Sheffield United: Paul Heckingbottom calls for context as he stands shoulder to shoulder with his team

That appears to be the general consensus on social media ahead of Saturday’s home game against Luton Town. Although it can be a pretty inaccurate barometer of public opinion, even Rumpole of the Bailey would struggle to make a case for the defence purely on the evidence of events inside Deepdale.

Creative, resilient and purposeful as they raced into a two goal lead, Paul Heckingbottom’s side then appeared panicked and compliant as they surrendered that advantage against opponents who were everything they weren’t during a crazy second-half. Had the contest lasted 100 minutes rather than the mandatory 90, the hosts would have been confident of taking three points rather than one - so decisively had the contest swung in their favour.

But of course, with 22 matches of the season remaining, United can still make the play-offs. They might have lost ground but remain in the race.

However, if United are to drag themselves back into top six contention, there can be no repeat this weekend - or any other weekend for that matter - of their performance in Lancashire.

It was something Heckingbottom was quick to stress during a conversation with journalists earlier today.

“We’ve got 13 points from the last six matches,” he said, generously including one victory achieved under Slavisa Jokanovic within his calculation. “There’s half a season to go and a lot of home games.

“It disappoints and it still hurts when things don’t go right. But you also have to put things into perspective.”

Context is important. United won all of their first three outings following Heckingbottom’s appointment in November, producing displays far removed from the lacklustre shifts which characterised Jokanovic’s reign.

But those results masked the fact the issues the Serb felt had placed him behind the eight ball from the off, including the hangover of one of the most emphatic relegations in Premier League history, have still to be properly addressed. United’s ageing squad remains in need of revitalising and an injection of fresh blood. Likewise a new centre-half, capable of shoring up a rearguard which has developed a bad habit of conceding late goals such as the one Emil Riis netted to secure Ryan Lowe’s men a share of the spoils.

Oh, and following the decision to terminate Robin Olsen’s loan from AS Roma, a goalkeeper capable of challenging Wes Foderingham too. Preferably one with the same ability as the Sweden international who, despite struggling to live-up to his reputation after arriving in South Yorkshire, remains talented and experienced enough to convince a resurgent Aston Villa he is worthy of a place in Steven Gerrard’s plans.

Having played alongside the likes of Pepe Reina, Simon Mignolet, Scott Carson and David James during his time at Liverpool, fair to say Gerrard probably knows a decent shot-stopper when he sees one. Even if they are going through a difficult period. United, however, were placed in an almost impossible position when Olsen and his employers indicated they wanted the switch to go through.

“Wes has earned the shirt but we want to get him competition,” Heckingbottom said. “We want to provide stiff enough competition to drive Wes and potentially go past him. But right now, Wes has earned it.”

United must focus on small steps right now. Focusing on beating Luton - then Peterborough, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion - in order to regain the momentum they had gathered before Christmas. Not make grand statements about securing promotion. That wouldn’t be an exercise in reducing expectations. Simply listening to the mood music and reading the room, as United supporters express their frustration following the outcome against Preston, which in turn came hot on the heels of a defeat by Derby County.

“If Preston weas 11 versus 11,” Heckingbottom insisted, “Then I’m adamant we wouldn’t have made so many mistakes. Yes, we weren’t taking the chances we were creating but there comes a point when you think ‘Just win the game’ because they could take risks. But we should have dealt with them better.”

“No disrespect to Preston but against a better team in Fulham,” he continued, “It was ‘Thou shalt not pass’ and much better. For long periods, though, I thought we were really good and I’m hoping Derby was just an anomaly.”

Twenty nine percent of the goals in the division this season have been scored in the final 20 minutes. Nearly 48 percent of those conceded by United have come during the same period. That statistic is surprising, because most of Heckingbottom’s players possess a wealth of experience. So if they are becoming unnerved when opponents apply pressure, it would suggest confidence is an issue. Or maybe mental fatigue. If so, even though it won’t be a guaranteed panacea, making a few forays into the transfer market would almost certainly list spirits. Different ideas, faces and even jokes inside the dressing room could help United maximise their potential.

There is no shortage of pedigree at Heckingbottom’s disposal. But sometimes, even the best footballers on the planet benefit from a pick-me-up. Or genuine competition for places which, thanks to a combination of injury and Covid-19, no longer exists right the way through their starting eleven.

Legs, figuratively not literally, also appear on issue. Bringing a few younger pairs in, albeit ones with professional experience, would help prolong the shelf-life of David McGoldrick, Billy Sharp, Chris Basham, Oliver Norwood and United’s other Thirty-somethings.

“We’re working hard, really hard,” Heckingbottom said. “But because of Covid and such like, it might be a case of getting deals in place and then having to wait.”