Sheffield United: Blades have gone more than eight hours without conceding a goal - here's how
News that Anel Ahmedhodzic could be set for at least a month on the sidelines has dealt a major blow to Sheffield United’s hopes of keeping a fifth consecutive clean sheet when they return to action against Birmingham City next month.
But as medical staff at Bramall Lane attempt to ascertain exactly how many games the centre-half is expected to miss after damaging a thigh muscle whilst on duty with Bosnia and Herzegovina, manager Paul Heckingbottom will remind his players that Ahmedhodzic’s absence must not be used as an excuse for any drop in the defensive standards which helped them enter the international break three points clear at the top of the Championship.
Having not conceded a goal since last month’s visit to Luton Town, United’s rearguard has now gone over eight hours of football without being breached following last weekend’s win over Preston North End. The victory at Deepdale was also United’s fourth league triumph in a row, which prompted Heckingbottom to declare the “lads at the back” deserve the same amount of credit as an attack which has already netted 19 times so far this term.
Asked to identify the secrets behind his squad’s ability to keep opponents at arms-length, Heckingbottom told The Star: “They’ve got to have a desire to do it. It’s finer details. We can’t accept anything that’s not correct in terms of how we want to defend and the mentality to defend, all over the pitch. The minute we start accepting things that don’t help us, that’s when the slide starts.”
Given the disruption the loss of Ahmedhodzic is expected to cause - defenders Max Lowe, Jayden Bogle, Jack Robinson, Enda Stevens and Ciaran Clark all missed the trip to Lancashire - United are expected to place even greater emphasis on collective responsibility, with midfielders and even strikers being tasked with helping to protect Wes Foderingham.
“Everyone has a role to play in doing what we do,” Heckingbottom said, speaking before being informed of Ahmedhodzic’s predicament. “It all starts from the front and goes right back through the team. When they see the difference, when they see the clean sheets, that really helps people buy in to what we’re doing.”
