Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom ready to lift lid on behind-the-scenes chaos after club hit by transfer embargo
PAUL HECKINGBOTTOM is ready to lift the lid on behind-the-scenes chaos at Sheffield United.
Blades boss Heck insists success on the pitch this season is ‘papering over’ issues affecting the club.
The Bramall Lane side were hit with a transfer embargo in January for defaulting on payments — with recent accounts revealing they owed more than £18million in outstanding fees.
This comes against the backdrop of a stalled takeover by billionaire Nigerian businessman Dozy Mmobuosi causing further uncertainty.
Heckingbottom insists his players and staff deserve huge credit as they push for automatic promotion to the Premier League, in addition to their march to the last eight of the FA Cup.
They host Blackburn looking to become the first side from outside the Premier League to make the Wembley semis since Reading in 2015.
And Heckingbottom said: “Sometimes I’ve felt like coming out swinging and fighting and sharing a lot of things.
“We’re not going to allow those things to become an excuse. Everyone needs to back the players — they certainly would if they’d seen them shovelling snow the other day just to get training on.
“I could sit here and tell you everything we’re dealing with and put up a sob story but I don’t want to do that.
“Every window we’ve had to cut the playing budget — yet we’re still getting results.
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“We’re proving it’s not all about money.
“There’s been a hell of a lot gone off and a hell of a lot we’ve had to deal with, even in the last week but we don’t share those things for a reason.
“Some of the things we have to do are ridiculous but we deal with them and get on with it.
“If we’ve got no money, then we’ve got no money.”
After biting his lip for months, the former Leeds and Hibs boss is ready to give a warts and all account of the issues he has faced, but only when the dust has settled at the end of the current campaign.
Heckingbottom added: “At the end of the season, you can ask me all you want about it and I’ll tell you, no problem.
“But now the story should be how well we’re doing despite these unacceptable things going on.
“I don’t speak about it a lot but we know we’re in a tough situation off the field.
“And the stuff on the field has been papering over all of the issues we’ve got.
“Regardless of what’s been happening with the troubles we face and the things that have been taken away from us, the professionalism of the players and staff has been top.”
Heckingbottom wants to now reward fans for their support by booking a Wembley semi-final spot.
He added: “It’s not many times you get to play at Wembley.
“And it’s always a big occasion for the fans, so it would be a huge reward for their support this season.
“Speaking honestly, looking back at the third round, it was in my way at the time.
“But now it’s a very different story for us.
“There are more on the games, there is more enjoyment.
“However, there is also very much an edge to it but we obviously know the ultimate prize is still a long way off.”