Sheffield United: Boss reveals why this week could be a pivotal moment in his team's promotion push
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With no fixtures sandwiched in between their trip to Stoke City and the forthcoming meeting with Michael Appleton’s side, Paul Heckingbottom and his assistants Stuart McCall and Jack Lester will have overseen at least four training sessions at the Randox Health Academy by the time their rivals from Lancashire arrive in South Yorkshire.
Given the disruption caused by the injuries which have blighted United all season, and which forced them to change formation at the bet365 Stadium, Heckingbottom acknowledged their recent schedule has added an extra layer of complexity to his work behind the scenes.
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Hide Ad“If you’ve got a settled team and you’re not trying to change things then, to be fair, the lack of preparation time is not so much of a problem as people might think,” he told The Star. “It’s when you have enforced changes, when you’re having to react to things rather than pre-empt them or force them, when it becomes much more difficult.”
“There’s always challenges that comes up, things you have to face,” Heckingbottom added. “That’s football, you just have to get on with it and deal with it as best you can. It’s part and parcel of what we do.”
Heckingbottom has gone to great lengths to ensure United do not allow the fitness issues they are experiencing to become an excuse for any drop in form; refusing to engage with journalists on the subject following the defeat to Alex Neil’s side, which followed another loss at the hands of Queens Park Rangers and a draw with Birmingham City. But with Reda Khadra, an attacking midfielder and sometime striker, being forced to operate at wing-back and United ditching their preferred three man rearguard in favour of a four en route to Staffordshire, it is inevitable results have suffered. With the overwhelming majority of their senior squad selected for the latest round of international friendlies and Nations League ties, Heckingbottom had only a matter of hours to fine-tune their strategy for the meeting with Birmingham.
Before entered that assignment averaging 2.3 points per game from their opening 10 assignments of the campaign. They have taken only one from their last three, leaving them above second-placed Norwich City on goal difference alone.
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Hide Ad“If you are familiar with the shape you’re using and how you want to win, then it does become a little easier,” Heckingbottom said. “We try and keep the messages we are delivering as clear and as concise as possible. Even if something has to change, then we try and keep the basic message we are putting across the same and keep the same principles. That’s the best way to try and do it.”