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Sheffield United are the fourth club Ruben Selles has managed since February 2023 Sheffield United cruised into last season's Championship play-off final with a 6-0 aggregate win over Bristol City as they looked to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. They have lost every game since. The Blades, beaten by Sunderland in the final minute at Wembley, are now rock-bottom of the Championship and the only EFL side without a point this campaign. BBC Sport looks at what has gone wrong at Bramall Lane. Despite finishing third with 90 points last season the club's American owners COH Sports decided to part company with boss Chris Wilder less than three weeks after the play-off final loss and replaced him with Spaniard Ruben Selles. Wilder was in his second spell with his hometown club, having led them from League One to the Premier League in his first stint, while Selles had been sacked by Hull City at the end of last season after they avoided relegation to League One on goal difference alone. "The decision to sack Wilder, arguably the most successful manager in the club's history, was a huge gamble by the owners, and to an extent, a surprise decision as well, " BBC Radio Sheffield sports reporter Adam Oxley said. "New owners often want their own man in charge but Chris Wilder was given a new long-term contract just a month after COH Sports acquired the Blades last December, only to part ways less than five months later. "The decision to replace Wilder with a relatively unproven manager in Ruben Selles seemed to compound the gamble taken by the board, and heightened a split in the club's fanbase between those who remain pro-Wilder, and those who questioned Wilder's approach last season. "A change of direction in the club's recruitment strategy appears to have been at the heart of Wilder's exit, and could have seen him depart Bramall Lane, even if the club had won the Championship play-off final in May. " They started the season with a shock 4-1 thumping by Bristol City, who they had so comprehensively beaten less than three months before, and Selles' decision to keep the players on the pitch afterwards was criticised by some. A much-changed side were beaten 2-1 at Birmingham City in the League Cup and a trio of 1-0 losses to Swansea, Millwall and Middlesbrough mean they are bottom of the second tier and without a league goal in over five hours. Japhet Tanganga was a big-money arrival but was not signed until 28 August Although departures were expected following their failure to return to the Premier League, the exits of defender Anel Ahmedhodzic, midfielder Vini Souza and striker Kieffer Moore took out key parts of the side's spine. Recruitment was slow and just two loanees, Tyler Bindon and Louie Barry, were in from the start for the season-opener against the Robins, and before the trip to Swansea a week later Selles told media that the club had not done a good enough job in the transfer market. "With 10 days to go in the transfer window, the Blades had used their locally termed 'AI-approach' to sign two unknown players from the Bulgarian league, while three young loanees from the Premier League and Portuguese top flight had also arrived, " Oxley added. "What followed was a flurry of nine further signings before and on deadline day, including greater experience, long-term deals, eye-catching loans and a significant transfer fee paid for Japhet Tanganga, who was a known target for Wilder. "Was this always the plan? Or was there a shift in the club's transfer approach towards the end of the window? We can only speculate, as COH Sports are yet to give any interviews since taking over at Bramall Lane. " Having brought in experienced striker Danny Ings, Atlanta defender Ben Godfrey on loan and Millwall defender Tanganga on a permanent deal, the Blades were then one of the most active sides on deadline day Defenders Ben Mee and Mark Mc Guinness, midfielder Alex Matos and forward Chieo Ogbene all came in, while former club captain Jack Robinson was allowed to leave for Birmingham. "It's been a mess of a summer - starting with the sacking of Wilder, " said former Reading and Watford midfielder Jobi Mc Anuff on the BBC's EFL podcast 72+. "From what I've seen I've not been impressed with Ruben Selles in the way he's set the team up - he's not getting the best out of the group yet. "He maybe wasn't given the tools he needed to put a team together that can go and get results, which gives him a little bit of an out, but he should be doing better with the squad he has at his disposal. "But he certainly has no excuses with what he's brought in now. " This is United's worst start to a season outside the top flight since 1995-96. They lost their first five matches that campaign and sat second bottom on Christmas Day before a late-season rally under Howard Kendall, who had replaced Dave Bassett in December, saw them finish ninth. Their on-field performances so far this campaign have not been quite as bad as their results would imply but also don't give huge causes for optimism. In terms of chances, the Blades have averaged 1. 21 expected goals for across their four Championship matches so far, putting them 15th in the league. At the other end, they are allowing their opponents an average of 1. 38 expected goals, which ranks 14th in the division so far. Their average possession of 58. 1% is the fifth-highest in the second tier and is just under 7% above what they averaged across the 2024-25 season. However, last season they averaged 1. 37 expected goals for and just 1. 01 expected goals against, with their promotion push based on a solid defence. Under Wilder it took until their 14th game of the season for them to concede seven goals in total, the number they have conceded after four matches of this time around. This video can not be played 'We need to turn our competitiveness into points. ' Is Selles under pressure from the fans? Undoubtedly. One irate supporter called into Radio Sheffield's iconic football phone-in Praise or Grumble after the opening-day hammering saying the Spaniard should go. Although that was obviously far-fetched, by the defeat at Boro at the end of the month there was a highly vocal part of the away fanbase chanting for Selles to be sacked and he was met with an angry reaction when he came over to applaud them after the game. "With so much business done late in the summer window, it seems fair to give Ruben Selles some time with his new-look squad, having belatedly been given more than the five additions he publicly wanted, " Oxley said. "But we all know football isn't fair. Pundits, press and supporters have been unconvinced with performances so far. "If people start to see signs of the intense, exciting, attacking style of play promised in the summer, he may be given some leeway if results don't immediately come, especially with Ipswich Town away up next. "If not, you feel the Spaniard may not survive long into the autumn. " For what it's worth the former Reading boss is aware that results need to improve and quickly. "You know what it means to be working for Sheffield United and the demands, especially in the Championship, are to be on top of the game and trying to win every game, " he told BBC Radio Sheffield this week. "Now we have a big, late change of the squad. We don't have time to make excuses, we have to go and try and win the next match. " Friday's trip to also winless Ipswich looks tricky and a fifth-straight defeat will leave Selles in a very tough spot for the home game against promoted Charlton a week on Saturday. They follow that up with a visit to Oxford and then face two of Selles' former sides, hosting Southampton and journeying to East Yorkshire to face Hull, before the next international break. Two second tier sides, Sunderland in 2005-06 and Nottingham Forest in 2021-22, have recovered from losing their first four games to win promotion and there are still 42 games of the league season to go. That said, no team has ever bounced back from five losses at the start of a season to win promotion and, given the Blades' defeat by Sunderland in May means they have now failed to win promotion through the play-offs in any of their 10 attempts, fans had probably held hopes of a top-two finish time time around. 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