Sheffield United: Boss says blame him for Reda Khadra's pain but Bristol City's manager puts the boot in
and live on Freeview channel 276
Making only his fourth league start for United since leaving Brighton and Hove Albion on loan, Khadra looked disconsolate when he was replaced by James McAtee just over half-an-hour into a game which Heckingbottom later admitted Nigel Pearon’s men dominated for long periods.
Asked by The Star to explain the circumstances behind Khadra’s substitution, Heckingbottom leapt to the defence of a player who has struggled for both opportunities and form during what is proving a difficult spell at Bramall Lane.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad
“Listen, with Reda, I got the shape wrong,” Heckingbottom explained, after losing Tommy Doyle to injury before kick-off. “We couldn’t start with a three man midfield because of Tommy and Flecky (John Fleck) was never going to last the game.
“I could see straight away, after six or seven minutes. I said to the lads at half-time, it could have been anyone, because of the circumstances we were in and me.”
Describing a victory which lifted United to third in the Championship as “the worst win of my time here,” Heckingbottom confirmed he will speak with Khadra again ahead of Saturday’s meeting with leaders Burnley.
“I’ve had a word with Reda and I’ll have another one too,” he continued. “It’s not a reflection on him, because we had to put that team out and we were always going to go for a certain change.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIliman Ndiaye scored the only goal of the contest early in the second period, disguising the fact United spent long periods of the game on the back foot. Tommy Conway and George Tanner, who was sent-off in added time for a terrible challenge on McAtee, both struck the woodwork for City whose manager Nigel Pearson was more forthright on Khadra’s predicament than Heckingbottom.
“It’s because he was a player who has been a huge disappointment,” Pearson said, confessing Tanner deserved to see red because his tackle was “rash”. “It was a brave decision because he (Khadra) wasn’t running around. We wanted him in the summer. We were aware he is high-maintenance but a very talented boy. His agent wanted him to go to Sheffield United. He might wish he’d come here now.”
Given his desire not to shine a spotlight on Khadra’s predicament, Heckingbottom is unlikely to welcome Pearson’s comments about the youngster. Before the former Sheffield Wednesday centre-half lambasted Khadra, Heckingbottom expressed sympathy for his opposite number’s predicament, saying: “I can really feel for Nigel. So I’m not going to be smug about the fact we won, but that’s what you have to do at the end of the day - win.
“They were the better team in lots of different departments. Our defenders really wired hard, really put in a shift. But all of the players did that out there and they had to.”