“Terrible” - Sheffield United boss addresses “major problem” off the field that must be fixed in summer
Paul Heckingbottom says that the state of Sheffield United’s “bog” of a training pitch is a “major issue” that must be addressed in the summer.
The state of the Blades’ Shirecliffe training base has been a source of some frustration for players and staff alike, with the new main building that the club said would be in place by the start of 2021 still to materialise.
Boss Heckingbottom says United have been unable to train outdoors some days because of the state of the pitches, and some of United’s soft-tissue injuries have been attributed to the change in surfaces trained and played on.
United suffered yet another injury blow on the eve of this afternoon’s 4-1 defeat at Coventry City, when defender Ben Davies was ruled out with a calf problem.
And speaking after the Coventry defeat, Heckingbottom said: “The big one for me is that our training pitch has been terrible this year.
“We came back after Fulham and had two days of rain on it and we haven’t been on it some days because it’s just been a bog.
“We have to address that in the summer. When you go from that type of bog - and you have to train - to these firm beautiful pitches, the change of surface does you no good.
“It’s something as a club we have to get right because it’s a major issue. You can’t expect anything other than trying to manage the players through this important part of the season.”