Paul Heckingbottom shares message he has sent his Sheffield United players ahead of play-off push

Paul Heckingbottom has sent his Sheffield United players a reminder that no Championship club could beat them when they have been at their very best this season, in conversation with Yorkshire Live. 

Currently finding themselves in fifth place with eight games to go in this Championship season, the Blades are part of an exciting play-off battle, with plenty of twists and turns yet to occur. 

Siting two points above the much-desired to-six positions, the Yorkshire club know that Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest could displace them, should the pair win their games in hand. 

Speaking to Yorkshire Live, Heckingbottom shared the message he has provided his players with ahead of this exciting run-in: “We’ve got a lot of tough games left, home and away. It’s exciting now but it gets more exciting.

“It’s a strange season with the amount of teams still involved in it. It is game by game and each game has something on it. I think it will get more and more tense as things settle down and we know how valuable each of the points are.

“If we could replicate that Middlesbrough performance in every game between now and the end of the season I would be confident in saying we’ll be in the play-offs. If it got like that we would all be able to predict football and it would be easy. We know it’s not.

“One thing I have reminded the players of is that when we have played how we can play, no one can touch us, no one can beat us. We have also won games when we haven’t been at our best, which you have to do, granted.

“The only time we have been beaten is when we have not been at our best and not reached the levels that we would be happy with. That’s a reminder to just focus on ourselves, on our levels and try and bring our best to every game.