Sheffield United: The quality that will prove the key to beating Rotherham
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“We were strong out there when he didn’t have it,” he said, reflecting on last weekend’s victory over Hull City at the MKM Stadium. “Okay, there were a couple of sloppy moments when we lost it and one where a runner really got in between us. But, apart from that, I thought we nullified them pretty much.”
Rather than being taken literally, Heckingbottom’s apparent swipe at armchair pundits was an attempt to ensure the narrative at Bramall Lane continues to revolve around United’s attacking prowess after scoring 14 goals in their last six outings. But, as he prepares his squad to face Rotherham on Saturday, the 44-year-old will privately concede that remaining focused around the breakdowns and in transitional moments holds the key to victory over Paul Warne’s men.
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Thirteenth in the table, far higher than most observers thought they would be after securing promotion last term, United’s neighbours average a possession percentage of only 40.4 percent so far this season. Having lost only once in seven outings, winning two and drawing four, that suggests they are sound defensively and efficient going forward; finding the back of the opposition net on nine occasions.
When Reading made the journey north during the opening round of fixtures - Paul Ince’s squad average 41 percent possession since August - Rotherham’s share during that contest was still less than half.
United prefer to dominate, with only eight clubs in the division returning a higher possession figure than their 52.3 percent. One of these is Swansea City, who have been accused of keeping the ball for keeping the ball’s sake ahead of next week’s clash between the two squads in south Wales.
“It’s all about creating quality chances,” Heckingbottom reminded. “We show the opposition respect but we also try and concentrate on what we like to do best and try to impose that on them.”