Clough remains upbeat despite Blades’ fading hopes of automatic promotion

Clough’s fifth-placed side head into Saturday’s clash at Scunthorpe United having failed to win in their past three matches, losing the last two.

In the process, the Blades have severely damaged any designs on automatic promotion and trail second-placed Preston by 13 points with both sides having 12 matches to go.

But Clough says that some perspective must be afforded and is adamant that his squad was not equipped for a top-two push at the start of the season.

Clough, whose squad had a morale-boosting trip to the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday, said: “We would have taken it (current position) at the start of season. People were throwing the favourites tag at us, but we never thought we were.

“We didn’t have a good enough squad in place. We maybe did by January, but the season was five months on.

“That is nobody’s fault, but we not get the players we wanted. We could have got Chris O’Grady in the summer, but the deal Brighton put on the table was very prohibitive for us to match.

“But apart from that, there was not too much more we could have done.

“So we knew we weren’t quite ready. We lost Harry (Maguire) as well and that was the biggest thing and we struggled a little bit at centre-half.”

He added: “It is looking likely that the top two is gone realistically, especially with the form they (top two) are in as much as anything.

“I cant see Bristol City slipping up now, so I think they are gone and Preston won all their games in February. I don’t see them slipping up, but we have still got to keep trying.

“We still can make some ground up, but they would have to have a serious slip-up and that is unlikely. Preston have put a good squad together over last few seasons.”

With the rare luxury of a break in their midweek schedule for the first time in seven weeks, the Blades have adopted to the maxim in the early part of the week that preparation is relaxation, with Clough keen to mentally freshen up his side for what is effectively a 12-match - and hopefully 15-match - season.

A pre-booked trip to the races has boosted morale, according to Clough, who will run checks on Mark Howard and Ryan Flynn ahead of the weekend trip to Iron, although the game is likely to come too soon for the pair.

Clough, who confirmed he is likely to activate Harrison McGahey’s 28-day loan recall clause after Tranmere Rovers’ weekend game, said: “It has been good this week. We went to Cheltenham for the day and it came at a good time and it had been booked a few weeks. It was good for morale.

“Everything that has been and gone now is irrelevant. We have 12 games to focus on now; hopefully 15. Our aim is to get promoted, that’s all that matters now.

“Team morale is vital for the final push. Everyone gets despondent when we lose, so it’s important to try and keep heads up.

“Remember, we had a six-game unbeaten run before we lost to Peterborough, but if you listen to some around, it’s all doom and gloom and we’re finished as a side.

“We are far from it and we are still in good shape.”