Sheffield United have made a fine start to the Premier League, taking eight points from their opening seven matches.
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The Blades are defying the odds in the top flight, and have already taken points from the likes of Everton, AFC Bournemouth and Chelsea.
At the heart of their success is manager Chris Wilder, who has guided his boyhood club from League One to the Premier League in just three years.
The 52-year-old is considered by Jamie Redknapp to be one of the best English managers around. Indeed, he has masterminded an innovative system at Bramall Lane in which the outside centre-backs of his 3-5-2 formation overlap the wing-backs and get themselves into attacking positions.
He was even named the LMA Manager of the Year last season ahead of the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, which shows just how highly he is rated amongst his peers.
Following his success, Wilder can do no wrong in the eyes of Sheffield United fans. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that many of the Blades faithful were left furious when talkSPORT pundit Natalie Sawyer labelled his style as “dinosaur management” on Monday.
Her comments came after the former Oxford United chief said that he would not “put his arm around” goalkeeper Dean Henderson after his mistake against Liverpool on Saturday.
Fans of the South Yorkshire club were quick to respond to Sawyer, mainly criticising her for using the word dinosaur to describe one of the most forward thinking managers in the English game.
Here is what some of them had to say…
‘Old school management’, ‘dinosaur management’. Brilliant stuff.
Look at his record as a manager, at every club he’s been at. Look at the success he’s had, at every single one of those clubs.
And you’re questioning his man management skills?— welly (@intsticks) September 30, 2019
Wilder when we lost at Hull in our first season back in the Championship ⬇️⬇️
Following season we got promoted to the Premier League.
He knows what he is doing which why he has gone from non league to the Premier League.
Dinosaur? No.
Winner? Yes.#sufc pic.twitter.com/TjH6GcBkV3— Blades 1889 (@The_Blades_1889) September 30, 2019
It’s pretty obvious that Wilder was giving him respect by not patronising him in public, saying he was weak & needed his arm around him. He was saying Hendo can stand on his own 2 feet. Nothing to do with ‘dinosaur’ management, very poor reading of the situation @nataliesawyer
— richard cammoile (@ric1889) September 30, 2019
Oh yeah when he said the same after Leeds last season his confidence was shot to pieces. We didn’t win a game for weeks. pic.twitter.com/zDLkXxSVv6
— Saudi Blades (@BladesDem) September 30, 2019
Beats Klopp and Pep to LMA manager of the year, pushes Liverpool to a 1-0 win but is a dinosaur👀 @MajesticMatip32 thought we got rid of this
— Limmy⚔️ (@LimmySUFC) September 30, 2019
Dinosaur management 😂 if that’s what it is then it obviously works doesn’t it. I think he knows what motivates his players bearing in mind he’s got a so called team of journey men playing in the prem
— Adam Clarke (@Adm_Clarke) September 30, 2019
Wilder works with Deano everyday and knows everything about him, Deano also knows that Wilder will stand by him as proven after his howler against Leeds last year. To call him a dinosaur is ridiculous, shows more about your research skills than anything else. #twitterblades #sufc
— Dale Mellor (@dalemellor11) September 30, 2019
What did you make of Sawyer’s comments about Wilder? Let us know your views by commenting below!
