Monday Fulham Stuff (24/09/18)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Results

Sunday
West Ham	0 - 0	Chelsea
Arsenal	2 - 0	Everton

[WhiteJC]

 
Transfer gossip: Fulham tipped to move for Lyon star

Fulham are preparing an £18m bid for Lyon forward Maxwel Cornet, according to the Sun on Sunday.

The Whites have previously been linked with the Ivory Coast international, who recently helped Lyon pull off a shock win against Manchester City in the Champions League.

The Sun on Sunday say Fulham plan to open talks with Lyon over a potential deal to sign him next summer.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/football-fulham-cornet-linked-man-city-230918

[WhiteJC]

 
Jamie Redknapp claims Newcastle will hugely regret selling star

Jamie Redknapp believes Newcastle will now be cursing themselves for allowing Aleksandar Mitrovic to join Fulham after purring over the striker's performance against Watford.

The Serbian was often criticised during his time on Tyneside for losing his cool and he was loaned to Fulham last January before making the move a permanent £23million deal over the summer.

Mitrovic scored his fifth goal of the season in Saturday lunchtime's 1-1 draw with Watford, while the striker is also the top scorer in the English game during the course of 2018.

With Newcastle struggling to score goals so far this season – the Magpies have netted just four times in six games and on Saturday were held to a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace – Sky Sports pundit Redknapp believes Newcastle will be ruing allowing him to leave.

Redknapp said: "Newcastle will be looking at him now thinking 'maybe we should have preserved with him' what a talent he is. He's got so much ability.

"When clubs are looking for a top striker, Mitrovic ticks all the boxes.

"You can go direct into him, he can play with his feet – he ticks every box. At £23million, he's an absolute bargain."



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/jamie-redknapp-claims-newcastle-will-hugely-regret-selling-star

[WhiteJC]

 
Millwall v Fulham – Carabao Cup
We travel the short tip across the river to the New Den for our next game in the Carabao Cup

If Tuesday nights game is half as good as last season then we're in for a treat, last season we really enjoyed our trip to Millwall's ground, what an atmosphere the Lions supporters generated! and what a result for us!

It'll be interesting to see how many 'first team' players Slaviša will start against Millwall, will Tim Ream and Tom Cairney get any game time in their aim to get back to match fitness?

Millwall are having a bit of a tough time at the moment and I'm sure they want to get some sort of revenge for last season?, so this game could be a cracker!

come over to the forum and join in...
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=383

[WhiteJC]

 
Jamie Redknapp says Newcastle were mugs to sell '£23m bargain Aleksandar Mitrovic'

Are Newcastle mugs for selling Aleksandar Mitrovic for a 'bargain £23m'? Jamie Redknapp says so.

Aleksandar Mitrovic was always going to be a talking point this season.

If he flopped, everybody would be asking why on earth Newcastle ever paid £14m for him, and even worse, why did Fulham then pay £22m (which could rise to £27m).

Alternatively, if Mitro knocked the goals in, neutrals would be asking why on earth NUFC had let go a Premier League quality striker.

Six games into the season, Newcastle are in the relegation zone, having scored only four goals in total.

Whilst despite Fulham only being three places higher with three more points, Aleksandar Mitrovic has already scored five goals and is joint top PL scorer with Eden Hazard.

No doubting what most neutrals will be thinking on the Mitrovic question at the moment...

Jamie Redknapp has vocalised what many of those are thinking, after watching Mitro rescue a point against Watford and almost get the winner on Saturday he says 'At £23m Mitrovic is an absolute bargain. What a talent he is'

So were Newcastle mugs to get rid of the Serbian forward as Jamie Redknapp indicates?

Well, yes and no.

When you see how limited Newcastle have been so far, difficult to imagine Aleksandar Mitrovic could have offered less goal threat than Joselu, Rondon, Muto and Perez.

On the other hand, the big problem surely isn't so much selling Mitro, it is more the fact that after selling for £22m, Rafa Benitez was limited to a £2m loan for Rondon, AND had to also let Gayle go as part of that arrangement.

You have to really drill down below the headlines though to get the real story.

If Aleksandar Mitrovic was still at Newcastle and had played all six games, would he have scored five goals already? That would be a big fat no.

Fulham have spent over £100m this summer, buying players to complement and play to Mitro's strengths, making clear their intention is to get the ball out wide and then into the centre-forward. Some quality players playing expansive football.

