Di Matteo declares Blades interest

The former Italian international is keen to resurrect his managerial career at Bramall Lane and has been in contact with Blades chairman Kevin McCabe.

Di Matteo, 40, steered Milton Keynes Dons into the League One play-offs two years ago before winning promotion to the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion.

He was sacked by the Baggies three months ago but would have no reservations about dropping back into the third tier of English football.

The Blades are seeking a replacement for Micky Adams who was sacked on Tuesday night following discussions on the club’s future with McCabe.

Chief executive Trevor Birch has also stepped down from his post but will be staying on in a ‘consultancy role’ for the short term.

Speaking last night, McCabe stressed that the Blades want a manager with League One experience who will change the style of football at Bramall Lane and bring on the club’s youngsters.

He confirmed Di Matteo’s interest but also appeared to rule out John Pemberton, the club’s Academy manager, despite bookmakers installing the former Blades defender as an odds-on favourite.

“We want someone with experience who understands how to get a team out of League One or the Championship,” he said. “I am sure we will talk to John Pemberton but he is so valuable to the club at youth level.

“We are going to get it right. There have been quite a few unexpected applicants, seven or eight already, and looking at the CVs they all have pretty good credentials.”

Other names in the frame include former Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton, Doncaster Rovers manager Sean O’Driscoll and Plymouth Argyle’s Peter Reid.

Craig Short is also likely to be interviewed after impressing McCabe during his time as manager of Hungarian side Ferencvaros, who are owned by the Blades. He has been out of the game since a brief spell this season as manager of Notts County.

“It’s on the cards now that Sheffield United will play a different style of football – that will also be part of the remit to the new manager,” said McCabe, who plans to resume a more hands-on role at the club after 18 months taking a backseat. “Don’t discount Roberto Di Matteo. He has been in contact via text message.”

Asked if he might get the job, McCabe said: “If he’s as experienced as we would wish him to be.”

Former Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce is still looking for a return to football but McCabe believes he will be out of the club’s price range as they need to make major cutbacks to the £12m wage bill.

“Some managers who have recently been in the Premier League, with the exception of Chris Hughton, because I have an idea what he was on at Newcastle, are so highly paid that it will be difficult to get them down to a sensible level,” he admitted. “I doubt we could afford him (Allardyce) but Chris Hughton, I suspect so.”

McCabe admits that one of the reasons for Adams’s departure was his judgment in the transfer market. Midfielder Michael Doyle and defender Neill Collins, his only two permanent acquisitions, ended the season on the bench while striker Marcus Bent, his first loan signing, started four games in four months and failed to score.

“We got relegated not for the want of paying money but because of the players that were selected and that was the manager’s responsibility,” he said.

“Of course, I take some responsibility. We should not have been so generous with the cheque book for players who were not committed to Sheffield United. We have been relegated paying the highest wage bill.”

Dave Bassett, who has been back at the club this season as a football adviser, remains on the books and has held talks in London with McCabe.

Adams, meanwhile, issued a statement last night via the League Managers’ Association insisting that he could have led the club to promotion next season.

“It is a massive disappointment that I will not have the opportunity to guide the club back to the Championship next season. Having been the third manager to be appointed this campaign, I wanted to be the man to bring stability back to Sheffield United. I left a team that was in contention for promotion and with exciting times ahead,” he said.

“I firmly believe that the four months of extremely hard work we put into the team during a steep learning curve would have given us the chance to make a really positive impact on the challenges ahead.

“I wanted the chance to implement a full restructuring programme during the close season and with the current crop of young players coming through the ranks I would have expected the club to move forward and achieve success on the pitch.”

Pemberton’s odds fall from the Sky

SKY Bet shortened John Pemberton’s odds to become Sheffield United manager from 4-1 to 1-3 after the online bookmaker received a flurry of bets on the ex-Blades player.

Pemberton, currently the club’s Academy manager, opened as 4-1 joint favourite with Russell Slade.

His odds seem likely to lengthen again, however, after chairman Kevin McCabe stressed he is ‘so valuable’ to the club at youth level.

Slade and Aidy Boothroyd are joint second favourite behind Pemberton at 6-1, while Doncaster Rovers manager Sean O’Driscoll is 9-1 to move across South Yorkshire.

Former Blades and Leeds United manager Kevin Blackwell is available at 25-1.