Sheff Utd sack Selles as Wilder linked with return

Ruben Selles has been sacked by Sheffield United after less than three months in charge

Sheffield United have sacked head coach Ruben Selles after the club lost all six of their opening games of the season.

The Blades sit bottom of the Championship and were beaten 5-0 at Ipswich in Selles' final game in charge on Friday.

The former Hull and Reading boss, 42, replaced Chris Wilder - who has been linked with a return to Bramall Lane for a third spell in charge - at the helm in the summer after the Blades lost the Championship play-off final to Sunderland in May.

In a statement the Blades said that Selles had been relieved of his duties after a "disappointing start" to the campaign.

"Following a review of recent performances, and taking into account the feelings of supporters, the timing of the change has been made to give the club the best possible opportunity to improve the current league position," the club said.

BBC Radio Sheffield's Rob Staton described the prospect of 57-year-old Wilder returning as Sheffield United boss as a "very realistic possibility".

"Chris Wilder loves Sheffield United, it's his club and I think he would be interested in coming back," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"He got 92 points last season and they should have won that play-off final against Sunderland. They were the better team for 70 minutes and then blew it at the end.

"This was a mistake by the owners that they can rectify."

Opening-day thrashing set tone for Selles

Selles' side began the season with a 4-1 home loss to Bristol City before they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Birmingham City.

They would not score another league goal under Selles, with narrow defeats against Swansea, Millwall and league leaders Middlesbrough following.

Friday's thrashing at Portman Road proved to be the final straw, despite Selles saying after the game that he had the support of the club's board but had not yet spoken to them following the result.

He vowed to "keep working until the last minute".

Lifelong supporter and former Blades player Wilder is regarded as one of the club's greatest managers, having led them to promotion to the Championship in his first season in charge, 2016-17, and then into the Premier League two years later.

He took them to ninth in the top flight in their first season back, but left by mutual consent the following season, when they were bottom of the table.

After spells at Middlesbrough and Watford he returned for a second time to Bramall Lane in December 2023 following the sacking of Paul Heckingbottom, but could not prevent their relegation from the Premier League.