Jokanović's Huddersfield Preview
Thursday 14 January 2016 15:00
Slaviša Jokanović believes he has seen improvements in his Fulham team since taking charge, but admitted that counts for little having suffered three defeats in a row.
"I've been here two weeks," he said. "After a few games we made some improvements, we pushed to be a little bit more organised, a little bit more compact, a little bit more competitive, but in this moment this is not enough to win the games and we cannot be satisfied.
"I believe we have improved, I believe we've found a little bit more balance, I believe we have a more clear idea of what we need to do in the field. But it's simple, in this moment it is not enough to win the game.
"If someone had the opportunity to watch our three games they probably can detect that I am here. I want to play a little bit differently and I'm going to try and push my team to follow these plans."
The Whites' next outing seems them travel to the John Smith's Stadium to face an in-form Huddersfield Town on Saturday afternoon.
The Terriers' form has picked up recently under new head coach David Wagner, and Jokanović is a fan of how he's got his side playing, stating: "Huddersfield is a good team, a team who want to play the football, who start from the back and build up.
"With a new coach it's a little bit different to how they played last season. They made a fantastic result [a 5-0 win on Tuesday] against Charlton.
"It's the Championship, easy games don't exist and I'm not expecting anything to be easy for us, but we'll arrive with confidence that we can do what we need to win the game.
"We must believe we are a good team, we must work all together. Okay, we need to improve, definitely, and I'm going to push my team.
"I came here because I believe I can be successful here. It's a great club with a great history and I'm going to push myself to be a part of the great Fulham history."
Cauley Woodrow will be out of contention for the immediate future as he continues his rehabilitation from a metatarsal injury, and Jokanović admitted he is looking to add to his forward line in response.
"We are thinking about some options to be stronger in this position," he stated. "We are thinking about the loan market and about people who can help us in the future. We are going to continue looking and try to improve this position.
"Half the January window is done and we have not made steps. I expect next week we can make some important steps for us and bring some players who can help us in the future. We need players with character, with personality, with experience."
On the subject of strikers, Jokanović was quizzed yet again on the stories linking Ross McCormack and Moussa Dembélé with moves away from Craven Cottage.
"I don't want to speak about speculation," he said. "I said before in my first press conference I did not come here to sell people. I came here to work with the people that I have in my hands actually right now.
"I am going to fight to not lose any key players. Our strikers have had a good season and I did not come here with the ambition of selling these players."
I like his demeanor and the way that he speaks to the team's strengths and deficiencies. Doesn't seem to beat around the bush much which is just fine with me.
I will say that, while I try not to be a worrywart where Fulham is concerned, it's a little bit unsettling how SJ hedges (at least it reads that way to me) how he answers the Ross and Moussa questions with "I" instead of "we". Gives the impression that he's stating what he would want but leaves the door open for the club to sell them, or one of them.
Maybe I'm being cynical but, it sometimes comes across as a little bit of a wink and a nudge if you get my meaning.
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on January 14, 2016, 04:08:25 PM
I like his demeanor and the way that he speaks to the team's strengths and deficiencies. Doesn't seem to beat around the bush much which is just fine with me.
I will say that, while I try not to be a worrywart where Fulham is concerned, it's a little bit unsettling how SJ hedges (at least it reads that way to me) how he answers the Ross and Moussa questions with "I" instead of "we". Gives the impression that he's stating what he would want but leaves the door open for the club to sell them, or one of them.
Maybe I'm being cynical but, it sometimes comes across as a little bit of a wink and a nudge if you get my meaning.
I don't think there should be a worry about Ross leaving, at least until the summer, as he is on a long contract.
On the other hand, if Dembele will not sign a new contract then the club will have to take anything we can get for him over what we rate his value to us for the second half of the season. We and the manager may not like it but we may have to accept that some extra money in the transfer budget is better than the compensation we get for helping his development.
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on January 14, 2016, 04:08:25 PM
I like his demeanor and the way that he speaks to the team's strengths and deficiencies. Doesn't seem to beat around the bush much which is just fine with me.
I will say that, while I try not to be a worrywart where Fulham is concerned, it's a little bit unsettling how SJ hedges (at least it reads that way to me) how he answers the Ross and Moussa questions with "I" instead of "we". Gives the impression that he's stating what he would want but leaves the door open for the club to sell them, or one of them.
Maybe I'm being cynical but, it sometimes comes across asRoss a little bit of a wink and a nudge if you get my meaning.
I think he definitely very much wants to keep Ross and Dembele - as any new manager would - and probably has made that clear, but ultimately money talks, and he knows he doesn't have much to do with this -it's out of his control. Though I'm sure he wouldn't be pleased if his two star goalscorers, one of then his best player, were sold just after he'd arrived.
But they did it to Jol!
I don't think his English is good enough for winks and nudges anyway.
Quote from: RaySmith on January 14, 2016, 06:40:14 PM
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on January 14, 2016, 04:08:25 PM
I like his demeanor and the way that he speaks to the team's strengths and deficiencies. Doesn't seem to beat around the bush much which is just fine with me.
I will say that, while I try not to be a worrywart where Fulham is concerned, it's a little bit unsettling how SJ hedges (at least it reads that way to me) how he answers the Ross and Moussa questions with "I" instead of "we". Gives the impression that he's stating what he would want but leaves the door open for the club to sell them, or one of them.
Maybe I'm being cynical but, it sometimes comes across asRoss a little bit of a wink and a nudge if you get my meaning.
I think he definitely very much wants to keep Ross and Dembele - as any new manager would - and probably has made that clear, but ultimately money talks, and he knows he doesn't have much to do with this -it's out of his control. Though I'm sure he wouldn't be pleased if his two star goalscorers, one of then his best player, were sold just after he'd arrived.
But they did it to Jol!
I don't think his English is good enough for winks and nudges anyway.
But
they did it to Jol?
Tottenham met the fee in the buyout clause for Dembele and Dempsey annoyed MAF to make his future at the club untenable.
Very unfortunate for Jol but not much that
they could do about matters.
Always pleases the fans to talk of a new striker and yes with Cauley injured a new man up top to provide cover would be welcome but still think the priority has to be a centre half, a right back and a wide man with pace.
A
Can't quite see how we are going to bring in new players with an embargo in place, is the coach just demonstrating intent to keep the fans onside.