West Brom known admirers of Chris Wilder as Sheffield United sack manager
Chris Wilder’s sacking at Sheffield United has “changed the landscape around The Hawthorns”, according to The Athletic’s West Brom correspondent Steve Madeley.
Albion were interested in hiring Wilder after the Blades won promotion to the Premier League before they eventually settled on Slaven Bilic.
Madeley reports the Baggies are “known admirers” of the former Northampton boss, who’s now available amid a lack of certainty surrounding who could be in charge of the Black Country club next season.
Sam Allardyce’s contract doesn’t expire until the end of next season but Football Insider has reported he’ll step down West Brom are relegated – and that seems extremely likely with nine Premier League matches left to play.
According to Madeley, ex-Baggies player and coach Michael Appleton is reportedly a contender to replace Big Sam should he move on.
But Wilder’s exit from Bramall Lane has the agents’ grapevine is “buzzing” already.
Wilder in, Big Sam out?
Wilder has proven himself to be a promotion expert in his management career.
He took Oxford United to League Two, Northampton to League One and Sheffield United to the Championship and the Premier League.
With West Brom staring relegation in the face, getting in someone who knows how to get a club promoted is a must.
Wilder’s track-record shows he can be that man but this season has been a very worrying one for Sheffield United.
They have been dreadful in the Premier League and are somehow below the Baggies – and we don’t need to remind you how bad we’ve been.
Does that mean that Wilder’s promotion season and ninth-placed finish in the Premier League last term were flukes? Were his players just overachieving?
That would be harsh and wouldn’t give the Blades’ achievements the credit they deserve, but the former Oxford United boss has struggled in the transfer market, turning the Yorkshire club into a weaker one with each move he made.
West Brom face a massive rebuild in the summer with a score of senior players approaching the end of their contracts as well as four loan deals expiring. There are also several players out of contract next year.
We need someone who’s great in the transfer market and Wilder simply hasn’t been able to show that at Bramall Lane.
However, we’ll again point to his promotion record.
Albion appointed Allardyce because of his soon-to-be-ruined record of never being relegated from the Premier League. That suggests to us they’ll be very much interested in Wilder’s record.
In other West Brom news, an agent has confirmed the Albion have made a new free signing after a transfer fee was waived.
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