Ruben Selles has been appointed Sheffield United manager following Chris Wilder’s dismissal.
Just over a month after losing his job at relegation-threatened Hull City, the Spaniard is again in charge of a team that was in the Premier League two seasons ago and nearly returned to it last season.
When Selles learned about the chance, he stated, “It was a no-brainer for us to join a club with this kind of history and with a mission to move forward and try to be even more competitive.”
He took charge of a game against his new team last season, just after the new owners came over. The Tigers came away from Bramall Lane with a surprising 3-0 victory over Wilder’s side, who were in with a good chance of winning automatic promotion to the top tier.
| Sheffield United vs Hull City (24/01/25) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sheffield United | 0-3 | Hull City |
| 61 | Possession (%) | 39 |
| 3 | Shots on target | 5 |
| 0 | Big chances created | 1 |
| 1.27 | xG | 0.38 |
| 3 | Saves made | 3 |
| Source: Sofascore | ||
It was the only occasion United’s new owners, COH Sports, would have seen their new manager live and in action, and it would undoubtedly have left an impact on the Americans.
Ruben Selles gained the Sheffield United job by merit.
According to Lee Hendrie, Selles’ new employment was not gained solely on the basis of this result. While that may have helped his case, the Sky Sports pundit believes the 42-year-old’s work with Hull, as well as his tenure with Reading before that, earned him the role at Bramall Lane.
“I don’t think it’s got anything to do with the result,” Hendrie told Football League World about the impact of the March fixture on the Blades’ ownership choice.
“I believe it’s simply his personality type and what he’s done to advance, and they see a lot of crucial components that will propel them forward next season.
So I wouldn’t attribute that to Hull’s 3-0 victory against Sheffield United last season. “Obviously, it would have helped, but I believe they see the overall issue, which is why he was hired. They consider him as Chris’ heir.
“So, there’s nothing to the result. I just think he has a lot of promise, and he’s been targeted and spoken about for a long time, which is why they appointed him.”
Hull City’s 3-0 victory over Sheffield United did not highlight the greatest aspects of Ruben Selles’ club.
It would be remarkable if COH Sports chose Selles based on just one game, given Hull’s poor performance. They were fortunate with a terrible offside call, which might have saw the Blades tie the game at 1-1 if the linesman had not raised the flag. Wilder’s team was a little wasteful, while Selles’ players made the most of their few half-chances.
The Americans may have remembered that the loss prevented them from reaching the top of the table, but they had led the league at other periods during the season, so that moment was not very memorable.
With Selles, they should expect high-energy, pushing football. That was not on full display that evening at Bramall Lane.
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