Sheffield United: Important investigation is launched
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Despite being sixth in the table with three matches remaining, Paul Heckingbottom’s side have not won away from home since beating Birmingham City at the beginning of February.
Although two of their next three fixtures will be staged at Bramall Lane, United travel to Queens Park Rangers following Saturday’s meeting with Cardiff City before hosting newly promoted Fulham.
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Hide AdOnly a point ahead of seventh placed Millwall and a further two in front of Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough and Mark Warburton’s side, Heckingbottom knows his squad’s result in west London will have a crucial bearing upon their hopes of qualifying for the play-offs.
“I don’t know why,” he admitted, when asked why United have gone six games without tasting victory on the road. “We’re doing exactly the same things as we always have done and we’re approaching them in the same way we always have.
“We’re not beating ourselves up over it and I won’t allow anyone else to do that either. Of course we will take a look though, to see if there’s anything we should be doing. We’re always assessing and trying to learn. That never stops.”
United have already beaten all of the clubs they are set to face between now and the end of the regular season programme, with December’s 1-0 triumph at Craven Cottage the pick of those three results.
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Hide AdRanked 16th when Heckingbottom was appointed in November, United hope their captain and leading goalscorer Billy Sharp is declared fit to face City after apparently making progress in his battle to recover from a hamstring complaint.
Despite failing to translate some impressive all-round displays into victories, which has served to highlight the 36-year-old Sharp’s continued importance to the cause, the fact United are even involved in the play-off conversation underlines how well they have performed under Heckingbottom.
“Every single match is vitally important now,” he said. “That’s always been the case but everything is magnified from here on in. That’s just how it is.”