Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom said “he couldn’t be any prouder” of his players after they secured their 28th win of the season by beating Birmingham 2-1.
Oli McBurnie fired the Premier League-bound Blades ahead in the 53rd minute when he headed home his 13th goal of the season before James McAtee tapped the ball into an empty net a few minutes later to double the lead.
Dion Sanderson pulled one back for Blues late on but in the end it was a deserved victory for Heckingbottom’s men who will follow champions Burnley back up to the big time.
Heckingbottom said: “I’m delighted the game was good and I’m pleased we won. It’s important to talk about how well everyone’s done all season, 28 wins, 91 points.
“I spoke to them (the players) before the game and usually we’ll talk about the opposition, but I just wanted to thank them for this season, thank them for the last 18 months.
“For the majority of us our journey started last November, and it’s taken us this long to achieve what we wanted.
“There’s been some moments from a footballing point of view when I’m on the sidelines I couldn’t be prouder, they’ll know what I mean. We’ve played well but also with a presence that has sacred teams to death and that’s been really pleasing.”
Blues boss John Eustace said: “I think it’s been an excellent season. It’s been very good. We were made favourites for relegation at the start of the season so to get 53 points, the highest number of points in six years, is good.
“There’s lots to build on of course there is but there’s been some fantastic memories throughout the season.
“I also said throughout the season there were going to be some really difficult moments which there were, but the way we stuck together and got through it was exceptional.
“To get the most minutes for Under-18 players in Europe is an exceptional achievement in the toughest league in Europe.
“To get the most minutes for Under-20s in the Championship is an exceptional achievement. To do that and stay in the league and be competitive in every game we play, I think we’ve done well.”
Before the game, Birmingham released a statement confirming details of a takeover which will see Tom Wagner’s group assume ownership.
The statement read: “After the transfer of shares Shelby Companies Limited will own 45.64% of Birmingham City PLC and all of the St. Andrews Stadium.
“Shelby Companies Limited is a subsidiary of Knighthead Annuity & Life Assurance Company, and managed by American financier, Tom Wagner. Both SPA’s are subject to approval from both the English Football League (EFL) and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
“Birmingham City will remain under the control of the current Board until the relevant Owners and Directors Tests (OADT) have been approved by the EFL and after the completion of the contracts.”
‘It was Gordon Banks-esque’ – Gareth Ainsworth hails John Ruddy save in QPR draw
QPR manager Gareth Ainsworth likened John Ruddy’s late save to England great Gordon Banks as goalkeepers took centre stage in the 0-0 draw against Birmingham.
Asmir Begovic, the former Chelsea, Bournemouth and Stoke goalkeeper, and ex-Wolves shotstopper Ruddy – both 36 – produced a string of saves as Birmingham missed the chance to climb into the Sky Bet Championship’s top six overnight.
But Birmingam keeper Ruddy’s late stop to deny Lyndon Dykes’ downward header from Albert Adomah’s cross was the pick, after Begovic denied Scott Hogan in a one against one.
“I thought there were some fantastic blocks from us, two magnificent saves from Asmir – the one where he came out and smothered (from Hogan) was world class, and it was,” said Ainsworth.
“But then John Ruddy at the other end – it was Gordon Banks-esque; he put the ball up in the air and away from people.
“When Lyndon headed it, you’re hoping it’s going into the side of the net. It was further out than I thought and a great cross and great header.
“I’ve said Lyndon is going to get double figures this season and it’s going to be his biggest haul.
“But when you come up against someone as good as Ruddy it’s tough to get past him – as Birmingham saw with Begovic.”
Only a desperate, acrobatic goalline clearance from QPR midfielder Sam Field prevented Blues taking a 21st-minute lead, after Lee Buchanan’s fierce cross flicked off centre-back Steve Cook and looped over Begovic.
Ruddy denied Paul Smyth and Field before his late heroics to prevent Dykes’ heading home, while Begovic matched him by foiling Cody Drameh, Krystian Bielik and Jay Stansfield.
Birmingham head coach John Eustace agreed the two goalkeepers were on top in a game of chances at both ends.
“I think that’s why John won Player of the Year last season. John’s a very good experienced goalkeeper,” he said.
“He’ll be disappointed with a couple of goals he’s conceded this season but tonight he showed his class and that’s what top goalkeepers are all about.
“So to not concede is also very good and very encouraging because we’ve had two very tough away games and to keep our levels of concentration in difficult moments was very pleasing.”
Birmingham’s Hogan missed the game’s other standout chance when Begovic denied him.
“You’d have to ask Scott (about his confidence) but what is pleasing is his workrate and his effort is still there,” said Eustace.
