I’D LET GO NOW I WOULD SAVE MY IF I THOUGHT IT Y BELOVED BLADES
Wilder says he can still lead Sheffield United to survival
CHRIS WILDER claims he would quit if he felt it would help his beloved Sheffield United survive.
The Blades boss loves his boyhood club and says he would never put his own interests first. And if he thought their chances of staying up would improve if he was no longer in charge, he’d be gone in a shot.
United have made the worst start in top-flight history but Wilder has received the backing of owner Prince Abdullah.
“I’d only quit if I felt it was the right thing for Sheffield United Football Club,” said Wilder.
“That’s the only time I’d do that and that’s genuine because of what I feel for this football club. The club means far too much to me for it to be about me, it’s about what happens to the football club. It can only be that way for me. Of course, there’s a personal ambition of mine and I want to work at the highest level and be successful.
“But if I felt this wasn’t right, wasn’t right for the supporters and the club, then a conversation would happen.”
Wilder, who has led the Blades from League One to the top fight since taking over in 2016, is not contemplating quitting and remains determined to keep fighting.
The players still believe in him and he felt their battling display in their narrow 3- 2 defeat by Manchester United on Thursday ( below) shows everyone is together.
Wilder wants to build on that by recording their first win at Brighton tomorrow – all he wants for Christmas is three points. The Blades have just one point from 13 games and Wilder said: “I’m working away and, as seen in that performance against United, there is still plenty of heart and spirit here.
“It was competitive and we had to make it competitive. The players needed a big performance because of what happened last weekend at Southampton.
“Now the challenge is to try and take that on against Brighton and try and get a big result.” Wilder believes Blades can still climb out of relegation trouble despite their paltry total.
“We can’t hide away. I don’t like putting the TV on because I don’t like what’s there in front of me,” he said.
“There’s an eight, nine-point gap now and we can’t afford to let that increase. One point from 13 games is not a great return.
“I think we must win a game before Christmas. We have four games in quick succession and we have to take a healthy points total to give ourselves a fighting chance.”