Opinion: Chris Wilder in danger of taking his eye off the ball with these comments
I’m not sure if I want to accuse him of taking his eye off the ball here.
But there is certainly a little bit of a whiff of it with these comments.
Chris Wilder has certainly established himself firmly as one of the best manager’s in the history of the club, taking the club from League One to the Premier League in the time that he has. Then to double it up by getting them as high up the table as he has done just adds the icing on the cake, and who knows what else he’ll be able to do during his time here.
Which is why perhaps it’s a little bit worrying to hear him talk about his legacy already. Speaking to The Star ahead of this weekend’s game with Brighton & Hove Albion, the Blades boss talked about what sort of club he wants to leave behind when he eventually leaves Bramall Lane:
“Legacy is a big thing and, when we all depart, hopefully this club has established itself in the Premier League, has got a foothold in this division and is here to stay.”
Even though he only signed a new contract with the club last month, it still seems rather weird that he should be finding himself talking about departing, as if there are plans already in place for when he leaves.
After the success he has had, it’s unsurprising to see his name being mentioned with bigger clubs and don’t think that just because he’s a boyhood Blade fan means anything. If Wayne Rooney can leave Everton, Andy Carroll can leave Newcastle United and heck, even Billy Sharp has left us in the past so that temptation will always be there if he feels the situation is right.
Will Chris Wilder still be with us in 2021?
I’d much rather he focus on the job that he’s doing now rather than what he wants to happen further down the line.