Sheffield United boss issues 'entitlement' warning ahead of Hull City test

It would crystallize the view that the main - perhaps only - thing that can realistically stop the Blades finishing in the automatic promotion positions is, well, the Blades.

If there is one thing Paul Heckingbottom loathes, it is complacency. Or 'entitlement' as he calls it.

His words are timely ahead of the visit of a Hull side undefeated in their past six league games and unbeaten away under Liam Rosenior.

Heckingbottom commented: "For me that sense of entitlement is dangerous; that sense of 'it's ours.'

"We’ve worked hard to get in this position and will have to continue to work hard to get there (promotion).

"There's been a lot of good stuff, sacrifices and hard work to get here.

"The moment we stop thinking that way, someone will run over us."

The glorious unpredictability of the Championship is such that City, a side who were in the bottom three picture for much of the autumn, now find themselves just seven points behind sixth place.

As it stands, a host of sides have a fighting chance of finishing in the play-off positions, including Hull if they can string some wins together.

When United are not facing sides with designs of extending their season, they will probably be tackling those whose concerns are all to do with staying in the division.

Heckingbottom, whose side have won six of their last seven league games in an unbeaten run, added: "You tell me a season when there hasn't been ups and downs or losses of form. If we maintain what we are doing now, it's fine; 'happy days' as no-one is doing better than us. But don't become complacent and (show) the 'ours to lose' mentality.

"It makes every game dangerous. And then you get the back end of the season and you have the ones at the bottom scrapping and fighting.

"We've seen it. We had such a tough game last season against Barnsley and got turned over by Reading who were bottom.

"We are playing a team who know how to set up and pick up points. You can see the team evolving and they are performing well at the minute. They are developing a way of playing which is suiting them."

This week, Heckingbottom met with a well-known sporting figure working in Hull in Hull FC head coach Tony Smith, with the pair becoming acquainted through Smith's former work with the League Managers Association and close friends.

The pair regularly speak on the phone and tap into each other for ideas when their commitments allow time for them to meet.

Heckingbottom commented: "It's good for both of us. It's hard when you are both working to catch up and it tends to be over the phone.

"Tony came through with a member of staff to watch us work and to catch up.

"Where it benefits me is that we can bounce ideas about and (it’s) what he sees.

"He's got much more experience than me and it's about sharing experience and we'd love to be doing it the other way as well.

"It's a change from the normal routine and the stresses of the job and seeing someone else 'under the mill'.”