Sheffield United: Frustrated or encouraged, Hull stalemate requires putting into perspective

It’s the age-old conundrum that football managers have wrestled with for decades after their side has failed to trouble the scorers, despite creating more than enough chances to do so.
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Frustration at the misses, or encouragement at the creation?

Paul Heckingbottom, the Sheffield United manager, fell into the former camp, at least judging by his post-match reaction and demeanour, after the Blades’ goalless draw with Hull City on Tuesday evening.

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United’s analysts had already clipped together a montage of his side’s wasted opportunities against City, as the Blades missed the chance to go level with sixth-placed Middlesbrough at an expectant Bramall Lane.

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Heckingbottom watched a few before leaving to fulfil his media commitments while the tape was still running. “I stopped looking after five or six,” the Blades boss said, “because it was getting me down.”

Oli McBurnie was particularly profligate in front of goal, with two of his six attempts being on goal and an expected goal metric of 0.85. He was perhaps unfortunate to see a first-half, well-struck shot saved by Matt Ingram.

Ingram also denied Iliman Ndiaye one-on-one with United’s best chance of the game, while Jack Robinson missed a free header and Morgan Gibbs-White saw a shot deflected over the bar in the first half.

Paul Heckingbottom manager of Sheffield United on the touchline against Hull City: Simon Bellis / SportimagePaul Heckingbottom manager of Sheffield United on the touchline against Hull City: Simon Bellis / Sportimage
Paul Heckingbottom manager of Sheffield United on the touchline against Hull City: Simon Bellis / Sportimage

“We had chances,” said United midfielder Conor Hourihane.

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“There's no point naming any names on who missed them or what chances were missed.

“Look, we did have chances, we created them, and that's a positive. It was one of those nights when if we got one, it probably would have ended up being two or three.

“We just couldn't get that goal and that happens sometimes. If you don't win them, you at least take a point and move on.”

United’s expected goal metric for the game dwarfed Hull’s – 2.59 v 0.45, according to infogol – but there’s no points for that. Eyebrows were raised at Heckingbottom’s decision to rest Billy Sharp, but the reasoning was sound and United still had enough attacking ability on the pitch to trouble Hull.

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That wasn’t the issue. Getting the ball past Ingram was. But on another evening, Robinson’s header is planted the right side of the post, or Gibbs-White’s effort drops in similar to Sharp’s goal against West Brom, or Ndiaye shows a little bit more composure and finds the bottom corner, and United would be well in the promotion picture.

They already are. After some of the early-season snorefests we all witnessed, a game where United had 22 shots on goal seemed unimaginable. Under Heckingbottom, it’s almost become expected, which in turn creates its own pressure.

“It'd have been nice to get one in the first half, I suppose,” added Hourihane, who also saw a well-struck free-kick deflected just wide of Hull’s goal.

“We had some decent chances in the first and a couple in the second half and the earlier the goal goes in, the easier the night gets, I suppose.

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“The longer you go without scoring, the more frustrated you get. So we're a little bit disappointed in the changing room.

“But it's another point on the board and we move on.”

To Swansea, then, where Heckingbottom and Co. will hope for more of the same from the Blades – just, this time, with more of a cutting edge.

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