Sheffield United told FA Cup quarter-final against Blackburn Rovers could be 'historic'
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It contained footage and statistics from this month’s game against Blackburn Rovers, who visit Bramall Lane on Sunday in the FA Cup quarter-finals. The dust had barely settled on United’s victory over Tony Mowbray’s side, which saw them strengthen their grip on the Championship’s second automatic promotion berth. But rather than bask in the glory of what many observers felt was a pivotal moment in the battle for Premier League football, Heckingbottom chose to spend the journey back to South Yorkshire pouring over clips of Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side.
“I’ll be watching Blackburn on the bus,” he said, confirming a recording of their meeting with Reading earlier that evening also featured on his in-journey agenda. “I’ll probably also go through our last game with them. That’s when all the work will start.”
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Hide AdIt is a measure of the importance Heckingbottom has afforded to United’s latest meeting with Rovers that his preparation began before his squad even left Wearside, where a 2-1 win saw them move six points clear of third-placed Middlesbrough. Reaching the Premier League is the priority this season. But that does not mean United are not utterly determined to chase success on two fronts. Hence, Heckingbottom’s description of this week as being a potentially “historic” one in their history, with a visit to Wembley awaiting the winners of what promises to be an intriguing tie.
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Heckingbottom also knows that Rovers will prove awkward opposition. Both in terms of skill and strategy. Earlier this month, United were beaten at Ewood Park after producing a Jekyll and Hyde performance. Now fifth in the table and nine points behind United, Rovers deserved that triumph with Tomasson’s tactical tweaks during the half-time break helping to expose the fault lines in the visitors’ work. Equally, the Dane will know Heckingbottom’s men were below par that day. After all, Rovers lost 3-0 on their last trip to South Yorkshire. Iliman Ndiaye (2) and Oliver Norwood were on target then and both, although the latter started on the bench at Sunderland, are expected to feature in the return.
As well as being motivated by professional considerations, Heckingbottom's efforts to qualify for the last four of the competition are also driven by something else. United’s players and staff have been forced to confront a number of challenges this term, relating to injuries, infrastructure and a transfer embargo. Heckingbottom feels an appearance at the national stadium, where the semi-finals are now staged, would be a fitting reward for their patience.
“I’m incredibly proud of them all, the staff and the players, with everything that’s been going on,” he said. “They’ve been brilliant. This could be a very big week, huge for careers and a huge week in the history of the club as a whole. That is what we are playing for. The league and the cup.”