"It’s happening" - Sheffield United: Chris Wilder contract talk hailed as Leeds United & Burnley namedropped | OneFootball

We asked our Sheffield United fan pundit whether it's the right call to give Chris Wilder a new contract

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...

The decision to enter talks with Chris Wilder regarding a new contract at Sheffield United has been backed by FLW's Blades fan pundit, with the 57-year-old putting the club in contention to win automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Wilder, who led the Blades to two promotions during his first stint at the club, took over from Paul Heckingbottom in December 2023, putting pen-to-paper on an 18-month deal which is set to expire at the end of the season.

While he couldn't prevent the club from being relegated to the Championship, he's built a very competitive side despite limited finances and has them in the mix for automatic promotion.

The Star have reported that the Blades' new owners, COH Sports, who are led by Steve Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, have been impressed by what they've seen from Wilder's side this season and will offer him a new deal this month.

We asked our Sheffield United fan pundit, Jimmy - Blades Ramble, what he thought about the decision to extend Wilder's contract, and it's clear that he's delighted by the call, and both Burnley and Leeds have been name-dropped as a comparison that they have more depth than the South Yorkshire outfit do - with Wilder proving a point that he's doing a better job with less resources.

Speaking to Football League World, Jimmy said: "It’s absolutely the right call to give Chris Wilder a new contract.

“Look what he has done with the squad. We have accrued more points than anybody else so far this season. Our squad doesn’t have nearly the same amount of depth as Leeds United or Burnley, it’s an absolutely unbelievable job that Chris Wilder has done.

“It’s happening again. He’s capturing that lightning in a bottle and if it ultimately ends in promotion, which we’re clearly hoping for, or even if it doesn’t, he has been absolutely brilliant for this football club.

“When you first came back, he needed us maybe slightly more than we needed him because of his reputation at that time, but he has more than justified his appointment and long may it continue with Chris Wilder at the helm.

“There is no man I’d rather have leading us more than Chris Wilder.”

Sheffield United renewing Chris Wilder's contract is an absolute no-brainer

Some supporters may have been sceptical about the decision to bring Wilder back in December 2023, but so far it's proved an excellent call and the 57-year-old has brought back the feel-good factor to Bramall Lane.

It's an easy win for the new owners to renew Wilder's contract, and had they chosen not to it would be a baffling call which would have upset supporters and likely unsettled the playing squad who are clearly behind their manager.

Wilder led the Blades to a top-half finish in the Premier League during the 2019/20 season, and while things didn't go to plan the following season, he's shown he can manage in the top-flight as well as the Championship.