Tottenham 2-1 Sheff United: What Heckingbottom said

Sheffield United manager, Paul Heckingbottom, speaking to Sky Sports, said: "Spurs are a very good team, and we had to really defend well but also when we could, we played. We created chances ourselves and up until the very end we limited Spurs to efforts from outside the box.

"Sometimes you've got to accept you're going to give some things away. We defended our box very well and went in front, missed a couple of really good chances ourselves, so to lose a game in that way is really cruel. But it doesn't change our performance.

"Now I want to focus on the performance, we did that today.

"We had to concentrate all game, it was a fatigue thing, the pressure they put on us. They had to take a few more risks so their shape slightly changed. But it's two lapses and we've been beaten 2-1.

"It is what it is, but we've got to focus on the performance. We were close to getting three points, then one and then it slipped away. But like I said to the players, we've got to keep focusing on us and what we do.

"Something needs to be done now. And this is not me moaning, I said it half-time and when we were 1-0 up as well. The focus is on timewasting so the referees are dictating how we play. We set up from the back, then Spurs push forward and then that dictates how we play. But no, we're just told to play long. You can't do it.

"Wes (Foderingham) got a yellow card for handling outside the box and then got threatened with a sending off (for timewasting) you can't do it. The officiating is appalling, and it's not about the football decisions, it's just game management.

"My worry is all the focus is on yellow cards for time wasting and when I talked to the referees they haven't got a clue what I'm talking about. they're officiating the game, they simply do not know the game.

"We need to sort that and sort that quick. It's ruining the spectacle. And then to sum it all up we get Ollie McBurnie sent off for telling the referee someone is pulling his shirt. We've just seen someone lead with an elbow into our goalkeeper who needs stitches and that's the same offence. What's going on, seriously what's going on with our game?"