James Shield: A big prediction about Sheffield United, credit for the boss and a very bad look

If everything remains equal, including their ridiculous injury list, I think Sheffield United will get promoted. Well, make that should get promoted. Why? Because they’ve got the best squad. No other club in the Championship could carry so many casualties and still be in the mix.

Partly through accident but also design, Paul Heckingbottom has more quality options at his disposal that other managers across the competition. Chris Wilder, the 45-year-old’s predecessor, deserves huge credit for bestowing his successor-of-sorts with the likes of Oliver Norwood, Oli McBurnie, John Egan and John Fleck. Thankfully the ridiculous line, being peddled by some folk and shamefully swallowed by others that the guy responsible for delivering two promotions is somehow responsible for all of United’s ills, seems to be petering out.

But Heckingbottom and the players themselves also deserve a huge pat on the back too. Not least from Bramall Lane’s hierarchy, because they’re clearly producing results in difficult circumstances. And I’m not talking about the fact that, ahead of Monday’s game against Wigan Athletic, they entered last weekend’s meeting with Huddersfield Town still without a number of senior performers. Thankfully, mind, Sander Berge, Max Lowe and Jayden Bogle were among those to return.

The delay in opening their new training surface at the Randox Health Academy, fact staff are privately working on the assumption that there might not be any new arrivals next month and the sheer number of soon-to-expire contracts are all clues that life is tough behind the scenes. Probably tougher than many realise. But even the existence of a suggestion that Iliman Ndiaye might be sold when the transfer window reopens is the biggest indicator yet. When Ben Brereton-Diaz was attracting interest from top-flight sides at home and from abroad this time last season, Blackburn Rovers, for all their other faults, stood firm. Following his performances for United so far this term, not to mention his exploits in Senegal colours at the World Cup, there should be no talk of Ndiaye leaving whatsoever.

Doubtless I’ll get accused of running an agenda against the board. I’m not. I’ve highlighted plenty of things I believe they’ve done well in the past and called them out when, in the opinion of yours truly, they’ve not. Oh, and I’d never criticise anyone for being short of a few bob either. Even if it’s only in a sporting sense. Because I’d much rather have well-meaning than well-minted people in charge, even though the ideal scenario, so long as the game continues to prostitute itself to money, is both.

I get that United are in an awkward position with Ndiaye, whose value will probably never be higher than it is right now. If he’s still here next summer, and hopefully celebrating a promotion, he’ll be about to enter the final 12 months of his deal which will dilute their bargaining power. Partly, and let’s not pretend otherwise, United are partly responsible for getting themselves into this situation because of the approach they took during his last round of negotiations nearly two years ago. An approach I’ve detailed in these pages because, whether you love me, loathe me or couldn’t give two whatsits about me either way, I’m of the belief my ultimate responsibility is to you - the reader. Not the powers-that-be.

Hopefully Ndiaye stays. If he does, he’ll be 100 percent committed because he’s that type of lad. There’s a lot of ability in different fields seated around the boardroom table at Bramall Lane. Legal, financial and outside of the box thinking are just some of them.

But I can’t help thinking, in order to maximise its effectiveness and potential, someone with a wealth of football experience should also be appointed to it on a permanent basis. The type of person who would help United navigate safe passage through what is clearly a tough period and take some of the pressure off Heckingbottom when it comes to protecting his achievements so far.

This is a dog business. Too ruthless to learn on the job.

•Speaking of Heckingbottom, United are lucky to have someone who thinks beyond his reign. Not for the first time in recent months, we were reminded of this when he encouraged funding to be pumped into helping the academy gain category one status - something which is doubly important following the introduction of the Elite Player Performance Plan - even if it meant diverting money from his own recruitment kitty.

Football is governed by short-termism. I get why. But that doesn’t make it right.

I’m not currying favour with Heckingbottom. As he’ll tell you himself, we’ve had our ‘moments’ since his appointment 13 months ago. I like to think we get on well. But we definitely don’t always see eye to eye. And nor should we. Because that’s the job. Or jobs.

Still, because he’s genuinely bothered about the club’s future, United will hopefully continue to handle him with care. Certainly greater care than when someone, who has now departed, persuaded them to prohibit Ndiaye from playing because of a disagreement over the terms of his present deal.

•United have two first teams. One for men and another for women. It is something, to their credit, the club has been keen to push. A representative of the latter now routinely attends its weekly media conferences. So it was a surprise last weekend when, less than 24 hours after Heckingbottom’s squad had faced Town at Bramall Lane, their meeting with Nottingham Forest there was postponed because of a frozen pitch. Clearly the taps on the heating system had been swivelled shut. Not a good look.