Sheffield United striker Iliman Ndiaye says ‘you can see the change’ between Slavisa Jokanovic and Paul Heckingbottom, after the Blades claimed a 1-0 win at Fulham in the Championship last night.
Ndiaye was on hand to score with a fine strike in the first half of last night’s game. His goal on three minutes handed Sheffield United an impressive 1-0 win away at the league leaders – his third goal of the season in 13 Championship outings in total.
The Blades are rapidly climbing up the Championship table. They’ve won their last four in the league and have a 100% record under Heckingbottom, whose side now sit in 11th – just three points outside the top-six.
The club has endured a turbulent season both on and off the pitch but speaking after last night’s win, Ndiaye gave an honest opinion on the changes that he’s seen at the club over the past few weeks – he said via The Bladesman:
🎙️ Ndiaye on Jokanovic
"You can see the change. No disrespect to the old manager but maybe it's just getting back to the old style of play. It's easier for us and we know it."#twitterblades #sufc
— The Bladesman (@The_Bladesman) December 20, 2021
Ndiaye made his first appearance under Heckingbottom last night. The Frenchman is proving to be a favourite among Blades fans and he showed exactly why last night – he’s got the pace and bravery in attack that perhaps some of their other options are lacking, and he took his goal really well.
Indeed, Sheffield United under Jokanovic lacked bravery, flair, aggression and what not but under Heckingbottom, the club seems to be playing with a lot more confidence, and it’s paying off in terms of results.
A top-six push?
After four wins on the bounce, Sheffield United find themselves in top-six contention. There remains a long way to go yet in this season but the signs are positive, and Heckingbottom could yet steer the club to an unlikely top-six spot come May.
It really would be a tale of two seasons if the Blades were to achieve that. But with players like Ndiaye coming good at the right time, it could well be possible.
Up next for them is a trip to Preston North End on Boxing Day.
