Sheffield United

Sheffield United will seek their first points of the season against a resurgent Oxford United when they visit the Kassam on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Chris Wilder's return as Blades boss was marked with a loss against Charlton Athletic to see the side still yet to move off the mark.

In contrast, Oxford have come out of a tough trilogy of games against promotion-contenders to take five points out of nine, finding their first victory of the season against Bristol City last time out following two hard-fought draws with Leicester City and Coventry City.

• Oxford won this exact fixture 1-0 in April, but haven't beaten Sheffield United in consecutive league meetings since October 1984.

• Having won just one of their first 10 away league games against Oxford between 1969 and 1996 (D4 L5), Sheffield United have now won three of their last four visits to the U's (L1).

• Following a 3-1 win against Bristol City last time out, Oxford are looking to win consecutive league games for the first time since January.

• Sheffield United have lost all six of their league games so far this season. Since the rebrand in 2004, only two teams have lost each of their first seven to start a Championship campaign – Peterborough United in 2012-13 and Wycombe Wanderers in 2020-21.

• Oxford have scored more set-piece goals than any other side in the Championship this season (excl. pens), with seven of their nine strikes coming from a set play.

A potential move to take the Championship play-offs down to eighth place would damage the competition's credibility, according to former Huddersfield, Stoke and Middlesbrough defender Tommy Smith.

The EFL board is set to discuss proposals to increase the number of teams in the end-of-season play-offs from four to six but Smith, who was promoted to the Premier League with Huddersfield via the play-offs in 2017 is not a fan of the idea.

"It's not for me - I think it suits teams who don't really have a chance to get in the top six," he told the BBC's EFL podcast 72+.

"From a credibility point of view the top six is there to be aimed at and you have to earn your place in it."

The play-offs were first introduced for the 1986-87 season where sides finishing third down to fifth were involved along with the team third-from-bottom in the top flight.

After two seasons the format was changed to be played out between teams finishing third to sixth in the second tier.

"To finish eighth in the Championship and potentially get promoted to the Premier League it just doesn't sit right with me," added Smith.

"Notoriously over the past years getting into the top six is tough and when you get in there after a long hard season it feels brilliant, so to make it a top eight it dilutes it."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Nottingham Forest assistant manager Guilherme Ramos has joined Sheffield United as their new first-team coach.

He is the newest addition to the Blades backroom staff following the managerial return of Chris Wilder alongside long-time staff members Alan Knill and Matt Prestridge.

"As I said to the media when I returned, I was keen to use the opportunity to try and freshen up the coaching side. Guilherme is someone I've been aware of for a while now, and he adds something a little different which will complement the talents of Alan, Matt and Micky Collins," Wilder told the club website., external

"He's a young coach, but he's built up an impressive CV working in different countries alongside some respected names in the game. I think it's a progressive appointment for all parties and he's someone we're excited to be working with."

Ramos was part of Forest's setup during their 2020-21 season and joins the Blades from French side Caen.

Adam Oxley
BBC Radio Sheffield commentator

Image source, PA Media

Having spent just 89 days away from Sheffield United this summer, there were hopes heading into last weekend's latest homecoming that Chris Wilder could pick up where he left off.

But when Isaac Olaofe scored in the 90th minute to give Charlton a 1-0 win at Bramall Lane, it felt like the beginning of a difficult third spell as United manager, rather than a continuation of what had gone before.

The boyhood Blade led his side to the Championship play-off final before he was sacked in June, as the club sought a new direction under Ruben Selles.

The Spaniard didn't win a game, United's board ate a significant slice of humble pie, took responsibility for the club's disastrous start to the campaign, and turned once again to Wilder, saying they "remain fully committed to supporting the team and pursuing promotion".

Hopes of a Premier League return sounded bold after five-straight league defeats. Now it's six losses in a row, and avoiding relegation would be a notable feat.

Sheffield United are only the fourth team in the 20-year history of the Championship to lose their first six games of the league season.

Two of those teams went down, while only one survived - city rivals Sheffield Wednesday in 2007-08.

On average, it takes 78 points to achieve a place in the Championship play-offs. This means the Blades would now need to win 26 of their remaining 40 league games.

That's quite an ask for any team, let alone one which is currently pointless, having scored the fewest number of goals (1) while conceding the most (13) at the bottom of the second tier.

