Sheffield United’s Richard Stearman discloses what he expects from Sunderland tonight

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The Blades host the Black Cats at Bramall Lane in the League Cup this evening.

Ahead of League Cup third-round game against Sunderland, Sheffield United defender Richard Stearman has given his thoughts on the Black Cats and how they could play against the Blades at Bramall Lane (The Star).

The Stadium of Light outfit overcame Premier League side Burnley away from home in the second round as goals from Will Grigg, Tom Flanagan and George Dobson secured a 3-1 win at Turf Moor.

On the League One front, meanwhile, Sunderland have stumbled in their last few games, with two successive 1-1 draws, and sections of the away fans called for Jack Ross’ sacking after the trip to Bolton Wanderers, but Stearman doesn’t think there will be as much pressure on the Wearsiders in the cup clash.

“The pressure is going to be off them a bit,” the 32-year-old is quoted by The Star as saying. “They can come here and just give it a shot, knowing they’re not going to be the favourites. I know what it’s like to be part of a group that everyone is gunning for and it’s not easy, because there’s difficulties that come with it.

“They’re probably going to make some changes too, so the boys coming in there are going to be under a bit of pressure to show they should be out there more regularly. They’re powerhouses in that division. They’ll be wanting to impress. So there’s a pressure there too. It’s not completely off them, they’ll know that. But equally, they know most who look at the game are going to expect us to get through. Nothing is ever as easy as that, though. Not in football.”

Sheffield United have made a positive start to their Premier League campaign following promotion from the Championship last term, Chris Wilder’s charges sitting in the top half of the table following an impressive 2-0 win over Everton.

Sunderland’s head-to-head record against the Blades is decent, with 65 wins, 26 draws and 51 defeats for the Black Cats, while the last five fixtures have yielded three Sunderland wins and two Sheff Utd wins, according to 11v11.