Peterborough United v Sheffield United: Players must understand what is at stake – Blackwell

Blackwell publicly questioned the mentality of some of his players after they sank to a sixth consecutive away defeat at Crystal Palace.

With 12 games to play, the Blades are four points adrift of the play-off zone and hopes of winning promotion this season are on a knife-edge.

"I want all the players to realise what is at stake," he said yesterday.

"Our home form will get us into the play-offs but our away form will keep us out of it.

"Sometimes you cannot beat around the bushes and they have to understand what is expected at Sheffield United," he added. "Over the last few years, we have always been fighting for something and I want that to happen again this season."

Peterborough manager Jim Gannon insisted that relegation was inevitable after a home defeat against Coventry City at the weekend left his club 13 points adrift of safety.

Blackwell, however, is paying little attention to the comments and believes there will be no sign of surrender from Peterborough's players at London Road.

"It was pure kidology," said Blackwell. "I know Jim and he is a shrewd cookie. He is saying his team are down simply to take pressure off his players.

"They may be 13 points from safety but I don't know of any manager who will write off a season with 12 games still to go."

Blackwell has major reservations about the state of the London Road pitch – the original fixture was postponed last month due to frost.

"There is more chance of a Premier League footballer behaving himself than there is of playing (decent) football on that pitch," he said. "Everyone knows that it is awful, including Peterborough, who are going to do something about it.

"They will be hoping to use it to their advantage but we know what it's like and it is up to us to deal with it. We have got to put up with it and adapt accordingly but there is no doubt that the surface makes this a real banana skin for us."

Blackwell is considering changes for the game for which striker Darius Henderson is still suspended.

"We are four points off the top six but the play-offs are still there for us," he insisted.

"However, it is vital we start showing our home form in away games. The reason our away form has tailed off this season is because we have got virtually brand new personnel all through the side. In the last two seasons, we have finished the campaigns strongly and we need to do that again."

Last six games: Peterborough WLLWLL, Blades DLWLWL

Last time: Peterborough 2 Blades 2; September 5, 1984; League Cup.

Referee: J Singh (Middlesex).