Languishing in the bottom half of the table, closer to the relegation zone than the playoffs and having won six matches in 19 games, the Sheffield United board decided to sack the recently appointed manager Slavisa Jokanovic in late November. The club had been on a downward spiral since the resumption of games following March 2020’s Coronavirus outbreak, and Jokanovic had been unable to stem the tide of losses.
The man appointed to turn around their fortunes was the current under-23’s coach and previous interim manager Paul Heckingbottom, who signed on a four and a half year deal until the summer of 2026.
Since his appointment, Heckingbottom has transformed the Blades’ form, winning nine out of his fifteen games in the dugout. This is not down to luck or coincidence; every attacking metric under Heckingbottom has been better than under Jockanovic, with the Blades now averaging 4.11 shots inside the box each game, a vastly improved figure on the 2.76 shots they were averaging under Jokanovic. Defensively, they have also improved and now have an expected goals conceded of 0.8 per game, much lower than the 1.2 they were averaging under Jokanovic.
Beyond the statistics, Sheffield United’s development under Heckingbottom can be seen through their contrasting performances against fellow promotion candidates West Brom. In the away fixture at the Hawthorns back in August, Sheffield United were completely outthought and outclassed in a 4-0 loss where they managed a dismal one shot on target. Whereas, in the home fixture in February, the Blades won 2-0 in an assured performance at Bramall Lane.
When Heckingbottom was appointed manager at Bramall Lane, the club faced ridicule for their choice of manager. Although he has silenced some of his critics, questions remain over the club’s appointment of the Yorkshireman on a four and a half year deal when he has failed to last a season in his previous two jobs. In his last managerial position at Hibs, Heckingbottom faced criticism for his summer recruitment, where he was unable to replace key players. Considering Sheffield United’s recent poor recruitment in the Premier League, this does not bode well. However, Heckingbottom is a man who is committed to learning, as can be exemplified by him undertaking a doctorate in Professional Sports Practice at Leeds Beckett University.
The jury remains on whether Heckingbottom is the correct man for the job, yet it’s so far so good for the Yorkshireman.
