Paul Heckingbottom has labelled the officers that oversaw his facet’s 2-1 defeat by the hands of Tottenham as ‘appalling’. The Blades conceded two late targets to throw away their possibilities of securing their first three factors of the Premier League season.

Speaking after the match, he stated: “"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 must be accomplished now. And this isn't me moaning, I stated it half-time and after we have been 1-0 up as effectively. The focus is on timewasting so the referees are dictating how we play. We arrange from the again, then Spurs push ahead after which that dictates how we play. But no, we're simply instructed to play lengthy. You cannot 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 fear is all the main target is on yellow playing cards for time losing and once I talked to the referees they have not acquired a clue what I'm speaking about. they're officiating the sport, they merely have no idea the sport.

"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?"