Chris Wilder has a clear plan for Sheffield United’s summer rebuild, but admits the success of Championship rivals has underlined exactly what his squad is missing.
Sheffield United are focusing very much on themselves as they look to right the wrongs of this season and go again next term, and manager Chris Wilder is convinced he has the right plan in place to do so. But if he needed something of a blueprint to follow, there are plenty elsewhere in the Championship.
Millwall have built on last season’s eighth-placed finish to mount another promotion push this time around. Coventry City are on the verge of sealing their place in the Premier League after keeping the bulk of their squad in the summer and tweaking a few bits.
Middlesbrough’s promotion push may have faltered a little of late but they already have eight more points this term than they managed last time out, sitting fourth and three points off second with four games to go.
All have a common thread running through them; a solid spine of experienced Championship operators to help steer them when the waters get a little bit choppy. That is one thing United have lacked this season, with skipper Japhet Tanganga by some way the most established member of their recent back four.
Chris Wilder has already identified blueprint Sheffield United must follow as missing piece exposed
Even then, at 27, he has not yet made 100 Championship appearances in his career. Either side of him for the most part of the season, Femi Seriki, Tyler Bindon and Harrison Burrows are in either their first or second season as regulars at this level.
“We need to bring some experience in, to challenge,” admitted Wilder. “To bolster that part of the team up. The biggest box that needs to be ticked is personality and character. Character of a winning footballer. Just look at three of our back four, an average age of 23. We certainly need to add some experience into that.
“You look at Coventry, with an average age of 29 and you look at their back line. You look at Middlesbrough's back line. You've got Matt Target. You've got Luke Ayling in there. You've got Callum Britton in there. You've got [Adilson] Malanda, who's come over on a big fee from the States.
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“You look at Coventry's team, and their back four. Millwall's team as well. Joe Bryan playing left-back, Jake Cooper. Everybody thinks, every time they play against Millwall: ‘We can get at Cooper.’ But he just produces seven and eights out of 10.
“We don't need any more young players in our team. We've got five young players who we've developed ourselves and there are obviously some other young players floating about as well. Ones who we haven't developed but we have in a way. Michael Cooper and Harrison Burrows and players like that. Experience is the key.
“Knowing your way around a football pitch and knowing your way around the division is hugely important. For the progression of the team, to win games of football and to put value into our players. Which obviously is something that we're always looking to do.
“It's easy to demolish and take a wrecking ball to it. And it's tough to build. And I think people don't realise that. I look at Millwall and they've had their season with Alex. Last season was a build season, in and around it. Then they've kicked on. And we need to do the same next season.”
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