Hulse: Blades can cut it in top flight

Striker Rob Hulse believes Sheffield United no longer need to fear anyone this season following their opening-day heroics. The 70th-minute penalty incident aside in Saturday's curtain-raising 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Bramall Lane, Hulse feels he and his team-mates answered their critics.

The Blades were among the pre-season favourites for an immediate return to the Coca-Cola Championship following promotion last term, but boss Neil Warnock’s side played with the necessary hunger and desire to succeed.

With confidence brimming, the Blades face a Tottenham team at White Hart Lane tonight who will still be smarting from their 2-0 defeat at Bolton on Saturday. Hulse, a £2.2m (€3.2m) buy from Leeds earlier this summer, feels he and his teammates have enough about them to continue defying the odds.

“When we looked at the penalty decision we were a bit bitter because we don’t think Chris (Morgan) touched (Steven) Gerrard,” said Hulse, who scored the opening goal on his debut.

“But in the cold light of day a point was a good result, especially against a team like Liverpool. Confidence-wise it should do us good and set us up for the rest of the season. We have shown on our day we’re capable of producing upsets.

“There is no doubt Liverpool are going to be there or thereabouts as they are a great side, so we have to be proud of what we achieved. Obviously, it was important to get off to a good start, but now we need to carry it on and take out of it not to be scared of anyone.

“We just need to try to play our football and that will hopefully stand us in good stead for the season." After a previously unhappy spell in the Premiership with West Brom, Hulse insists he is not on any personal crusade to prove himself.

“I try not to look at it like that,” insisted Hulse. "We’re a team, it’s not about me. It’s about Sheffield United staying up and being a Premiership side next year. I do feel it is my turn to have a go in the Premiership, but then all the lads in the dressing room feel the same way. We’ve worked hard to get here and we intend to stay here.”

With Warnock in the stands as he completes a two-game touchline ban, the onus will again fall on assistant Stuart McCall to run matters from the dugout. McCall concedes there were a few nervy moments against Liverpool as he said: “The major responsibility was making sure I heard Neil’s instructions when he spoke to me over the phone!

“But I’m an active person on the sidelines anyway. I didn’t think twice about it. I was as wrapped up in the game as anybody else. To be honest, I think we scored too early in the second half because I kept saying to Andy Leaning (goalkeeping coach) ‘how long is left?’

“But I enjoyed it, and the whole squad gave a really good account of themselves.”

McCall then warned: “But it was one good game. Now we have two tough away games coming up, starting with Spurs.

“Anybody with the likes of (Robbie) Keane, (Jermain) Defoe, (Aaron) Lennon and (Dimitar) Berbatov in the squad are going to score a lot of goals at home. They have a good squad, while Martin Jol is a terrific manager, and they will be top six this season.”

Warnock has a 20-man squad to choose from, with defender Craig Short still on the sidelines with a thigh injury.