Sheffield United: Boss gives a telling answer to question about promotion pressure
Paul Heckingbottom insists Sheffield United’s players feel under no pressure whatsoever as the race for promotion enters a pivotal phase - because no one expected them to be challenging when he was first appointed.
Despite starting the season among the favourites to go up, United won only six of their 19 Championship outings under former manager Slavisa Jokanovic, who took charge following last term’s relegation from the Premier League.
But after experiencing a dramatic upturn in fortunes since Heckingbottom replaced the Serb at the helm, United enter tomorrow’s match against fellow top-flight contenders Huddersfield Town only a point behind sixth-placed Nottingham Forest with two games in hand on Steve Cooper’s side.
Speaking after steering them to victory over West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday - their fourth straight win in the competition and seventh under his command - Heckingbottom explained why he is convinced United won’t crack, telling The Star: “If we’d have been sat here talking about things like this a few months ago, if you’d have been putting that question to me then, I think it’s fair to say we’d have snapped your hand off.
“We have given ourselves an opportunity and the players are showing what they are all about. They have earned the right to be in the conversation because of the things they’ve been doing and the results they’ve been getting.
“They also know they’ve got to continue doing that- getting the results and doing the right things - which I know they will because of how they are.
“But we’re delighted to be in this situation and position. So no, it’s not going to be an issue although there’s still a lot of football to be played and a long way to go yet.”
Town are fifth, five points ahead of United but having contested three matches more.
“These games, the one we’ve just had and the one we have got coming up against Huddersfield, they are great games,” Heckingbottom said. “They are brilliant to be involved in. They’re the ones you want to be involved in because you want to be going for something. We know how tough they’re going to be but we’re also looking forward to them.”
