Sheffield United: Why the FA Cup really matters to promotion-chasers as Millwall beckons

For others, Sheffield United’s visit to Millwall in the FA Cup tomorrow is nothing more than an irritating distraction from their primary purpose this season: Translating the nine point advantage established over third-placed rivals Blackburn Rovers into automatic promotion. Either following May’s game against Birmingham City at St Andrews or, more preferably, long before.

Paul Heckingbottom, the person tasked with overseeing Bramall Lane’s footballing affairs, takes a different approach. He believes it is possible, perfectly possible in fact, to reach the later stages of the world’s greatest domestic knockout competition and also go up.

“We know it can be done because it’s been done before,” the United manager told The Star, explaining the reasoning behind his thinking. “There’s countless examples whereby teams have done well in both so that goes to show, what you often hear being put out there, it just isn’t true at all.

“And to be perfectly honest, in some situations it (progressing) in the cups can actually help your league form. I’ve been in situations when that has happened. So we’ll be going for it and going strong.”

Heckingbottom’s excitement ahead of the trip to London was almost palpable when he addressed the media on Thursday, during his pre-match press conference at United’s training complex. But he is also aware, in an era where accumulating money is seen as more important than collecting medals, that his thoughts on the cup might sound slightly antiquated. Aged 45, the former Scarborough, Barnsley, Bradford City and Sheffield Wednesday defender is of a generation which remembers when children used to huddle around their radios in the playground to listen to the third round draw and the day of the final at Wembley was the most eagerly anticipated on the football calendar.

“Me personally, it really annoys me when people talk like that, about the FA Cup not mattering,” Heckingbottom admitted. “But I get why they say it, because different clubs have different priorities and are in different situations. Everyone’s circumstances are different.”

“Okay, we’ve set our sights on something different this year,” he continued, referring to United’s bid to climb out of the second tier. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a cup run as well. I’m someone who only looks to the next game, who is only bothered about that. And the thing that bothers me is trying to win. It doesn’t sit comfortably, with either me or what we’re trying to create here, the environment we’re building, if you hear people speaking who don’t have the same attitude. If you’re in football, you want to win.”

Despite his thoughts on the importance of chasing silverware, even when the odds on lifting the trophy are slim, Heckingbottom plans to make changes for the third round tie. Some of those will be enforced, with Ciaran Clark, Oli McBurnie and Max Lowe set to miss out although the latter’s side-strain is being monitored on an hourly basis. “Things like that, when it’s to do with ribs,” Heckingbottom insisted, “Well they can change day by day.” Others, however, will be purely voluntary with Daniel Jebbison hoping for a start after impressing during the second-half of Monday’s draw with Queens Park Rangers.

“Another great thing about the cup, and this is the only thing that’s troubling me a bit right now,” said Heckingbottom, “Is that usually it’s a chance to put some lads who would really benefit from the minutes in. That’s not devaluing it. Quite the opposite in fact, because they are first team players who would be involved in league matches. The danger for us is that, because of the number we've got out for a week or so, we don’t have that option as much as we’d like.”

That means the eleven United select to face opponents who boast the second best home record in the division so far this season, is set to be broadly similar to the one which began the contest against Rangers with considered rather than sweeping changes being made.

“I think Millwall is a good fixture,” Heckingbottom said, before outlining his respect for Gary Rowett’s side who sit sixth in the Championship. “The only bad thing about going down there is the size of the away dressing room because, with the amount of kit people carry about with them these days, it’s difficult to fit everything in.

“Millwall are always a challenge but, as a player, I always preferred the away games because somehow it just felt nosier because everything is against you. I enjoy going there and I know the staff there.”

Rowett’s men were last beaten inside their own ground in September and are unbeaten in four. United, however, are the division’s best performing club on the road since August; winning eight and drawing three of their previous 14 away assignments.

“Your focus changes and we’re fighting for something different now,” Heckingbottom said. “When you see some of the glamour draws coming out in the next round, we want to be there in the hat rather than just watching it happen. If you go through, you never know who you are going to get and that’s the brilliant thing about the cup. It might be pulling out one of the really big wigs away from home or someone, in this case, from your own league. But every single match provides an opportunity.”

“I’ve got loads of memories about the cup,” he added. “I get why things change, because of the glitz surrounding the Premier League and the Champions League. But, for me, this is still big. I remember the days when you used to sit around the television watching the FA Cup final coverage that seemed to go on all day. It’s special and, make no mistake, we want to go through.”