New Leeds United head coach Paul Heckingbottom felt his new side played with more freedom in the second half after an apprehensive first half.
Heckingbottom watched on as his new side lost 2-1 at Sheffield United in his first game in charge after making the worst possible start.
Billy Sharp came back to haunt his former club as he fired the home side ahead after just two minutes and he was to clinch the win in the final quarter of the game as he dispatched his penalty.
Leeds recovered well in the second half, as Pierre-Michel Lasogga replied early in the second half and even after going behind for a second time, Pablo Hernandez and Laurens De Bock came close to earning Leeds.a point.
It was to be no fairytale start though for the new head coachin his first game in charge since taking over from Thomas Christiansen earlier this week and he could sense apprehension amongst his team as they continued their winless start to 2018.
‘Getting beaten is not nice and I know when I look back at the first goal that there will be things I don’t want to see,” Heckinbottom told the BBC Website.
‘Sheffield United are, in my opinion, the best in the league at building momentum. They were keeping possession, playing forward and putting us under pressure.
‘We had to change that and play forward more. We played on the front foot in the second half and we had more energy.
‘There was a bit of apprehension – I could sense it – and I thought that lifted in the second half.’
Despite the defeat, Leeds remain in the top half of the Championship but they are now eight points off a play-off place, as they made it eight games without a win since beating Burton Albion on Boxing Day.
Heckingbottom will now prepare his side for the Elland Road clash against Bristol City next saturday.
Leeds will be hoping to get back to winning ways and complete a double over the robins having won 3-0 at Ashton Gate earlier in the season.
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