Gary Speed has come out in support of the Blades players who are coping with mass changes in personnel - and says that Kevin Blackwell will not let the pressure affect him:

"I do think most fans do recognise how hard achieving team cohesion is when faced with as many injuries as we have, and I have never known anything like it, either as a player or a coach.

"So many have had to come in without having had time to learn the team shape and set-pieces when ideally you would bed just one player at a time into a settled unit.

"It is just one of those things but it is remarkable how upbeat the squad has been because footballers often look for excuses when things go wrong.

"The lads haven't done that, they have rolled their sleeves up and their effort can't be faulted, even though it has been harder for them if the fans have a go at them.

"We try and instil into them to be brave, not just physically but also to get on the ball and pass it even when their confidence might be low."

And in Kevin Blackwell the former Welsh International has no doubt that United have a man in charge who can cope with the supporter's frustrations when it is aimed at him:

"He has dealt with awkward situations at both Leeds and Luton so he is better equipped than most to handle it all.

"Sam Ellis and I support him by offering differing opinions and insights that he might not have considered but he is the manager who makes the final decisions. We are fully behind him and it is a great learning experience for me to see how those two experienced men handle it all."