Jokanovic Cup Preview.

[Lighthouse]

Thursday 7 January 2016 15:15
Head Coach Slaviša Jokanović wants Fulham to move on from the league defeat to Sheffield Wednesday when the two sides meet again on Saturday.

His debut match in charge ended in a narrow 1-0 loss to the Owls last time out, but he insists attentions are now firmly focused on the weekend's FA Cup encounter.

"I have been here one week, we have played one game," he stated. "We try and move and change something this week and keep working with the team. Like always, the most important game is the next one.

"The next game is the FA Cup and we're focused on what we're going to do in Sheffield. It's important, I expect we can make a better job than we made in the last game."

Ross Wallace has been in fine form against the Whites this season, claiming three assists at Hillsborough and firing in a stunning winner last week, but Jokanović acknowledged that Wednesday have plenty of individuals who can cause problems.

"It's not only one player," he explained. "Sheffield have very good players. They're a very strong, very tall team with good players, especially in the attacking line, with [Atdhe] Nuhiu, [Lucas] Joao, or Fernando Forestieri.

"This team is a good team, they're actually right now fighting for promotion or Play-Offs. We need to respect them, but it's more important for us to respect ourselves and think about what we're going to do on the field."

Jokanović reached the FA Cup Final as a player with Chelsea in 2002, and it's clearly a competition he holds in high regard.

But while he admitted that it would be 'a dream' to do something similar with the Whites, he stressed that his only thoughts at the moment are on the imminent Third Round tie.

"We're going to have an opportunity on Saturday to compete in one of the more important cups in the world," he said. "It's a very important competition and we need to respect ourselves and our supporters.

"It is nice to think about Wembley. I have my dreams but I continue living realistically. Dreams can arrive this year, in three years, in five years, in 10 years, in 15 years, I don't know.

"Sometimes I have interesting dreams but I'm going to have a real job and real life on Saturday at 3 o'clock. Our obligation, like always, is to try and do a good job and try and win the game.

[Lighthouse]

It's not only the north struggling with bad weather – Fulham have been up against it preparing for the FA Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday.

Boss Slavisa Jokanovic revealed the sodden pitches at the Motspur Park training ground have not been at their best.

Still, the new manager insists he is going to Hillsborough to win, and right the wrongs of last week's league home defeat to the Owls.

He said: "I probably need a bit better field, because these last few days it's been raining so much.

Seconds out, round two: Slavisa Jokanovic (L) and Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal
"Our job is to find a way to win the game. We have a good team, but it's just they haven't played well in the last month and the last year.

"I expect in the future my team is going to be like me, full of confidence. I don't care about the past. Our supporters are going to expect positivity in the best competition in the world."

Last weekend's 1-0 reverse came courtesy of a 30-yard wonder strike from Ross Wallace.

Jokanovich believes he's not the only one in Sheffield he has to stop.

He added: "It can be very complicated for us if he (Wallace) scores like he did last Saturday, but they also have good players in (Lucas) Joao and Fernando Forestieri, and right now they are fighting for promotion.

"We don't have a particularly big squad, but I'm probably going to try and use some different players to try and win the game. I wouldn't call it an 'experiment'. An experiment is for laboratories. I am a football coach.

"But I need to check for players and find the best solution for us."

[horse1031]

This is a great quote!

"It is nice to think about Wembley. I have my dreams but I continue living realistically. Dreams can arrive this year, in three years, in five years, in 10 years, in 15 years, I don't know.

"Sometimes I have interesting dreams but I'm going to have a real job and real life on Saturday at 3 o'clock. Our obligation, like always, is to try and do a good job and try and win the game.

[nose]

Sounds promising and in line with what i would want to hear.

[copthornemike]

If SJ thinks the Motspur Park pitches are sodden wait until he gets to Hillsborough.

Remember going there for the Cup match a few seasons ago and it being exceptionally muddy and full of puddles. Difficult to imagine that it was a World Cup venue  in the past.

There was one funny incident in the match when our young left back sped past their right back with the ball which then got stuck in the mud / a puddle. Both players over run the stationary ball and took a second or two to find out that the ball was behind them.

[love4ffc]

It's a nice write up and it actually sounds like what I would expect him to say.  Rather then someone else writing it for him.  I hope his confidence does carry over to the lads and we make a good showing of it in the cup.  While I know some find the cup a distraction I think it deserves respect.  

Here's to hoping for a good showing on Saturday.  

[Robbie]

I hope his English improves !

[MJG]

I hope his English improves !

didn't bother Watford last year.  And I pretty much understood the video,  'our defence rubbish' was the subtext

[Chesh]

I hope his English improves !

didn't bother Watford last year.  And I pretty much understood the video,  'our defence rubbish' was the subtext

Totally agree, and having just listened as closely as possible to the relevant passage, it would appear that it it is clear to Jokanovic that we currently don't have the defenders to be more stronger and organised at the back.

This doesn't take a rocket scientist to see, as if I am being totally blunt, I have never been confident at all that neither Burn,  Hutchinson nor Bodurov are suitably strong or quick as centre-backs, and that our full backs also leave a lot to be desired.

That has been my honest, consistent opinion on each of them since day one, and I wish it wasn't so, and I hate saying it.

Stearman is about the best we have, but without a consistent, more resolute partner alongside him, we are constantly left wanting at set pieces and when back pedalling.

Ream to me is a good player, but not quite strong enough in the air to plug the required gap.

Jokanovic basically says (from what I can make out):

'We are a strong team in the last 3rd, but the problem is in front of our goal'

'This situation is not especially so difficult to detect in training - I find confirmation that this is like this'

'This information obligates us continue to attack'

'We are not a team for 1-0, but more for 3-2'

That is as close to word for word that I can decipher, but the point seems clear enough, and frankly it is a big worry.

Rather than saying he will improve our defensive frailties, he appears to be saying that with that lot it is nigh on impossible - in as much that you can tell players what to do, but if they constantly fail to do it (due to inadequacies) then you have to look for an alternative solution, like score more goals.

Maybe, I have misunderstood, but if not, and if we don't manage to get a decent defender or two in on loan, then it is very very worrying for the rest of the season.

Of course it's better to watch high scoring games, but it is clear that we don't always score more than we concede.

Despite all this, I really like Jokanovic, and he certainly wears his heart on his sleeve.

If I were one of those defenders, I'd appreciate his honest opinion, take it on the chin, and do my damnest to prove him wrong.

Maybe it could be some sort of reverse psychology...

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[hovewhite]

he might not speak English well ,but he knows how to say what we all know ,and he knows .love him good on you joka.

[Lighthouse]

Yet I was told that a good coach would improve our defence. Yet here he is admitting that we can't win one nil. But can win three two. So it is down to the players after all. Who would have thunk it?

[Oakeshott]

"Yet I was told that a good coach would improve our defence. Yet here he is admitting that we can't win one nil."

Both may well be true. I think I'd be prepared to bet quite a big sum that, after a little time for him to get his ideas across (say the end of the month) we will concede less goals per game on average than we have to date. But maybe with the current players the improvement will only go so far, and not to the point where, as with Chelsea a few years ago, the team only has to score one goal and it is pretty much guaranteed to win.

[Wimbledon_White]

I struggled with his English; it's not good lets be honest.

His point came across though. Attacking we're good, our defence is pants and he doesn't want to sell anyone.

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

Yet I was told that a good coach would improve our defence. Yet here he is admitting that we can't win one nil. But can win three two. So it is down to the players after all. Who would have thunk it?

I think it is clear to all who wish Jokanovic well what he meant by that statement.