Have Newcastle United got those players? An even bigger fat no.

Interesting to see the BBC Sport stats on those at the top of the Premier League goalscoring charts.

These are the strikers, number of goals before the name, number of shots they have had, after the name:

5 Mitrovic 23

5 Hazard 8

4 Aguero 20

4 Lukaku 12

4 Mane 15

4 Murray 9

Mitro has had a far bigger supply line than any other striker, only Aguero close with 20 shots to the Fulham striker's 23. If he had stayed at Newcastle, and played, I doubt whether he would have had any more than five or six shots/chances by now.

All the other strikers are from top four/six teams, apart from Murray who has had four from only nine shots, although two of his goals/shots were penalties.

So is Jamie Redknapp correct? Probably yes and no...whilst Mike Ashley is definitely in the wrong, as usual.

Jamie Redknapp talking to Sky Sports:

"Newcastle will be looking at Aleksandar Mitrovic now and thinking 'maybe we should have persevered with him'...

"What a talent he is!

He has got so much ability.

"When clubs are looking for a top striker, Aleksandar Mitrovic ticks all the boxes.

"You can go direct into him.

"He can play with his feet.

"He ticks every box.

"At £23million, Mitrovic is an absolute bargain."



https://www.themag.co.uk/2018/09/jamie-redknapp-says-newcastle-were-mugs-to-sell-23m-bargain-aleksandar-mitrovic-newcastle-united/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Supporters Opinions Split Over Defenders Performance Against Watford

Yesterday, at Craven Cottage, as Fulham came back from a goal down to draw with Watford, it's fair to say that the central defensive partnership Jokanovic started with, of Alfie Mawson and Callum Chambers, looked decidedly dodgy during a first half where Fulham were outplayed.

At half-time, Jokanovic decided to replace Mawson with Dennis Odoi and things looked a little more solid with Watford looking less threatening.

But, is Callum Chambers the ideal choice to be part of a season-long centre-back partnership or does Jokanovic need to rethink his plans?



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/fulham-supporters-opinions-split-over-defenders-performance-against-watford/

[WhiteJC]

 
How Aleksandar Mitrovic's form at Fulham was the hot topic in Crystal Palace Press room

He's not even a Newcastle United striker any more but Mitrovic's name sparked big conversation for journalists at Selhurst Park

Before the game had even kicked off on Saturday there was talk in the Crystal Palace Press room that struggling Newcastle United had made a humongous mistake in flogging Aleksandar Mitrovic to Fulham.

As the Serbian international stabbed home an equaliser for the Cottagers just across the capital against Watford there was no escaping the fact that Mitro was indeed on fire again.

Mitrovic has now scored five goals for the Fulham this season - one more than United in total.


Aleksandar Mitrovic scores a late equaliser for Fulham at Watford (Image: Getty Images Europe)

The easy conclusion, especially for hacks in the south, was that Newcastle wouldn't be struggling if Mitrovic was still on board at St James' Park.

But there's a lot more to it than it than that.

Mitrovic is playing his heart out for Slavisa Jokanovic at Fulham, but the truth is he didn't fancy it under Rafa Benitez.

He was given the guidelines he needed to stick to succeed but insiders at the club will tell you that he seemed determined to do anything but follow instructions given.

From dragging in his own striker coach to working with a fitness consultant after training, Mitrovic often looked for excuses during his disappointing stint on Tyneside.

On the pitch, he scored 17 goals in 72 games for the Magpies and notably it's taken him just 23 games to get to the same figure for Fulham.

However, for whatever reason, it just didn't work out for him at Newcastle.

Weirdly, former chief scout Graham Carr's big policy was to sign players that could revel at Newcastle rather than melt in the intensity of the club, but Mitrovic didn't survive more than two and a half seasons.

It can happen with certain players, such as the curious case of Jon Dahl Tomasson back in the day when the young Dane flopped on Tyneside and ended up being a hit with AC Milan no less.

Marseille's Florian Thauvin is another while Giuseppe Rossi once had a loan spell at United in which he couldn't hit a barn door before going on to score a glut of goals in Serie A and La Liga.

Football is well known as the beautiful game, but it can also be a strange one too.

Or as Benitez once stated during his time in Italy: "Football is a lie".

