Having guided United to four straight victories, their best return in the league since September 2005, Blackwell is now almost certain to be offered a new long-term contract when Bramall Lane's board of directors complete their review of the club's coaching infrastructure.

The former Leeds and Luton chief, who agreed a short-term deal when he succeeded Bryan Robson last month, has indicated that he does not expect to make any significant acquisitions before this evening's deadline for loan signings.

But Blackwell has also confirmed that he had identified "one or two possibilities" suggesting that reports have already been prepared on summer targets.

And, in a radical departure from the stance adopted by Robson, Blackwell is expected to focus his attention on the Championship's transfer market rather than concentrating almost exclusively on the Premier-ship.

Blackwell's reasoning is based on the belief that players already plying their trade outside of the top-flight are already acclimatised to the demands of competing in England's most unforgiving division.

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Far from being a slight on the likes of James Beattie and Gary Naysmith, who were prised away from Everton by Robson last summer, Blackwell and his assistant Sam Ellis will attempt to persuade the majority of United's big earners to stay but, as they prepare for Saturday's fixture at Preston, senior professionals have been left in little doubt that no-one's position is 100 per cent safe if the duo are given the opportunity to reshape the squad they inherited from Robson.

"I'm not really looking to do something at the moment, there are still five or six players I haven't seen play in the first team, so I haven't assessed everybody," Blackwell said.

"When I came I needed to build an understanding on the field so I had to field a more or less settled team, just making the odd change when I had to.

"The players have done such a good job that it has made my job easier"

Northern Ireland's Keith Gillespie, Scotland's Naysmith and David Cotterill of Wales are all understood to have emerged unscathed from last night's international friendlies. Gillespie played 90 minutes, Naysmith an hour. Cotterill came on as a sub for the last 15 minutes.

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