Chris Wilder believes Oxford United supporters should be glad the club have not taken risks with their budget after rivals Swindon Town revealed financial problems. Robins’ owner Andrew Black has put the club up for sale to try to avoid the prospect of administration with debts reportedly reaching £13m. Manager Paolo Di Canio was allowed to spend heavily last season as Swindon won npower League Two, but they were placed under a transfer embargo earlier this season due to overspending on wages and fees. United are no strangers to financial issues after suffering in the past, but have lived within their means for several years. The longer-term planning means progress has been slower, but Wilder felt the news from Swindon was more proof of the need to act responsibly. The United manager said: “I’m not saying we’re paupers in the league, but when Chris Wilder has gone and Jake Wright has gone and James Constable has gone, the football club will still be here. “Those who have worked in our office and been associated with the club for a long time, people like (general manager) Mick Brown, have seen what happens when people aren’t getting paid on time and stuff like that.

“When (our) supporters are getting stick from Swindon Town supporters, I think they should look at this day and think ‘we’re glad with the way our club goes about their business’.

“It justifies what path you go as a football club and maybe sometimes people should take a step back when everybody wants to be up there right away.”

Wilder, who guided United to a league double in derbies last season and then a win over their rivals in this season’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, sympathised with the situation into which the Swindon supporters could be placed.

He said: “Swindon signed a lot of players on a lot of big money and took that gamble.

“The supporters are the only ones that hurt, because players, managers and other people at the club will go and the supporters will be the ones who pick up the pieces unfortunately.

“The people in charge here and myself have always known that wouldn’t be a pathway we would go down.”