Sheffield United: Boss urges his team to take more risks in order to unleash their firepower

Slavisa Jokanovic is urging Sheffield United’s players to gamble more in the opposition’s final third, after admitting they have failed to create enough goal scoring opportunities during the first three matches of his reign.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Despite having a plethora of strikers at their disposal, including Billy Sharp, Oli McBurnie and David McGoldrick, Saturday’s stalemate with Swansea City means they enter Wednesday’s match against Web Bromwich Albion having netted just once in over four-and-a-half hours of football.

Speaking after the draw at the Liberty Stadium, Jokanovic admitted a severely disrupted pre-season campaign, which saw United cancel at least three warm-up fixtures because of the Covid-19 pandemic, means there is still plenty of technical work to complete on the training ground.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But after being relegated from the Premier League last term, the Serb also indicated he feels a change of psychological approach is also required in order for his squad to realise its potential.

Swansea, Wales, 14th August 2021. Slavisa Jokanovic manager of Sheffield Utd  during the Sky Bet Championship match at the Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea. Picture credit should read: Simon Bellis / SportimageSwansea, Wales, 14th August 2021. Slavisa Jokanovic manager of Sheffield Utd  during the Sky Bet Championship match at the Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea. Picture credit should read: Simon Bellis / Sportimage
Swansea, Wales, 14th August 2021. Slavisa Jokanovic manager of Sheffield Utd during the Sky Bet Championship match at the Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea. Picture credit should read: Simon Bellis / Sportimage

“In my life I take a lot of risks and sometimes I have paid a high cost and price for them,” Jokanovic said. “But I find, by doing that, it brings more benefits.

“We need to win the games and we need enough for three points. I didn’t feel any sensation that they (Swansea) could damage us but we didn’t do enough to them and put them under enough stress or pressure in the key areas of the pitch.”

Describing United’s performance in south Wales as “decent”, Jokanovic hopes to welcome Ben Davies and Ronaldo Vieira to Bramall Lane this week after the pair agreed loan moves from Liverpool and Sampdoria respectively.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We have people here who have experience of playing in League One and also the Championship,” Jokanovic, who took charge of United last month, added. “We also have people here who have experience of playing in the Premier League.

“But the Premier League, even though we know what we want to do, that is behind us now. That is history. It is in the past. Now it is ‘Welcome to the Championship.’ We need that mentality and I believe in my players, I believe that they have it.”