Chris Wilder

Coaching Sessions

Pressing to win the ball

Out of Possession

In a lot of the sessions we run at Sheffield United, we want the players to press and win the ball back as quickly as possible. It’s a big part of our game and something that we work on a lot. It comes into nearly every session that we do, but we will have some sessions, like this one, where the real focus is on pressing–and pressing to win the ball back as high up the pitch as possible.

Switching play and creating wide overloads

Attacking

This is a possession session and it’s focused on switching play to create overloads in wide areas. It is designed so that players have to make decisions on when and how to switch play. It also works on the tactical demands on the players to create overloads once the ball comes across the pitch.

Biography

Chris Wilder is the manager of Premier League side Sheffield United leading them from the third tier to the first and their best top-flight finish since the 1970s. Yorkshire-born Wilder began as a player for the Blades, his boyhood club, making more than a hundred league appearances in two spells. In a 15-year career he also played for Rotherham, Notts County, Bradford City and other clubs, concluding his playing days at Halifax. After a successful start in management at Alfreton Town he returned to the Shaymen keeping them in the Conference for six years against an increasingly difficult financial backdrop. However, the club was wound up in 2008 and Wilder joined Bury as assistant to Alan Knill. Wilder returned to management at Oxford United leading the club from the Conference back into the Football League. In 2014 he moved to Northampton and led them to the League Two title a year later with 99 points. Wilder took over at Bramall Lane in May 2016. United had one point from his first four games but ended the season at League One champions with 100 points. A second promotion was secured in 2019 earning him the LMA Manager of the Year award.

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