If one man can do it though, you would suggest it's Chris Wilder, who turned a struggling League One side into a top-10 Premier League team in his first spell, and then came within 15 minutes of an immediate return to the top flight in his second stint after overhauling a side that broke records in relegation.

Wilder admitted after the defeat to Charlton that maybe he "was too much on the optimistic side of we'll be OK" in returning to Bramall Lane, with his players looking "fragile and damaged".

It feels like anything remains possible for Sheffield United this season, albeit with unnecessary damage caused by the firing and re-hiring of Chris Wilder by the club's American owners COH Sports.

Some of the players signed this summer, 14 in total, seem like Wilder-type signings. Some we know he courted in the past.

But ultimately they are not his signings, and while there is plenty of quality at his disposal, on paper, Wilder now has to gel a new-look Blades side capable of climbing the table, with players lacking confidence, rather than building on the strong foundations he laid last season.

Image source, Getty Images

Chris Wilder praised the Bramall Lane crowd for trying to lift his side as his homecoming was spoilt by another poor Sheffield United performance.

The Blades manager saw his side make it six straight defeats at the start of the season by losing 1-0 at home to Charlton Athletic.

He told BBC Radio Sheffield: "We've got a bit of work to do.

"There are some bits and pieces out of there I was pretty pleased with, but there's a lot of stuff that definitely needs some work on the training ground.

"We came in today in a positive mood after a good week's work but the key is having the nuts to do it on a Saturday afternoon, because that's where everybody is judged, players and myself.

"The crowd were tremendous and tried to lift us and drive us forward, give us that energy that we need, but then it slipped away a bit towards the end of the second half and became quite chaotic.

"I saw an honest performance but you have to get that balance right, and with the quality we have got we never really showed that, or any control on the game.

"The goal is a chaotic goal, a straight ball, a flick-on and then two versus two and the boy finds a pass in the 90th minute."

Chris Wilder begins his third spell as Blades boss with the visit of Charlton to Bramall Lane on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Pointless basement boys Sheffield United are seeking to avoid making the worst start to a Championship season ever, while Wilder is hoping to avoid starting a spell in the dugout with a defeat for the third time at the club.

Nathan Jones' Addicks haven't won since the opening day and have taken just a point from their two away games thus far.

• This will be the first league meeting between Sheffield United and Charlton since March 2017, a 2-1 home win for the Blades in League One, under Chris Wilder.

• Charlton are winless in their past six away league games against Yorkshire sides (D2 L4), with their last such victory coming in April 2022 at Rotherham (1-0).

• With zero points and a goal difference of -11, Sheffield United have made the joint-worst start after five games in Championship history (since 2004-05), level with Wycombe Wanderers in 2020-21. Only three sides have lost each of their opening six matches of a campaign: Sheffield Wednesday (2007-08), Peterborough United (2012-13) and the aforementioned Chairboys (2020-21).

• Charlton Athletic have netted just three league goals so far this season, their fewest at this stage of a season since 1986-87 in the top-flight (3) and fewest in the second tier since 1970-71 (2).

• This will be Chris Wilder's third spell in charge of Sheffield United – his previous two tenures both started with a defeat, vs Bolton in August 2016 (0-1) and vs Liverpool in December 2023 (0-2).

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder says he has been working "24/7, to get it right" upon his latest return to the club.

Wilder was previously boss at Bramall Lane from 2016-21, guiding them to the Premier League via two promotions in three seasons, before coming back for a second spell from 2023-25.

But the boyhood Blades fan, who made more than 100 league appearances for the club as a player, was sacked in June after defeat by Sunderland in the Championship play-off final - only to return this week after successor Ruben Selles' sacking.

"It doesn't really feel like a third time here," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"It just feels as if I have been on an extended holiday really, which I have.

"We have been working 24/7 to make sure we get it right - to get Monday right, Tuesday right and then working up to, most importantly, Saturday.

"I want to send everyone home happy at five o'clock. The fans have not had that winning feeling [this season], and we never get tired of that feeling.

"Yes, you want to play unbelievably outstanding football, but getting three points is the biggest thing, and hopefully we can add bit of meat on the bones along the way.

"But it is small steps in making sure we get a result and improve our league position, because at the moment it is not a good look for everybody."

Wilder will face newly-promoted Charlton on his return to the Bramall Lane, a team that have collected five points from their opening five games - five more, of course, than bottom side the Blades.

