Statistical Analysis: Have Sheffield United Improved Since Chris Wilder’s Return? | OneFootball

When Sheffield United kicked off the 2025/26 Championship season, few could have predicted the chaos that would unfold just two months later.

Ruben Selles was supposed to bring a front-footed and a fresh dynamic to a squad many expected to challenge for the top six. Instead, a disastrous start, capped by a humiliating 5-0 defeat away to Ipswich Town, saw the Spaniard sacked after just five league matches.

The board turned back to Chris Wilder less than 100 days after his previous controversial dismissal, hoping to recapture the spirit and identity that defines a typical Sheffield United side.

But as the second international break of the campaign arrives, the Blades are still bottom of the Championship table.

The Numbers Under Ruben Selles

IPSWICH, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 12: Ruben Selles, Manager of Sheffield United, looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Sheffield United at Portman Road on September 12, 2025 in Ipswich, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Under Selles, Sheffield United looked toothless for the most part. His side averaged 44.8% duel success, which was one of the lowest in the division.

Across his five league games (Bristol City, Swansea, Millwall, Middlesbrough, Ipswich), the Blades averaged:

United had a decent build-up structure under Selles, but they couldn’t break through the defence with the ball often moving side to side on the edge of the box, with little movement or penetration beyond that.

Even worse, Selles’ structured approach offered little defensive stability with opponents averaging 50+ final-third entries per match, and as a result, United were repeatedly punished in the transitional side of things.

Have Sheffield United Improved Since Chris Wilder Returned?

HULL, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 04: Chris Wilder, Manager of Sheffield United, looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Hull City and Sheffield United at MKM Stadium on October 04, 2025 in Hull, England. (Photo by Tony King/Getty Images)

Wilder’s reappointment brought a mixed bag of emotions among the fan base; some gladly welcomed back the 58-year-old, while others respectfully wanted to move on from United’s Wilder era. Since his return, the numbers suggest that there has been a very marginal improvement, if any at all.

It’s worth noting that the standard of opposition that Selles faced in his five league games was considerably tougher than the four opponents Wilder has faced. Bristol City are consistently a decent Championship outfit, Swansea City flatter to deceive, Millwall always give the Blades problems, United seemingly cannot win at Middlesbrough, and Ipswich Town were the pre-season favourites to win the league.

Meanwhile, Wilder’s opponents feature two of the pre-season favourites to get relegated (Charlton Athletic and Oxford United), Hull City statistically had the second-worst defensive record before they kicked off against the Blades, whereas Southampton are underperforming at this early stage.

In his opening fixtures, Wilder’s Blades have:

Perhaps quite shockingly, for as much as the supporters criticised United’s defensive structure under the Spaniard, it has numerically regressed since Wilder’s return, even despite the considerable decrease in opposition quality.

To me, this simply suggests the issues from a defensive perspective since matchday one is more of a personnel issue rather than a tactical issue. Fans could argue the case of the squad having low confidence, however United scraped a 1-0 win against Oxford United and these problems are still there for all to see.

The data essentially shows that Selles’ team couldn’t penetrate because they were passive. But while Wilder’s team can penetrate, they can’t control games long enough to sustain pressure on the opposition.

Can Wilder Drag the Blades Out of the Drop Zone?

Wilder previously told the media what United’s plans are for the international break, he said:

“The board and Steve Bettis have been outstanding because they’ve said ‘what do you want to do with them during the international break, shall we go to a camp in Spain and take them away and foster that team spirit?’ I went ‘no, the spirit is there, we need to work hard.’

“We need to work through this period physically, tactically, it’s a real big opportunity for us. I think we’ve got five boys away, so we’ve got a big group to work with. Getting Danny Ings, Ben Mee, the boys that came in late [in the window], the boys that need a nudge up, from a tactical point of view and a physical point of view, we’re working.”

Sheffield United host Watford next Saturday afternoon, one of Wilder’s former sides, who have just recently made a managerial change which saw Paulo Pezzolano sacked and former Hornets boss Javi Gracia returning to the club, where the Blades will be looking to avoid being on the wrong end of the “new manager bounce”.

The three fixtures after that will all be seen as winnable; United play two of the current bottom six teams in the Championship, with a trip to Deepdale sandwiched in between to face former Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom.

Stats taken from Opta.