Going Wilder over Clarets

CHRIS WILDER’S indulgence in a touch of managerial flirting has been understandable.

The Middlesbrough boss wasn’t too chuffed to be asked twice last week why he refused to kill off the rumour that he was in for the Burnley job.

At one point, bookies had him odds-on favourite and no wonder when one of his lines – while saying he was enjoying it on Teesside – was “Who knows what is around the corner for anything? What do you want me to come out with, a boring ‘I am flattered by it’?”

Wilder thought we were looking for a “daft” response when asking why he didn’t just say he was committed to Boro and going nowhere.

But it’s totally understandable for a manager not to give a commitment of unswerving loyalty to their club at this stage of a season.

Firstly, he may well fancy the Burnley job. Even if relegated, they’ll have a decent squad and parachute payments to shield them from drastic selling. Most relegated clubs make a decent fist of gaining immediate promotion.

There may well be a pay rise on offer, especially as Sean Dyche’s new deal, signed this season, was around £5million a year.

But even if Wilder (above) doesn’t end up at Turf Moor, he has a major rebuild at Boro… and needs a strong hand when battling for transfer cash.

Chairman Steve Gibson is likely to give Wilder all he can, within reason, to create a side capable of finishing in the top two next season.

But a manager in demand elsewhere – especially as capable as he proved at Sheffield United – is one who has clout in getting promises of what he needs this summer.

Wherever Wilder ends up – and, unless there is serious tension behind the scenes at Boro, I suspect he’ll still be there next season as it has so much untapped potential – he must demand the tools to be a