Sheffield United to sack Paul Heckingbottom after 5-0 humiliation at Burnley as head coach pays ultimate price for the Blades' disastrous start to first season back in the Premier League

After a harrowing 5-0 defeat at the hands of Burnley on Saturday, Sheffield United have decided to part ways with their manager Paul Heckingbottom, according to The Athletic.

With just one win in 14 matches, United find themselves in the 20th position on the table. They have also scored the least number of goals (11) in the top flight this season and conceded the most (39).

The Blades' journey in the Premier League has been rocky since their promotion to the top flight. They suffered an 8-0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United in September. They also conceded five goals against league leaders Arsenal back in October.

Sheffield United's only victory in the current campaign came against Wolves when they ran out 2-1 winners in November. Heckingbottom's side also drew 2-2 against Everton in September.

With Heckingbottom's sacking, United will be the first top-tier club in the ongoing season to part ways with their manager. Last season it was Bournemouth who terminated Scott Parker's contract in August after just four games into the season.

A demoralised Sheffield have two very difficult fixtures to deal with this week. They first face an in-form Liverpool on Wednesday before taking on Brentford on Saturday. Former manager Chris Wilder is expected to return and replace Heckinbottom at the helm, according to the Guardian.