Jason Tindall, Eddie Howe’s long serving assistant at Bournemouth, has joined Sheffield United's coaching staff until the end of the season.
Following Chris Wilder's departure, Paul Heckingbottom, United’s Under-23s manager, has been named as caretaker manager for the rest of the season. He will be assisted by Tindall, Wilder's assistant Alan Knill and the rest of the backroom staff.
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Tindall's agreement will only be until the summer, after which a decision will be made on whether to make his stay permanent.
United are understood to be keeping tabs on a number of potential candidates, including Lincoln City's Michael Appleton.
GO DEEPER
A focus on marginal gains and ‘always sees positives’ – why Tindall got the job
Why has Tindall joined the team?
The Sheffield United board needed to move fast following Wilder's exit.
Heckingbottom is understood to have taken a COVID-19 test on Friday to allow him to join the first-team bubble. But it was felt by the board that another fresh voice would be needed alongside the former Barnsley and Leeds United manager.
Tindall, sacked early last month after Bournemouth had won just once in eight league games, has enjoyed strong links with the Bramall Lane set-up in recent years.
After Bournemouth and United both shared a Spanish training complex during pre-season in 2017, he and Howe struck up a friendship with Wilder and assistant Alan Knill. Tindall is also understood to be good friends with Steve Bettis, United’s chief executive.
What is the coaching staff's biggest challenge?
United have endured a miserable season. Twenty two defeats in 28 league outings meant hopes of avoiding relegation disappeared long ago.
But, with around £2 million of prize money at stake per place in the Premier League, overhauling second bottom West Bromwich Albion’s four point advantage would be a good start.
Above all, though, the board will want to see evidence of improvement in not only results but also performances during the final ten games of the Premier League.
Have there been issues behind the scenes?
Tensions have been growing at Sheffield United in recent months.
The Athletic understands a mooted shift towards a director of football model, something Wilder has always been vehemently against, became a major bone of contention towards the end of last year.
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There were also concerns among some on the coaching staff that the board did not fully appreciate the ramifications of United being unable to match the wages offered by their top-flight peers.
For the board’s part, Wilder’s public utterances about this perceived financial imbalance towards the end of 2020 did not go down well. Neither, it is understood, did the uncertainty that surrounded the manager’s future right at the start of the year.
There was even a moment during that first week of January when those closest to Wilder felt he was ready to walk, only to then be talked back from the precipice.
Is it a surprise that Wilder left?
There has been a sense since the start of the year that we were entering the final stages of Wilder’s time as manager.
Tensions had been building behind the scenes over a number of matters, particularly transfers and a mooted move towards a director of football model.
The board’s U-turn over a previously agreed plan to bring in two loan signings during the January window went down very badly with Wilder, even if economically the change made sense due to the club already being odds on for the drop.
In terms of the day-to-day operations at Bramall Lane, the manager’s influence has been felt – Wilder was heavily involved with the appointment of key figures in the academy, for instance – and is understood to have railed against any plans to dilute that.
This was particularly the case with recruitment, where Wilder enjoys working with a tight-knit circle that includes assistant Alan Knill and head of recruitment, Paul Mitchell.
What did Wilder achieve at United?
He joined his boyhood club in May 2016. They had spent six years in the third-tier of English football by that stage.
Wilder won promotion from League One in his first season. They then finished 10th in their first season back in the Championship.
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The manager then masterminded a shock promotion to the Premier League in 2018-19 by finishing as runners-up in the Championship.
Is there anything else I need to know?
Yes, to find out what Jason Tindall has to offer, Go Deeper below.
(Photo: Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)