Sheffield United: How star names have reacted to Sander Berge's improved form
Sheffield United expect Sander Berge’s improved form to have a positive effect on the other midfielders within their squad, as competition for places becomes increasingly fierce.
Paul Heckingbottom must decide whether or not to start the Norway international when Nottingham Forest visit Bramall Lane later this week, after preferring Oliver Norwood and Conor Hourihane for the trip to Millwall.
Norwood and Hourihane, on loan from Aston Villa, had not tasted defeat together in a United jersey until Jake Cooper’s second-half finish propelled Gary Rowett’s side to victory. The result at The Den, combined with Berge’s powerhouse performance against Blackburn Rovers 72 hours earlier, could prompt Heckingbottom to reassess his decision to make Norwood and Hourihane his ‘go to’ partnership - something which, despite not being explicitly stated, the 44-year-old has intimated on several occasions.
“Sander, all of them, they’re pushing and improving each other,” Stuart McCall, Heckingbottom’s assistant, said. “When one improves, it improves everyone around them. That’s what you always find.
“And that’s good news for us, because we’ve got some top class players in there. They drive each other along, without a doubt that’s what happens.”
United slipped to seventh in the table after Millwall ended their nine match unbeaten run, two places above Forest. With eighth placed Middlesbrough due to travel to South Yorkshire next week - and with Heckingbottom’s predecessor Chris Wilder in tow - United’s coaching staff could choose to continue their rotation policy until the fixture schedule begins to slow down later this month.
“The main thing, from our perspective, is that they are getting the best out of themselves,” McCall said. “That selecting a team is difficult.”
