Sheffield United manager's "tension" admission following loss to Luton Town

Four days after extending their lead over third-placed Middlesbrough to seven points with a win over Reading, United once again saw their advantage slashed to just four with Michael Carrick’s side taking advantage of another slip up by beating Swansea City in south Wales.

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Earlier this year, Heckingbottom’s men seemed almost certain to finish as runners-up behind leaders Burnley. But with United losing four of their last six league outings, he admitted: “Maybe it's the first sign of a bit of tension. I’ll never have a go at players for giving the ball away, providing they are trying to take risks and be on the front foot. Because if we do that and lose, then it’s down to me. But that intent, the intent we usually show, can be stifled in these moments.”

Carlton Morris scored the only goal of the game early in the second period. Although Oli McBurnie glanced a header wide at the death, United failed to impose themselves on the contest and appeared overly cautious against opponents who climbed to fourth in the table.

That reluctance to commit numbers forward was something Heckingbottom referenced during a brutally frank post-match interview, during which he defended his decision to start both James McAtee and Tommy Doyle on the bench.

“We have to look at ourselves because we weren’t at our best,” he said. “Listen, we don’t always have slow starts. It doesn’t always mean if you start well that you are going to win the game. It’s intent. I’d rather us force the issue and win the ball back higher up. We didn’t have enough bodies at the top end of the pitch and weren’t in a position to force the issue. That’s the takeaway.”

“If you are limiting a team to not having many shots then you’re doing something right,” Heckingbottom added. “But that can’t be at the expense of creating. In the next 10 games, we’ve got to be the ones forcing the issue.”