Clough is looking favourite with the Blades opting for experience

Former Everton coach David Weir was handed his first managerial post at Bramall Lane in the summer, but lasted just 13 games before he was sacked on Friday evening.

Now the Blades – who hope to announce a new incumbent by Wednesday ahead of Saturday’s game with Port Vale – want a manager with a track record in the lower leagues.

But despite the backing of the club’s wealthy joint-owner Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad, the new man will be asked to work with the current squad of Blades players rather than overhaul the dressing room.

Experience at working in the lower leagues and the Championship is also required of the new manager, according to Blades director Jim Phipps, Prince Abdullah’s principal adviser.

Favourite Nigel Clough would certainly fit that bill, having transformed Burton Albion’s fortunes before rebuilding a Derby County side in the Championship until he was sacked last month as Rams chief.

However, in a fresh twist this morning, the Derby Evening Telegraph reports that Clough will not be applying for another job until everything has been sorted out with his former club, following his dismissal.

Other names in the Blades frame include Tony Pulis, Stuart McCall and former manager Neil Warnock.

“I have seen lots of very interesting suggestions,” admitted Phipps, who jetted in from Saudi Arabia this weekend to watch the Blades play at Coventry City yesterday.

“Some of them are more likely to be near the target and some seem to be improbable.

“There are some real strong candidates, and on that score I am very happy we have some coaches to choose between that are worthwhile and promising choices that both players and fans alike will respond to favourably.

“We didn’t end the services of our outgoing manager without considering what type of replacement might come, what type of replacement might be most serviceable given the players already in hand.

“Heaven only knows we don’t need another two months of massive piles of staff changes. The player list doesn’t need to get longer, it needs to get more trim,” added Phipps, with the Blades having brought in the likes of Florent Cuvelier, Jose Baxter, Harry Bunn, Simon Lappin, Febian Brandy, Ryan Hall and Marlon King.

“I actually think we over-resourced and that creates confusion. There’s positives and negatives of bringing in people. You affect team chemistry, individual team player morale, as people get displaced. It’s very complex and all shows up in performance.”

After admitting the “experiment” of bringing in Weir failed, Phipps now believes experience is vital for the new manager.

“I think that’s a fair criterion,” said Phipps. “This experiment didn’t work out as we might have anticipated. Experience in this league and getting out of this league would be valuable.

“Certainly, it would be valuable to have some experience in the league above, to have a vision of how we are going to get from where we are to there systems-wise, and philosophy-wise.

“I think we need a coach whose answer to every problem is not going to be more money. There are a lot of examples in English football where more money may not actually be helping.

“Sometimes not pouring rescources into something is the right way to get results. We have committed to resourcing the club, and I think that will be evidenced in what we do next. The key is not to bring in a coach who wants to spend more money on more expensive players.

“This club, in the past, has gone through a relegation where it brought down a lot of expensive players. We know having over-priced players is a formula for putting a club in a difficult situation. There is still a lot of work to get the finances right.

“We haven’t made any statements about what is next, but everyone can know that we haven’t just taken this step without putting some serious work into what’s next. We hope to be moving forward on a relatively prompt basis. We anticipate being able to move quickly.”

United’s tepid displays in this season’s cup competitions, where they failed to score a goal in three matches against League Two opposition, was a key reason behind Weir’s exit.

United lost to Burton in the Capital One Cup and only managed to scrape through on penalties against Scunthorpe United in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy before going out of that tournament to strugglers Hartlepool United last week at Bramall Lane.

“It got to the point where there was a concern that we actually weren’t getting better,” admitted Phipps. “Tuesday night was certainly contributory to that.

“Our handful of matches against League Two teams have not got better, but worse.

“We played teams from a division down and we looked like we belonged in that division, somewhere beneath the teams we were playing. That just isn’t Sheffield United, it’s not acceptable.

“To his credit, nobody had to tell David. There was no need for any harsh words, he was way too smart for that. This just wasn’t the right challenge.”

While Weir and assistant Lee Carsley have departed, Phipps said everyone at United needs to shoulder their share of the blame.

“It starts with the owners and through the club to the manager and the players. We realise that it isn’t just this one fine gentleman, it’s a group of people and we haven’t got the job done. Nobody gets a free pass here.

“The decision has been taken and we are moving forward.”