Sheffield United: Paul Heckingbottom on Sander Berge's future at Bramall Lane and getting the best out of him

Not simply about the Norwegian’s fractious progress since arriving in South Yorkshire. But also, after lecturing journalists about their strategic vision following Paul Heckingbottom’s appointment as manager, the importance of adhering to a carefully thought out recruitment policy.

Clearly a supremely talented footballer, Berge must shoulder some of the responsibility for the fact folk are still talking about his potential rather than eulogising about a series of stellar performances 24 months after becoming United’s then record signing. But his attempt to live up to the hype surrounding his £22m move from Genk hasn't been helped either by United’s failure to decide exactly where he should line-up on the pitch.

It is a problem Heckingbottom, as they prepare to return to Championship action for the first time in nearly a month, believes he can solve. Providing, of course, Berge isn’t lured away from South Yorkshire before the end of the transfer window after being linked with clubs including Napoli and Newcastle. However, speaking ahead of Saturday’s game at Derby County, which he will miss after testing positive for Covid-19, Heckingbottom downplayed suggestions that could be the case.

“Sander has been fantastic,” he said, reminding that Berge possesses a number of “real stand-out” qualities. “He’s had a tough time of it, regarding injuries and what not. But he’s never been anything other than completely determined to get into our team.”

Berge is unlikely to celebrate reaching his landmark at United with much pomp and ceremony. A Premier League club, and an upwardly mobile one at that when he waved goodbye to Belgium, competing in the Championship is unlikely to have been part of his career development plan upon landing in England; starting ahead of John Lundstram during a win over Crystal Palace 48 hours later.

Berge’s presence - which appeared to unsettle Lundstram to such an extent he went from being a hero to a zero in the space of a few months, eventually joining Rangers last summer - was welcomed by then manager Chris Wilder, who thought he was beyond United’s financial wherewithal. But on reflection, having apparently convinced Lundstram that his time there was up, the circumstances which surrounded Berge’s acquisition exposed the lack of coherence which eventually soured Wilder’s relationship with the board.

Having initially been handed a budget which suggested he wasn’t within reach, the now Middlesbrough chief was delighted to secure a player of Berge’s calibre. But United’s coaching staff hadn’t factored him into their plans at the beginning of the window. Yes, the ownership’s ambition deserved to be applauded at the time. Yes, Berge had been properly scouted and yes, he was a coup. Nevertheless, his purchase represented a departure from the plan Wilder thought he was working to only weeks earlier. Neither he nor Slavisa Jokanovic, who spent 22 games in charge after being hired in May, could find a permanent position for Berge in their starting eleven. The sight of him being shifted about the pitch was perhaps symptomatic of United’s operations at the time - well-meaning but lacking coherence - although Heckingbottom denies that is the case.

“There are parts of Sander’s game that are really stand-out,” he continued. “Depending on the role we give him, that depends on what he does.

“It’s not really an issue for me, the positional thing. He’s a midfielder, so he has to be able to attack and he has to be able to defend.

“Sander can play in a two or he can play in a three. Clearly, there are some real stand-out qualities to his game.”

Heckingbottom inherited the problem of how to get the best out of Berge in November when, having been hired in a caretaker capacity following Wilder’s exit, he was eventually handed the reins on a permanent basis.

It is a difficult one, made even more complex by the fact that Berge possesses obvious strengths at both ends of the pitch but weaknesses too - ones which those stationed around him, through no fault of their own, appear capable of masking.

With Iliman Ndiaye and the on-loan Morgan Gibbs-White, now making progress in his battle to overcome injury, at his disposal, Heckingbottom will struggle to find room for Berge in United’s frontline. But following their relegation from the top-flight, Oliver Norwood’s lack of pace is no longer being exploited by opposition attackers. And, as United look to adopt a more offensive approach towards their games in the second tier, his distribution is more adventurous than Berge, who prefers to dictate tempo rather than split defences.

“Depending upon the role we give Sander,” Heckingbottom said. “We need that versatility.”

United have a responsibility to Berge. But Berge also has a responsibility to them too. A casual demeanor, which unfairly exposes him to criticism he is content to coast through games, could merely be a reflection of his ability. If so, then Berge really should be dominating contests on a regular basis rather than showing flashes of his quality. Particularly now United are no longer competing at the highest level.

After making only his seventh start for the club during last weekend’s FA Cup tie at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Berge could be handed another chance to impress when 13th placed United travel to Pride Park - where Wayne Rooney’s side, despite being bottom of the table, are in fine form , winning three and drawing one if their last four outings.

“We’ve had a lot of games called-off,” Heckingbottom reminded, revealing his frustration at the spate of postponements United suffered over the festive period. “That knocked Sander back a bit, in terms of recovering from a fitness issue. But he lasted longer than I thought at Wolves, so that’s a really positive indication.”