Evergreen Glen Little is backing the Blades to end the current six-game winless streak and feels Monday night's Sky encounter leaders Newcastle is the perfect opportunity.

Little also knows that eradicating mistakes is high on the agenda, but admits the speed of which the Blades have dropped down the table has still come as a shock:

"It has been a strange time and I have never known a spell like this, but hopefully our fortunes will change soon.

"It is surprising how things change so quickly, the performances haven't been too bad but the results have and with the amount of goals we have shipped we aren't going to win many games.

"We have worked hard this week on getting the basics right, because if we start keeping clean sheets again then we will win plenty of matches."

The former Burnley and Reading man says unity is a must over the coming months and feels it is about time lady luck started shining on Kevin Blackwell's side:

"We have got to be a solid unit and work on keeping tight; because we know we will score goals - in fact are the second top scorers in this division.

"It is frustrating because we seem to be on top in games and then all of a sudden a couple of goals fly in and we are on the back foot.

"There is only the Blackpool game where we didn't look like getting anything, but apart from that we have been unfortunate not to get a win or two, but we can't afford to make excuses."

With Chris Hughton and co heading to Bramall Lane on the back of two away defeats, Little says the Blades must pay respect to the Magpies, but fear nobody in what is proving to be the most unpredictable league in the country:

"We have seen Middlesbrough, Cardiff and West Brom already and there is nothing to really fear."

"Newcastle have had a strange time despite being up at the top and at the moment they will probably admit they aren't firing on all cylinders."

"They lost at Scunthorpe the match after we did and scored a last-minute against Doncaster at home which, unfortunately, just eluded us, so that goes to show that nobody can take anything for granted in the Championship."