Boss Richie Barker insists Crawley will still be underdogs at Bramall Lane tonight.

Reds won 2-0 at Sheffield United last season and will be looking for a repeat against a Blades side who are rooted to the bottom of League One.

United have lost their last six league games while a five-match unbeaten run has seen Crawley climb to eighth in the table.

Barker said: “Probably for the first time Crawley Town are going to go to somewhere like that as favourites to win the game.

“That is purely based on league position and nothing else and I would have to say I don’t particularly think we are favourites. It would be hard for me to argue against it when we are eighth and they are bottom but they are certainly not a bottom of the table team.

“They are far better than their league position suggests. We have had them watched a few times and they pushed Wolves right to the end last Saturday and we all know how good a team Wolves are.

“We have got to go there being confident but not complacent. We should take confidence from a five-game unbeaten run but you should never turn up and look at the league table and assume you are going to win and certainly not at Bramall Lane.”

Barker believes it is only a matter of time before United start to get it right under manager David Weir – and has warned Crawley not to be the catalyst for a turnaround in their fortunes.

Despite taking just four points from their first nine games he says it is too early to rule the Blades out of a promotion challenge.

Barker added: “The law of averages says a team that are that good are going to win in the end and one good result can kick-start your season.

“You only have to look at Millwall. Three weeks ago it was all doom and gloom and then they won three in a row. It was the same at Carlisle but they are only three points behind us now. “I genuinely don’t believe they (United) will be anywhere near where they are now come the end of the season.

“We are only nine games in so there 37 games left and there have been many a team who has been in those situations and gone on (to be promoted). “When I was at Hartlepool we were 17th in October and came second after a 27 game unbeaten run so it is not impossible.”