"Knowing what [Charlton boss] Nathan Jones is about, he would love to spoil what we are trying to do, so we are going to have to overcome a team that has started off the season pretty well," Wilder added. "Their performances have been better than their results."

Listen to Wilder's full interview and more Sheffield United content on BBC Sounds.

"They've sought to fix what they broke."

Aaron Paul, Jobi McAnuff and Lyle Taylor delve into Sheffield United's decision to part ways with Ruben Selles and re-appoint Chris Wilder in the latest edition of the 72+ EFL podcast.

Former Blades striker Taylor said: "Chris Wilder is Sheffield United, he's very much part of the furniture.

"I was completely shocked in the summer when he was relieved of his position. I don't think there's many times in the past 25-30 years where you can get 92 points, not be promoted, for one, and then lose your job.

"It seems they have realised the error of their ways and sought to fix what they broke."

McAnuff added: "They should never have got rid of him in the first place. Credit to the board for making one bad mistake but actually trying to rectify it now."

Listen to the full episode and more on the Football Daily podcast.

The decision to replace Chris Wilder with Hull City boss Ruben Selles in June came under some hard scrutiny from fans.

Fast forward three months and Sheffield United are back under Wilder's control after a poor start from Selles sees them without a single point and at the bottom of the Championship, making those the fears of those who opposed the change a reality.

But is the ownership's decision to switch back to Wilder worth recognition?

We asked you for your thoughts and this is what you had to say:

Shropshire Blade: There is no-one better for the job ahead this season. The owners/board deserve credit for making this U-turn but how many millions of wasted cost has been spent on cancelling Wilder's then Selles' contracts then re-hiring Wilder? Ridiculous!

Peter: What a damaging farce the change of managers has been. Decisions made by people who seem to know little about a football team. Today's statement from the club includes "we are confident Wilder is the right man to restore... ". So why wasn't he the right man a few months ago?

The team has been torn apart and even the top players look dejected and lost.

Hopefully Wilder can restore the team ethic and bring out the best in each player, before we lose any more players in January. Here's hoping for a more positive season.

John: Owners are normally away from reality, perhaps they were a few months ago but now they've seen the light of day and it's not been that bright.

Adam: Panic and poor decisions from owners. Sacking Wilder in the first place was a knee-jerk reaction, clearly didn't have a replacement in mind. Poor Selles was well out of his depth, throw in some last minute panic signings which brought nothing to the table not helping his cause. Now they've gone crawling back to Wilder to clean up the mess. The new US owners off to a flying start. Surprised Wilder agreed to return - if he wasn't a Blade and was sacked by the club twice, he would have told them where to go.

David: Fair play to the board. After the debacle of a summer, I really thought they had come in to wreck our club but it is amazing to see the owners of a football club admit they got it wrong. To go back to Chris Wilder cap in hand and ask him to return takes a level of humility which is unprecedented in this day and age. This gives me confidence the owners are here for the right reasons and with the best interests of the club at heart. Yes, they got it wrong. Yes, they angered the fans. But they did the right thing and this should not be taken lightly.

Rob: So the original decision was madness, even if motivated by a decent premise (to bring United long-term success in a new style). But at least the board had the sense to recognise the new plan wasn't working and correct it before it was too late for this season. The irony is that apart from reinstating Hamer and Campbell, Wilder's 11 on Saturday probably won't vary much from Selles' (misguided) Ipswich selection, but the formation will - and hopefully the result!

Selwyn: Doesn't it make the board look foolish sacking a fellow in a June only to bring him back in September?

Image source, Getty Images

Former Sheffield United defender Chris Basham may have said he's not surprised to see Chris Wilder back in charge of the Blades but some of you would have liked a different face in the dugout.

We asked for your thoughts and here is what some of you had to say about Wilder's reappointment:

Liam: Shouldn't have been sacked in the first place, but good of the board to admit they'd made a mistake and try to rectify it. Would have liked to have seen Dyche at least considered given his Premiership experience, but eh well, at least you can't say being a Blade is boring. Wilder's army we are again.

Dutch: I'm a massive fan of Chris Wilder fan for everything he's done for the club. But we need a succession plan as we can't keep defaulting back to him.

Dean: Terrible mistake, we've turned into a joke club that apparently only one person in the world can manage. People have short memories, Bramall Lane was like a morgue toward the end of last season. Boring sideways and backwards football. Oh dear.

