Sheffield United: How The Blades are preparing to face those "big moments" in the promotion race

“Big moments”, Paul Heckingbottom insisted before Sheffield United bunkered down inside their training complex to prepare for the remainder of the campaign, are going to decide the outcome of this season’s promotion race.
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Like most managers, the 44-year-old believes every fixture has a handful of critical junctures which shape how the rest of it pans-out. But unlike many of his counterparts, Heckingbottom has chosen to articulate the methods which can ensure footballers are not only ready to confront them but also shape how they unfold.

“It’s all about going over and over things, and then going over them again,” he told The Star, as United gear-up for this weekend’s visit to Stoke City. “I like people to understand what they are going to be facing, the situations they are likely to find themselves in. So we go through them in detail. And then we go through them again.”

Paul Heckingbottom drills his Sheffield United players during training: Simon Bellis/SportimagePaul Heckingbottom drills his Sheffield United players during training: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Paul Heckingbottom drills his Sheffield United players during training: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
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Fifth in the table and with five of their final eight matches being staged at Bramall Lane, United are well-placed to reach the end-of-term play-offs and potentially return to the Premier League. But given that only six points separate Heckingbottom’s side from Coventry City in 11th, the margins for error are painfully slim. One individual piece of brilliance, or conversely a mistake, could have dramatic consequences as maybe nine different clubs compete for only four qualification berths.

Reflecting upon events during their game against Barnsley earlier this month, when United were forced to overcome a number of challenges before dispatching Poya Asbaghi’s side 2-0, Heckingbottom insisted the pain-staking nature of his coaching staff’s work is paying dividends.

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“Wes (Foderingham), he makes another big save when it’s still nil nil doesn’t he. That’s what it’s all about - making sure you are in a position to do the business, do your job, when it really matters.

Sheffield United's players, including Oliver Norwood, cover every eventuality during training: Simon Bellis/SportimageSheffield United's players, including Oliver Norwood, cover every eventuality during training: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Sheffield United's players, including Oliver Norwood, cover every eventuality during training: Simon Bellis/Sportimage

“There was a period when we had to dig in, as you’d expect, because they (Barnsley) were in a good spell of form and are fighting for their lives at the other end (of the table).

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“If the afternoon had just fizzled out, if we hadn’t come through because that happened, then I’d have been upset. But the lads, they injected energy and tempo into what they were doing. They found that and they recognised what was required. That’s because of what we do during the week. How we get ready for these situations and go over them in depth.”

Heckingbottom is referring to a kind of muscle memory; the ability to execute tasks more efficiently through constant repetition. Crucially, however, both he and his assistants Stuart McCall and Jack Lester have devised a way of working which disguises what they are actually doing. Because bored sportspeople seldom perform at their maximum and aren’t mentally receptive.

Paul Heckingbottom is drilling Filip Uremovic on Sheffield United's game planPaul Heckingbottom is drilling Filip Uremovic on Sheffield United's game plan
Paul Heckingbottom is drilling Filip Uremovic on Sheffield United's game plan

“It’s always got to be enjoyable,” Heckingbottom continued. “You don’t want to see lads switching off. When I was still playing, I always preferred it when you actually looked forward to coming into work. That’s obvious. So there’s ways of going about stuff. There’s things you can do that have the same objective, you’re still working towards the same aims and goals. But this can be achieved differently.”

“They (big moments) don’t just come with the ball,” he added. “They can come without it as well - being in the right place at the right time, cutting off a run or a pass. Often it’s the little things that are so important but they don’t really get spotted by most people in the ground.

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“So that’s why we work really hard on our organisation. How we set up in all the different situations that might occur during a game.”

Billy Sharp hopes to recover from a hamstring injury: Simon Bellis/SportimageBilly Sharp hopes to recover from a hamstring injury: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Billy Sharp hopes to recover from a hamstring injury: Simon Bellis/Sportimage

Scheduled to face fellow contenders Queens Park Rangers twice, with the first of those meetings coming early next week, United have an opportunity to consolidate their grip on a top six position by the time they host second-placed AFC Bournemouth on April 9th. Heckingbottom hopes their captain and leading goalscorer Billy Sharp will be available for all or at least some of those fixtures after suffering a hamstring injury during the victory over Barnsley.

If not, and Sharp is forced to watch from the sidelines, the attention to detail which underpins United’s work at the Randox Health Academy should hopefully become evident. New signing Filip Uremovic, the Croatia defender, has spent the past seven days being drilled on United’s tactics and strategic plans ahead of his debut at the bet365 Stadium.

“The biggest thing, the thing that helps you with these situations in games and across seasons to be honest, it all about approach,” Heckingbottom said. “It’s about an attitude.

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“We showed that (against Barnsley) because even though things didn’t work out how we wanted them to at the beginning, we persevered and got through. And that came from the attitude and desire to show that attitude.

“You can’t just switch it on and off though. It has to run through everyone and everything that they do.”

The biggest test of United’s character will come if they fall behind during a contest. All of their forthcoming opponents, who also include Reading, Bristol City, Cardiff City and leaders Fulham, will have something at stake. Even if it is simply professional pride.

“There’s always a part of a game you look back on and think that was a critical part, that was something that changed how it went,” Heckingbottom said. “So you have to be ready for those and I definitely think there’s ways you can make sure that you are.

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“Things might not always go your way. In fact, you know they aren’t always going to go your way.

“So very often, it’s about how you respond to those. You’ll respond better if you understand what they mean and are ready for them when they happen.”