Chris Wilder was given a three-year contract in January but is expected to be sacked by Sheffield United on Wednesday Sheffield United are expected to confirm the departure of manager Chris Wilder on Wednesday after they failed to secure an immediate return to the Premier League. Former Southampton, Reading and Hull City manager, Ruben Selles, is expected to take over at Bramall Lane after Wilder's departure is confirmed. The Blades finished third in the Championship butlost to Sunderlandin injury time in the play-off final last month. Wilder, 57, was in his second spell in charge of his boyhood team and had been looking to guide them to promotion for the third time. His imminent exit means that of the three teams who failed to go up through the Championship play-offs, only Coventry City will start next season with the same manager. Wilder initially took over at Bramall Lane in May 2016 and guided them to the League One title in his first season in charge. Promotion to the Premier League followed two years later and they finished ninth in their first season in the top flight. However, they struggled badly the following season, and Wilder was sacked in March 2021 with relegation inevitable. He had spells with Middlesbrough and Watford beforereturning to Bramall Lanein December 2023, after Paul Heckingbottom was sacked with the Blades bottom of the Premier League. Wilder was unable to arrest the slide, as they ended the season having conceded 101 goals and accumulated just 16 points. They started last season with atwo-point deductionbecause of missed transfer payments in the 2022-23 campaign but challenged at the top of the division throughout. A long-mooted takeover by American-based consortium COH Sportswas completed in December,and Wilder signed a new three-year deal in January. With seven games to go, they were two points clear at the top of the league. But they then lost three matches in eight days to Oxford United, Millwall and Plymouth Argyle. While anotherdefeat at Burnley- a fourth in five games - condemned them to the play-offs, despite finishing the regular season with 90 points. They cruised into the play-off final with a thumping 6-0 aggregate win over Bristol City and took the lead in the final at Wembley against the Black Cats. A second goal was controversially ruled out by VAR - the only match in the Championship in which the system was used all season - and Sunderland came back to equalise. Then down to 10 men temporarily, with a player off injured and all their substitutes used, Tommy Watson score a 95th-minute winner for the Black Cats. It stretched their wretched run in the play-offs to no successes from 10 attempts and leaves them facing up to another season in the second tier.
Sheff Utd set to replace Wilder with Selles
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"Sheffield United Expected to Replace Chris Wilder with Ruben Selles"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
Sheffield United is set to part ways with manager Chris Wilder after a disappointing season that ended without promotion to the Premier League. Despite being awarded a three-year contract in January, Wilder's tenure is expected to be terminated following the team's failure to secure an immediate return to the top flight. The Blades finished third in the Championship but suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Sunderland in the play-off final, conceding a last-minute goal that dashed their hopes. Wilder, who has a long-standing connection to the club as a former player and manager, had been aiming to lead Sheffield United back to the Premier League for the third time in his career. His departure marks a significant shift, leaving Coventry City as the only team among those that missed out on promotion to retain their manager for the upcoming season.
Wilder's managerial journey with Sheffield United has been marked by notable achievements and challenges. He initially took charge in May 2016, leading the club to a League One title in his first season and subsequently achieving promotion to the Premier League, where they finished a commendable ninth in their debut season. However, the following year was fraught with difficulties, culminating in his sacking in March 2021 due to the team's relegation plight. After stints at Middlesbrough and Watford, Wilder returned to Bramall Lane in December 2023. Although he signed a new deal after a takeover by COH Sports, his second spell was marred by a lack of success, as the team struggled defensively and ultimately fell short in the play-offs. With their defeat at Wembley, Sheffield United extended their notorious record of failing to win in ten play-off attempts, leaving them to confront another season in the Championship as they search for a new direction under incoming manager Ruben Selles, who has previously managed Southampton, Reading, and Hull City.
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