Sheffield United are reportedly prepared to keep faith in manager Paul Heckingbottom despite their 8-0 loss to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Blades were three goals behind at half time due to strikes from Sean Longstaff, Dan Burn and Sven Botman - at which point it appeared that the hosts had little chance of recovering anything from the contest.
Attempts of damage limitation from the Bramall Lane club did not pay dividends after the interval, with Callum Wilson, Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak all getting in on the goalscoring action to hand Heckingbottom's men the defeat.
The 8-0 scoreline represents the Blades' heaviest loss at home in their entire history, and is also only the second time in Premier League history that eight-separate players have registered a goal for one team in a single match.
According to The Sheffield Star, Sheffield United's stance on manager Heckingbottom remains unchanged from earlier in the season despite a very challenging Sunday afternoon in Yorkshire.
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The piece claims that the Blades' hierarchy are not actively looking to replace the 46-year-old, although other sources have stated that the club are in contact with potential replacements.
It was reported earlier this month that the Premier League newcomers had been in discussions with former boss Chris Wilder over potentially returning to Bramall Lane for a second stint at the helm.
The report adds that Heckingbottom's position in the managerial hotseat was under 'serious jeopardy' even before Sunday's loss to Eddie Howe's Magpies.
It is understood that the Blades' owner Prince Abdullah has repaired his once-difficult relationship with Wilder and could be willing to give him another chance at managing the club in the Premier League.
The 56-year-old took charge of Sheffield United in 2016, guiding them to promotion from League One and the Championship before finishing ninth in the top flight during the 2019-20 campaign.
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Wilder has since managed Championship outfits Middlesbrough and Watford since departing Bramall Lane in March 2021, however he was unable to make the desired impact at either the Riverside Stadium or Vicarage Road.
Any move to dismiss Heckingbottom would be against the words of United's CEO Stephen Bettis, who gave his full support to the club's current manager in an extensive interview given to local journalists early in the term.
With a change in coaching supposedly not imminent, Heckingbottom is set to have a full week to regalvanise his players ahead of a trip to West Ham United on Saturday in the Premier League.
The Blades are sitting bottom of the top-flight standings after collecting one point from their opening six matches, with that draw coming against Sean Dyche's Everton before the international break.
Carter White
