Sheffield United owners praised for one thing they’ve done quickly at Bramall Lane - it involves Ruben Selles | OneFootball

COH Sports were quick to part company with the Spaniard after a disastrous start to the season

Sheffield United CEO Stephen Bettis has praised the actions of ownership group, COH Sports, who were quick to dismiss Ruben Selles after a disastrous six-game tenure at Bramall Lane which led to the reappointment of Chris Wilder.

The Blades board member discussed the swift change in the dugout in S2 alongside an array of on and off-pitch matters with Andy Giddings of BBC Radio Sheffield on the local radio station's 'Football Heaven' phone-in debate, which allowed him to explain the thought process behind several matters to supporters who, undoubtedly, have been beyond frustrated and concerned by their club's disastrous start to the Championship season.

United have propped up the second tier standings for all the opening two months of the season, which began with a 4-1 defeat to Bristol City at Bramall Lane, just three months after the aforementioned Wilder guided his side to a record-breaking 6-0 aggregate success against the Robins in last season's play-off semi-finals, before being handed his P45 two weeks after they were dramatically defeated at Wembley Stadium by Sunderland in the final, with Tommy Watson's 94th-minute strike completing a Black Cats comeback and consigning the Steel City side to a second successive campaign in the EFL.

Many supporters and outsiders were left perplexed by the American ownership group's decision to dismiss Wilder after a relatively successful and, at the same time, unfortunate campaign, especially having only taken control of the club last December from Prince Abdullah.

However, it's fair to say that whilst many welcomed the 58-year-old's appointment for a third time in nine years, they have once again been left confused, especially after how disastrous Selles' six-game tenure across all competitions proved to be.

Sheffield United owners COH Sports praised for taking decisive Bramall Lane action involving Ruben Selles

It was a whirlwind off-season for Selles, who was dismissed by Acun Ilicali at Hull City just 11 days after maintaining the Tigers' second tier status on goal difference ahead of Luton Town, just six months after he replaced Tim Walter at the MKM Stadium.

The 42-year-old was handed a three-year contract in South Yorkshire by the hierarchy, who cited his 3-0 success with Hull in January and an extensive knowledge of data-driven methods as key points within his official announcement as the club adopted a transfer policy heavily linked to AI and statistics.

After losing key players such as Anel Ahmedhodzic and Vini Souza, the Valencia-born manager welcomed 14 new players across his only transfer window - the majority of whom were defenders and were also signed in the latter stages of the window, with his side already struggling to gain results and confidence.

Ultimately, Selles was sacked after just six Championship and EFL Cup games, with the final straw being a 5-0 hammering at Ipswich Town on September 12th.

Just days after the board reverted to having Wilder in the hotseat, it was claimed that Selles' appointment came with no extensive interview process, which only added to frustrations at Bramall Lane.

Yet, whilst the current boss hasn't been able to halt the slide - winning just one out of four games thus far - Bettis has praised those above him as they looked to swiftly rectify their error.

"It was a board/ownership decision (to sack Wilder after the play-off final) at that point," he said. "I think, following the disappointment of the play-off final there are, obviously, discussions and that's rightfully so.

"I think discussions should be had about whether that's the right decision for the future of the football club.

"I think at the time the owners felt that they wanted to go in a different direction," the Blades CEO explained. "They wanted a different style of play, maybe a different way of recruiting.

"There were those various thoughts around it at the time, and there was those various discussions around it.

"I think, ultimately, they've realised that the decision they made was a mistake, and they've been open and honest about that and put their hands up," Bettis added.

"I think you've got to give them a lot of credit for that, because they did that in a very short five or six games - if you include the cup game.

"They didn't hang around. They realised it wasn't working, and they were big enough to own up and say 'we've made that mistake.'

"I think they've not lied about the situation. They're inexperienced in terms of their footballing history," Bettis claimed. "And they've come into the club, and they want the best for the club. But, like everybody, they'll make mistakes along the way.

"I think it's how you handle those mistakes which shows how you're going to be as an owner, and I think they've handled this one really well in terms of the time and the speed of turning it around and reinstating Chris."

Chris Wilder is clearly aware of the mammoth Sheffield United task at hand

Wilder has seen it all at Bramall Lane as a supporter, player and manager, and he is clearly aware of the mammoth task in front of him.

The experienced figure stated after the recent 1-0 defeat at Hull City that he, along with other staff, had prepared a 'document' to be filed off to the ownership group in order to prepare for a crucial January transfer window, hinting that several changes are to be made after a calamitous opening period of the campaign.

Last season saw the boyhood Blade mastermind a promotion charge even with a two-point deduction, although it seems highly unlikely at this stage that his highly-talented squad will make a dramatic upsurge towards the play-off spots even though the second tier table remains largely congested.

A first home win of the season will, no doubt, breed confidence throughout the club, and that could come on Saturday against Watford.