Slavisa Jokanovic's reaction as Sheffield United dump Derby County out of Carabao Cup

Slavisa Jokanović, the Sheffield United boss, felt his side’s performance tonight was a classic game of two halves as they came from behind to beat Derby County in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Slavisa Jokanovic, manager of Sheffield United, looks on during the Carabao Cup match at Bramall Lane, Sheffield: Simon Bellis / SportimageSlavisa Jokanovic, manager of Sheffield United, looks on during the Carabao Cup match at Bramall Lane, Sheffield: Simon Bellis / Sportimage
Slavisa Jokanovic, manager of Sheffield United, looks on during the Carabao Cup match at Bramall Lane, Sheffield: Simon Bellis / Sportimage

United trailed at the break after Louie Sibley turned and finished emphatically on his left foot, but Jokanović shuffled his pack slightly at the break by replacing Daniel Jebbison with John Fleck and freeing up Luke Freeman to get forward more.

That shift was rewarded when Freeman dragged the Blades level, heading home a right-wing cross from defender Kyron Gordon before Billy Sharp came off the bench to score the winner, capitalising on an under-hit backpass from Derby’s Kornell McDonald.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The winner was Sharp’s second in two games and also his fourth in his last four against Derby.

And Jokanović said: “It’s about the team.

“We mentioned Billy and some young players, we didn’t perform in the first 45 minutes and there were a lot of mistakes.

“We moved the shape and started to be more comfortable, finding a bit more quality and scored two goals. In the end, the team showed intent and desire to change the story.”

Meanwhile, Derby boss Wayne Rooney felt his side deserved to win the game – if they had been more clinical with their chances.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“If we’re more clinical I think we win the game comfortably,” he said.

“We were superb in terms of coming to Sheffield United away, they had some experienced players on the pitch and I think the young players deserve a lot of credit.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.