The first Premier League sacking of the season is imminent, with Sheffield United expected to announce the departure of Paul Heckingbottom in the next 24 hours.
The Blades have won just once in 14 matches this season, and this weekend slumped to an 11th loss in a 5-0 thrashing from fellow relegation candidates Burnley.
That saw Burnley leapfrog the 10-man Blades, who now sit bottom of the ladder and four points from safety.
Ex-England captain Alan Shearer said United’s performance was “a disgrace”.
“From the first minute, they lost three tackles in three or four seconds. It summed them up,” he said on BBC Sport.
It has been a torrid return to the top flight, with Sheffield United losing nine of their first ten matches with a goal difference of -22, the worst start from any side in Premier League history.
That included bruising defeats such as an 8-0 thumping from Newcastle at home, and a 5-0 loss away to Arsenal.
Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
Thrilling finishes shake up EPL ladder! | 02:55
MORE COVERAGE
Man Utd crisis: Coach ‘loses dressing room’ amid $570k per-week gun’s ‘criminal’ flop
But Heckingbottom has been dealt a rough hand at Sheffield United since taking over at Bramall Lane in November 2021, with the club battling financial issues and being placed under a transfer embargo in January 2023.
The team has been mired in financial uncertainty since Saudi Arabian owner Prince Abdullah announced his intention to sell the club prior last season – even before they over-achieved by winning promotion with a second-place finish in the Championship.
A deal has still not been concluded, but the financial struggles saw the club sell its two best players – Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge – in the off-season.
Heckingbottom was given hardly any funds to reinvest in new players.
“I wanted to keep the group together but we couldn’t,” Heckingbottom said after the Burnley game. “We couldn’t because of the last few years and the financial implications. If we’d tied them down [on longer contracts] then we probably wouldn’t have sold those players.
“There wasn’t a desire from the ownership to sell but a necessity from a business point of view. We’ve been making financial decisions rather than football decisions. Of course that affects me. I didn’t want it to happen.”
He recently compared his club’s transfer capacity to relegation rivals Bournemouth and Burnley, the two teams to have beaten the Blades in consecutive fixtures.
“In terms of other clubs, good luck to them,” Heckingbottom said. “Bournemouth last week: you go through the last four windows and we’ve been cutting the wage bill, transfer embargoes, selling the best assets and they’ve spent £200m.”
The Blades had a net transfer spend of £29m while Burnley spent over £90m after their promotion as Championship winners.
MORE NEWS
UK View: How bold Ange call proved why Premier League is ‘lucky’ to have him
Roo Radar: ‘Sensational’ Aussie emerges as ‘best in the league’; Socceroo’s strike stuns
‘Angry’ Ange sparks ‘unbelievable’ Spurs statement as gamble pays off against City
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, ex-Chelsea striker Chris Sutton said Heckingbottom’s sacking seemed ‘inevitable’ after the poor defeats to Bournemouth and Burnley.
“What chance did he have? Are we all surprised that Sheffield United are bottom of the Premier League? This is where we all thought they would be,” said Sutton.
“He overachieved in the Championship, there was a transfer embargo. He would’ve been better getting a play-off spot, then he would still be in a job.
“But you can’t lose to a direct rival in the manner they did and expect to keep a job. Newcastle smashed them 8-0 early in the season, but if you’re losing heavily to Bournemouth and get absolutely battered by Burnley with the ill-discipline of certain players, then it’s inevitable.
“I have massive sympathy for Paul. When they get relegated, and they will get relegated, they could do with Paul Heckingbottom to get them back up.”
Thrilling finishes shake up EPL ladder! | 02:55
Former Blades manager Chris Wilder is in talks to return, roughly 1000 days after he was sacked by the club. Wilder led the Blades from League One all the way into the Premier League in 2019.
He secured a ninth-place finish in the top flight in 2020 with an innovative overlapping centre-back strategy.
But the next season United slumped miserably and Wilder was sacked with ten games remaining in the 2020-21 season, the club sitting dead last.
Now he’ll arrive with the club in a similarly dismal position, with no team conceding more than Sheffield United’s 39 goals this season.
Wilder is currently out of a job after a couple of ill-fated stints in Middlesbrough and most recently Watford, where he left in May after a short-term contract expired.
Heckingbottom will be the first manager to lose his job this Premier League season. This time last year, five managers had already been sacked – Scott Parker (Bournemouth), Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea), Bruno Lage (Wolves), Steven Gerrard (Aston Villa) and Ralph Hasenhüttl (Southampton).
Sheffield United host Liverpool on Thursday (6.30am AEDT).
