Sheffield United breathe sigh of relief over suspension threat but one star still in danger

The sight of Oli McBurnie successfully negotiating his way through Sheffield United’s game against Sunderland without triggering an automatic suspension has been celebrated by manager Paul Heckingbottom - and not just because it means the striker should be available to spearhead his club’s push for promotion.
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Although McBurnie was never in danger of missing Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Blackburn Rovers, he would have been forced to sit out next month’s Championship meetings with Norwich City and Wigan Athletic had he been cautioned during the win at the Stadium of Light.

After collecting nine bookings so far this term, McBurnie started the trip to Wearside on the bench before being introduced during the closing stages as the visitors triumphed 2-1 thanks to goals from James McAtee and Tommy Doyle.

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Heckingbottom told The Star he had breathed a sigh of relief following the final whistle, revealing: “I’m relieved and not just for Oli and myself. I’m relieved because it means I won’t have Macca (assistant manager Stuart McCall) in my ear all the time now, telling me about him and going on about him. He (McCall) can watch the games now, rather than just stress about Oli and what he's up to.”

Although McBurnie’s disciplinary concerns have eased, the centre-forward’s teammate Anel Ahmedhodzic must keep an eye on his conduct after being shown a yellow card at the Stadium of Light. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international was required to miss United’s recent trips to Rovers and Reading under the totting up protocols. Now on 11 cautions, four more between now and the end of the campaign would see him banned for three fixtures as Heckingbottom’s second-placed squad chase Premier League qualification. They began their preparations for this weekend’s assignment against Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side six points ahead of Middlesbrough in third and a further one in front of Luton Town. Having been knocked out of the competition in the earlier rounds, they face Preston North End and Sunderland respectively on Saturday.

“Oli was aware of it, he was more aware of it than anyone,” Heckingbottom said, referring to the threat which had been hanging over him. “We didn’t have to have a word about it because, as you’d expect, he already knew his responsibilities. he knew what he had to do and didn’t need me or anyone else telling him.”

Sheffield United's Oli McBurnie (left) and Sunderland's Daniel Ballard battle for the ball: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire.Sheffield United's Oli McBurnie (left) and Sunderland's Daniel Ballard battle for the ball: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire.
Sheffield United's Oli McBurnie (left) and Sunderland's Daniel Ballard battle for the ball: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire.

Heckingbottom will adopt a similar approach towards Ahmedhodzic, who recently complained that at least four of the bookings he has been awarded were unwarranted. One average, the former Malmo defender has been shown a yellow card every 2.5 league games appearances since moving to South Yorkshire last summer.

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"Sometimes, with the way things are, I don’t think you can help it,” Heckingbottom said. “It goes without saying that you want to keep as many people available as possible. But at the same time, you can’t change how you are or how you approach things. No way. That’s not possible and it doesn’t do anyone any good. It’s the wrong way of going about things.”