite his managerial apprenticeship coming in the lower and non-league, he is not a long ball merchant, even if he does like to keep it simple at times.
His players and ex-players seem to adore Wilder. What really comes out in interviews is just how good a man-manager he is. Maybe he has honed his skills or maybe it just comes naturally to him. Whatever it is, it seems to work very well at every level.
While Wilder is a good coach, he is not afraid to ask others for advice and not too stubborn to change things when the team is not playing well. His best quality for me, though, is his sheer honesty. He always seems to be honest after matches, win, lose or draw. That is a rare quality amongst Premier League bosses.
One of the favourites for the Everton job
As an Evertonian myself I find the prospect of Chris Wilder as my teams boss an interesting one. The former Northampton boss is now joint-second favourites alongside Jose Mourinho at odds of 15/2.
From his point of view, I would not even consider the Everton job if I was him. Obviously, in terms of finances and history, the Toffees are a step up from the Blades. However, the Everton current squad of players seems to be a mess.
He would need all of those renowned man-management skills to drag their confidence up from off the floor. It would be a major challenge and it would be a gamble to leave his club at this stage of his career. Wilder is Sheffield United through and through. He is living the dream in Yorkshire.
If he moved to Merseyside it could be more of a nightmare for him, attempting to drag a bit more out of a supposedly talented squad. It is all academic anyway, as Everton have a boss in Marco Silva. However, that might not be for long if the team continues to struggle.
Wilder can establish United in the Premier League
The marriage of Chris Wilder and Sheffield United seems to be the perfect one. He loves the club and everybody at the club seems to love him. The former Halifax boss may not enjoy that sort of relationship elsewhere, although he was, of course, popular with the fans at his other clubs.
A return to the Premier League was always his ambition when he took over at Bramall Lane. He has managed that objective and the next step is to establish the Blades as a Premier League club once again.
Sheffield United kicked off the season as one of the favourites to suffer relegation. The Blades are no longer amongst the three favourites to suffer the drop. The team from steel city have certainly shown their mettle in the top-flight.
Chris Wilder is doing a fantastic job with the Blades and the signs are there that he will continue to do so. It is fantastic seeing an English boss doing such a good job in the Premier League.
It seems to be only the begging of Wilder’s time as a top-flight boss. One day a chance to major a bigger club than the Blades may come along. However, judging by his feelings for the Yorkshire club, he may well turn down the opportunity to carry on managing the club he loves.
Where will Sheffield United finish in the Premier League table?
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