BEVERLY HILLS, March 12, (THEWILL) – English coach Christopher John Wilder of English Premier League side Sheffield United has resolved to leave the club after “major issues” cropped up between him and owner Prince Abdullah.
Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz al Saud is a Saudi prince and founder of the Saudi Paper Manufacturing Company. In September 2013, he purchased a 50 percent stake in English then-EFL League One club Sheffield United and became co-chairman with Kevin McCabe, the English property business man currently overseeing his international business interests from Scarborough, England.
In February 2018, Prince Abdullah entered into negotiations with McCabe to take full control of Sheffield United. That was two years after the 53-year-old Wilder took over at Bramall Lane, which happened in May 2016. Successful stints with Oxford United and Northampton Town earned him the manager’s job at his boyhood club to his credit.
He repaid that faith when Sheffield United won the League One title in his first season, reaching centurion levels with a 100 points in one season in the process. Climbing up was also successful as the Blades finished tenth in their return season in the Championship before they mounted a push for the Premier League in 2018/2019 with astounding success.
Although Norwich City claimed the title, finishing the season as champions, Sheffield fended off the challenge of Leeds United to earn promotion by finishing second in the second tier in a demonstration of the remarkable progress they were having under Wilder.
They entered the Premiership for the 2019/2020 campaign, their first season back in the EPL since 2006/2007. It proved a historic year for the club as they finished ninth in the top flight, their highest league finish since the 1991/1992 campaign.
But, from those lofty heights to current realities, it has been an uncomfortably tough term for Wilder and his Blades team. They are rock-bottom in the Premier League standings after 28 games with only 14 points to show for it. As things stand, it is hard to see how they can amass the 12 points between them and 17th-placed side Brighton Hove & Albion for a shot at safety.
Reports monitored by THEWILL claim that Wilder will leave Sheffield United on Friday as the major disagreements between the manager and Prince Abdullah over several crucial issues like player transfers have become more than Wilder can stomach.
One claim is that the coach was increasingly frustrated that he was not allowed to sign anyone in January, which he believed could have injected fresh legs in required parts of the team, to give them a fighting chance of remaining in the top flight.
Paul Heckingbottom, who has been looking after the Sheffield United reserves (Under 23s) this season, will take temporary charge of the side, ahead of their Sunday, March 14 fixture against Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City.
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