Chris Wilder
CHRIS Wilder has again shut down “nonsense” reports linking him with the vacant Cherries job. During the international break, various outlets claimed Cherries were eyeing up Middlesbrough boss Wilder as their new head coach. The Daily Echo understands the 55-year-old is not on the shortlist to be offered the role, despite bookmakers slashing his odds last week. The club are still on the lookout for a new boss, having sacked Scott Parker last month. Gary O’Neil is set to take charge of his fourth game as interim head coach against Brentford tomorrow. Boro currently sit in the Championship relegation zone. Asked if his next move would be to Cherries,
Chris Wilder said: “No. A hundred per cent not. It’s nonsense what’s happened. I dealt with that speculation a month ago. I put it to bed. It’s come from nowhere, it’s not needed by anybody. I’ve just laughed it off really. I think that’s what happens when teams don’t get results that maybe they’re expected to. There’s all sorts of things happening – you’ve fallen out with the owner, he’s gone, I’ve gone, everybody’s off, everybody’s abandoning ship. Every job that I’ve taken, I’ve taken when they’ve not been in a good position. The club wasn’t in a good position. I’m not saying they’re in a great position now, but every club that I’ve taken on and been employed in, there’s a build. There’s a build towards it. We’re suffering a little bit of pain at the moment, but not a time for anybody to walk away. Of course, we’re all ambitious, everybody wants to work at the highest level. I want to work at the highest level with this football club, with Middlesbrough. I think everybody understands that. Sometimes you just have to deal with the noise and nonsense that comes.”
Chris Wilder added: “If I was on social media. I would’ve put it to bed as soon as it came out. Thankfully I’m not on social media, so I had to wait until Friday. But these are things that you have to deal with in this game. All focus, 18 months left on my contract, all focus of turning our positive performances into positive results that ultimately will see us go up the division.”
At the time of writing, Wilder is listed as 7/4 second favourite with Sky Bet for the Cherries job, behind odds-on favourite O’Neil (8/11).