Chris: It's getting to the point that Sheffield United should just either stay with Wilder for a big spell or they sack him, find a new manager, and if they don't work out get a plan C. Not just get a new manager, they don't work out and go back to Wilder.

Brian: Backward step. Back to boring football.

Tom: Getting rid of Wilder at the start of the season was for me was the right one but ONLY if we got someone decent in charge and we didn't. I think this is the board saying "we messed up, we are righting a massive wrong". Still not my first choice but rather have Wilder over an AI manager from the Kazakhstani league or someone no one has ever heard of.

Ian: Don't like his style of play and no plan B but will get them playing for the badge.

James: For all the talk of United's 90 points last year, those who saw the games will know it was a hard watch and no plan B. The signings made at the end of the window were less AI than Chris Wilder suggesting his return had been on the cards for a while. He'll keep us up this year - of course he will - but the law of diminishing returns says that another go at the Prem is a long way off.

James: Wilder back in the chair and talk of Prince Abdullah being asked to re-invest - might as well bring back Dave Bassett, Billy Whitehurst and the ghost of Derek Dooley. Wednesday were supposed to be Sheffield's banter club this season… SUFC: "hold my beer".

Image source, Getty Images

After just three months in the job and a winless start to the Championship season, Ruben Selles has been displaced as Sheffield United boss by the man he took over from, Chris Wilder.

We asked for your thoughts and it's clear many of you felt Selles' time was up.

Michael: The phrase 'be careful what you wish for' applies to all the haters of Wilder. What you got was Selles! Like Jokanovic and Adkins before, he didn't understand the club or the supporters. Welcome back Chris and not before time!

Geoff: When Chris was sacked, despite the 92 points and being minutes away from the Premier League (thanks VAR), I thought, 'That's a very brave call by the board - they must have someone big lined up'. To take such a gamble with the fans, I expected a Steve Cooper or a Michael Carrick. Then Ruben Selles was announced and it was obvious what was going to happen. I was 'Selles out' from the first game but never thought it would end up like this. We've got our club back. In Chris we trust. Am actually looking forward to Saturday now…

Neil: After the heartbreak of missing out on lucrative bonuses and a CV boasting 'Premier League footballer', the players needed to hit the ground running this season. A couple of tweaks and no obvious 'Leeds or Burnley type quality' this year and the players would have been well up to 'go again' for Wilder. It was a crazy decision to think Selles could have improved on last season's points haul and after the opening day 4-1 home drubbing by Bristol City, those supporters who 'knew better' were well within their rights to start counting down to a new manager... or an old one returning home!

Peter: Really happy at his appointment. I think despite play-off heartbreak, Wilder should have stayed in the job. Watching a 5-0 loss to Ipswich was the last of the little straws holding Ruben Selles' job together. Left Hull City and was interim for Southampton. Always a dodgy appointment. Wilder will bring fighting spirit back to the Blades so let's crack on.

Barry: It was harsh to sack Wilder after last season. I was willing to go with Selles but clearly with what we've seen in the games so far, he had to go. Wilder has his failings but he lives and breathes SUFC. He will get the team running through walls for him and I'm sure good times will come, but we may need to be patient and give him time.

Mark: It was a tough ask for anyone to improve on a season that provided 92 points and a Wednesday double. Selles, an apprentice when compared with Wilder's CV, had to be an instant success - he wasn't. Last season, the Blades just ran out of steam with Leeds and Burnley having that extra bit of class. Personally, I was 50/50 on promotion, seeing some of the best players and football clubs in the world at Bramall Lane live, against a backdrop of being beaten comprehensively week in, week out. The gulf between the Premier and Championship is getting wider, I will take 92 points, a Wednesday double and stay in the Championship any season.

Image source, Getty Images

So, Chris Wilder returns to the helm for Sheffield United after being dismissed just three months ago.

We asked you for your thoughts and some of you were thrilled to see a club legend back in the managerial seat for a third spell:

Jonkey: Wilder returning will be like waking up from a bad dream. The decision to sack him was utter madness. He would have fired the team up to go again this season. That job is even harder now but if anyone can do it, he can.

Al: Wilder is to Sheffield United as Alex Ferguson was to Manchester United. We simply cannot (and should not) move past him without the right plan in place. That's why it always falls apart without him - because there is no bigger plan and until there is, he should have a home at Bramall Lane. Welcome back gaffer!

