Following Sunderland’s play-off loss, Chris Wilder acknowledges Sheffield United’s “negativity” on social media.
You didn’t have to be an expert on Chris Wilder’s past or his connection to Sheffield United to know how hurt he was following Saturday’s loss to Sunderland in the play-off final. The pain was evident on his face as he discussed the day’s events with local reporters around 90 minutes after Tommy Watson’s game-winning goal in the 95th minute propelled his team to the Premier League.
Any manager would be infuriated to lose after leading for seventy-five minutes of the match, but Wilder’s relationship with this team—as a lifetime supporter, former player, and now manager in his second stint—will have been even more painful. He takes tremendous satisfaction in his role as manager of the Blades, but he also has a lot of responsibility. The current plan is to take some time off with his loving family before returning later in the summer feeling rejuvenated and ready to play again.
For Saturday’s final at Wembley, nearly 100 representatives and associates of the COH Sports group, which took over the Blades from Prince Abdullah last summer following a drawn-out takeover process, flew into London. Later on Saturday night, the group’s key players spoke with Wilder.
Speaking on Talksport over the weekend, Wilder stated, “I thanked the owners last night because they put on a bit of a gathering and were very supportive.” “And even though he knew we had to go again, United CEO Stephen Bettis was really supportive of our efforts this season.
“The proprietors have been really encouraging. Their remarks last night meant a lot to me, and they did a fantastic job supporting me in January. They have the long term in mind. We didn’t accomplish our goals, so it’s a tiny bump in the road, but we’ll try again. Every low has its highs, and maybe we’ll be talking about something new next season.
Wilder admitted to some “negativity” on social media in the same interview, but the owners’ support of him appears to reflect that of most United supporters, particularly after a season in which the team set a club record with 92 Championship points despite a number of well-documented difficulties in the summer after being relegated from the Premier League.
Tyrese Campbell’s goal at Wembley gave them the lead, and it appeared as though their season would end in a memorable way. However, Harrison Burrows’ second goal was disallowed due to a VAR check, which changed the tide of the match, and Sunderland scored twice in the last 20 minutes to win promotion. Eliezer Mayenda and Watson then scored one of his last goals as a Sunderland player before joining Brighton & Hove Albion later this summer.
As we reported earlier in the season, Wilder’s efforts during the ongoing takeover uncertainty impressed Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, the leaders of COH Sports at the time before bringing a number of business associates into the group running United. As a result, they rewarded him with a new contract towards the end of January, which will last until at least the summer of 2028.
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