Has Chris Wilder shown Eddie Howe and others a better way to manage?

I think we have to be careful when judging manages of one club against another. For a start they don't have the same players and probably play in different ways, but results are of course the bread and butter of the game, and you'd have to say things have gone rather better for ChrisWilder than most English team manager's this season, including our own Eddie Howe.

Eddie Howe has been well behind the results of Chris Wilder this season.

Does this mean that Eddie Howe should take a leaf out of Chris Wilder's book? Some would say yes, a stronger back line and an ethos of not to concede would surely do wonders for Bournemouth's game. But in trying to do that, it can take away the best part of Bournemouth's offensive game, and in some ways I think that is partly what has happened this season. There has been bad luck and injuries but Bournemouth's defence has worked hard to try and be more effective.

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So what has Sheffield United got over teams like Bournemouth? I think they haven't been scared to play their game as they know it. They haven't been overly worried about how other teams might play and set up, but have stuck to their own game plan and looked to repel teams first and then build their game as the minutes go by.

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The Blades might not have top strikers or midfielders, but as a unit they are extremely effective. They play for one another and being a team is half the battle. How much team spirit is really at AFCB now is perhaps not as much as Eddie Howe would like us to think there is. There have been problems with players like Jordan Ibe and absentees from the long injury list which hits morale. Morale is great when you are winning, but when one problem is added on top of another and another, things spiral out of control and AFCB have been in that spiral.

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Breaking the fall is perhaps possible now with this COVID-19 outbreak, but the strength of AFCB will only be better if they come through the end of this season by escaping the drop. If they fail to do that, then we could see how deep the divisions really have been. It is not a case of other managers having better styles or players all the time, sometimes your club needs to look at home to see where it has slipped up.

Former post on Cherry Chimes - How should we rate Philip Billing's first season at AFCB?

Rival Lines: "We've seen players take big leaps forward under Wilder," says Bladespodcast

Rival Lines
Match Preview: Sheffield United v AFCB
Podcaster Interview: Blades Pod
Twitter: @bladespod

Ben at Blades Podcast was kind enough to spare a few minutes to answer some questions ahead of the game on Sunday. I wanted to find out why Sheffield united fans felt they had been doing so well and if they were prepared for what lies ahead- top six finish, European football, FA Cup glory! It's not a bad time to be a Blade is it?

CC: What do you think has been the real secret of Sheffield United's great season?

BP: There's a number of factors but a lot of them come back to the manager and backroom team. Our fitness levels this season have been sensational and we've avoided any serious injuries (touch wood). As to our manager and assistant, we've tweaked our formation and style for the Premier League and reaped the benefits of becoming a team that can live without the ball and break quickly. At the same time, we've retained (and improved on) the skill levels we had in possession last season, allowing us to break presses by playing out from the back against even the top teams - but now we have the pace of Mousset or the target of McBurnie to give us something different if we need it.


CC: If the club got into the top six do you think it would be ready for European football or could it be problematic for the club in the Premier League next season?

BP: Honestly no way of knowing. We were told we didn't have the depth for the Championship, then the Premier League, and now here we are. The club has spent some money in the last couple of transfer windows and we're not slow to move players on and find better versions of them, even in positions where it might not seem urgent to do so (eg, a fifth centre-back). We've also seen players take big leaps forward under Wilder in their second years with us, so I'd expect a few of the newer players to do that next year and suddenly emerge as genuine first-team players rather than fringe ones.

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CC: Are you worried that Chris Wilder is getting linked to new jobs now more often than Eddie Howe?

BP: No - it couldn't be much rosier at the moment. A messy ownership dispute was settled a few months ago, Wilder recently signed a contract until 2024 and the club just broke its transfer record for the fifth time in seven months. Plans are in place on and off the pitch for the continued progress of the club and I just don't see a situation where Wilder leaves unless there's a job he truly can't turn down - and teams like Man Utd are too myopic to consider him. With respect to someone like Everton, what do they really have that the Blades currently do not?

CC: Which game do you think has been Sheffield United's best result and why?

BP: On paper, the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, coming back from 2-0 down, is probably the standout. But I thought our dismantling of Burnley - a "proper" Premier League team - was just an incredible performance. We were 3-0 up at half-time and Burnley seemed utterly shellshocked at the speed and incisiveness with which we attacked. Their left-back was hauled off at half-time and we should really have made it 4, 5 or 6 in the second half.

