George Baldock has been a crucial part of the Sheffield United defence since his arrival to the club in 2017. With the Blades, the right back had won promotion into the Premier League, where they had a brilliant season and are now once again challenging for promotion back up into the top flight.
Things, however, did not look the brightest for the club this season and it took the appointment of Paul Heckingbottom to turn things around.
Baldock in a recent interview has discussed various aspects of the managerial change and the impact it had brought into the squad.
The atmosphere at the club
“I’d be lying if I said there was a happy atmosphere at the club at that time – there wasn’t,” said George Baldock.
“He wouldn’t allow anyone to get down and feel sorry for themselves. The season was done, in terms of relegation, and it was just about restoring some pride. We won a few games, which was pleasing, and we started to look a bit more like ourselves.
“It gave us a chance to prepare for returning to the Championship, but there was the element of the unknown as well because we didn’t know who was going to be the manager, what philosophy would be in place and things like that.”
George Baldock on the transition
“It was as seamless as any manager change I’ve experienced!” Baldock added. “He came straight in, everyone knew him. And everyone knew his face as he still was around the place under the last management.
“He picked up just where he left off and everyone loves him around the place. I see a lot of traits similar to Chris Wilder with the way he goes about things, but he’s also his own manager and that’s probably something he’d reiterate.
“I think the obvious change to mention is the formation. Everyone was comfortable in their positions – that’s not to say these players can’t play in different positions – as a lot of the players had been recruited for a specific system under Chris Wilder for such a long time.
“But it was more the training standards and intensity went right through the roof, which is what I – and a lot of the players – have been used to at this club. You just saw that on a matchday; everyone was a lot more intense. When you play at that intensity, you cause opposition teams a lot more trouble.”
