Why this season counts for nothing if Sheffield United don't go up

The Blades go into Saturday’s Championship play-off semi-final first leg against Nottingham Forest in good form after three impressive performances to seal a place in the top six.

Their 4-0 win over champions Fulham at Bramall Lane last week raised eyebrows as the Blades ran riot to turn in arguably their best showing of an up and down campaign that saw the team under a new manager drag themselves away from near the bottom of the table to challenge for promotion.

However, Heckingbottom isn’t paying attention to how well they have been playing, the form of his side going into the match or how well he as a manager and they have done collectively to get into this position in the first place.

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“No-one remembers who has finished fifth but they’ll remember us if we go up,” he said.

“So it’s pointless reflecting on the season. We reflect game-to-game, week-on-week, day-by-day in training – how we affect players and staff because you want to keep on improving, of course you do, that’s your job.

“But not on the rise in the league because it’s irrelevant. The most important thing is these three games.

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“We’ve got to get through two real tough ones first, the nitty-gritty end and you need big moments, whether that’s from players, big decisions, that little moment, the roll of the ball going your way.

“You take anything you can to get in that final in two weeks’ time.”