Sheffield United weigh dramatic return for Chris Wilder just 87 days after his sacking
Club bottom of Championship after six straight defeats under Ruben Selles as reports say Wilder could be asked to return
Sheffield United are exploring the possibility of reappointing Chris Wilder as manager just 87 days after he was sacked, amid mounting pressure following a disastrous start to the Championship season under Ruben Selles.
Ruben Selles, who replaced Wilder in June, has overseen six league defeats from six matches and a run of four games without scoring. The Blades were thrashed 5-0 by Ipswich on Friday and sit bottom of the Championship, a sequence of results that has intensified calls for change at Bramall Lane and, according to reports in the Sheffield Star and Daily Mail Sport, prompted the club to open talks about a return for Wilder.
Wilder, 57, left the club following a play-off final defeat to Sunderland. He concluded that season with 90 points from 46 Championship matches despite a two-point deduction related to missed transfer payments, but was dismissed days after the final. Sources have told media outlets that the idea of bringing him back is a genuine possibility, though no formal appointment had been confirmed.
Born and raised in South Yorkshire, Wilder is a club figurehead who enjoyed notable success at Bramall Lane. He twice served as manager and twice as a player for the Blades, famously guiding the team from the third tier of English football to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League in 2019-20. He was dismissed during their slide back toward relegation the following season.
The club’s internal landscape has shifted repeatedly in recent years. Long-standing chairman Kevin McCabe lost a power struggle with co-owner Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad al Saud, who later sold the club in December to an American consortium led by Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltouky. Wilder was reappointed during Prince Abdullah’s tenure but was then dismissed by the new American owners last summer amid disagreements over recruitment strategy. The incoming board has pursued an AI-driven approach to football operations, sources said.
Reports indicate the split between Wilder and the American ownership was amicable, and that Wilder would seek written assurances about control of recruitment and managerial autonomy if asked to return. It is understood the club is conscious of his status among supporters and of the risks of another managerial upheaval so soon after last summer’s changes.
Supporters have expressed frustration publicly since the season began, and the heavy Ipswich defeat has further inflamed discontent. The club did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the reported discussions. Representatives for Wilder declined to comment through the usual channels when contacted by local media.
If Sheffield United were to reappoint Wilder, it would be a swift reversal of the decision taken in the close season and the latest episode in a period of rapid turnover both on the pitch and in the boardroom. Any move would also raise questions about the influence of the club’s current executive leadership and its stated approach to recruitment and performance analysis.
For now, the situation remains fluid. The club faces an immediate fixture list that will test whether Selles can arrest the slide or whether United’s hierarchy will pursue the reported U-turn and risk further instability in search of a quick reversal of fortunes.