Nottingham Forest told what to expect from Sheffield United in play-off showdown

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has said that his team will ‘go for it’ in the play-off semi-final vs Nottingham Forest this week.

Forest travel to Bramall Lane to take on the Blades on Saturday afternoon with both teams looking to take an advantage into Tuesday’s second leg at the City Ground. The other semi-final will see Huddersfield Town take on Luton Town with the first leg taking place at Kenilworth Road on Friday night.

Ahead of the semi-finals, teams will be eyeing a place in the showpiece final at Wembley Stadium on May 29. Speaking ahead of the first leg vs Forest, Heckingbottom has outlined how he wants to see his team play.

“The style of play, the messages, they have been consistent since we came in,” he told the Star . “I want to see a team that entertains and that is going for it. We always go for it.

“There’s a way to win and a way to lose. If we lose a game and we play like I know we can, I’ll always be fine with my team. And that’s how we’ve got our wins too.”

Much like Forest under Steve Cooper, the Blades have turned their form around since the arrival of the former Barnsley boss, with the team climbing from 16th to fifth place. The turnaround in form has also seen the stands filling up at Bramall Lane, with this weekend's first leg expected to be a sell-out .

“The fans, they can see through fluff and jargon,” Heckingbottom continued. “They know when people are talking rubbish and trying to pull the wool over their eyes.

“What they want to see is actions and performances on the pitch. That’s one of the reasons why, I believe, we been able to get that connection back. Because it’s not something this team does.

“As long as I’m here, the approach will always be the same.”