Ex-Leeds United manager 'expected' to be sacked after hitting 'new low' at relegation rivals

Ex-Leeds United manager Paul Heckingbottom is 'expected' to be sacked from his position at Premier League side Sheffield United, according to a number of reports.

The Blades were hammered 5-0 by relegation rivals Burnley on Saturday, in a result that appears to have forced the hand of the South Yorkshire club's hierarchy. The Star reports a decision has been made on the manager's future, with the Blades on the end of yet another heavy defeat this campaign.

They had already lost 8-0 at home to Newcastle United as well as losing 5-0 away at current league leaders Arsenal. However, the loss at Turf Moor has been described as a new low, with Heckingbottom not expected to be in the dugout for Wednesday's visit of Liverpool. Heckingbottom guided the Blades back into the Premier League as they finished second in the Championship last term but they sit bottom of the top flight with just five points and one win from their opening 14 games.

Leeds fans are familiar with Heckingbottom after he had a short spell in charge at Elland Road between February 2018 and June 2018. He won just four of 16 games in charge, and was sacked at the end of the 2017-18 campaign. The Barnsley-born manager was replaced by Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road.

Asked about his Sheffield United future after the defeat to Burnley, a defiant Heckingbottom stated: "I can walk out of this stadium with my head held high. I know how hard I work at the club and that won't change. I'll make sure the staff do the same. We'll continue to give everything we've got with what we've got."

Heckingbottom also criticised the club's summer business, as Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye left the club close to the start of the Premier League campaign.

"I wanted to keep the group together but we couldn't," Heckingbottom said. "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."