According to Chris Wilder, Sheffield United should be “nowhere near” the promotion places.
Wilder was speaking following the Blades’ 1-0 home defeat to Leeds United at the weekend.
“We should not be anywhere near. Seriously, we should not be anywhere near,” the United manager told the Sheffield Star.
“We’re getting the maximum amount of the players, the absolute maximum. And they are given the maximum for this football club. But we should not be anywhere near and we shouldn’t have been anywhere near it last year either.”
Wilder criticising budget?
SAKA, ANTONY AND 10 PREMIER LEAGUE STARS HEADING TO THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP
Presumably the reason he thinks the Blades are punching above their weight comes down to budget.
While fellow promotion contenders Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion spent big in the summer and are expected to do so again in January, United only bought one player – John Egan.
(Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images)
It’s no secret that the ongoing battle at board level at Bramall Lane has caused disruption. In April there were rumours Wilder could quit due to the unrest between co owners Kevin McCabe and Prince Abdullah.
“I want to go forward with this club, but I can’t do it all on my own. If it stays the same I don’t think anybody would be surprised if I didn’t question where my career was going,” he old the Yorkshire Post at the time.
Wilder has since signed a contract extension, but problems still remain among the Blades hierarchy.
Clearly the United boss knows that investment will be needed in the New Year if a genuine promotion push is to be made. Perhaps these latest comments are a thinly veiled criticism of the financial backing he has been given thus far.
The Blades remain in the running to go up, but are now six points off leaders Norwich City following that loss to Leeds. Next up is a trip to Reading on Saturday.
