When Sheffield United will decide whether to sack Chris Wilder revealed | OneFootball

Sheffield United are reportedly considering sacking manager Chris Wilder after failing to win promotion from the Championship.

Sheffield United are reportedly weighing up whether to sack manager Chris Wilder after failing to win promotion to the Premier League.

That's according to Football Insider, who claim that the Sheffield United board will made a final decision on Wilder's future in the next week as they review his position in the wake of Saturday's play-off final defeat against Sunderland.

It had looked as though the Blades were on course to achieve automatic promotion, but three consecutive defeats against Oxford United, Millwall and Plymouth Argyle in early April dealt a huge blow to their top two hopes, and they eventually finished the season in third place.

United responded well to that disappointment as they secured a record-breaking 6-0 aggregate victory over Bristol City in their play-off semi-final, but their promotion dreams were crushed as they were beaten 2-1 by Sunderland in the final at Wembley on Saturday.

After a dominant start, the Blades deservedly went ahead in the 25th minute through Tyrese Campbell, and they thought they had doubled their advantage just a few minutes later, but Harrison Burrows' strike was ruled out for offside.

Despite having less of the ball in the second half, Wilder's men still seemed firmly in control of the game, but that all changed when Eliezer Mayenda equalised in the 76th minute, and Tommy Watson won it for the Black Cats in the fifth minute of stoppage time to condemn United to another season in the Championship.

Sheffield United considering big Chris Wilder sack decision

After taking the club from League One to Premier League during his first stint at Bramall Lane, Wilder returned to Sheffield United for a second spell in charge in December 2023 when he replaced Paul Heckingbottom.

Wilder was unable to keep the Blades in the top flight last season as they were relegated with a humiliating total of just 16 points, but after overseeing a big summer rebuild, his side emerged as a serious force in the Championship.

Having spent much of the season in and around the top two, United sat two points clear at the top of the table in early April, but the aforementioned three-game losing run allowed Leeds United and Burnley to steal a march on them in the automatic promotion race.

In addition to the poor results, Wilder came in for criticism for describing the reaction of some supporters to the defeat at Oxford as an "absolute disgrace" and a "joke", while his involvement in a post-match confrontation with Plymouth Argyle players after the loss at Home Park also did not go down well.

The Blades eventually finished the season 10 points behind Leeds and Burnley, but it looked as though they were back on track after their thumping play-off semi-final victory over Bristol City.

However, Wilder's men came up short in the final against Sunderland at Wembley, and the failure to achieve promotion is said to have raised "serious questions about Wilder’s management given the position they found themselves in before a dip in form".

Shortly after taking over at the club, new owners Steve Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy handed Wilder a new long-term contract in January to keep him at Bramall Lane until the summer of 2028, but despite that, it seems they are now considering whether to make a managerial change.

Sheffield United must not rush into Chris Wilder mistake

The Sheffield United hierarchy are understandably disappointed at missing out on promotion, and the manner in which their top two push collapsed is undoubtedly a cause for concern, as is the way they lost the play-off final, despite being in a seemingly comfortable position with just 15 minutes remaining.

There are legitimate questions to be asked of Wilder after the decline in form in the latter part of the season, and the 57-year-old certainly did not handle the pressure of the run-in particularly well, but he still delivered a 90-point season, which would have been 92 if the club had not received a two-point deduction.

If Wilder can lead his side to a similar points total next season, it is likely to be enough for automatic promotion, particularly without sides as strong as Leeds and Burnley in the division, so he deserves the opportunity to stay on at Bramall Lane, but he must make a strong start to the new campaign, otherwise he will find himself under serious scrutiny.