Sheffield United: Paul Heckingbottom insists The Blades are nowhere near their best, and here's why

But after studying Sheffield United’s wins over Bristol City and Cardiff City, subjecting their performances to forensic analysis, he immediately opened the folder containing this week’s training schedule and began redrafting the itinerary.

“There’s lots we’re doing well, no doubt about it,” United’s new manager told The Star earlier this week. “But we’re still nowhere near where I want us to be. Miles off in fact.”

After winning all of their last three outings, including two under his command, Heckingbottom’s assessment of United’s recent displays will reverberate throughout the upper echelons of the Championship. Relegated from the Premier League earlier this year, and in pretty emphatic fashion, they made a predictably slow start to the new campaign. But having begun to make progress under Slavisa Jokanovic, before the Serb was sacked for what were described as “strategic” reasons, United are preparing for Monday’s game against QPR in 10th. Crucially, they are only five points outside of the play-off positions.

Still, the fact Heckingbottom could so easily highlight plenty of areas where United are falling short of the standards he requires should not only serve as a warning to others chasing top six qualification. It also reminds those currently in his starting eleven there is a long way to go before, rather than simply talking about regaining elite level status, they become a team capable of actually achieving that aim.

“Some of the things we need to get better at, I think they’re pretty obvious,” Heckingbottom continued. “Around the transition, when we lose the ball or win it back, we’ve got to sharpen and quicken up. That’s something we’ve spoken about and are doing a lot of work on.

“I also still think, even though we’ve made steps forward, that we can become more clinical. We’ve never really struggled to create chances. I just think we should be taking more of those that come our way.”

Events during last weekend’s victory over Cardiff will only have strengthened that belief. Despite going to score three times, United were forced to come from behind after squandering a hatful of opportunities before Mark Harris’ opener. Morgan Gibbs-White, Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick pounced following Sean Morrison’s sending-off. But the defensive frailties Jokanovic felt he had addressed were again in evidence when City pulled one back late on, despite being reduced to 10 men, when Mark McGuiness turned home.

“The attitude pleased me, the desire to get on the front foot,” Heckingbottom said, immediately afterwards. “And the scoreline, the response, those were good too. But there’s lots we need to smarten up on. There’s things we need to become smoother and quicker at.”

The meeting with QPR should provide a better barometer of where United truly sit in the race for promotion. Fifth in the table, Mark Warburton’s side had scored in all of their last 31 league outings before losing to Stoke City on Sunday. Michael O’Neill’s team, who finished the latest round of fixtures ranked sixth, remain the only one of the leading contenders United have beaten since August.

Privately, despite acknowledging the need to encourage a squad which has often appeared desperately low on confidence, Heckingbottom will accept that neither City nor their namesakes from Bristol, who United dispatched 2-0 three days hours after his appointment as permanent manager, feature among the creme de la creme of the division. Reading, conquered during Jokanovic’s final match at the helm, were pretty woeful too, although the visitors showed character to recover from the shock of witnessing John Fleck suffer a seizure at the Select Car Leasing Stadium following Jayden Bogle’s finish.

“I’m pleased with how the lads have handled certain situations,” Heckingbottom said, reflecting upon their reaction to “pressure moments” in recent weeks. “The game-management has been good - it can still get better - but it’s good.”

QPR will certainly pose more questions of United than either of their last two opponents. The same goes for leaders Fulham, who are next on the agenda, before Christmas. Any lapses in concentration are more likely to be punished by Aleksandar Mitrovic and Charlie Austin than, say, Harris or Chris Martin who spearheaded Nigel Pearson’s attack in South Yorkshire.

Then again United, who drew with this season’s surprise package Coventry City before travelling to Berkshire, will present the Londoners with a stiffer test than would have probably been the case a month or so ago.

Still, even if their resurgence in form continues, there are still a number of issues looming on the horizon United must address. The majority of those can be found off the pitch, where the ownership’s desire to establish greater “synergy” between the clubs within the United World network caused issues for Jokanovic and his predecessor Chris Wilder.

He departed following a disagreement about recruitment and the pace of change at United’s now outdated training complex in Shirecliffe. Jokanovic also voiced concerns about these too, meaning Heckingbottom, who enjoyed a spell in caretaker charge before the Serb’s arrival, must demonstrate he is not only a talented coach but also a skilled politician.

With one high-ranking member of the board suggesting that financing Jokanovic’s severance package had also eaten into United’s transfer budget - he was sacked only 22 games into a three year contract - Heckingbottom will also probably be required to sell before he can begin seriously reprofiling a squad overloaded with strikers but low on midfielder and defenders.

Those around them in the rankings won’t stand still and, behind the scenes, Heckingbottom is expected to remind his employers that United can’t afford to either in order to realise their dream.

“There’s lots to be done, but we’re moving in the right direction,” Heckingbottom said. “I really do believe we can get much better.”