{"id":8614,"date":"2023-12-05T07:11:42","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T12:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/sheffield-united-sack-paul-heckingbottom-and-appoint-chris-wilder\/05\/12\/2023\/"},"modified":"2023-12-05T07:11:42","modified_gmt":"2023-12-05T12:11:42","slug":"sheffield-united-sack-paul-heckingbottom-and-appoint-chris-wilder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/sheffield-united-sack-paul-heckingbottom-and-appoint-chris-wilder\/05\/12\/2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Sheffield United sack Paul Heckingbottom and appoint Chris Wilder"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sheffield United have sacked Paul Heckingbottom and appointed former manager Chris Wilder as his replacement, the club\u2019s owner Prince Abdullah has confirmed.<\/p>\n

The Blades are bottom of the Premier League with five points after losing 11 of their opening 14 games.<\/p>\n

Speaking to TalkSport, external<\/span><\/a>, Prince Abdullah said Wilder was \u201cthe best guy on planet earth to take over the club right now in these circumstances\u201d.<\/p>\n

Heckingbottom, appointed as Wilder’s successor on a permanent basis in November 2021, guided the club back to the top flight with a second-place Championship finish last season.<\/p>\n

After the Blades lost 5-0 at fellow strugglers Burnley, who moved off the bottom of the table with their victory on Saturday, the 46-year-old said the club had been “let down” by some players.<\/p>\n

\u201cChris is very optimistic he can save the season, he doesn\u2019t think it\u2019s easy, but he thinks it\u2019s still possible,\u201d Prince Abdullah said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you look at the table it’s a very special year, a very weird year when it comes to the standings, so it\u2019s still early, the season is still long and we have every chance to achieve our goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

United are four points from safety, have won only once this season and have a goal difference of minus 28.<\/p>\n

The Blades host second-placed Liverpool at Bramall Lane on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), although Prince Abdullah did not confirm whether Wilder would be in the dugout.<\/p>\n

After the Burnley game Heckingbottom criticised the club for making “financial rather than football decisions” by selling key players in the summer.<\/p>\n

The club sold two of last season’s star players shortly before this season as Iliman NDiaye joined Marseille and Sander Berge moved to Burnley.<\/p>\n

Prince Abdullah said he had “mixed emotions” about letting Heckingbottom go.<\/p>\n

“I really have a lot of respect for Paul and everything he did for the club, he\u2019s a very classy guy,” he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been at the club for five years and we changed one manager and that was Slav [Slavisa Jokanovic], so we believe in sticking with the manager and supporting him.<\/p>\n

“But I felt like after the last few games it was a necessary decision and the replacement has done great things for the clubs and knows the club, so I feel good about the decision in one way but I really have a tremendous respect for Paul.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sheffield United have sacked Paul Heckingbottom and appointed former manager Chris Wilder as his replacement, the club’s owner Prince Abdullah has confirmed.