Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock said his young side are feeling no pressure going into the last nine games of the season.

Palace have risen to seventh, a point outside the Championship play-offs, since Warnock took over earlier in the season, and the former Sheffield United boss is confident that his teenage charges can deal with the big matches.

"I think we just feel like we're enjoying it, because we shouldn't be where we are according to everybody when we came to the place," Warnock said ahead of the Easter weekend trip to Sheffield Wednesday. "I don't think you could tell me an easy game in the league. I don't think we feel like we're in the play-offs.

"I don't feel under any pressure, I don't think the players do, which is a good advantage at this time of the year, and if we're not careful we will go up!

"We're nowhere near the finished article, but we're going to give everybody a game. We don't differ from the 90 percent we're firing at all the time.

"It won't faze us; whether we've got enough ammunition to beat the top clubs, I don't know. We do need extra players."

Part of Palace's problem is the age of the squad, schoolboys such as John Bostock and Victor Moses featuring for a first-team that has surprised many with its fearless pass-and-move football that has seen them unbeaten in five matches.

"We've got such a small squad - last week we had three 17-year-olds on the bench - and not through choice really," he continued.

"Bless them, they are all trying really hard, they've all done really well - I think we've blooded six under 17's this year.

"But that's how it is. We haven't got a big squad, players don't want to come and sign for me - or Palace, whichever it is - and I say players but I mean the player that I think would have improved the squad, not average players.

"So we've not been able to bring players like that in so I've had my hand forced to stick with the kids and they've not let me down. In fact, they've got better."

The weekend clash will be particularly poignant to Warnock, having spent the best part of the new millennium at the Owls' bitter rivals United, and the Eagles boss is expecting to feel the wrath of the locals.

"I think it will be a great reception [compared to returning to United], probably in a different way, different circumstances, but it's always good to go back there," Warnock added.

"No matter what they say, no matter what they call me, I've got great respect for the fans at Wednesday, well the majority of fans, and they've seen what I did for seven and a half years at Sheffield United.

"So yes they'll have a go at me but I think there'll be a lot of admiration at the same time.

"We've got great games coming up, especially away from home. You look at Stoke, Watford, Hull fabulous games where teams are going to be under so much pressure and it will be nice to go with a group of lads who haven't got to prove anything."

Eurosport.yahoo.com will cover the full Championship programme with live scoring and match reporting all Easter Weekend.

Reda Maher / Eurosport