Sheffield United: 'We must take care of the present,' players are told, 'Not the distant future'
and live on Freeview channel 276
Previously the club’s under-23’s coach, Heckingbottom oversees his second match in permanent charge at Cardiff City this weekend, having been appointed only 72 hours before Sunday’s win over Bristol City.
After making an inconsistent start to the campaign, United travel to Wales hoping to make it three straight league wins for the first time since December 2019 when Norwich City, Aston Villa and Brighton and Hove Albion were beaten en route to a ninth placed top-flight finish.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdJokanovic, who masterminded Reading’s downfall during his final match at the helm, was told by Bramall Lane’s owners to aim for an immediate return to the top-flight after being unveiled as Chris Wilder’s successor in May - a month after United were relegated back to the Championship.
Unlike the Serb, Heckingbottom has been told he will not be judged “by what happens on a Saturday afternoon” after Bramall Lane’s board of directors finalised the strategic review which supposedly prompted Jokanovic’s sacking.
But the 44-year-old is under no illusions about what United’s objective really is, as they approach the halfway stage of the campaign 13th in the table and seven points outside of the play-off positions.
“It’s about this season,” Heckingbottom said. “There’s too many games to play for it to be about anything else.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“We don’t want to be talking about achieving something way into the future. We want to be playing for what there still is to play for right now. And there’s plenty. Everyone knows that.”
Speaking at Heckingbottom’s official coronation last week, journalists were told by two senior members of United’s hierarchy that sound financial plans exist for whichever division they are in next term.
Jokanovic was criticised for talking about promotion while United were in the lower reaches of the rankings, despite taking his former club Fulham up three years ago from an even tougher position.
But Heckingbottom added: “We are looking at ‘now’ not next season. We want to take care of this season.”