Did we see the real Mitrovic at Newcastle - despite him getting his fair share of chance in those 72 appearances?

In short, Benitez, appears to be suggesting that a football manager can't always come always come out and be honest about players and tactics in public.

He was never going to come out and slaughter Mitrovic after the games ticked by at Newcastle and he didn't deliver.

That was to help maintain the confidence of the player at the time.

But now he has to take the brunt of those who feel he's made a mistake by selling Mitrovic and things are going so well for the Serbian.

It has to be said that Newcastle clawed their way to the top 10 without Mitrovic last season and the Toon boss was even brave enough to move on another striker in Dwight Gayle who is also in a rich vein of form with five goals and five assists in eight games for West Brom.

Yet remember that due to the reluctance of the board to release funds Gayle HAD to be sacrificed in the summer as it was the only way Benitez was going to be able to freshen up his strike force.

Unfortunately, things are yet to click at Newcastle.

United chiefs took an age to sign Salomon Rondon, meaning he missed out on pre-season minutes and it was glaringly obvious to see as he struggled through 45 minutes at Palace before coming off at the break.

Had Rondon been banging the goals in for Newcastle, Mitro's form would be no more than a slight talking point rather than the big debate it has turned into.

Sadly it's another situation that could have been avoided.

Benitez hasn't been able to spend any big money on a poacher since summer 2016 when he signed Dwight Gayle for £10m.

Yes, he got £9.5m to bring in Yoshinori Muto but the even the Japanese international admitted himself he could expect to bring no more than 10 goals to the table.

Muto was signed to compete with another No 10 in Ayoze Perez.

So the miserable striker situation is a symptom of the club's board reluctance to spend money on a proven goalscorer.

Mitrovic's good run at Fulham is merely a coincidence and comes at a bad time for the Magpies as they struggle to find goals and that all important first win.



https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-aleksandar-mitrovics-form-fulham-15189336

[WhiteJC]

 
We can't keep giving opponents head start, warns Fulham boss Jokanovic
The Cottagers have won one of six Premier League games following promotion.


Slavisa Jokanovic saw Fulham snatch a point against Watford (Chris Radburn/PA)

Slavisa Jokanovic admits Fulham cannot afford to continue conceding early goals.

The Cottagers fell behind inside two minutes for the second successive week during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Watford.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's 78th-minute equaliser at Craven Cottage meant they were able to salvage something on this occasion after they were unable to overturn the early deficit in last weekend's 3-0 defeat at champions Manchester City.

"Yes, we must get out of this kind of situation, definitely," said manager Jokanovic.

"If you ask me how, defend the first two minutes better than we defend the last two games.

"We can be affected by this situation, it's not easy to arrive (into games), but we must know where we are and be focused from the beginning to the end."

The hosts produced a much-improved second-half display and levelled when Serbian striker Mitrovic turned in Luciano Vietto's cross.

Mitrovic came close to a last-minute winner, but his powerful header was tipped on to the crossbar by Hornets goalkeeper Ben Foster.

Andre Gray claimed Watford's opener, his third goal of the campaign, after some hesitant defending on the edge of the Fulham box.

The high-flying Hornets then spurned numerous chances to make the game safe and Gray insists they cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham and next weekend's trip to Arsenal.

"I think it says a lot when the boys come in and it feels like we lost that game, it obviously shows how far we've come," he told Watford's website.

"We need to dust ourselves down now, we've got two big games coming up, we need to get ourselves back together and work on what we need to work on on the training ground."

The in-form striker managed just five goals in 31 league appearances during his first season at Vicarage Road.

Speaking about his improved form, he added: "(I have been) working hard, getting my head down and concentrating on the basics of my game and hoping the chances will come and so far they have."



https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/we-cant-keep-giving-opponents-head-start-warns-fulham-boss-jokanovic-37345921.html

[WhiteJC]

Cottage Talk Post Match Show: Fulham vs. Watford
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.


Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images

This is our post match show of the 1-1 draw for Fulham against Watford. During the show, co-hosts Max Cohen, and Yannis Tjanetis, analyzed the key moments of this match.

