Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
IT AIN’T NO JOK
Jekyll and Hyde form could cost Blades place in Prem, says Slav
SLAVISA JOKANOVIC fears Sheffield United will blow their bid for an instant return to the Premier League unless they shake off their image as the Championship’s Jekyll and Hyde boys.
The Blades boss is at a loss to explain why the side he inherited in the summer can go from one extreme to the other in the level of their performance – often in the space of the same 90 minutes.
The puzzled Serb said: “I cannot give you the right answer to that because, even in our last game at home to Coventry on Saturday [which ended 0-0], we played two completely different halves. In the first 45 minutes we were nervous, we didn’t play good and couldn’t connect the passes.
“We were not at all comfortable in the game. We changed for the second half and played better, we created more things and looked good.
“It’s not only about this last game, we’ve had a lot of ups and down this season – too many.
“People ask if we have enough leaders in the team. Yes, we have. Others ask if the players still have the hunger to achieve. Yes, they do. A lot of the time, though, we have some habit to not be successful in the game.
“We need to stick with the plan and keep going together immediately. We can’t wait to switch on in matches.”
The Blades head into tonight’s crunch clash at Reading after the draw with Coventry having racked up only two wins from their last seven outings.
That has seen them plunge to 17th in the table and just five points clear of the drop zone.
Two seasons ago they finished ninth in the Premier League before finishing bottom last term.
But Jokanovic insists a relegation dogfight is not a concern at Bramall Lane and that the play-offs are well within range – even though the Blades are nine points adrift of the top six. Jokanovic, who guided former clubs Watford and Fulham in to the top flight, said: ”I am not worried that promotion has already gone. I believe completely differently.
“There are a huge number of games ahead of us, and this is not the time to give up. I believe going up is still possible and there is no reason to give up and say we’ll prepare for next season.”