Adkins hoping hard work will see margins switch in Blades’ favour

The Blades, rated as promotion favourites before a ball was kicked in August, currently reside in a disappointing 11th place, 11 points behind leaders Coventry.

Adkins’s side welcome Shrewsbury Town this evening, seeking to end a four-match winless streak in League One with the hosts having also recorded just one victory in their last six league outings.

It has been a slow-burner of a campaign thus far for the Blades, but Adkins, conscious of how former club Southampton were promoted as League One runners-up in 2010-11 after being in a similar position to his current club, is remaining steadfastly focused.

He said: “Listen, we’re not going to hide away from where we are in the division.

“But I’ve got a vision of where I want us to be and I need to keep everybody on track with that.

“There’s a consistency to keep building and working hard. Sometimes you just need those fine margins to go your way instead of against you.

“We work very hard at what we do and the harder we keep working the more those margins are likely to go our way.”

Adkins, promoted three times from this level with Scunthorpe (twice) and Southampton, remains acutely aware of the expectation levels among Unitedites, desperate that a fifth season of third-tier football proves the final one for some considerable time.

Given the Blades’ recent dip in league form, every setback is likely to increase anxiety among supporters, but Adkins is preaching the virtue of patience.

He is also calling on his players to be mentally strong if they sense restlessness among sections of the home crowd.

He added: “We work hard in training, but it’s in the arena where we are measured. We are expected to win every game.

“We want to get the ball forward quickly, but sometimes, like it or not, you can’t just go straight through teams so you have to move the ball from side to side to create that space by coaxing them out.”

On the importance of mental resolve, Adkins added: “Goalkeepers, full-backs and wingers (particularly) need thick skins because they are very close to the crowd. If people keep chipping away then yes, there’s a chance it can play on your mind.

“But you have to get on with it and deal with it.”