We also shared and discussed the Friends Of Fulham Man Of The Match Poll.

you can listen to the podcast here...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cottagetalk/2018/09/23/cottage-talk-post-match-show-fulham-vs-watford

[WhiteJC]

 
'We must be focused from the beginning to the end': Slavisa Jokanovic urges Fulham to cut out sloppy starts

    Fulham conceded after two minutes against Watford but recovered to draw 1-1
    Boss Slavisa Jokanovic  wants his side to stop giving opponents a head start
    Fulham sit in 15th having won one and lost three of their six games so far

Slavisa Jokanovic admits Fulham cannot afford to continue conceding early goals.

The Cottagers fell behind inside two minutes for the second successive week during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Watford.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's 78th-minute equaliser at Craven Cottage meant they were able to salvage something on this occasion after they were unable to overturn the early deficit in last weekend's 3-0 defeat at champions Manchester City.


Slavisa Jokanovic has urged Fulham to cut out their sloppy starts to matches

'Yes, we must get out of this kind of situation, definitely,' said manager Jokanovic.

'If you ask me how, defend the first two minutes better than we defend the last two games.

'We can be affected by this situation, it's not easy to arrive (into games), but we must know where we are and be focused from the beginning to the end.'

The hosts produced a much-improved second-half display and levelled when Serbian striker Mitrovic turned in Luciano Vietto's cross.


Watford's Andre Gray scored after two minutes as Fulham's habit of conceding early continued

Mitrovic came close to a last-minute winner, but his powerful header was tipped on to the crossbar by Hornets goalkeeper Ben Foster.

Andre Gray claimed Watford's opener, his third goal of the campaign, after some hesitant defending on the edge of the Fulham box.

The high-flying Hornets then spurned numerous chances to make the game safe and Gray insists they cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham and next weekend's trip to Arsenal.


Aleksandar Mitrovic's fine run of form continued as he conjured an 89th-minute equaliser

'I think it says a lot when the boys come in and it feels like we lost that game, it obviously shows how far we've come,' he told Watford's website.

'We need to dust ourselves down now, we've got two big games coming up, we need to get ourselves back together and work on what we need to work on on the training ground.'

The in-form striker managed just five goals in 31 league appearances during his first season at Vicarage Road.

Speaking about his improved form, he added: '(I have been) working hard, getting my head down and concentrating on the basics of my game and hoping the chances will come and so far they have.'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6198875/Slavia-Jokanovic-urges-Fulham-cut-sloppy-starts.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham eye swoop for Maxwel Cornet

Fulham will be desperate to get back to winning ways after struggling to secure a draw against Watford yesterday.

The Cottagers put in one of their worst first-half performances in recent times as they could have easily found themselves a number of goals down, before Aleksandar Mitrovic salvaged a point. Although, it appears as if the London club are looking to strengthen, as according to Sun Sport, Fulham are eyeing a swoop for Maxwel Cornet.

Fulham plan to make an £18 million move for Lyon star Maxwel Cornet.

The Cottagers will open official talks with the French outfit shortly, after looking into a deal for the speedy and skilful forward in the summer.

Slavisa Jokanovic has little say in targets but his transfer team have delivered major successes lately and Cornet is on their current to-do list.

THE VERDICT:
The 21-year-old is one of the hottest prospects in France and will no doubt go on to do great things in the future, with Fulham looking to bring him to the Premier League.

Indeed, the Cottagers managed to add Jean Michael Seri to their ranks during the summer transfer window, so there's no reason as to why they can't pull off yet another magnificent swoop in January.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/fulham-eye-swoop-for-maxwel-cornet/

[WhiteJC]

 
A January deal for Ligue 1 star makes sense for Fulham

Despite being a promoted side, Fulham have played some great football and although they currently sit 15th in the league, the Cottagers are in good shape.

After a brilliant promotion campaign which saw Fulham beat Aston Villa at Wembley, Salvisa Jokanovic was strongly backed in the transfer market as the club brought in 12 players to help the manager keep the club in the Premier League.

Among those recruits were Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri, the permanent deal of Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Andre Zambo Anguissa. Seri, especially as started to be a prominent player for the team and looks as though he could be a good signing for the club.

The recruitment drive at the club hasn't finished there apparently as according to The Sun, Fulham are scouting another Ligue 1 star, this time, Lyon striker, Maxwel Cornet.

The Breakdown
According to the report, Fulham are weighing up a £18 million for the forward they tracked over the summer. A product of the Metz academy, Cornet joined Lyon in 2015 and has become a key player for the French side although his goal return isn't exactly fantastic.

