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Blackwell returns as Blades boss

Kevin Blackwell is dreaming of leading Sheffield United back into the Premier League, after spending a night sleeping on the camp bed of chairman Terry Robinson.

Blackwell has returned to the Blades as successor to Bryan Robson following a whirlwind 24 hours that saw him drive from Luton to Sheffield to negotiate his new job.

Blackwell had nowhere to sleep on Thursday night so took-up an invitation to stay at Robinson's house and spend the night on the chairman's portable bed.

Now Blackwell is determined to go flat out for success by beating Middlesbrough in today's FA Cup fifth round tie at Bramall Lane before setting his sights on winning promotion.

Blackwell also revealed the first person to call him and wish him well was former Blades manager Neil Warnock, whom he worked alongside during four successful years at the Yorkshire club.

Blackwell insists the Blades can still win promotion and is relishing a job he reckons he was destined to get.

The former Leeds manager, sacked last month as Luton boss as a cost-cutting measure by the club, said: "It feels terrific to be back. Hopefully I've come back here as a better coach and manager."

"I always felt I would come back here. People told me that and I thought the same," Blackwell said.

"I feel for Robbo and Brian Kidd [the former United assistant manager]. The game is so harsh these days and I know exactly how he must be feeling," he said.

"Neil Warnock called me when I was driving up here to offer his support. That was good of him and I appreciated it. He even offered me the use of his house in Sheffield -- provided I rented it off him of course," Blackwell said.

"It's all happened so quick that I had to sleep at Terry's house on his camp bed. I don't even know where I'll be sleeping tonight!," Blackwell said.

The Blades, relegated from the Premier League last year, have won just one league match out of their last seven.

They are now seven points off the relegation zone but an upbeat Blackwell said: "There is a great squad of players here who have maybe been lacking some belief."

"If things go our way and we win all our games then there is no reason why we can't get back into the Premiership where this club belongs," he said.

Brazilian striker Afonso Alves is set to make his first Middlesbrough start as the Teesside club look to make it into the last eight of the FA Cup for the third straight season.

Boro's £12.7 million (US$25 million) record signing from Heerenveen has sharpened his fitness with a full week's training following his cameo against Fulham and is likely to partner Jeremie Aliadiere.

Despite a seven-game unbeaten run stretching back to New Year's Day, and only one defeat in their last nine away trips to lift them away from the Premier League drop zone, Middlesbrough expect a tough time against the Championship strugglers.

"Everything goes out of the window in the Cup," said Robert Huth, the Boro defender. "Teams from lower divisions can beat Premier League teams, so on the day you've just got to get your head down and get on with it."

Boro received a boost on Friday when England winger Stewart Downing signed a new five-year deal that will keep him at the Riverside until 2014.
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