Source: FOOTYMAD
Wilson Set For Sheffield Return
Bramall Lane calling for ex Reds boss Former Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday player and manager Danny Wilson is set to be unveiled as the new manager at Sheffield United tomorrow. The 51 year who led Barnsley to their one and only season in the Premier League in 1997, before defecting to Hillsborough after relegation a year later has been out of work since quitting his post at Swindon in March. United have been on the hunt for a new boss since sacking Micky Adams following relegation from the Championship at the beginning of May. Wilson was initially lined up for a sensastional Oakwell return to replace the departed Mark Robins but ruled himself out of the running after hearing of the Blades interest. That interest is now expected to become a permanent job in the morning. Meanwhile Barnsley Football Club have today released a statement surrounding their search for a new manager. In the space of a week, they have seen Rochdale boss Keith Hill reject the post, whilst Leyton Orient have refused them permission to speak to their manager Russell Slade. The statement reads: The Board of Barnsley FC continues to evaluate applications still being received for the First Team Manager vacancy. It has also approached a number of clubs for permission to speak to managers currently in post. Some of these have been reported in the press. Except in the case of an exceptional applicant, the Board would prefer to appoint a manager already in post and is targeting the upper reaches of the lower divisions. The honest rationale for this is plain: The bigger name managers are waiting on decisions on Premiership vacancies or posts they expect to be vacated in that division; In-post managers in clubs positioned last season higher in the Championship are not attracted to our club. This is hardly surprising; Every club that was promoted from Division 1 last year finished ahead of Barnsley FC in the Championship, with the worst placed of these (Millwall) finishing eight places higher; Rochdale and Leyton Orient, which have gone public with our approaches, are 16 and 14 places respectively below us in the football pyramid and in case we seek to say that League 1 is vastly inferior, we need only look at how Norwich prospered on promotion to the Championship and how Leeds almost made the play-offs; The Football League management believes that the lower divisions have got their house in order in terms of managing within their means and becoming stronger as a consequence. Continuing the honest theme: ·In our last five seasons in the Championship we have finished between 17th and 20th with a points tally between 50 and 56; ·The most common view expressed by fans to Board members, echoed in press letters and websites is that our football has become staid and defensive; ·Put frankly, we have been in a rut, which is not good for our business or our fans' enjoyment of games. We must do better for our fans in terms of the football product. A new manager is an opportunity to change the momentum and direction of our club. We need for our club a manager who is a good motivator, a communicator and has a football philosophy that will excite our fans and get results. That is what the Board is determined to achieve. We must not get disappointed if we get the knock-back at this stage in the process. If we stay patient for a few days more we can get someone who will revitalise our efforts off the field and the relationship with the fans. The Board invites the fans to get behind the new beginning and the new manager when he is appointed.
