Sheffield United: The popular tactic Paul Heckingbottom definitely won't be adopting this season
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After winning seven and losing only one of their first 10 outings in the competition so far this term, United are preparing to host Birmingham City this weekend three points clear at the top of the table.
Despite acknowledging there are a number of issues which could threaten to derail that progress, including a spate of injuries to key defenders, Heckingbottom is naturally delighted with results of late.
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Hide AdBut he refuted a claim that coaching staff have split the campaign into several distinct parts, setting targets for their players to reach ahead of this week’s international break and this winter’s World Cup in Qatar - which will see the top two tiers of the English pyramid shut down for around a month in November.
“We’ve not done blocks of games,” Heckingbottom said. “We’ve not split the season up into blocks, although some people do that.
“We knew this international break was coming up. We knew that it wasn’t really going to be a rest because most of our lads were going away. So it was all the planning around that and also the World Cup which is coming up. We shut down then although quite a few teams who aren’t involved in it have arranged friendlies.
“From there on in, it’s going to be a real slog.”
“That’s something we’re going to have to be ready for,” Heckingbottom added, “Although, genuinely, we’re not looking at things over a 10 game, five game or wherever period.”