SHEFFIELD United are hoping to sign Sunderland striker Chris Brown on a month's loan next week as Mick McCarthy looks to keep his stand-in strikers sharp.

Blades boss Neil Warnock is an avowed admirer of the 20-year-old and tried to include him in the deal that saw Andy Gray move to the Stadium of Light last month.

McCarthy ruled out a temporary switch at that stage but, with Brown having failed to force his way into the Sunderland starting line-up this season, the Black Cats boss is set to relent.

The youngster remains a part of his plans but, with Gray, Jon Stead, Stephen Elliott and Anthony Le Tallec currently fighting for a first-team place, is to be loaned to Bramall Lane in an attempt to keep him on the boil.

"The manager has told me that, if I'm not playing, he'll let me go out for a month to get a few games," revealed Brown, who was part of the reserves side that earned a 2-1 win at Manchester United on Thursday night.

"You can't beat playing in somebody's first team. I found that towards the back end of last year when I forced my way into the team here at Sunderland.

"The intensity of the matches was totally different. You need to be involved in first-team football because playing every week gives you a great deal of confidence.

"I'm looking to get out on loan. Hopefully, something will happen at the start of next week because I need to get some games under my belt."

Brown is no stranger to the loan system, as his most prolific spell in the senior ranks came at Doncaster in the second half of the 2003-04 season.

The imposing frontman spent seven months at Belle Vue, scoring ten goals in 22 appearances and alerting McCarthy to his obvious potential.

But, while those goals came in League Two, Brown is hoping to underline his ability by finding the back of the net in the Championship this month

"Scoring goals in the Championship would make the manager sit up and take note because it's a good league," he said.

"We played in that league last year so, if I go away and do well, everyone will know what I've been up against.

"It's a good standard to play at and, if I can get five or six games in a month, it'll be just what I need.

"It would be good to get some more experience and enjoy myself by playing in games.

"If I could score a few goals, I'd come back raring to go and looking to take things forward from there."

Sunderland could do with a few goals of their own at the moment, given their position at the foot of the Premiership.

The Black Cats are still to pick up a point this season, leading to the inevitable forecasts of a swift return to the second tier.

Brown's involvement this term has been negligible - he made a 24-minute substitute appearance in the 1-0 defeat at Liverpool - but the effect of four straight defeats has been just as traumatic.

"It's every bit as difficult for the lads that aren't in the team because everybody's in this together," he explained.

"The fact that you're not playing at the moment doesn't mean you're not a part of the team.

"Maybe you don't feel it quite as much when the lads get beat, but you certainly still feel it. You're still upset and you still want to win the next game."

For Sunderland, that next game comes at Chelsea next weekend. Few neutrals give McCarthy's men any chance of springing a surprise but the mood within the Wearside camp remains defiantly upbeat.

"The negative comments can act as an inspiration, but we always knew we were going to get them," said Brown.

"Whoever comes up always gets things like that thrown at them. You've got to accept it as part and parcel of promotion.

"What happens in August doesn't decide what's going to happen in May.

"You never know what could happen with one good performance."