Quick, skilful and direct, Cornet's game is ideally suited to the Premier League and could well thrive in Fulham's possession-based style of football. Despite bringing in Andre Schurrle on loan over the summer, Fulham don't have a wealth of options on the flanks.

While Cornet may not be an outstanding player, the potential is still there and he could well be sold for a large fee in the future.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/the-breakdown/a-january-deal-for-ligue-1-star-makes-sense-for-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fredericks must regret joining

OPINION

West Ham defender Ryan Fredericks was an unused substitute for his side during the 0-0 draw with Chelsea on Sunday and must be regretting leaving Fulham to join the club.

The pacey right-back has struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League as he has far from impressed in his three league outings this season due to sides exposing his defensive frailties.

Yet instead of being given a chance to settle into the division by being given consistent playing time, he has been the victim of Manuel Pellegrini chopping and changing his side.

Fredericks was completely left out of the squad for the games against Bournemouth and Everton, which would hardly helped him build any form of confidence or learn more about the division from playing.

The 25-year-old speed demon is also no doubt having second thoughts about joining club as Pablo Zabaleta, who has started ahead of him at right-back in the Toffees and Sunday's clash with Chelsea, looks in tip-top form.

This was especially the case against the Blues on Sunday as despite the experienced defender not having the pace that will cause jaws to drop, he handled playing such a high-quality Premier League side with ease.

Zabaleta looked calm and comfortable when stopping his opponents to scoring and also brought leadership qualities to the table as he wasn't afraid to bark orders as his teammates.

Given that the veteran's decent performances tie in with the Hammers picking up positive results than he'll likely be kept in the team ahead of Fredericks for the foreseeable future.

Aside from the obvious disappointment of not playing, Fredericks is no doubt aware that due to not being handed experience in the league, he won't be able to improve on his performances in order to dethrone Zabaleta from the first-team.

Fredericks opted to decide to leave the Cottagers in the summer as Fulham refused to make him their highest-paid player, as reported by Football.London, but if he stayed with Slaviša Jokanović's side he would be regularly playing.

Therefore the Hammers' speed demon who was locked away against Chelsea by being kept on the bench must be regretting his summer decision to jump ship from Fulham as who knows how much playing time he'll get this season.



https://foreverwestham.com/2018/09/premier-league/fredericks-must-regret-joining/

[WhiteJC]

 
84.8% pass success, 2 goals – Fulham should definitely complete a deal for this 21-year-old rising Ligue 1 star

Why Fulham should definitely complete a deal for Maxwel Cornet

According to the Sun, Fulham are interested in signing Lyon attacker Maxwel Cornet. The pacy attacker has been on the Cottagers' radar for a while now but Fulham felt the club's asking price was a bit too much at the time.

But the 21-year-old put in a splendid performance against Manchester City in the Champions League in midweek, scoring a superb goal against the English Champions. He was a constant threat throughout the game and ensured Ederson stayed on his toes.

Fulham are currently in 15th place and have made a mediocre start to their season. They have looked good going forward at times but have also failed to convert a number of chances. Acquiring Maxwel Cornet would see their conversion rate rise well.

The Ivorian is often deployed as a right winger but he is capable of playing anywhere across the frontline. He is also comfortable playing as a central striker. Fulham's top-scorer this season is Alexandar Mitrovic and the Cottagers tend to depend on the Serbian to produce the goods.

The Lyon forward would not only relieve Mitrovic of the pressure but could become the main man to lead the line. He is extremely quick and pacy with the ball at his feet. Cornet runs with strength on the ball, which allows him to keep hold of it even when the defenders are around.

The Ivorian is also very good when it comes to linking up with his teammates and will very much click in Slavisa Jokanovic's quick-football philosophy. Cornet is an intelligent footballer who also possesses an impressive passing range.

Though Cornet has only been able to make 4 substitute appearances in the Ligue 1 this season, he has managed a pass success rate of 84.8%. He has also picked up 2 goals in 3 Coupe De France appearances. (Stats courtesy – Whoscored)

Cornet will provide the Cottagers with more cutting edge in the final third and can serve as a cover for a number of players due to his versatility. Slavisa Jokanovic will have more depth and energy in his squad if he signs the Lyon attacker.

