Morgan eyes success

Coach Chris Morgan has warned Sheffield Utd's impressive cup form will count for little if they don't win promotion to the Championship.

The Blades take on League One promotion rivals Preston in an FA Cup fourth-round replay at Bramall Lane on Tuesday night with a possible home tie against Manchester United, who must overcome Cambridge in their replay, awaiting the winners. Nigel Clough's side upset Aston Villa, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Charlton en route to the semi-finals last year before giving Hull a scare at Wembley, and followed that up this season by beating QPR in the third round at Loftus Road. Factor in the club's run in the Capital One Cup this season - they accounted for Southampton and were edged out by Tottenham 3-2 in a two-legged semi-final - and a possible encounter with Louis Van Gaal's United has all the ingredients for another cup night to savour at Bramall Lane. "It's great for the club to get the headlines and the plaudits, because a lot of people have paid us a lot of compliments about the way we played in the two games against Tottenham," Morgan told BBC Radio Sheffield. "But all the pats on the back and all the plaudits are no good if you go back to the league (games) and don't turn it on. "The cup games can be a distraction, but they can also be a reminder. "It was interesting when the Spurs staff came into the gaffer's office after the game and they touched on the atmosphere, the stadium, the way we played - everything about the club, they were saying, is like a Premier League team. "We've always said the infrastructure is there. Obviously at this moment in time we're in League One and the main aim is to get promoted. "That's where we want the club. That's where we want to be all the time, but it's not as easy as that. "This division is a tough, tough division to get out of. You ask anybody who's been here - Leeds, Forest, Wednesday, they've all found it difficult to get out." Diego De Girolamo's equaliser cancelled out Paul Gallagher's first-half opener as the initial tie ended 1-1 at Deepdale last month and Morgan is expecting another close encounter. The two sides drew 1-1 at Deepdale in the league in August, while the Blades won the return 2-1 in January. "They're always close games against Preston," Morgan added. "They have been over the past few seasons, and it will be close again. "Preston are in a similar situation to us. They're in the top six and thinking about promotion and will want to kick that promotion charge on with a good cup run." Simon Grayson's side have wavered in recent weeks, picking up just two points from three league games since the defeat at Bramall Lane on January 10. But Grayson, who has led Blackpool, Leeds and Huddersfield to promotion from League One, is confident his side can get their season back on track. "Why can't we go there and get into the next round of the FA Cup because we do believe in what we've got and if it's a fantastic performance and we win it then great," he said. "If it's a scrappy game and we win it with a deflected goal - that might be the defining part of the season that we've been looking for the last few months."