Paul Heckingbottom stresses key area of squad in run-in at Sheffield United

Sheffield United were very unfortunate not to get past Bournemouth on Saturday lunchtime, 0-0, with the Blades putting in another very impressive display at Bramall Lane.

Paul Heckingbottom’s men have fallen away from an outside chance of automatic promotion in the last month or so but will remain confident that they can book a spot in the play-offs.

There are plenty of survivors in the squad from the club’s ninth placed finish in the Premier League in 2019/20 and Heckingbottom stressed the importance of them when he spoke to the Sheffield Star.

He said: “These lads, people who have been in the Premier League, they’re showing those standards in and around the dressing room too.

“They drive those standards up because, the more people with their experience you have in there, the more others get dragged along with them too.

“Also, it shows the youngsters who are involved with us what is required to reach the very highest level.

“They know now that they’re going to have to meet those all the time and work hard to get in.”

The Blades have enjoyed an emphatic turnaround since the back end of 2021, and will be relishing the opportunity to bulldoze their way into the top six in the closing exchanges of the season.

The Verdict

Their hard work on and off the pitch has put them in a great position to take advantage and finish in the top six, looking very menacing particularly at home.

Speaking of those senior players and survivors from the top-flight spell, Ollie McBurnie has come back into the side of late, due to an injury to Billy Sharp and has been very tough to handle for opposition defences.

The Scotsman has not yet scored a league goal this season, but could hit form at the right time, clicking into gear in the play-offs in