Sheffield United owners make surprising decision - It will impact Chris Wilder | OneFootball

Alan Knill, who is Chris Wilder's trusted assistant at Sheffield United, will leave the club, in a decision made by the owners at Bramall Lane.

Sheffield United are gearing up for a crucial summer transfer window, as they look to challenge for the play-offs next season.

Chris Wilder returned to Bramall Lane for a third time last season, and whilst he did enough to ensure the club weren’t in relegation trouble, an inconsistent final few months of the campaign was a huge frustration.

So, the Blades are set for a major overhaul over the coming weeks, with Wilder having made it clear that he wants to shake things up.

Alan Knill leaves Sheffield United after over a decade alongside Chris Wilder

However, one change that few saw coming has been made in the backroom team, with the Sheffield Star revealing that Alan Knill has left the club.

The 61-year-old has been associated with Wilder since 2008, when the Blades boss actually assisted Knill at Gigg Lane.

After that, the roles were reversed, with Knill acting as Wilder’s number two at Northampton, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Watford, and he rejoined Wilder at Bramall Lane in September.

Interestingly, the update adds that the decision was not made by Wilder, with the US owners instead making the call to part company with Knill, who was said to be ‘shocked’ when he found out he was no longer needed.

They state that there is a desire to give younger coaches Micky Collins and Guilherme Ramos more prominent roles, which will now happen in the new setup, with the duo seemingly highly-rated at the club.

Sheffield United risk alienating Chris Wilder with Alan Knill decision

The obvious issue with this decision is the impact it could have on Wilder, who, as outlined above, has had Knill as his right-hand man for over a decade.

He would always talk up the ability of the former Rotherham boss, and it’s clear he values what Knill brings to clubs, both on the training pitch and as someone who he can bounce ideas off.

Naturally, it begs the question of what Wilder really feels about this, and it seems needlessly risky from the owners to force a change on the manager in such a key area.

The fact they are looking to make tweaks should be applauded, but the aim of the club should be to support Wilder as much as possible, and it’s hard to see how removing Knill does that.

Of course, Wilder will still be professional, and he may actually benefit from hearing a different voice and leaning on individuals who have different opinions. The likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola regularly changed their backroom team, so it could work out well for the Blades.

Ultimately, this decision will be judged further down the line, but it’s definitely a sad day for all connected to Sheffield United, as Knill’s contribution to their success over the years is very much appreciated by those on the terraces.

The club was in a terrible position when Wilder and Knill took over in League One, and the journey to a top half finish in the Premier League was a brilliant one for the Blades, with the assistant manager a key figure in that rise.