KEVIN Blackwell believes Sheffield United have become marked men.
But Blackwell, whose side entertain promotion rivals Burnley on Saturday, is convinced they have the strength of character to cope with the demands that come with being a Championship heavyweight.
Warning that United's is now one of the most sought-after scalps in the division, Blackwell told The Star: "Everyone really wants to beat us because of who we are and that makes it doubly difficult.
"Teams invest so much into their games against us that we are really going to have to grind out results.
"That's something we're going to have to get used to from now on.
"Just look at how some of our opponents have got on after they've played us. More often than not, they've gone on to lose or drop points, and that's because they've given so much when we've turned up at their ground.
"And it's not just the case away from home, it's the same at Bramall Lane too.
"That's what comes with being a big club and that's why it takes a special type of player to handle the pressure.
"But we've got that type of player here, I've no doubts about that.
"The one thing I could never criticise my lads for is their doggedness.
"I really admire them for that."
Describing the moment he realised how United are perceived by their rivals, Blackwell said: "Before we went down to Charlton, I saw one of their programmes.
"Although they had a game against Barnsley, it was saying how there was a really big game against Sheffield United coming up.
"That shows how we are regarded. But we're not complaining. It's a tribute to to work that has gone on here over the last seven or eight years."
United slipped to fifth after drawing 1-1 with Ipswich at the weekend..
Despite expressing his disappointment with United's finishing, Blackwell said: "We've got to put things into perspective.
"Portman Road is a tough place to go. Ipswich's home record tells you that.
"Yes, I thought we could have made more of our chances but, as any manager will tell you, the time to worry is when you're not creating any.
"How many times this season have we come up against a goalkeeper who puts in a man-of-the-match display - Richard Wright was the same at Ipswich.
"He made one save (from Matthew Kilgallon) that was world class. (Wayne Hennessey) did it for Wolves recently and Kelvin Davis (Southampton) also.
United's home game against Birmingham has been put back 24 hours to Sunday March 1, kick-off 12.15pm, after being selected as a live television game. The trip to Coventry now takes place on Wednesday March 4, kick-off 7.45pm.
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