Sheffield United 4 Swansea City 0: Reaction from both camps as Blades move into play-offs

Three more changes today ...

courtesy of our man James Shield

and the Blades make three changes from the Hull game - Berge, Fleck and Sharp come back in

Paul Heckingbottom, the Sheffield United manager, has insisted he has no other choice but to continue rotating his squad as the race for promotion from the Championship enters a critical phase.

Forced to rearrange their schedule following a series of postponements over the Christmas and New Year period, today’s home game against Swansea City is United’s fifth outing since the turn of a month which also includes forthcoming matches against Blackburn Rovers and Millwall.

Having recorded back to back victories over Luton Town, Peterborough, Birmingham and West Bromwich Albion, United will enter the meeting with Russell Martin’s side hoping to end a run of two straight goalless draws after being held by Huddersfield Town and Hull City.

Although those results have seen Heckingbottom’s team selections come under the spotlight - leading goalscorer Billy Sharp started Tuesday’s stalemate with City on the bench - he told The Star that failing to utilise all of the options at his disposal could have dire consequences.

“There’s no chance (of keeping the same line-up,” Heckingbottom said. “With the games we’ve got left, if we keep picking the same team then we will get injuries. There’s no doubt about that.

“With the numbers and the way the games are, the way we want to play and the physical demands we put on the players, it’s just not possible with how the situation is.

“We want the season to be extended. It might be possible to settle things down further down the line but, because we want it to carry on, we need to do this.”

and the Blades are back at home once more for another home game in February (not that we’re complaining) - they face Swansea City at home in what will be a vastly different test to the one they faced against Hull City in midweek. It’ll still be frustrating - City love to keep the ball, as opposed to Hull wasting time and slowing down the game at every opportunity - but it should be at least a better spectacle (fingers crossed) ...