Chris Wilder sacked as Sheffield United manager after Championship play-off final failure
Failing to guide the Blades back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, Wilder's second stint at Bramall Lane ends after 18 months, having taken over midway through their relegation-doomed 2023/24 campaign.
The Independent understands his dismissal comes following a disagreement over recruitment plans and other issues.
Wilder spent five years at the club between 2016 and 2021, where he led Sheffield United from League One to the Premier League and even to the brink of Europe, finishing five points off the Europa League places in their first season up.
He took his total tally of games managed at the club to 305 during his second spell in charge in the Steel City, rejoining the Blades after stints at Middlesbrough and Watford.
The 57-year-old has now been let go three years before the expected expiry of his contract in 2028.
Sheffield United were part of three-horse race for automatic promotion from the Championship last term, but were pipped to the top two by Leeds United and Burnley, who both finished the campaign on 100 points.
The Blades, meanwhile, ended the normal season on a tally of 92, leaving them a sizeable 16 points ahead of fourth-place Sunderland as they headed into the ever-precarious play-offs.
After dispatching Bristol City over two semi-final legs by an aggregate score of 6-0, they set up a Wembley showdown with the Black Cats, confident that they could emerge victorious in football's richest game.
But after taking the lead in a dominant first-half, they failed to make chances count and would succumb to a dramatic comeback from Sunderland, with Tom Watson firing in a 95th-minute winner to send Regis Le Bris's side back to the top flight for the first time since 2017.
It leaves Sheffield United resigned to another year in the Championship, where they will be expected to join recently-relegated Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton in the race for promotion.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘Cruel way to bow out' – Fans fear England icon, 36, will be forced to RETIRE after suffering horror injury
CHRIS WOAKES is almost certainly out of the Fifth Test against India with a suspected dislocated left shoulder. Woakes, 35, hurt himself fielding and had to be helped off the field at The Oval, before being treated by England medics. 2 2 He went to hospital tonight for a scan on the injury. Fellow seamer Gus Atkinson said: 'It doesn't look great. I'd be surprised if he takes any further part in the game. 'When anyone is injured, it's a big shame. Let's hope it's not too bad. I feel fresh, I feel good and I can push the limits if needed to bowl extra overs in the match if Chris is not able to bowl.' Woakes chased a drive from Washington Sundar, dived to save the boundary and immediately clutched his shoulder as he fell beyond the rope. TV commentators said it looked like he had suffered a dislocation. The medical staff used his short-sleeved sweater as a makeshift sling and walked him back to the dressing room. A spokesperson said: 'Chris will be assessed overnight. There will be an update in the morning.' Woakes is the only England bowler to play all five Tests in the series — but looks unlikely to bowl again in this match. He had figures of 1-46 as India finished a rain-interrupted day one of the series decider on 204-6 after being put into bat. Fans were left devastated after his injury, with one person taking to X to write: "That looked horrible for Woakes. With it unlikely anyway he was going to the Ashes, that could be the end for him in tests. Would be such a cruel way for a great servant of English cricket to bow out." England stars in heated argument with India as Jadeja asks to keep playing until he gets 100 Another commented: "Gutted for Woakes, genuine great guy and would hate to think that's the way his last test goes." While a third said: "That may well be the end of Chris Woakes' Test career. It'll be sad if that's the way it finishes." If Woakes is absent, England will be left with seamers Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton. India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said: 'It was challenging for the batsmen, so that's a fair day for us.'
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Portsmouth sign Swansea's Bianchini on loan
Portsmouth have signed French forward Florian Bianchini on a season-long loan from fellow Championship club Swansea 24, scored three goals in 38 appearances for Swansea last season after joining from French club Bastia for about £2m in August managed only eight league starts in his debut campaign at was brought into the Welsh club to play as a winger, but ended up being deployed primarily as a is under contract at Swansea until 2028.
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Four tries for Burgess as Hull KR thrash Salford
Betfred Super LeagueSalford (6) 12Tries: Sangare, Glover Goals: Morgan (2)Hull KR (34) 74Tries: Davies (2), Broadbent, Sue, Burgess (4), Martin (2), Litten (2), Lewis, Mourgue Goals: Mourgue (2), Martin (7) Joe Burgess scored four of Hull Kingston Rovers' 14 tries as they thrashed depleted Salford to open up a four-point gap at the top of Super winger equalled the club's Super League record for tries in a match as Mikey Lewis came up with nine assists and a try of his own to make it back-to-back wins for the hampered by financial problems and a player exodus this season, suffered more woe this week as another late payment of wages meant some players were unavailable, and their patched-up side was under the cosh from the first Robins were ruthless as they piled on the points to claim their biggest Super League Davies added two tries to take his tally to 99 in Super League, while Rhyse Martin also went over the line twice and kicked his 1,000th point in the competition with seven to follow Salford: Murphy, S. Hill, Whitehead, Warren, Connell, Brierley, Morgan, Ormondroyd, Mellor, L. Lewis, Chan, Foster, Glover, Yates, Pye, SangareHull KR: Mourgue, Davies, Hiku, Broadbent, Burgess, M. Lewis, May, Sue, McIlorum, Waerea-Hargreaves, Martin, Batchelor, MinchellaInterchanges: Litten, Luckley, Tanginoa, BrownReferee: James Vella.
