Jokanovic: Interview

[aster]

Interview for the Serbian media, Fulham excerpts:

I know that Fulham victories can improve weekend mood for many people in Serbia. I promise that there will be plenty of them.

Would you say that the problem is that you want to play pretty and win points at the same time?

I do not agree with that opinion. Our general idea is to have possession so that we can control the game. However, we showed no quality when playing off the ball. We tried with 4 CBs, even with the 5th one..Unfortunately, we are still plagued by the same issues, and that causes us to lose.

More was expected from Fulham after what seemed like a good transfer window, with a lot of money spent...

We brought 12 new players. Some of them are still adapting to the new style of life and football. We brought players worth 100.000.000. I won't go into deeper analysis of how they came here, but now that they are here, I'm responsible for them as a coach. Five of them came on the last day of the transfer window, without having trained a day with us. We are still in the process of deciding whether some of them can improve our play, or they cannot. Some of them have to be tested in the games. At the beginning of the season, some of the things look worse than in the same period of the last season, but offensively, we are better. We have to find a balance though.

The biggest problem Fulham has is obvious...

It is killing us that we cannot finish the game with a clean sheet, and only once we conceded less than 2 goals. When you let in 3, 4, 5 goals...it is difficult to win points. Lately, we have been playing two CBs that played for us in the Championship. But we lost Fredericks and Targett. Now, we have to try with other options.

Mitrovic is not a part of the problem?

People in the club were looking at some strikers, I told them that Mitrovic could be the best option. And they told me: Augh, this one is good! Yes, he is good, I say. Let's buy him then...I know his characteristics. He has found the team that suits him, and I was sure that he would fit in and show a lot of commitment and energy. We used to have players of the same characteristics before. We tried Chris Martin before him, but for various reasons, he failed. And Mitrovic has fit in well, because he works hard to improve what he is good at, and what he is not that good at. He spends every free moment he has here, at the club...Whether it is the gym, working individually, his professionalism is remarkable.

How much is style important to you? Playing pretty?

The only aim you have in football is to win. It is not about aesthetics, but how you believe you can reach that goal. With these players, I believe that the way we play is the best way to win points. I'm not into aesthetics. The only thing we want is to win the points. We need to accept the fact that we are not the team that can push City into their final third.

You are known for giving a chance to young players...

Whether someone is 16 or 35 does not make a big difference to me.  Sess has 100 games played in the Championship. He is talented, and already next year, he could play for the top European or English team. I'm keeping an eye on Harvey Elliot. He is still at school, but he has an extraordinary quality for someone his age. Footbalistically, he is not a 15-year-old.

Tom Cairney could switch from Scotland to England? You have turned him into someone who is good on the ball, and does not look like a Scottish type of a footballer.

He has a lot of qualities, but also downsides to his play. We are trying to use his qualities to cover his defects. He is not fast, not strong, but he is very good on the ball, you can do a lot with him. He is one of the very important players for my defensive strategy. For two years now, he has not been able to take the ball from the opponent. Maybe with his hand, since he can not do it with his leg. But once he has it with him, he does not lose it, one of these players who can hide the ball. With him, we can get the maximum out of our possession-based football.

You are the coach who never loses his cool.

I do not see myself as someone who runs in circles and shouts. I try to treat my players like adults. Shouting, screaming...for me, are the signs of personal insecurities. If I want to explain something, I need to look you in the eyes and tell you what I expect from you. In some extreme situations, I sometimes wave my arms, but only when a player is far from me. I like to point out mistakes to my players.  The internal satisfaction I feel is good enough for me.

[Statto]

"We brought players worth 100.000.000. I won't go into deeper analysis of how they came here, but now that they are here, I'm responsible for them as a coach. Five of them came on the last day of the transfer window, without having trained a day with us. We are still in the process of deciding whether some of them can improve our play, or they cannot. Some of them have to be tested in the games. At the beginning of the season, some of the things look worse than in the same period of the last season..."

Interesting. A thinly-veiled way of saying Joka didn't want some of these players, many were signed too late, some of them will be useless, and at the moment our back 4 is worse than last year's.

And then below that, the candid acknowledgement that Cairney can't tackle:

"For two years now, he has not been able to take the ball from the opponent."

Can't disagree with any of that

[bill taylors apprentice]

Interesting reading, nothing new but clarifying a few things such as, we have a midfielder who can't tackle but he is vital in keeping hold of the ball and therefore the opposition can't hurt us.

Also, Its still a struggle to get through to the recruitment people what kind of player I believe we need but I do my best with what I'm given.

That's how I see it anyway!

[sunburywhite]

Footbalistically ?????

[alfie]

I still don't get why if he does not like the recruiting policy he tolerates it, he can't keep going on about it. You either don't mention it or get on with it. If it is that bad that you have keep blaming this style of recruiting then get out of it. I am sure there would be a good few clubs that would have him.

[..FOF..]

"We brought players worth 100.000.000. I won't go into deeper analysis of how they came here, but now that they are here, I'm responsible for them as a coach. Five of them came on the last day of the transfer window, without having trained a day with us. We are still in the process of deciding whether some of them can improve our play, or they cannot. Some of them have to be tested in the games. At the beginning of the season, some of the things look worse than in the same period of the last season..."