Gary: Great! Chris Wilder should never have been fired three months ago and United wouldn't be in the mess we are at the moment.

I guess it's also necessary to say 'well done' to the board for realising it was a massive error. Hopefully their decision at this point in the season can enable the Blades to prosper.

Credit to Chris for keeping a positive relationship with the board after what must have been a tough time, particularly after the disappointment of losing the play-off final at the death.

Alan: Chris Wilder is like a stick of Blackpool rock, he has Sheffield United written all the way through him from head to toe. He is probably the best manager United have ever had, matching up to the great John Harris. He has my support, 100%.

Brian: Chris Wilder is a die-hard Blade, he must have been absolutely gutted when the new AI bot didn't select him for the 2025-26 season... I guess we've moved on to a new algorithm and his stats now fit - something that all true Blades knew all along! Welcome back Chris.

Christophe: Chris is not only a Blade but a good manager and the stats prove this. Is he perfect? No. Is any manager? No. But he loves his club and the humility he has shown in coming back speaks volumes. I never expect anything as a Blade, we should only expect what Chris expects - hard work and honesty. Chris has matured over the 10 years we have had him. He's gone from being slightly obnoxious in interviews to philosophical and relaxed. He has grown, I hope us Blades can too. Up the Blades!

Steve: We need to re-energise the camp and bring back belief in the method and the confidence we can regroup and win games. Chris Wilder is the man to do that. As long as we understand there is no magic bullet then I'm sure he will turn things around.

Martin: Wilder has the club in his DNA. Has done a good job with limited resources so deserves praise and recognition for this. Perhaps with more support and ambition from from its owners, SU could have been a regular in the Premiership.

Richard: With Chris back the helm, we have a chance to turn a corner and see where he can take us. However, are his staff coming with him? I know Jack Lester has gone to Brentford but who else is back at the Lane?

Former Sheffield United defender Chris Basham isn't surprised Chris Wilder has been re-appointed as manager for a third time having previously led the club to promotion from both League One and the Championship.

Sheffield United sacked manager Ruben Selles on Sunday following a 5-0 defeat at Ipswich Town which capped a run of six losses and left the club bottom of the Championship and out of the League Cup.

Wilder was hired just a day after Selles' departure.

"I'm surprised how quick it's happened but I'm not surprised on Chris Wilder coming back in as manager," Basham told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I think he understands the club more than anybody. They've had to act and they've acted in the right way."

Wilder has returned to the Blades for his third spell as manager having previously taken them to the Premier League and recording a ninth-place finish in the top tier during his first spell. Last season, he led the club to the Championship play-off final before the culmination of his second spell.

Despite a poor run of form to begin the season, Sheffield United sit nine points from the play-off spots, providing Wilder with the opportunity to turn their season around.

"[Promotion] will be [Wilder's] target. I don't think it would be anything but that. He'll definitely be pushing for play-offs," Basham said.

Basham played at Sheffield United during Wilder's first and second spells and believes his managerial style could make the difference for a promotion push.

"He's hands-on, he tells us how it is. I think he's truthful and I think that's what a lot of the lads need at the moment."

Wilder's first match in charge is against Charlton Athletic at Bramall Lane on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Listen to the full interview with Chris Basham and more Sheffield United on Sounds

Image source, Rex Features

Well, Blades fans, here we are again... your new manager is Chris WIlder, just as it was in 2016 and 2023.

Third time's a charm, as they say, but there were plenty of high points in the previous two spells... it just ended in rather a damp squib.

Were you 'Wilder out' after the Championship play-off final defeat by Sunderland in May? Have you changed your mind after seeing how green (or not) the grass was under Ruben Selles?

Are you happy with the news? What would count as success this season after a period of absolute chaos at Bramall Lane?

Is there any chance of a promotion push after a start to a season like this, or would merely staying in the Championship be enough for you, given the upheaval?

Let us know your thoughts here and we'll publish a selection of the best ones right here.

Get all the reaction to the departure of Ruben Selles from Sheffield United with BBC Radio Sheffield's Rob Staton and Adam Oxley.

Selles was sacked by the club on Sunday after their 5-0 defeat by Ipswich Town on Friday meant the Blades have lost all six games of the season so far.

Watch or listen to the Football Heaven Sheffield United special here.