FootyChatter.com

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 but lost to Sunderland in 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 left in March 2021 with relegation inevitable. He had spells with Middlesbrough and Watford before returning to Bramall Lane in 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 a two-point deduction because 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 Sports was 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 another defeat 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. Latest Sheffield United news, analysis and fan views Get Sheffield United news sent straight to your phone Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser Liverpool host Bournemouth to open Premier League season Premier League fixtures - find out your club's schedule British veteran Evans given Wimbledon wildcard How safe are funfair rides? How a 1930s Hollywood star became the 'mother of Wi-Fi' Claire Foy’s family tree reveals a Victorian accusation of murder The team are back to look at this week’s news Premier League fixtures - find out your club's schedule England U19s fight back from 5-1 down to draw with Germany - highlights. Video England U19s fight back from 5-1 down to draw with Germany - highlights What can we expect in the WSL transfer window? 5 Live Sport: All About. .. Audio5 Live Sport: All About. .. 'Hope you get cancer' - Boulter shares her online abuse with BBC 'Horrifying' - BBC Sport's Croft on online abuse in tennis. Video'Horrifying' - BBC Sport's Croft on online abuse in tennis Le Mans win proves injury doubters wrong - Kubica F1 Q&A: Should Mc Laren have allowed Norris to pass team-mate Piastri? Nair's long road back to India team, via Northampton Man City start new era - but how might Guardiola's side look? In Pictures: Sporting photos of the week 'Woakes return more important than ever to England' Chelsea play in front of 50, 000 empty seats - apathy or bad scheduling? 'What's eating Rory? ' - will US Open prove reset point for Mc Ilroy? Summer transfer window reopens - who could be on the move? How does new captain Gill compare to India batting greats? Four issues facing Australia before Ashes Duplantis breaks men's pole vault world record for 12th time. Video Duplantis breaks men's pole vault world record for 12th time How to follow Queens & Nottingham across the BBC Ask Me Anything, the BBC Sport service designed to serve you Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.