Sheffield United reveal how they plan to "dominate" Tottenham Hotspur
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Insisting there are “different ways” to try and assert control over a game, Heckingbottom accepted Antonio Conte’s side are likely to spend long periods with the ball during the FA Cup fifth round tie. But the 45-year-old insisted his admission should not be taken as a sign that United are planning to fight a rearguard action before hitting their Premier League opponents on the counter attack.
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“What’s the point of that? You have to have ‘a go’ to try and win,” Heckingbottom told The Star, providing a fleeting insight into the game plan United believe can prompt Spurs’ downfall. “We’ve got to show that we can hurt them too.
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Hide Ad“We like to be dominant but we know that’s going to be tough. That dominance can come in different ways though. It can come through winning possession back high up the pitch or denying space in and around your own defensive third. It can be how you build on the possession you do have. It can be controlling those parts of the game when you have the ball.”
Second in the Championship table and seven points clear of third-placed Middlesbrough, United’s possession average in league competition this term stands at 50.6, rising to 53.1 on home soil. Spurs, who travel to South Yorkshire ranked fourth in the Premier League, have returned 49.3 and 50 respectively. The visitors make the journey north having won two and lost two of their last four outings, with those defeats both coming on the road - at Milan and Leicester City. United have succumbed only once on home soil since the beginning of November.
“There is no pressure on us, none,” Heckingbottom said. “We put different expectations on ourselves and this is a different challenge. That’s the exciting part.”
“Enjoyment, that’s one of the things we’ve spoken about,” he added. “We know this is going to be difficult but we are looking forward to the test.”