Slavisa Jokanovic issues positive Sheffield United prediction following Stoke City comeback | OneFootball

Sheffield United manager Slavisa Jokanonvic has suggested that the Blades’ 2-1 win against Stoke City on Saturday will be massive for their belief and confidence moving forwards.

The Blades went into their game with Stoke hoping to get their form back on track after they suffered back-to-back defeats against Middlesbrough and Bournemouth before the international break.

It was always going to be a major test against a Stoke side that had ended West Brom’s unbeaten start to the season in their previous game.

However, the Blades were the dominant force in the game for most of the contest. They were rewarded for that in the end, despite going a goal down thanks to some individual brilliance from Jacob Brown.

That came with some important interventions from subs David McGoldrick and Lys Mousset as the Blades scored twice in the final ten minutes to claim all three points.

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Speaking to the Yorkshire Post following the win against Stoke, Jokanovic insisted that the way his side played to get the three points will provide them with a lot of extra belief in the direction they are travelling in this season.

He said: “This feels like a massive win. We lost in the last game when we were playing one of the top teams in Bournemouth and have been punished in a lot of games this season.

“But here we showed energy and trust and are going in the direction. This is a huge boost for our confidence and work and trust. We were looking for some progress and this was enough.”

The verdict

Jokanovic is spot on here. There are often times in a season where defining moments happen during crucial matches that transform the way in which a team is heading in the Championship.

At 1-0 down, Sheffield United were starring down the barrel at three successive defeats and were at major risk of going back to their early-season form.

However, the Blades were able to bounce back from a setback and came from behind to take all three points from a strong side.

There will now be renewed belief amongst the squad that they can beat anyone in the Championship this season now as long as they play at their best.

With the quality that they have within their squad, the Blades only needed some added belief to turn them into a side that can really challenge this term. This game could be the springboard to that.