Alan Biggs on the early stages of Sheffield United’s new ownership
We don’t know what their end game is, or if they even have one, but the new owners of Sheffield United have made a promising start. Not least in that, aside from their brief and well-timed opening remark, COH Sports has said nothing.
That sounds like music to my ears. Co-chairmen Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy are going for action, initially in current transfer window, as said above.
Furthermore, no one wants owners to be front-of-house all the time, as their fellow American, Kevin Nagle, may have learnt from his difficult first few months at Huddersfield Town.
Obviously, there is a significant difference. The Terriers were running aground, whilst the Blades could not have been more buoyant. However, Nagle appeared on multiple occasions to openly undermine his managers’ authority during a turbulent series of early changes at the top.
While such turmoil is unnecessary in the instance of Chris Wilder, the new authority should take note of how and why United are in such a strong position. It’s because Wilder has been trusted to be a traditional manager rather than a head coach, who works hands-on throughout the organization.
Not every manager wants or is capable of doing this, but Wilder thrives on the responsibility, and his club has reaped the rewards. Kevin McCabe, the guy who initially brought Wilder to Bramall Lane, makes an important point about this in his new memoirs. McCabe believed that if the correct manager was in place, the club should adapt to him rather than vice versa.
Hopefully, Rosen and Eltoukhy will have recognized the logic behind this, because what works is not broken. New ideas are good, but they can also be deadly if not properly measured. So far, I have seen no signs of interruption. The fundamental relationship is genuinely positive and mutually supportive.
Okay, Wilder’s official statements would not have said it any other way for political reasons, but what you hear elsewhere absolutely matches, which is how you know it’s true.
So far, Rosen and Eltoukhy have hit all of the correct notes in the right order.
* Aiming to compete “consistently” in the top flight, “not just on a one-off basis.”
* Committing to “supporting the management team.”
* Assuring supporters that they “understand the huge responsibility” of owning the team.
* Promising to keep it “accessible and affordable.”
This window still has the potential to have an effect. However, the ship’s stability at this early stage is encouraging.
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