'I'm still gutted', Sheffield United manager admits, despite being on the touchline at Millwall
The 45-year-old is facing a touchline ban after being dismissed during Wednesday night’s defeat by Michael Carrick’s team Although Heckingbottom last night vowed to accept whatever punishment he is handed by the Football Association, the governing body’s disciplinary procedures means he is available to watch this afternoon’s fixture from pitchside.
“Yes, I’ll be there,” Heckingbottom told The Star, admitting he is “gutted” by the thought of being consigned to the stands for at least one of his squad’s upcoming games. “I’ll be in the dug-out for this one.
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“It will be the FA who contact me, when they’ve got all the information they need. The video will be put to me, I’ll have a chance to put my side and then you get whatever punishment is dished out.
“I was wrong to be sent-off and it’s me who is going to suffer. But the reasons behind my frustration will continue.”
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Speaking immediately after the loss to Middlesbrough, which saw the cushion second-placed United enjoy over the play-off positions cut to seven points, Heckingbottom revealed the protest which saw him receive a red card stemmed from the fact he fears players do not receive free-kicks “unless they go to ground.” The third of the three goals United’s rivals from Teesside scored, after Oli McBurnie had given Heckingbottom’s men the lead, came only moments after the referee had signalled an advantage following a foul on James McAtee.
“The goal we conceded is the perfect example of what my grip is,” Heckingbottom continued. “The only time Macca, Iliman (Ndiaye) or Sander (Berge) get anything is when they go over. Not when they stay on their feet. If we want to continue along this route, and someone is brave enough to tell me that you have to go down to get something then fine, we’ll do what everyone else does. But I don’t want to. I’ll keep on having the conversations.”
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Hide AdHeckingbottom is expected to be consigned to the stands for United’s forthcoming clash against Watford at home although that has yet to be confirmed.
“As soon as I got the card, I was thinking about it,” he said. “It’s a big thing for me. Generally, whenever I watch a game back, I’m not that surprised with anything because I’ve seen what I needed to see down there. It’s personal preference but, for me, I don’t feel tactically I need to be up there although sometimes I might ask people who are a little bit higher up (in the stands) for certain things about set-pieces and the like. I don’t feel the need to be elevated up there, mind.”
“Probably, no one else here is thinking about it,” Heckingbottom added. “But I am, and I was straight away because I hate being up there. Genuinely, it’s a really big thing for me and it’s going to be me it changes for more than anyone.”