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CC: Do you feel you are in with a big chance of getting to the latter stages of the FA Cup and does the competition interest fans as much as the Premier League?

BP: It is a very, very good opportunity to have a run. Reading away is about as winnable as you could ask for at this stage, and then you're into the last 8 where only Man City are probably a "no chance" opponent (I'm assuming Liverpool will continue to play half a team, at best). The 5th round doesn't take place until early March, and we're 99% likely to be safe by then if we're not already, so we can afford to take it seriously. I think a lot of fans weren't bothered for the first few rounds but our league form has meant we can suddenly look at it with a bit more interest.

CC: What have you made of Lys Mousset?

BP: Amazing. We can't believe how good he is. There was a lot of rubbish written about this being the "worst signing of the season" when he joined but he immediately looked fantastic for us. He's so fast, plus his touch, finishing and strength are first-rate - he scored with his first five shots on target with us, and has set up plenty of goals himself. The only issue is his fitness - he's still not good enough for much more than 60-70 minutes. If we can get him to peak fitness this summer... wow.

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CC: Which of your players were you most worried about losing in the transfer window just past?

BP: I was confident none of them were going anywhere, although I do think someone will severely test our resolve for Jack O'Connell in the summer. The left-sided centre-back is not only a superb out-and-out defender but is superb on the ball and going forward. We can't understand how Tyrone Mings is in the England squad ahead of him, put it like that.

CC: Have you any injuries ahead of the Bournemouth match?

BP: David McGoldrick has missed the last few games but may be back for this one - we tend to take our time with injured players which is part of the reason we don't have many recurring injuries. Other than that, everyone sounds like they're good to go.

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CC: What would you tell Bournemouth fans to look out for if it is their first trip to Bramall Lane?

BP: The beer. Sheffield is a brilliant city to visit as an away fan, particularly if you're going to Bramall Lane rather than the other lot. The Sheffield Tap is on Platform 1 of the station and well worth a visit, and then you're a short stroll from a huge range of pubs and bars - all within about ten minutes' walk from the Lane.

CC: What is your score prediction?

BP: 2-0 Blades, which would probably finally stop some United fans fretting about relegation...

CC: Which three teams will be relegated this season from the Premier League?

BP: Norwich are too far gone, West Ham have a brutal run of fixtures coming up and a poor manager/no home advantage whatsoever. The third one is harder - I think Watford will be fine, and Villa seem to squeak out a result when they need it. From the outside, it feels like a lot of things are going against Bournemouth with the injuries etc - you've picked up some important results recently, but if you end this month in the bottom three (or close to it) then it could be a rough end to the season with the fixtures after that.

CC: Have you followed Aaron Ramsdale's career since leaving the Blades and do you think he could potentially be England's number one?

BP: I have followed his career with Bournemouth, it's been good to see him playing in the Premier League. It was a move that made sense for us at the time as we were a League One club. As to playing for England - he's probably the next man up after Pickford, Pope, Heaton and Henderson, would be my guess. 21 is still incredibly young for a goalkeeper so he has plenty of development time ahead of him - playing in the Premier League at such a young age can only help that.

CC: Excellent answers from Ben at Blades Podcast. I have to admit, Sheffield united were not one of the teams I expected to see in the top 10 let alone the top six at this stage o the season. They have been particularly hard to beat but Bournemouth must find a way past them this time unlike i the first game in the season that ended as a -1 draw.  Slip up here and we know Bournemouth could find themselves back in the bottom three.

The Cherries have to stop an excited Sheffield Utd

It will be a debut season for Chris Wilder in the Premier League and he brings his Sheffield United back to the Premier League for the first time since 2006-07. The Yorkshire club has been preparing with an active transfer window that has seen seven players arrive and 12 moving out of the club.

What has Lys Mousset got in store for AFCB on Saturday?

For Bournemouth fans, the player that will be most anxiously watched will be Lys Mousset who joined the Blades in July. He has had a on/off record at Bournemouth, but never really managed to hold down a place for more than a couple of games, and while we know he has a fearsome shot on him, his endeavour and busy style will also be very evident as he tries to prove that he should have been given a better chance at Bournemouth.

