Paul Heckingbottom’s toughest challenge yet as he makes honest Sheffield United admission

Paul Heckingbottom is facing one of his toughest challenges yet as Sheffield United boss, in getting his players to “enjoy” the tough nature of their survival bid this season. The Blades have one point from their opening eight top-flight fixtures, with no club registering a worse return in the Premier League era, and suffered another tough afternoon on Saturday with defeat at Fulham compounded by a horror injury to Chris Basham.

The Blades are by no means doomed already, with 30 games of the campaign left to play and more than enough points still up for grabs, but survival does look a long way off as things stand. United are fragile in terms of confidence - their heads noticeably dropping after Fulham went 2-1 ahead at Craven Cottage on Saturday - and are struggling at both ends of the pitch, with their -16 goal difference only adding another hurdle to be overcome if they are to upset the odds and survive.

Heckingbottom’s men looked to have finally enjoyed the slice of luck that has eluded them so far when Antonee Robinson put through his own goal to drag them back level at 1-1. But then a familiar gut-punch followed, when Tom Cairney - like Robinson, another former Blades transfer target - shot from long range but slipped, his tame effort looping onto the crossbar and then into the United net via the back of goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.

Things may get worse before they get better, too, with clashes against Manchester United (home) and Arsenal (away) next up after an international break that will no doubt involve a lot of soul-searching, amongst both players and staff. Heckingbottom refused to lean on the luck excuse after Fulham but faces a huge job to get a squad seemingly devoid of any confidence, belief or momentum to relish the task of turning things around from here.

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“Listen, you get what you deserve and we’re where we deserve to be,” the manager, who also lost John Egan and Tom Davies to lengthy spells on the sidelines this month before the Basham blow, admitted after Fulham. “But there’s clear to see there are lots of things that are going against us and this week, and this game, has been a perfect example.

“But we have to roll with it. There’s only us who can get ourselves out of it. We have to fight and fight, and wait for the moments to turn and then capitalise. Because no-one’s going to feel sorry for us, about the three players we’ve lost this week or an unlucky goal that’s cost us points. They’re going to try and capitalise on it.

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“We’ve got to enjoy it. Every game we’ve got to enjoy it even though it’s a tough time. You’re up against one of the top, top players you have to enjoy the challenge of it. Prepare properly, enjoy how tough it is, because we’ve fought really hard to be here. We want to be here, we want to fight and compete.

“The players need to know I’m with them I’ve got them. We’ve got what we’ve got in terms of the bodies. We’ve lost so many but it’s up to me, the staff and the players to enjoy this battle, enjoy what it is and the problems the Premier League poses you. Hopefully the things going against us are going to turn and then we can capitalise and get some reward for our hard work.”

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United were so close to a statement victory at Spurs recently, before two injury-time home goals turned things around, and the following week’s 8-0 hammering at the hands of Newcastle United was a low point from which United have so far showed little signs of bouncing back from. “I can’t suddenly change because of a result,” Heckingbottom added.

“There are certain things we’ve seen which can’t happen and we’ve spoken about but there’s only us who can put it right. There are certain standards we have to aspire to. I can’t feel sorry for the players, I can work with them and get them to try and understand that there’s only us who can turn it around and we’ll be the ones to do it. But we have to realise we’re in it together.”