What Chris Wilder has said to Sheffield United supporters after second Blades sacking | OneFootball

Former Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has opened up about his departure from Bramall Lane.

Former Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has written an open message to the Blades supporters since his sacking, admitting his disappointment that he couldn’t get the club back into the Premier League.

The 57-year-old was relieved of his duties on Wednesday following the Yorkshire outfit’s failure to gain immediate promotion back to the top-flight, being edged out by Sunderland in the play-off final at Wembley.

There had been previous rumblings that the hierarchy were considering Wilder’s future in the Blades hotseat, and now a decision has been taken as the club look to begin preparations to attack the upcoming season.

Sheffield United have since appointed former Hull City boss Ruben Selles in a rather eyebrow-raising move, with the Spaniard taking on the massive task of attempting to deliver immediate success in the Steel City.

Since Wilder exited the club for a second time, he’s penned an open message to supporters reflecting on his two stints.

Chris Wilder reveals disappointment but pride from his time in the Sheffield United dugout

Posted from Sheffield United’s X account, Chris Wilder wrote a detailed message to the Blades faithful following his sacking, revealing his pride at managing the club over 300 times but also the anguish of narrowly missing out on promotion just three weeks ago.

Wilder’s message read: “It is with great regret that my time at Sheffield United has come to an end.

“I’d like to thank Stephen Bettis and Prince Abdullah for bringing me back to the club and giving me the opportunity to rebuild the team and take this great club forward.

“I’d also like to thank all the staff at the club, everyone behind the scenes that you don’t often see, and, of course, the players who put in a monumental effort last season, it has been a pleasure working with you, your desire and commitment was unquestionable and I have no doubt you will have great success in the future.

“To the fans, I’m obviously disappointed to be leaving, particularly because we were so close to getting back to the Premier League. I’m a Sheffielder through and through, I love this club and this city and that feeling will never change. I depart with some cherished memories and feel proud to be talked about in the same manner that special Sheffield United managers are remembered – leading this team over 300 times will remain an incredible part of my life. This is a heartfelt thank you for all your support.

“Lastly, I’d like to wish Steven Rosen, Helmy Eltouky and the board all the very best moving forward.

“Up The Blades!”

Sheffield United, Chris Wilder call is an almighty gamble to make

There is sure to be a lot of shock and anger that Sheffield United have taken a decision such as this to sack Chris Wilder, and few could have predicted Ruben Selles would be the next man to enter the hotseat.

Wilder managed to accrue 92 points across last season’s Championship term, bettered only by the astonishingly consistent levels shown by Leeds United and Burnley to reach 100 points.

In seasons gone by, that total would have been more than enough to seal a top two place, so it does leave people from the outside understandably wondering why Wilder wasn’t given one more season to finish the job, particularly when the likes of Leeds United and West Brom have managed to bounce back to the top-flight at their second attempts.

Instead, it’s now a massive gamble to take on Selles, who has no previous experience of guiding a team towards the top end of the Championship table. While he narrowly kept Hull City in the division, he didn’t show enough to warrant owner Acun Ilicali building the future of the club around his tenure, with it a wait-and-see situation to see if the Spaniard can keep the Blades’ PL ambitions alive.