Sheffield United: Five things we must see at Burton Albion tonight

The Star’s James Shield identifies five things which must be on the agenda of Paul Heckingbottom’s side.

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Show their hand when it comes to selections

Heckingbottom likes to keep his cards close to his chest. Updates on injuries are often sketchy at best and he gives little away in terms of which personnel he plans to pick for particular games.

Although he’ll tell you otherwise, it’s all part of the mind games the 44-year-old likes to play with opposition managers.

With just over a week to go until United contest their first match of the new campaign, Heckingbottom won’t want to give Watford’s Rob Edwards any clues about his plans for the trip to Vicarage Road. The fact United face Barnsley at Oakwell tomorrow, less than 24 hours after their match against Albion, Heckingbottom could again be tempted to name a ‘mix and match’ starting eleven in Staffordshire.

But serious consideration must be given to beginning either this fixture or United’s final warm-up game of the summer with the eleven set to face Edwards’ men. With two new faces in defence, that would help them improve their lines of communication.

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Deliver a positive result

Okay, so Heckingbottom has insisted delivering a victory isn’t his primary objective, at Albion or Barnsley. “If it was,” he told journalists earlier this week, “Then we wouldn’t have arranged those matches back to back.”

But after suffering defeats to Scunthorpe and Mansfield Town in their last two outings, United won’t want to complete an unenviable hat-trick by slipping up again.

People often say results don’t count at this stage of a club’s preparations. They’re right, in terms of points they don’t.

Then again, how many times do you hear folk complaining if they win all of their warm-up fixtures? Surely it’s better to enter the game against Watford on the back of two victories?

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Get into the right habits

If United do this, then the right result will follow. But their losses to opponents from the National League and League Two confirm it’s something they haven’t been able to achieve at Glanford Park or Field Mill.

There’s nothing to be gained from pretending otherwise, some of United’s defending has been inept during their last two outings. Whichever back three or back four Heckingbottom chooses here, that has to change.

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Show greater focus

The more you analyse the goals United conceded against Scunthorpe and Mansfield, the greater the feeling grows that concentration levels rather than any systemic issues were responsible. What should have been routine clearances were not properly executed and players appeared to have switched off when they should have been tracking runners.

In a strange sort of way, Heckingbottom will take heart from the fact that a kick up the backside, not a wholesale reorganisation of his rearguard, is required. But he will be wanting to see his defenders and midfielders buck their ideas up when not in possession.

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Demonstrate greater resilience

At Glanford Park, United conceded three times before the break. Against Mansfield, they let in three after the interval. Any mistakes they make against Albion must not be followed by a flurry of further errors.