Blackpool boss Michael Appleton makes 'full throttle' pledge ahead of fixture with Championship high-fliers Sheffield United

The form of both sides could not be more contrasting, with the second-placed Blades heading into the game on the back of four successive wins and a run of seven victories in their previous eight league fixtures.

By contrast, it's been a winter struggle for lowly Pool, who are winless in seven matches although they did show spirit to eke out a point at Hull City on Boxing Day, despite going down to ten men early in the second period.

The Lancastrians also showed fight - and plenty of quality - in a 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture at Bramall Lane which saw four players sent off and a late missed penalty in a pulsating contest.

Appleton said: "We've gone toe to toe with them and Burnley, scored goals against them on their own patch, so there's no reason why we can't do it on our own patch.

"One thing's for sure, we won't be sitting there defending and letting them come onto us and expecting to hit them on the counter-attack - that's not going to happen.

"We're going to go full throttle like we did at Hull and see what happens."

On his side's winless streak - you have to go back to October 29 for their last three points - he continued: "It is (a concern) but you wouldn't have thought that having watched us play at Hull.

"The reality is, you can go on winless runs and the performances and the reactions of the players are the big thing.

"Luckily from my point of view we couldn't have run any harder, worked any harder, defended any better at times apart from the goal, certainly going down to 10 men.

"We've got an opportunity against Sheffield United and Sunderland in front of our own fans to have a right go at two teams who are in a good place at the minute."