Chris Wilder responds to comments from Sheffield United co-chairman Steven Rosen on issues the club have faced.
Three weeks ago, Sheffield United fans demanded answers from their club owners after the High Court decision made, with COH Sports Bidco Ltd, the American consortium that formerly owned the Blades, wound up.
The SUFC Fan Advisory Board put a list of questions to the owners, wanting clarity, and the club still facing the threat of a 12 point deduction.
Concerned Sheffield United fans demand answers from club owners after High Court decision
At 52 minutes into the interview, as seen above, Steven Rosen said, as tweeted by Rob Staton:
“You know, there’s been some noise about us net spending or selling players and getting £15 million pounds and not reinvesting it. Keep in mind, we’re already £30-plus-million, you know, funding loss this year, and we inherited a club that had some obligations and whatnot.
“So, you know, when you look at the patient, the patient(s) struggling. At some point, you need to restructure. We wanted to move away from COH, and because of the, you know, dispute with one of the individuals who was looking at the club initially with us, and that’s been reported on in Delaware, and we wanted Prince Abdullah and United World still wanted to look at the past, they didn’t want to go with us into the future, and we couldn’t couldn’t make an arrangement with them.
“So that’s how that came together. We’re unhappy, I believe, him to be unhappy at this point as well. But what was in the best interest of the supporters, the employees, the footballers, the, you know, the whole club, was to to re-organise and restructure.
“Now, there’s been some comment on the, you know, what’s going to be the, you know, fallout with the EFL. You know, let me just comment on this. At no point there’s only one real, you know, noise around points deductions, sporting sanctions, and that Prince Abdullah put that out. Prince Abdullah and United World don’t have power over the EFL to issue a points deduction. A former owner can’t tell the EFL what to do…
“As much as he’d like to, that threat tactic, you know, he doesn’t have that power. Other clubs, competitive clubs, self-servingly, I’m sure would love to see us or like to see us or enjoy us getting a points deduction, put us further down, make it harder for us to compete.
“But clubs don’t have power over the EFL. At no point was the club, the football club insolvent. We pay our creditors on time. We pay our bills on time. No, like the club itself. There’s a little technicality there on whether or not a group company. So they look at group companies. Well, COH is not a group company. That’s not a group company of Sheffield. It does not not the holder of Sheffield.
“It’s not the holding company, so I can’t see in any scenario where the club gets a points deduction because of that insolvency rule.
“It wasn’t like Sheffield Wednesday where they had an administrator and it went into insolvency, couldn’t pay their bills and all that. That’s that’s not our situation.”
Interviewer: “Well, good.”
Rosen: “Yeah, really good, right?”
Interviewer: “Because all this is all about winning. Yeah?”
Rosen: “That’s all about winning. And so, you know, when I look to the future, which is really where I want to go, and look to the future and not the past, I look to a much brighter future. We moved on from COH. We moved into this, you know, new world. We’re bringing in some new investment partners, which I think many clubs are trying to do.
“I know, as you’ve read over, you know, recently, there’s you know many a club who have brought in new investment partners to try to get better and bigger and you know build the academy. So that’s our that’s our goal.”
Interviewer: “I’m glad to hear that it sounds like sanctions. There will be no point deductions, so that this Sheffield United can get back to doing what it’s wanting to do, as you said, the state of Goldman to get to the Premier League and stay there because this is an exciting time. Season’s about to start. I know you got to get through this kind of this transfer window period, and then, let’s go. Good luck.”
🗣️ “I don’t think anybody else in the division has had to deal with the situations that I’ve had to deal with this year”
📹 Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder gives his thoughts on the recent interview with co-chairman Steven Rosen.
🎧 👉 https://t.co/D0OfyVpBkk#SUFC pic.twitter.com/O6HNIZur8P
— Football Heaven (@footballheaven) September 7, 2026
Wilder said in the clip above: “I think communication and clarity is massive for a football club and we’re all vested stakeholders, manager, coaches, players and the most important part of the football club is the supporters.
“So the chairman’s addressed that in his own way and my sole focus don’t think anybody else in the division had to deal with the situations that I’ve had to deal with this year, but I’ll deal with them.
“You know, I’m experienced manager, I’ll deal with them, I’ll be the spokesman of the football club on that, knowing that the chairman was going to come out and talk and say things about the situation.
“I think sometimes that when it is sensitive, the approach might be of the approach that has been, if that makes sense, until everything gets cleared up and sorted out and put to bed, which I imagine when it does, there’ll be a final statement on that.
“I know, you know, maybe that’s been the approach of the owners and the chairman, but I’m happy to take it on my shoulders and deal with it and explain it and I have done.
“Would rather get on with working as a football manager. As David Moyes said, there’s always disappointments at football clubs that you’ve got to deal with or certain situations you’ve got to deal with.
“And I’ve dealt with it and now hopefully we can concentrate on the football.”
Interviewer: “And are you confident from what’s been said and what you may have been told internally? And look, I’m not asking you to say any of that, that the situation involving the former owner and all that kind of stuff will get resolved and you won’t have a more difficult situation to deal with?”
Chris Wilder: “I’ve had the same dialogue with what was published is 100 % certain as what the chairman said in his podcast in America.
“So yeah, you know, I can’t take my eye off the ball as well. Can’t get caught up in stuff. I’ll deal with stuff and be the representative of the club from the playing side, coaches and managers.
“But, yeah, the dialogue that I’ve had with the chairman has been exactly 100% the same as what the supporters have had.”
Here’s the social media reaction after Chris Wilder responds to comments from the Sheffield United co-chairman on issues the club have faced…
@Jamesy_boy: Imagine Pederson looking at this interview 😬. We only came out of administration in may. This ranting is why Pederson absolutely earned the right to manage us this season. #swfc Never once had a strop like this. Just tried the best he could in the worse situation in football.
@LFSUFC: Wilder seriously needs to stop making excuses and start owning things. Or essentially throwing players under the bus every time something goes wrong. It’s almost toxic. #sufc
@Gurnery_: He’s not lasting much longer there, is he? 😂. There are plenty of clubs that have had it far worse, he hasn’t even got that bad of a squad.
@NTTJA0: Wilder must’ve forgot what HP had to deal with: a depleted squad, players leaving, unpaid wages, transfer restrictions, ownership chaos, administration and an 18-point deduction. He never complained once. With Wilder, it’s always about him.
