Will Chris Wilder Be Third Time Lucky With the Blades?

It is very rare for a manager to be hired by the same club three times - especially given the fact that there must have been very good reason for the first two sackings.

But in this case, there is clearly some sort of emotional attachment between Chris Wilder and Sheffield United, where the 58-year-old had his return announced on September 15, 2025.

The Chris Wilder effect is back in full swing at @SheffieldUnited ⚔️

Four wins in a row, unbeaten in five and moving up the @SkyBetChamp table 📈 pic.twitter.com/QuoUttF8ec

— Sky Bet (@SkyBet) December 6, 2025

After beginning the campaign with Ruben Selles at the helm, just months after play-off final heartbreak at Wembley Stadium to Sunderland, the Blades would hope to begin their redemption arc with a statement.

After a rollercoaster of a time, Wilder has now been in the dugout for almost three months now, and the Blades reside in mid-table, having won each of their last four; we are going to tell you how Wilder could be the man to lead this redemption arc.

Full Circle in the Matter of Four Months: How Did We Get Here?

As mentioned before, Sheffield United's final match with Wilder in charge during his second tenure was a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland in the capital; now he is well and truly back, leading them to a play-off charge in this holiday season.

Ambitions were through the roof with Ruben Selles and where he could take his talented squad; however, five games in and he was sacked after his side earned zero points, scoring just one goal and conceding 12 – a 5-0 loss at Portman Road was the nail in the coffin for the Spaniard.

Ipswich Town and Sheffield United were both without a win before their meeting this evening, where Jaden Philogene's hat-trick led Kieran McKenna's side to a dominant 5-0 victory.

Sheffield United have lost all five of their league matches under Ruben Selles, scoring once. pic.twitter.com/TusINAhwsO

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) September 12, 2025

Once Wilder returned, he had a tricky start, losing three of his first four league fixtures to leave the Blades on a measly three points after nine games.

They did experience a brief upturn in form, as United managed back-to-back wins for the first time since their play-off semi-final against Bristol City.

After two defeats to start November, however, a nil-nil draw at home to Queen's Park Rangers started a run of five games unbeaten - including maximum points in their last four as the Blades have risen to 18th, five points off Portsmouth in the relegation zone, but just eight points off the play-off places.

Why Was Wilder Sacked in the First Place?

After a sad and deteriorating relegation which saw them slump straight back into the second tier at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, hopes were high that the Blades would be able to comfortably see off other title rivals and jump straight back up into the promised land.

For much of the season, this looked good for Sheffield United, as for most of the season, they resided in the automatic promotion places.

The Blades ended on 92 points - usually enough for a top two finish, but they finished third. This was mainly thanks to Leeds United and Burnley having outstanding seasons of their own, both becoming centurions.

The good news for the Sheffield outfit is that they were completely clear favourites to win the play-offs – alongside Bristol City, who have never played Premier League football, as well as Coventry City and Sunderland, sides who were long awaiting returns to the top flight but neither were expected to topple Wilder's Blades.

After comfortably dispatching the Robins home and away 3-0 to win 6-0 on aggregate, they set up a date with the Black Cats in the final; we all know how that ended.

Tom Watson has put Sunderland in the lead in the 95th minute of the Play-off Final 💥😱 pic.twitter.com/E7gm18kknC

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 24, 2025

Blades fans were furious with the manner of the defeat and this led to Wilder not being in the dugout for the start of the 2025/26 season.

Is Third Time the Charm for Wilder?

If the Blades really want to make themselves genuine contenders for another play-off berth, the next five games will be crucial in the lead-up to the new year.

Their next two fixtures are against lowly Norwich City and West Brom, who are both on very poor form at the moment. If they can win both of these games, their confidence will be flying sky high, but stern tests against Birmingham City and Wrexham, before a trip to Stoke - who they just defeated 4-0 - may very well define the rest of their campaign.

Here at Football Park, we certainly believe that you cannot count this team out just yet.