As a player who has known both sides of playing at Bramall Lane, Gary Speed is looking to Blades fans to help him get his first win as manager on Saturday.

After going close to a point in his opener as boss at Middlesbrough last Sunday, Speed can hardly hide his anticipation of sending his own team out at home against Preston North End:

"I can't wait and I'm really looking forward to it. The prospect is both intimidating and inspiring at the same time but I don't feel under more pressure just because we are home.

"There is pressure in every game at a big club like this and in my book it is good pressure - you have to take it in a positive way and that is how I like it."

Speed knows the value of taking charge as soon as possible in games, particularly when anxiety - on and off the pitch - may lurk just below the surface:

"It is important for us to start on the front foot because if we can do that the fans are more likely to get behind us early on, and we have talked about that this week.

"Supporters obviously want that first win, and it is even more important for the players who will gain great confidence from it.

"That is where I really want our fans to come into their own and to work with us to make Bramall Lane a great place to be as a Sheffield United player.

"I have played here as an opponent and as a Blades player and I can tell you that they can be very different experiences.

"A home crowd in full voice behind their team makes this a very difficult place for the opposition, and when the crowd is on a roll behind United it makes us a hard team to beat."