Sheffield have also brought in the experience of Phil Jagielka rather like the way Bournemouth picked Sylvain Distin up from Everton in their first Premier League season. Other players include Luke Freeman from QPR who is a striker, along with Oliver McBurnie another striker that cost £17m from Swansea City, Ravel Morrison from Ostersunds - who used to play for West Ham in midfield, Ben Osborn who signed from Nottingham Forest and Callum Robinson a striker from Preston North End who scored 12 goals last season in the Championship.

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Chris Wilder has gone for goals with midfielders and strikers his target, but there are no new defenders or goalkeepers at the club. Sheffield United fans might be very happy just to survive in the Premier League this season, but every game needs to be fought for so they will come to Bournemouth knowing that if they can get something against the Cherries it will be the first step towards their season's ambition.

They have a difficult task though. The omens might not be in their favour with Bournemouth having seen three of the four teams it has played in its first game of the season be relegated with only Man Utd surviving the fixture jinks. Bournemouth lost three games to each of the new Premier League teams last season and it is a statistic that could have landed the club in more trouble if it had not made the good start the club did. We now need to get behind Bournemouth to see that they make a good start against this very excited Sheffield United team.

In other news, Cherry Chimes took part in Easy Odds' Premier League season review.


Cherry Chimes also contributed to Sky Sports' review of the top 20 decisions that fans would like VAR to review from past seasons.

TOP 20 DECISIONS FOOTBALL FANS WOULD MOST LIKE VAR TO REVIEW

1. Liverpool - Vincent Kompany is only yellow carded after a lunge at Mo Salah. Manchester City win the game and the title. (3 January 2019)                 

2. Arsenal - Wayne Rooney wins a penalty for Manchester United and Arsenal are denied a 50th game unbeaten. (24 October 2004)
3. Liverpool - Raheem Sterling's goal is ruled offside against Manchester City. Liverpool lose 2-1. (26 December 2013)

4. Manchester United - Didier Drogba scores the winner in a 2-1 win over United. But was Drogba in an offside position? (3 April 2010)     
5. Manchester United - Johnny Evans is sent off against Manchester City and United go on to lose 6-1. United then lose the title on goal difference. Should Evans have been sent off? (23 October 2011)
6. Tottenham Hotspur - Tottenham were winning 2-0 when Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo won a penalty. United went on to win the game 5-2, but did this turn the game and was there contact? (25 April 2009)   
7. Manchester City - Ashley Young brings down Sergio Aguero in the Manchester derby but no penalty is given. Manchester Utd win the game and City must wait to win the title. (7 April 2018)  
8. Tottenham Hotspur - Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-1 with a last-minute goal from Kalou. Replays suggest it was offside? (30 April 2011)
9. Aston Villa - Ryan Fredricks stamps on Jack Grealish but the referee takes no action. Villa go on to lose the game 1-0. (Play-Off Final - 26 May 2018)
10. Bournemouth - Charlie Daniels is 'karate kicked' by Eric Bailly but no penalty was awarded. Lukaku the scores a fourth for United that looks offside. (December 2018)
11. Manchester City - Willy Boly's goal for Wolves means City take just a point from the game. Was it handball? (25 August 2018)
12. West Ham United - Sadio Mane's goal meant that Liverpool escaped the London Stadium with a draw. But was James Milner offside in the build-up? (4 February 2019)
13. Aston Villa - Nemanja Vidic concedes a 5th minute penalty which Villa score, but Vidic is not sent off. (League Cup Final - 28 February 2010)
14. Sheffield United - Liverpool are awarded a penalty which allows them to share the points. Replays show there may not have been any contact. (19 August 2006)
15. Bournemouth - Tyrone Mings is sent off for an alleged stamp on Zlatan Ibrahimovic. (4 March 2017)
16. Burnley - Arsenal are awarded a stoppage time penalty, which they score to win the game. But was there an offside in the build-up? (January 2017)
17. Norwich - Andy Johnson wins and scores a penalty for Crystal Palace. Was it a dive? Norwich are relegated just weeks later. (16 April 2005)
18. Norwich - Cameron Jerome's spectacular overhead kick against Crystal Palace was ruled out for a high foot. Should it have been? (8 August 2015)
19. Sheffield United - Luton Shelton latched on to a through-ball and Manchester United's Gabriel Heinze's only cause of action was to scythe him down. Replays suggest that he got nothing on the ball. (17 April 2007)
20. Burnley - David Dunn scores a stoppage time winner for Blackburn. But was it offside and should it have been given? (28 March 2010)