Next Sheffield United Manager Odds: Could it be Lampard?

Chris Wilder is set to leave Sheffield United after a five-year stint that will forever be remembered as one of the most successful in the club's history.

Although many onlookers expected Wilder to remain at the club beyond their imminent relegation, a rift between manager and owner Prince Abdullah proved irreconcilable. Wilder was reportedly frustrated by what he deemed inadequate financial investment in the team, but a series of disappointing purchases left Prince Abdullah unwilling to support the manager further.

Certainly money has been wasted, and it seems likely the club will look to shift strategy with a shake-up of its transfer committee following a disastrous £80 million outlay on Ollie McBurnie, Sander Berge, Aaron Ramsdale, and Rhian Brewster alone.

Wilder will leave the Blades rooted to the bottom of the Premier League and 12 points adrift in the relegation places. The club's next appointment will be expected to prepare for life back in the Championship.

Here's a look at the main contenders:

Paul Heckingbottom - 4/11

Sheffield United's current under-23s manager could take charge until the end of the season - meaning he'd win the Next Manager market on Betfair's 10-games in charge rule (Sheff Utd have at least 11 games to play) - but make no mistake: this would be no ordinary interim appoint-from-within move by the Blades.

Heckingbottom has already proved himself a good manager, with a bit of bad luck in the last couple of years seeing his stock fall after a promising start for the 43-year-old. In his first job, Heckingbottom got Barnsley promoted from League One (via the play-offs) and won the Football League Trophy, before finishing ninth in the Championship in 2016/17.

He left to join Leeds United in 2018 as one of the most promising English coaches in the game, but was sacked after only four months in charge at Elland Road. Heckingbottom then moved to Hibs in February 2019, where a very good run towards the end of the campaign was followed by one win in 11 at the beginning of 2019/20. He was again sacked, taking a break from the spotlight with an under-23 role at Sheffield United.

The Blades are currently top of their Professional Development League table (in other words, the highest possible league position for a Category 2 academy), reflecting the excellent job Heckingbottom has done. He appears to be the natural fit for the senior role.

Frank Lampard - 4/1

However, there is a distinct possibility that the board will turn away from Heckingbottom if a manager of Frank Lampard's calibre becomes available. The ex-Chelsea boss proved he can do it at the highest level, but more importantly he has a history of managing in the Championship and promoting youth.

Lampard's best days at Chelsea came when there was no transfer budget and he was forced to use younger players, which given the recent success of Sheffield United's development squad - and Prince Abdullah's unwillingness to spend - makes Lampard an attractive option.

What's more, Lampard's name recognition is likely to attract players to Bramall Lane. Loan signings from Chelsea and Premier League free agents would surely flock to Lampard, instantly making Sheffield United favourites to come straight back up.

Unfortunately, it seems unlikely Lampard would accept the position. He will feel, after taking Chelsea into the top four last season, that he can land hirer up the pyramid than a Championship club.

Neil Lennon - 6/1

Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon hasn't managed to find success outside of the SPL, and in fact his second stint in Glasgow was pretty disastrous. His stock is fairly low at the moment, and that ought to put Prince Abdullah off an approach.

After a brilliant four-year run at Celtic, Lennon effectively got Bolton Wanderers relegated from the Championship, leaving before it became official but with the club rock-bottom of the table. Following a decent spell at Hibs he returned to Celtic Park - where things went horribly wrong this season.

There is no real reason to look at Lennon when Heckingbottom is available.

Eddie Howe - 17/2

Howe, on the other hand, would be the perfect appointment. Like Lampard, he is a manager at his best when coaching players rather than spending money, which fits Sheffield United's immediate future, while Howe also has experience getting Bournemouth promoted from the Championship.

He is clearly of Premier League pedigree, and hence could develop the Blades back into a competent top-division outfit in the future, although Howe is likely to be aiming a bit higher with his next appointment. Certainly the 43-year-old needs to choose his next step wisely, and will likely wait until the end of the season to see if any Premier League jobs become available.

Given that he is frequently linked to Newcastle United, it would be too hasty to accept an approach from Sheffield United at this moment.

The rest

Barnsley are the surprise package of the Championship this season, which explains why their manager Valarien Ismael (9/1) is the fifth favourite to succeed Wilder, but given Prince Abdullah would have to pay for his release - and given his patchy career record - it surely won't happen.

Slaven Bilic (14/1) did a good job at West Ham and West Brom but is unlikely to accept an approach considering he only joined Chinese Super League team Beijing Guoan in January this year. With Sheffield United desperately needing to bounce straight back up amid the financial peril of the pandemic, John Terry (14/1) is the sort of wild punt they cannot afford to make.