Fulham should definitely aim to complete a move for the talented Lyon man. He is a potent threat in front of the goal and is currently enjoying good form this season.

Now is the time for Fulham to take the step. He would also be a lot cheaper than other options and the Cottagers may not have to break the bank for this one.



https://soccersouls.com/2018/09/24/84-8-pass-success-2-goals-fulham-should-definitely-complete-a-deal-for-this-21-year-old-rising-ligue-1-star/

[WhiteJC]

 
Kalas has surgery after suffering fractured jaw

Tomas Kalas is expected to be out for six weeks after suffering a fractured jaw while playing for Bristol City.

Kalas, who is with the Championship side on a season-long loan from Chelsea, had surgery on Sunday.

The defender, 25, sustained the injury during Bristol City's game against Wigan – his fifth appearance for the Robins since his loan move.

Kalas spent last season on loan at Fulham, playing a key role as they won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/chelsea/kalas-has-surgery-after-suffering-fractured-jaw

[WhiteJC]

 
Millwall manager explains Tunnicliffe absence

A broken toe has kept Ryan Tunnicliffe out for the last two games, and he is a doubt to face his former club Fulham on Tuesday.

Millwall boss Neil Harris revealed midfielder Tunnicliffe had played through the pain with the injury, until it became "unbearable".

With Ryan Leonard cup-tied for the EFL Cup third-round clash with the Cottagers, midfield resources could be stretched.

Harris also gave an update on the injured Shaun Hutchinson, who won't be available until after the next international break.

If Tunnicliffe isn't fit to face Fulham, then Jem Karacan will likely start in midfield.

"Tunni has got a broken toe. He had a broken toe and played for a period and he was just getting to a stage where he couldn't really train," Harris explained. "We were putting him into games and then when we brought Ryan in it was an opportunity to say to Tunni 'there's your time to rest'.

"We're hoping we might have him back – pain allowing it – this week, but we can only be dictated to by Tunni's pain thresholds. Last week was just every time he planted his foot and pushed off it was unbearable.

"We're hoping as [broken] toes heal really quickly that he will be back on the training pitch this week.

"Hutch is still going to be a few weeks. We're still looking at the schedule and don't expect him to be, well he won't be back before the international break."



https://www.newsatden.co.uk/68986-millwall-boss-explains-tunnicliffe-absence.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Jokanovic hails Mitrovic and vows to address Fulham's defensive woes

Slavisa Jokanovic has hailed Aleksandar Mitrovic for the insatiable will to win which is helping the Whites adapt to the demands of top-flight football.

The striker bagged his fifth goal of the season at the weekend to rescue a 1-1 draw for the Whites at home to Watford, and has already suggested that last season's goal-glut in the Championship might be replicated in the top tier.

That is in spite of the fact the Serbian failed to set the Premier League alight last time out with Newcastle United, who were happy to offload him.

"I don't know his approach in different clubs, but his approach here is always positive," said Jokanovic.

"He wants to push the team forward. He is generous with the work. All this news is positive news for him and for us too.

"He wants to be better today than yesterday and he pushes himself for his goal tally. I'm sure he's not going to be satisfied with the game [against Watford].

"He's a natural winner. He wants to win all the games and put in the pocket three points."

The continuing excellence of his star striker is in stark contrast to the defensive woes Jokanovic faces and his failure to find a settled back four so far.

The latest pairing of Alfie Mawson and Calum Chambers looked shaky against the Hornets and only lasted 45 minutes, before a struggling Mawson was withdrawn.

"This is my job," said the Fulham boss. "I must work with them and discover what I don't know about them.

"When we bring in new players, it's not easy. Sometimes it's not a question about quantity but about quality and we have to try to find out how we can improve ourselves from the season before.

"I must know who can offer me what level in different situations. I have made one lap checking all of these players who have played with me right now and on Tuesday night [at Milllwall in the Carabao Cup] I will probably have another test for players to discover something new."

Jokanovic added: "I cannot separate my players – the ones who played in the Championship, and the new players. I try working with all the team and try finding our best combinations to win the game. We want from the side different characteristics.

"It's not easy for the new players coming in. Some players are coming in from different countries, are working with a different coach and different team-mates, with different styles, and this is the process. They have to push hard and be able to learn new things."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/jokanovic-hails-mitrovic-and-vows-to-address-fulhams-defensive-woes