HAVE IT!
While the likelihood of fans at Bramall Lane getting hit by wayward shots struck by Sheffield United players is higher than usual this season, when Football Daily heard breathless reports that their recently re-installed head coach had been shown a red card for booting the ball into some hapless bystander’s face last night, we immediately presumed he’d lost the plot and deliberately committed an aggressive act of potentially career-ending violence. It was only upon seeking out footage of the incident on some social media disgrace or another that we realised he’d done nothing of the sort. Indeed, the only crime the Blades boss was even remotely guilty of was submitting to one of humankind’s most basic and primeval urges, specifically: kicking a football that was rolling towards him. As he walked off the Bramall Lane pitch at half-time, one was tossed in the direction of some nearby substitutes who were about to warm up and happened to trundle directly into Wilder’s path. Without breaking stride, the 58-year-old undertook the civic and some might say moral obligation of every sentient male who finds themselves in a similar circumstances and put his boot through it without so much as a second’s hesitation or malice aforethought.
As bad luck would have it, the insouciant swish of Wilder’s left peg was misjudged and he sent the ball fizzing into the stand behind the tunnel, where it hit a fan upside his coupon, knocking a hat from his head. Wilder immediately waved a hand by way of apology before climbing the steps to confirm that the gentleman in question was unharmed. Upon his return pitchside, he was sent off by referee Adam Herczeg and accepted the red card without much, if anything, in the way of complaint. Subsequently framed in some quarters as an act of aggression by a man under serious pressure, Wilder’s mishap actually appeared to be nothing of the sort and looked more like a slice of misfortune caused by a bloke who saw a ball rolling towards him and simply surrendered to his basic instinct to kick it. But while his “victim” was unhurt, clearly saw the funny side and now has a good story to tell his mates down the pub, it was probably right that Wilder had to go. Forced to sit out the second half of his side’s eventual defeat, he could now face up to three more games on the Naughty Step just for miskicking a football.
Having racked up almost £455,000 in fines for what the Football Association described as an “incredibly poor period of behaviour” taking in six different matches last season, Sheffield United have seen several big decisions go against them in the current campaign. The main one coming after the playoff final when they binned off Wilder and appointed Rubén Sellés as his replacement before acknowledging and correcting their error. Following last night’s defeat, Wilder’s assistant Alan Knill undertook the obligatory media duties on behalf of his boss and blamed the match officials for United’s failure to rescue a point. “That’s the frustration really, everyone in the ground sees these incidents we’re talking about but the ones that matter don’t see it and it is a disappointing night where the officials haven’t really helped,” he fumed, slightly defeating his own argument by highlighting the completely correct decision to award Southampton a penalty they would go on to miss as one of two particular bones of contention. The other, a disallowed Sydie Peck header that might have rescued a point for the Blades was far more questionable but when your luck’s out, your luck is out, as both Wilder and that bloke in the HE Barnes Lower now know all too well.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It’s a football community in mourning. It’s a huge loss. Mental health is a silent killer and coaches are human beings, and I still think we’ve got a lot of work to do to support more than just players. The LMA [League Managers Association] do a great job but, as the women’s game is growing, we have to reflect on how we support managers in the women’s game at every level, to navigate the pressures and the expectations” – Emma Hayes talks to Tom Garry about the death of her predecessor at Chelsea, Matt Beard, and how managers need more support to navigate the modern game.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
The photo of John Aldridge (Tuesday’s letters) reminded me of a game 39 years ago (yikes!) on Saturday in which we beat that team 6-1 at Hillsborough, despite the two best players on the day – Aldridge and Ray Houghton – playing for our thrashed opponents” – Alan Burgess.
All the talk these days about how players/clubs can’t possibly be expected to play three games per week is just numerical nonsense. The generally accepted fixture accumulation method appears to be as follows: Saturday, then no midweek game, then Saturday = one game a week. Saturday, midweek game, Saturday = three games per week. What happened to teams with European or domestic cup commitments having to play twice a week? Am I missing something here?” – Martin Fisher.
I tittered like a schoolboy at Richard Pringle’s letter, which is pretty much what he would have hoped for I imagine. However, as far as football-related puerility goes, surely nothing beats Bern’s marvellously-monikered W@nkdorf Stadium?” – Phil Taverner.
I’m not sure why Macclesfield FC isn’t at the top of your (obviously made up) Model Club Table (yesterday’s Football Daily). It ticks all the important boxes. Community revival of a bankrupted-but-now-phoenix club? Tick. Redeveloped stands and investment in women’s team? Tick. Rising through the lower leagues to the precipice of professionalism? Tick. Got rid of Robbie Savage as the face of the club? Tick, tick, tick!” – Mike Wilner.
Re yesterday’s bob: “Arne Slot has claimed Liverpool’s defensive laps (sic) are definitely, definitely nothing to do with two new full-backs …”. Is he making them all run around the pitch every time they ship a goal?” – Steve Postle (and 1,056 others).
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Mike Wilner. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we have them, are here.
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