Roy's View From Social Media: Pre-season 25/26

Roy is back... truth is he never left.

Andrew Hague - Blades Pod/Who Remembers Podcast

Following the Blades’ play-off final defeat to Sunderland, most Unitedites were fully expecting manager Chris Wilder to still be in the dugout come August. After all, the 24/25 season had seen Wilder take his boyhood club to 3rd in the Championship, collecting 92 points in the process, and only saw promotion slip away at Wembley with a heartbreaking injury-time winner from Sunderland’s Tom Watson. United really couldn’t have gone closer to bouncing back to the Premier League at the first attempt, and it was widely accepted that Wilder would be given the chance to go one better next season…

…Then the rumours started. At first, it was just a few people hearing a few whispers that Wilder’s future was uncertain. Then Football Insider claimed that the Blades board could be set to sack Wilder. This led to an initial flurry of speculation before it all died down within a few days. Nah, nothing in this…

It were Deadbat from’t Tufty Club who restarted the rumour mill. The legendary Blades match reporter and one half of the Tufty Club podcast revealed in a post on the S2 forum that he had been told Wilder had been sacked, and that former Hull manager Rubén Sellés would be taking his place in the dugout. A couple of days later, Jimmy from The Blades Ramble did an impromptu live video after he too had heard from sources that Wilder was gone. Within hours, more established media sources were also reporting that Wilder’s position was under threat.

Confusion reigned. Some believed it, some didn’t want to believe it.

Suddenly, everybody knew something about what was going on in the boardroom at Bramall Lane.

As more and more people began claiming that Wilder was set to be fired, arguments naturally ensued. On one side, we had the people who believed Wilder’s record from the previous season should be enough to see him given another shot at leading United.

On the other side, people were giving reasons why it was time for a change.

Battle lines were being drawn. The fanbase seemed totally split about whether getting rid of Wilder was the right thing to do. The tension was so big that even holidays were being ruined.

After days of speculation, major media outlets began reporting that Wilder had indeed been relieved of his duties and that Sellés would be installed as his replacement. Even though there had yet to be an official announcement, it was now an open secret that the United board had made their decision.

When confirmation finally came through that Sellés was replacing Wilder, the main discussion was about how United’s new AI approach to finding players was at odds with Wilder’s more traditional scouting methods. Many wondered whether Wilder’s targets were being rejected by the technology used at the club.

Wilder leaving meant that, for the first time all summer, our city rivals Wednesday had been knocked off the back pages. With the Owls in turmoil, fans from both sides of the divide were pondering how next season’s derby may look.

The AI stuff was just one thing fans were concerned about. Some felt the heart had been completely ripped out of the club following Wilder’s departure, and were worried about what was coming next from our new American owners. On the S2 forum, posters revealed their many anxieties about what the future may bring.

As the dust slowly began to settle, fans began contemplating the fact that the Chris Wilder era at Sheffield United was over. Some, though, were still unwilling to let go.

There is no doubt that Sellés has huge shoes to fill in replacing such a legendary figure. His record will be judged next to Wilder’s all season, and people will expect a promotion charge at the very least. Still, the king is dead—long live the king, and all that.

Despite the managerial change, it’s been an oddly quiet off-season at Bramall Lane. Only two senior players have been signed at the time of writing, with Vini Souza being the only notable departure. In comparison to last season, United are quite settled, even with the new manager. The squad looks thin in certain areas but still comfortably appears to be one of the best in the league.

With all that said, it’s hard to judge just how the Rubén Sellés version of Sheffield United will look. We’re all just waiting for that first game, and there is a lot to look forward to: a new style of play, forging new rivalries, and even welcoming back old faces to The Lane.

Pre-season seems to have gone quicker than ever this time, and the wounds from the Sunderland game still haven’t healed. With a new manager and new board, 25/26 is going to be interesting to say the least. This time next season, we’ll have a much clearer idea about the direction Sheffield United are heading in.

For now, we are entering the complete unknown.

In the words of Paul Heckingbottom: “Exciting, isn’t it?”

UTB