Chris Dunlavy
Paul Heckingbottom wasn’t let down by his players. He was let down by Sheffield United’s owner, the spendthrift Prince Abdullah.
Instead of bolstering an already threadbare squad following last season’s promotion, the Saudi spent the summer cashing in on United’s prize assets.
Top scorer Iliman Ndiaye (Marseille, £20m) and Norwegian international Sander Berge (Burnley, £12m) both departed on the eve of the season, robbing the Blades of arguably the only two players in the squad capable of making an impression at the highest level.
The net result was a team significantly weaker ...