Revealed: Sheffield United take steps to ease promotion pressure
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With last weekend’s defeat by Luton Town meaning second-placed United’s lead over Middlesbrough in third could be down to a single point by the time they face Sunderland on Wednesday night, Heckingbottom revealed coaching staff are analysing ways of helping an increasingly risk-averse squad rediscover its positivity.
Insisting he is prepared to shoulder full “responsibility” if United gamble in possession and are still beaten, the manager told The Star: “That’s up to myself, to transfer that different mentality into the lads. We can do that with how we prepare and how we train. One thing we don’t want to be because this isn’t what got us into this position, is a team that plays on the back foot. Even when you are defending, you can still defend in an aggressive and front foot manner.”
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Hide AdAlthough the result against play-off hopefuls Luton was disappointing, United’s performance against opponents who prevailed courtesy of Carlton Morris’ second-half strike caused greater concern. Analysing the contest, which saw his side lose for the fourth time in six league outings, Heckingbottom identified their inability - or unwillingness - to commit men forward from midfield as one key factor behind the result. That reluctance contrasted sharply with their displays earlier this term, when United frequently overwhelmed rivals with both the intensity and frequency of their attacks. Nevertheless, Heckingbottom remains fiercely protective of a team which has been forced to contend with a number of off-the-pitch issues beyond its control in recent months, including a transfer embargo which prevented them from strengthening during the January window - something the majority of those around them in the table did - and the well-documented delays to the opening of a new training surface at the Randox Health Academy which, Heckingbottom suspects, contributed to the spate of injuries United suffered during the build-up to the festive period.
The sanction imposed by the English Football League, which relates to debts owed on previous transfer deals, has also prevented the 45-year-old and his assistants Stuart McCall and Jack Lester from entering into contract discussions with those players whose agreements are set to expire this summer.
“We can’t change lots of things and we don’t want to change what we’re all about,” Heckingbottom said. “So what we will look at is the things we need to focus on and the way we are getting those messages across, the type of sessions that we are doing. The big thing for us is to be that team which always really looks to get on the front foot.”
“We have to look at ourselves because we weren’t at our best,” he added. “Listen, we don’t always have slow starts. It doesn’t always mean if you start well that you are going to win the game. It’s intent. I’d rather us force the issue and win the ball back higher up. We didn’t have enough bodies at the top end of the pitch and weren’t in a position to force the issue. That’s the takeaway.”