A decision forever rued: The truth behind the Portsmouth manager that almost was who became Sheffield United hero

The moment touched Cobblers manager, Chris Wilder, who subsequently told the press: ‘This (Pompey) is a proper football club. I have to say, first and foremost, I think they are a class act here.

‘Players get clapped off, it was a competitive game and our players get clapped off and everybody in the ground we have come across has shook our hand and congratulated us, and that is spot on. So a big well done to this football club.’

Wilder afterwards shared several drinks with chairman Iain McInnes, without a hint of ill-feeling towards the man who voted against his appointment as Blues boss two-and-a-half years earlier.

In the hunt to replace Guy Whittingham in December 2013, the then Oxford United manager had been shortlisted as Pompey’s final four, along with Paul Tisdale, Richie Barker and Dean Austin.

McInnes wasn’t the only member of Pompey’s board who didn’t favour Wilder, all but one voted for Barker and the dream ticket of Steve Coppell as director of football. In contrast, Paul Cook would later be handed the role unanimously.

On Saturday, Wilder returns to Fratton Park as a manager for the first time since that May 2016 visit with Northampton, on this occasion with Sheffield United.

Yet considering the crushing failure of the man chosen ahead of him for the Blues job - and his own subsequent success - it’s a sliding doors moment often reflected upon by the Fratton faithful.

In 2020 book Pompey: The Island City With A Football Club For A Heart, McInnes revealed why Wilder was overlooked.

‘Chris Wilder was among a shortlist of four, although didn’t come back with any glowing references. I spoke to his Oxford United chairman, Ian Lenagan, who was not complementary,’ he said.

‘I later ended up having a row with Lenagan because he publicly criticised us for approaching his manager, even though Wilder had applied. To be fair, he accepted the retort and was very hospitable the next time we visited the Kassam Stadium.

‘Some of the board strongly favoured Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale, particularly Ashley Brown, but most were put off by him saying that Saturday wasn’t the most important day of the week in football.

‘If I was starting a club tomorrow and wanted an architect to build me a successful model, Tisdale would be the best candidate. However, I don’t think he would have gone down well at Pompey, he was too laid back and wore that country casual attire.

‘Ash and I met Chris Wilder for the first time in a hotel and he was very tentative, not very sure of himself, while the feedback hadn’t been impressive.

‘Certainly on the day he didn't make a compelling argument, while his track record also didn’t particularly appeal, he was actually struggling at Oxford - and they accepted his resignation six weeks later.

‘Instead Richie Barker was appointed as Guy’s replacement, although it was the prospect of Steve Coppell arriving with him which weighed heavily on the decision.

‘If you think about it, we voted with our hearts in Guy’s case, the common denominator was no experience. As soon as Coppell walked through the door, he had not only been there and done it, but worn the T-shirt and wrote the book. If we were looking for some credibility within football, here was the man - and alongside him was a young coach who had taken Bury to promotion from League Two a few years earlier.’

At the time of Wilder’s application, he had steered Oxford back into the Football League and then achieved stability as a League Two presence, several times flirting with play-off qualification.

A month following that Pompey rejection, Wilder quit the Kassam Stadium for Northampton, saving them from relegation to non-league before claiming the League Two title.

He subsequently joined boyhood club Sheffield United in League One in May 2016, winning two promotions in three seasons and establishing themselves in the Premier League.

As for Barker, his time at Fratton Park spanned just 109 days, with four wins from 20 matches in all competitions, and he departed in March 2014 with the club languishing 22nd in League Two.

Pompey board member, Mick Williams, was also involved in that managerial process which rejected Wilder.

When interviewed for Pompey: The Island City With A Football Club For A Heart he said: ‘We interviewed David Connolly, Dean Austin, Andy Awford, Steve Claridge, Chris Wilder, Paul Tisdale and Richie Barker.

‘I actually thought Claridge interviewed very well, had some really good ideas, but, at the end of the day, I favoured Barker with Coppell as his mentor, he was young, enthusiastic, and had done a reasonable job at other clubs, albeit took over Bury when they were almost promoted anyway.

‘Wilder didn’t interview very well, and Tisdale very set in his ways and the Fratton crowd would have taken the mickey out of him terribly, he wasn’t a Pompey sort of bloke.

‘I remember Wilder saying “I’m really enthusiastic about this job” and he didn’t look like it at all!’

After being dismissed by the Blades in March 2021, Wilder managed Middlesbrough, however, he was out of work when a vacancy arrived at Pompey following the dismissal of Danny Cowley.

Despite his admiration and huge respect for the Blues, it represented the right club at the wrong club for him, with a preference for focusing on Championship work rather than League One at that stage of his career.

While John Mousinho was appointed head coach in January 2023, Wilder took over at Watford six weeks later, lasting just 11 matches as is the Hornets’ way.

Then, in December 2023, he made an emotional return to Bramall Lane, challenged with saving them from Premier League relegation. He was unable, yet retained his position regardless.

Now the Blades are fifth in the Championship - and on Saturday visits the club he almost managed.