Sheffield United reaction given to alarming £10m COH Sports, Prince Abdullah situation - it's "really poor" | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit has given his reaction to news that former owner Prince Abdullah was set to hit the club with a winding-up petition.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

It is fair to say it has been a turbulent first year in charge of Sheffield United for owners COH Sports.

COH Sports completed their takeover of Sheffield United last December when they bought the club from former owner Prince Abdullah for a fee of £110 million, but their decision-making has been questioned on a number of occasions by supporters over the past year.

The first controversial call by COH Sports came in the summer when they parted company with manager Chris Wilder, just weeks after the play-off final defeat to Sunderland, but in a humiliating U-turn, they brought the 58-year-old back to the club in September after his replacement Ruben Selles lost all six of his games in charge in all competitions.

Wilder's departure was believed to be due in part to disagreements over the new data-driven recruitment approach, but COH Sports have since distanced themselves from former consultant James Bord after the use of his AI model resulted in the signings of a number of transfer flops.

The Blades' owners came under fire again last month after it was reported that they submitted an enquiry about a potential merger with Steel City rivals Sheffield Wednesday, and they have been in the headlines once more this week after a dispute with Prince Abdullah.

According to Sky Sports, Prince Abdullah was preparing to issue a winding-up order on the club over an unpaid £10 million debt, and while that particular sum has now been settled by COH Sports, there are still believed to be two payments outstanding to complete the formal takeover, with almost half of the agreed price still to be paid.

Sheffield United fan verdict issued on COH Sports, Prince Abdullah dispute

When asked for his thoughts on the situation, FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit Jimmy, from the YouTube channel Blades Ramble, suggested that there could be a business reason why COH Sports paid the £10 million owed to Prince Abdullah late, but he admitted that it would be a concern if they are experiencing financial problems.

"Obviously, the late payment to Prince Abdullah is going to cause concern among some fans," Jimmy told FLW.

"I think the way I'm piecing it together, just in my own mind, is that it's more a case of wouldn't pay, rather than couldn't pay.

"While that is really poor from a moral standpoint, it may well just be a business manoeuvre.

"I might be wrong, it might be a case that they have struggled to get the money together, and if that is the case, then it's something to be concerned with.

"Maybe they've used it to leverage something and to try and get some investors on board, or maybe even get Prince Abdullah back involved.

"We don't know the ins and outs, but clearly it's broken down, and it's a deal between the two of them that has been settled before it's had to go any further."

Prince Abdullah saga is the latest concerning COH Sports development at Sheffield United

COH Sports have made their fair share of poor decisions during their first year in charge of Sheffield United, and while they deserve some credit for admitting they made a mistake and bringing Wilder back to the club, they still have many questions to answer.

As Jimmy said, it is possible that there is an innocent explanation for why they were unable to pay Prince Abdullah on time, but the situation does certainly raise a few red flags, particularly on top of all the previous issues over the past 12 months.

It was recently claimed that COH Sports are open to selling 20% of their stake in the Blades to investors with the right experience, and the arrival of individuals with greater football knowledge and deeper financial resources could be exactly what United need to provide some more stability off the pitch.