Why Sheffield United sacking Chris Wilder could be good news for Coventry City | OneFootball

The imminent sacking of Chris Wilder at Sheffield United could potentially benefit Coventry City next season.

Coventry City are preparing for another season in the Championship after they were beaten by Sunderland in the play-offs.

Following a poor start to last season, Coventry made the controversial decision to part company with long-serving manager Mark Robins after seven-and-a-half years in charge in November, replacing him with Frank Lampard.

Lampard made an inconsistent start to his tenure, and the Sky Blues sat as low as 15th in the table in early January, but a stunning upturn in form in the second half of the season saw them finish fifth in the table, setting up a play-off semi-final clash against Sunderland.

With the scores level at 2-2 on aggregate and penalties looming, Coventry's promotion dreams were crushed in the most agonising fashion as Dan Ballard's 122nd-minute header won the tie and sent the Black Cats through to the final at Wembley.

While Sky Blues supporters will still be recovering from that devastating blow, the strong form under Lampard after the turn of the year has given them plenty of reason for optimism ahead of next season, and they may be encouraged by news coming out of Sheffield United this week.

Chris Wilder, Sheffield United developments could benefit Coventry City

Sheffield United looked to be in pole position to achieve automatic promotion last term, but a late-season collapse saw them finish in third place, and like Coventry, they also suffered heartbreak at the hands of Sunderland as they were beaten 2-1 by the Wearsiders in the play-off final, despite seemingly being in control of the game with just 15 minutes remaining.

After failing to make an immediate return to the Premier League, manager Chris Wilder's future at Bramall Lane is believed to be in serious doubt, with The Telegraph reporting on Thursday that the 57-year-old is expected to be sacked.

Other outlets have been less definite about the situation, with Sky Sports claiming the Blades chiefs are currently reviewing Wilder's position, with a split among the board about whether he should be given the chance to stay on next season.

In addition to the disappointing end to the season, it seems that disagreements over recruitment have also created tension between Wilder and the United hierarchy, with owners Steve Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy making a third signing this week using the club's new data-driven recruitment model.

Should Wilder be dismissed by the Blades, it would mean that Lampard would be the only manager from the three clubs who failed to gain promotion through the play-offs last season to remain in his post, with Liam Manning's decision to swap Bristol City for Norwich City earlier this month leaving the Robins searching for a new boss.

A number of the sides who fell just short of the top six have also made managerial changes this summer, with Ryan Mason replacing Tony Mowbray at West Bromwich Albion, while Rob Edwards, Steve Cooper, Danny Rohl and another unnamed candidate are said to be in the frame to take over at Middlesbrough after the sacking of Michael Carrick.

Frank Lampard stability could give Coventry City a huge advantage next season

If Sheffield United part company with Wilder, it would certainly be a controversial call given that he led them to a 90-point season last term, which would have been 92 had they not received a two-point deduction.

The implementation of a data-based recruitment strategy could help to make the Blades a more forward-thinking club and take them to the next level, but it comes with big risks, and there is no guarantee that it will be a successful policy.

Of course, United's prospects for next season will depend on who they appoint as their new manager, but many would view the change as an unnecessary gamble, creating upheaval and instability when it was not needed, particularly as Wilder only signed a new long-term contract in January to keep him at Bramall Lane until the summer of 2028.

Having a high-profile manager like Lampard in the dugout inevitably attracts greater attention, and Coventry will likely have to deal with speculation over his future next season if he continues to do well, just as they did when he was linked with Southampton in April.

However, for now, Lampard seems firmly committed to the project at the CBS Arena, and after having to contend with the departures of key players such as Gustavo Hamer, Viktor Gyokeres and Callum O'Hare in recent summers, the Sky Blues will be able to go into next season with a much more settled squad in comparison to the three-relegated clubs and last season's beaten play-off finalists.

That could potentially allow Coventry to make a strong start to the season, which is something that has proven to be a challenge over the past few years, and with many of their promotion rivals adapting to life under new managers, the Midlands outfit may be able to steal a march early on.

With the transfer window yet to fully swing into action and a number of managerial positions still vacant, it is difficult to make too many concrete predictions at this stage, but the Sky Blues look to have an excellent chance of being among the promotion front-runners in the Championship next season with Lampard at the helm.