Sheffield United star highlights manager quality that will steer Blades through rocky waters in promotion race

Chris Basham has highlighted boss Paul Heckingbottom’s quality that could help steer Sheffield United through any more rocky waters in the promotion run-in.

United’s healthy lead over third place in the race for the Premier League has been heavily eroded in the last week, with Middlesbrough now only four points behind the Blades and in irresistible form.

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The Blades, meanwhile, are looking to recover from back-to-back defeats this weekend when they host fellow promotion hopefuls Watford at Bramall Lane and veteran Basham believes Heckingbottom’s consistency, in both defeat and victory, could serve United well as they look to get over the line.

“The manager does that very well,” Basham said. “He says he’s learned from himself in the past in his career as a manager. How he reacts, focusing on the next game coming, and that’s great to have.

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“As you get older you can balance things out a little bit but when you’re a younger lad, you’re always focusing on the last game you played instead of the next one.

“And that’s been the best way to do it, I’ve found. The manager here is great at doing that; at settling himself down and analysing with the lads, both the good and the bad.

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“He’s got a great bunch of staff behind him as well and it’s great for us players, that he doesn’t get too angry when we get defeated or make a mistake. It’s great to have that.”

Basham’s endorsement should not be interpreted as an indication that Heckingbottom is anything approaching a ‘soft touch’ but instead, a level-headed realisation that United can only affect what lies ahead of them, rather than what has already gone.

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The Blades boss made it clear that he knew exactly what had gone wrong at Millwall on Saturday, in a 3-2 defeat, just days after profligate finishing cost United dearly in a 3-1 home reverse to their nearest rivals Boro.

Back-to-back defeats under Heckingbottom’s permanent tutelage are rare and three reverses in a row unheard of. But Boro’s challenge is a strong one and United will have to get back to winning ways soon – or risk seeing their advantage completely wiped out after months of hard work.

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