Sheffield United: The big question which must be asked now
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Are the injuries Paul Heckingbottom’s squad continue to collect at an alarmingly fast rate the result of bad luck and ill-fortune? Or is there a systemic issue behind the scenes at the Randox Health Academy? Maybe, a combination of both.
“I’m sick of talking about injuries,” Heckingbottom admitted. “I try not to focus on them because they’re not going to help us win this game. But there’s conversations, because the ones we get are so significant. Because of that, others can then get them because we can’t swap about.”
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Piece together the evidence and fate appears to be at blame for a situation which could see United, still the Championship leaders it must be remembered, enter this weekend’s game without a dozen senior influential names. The left hand side of defence has borne the brunt of the selection issues which have befallen Heckingbottom this term. Right-footed squad members are not naturally sturdier. Sports science guru Tom Little is hugely respected and arrived clutching a CV demonstrating the positive impact he has made at all of his previous clubs.
But as much as Heckingbottom was right to point out that the form United were displaying, until last weekend’s draw with Birmingham City and Tuesday’s defeat by Queens Park Rangers curtailed their progress, began at the beginning of the year, so too do the fitness issues which engulf his squad. Those predate Little’s appointment and were blamed back then on two things: A disjointed schedule because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the condition of the playing surfaces at United’s training complex. Not the fault of its ground staff, work is now being undertaken to remedy the latter. The same goes for the investigation into why United are so injury prone, which forms part of Heckingbottom’s policy of perpetual improvement.
“Most are just random,” he continued. “The ones that do bother us are load-spiking ones, such as Max Lowe at Hull recently. But, as I say, our options are limited with what we can do.”
By his own admission, Heckingbottom can sometimes be liberal with the truth when it comes to discussing the progress and projected comeback dates for some of those crammed into the treatment room. “I’d have rather you all thought he would be playing,” the United manager confessed before last weekend’s meeting with City, making no secret of the fact he wasn’t impressed by Bosnia and Herzegivovina’s decision to reveal Anel Ahmedhodzic’s thigh injury to the world.
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Hide AdThe subterfuge is understandable. Heckingbottom wants to give United an advantage. Whether it is effective, however, remains an entirely different matter. Players talk. They share agents. Football is a village and, even if officials in Sarajevo had kept schtum, you can bet your bottom marka that John Eustance and Michael Beale, Heckingbottom’s counterparts at St Andrews and Loftus Road, will have both known the centre-half was out of their respective trips to South Yorkshire.
“We could have some back soon,” Heckingbottom said, attempting to keep City guessing. “Some of the lads who have been out might be on the coach.”