Sheffield United: Championship leaders boss reveals Birmingham City tactics and threat
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Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s meeting between his side and the division’s 17th ranked team, Heckingbottom explained City’s upturn in form before the international break confirms head coach John Eustace is now beginning to put his “fingerprints” on the team he took charge of three months ago.
“I’m sure Birmingham will use our position to prepare their week and paint a picture,” Heckingbottom said. “I’m sure people do that but we just focus on us.
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Hide Ad“We are pleased to be where we are, of course we are. But we’re 10 games in and so it’s not worth thinking about. We want to focus on what’s non-negotiable in terms of our standards.”
United won all of their final four outings before the pause in the domestic schedule, leaving them with a record of W7 D2 L1 for the season so far. However, the loss of influential defender Anel Ahmedhodzic to a thigh injury has caused Heckingbottom a major headache, with the Bosnia and Herzegovina international already covering at left centre-half for fellow absentees Ciaran Clark and Jack Robinson.
Eustace was appointed as Lee Bowyer’s successor in July, having previously managed Kidderminster Harriers and completed spells on the backroom staff of both Queens Park Rangers and the Republic of Ireland.
Heckingbottom, who watched City’s trip to Rotherham in August, said: “John has got coaching experience and he’ll be comfortable in terms of being out there on the grass. It’s not as if he’s just out of playing and he’s brought in real experience, in Keith Downing, which looks to be a great appointment. Looking at their organisation, John has got his fingerprints on the team now.”
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Hide Ad“I was at the game a while back when Rotherham beat Birmingham,” Heckingbottom added. “They’ve brought some players in on loan and have got a bit more experience, and there’s (Troy) Deeney dropping off the supply lines and working well.
“They’re tough to break down, we’re going to have to be really switched on for their counter attacks.”