“He’s still working his socks off and we have to create more chances for him as well – he can’t just be having one or two.
“We have to create more opportunities for our front players. But Scott will score goals as long as he keeps going and keeps believing.”
Erik ten Hag seeking solution to Manchester United’s defensive dilemma
Erik ten Hag admits he is at a loss to explain Manchester United’s poor defensive performances.
The Red Devils have conceded 14 goals in their last five games and 10 in the last three, with three goals against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday not enough even to earn them a point.
United boss Ten Hag said: “We have shown that we can do it because last year we had the most clean sheets in the Premier League because of the team, because we defended very good as a team, so we have to get back to that standard.
“Of course I am pushing the team and demanding from the team, and from the start of the season, but they are human beings, not robots, so, why they are not doing it, I try to find out and I try to give the solutions and try to motivate the players to do the job.
“When you are in a period like we are in always as a manager you are asking yourself these questions. My job is to get them to do the job.”
On United’s tendency to concede goals soon after a restart, Ten Hag added: “(We’re) not concerned but we are aware of it. Of course you can’t close your eyes for things like this so we coach the players, we coach the team in that fact.”
Question marks have been raised about the attitude of United’s squad, with clips from the Bayern game apparently showing players not chasing back as hard as they might.
Ten Hag does not believe a lack of willingness was to blame, though, saying: “It’s always a concern when we didn’t run but I think against Bayern it was not the case.
“In certain situations yes so it’s also to recognise in which situation is it about they didn’t recognise it and didn’t make the right decisions or is it about willingness?
“Against Spurs, we didn’t run too much. But I think against Bayern we did our best from physical outputs but we didn’t always run in the right moment.
“If we bounced back like we did in Munich, you can’t say the spirit isn’t right. I think we have other problems than that.”
Ange Postecoglou points out the differences between himself and Mikel Arteta
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou is full of admiration for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, but fails to see many similarities between the pair.
Postecoglou’s youthful Spurs side face the biggest test of his early reign on Sunday when they make the short trip to the Emirates for the first north London derby of the season.
Second-placed Tottenham travel across the capital in high spirits but face an Arsenal team that are into a fifth season under Arteta, who also took over a club in the doldrums and has overseen a cultural change from top to bottom.
While Postecoglou is at the start of the same type of rebuilding job at Spurs, he poked fun at suggestions he is alike his 41-year-old opposite number.
He said: “I think Mikel has been outstanding, really strong right from the start by having a real vision for the football club and the club’s backed him, but I don’t think that’s unique.
“I think Liverpool did the same with Jurgen (Klopp). Most clubs that end up having a successful period do it on the back of having a really clear idea of what they’re trying to create.
“The only problem is that a lot of clubs jump at shadows at the first sign of things not progressing at the rate they were hoping to. Credit to Arsenal and credit to Mikel that they backed each other and they’re reaping the rewards of it but that’s not a blueprint for us to follow.
“We’ve got our own blueprint. You don’t have to follow anyone else’s timescale, you don’t have to follow anyone else’s processes. What you’ve got to do is have a clear idea about what you want and provided along the way you see progress, stick to it.
“In terms of similarities, I’m 58, he’s whatever (41). I’ve had 26 years, he’s five years into it. He’s managed in one country, I’ve managed in a few. I’m not sure how he’s got a great head of hair!
“He’s a lot fitter than I am. I don’t know, there’s not a lot of threads I can sort of join between us. I wouldn’t say we’re opposites.
“We’re different. Even in the way his team plays. Yes he does have a very attacking philosophy but it’s different from mine and that’s the beauty of the game. That’s what you love about it.
“It’s why you can’t copy. If you’re an artist and you see a Picasso, yeah you can copy it, but it’s not going to be a Picasso is it? It’s the same with football.
“You can see that somebody does something really well, but don’t bring your own personality into it. I have great admiration for the way he’s gone about things and how he’s stuck to his beliefs. It’s a credit to him.”
Postecoglou did not claim to have any type of personal relationship with Arteta, but he did reveal a time when he got to view the Spaniard up close.
The former Celtic boss watched Manchester City training not long after he was appointed manager at Yokohama, who are part-owned by the City Football Group.
“I spent a week at City when I first got the Yokohama job because they were part of the group and were generous enough to invite me in,” he revealed.
“I didn’t speak to anyone but I observed training and you could see then how passionate Mikel was about the game and that he was itching to get going and become a manager himself.
“He’s had a different journey but he’s made the impact.
“As I keep saying, there’s no real defined way to get here.”
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