Latest news with #Selles
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Will Blades live long and prosper?
It's Sheffield United, Jim, but not as we know it. The red and white half of the Steel City is set for a fascinating 43 days between now and kick-off in the new Championship season. When the Blades face Bristol City at Bramall Lane on 9 August, a new chapter – heralded by the club's American owners – will begin in earnest. Advertisement For now the dust is beginning to settle on a seismic change for which tremors will undoubtedly be felt for weeks, months and years to come. It's been a busy and dramatic six months since COH Sports acquired Sheffield United. Chris Wilder was quickly given a new three-and-a-half-year contract. United claimed a club record 92 points but missed out on automatic promotion in the final few games. They then lost the Championship play-off final having led with 15 minutes to go before Wilder eventually departed by mutual consent, being replaced by Spaniard Ruben Selles. That decision has split the Blades fanbase, with social media exposing extreme opinions on both sides of the argument for and against change. Boyhood fan and former player Wilder will always be a legendary figure at Bramall Lane. He achieved this status in his first spell when he took the club from League One obscurity to ninth in the Premier League, but he deserves more credit than he has received for his second spell, including last summer's rebuild in the wake of relegation from the top-flight, with a significant turnaround of players, and the protracted takeover which continued until late December. Advertisement At Wembley in May he stood on the brink of achieving something no other manager in the club's history had achieved: three promotions. It will always sting that he came so close for Wilder, his players and the club's supporters. But a significant number of Blades fans took issue with performances last season and the club's style of play, while questioning the success of recruitment in January and the near £450,000 in fines paid over player and staff conduct. Whatever motivated the decision to act, the Blades board has acted, and in doing so, they have thrown their full weight behind former Hull City and Reading boss Selles. Their claim that he "can employ innovative recruitment and analytic strategies" is key - relating to the owners' eagerness to use data and artificial intelligence to "recruit the best and brightest talent", which is central to the intrigue about how the Blades squad will take shape under Selles, who says he will have the final say on transfers. Advertisement How many existing players will be able to deliver the intensity that the Spaniard demands? Will some Wilder regulars find themselves sidelined? Will data-driven arrivals be in the majority or minority, as opposed to "seen it, done it" Championship players? United's new board is seeking "sustainable success" and says "the road ahead may require patience", but having come so close to a Premier League return last season, patience may be in short supply if the Blades aren't in the mix for automatic promotion from an early stage. It's a brave new enterprise at Bramall Lane, with Selles tasked to boldly go and establish the Blades as a regular top-flight club.
Daily Mirror
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Sheffield United name new manager just 45 minutes after Chris Wilder axe
Chris Wilder's Sheffield United exit was confirmed on Wednesday after the Blades' Championship play-off final defeat and his successor has already been confirmed Sheffield United wasted little time appointing their new manager after Chris Wilder's exit. Just 45 minutes passed between Wilder's departure being announced and Ruben Selles being confirmed as his successor. Selles arrives just weeks after leaving his post at Hull City. The Spaniard kept the Tigers in the Championship on the final day but that wasn't enough to keep him in a job. It is a fourth job in English football for Selles, who previously held coaching roles in countries including Denmark, Azerbaijan and his native Spain. He spent a few months at Southampton in the 2022-23 season, failing to keep them in the Premier League, and spent the best part of 18 months at Reading before his Hull stint. "When we first heard about the possibility of coming here, 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," Selles told club media. "This is a very powerful and ambitious project. It was very important at the start of the conversations that everyone is on the same page. "We need to embrace data and new technologies, but the most important thing is not to forget the football essence. I think we are capable of delivering a good model and optimise our performance by using all the tools that we have. He continued: "Our identity is always very clear. We want to be aggressive, we want to make things happen. So, the fans can expect a team which is not going to wait or be reactive, we will be proactive, we are going to go and try and be as competitive as we can in every single game. If we can do that then we'll give ourselves a very good chance of winning games." Sheffield United finished third in the Championship under Wilder last season as they tried to bounce straight back up to the top-flight. They overcame Bristol City in their play-off semi-final but fell short against Sunderland in the final thanks to a late Tommy Watson winner. Wilder, who was managing Sheffield United for a second time after a stint between 2016 and 2021, sent the club his best wishes for the future. He also reserved some words for the club's fanbase in a smessage shared on United's website. "To the fans, I'm obviously disappointed to be leaving, particularly because we were so close to getting back to the Premier League," he said. "I'm a Sheffielder through and through, I love this club and this city and that feeling will never change. "I depart with some cherished memories and feel proud to be talked about in the same manner that special Sheffield United managers are remembered - leading this team over 300 times will remain an incredible part of my life. This is a heartfelt thank you for all your support." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Even Watford are laughing at us' - Hull fans have their say on Selles departure
We asked you what you made of the decision to relieve Ruben Selles of his duties, despite guiding Hull City to Championship safety on the final day of the season. Here's a selection of responses from Tigers fans. Chris: City, and Ilicali, need to get things right for next season: recruit a manager with experience of the Championship, recruit the right players - quality over quantity, release/sell the expensive underperforming players and then allow for a sustained period of stability. Success takes (a long) time in football. Den: I would have given him 10 games to see how it panned out with signings in this transfer window. The owner needs to stop the merry-go-round with managers and let a team gel and get used to his style of playing. Scott: Tells you something when the Watford fans are laughing at you. Another promising young manager sacked by Acun. He needs to be careful, he can soon go from "hero to villain" and is already losing fans. John W: Teams today want instant success. I think Ruben was doing ok, he achieved Championship survival which was clearly the aim and I believe with a bit of backing (money wise) he could transform Hull's fortunes. He did superbly at Reading and I believe given more time would have done alright at Hull. It's a very tough and demanding league. Whoever gets the job next will need financial backing. Good luck in your next position Ruben. Stephen C: Should have given Selles more time. To enable him to produce his own squad. They need to appoint a manager with EFL experience and not some inept foreigner. Stephen: It was on the cards - after last season coming seventh the owner made his views clear that he was aiming to be in the Premier League. Regardless of the problems that the team had this season they should have finished in a better position. Greg: Terrible, terrible decision. The best way to ruin a club is uncertainty and for the second year running we will be going into the summer with no identity and nothing to build on. Players can't look at a growing project (eg Selles') and buy into it but instead have to take a punt and that will hurt us in the window. It's a bad blunder and will send us to League One at this rate. Taylor: Three managers in 12 months is shocking for us. Acun needs to have a look at himself and realise that what he's doing isn't benefiting the club. In my opinion, Acun out. David: They should never have sacked Rosenior. Hull City's owners make the same mistakes over and over again, and I don't see that changing. Paul: We needed a change, he kept playing the wrong formation of 4-3-2-1. When he played 4-3-3 we played better and even won. Jon: There was little evidence to suggest improvement was on the way. More of the same was an uninspiring prospect. Change was needed. Ben: He joined in December, and we were bottom three. Was he pretty? No. But at the end of the day we're playing Championship football next season and for that I think Selles deserved the summer and start of next season. I don't know what Acun wants. First Rosenior for "football philosophy" and now this. It's unrealistic, he wants a promotion fast, like the rest of us. But does he think the way to get it is by trying manager after manager until we win the league? Instead of being realistic and building a brand with a young manager we already had in Selles or even Rosenior. Rhys: We uproot the entire management team and playing squad year on year. It's insanity. There is zero stability at the club at the minute and as good as Acun has been for the club he is also everything wrong with it at the moment. Daniel: Deserved a chance to build a team. Forced to make do, hence the style of football but did what he had to do without excelling. John: Once again we are in no man's land. We need an experienced Championship manager and not a foreign import. We missed out not getting Mark Robins in. Watch Stoke city go next season. He knows what is needed. Selles will not be missed, very poor manager. Don't make the same mistake again. Mike: I don't get it. Surely we don't start again with another manager. Who will want the job with the owner's track record? Lots of names out there but please don't give us another Tim Walter. A proven manager would be great but I don't want a dinosaur like Tony Mowbray. Dyche is ok, Potter is ok.... let's see.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hull City part company with head coach Selles