Interesting. A thinly-veiled way of saying Joka didn't want some of these players, many were signed too late, some of them will be useless, and at the moment our back 4 is worse than last year's.

In pre-Bournemouth press conference, Joka said;

Does it take longer to settle on or off pitch?
I don't sign the players, this is not my job.

This is natural situation for some people outside of England and I have experience of this.
They need time to adapt themselves for personal and professional life.

When I had this opportunity to work in this country, some people need more or less time.

it's part of this profession and they must be available to adapt.

[Holders]

Probably the best insight I've seen into his position, footballistically.

[Berserker]

Good interview, very insightful. Didn't realise that about Cairney

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[Lighthouse]

I still don't get why if he does not like the recruiting policy he tolerates it, he can't keep going on about it. You either don't mention it or get on with it. If it is that bad that you have keep blaming this style of recruiting then get out of it. I am sure there would be a good few clubs that would have him.

Couldn't agree more. I notice when we did well and on a magnificent run it was all down to the Coach and not any of the players or the recruiting policy. When we do badly he likes to mention as often as possible that he isn't in charge of recruiting.

[Neutral Zone Ultra]

I disagree with him regarding Cairney, sure he's not great at tackling but he can and does still do it.

[RaySmith]

In a top club the manager says 'I want so and so' and  the club  gets him if at all possible, but in  a club like Fulham it's a matter of  saying that you want a left-back, or midfielder, and the then  the club finds who is available, affordable  and wants to come to the club.

Combine this with so many players arriving at the  last minute before the first game of the season, and you can see how there can be problems.

Though, the owner was prepared to put his hand in his pocket for new players, most of whom probably will turn out to be great assets for the club.

[aster]

Footbalistically ?????

:005:

The Arsenal FC soccer coach Arsene Wenger introduced the word 'footballistically' to English.

It is a funny thing, because I did not know this...and Wenger has always been one of my favorite coaches.

I translated the whole thing from Serbian (my first language), so I might have gotten a bit too "creative", trying to make it shorter (this coin word exists in French and Spanish). In terms of football, or "footballistically", the meaning remains the same.  :dft012:

[Berserker]

I think that is a good word

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[Statto]

Footbalistically ?????

:005:

The Arsenal FC soccer coach Arsene Wenger introduced the word 'footballistically' to English.

It is a funny thing, because I did not know this...and Wenger has always been one of my favorite coaches.

I translated the whole thing from Serbian (my first language), so I might have gotten a bit too "creative", trying to make it shorter (this coin word exists in French and Spanish). In terms of football, or "footballistically", the meaning remains the same.  :dft012:

It seems a good translation of the article, thanks for posting it

[aster]

I think that is a good word

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Well, if " going berserk" could come from Norse "berserkers", maybe mine and Wenger's word could also become accepted, with a bit of lobbying.  :005:

@ Statto- You are welcome, I thought it was an insightful interview.

[Fulham1959]

I think that is a good word

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I like it, too !  I suppose in England we might say "football-wise" - in other words, when you are talking in a football sense.

[nose returns]

interesting as usual from joca. clearly we still have an issue with recrutment and that must be obvious to a blind person. just spending money has never  guaranteed success. i cannot believe we really spent £30M for anguissa or even thought schurrle would e a sensible addition. we needed high class full backs and an enforcer in midfield plus a proper partner/cover for mitro... none of these have materialised. the only one that made sense was serri and he looks confused as to what his job really is.

TC is a brilliant layer but not a tackler, we all know that, so all the more reason we need a tough central midfielder.... the transfers as before were really questionable and we do not have kline to blame so clearly there is more of an issue.

one other thing... our coaching staff is weaker than last season and I wonder who is to blame for that. bring in parker by all meanss, but as an assistant, not lettng others go that are far more experienced.

[filham]

" We are still in the process of deciding whether some of them can improve our play"' that statement is just unbelievable. at the prices we paid in the summer surely we should not have bought players who were not clearly better than those we already had and we should have been 100% sure they would improve our play before parting with the Chairman's money.

It seems as if yet again Jocanovic is saying that the final decision on incoming transfers is not his.

[nose returns]

" We are still in the process of deciding whether some of them can improve our play"' that statement is just unbelievable. at the prices we paid in the summer surely we should not have bought players who were not clearly better than those we already had and we should have been 100% sure they would improve our play before parting with the Chairman's money.

It seems as if yet again Jocanovic is saying that the final decision on incoming transfers is not his.

that is exactly what he is saying.... however, he really has to be doing better himself.

[hovewhite]

In a top club the manager says 'I want so and so' and  the club  gets him if at all possible, but in  a club like Fulham it's a matter of  saying that you want a left-back, or midfielder, and the then  the club finds who is available, affordable  and wants to come to the club.

Combine this with so many players arriving at the  last minute before the first game of the season, and you can see how there can be problems.

Though, the owner was prepared to put his hand in his pocket for new players, most of whom probably will turn out to be great assets for the club.

great assets to the club investment return wise,if they the players don't want to adjust buy into it,then they are a waste of time to slav , supporters so outside of fiscal priorities.useless.