"Head held high..." Paul Heckingbottom answers question about Sheffield United future after fan chants

Paul Heckingbottom insisted he can keep "his head held high" after Sheffield United's 5-0 hammering at relegation rivals Burnley this afternoon prompted fresh speculation about his future at Bramall Lane. Two games in two weeks against fellow strugglers have seen United lose by an aggregate score of 8-1.

United's fans voiced their disgust at their side's display at Turf Moor, singing "You're not fit to wear the shirt" and, for the first time, vocal chants about Heckingbottom's future. To add to the frustration United went down to 10 men in the first half, when Oli McBurnie picked up his second yellow card in injury time, and lost George Baldock to injury before the break as well.

Asked if he could understand the anger and frustration coming from the away end, Heckingbottom responded: "Yeah, I bet they're nearly as angry as me." On his own position, which has been the source of scrutiny at several points of this season, he added: "Nothing will change in that respect. I've had this now since the beginning of September.

"I can walk out of this stadium with my head held high. I know how hard I work at the club and that won't change. I'll make sure the staff do the same. We'll continue to give everything we've got with what we've got. That's won't change, As I said the first time I got asked this however many months ago, you're asking the wrong person."

Heckingbottom sprung something of a surprise before kick-off, handing John Fleck his first start of the season in place of Vini Souza and also recalling Anel Ahmedhodzic and McBurnie from the start. "We picked a team with experience, physicality to impose ourselves on Burnley, which they would have been expecting," Heckingbottom, who described himself as "massively disappointed" said.

"And then we dangled two legs in two tackles in the first 30 seconds and we're 1-0 down. The second goal's not much better from our point of view in how we defended and by half-time we're down to 10 men. Burnley would not have been expecting a game like that, and neither was I. That's decided the game."