Hull City have parted company with head coach Ruben Selles after six months in charge. The Spaniard, 41, left League One Reading to replace Tim Walter on a two-and-a-half-year deal in December. After an inconsistent season they eventually avoided relegation to League One on the final day of the campaign having secured a draw against Portsmouth. However, chairman Acun Ilicali has chosen to make another managerial change, exactly one year after he sacked Liam Rosenior after they finished seventh in the Championship. "Following a thorough review of football operations after a challenging campaign, the club feels a change in leadership is necessary to move the team forward in line with our ambitions," a club statement said. Assistant head coach James Oliver-Pearce and first-team coach Tobias Loveland have also left the club. Selles had guided Reading to sixth in League One despite their off-field concerns when he left for East Yorkshire on 6 December. Predecessor Walter had been relieved of his duties the previous week after a run of nine matches without a win. Selles claimed his first win as Tigers boss with a 2-1 home victory over Swansea on 21 December to end a winless run of 13 matches. Although they claimed notable results away from home under Selles, including wins at promotion-chasing Sheffield United and Sunderland, they found home wins incredibly hard to come by and ended the season with the worst home record in the division. Defeats at the MKM Stadium by fellow strugglers Luton and Derby meant they went into the final game of the season in the Championship relegation zone. Other fixtures meant a win would guarantee their survival and, although they were pegged back at Fratton Park after Matt Crooks had given them the lead, a point proved to be enough to keep them up on goal difference. After the match Selles told BBC Radio Humberside: "Everyone in the club managed difficult moments and it has been a tough season for everyone and we deserved to stay in the division. "We had a team that was rock bottom and to achieve the target this season with all the injuries and everything else is just massive. "Now it's over and we crossed the line, we can rest a little bit and I told the players that we will remember this day for years to come."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Another uncertain time to be a Hull City fan'
Here we go again! That's how most Hull City fans must be feeling just over five months on from Ruben Selles' appointment and 12 months, almost to the day, since Liam Rosenior's shock departure. And it's why many supporters are starting to feel like they've become the 'new Watford' as the managerial merry-go-round sees another change and another summer of uncertainty for the Tigers. Selles' remit was survival, which he achieved. In doing so, he ensured Hull weren't faced with a huge financial hit that would have had significant implications on a club who reported losses in excess of £60m in the last accounts - a number likely to keep growing. Dealing with a number injuries to key players and possessing a toothless attack where the leading scorer (Pedro) only managed six goals, City survived on the final day on goal difference. A net zero goal difference during his time in charge showed that the Spaniard had managed to shore up a defence that was far too leaky in the first half of the season under the failed experiment that was previous head coach Tim Walter. Under Selles, the team were actually a top-half side in the Championship form table in the latter half of the campaign, managing nine wins - three times as many as they'd registered under Walter. That said, the football at times felt too safe and laborious which could be put down to a lack of trust in their attacking players to be able to score enough if they went behind in games. The final home game of the season against relegation rivals Derby was maybe the performance that signalled the beginning of the end for Selles in the mind of owner Acun Ilicali. It was largely felt the team had been set up not to lose that game when a win would have secured Championship survival with a game to spare and avoided the nervous last-day drama that unfolded at Portsmouth. Despite that, this decision still feels harsh and also appears to be the straw that broke the camel's back for many fans, if reaction on social media is to be used as any sort of credible measuring stick. Ilicali originally won over City supporters by being the knight in shining armour, taking over in early 2022 from the previous regime that had alienated itself from a large section of the fanbase. He's taken some fans on all-expenses paid holidays to his native Turkey, spoken repeatedly about his love for the city of Hull and promoted his 'One Family, One Dream' mantra that is visible around the club. Sadly, his ownership now feels like it's slid into a dysfunctional nightmare and many fans are venting their frustration towards the Turkish businessman with both barrels. Where Hull turn next is the big question. One thing is for sure - a new manager has to be appointed quickly to ensure another summer of uncertainty and poor recruitment doesn't rear its head again like last year. Names such as Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl as well as Russell Martin and Steve Cooper (both without clubs) are being touted among fans. It does feel like it needs an experienced manager with knowledge of the English leagues but it has been suggested to me that Ilicali could be looking internationally again despite previous failed experiments in Shota Arveladze and Walter. One thing's for certain - it's another challenging and uncertain time to be a Hull City fan.
