Mitrovic gives shout-out to Slavisa’s Cottage industry
ALEKSANDAR MITROVIC has told Fulham they must hold on to manager Slavisa Jokanovic at all costs.
The highly rated Serbian coach has led the Cottagers on an astonishing run of 20 games unbeaten in the Championship since mid-December, which has seen them surge ahead of Cardiff in the thrilling battle for Premier League football next season.
Jokanovic, whose side lost a heartbreaking play-off semi-final to Reading last May, also took Watford into the Premier League in 2015.
The 49-year-old’s achievements have made clubs around Europe sit up and take notice, and he has been linked with the possible vacancy down the road at Chelsea, where he played, with Antonio Conte expected to leave at the end of this campaign.
But Fulham are now ready to hand Jokanovic, who has 12 months left on his contract, a new deal to ward off potential suitors. And Mitrovic is adamant they have to hang on to a man who is inspiring a quiet revolution down by the Thames.
Mitrovic, on loan until the end of the season from Newcastle and keen to make the deal permanent after a frustrating spell at St James’ Park, said: “Slavisa is a great manager. He has helped me so much.
“Throughout his career he has done a really good job. I hope he will continue here. It is going so well at Fulham right now.”
Jokanovic is a hero for Mitrovic from his time as a midfielder, then manager, at the striker’s boyhood club Partizan Belgrade.
“We have to follow Slavisa,” he added. “It is not easy to play football the way he likes to play it, because the Championship is a really physical league. But we have good players who know how to play in this system.
“Two years in a row, Fulham have played the best football in this division. You can see his hand in the way we play. We are here to follow him. Since Slavisa has been at the club, Fulham have done really well. That has to continue.”
The edgy 1-0 win over Reading on Tuesday night meant Fulham overtook Cardiff after weeks of steadily closing the gap on Neil Warnock’s side.
With the momentum now with them, they face west London rivals Brentford at the Cottage tomorrow with a one-point lead over the Welsh club, although they have played one game more. Warnock takes his team to Norwich.
Mitrovic, who has a reputation as a hothead, fell out of favour under Rafa Benitez at Newcastle and did not start a league game in nine months, only arriving at the Cottage after a deadline-day switch to Anderlecht fell through at the last minute. But he has been a revelation, with 11 goals in 13 games.
He admitted the tactics employed by Benitez did not suit him. “It was difficult,” he said. “I didn’t get gametime, I was mostly on the bench. I played mostly 10 or 15 minutes when the game was done. It is hard to do something that time.
“Of course I was not happy. I tried to be honest with myself and work hard, but I thought, ‘I don’t like this’. This year is a World Cup year. I needed to play.
“It was not a problem dropping down to the Championship because I knew I would improve as a player here with Slavisa.
“We want to go up automatically. If we don’t make the top two, we will fight in the play-offs.
“If there is any chance, I would love to come back and stay at Fulham. My agent will be working on all that – but I have a manager here who wants me.” in