'Not true' - Sheffield United boss dismisses midfield suggestion
and live on Freeview channel 276
With their progress into the FA Cup semi-finals meaning they now have to shoehorn at least 10 matches into a five week period, United play the first of nine games remaining on this season’s Championship schedule at Norwich City tomorrow.
Although Doyle has impressed of late in the deep lying role Norwood had appeared to make his own since arriving at Bramall Lane five years ago, Heckingbottom denied he faces a straight choice between one or the other before departing for Carrow Road. Indeed, given United’s congested fixture schedule, the 45-year-old predicted there will be moments when they partner each other in the engine room of a team which is chasing automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“It’s not Tommy or Oli,” Heckingbottom told The Star. “We actually had a lot of success earlier in the season when they worked together in a two or a three. What’s happened of late is that, because Tommy has gone in a bit deeper, the narrative has changed. But that narrative isn’t necessarily correct.”
After watching his team suffer a dip in form which allowed Middlesbrough to gnaw away at what only a couple of months ago appeared an unassailable lead over Michael Carrick’s third placed side, Heckingbottom’s decision to recall Doyle and James McAtee has rejuvenated United’s faltering campaign. They travel to East Anglia in second and three points ahead of their rivals from Teesside, having contested one match less.
On loan from Manchester City, the duo are both ineligible for selection when United face their parent club at Wembley later this month; a date secured thanks to Doyle’s superb strike during the quarter-final victory over Blackburn Rovers, which followed an impressive win at Sunderland.
Norwood, a veteran of the United squad which reached the top-flight under Heckingbottom’s predecessor Chris Wilder, remains an integral part of the former Barnsley, Leeds and Hibernian chief’s plans and could feature against David Wagner’s men.