Chris Wilder has no doubt over Sheffield United's motivation, but insists his team are lacking quality in vital moments.
United's torrid form continued as they slumped to a home defeat to Everton last time out - Gylfi Sigurdsson striking late on to down the Premier League's bottom club.
Without a win from 15 games this term, a failure to take all three points against Burnley on Tuesday would see the Blades equal Queens Park Rangers' Premier League record of longest winless run from the start of a campaign.
Wilder, however, does not believe it is down to a lack of motivation.
"The story of our season is not showing the quality that we showed last year to get the results and the position that we did," he told BT Sport.
"I'll pack it in if I need to motivate the players. It's not a case of motivation. It's just the quality - I can't all of a sudden put that quality into them. I'd love to go and play for them. These are players that want to play in the Premier League and I'm not chucking them under the bus but they have to show the quality in the crucial times."
Burnley, meanwhile, saw a four-game unbeaten run come to an end as they lost to Leeds United on Sunday, though Sean Dyche was left furious after Ashley Barnes had a goal disallowed.
Ben Mee was adjudged to have fouled Illan Meslier, though replays suggested the Leeds goalkeeper seemed to have made more of an infringement.
"The 'keeper comes out, knees him in the back, drops the ball and somehow that's a foul on him," Dyche told Sky Sports.
"That can't be in the game. You can't run, jump and knee someone in the back. So I'm incredibly frustrated, and lots of other decisions have gone against us."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Burnley - Nick Pope
The Blades have struggled for goals all season and are coming up against a fine shot-stopper in the form of Pope, who has conceded just three goals in his last five appearances - although he did give away what proved to be the winning penalty against Leeds.
Sheffield United - Aaron Ramsdale
With goals in such short supply, United have to start keeping clean sheets, and they need Ramsdale to step up. The Blades are the only side without a clean sheet in the Premier League so far this season, having conceded in each of their last 18 league games in total.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- This is just the third Premier League meeting between Burnley and Sheffield United, with the Clarets winless in both meetings last season (D1 L1).
- Burnley have lost their last league game in just one of the last seven calendar years (W3 D3), though this defeat did come in their final game of 2019 (0-2 vs Manchester United).
- The Blades are winless in their last 13 Premier League away games (D3 L10), with their draw at Brighton and Hove Albion last time out ending a run of eight straight defeats on the road.
- Both Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes found the net in Burnley's home win against Wolves - the pair have each scored 20 Premier League goals at Turf Moor, more than any other player at the ground.
- When playing their final league game of a calendar year away from home, Sheffield United have not won since 1977 (3-2 vs Hull), losing each of their last 11 such games since then.
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