DEAN SAUNDERS insists he isn't worried by Sheffield United's poor form as they prepare to take on Sunderland on Sunday even though the Blades took just one point from a possible 12 in their run-in. The Welsh international is blaming much of his side's slump on a punishing schedule of four games in eight days, and also claims that the form book goes out of the window when a Premiership place is on offer. Saunders said: ''We've beaten all the teams above us this season so it will be just the toss of a coin on the day, who gets the luck and has the freshest, fittest team out. If you can have all your players fit for the play-offs you have a big advantage. ''The biggest disappointment about the way our season finished was that we had four games in eight days, which was wrong. I'd never been in that situation before. Around Christmastime you get a few games packed in but not crucial games like that. If Birmingham had the same amount of points they would have been ridiculously crucial matches and it was all because we'd done well in the FA Cup. They just crammed all the games in at the end. This will be the first sudden-death situation Saunders has faced in his 16-year career, but he believes the bitter pill his team-mates swallowed last year, when they were beaten by Crystal Palace in the final minute of the play-off final, will spur United on against a Sunderland side which last endured the play-offs in 1990. He said: It's the first season since I left Brighton that I've played in this division, and the play-offs haven't been there that long. But I think it's a good system it keeps players playing right until the end and fans won't be turning up to watch a charity match at the end of the season with two teams who can't do anything. Last season the guys were gutted because they lost the final with the last kick of the game at Wembley, but recently the sixth-placed team is the one that has got promotion and hopefully that will be lucky for us. Blades boss Steve Thompson will make a late decision on whether to include striker Graham Stuart after the former Everton man broke two bones in his hand.

WE WON'T CRACK CLARK   LEE CLARK is determined not to crack under the pressure of the play-offs after Sunderland's last-gasp failure to gain automatic promotion back to Division One. "We are all geared up to the Premiership and must make certain that we take our second chance and make that final step," said the former Newcastle midfielder, who saw the North East's other big club, Middlesbrough, pip his new side to second spot. "We were disappointed that after getting 90 points that this still wasn't enough to see us up. "It really hit us hard, and we suffered from a painful hangover for a couple of days, but after getting back to training we soon put that behind us as we prepared for this weekend's game. It was a little flat earlier in the week but the lads have worked ever so hard and are determined to give the fans promotion.'' Sunderland lost 2-0 at Bramall Lane on the opening day of the season but although Clark insists they are a far stronger side now, he is also urging caution before tomorrow's play-off showdown. He said: They will still be a tough nut to crack. They have a few very good players, but we're confident we can do well at Bramall Lane and then finish the job at our place the following Wednesday. We have got to go into the away leg with a little caution, but I don't believe we can change the way we play. I've heard the last time Sunderland were promoted they built their success on a solid defence; they were more likely to win games 1-0. But this team is more exciting going forward.'' Niall Quinn is close to fitness after a hamstring injury but manager Peter Reid may rest the Republic of Ireland international for the second leg at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday.

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