Chris Wilder - In The Manager's Office #5: Part 2 | The Sack Race

Part 2 of The Sack Race's Manager of the Decade special. This is In The Manager's Office: Chris Wilder.

Key sections:
0:17 - Nearly joining Charlton Athletic
01:24 - Joining and winning promotion with Sheffield United
04:35 - Chris Wilder describes his management style
06:17: - Where Chris Wilder's inspiration came from
07:23 - Relationship with Alan Knill and backroom staff
10:37 - Post-match drinks with opposition manager
12:20 - Presenting Chris Wilder with Manager of the Decade trophy

Extract from The Sack Race's website (link below):

After leading Northampton to the title in 2016, Wilder turned down an offer from Charlton in order to return to his beloved Sheffield United as manager - after the Blades swooped in at the last minute following the departure of Nigel Adkins.

In the space of three-and-a-half-years Chris Wilder has galvanised Sheffield United. Reconnected the club with the fans and led the Blades from League One up to the top 6 of the Premier League*. (*At time of writing)

Let’s not forget the individual honour he received, after he scooped the LMA Manager of the Year award (2019) ahead of a certain Pep Guardiola.

One particular area that Chris Wilder has thrived in is the recruitment of players, which can often make or break a manager. John Fleck, David McGoldrick and Enda Stevens were all snapped up on free transfers, George Baldock and John Lundstram were both purchased for under £1m, while Ollie Norwood was a snip at £2m.

But it’s not just Chris Wilder's keen eye for a player that has proved exceptional, but his ability to improve players and encourage them to reach their potential, with the likes of Fleck, Jack O’Connell and Chris Basham progressing up the league ladder with Wilder; from the third-tier to the glitz and glamour of the English Premier League.

So what is Wilder’s secret?

“It’s the whole package, the people I work with are very well respected and work very hard at their jobs. There’s Alan Knill and my coaching staff, then Paul Mitchell and the recruitment.

“We’re not a chequebook football club. We have to work hard and look to see who fits in from a lot of aspects. We’re a football club that tries to improve football players on a Monday to Friday, through coaching and every other aspect.

“If you don’t sign good players and they don’t fit into your system, or they’re not the right people from an attitude or character point of view, then you’re going to fail. We don’t always get it right but we’ve had to get a lot right.

“I think the players deserve an enormous amount of credit as well. They’re the ones that have to take in the information which we give them to help them improve their game, and they then put into practice on a match day. I’m very proud of them.

“You don’t get prizes for spunking money! The key is to get value for money out of the players and maximize your budget.”

Read the full exclusive story only on The Sack Race: https://www.thesackrace.com/news/23rd-january-2020/chris-wilder-exclusive-my-journey-from-sunday-league-to-taking-sheffield-united-to-the-premier-league
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Chris Wilder - In The Manager's Office #5: Part 2 | The Sack Race