Sheffield United told to focus on points, not meaningless statistics

After last weekend’s defeat by Luton Town, United are preparing for Wednesday’s visit to Sunderland second in the Championship table and four points clear of third placed Middlesbrough with 10 matches of their league campaign remaining.

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United went 13 games without defeat earlier this term, laying the foundations for both their automatic promotion challenge and march into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, where they will face Blackburn Rovers at Bramall Lane this weekend.

Admitting that reaching the Premier League, not Wembley, is his top priority, Heckingbottom said: “I’m not interested in runs or records. I just tot the points up and, so long as we have more than the teams behind us at the end of the season, then I really don’t care when, where or how they come.”

United warmed up for the meeting with Rob Edwards’ side by beating Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, having lost to Rovers three days earlier. They had travelled to Ewood Park on the back of wins over Watford and Tottenham Hotspur - a result which set up the last eight clash with their rivals from Lancashire.

Explaining the reasoning behind his thinking, Heckingbottom said: “Let me put it like this, if you get hung-up with unbeaten runs then you might be happy at drawing three whereas, points wise, you’d be better off winning two and losing one. That’s why it’s just all about the points, which is what influences the decisions.”

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