Sheffield United: 'The fightback must start now' insists Slavisa Jokanovic as he claims promotion is still a possibility

United slipped to 18th in the Championship table, seven points and 12 places outside of the play-off positions, after being beaten by Blackburn Rovers nine days ago.

But Jokanovic wants this weekend’s game against Coventry City to mark the start of the recovery process, having told his players they must stop feeling sorry for themselves following last term’s relegation from the Premier League.

Insisting he still believes in the capability of United’s squad, despite outlining plans for new signings during the January transfer window, the Serb said: “Of course, there are a lot of games and the season is not finished for us. We know we have not done a good job at the moment but there exists a space to improve.

“No, there is no time to be thinking about next season. We need to trust we can do important things.”

Although Jokanovic believes United must adopt a ‘match by match’ approach rather than openly talk about hunting down sixth place, he believes the squad at his disposal possesses the quality required to start climbing the rankings before reinforcements hopefully arrive.

Admitting United are ready to address the faults which have overshadowed their start to the campaign, Jokanovic added: “We are disappointed at the end of some games. I know our supporters expect a lot of things differently to what we are offering at the moment.

“I try and observe football from a different view. I try and be pragmatic.”