£170m ROLL OF THE DICE
Blow it today and Fulham could lose star men and their boss Jokanovic
THE Championship play-off final today may be billed as the £ 170million match but for Fulham and owner shahid Khan, the trip to Wembley is worth much more.
if Fulham fail to secure a place in the Premier league, they risk losing the core of their highly coveted squad, as well as manager slavisa Jokanovic.
Captain tom Cairney is tipped to move on, teenage starlet Ryan sessegnon is wanted by the big clubs and Aleksandar Mitrovic will have offers.
Jokanovic is admired by Chelsea, among other clubs, and Khan is well aware of all this as he prepares to visit the premises he is attempting to purchase.
those close to the billionaire owner say he is not thinking about the money. What Khan really wants is a seat at the Premier league’s top table.
Jokanovic is similarly hungry for success and the serb said when asked about Fulham potentially becoming a global brand: ‘First of all, i am not thinking about money i do not have in my pocket. secondly, my owner is a rich enough guy. i don’t think we are going to save his life with these few million pounds. i am really motivated because what i am thinking about is being successful.’
Jokanovic gave Aston Villa counterpart steve Bruce an easy team- talk with some eyecatching views of his team.
‘they are an old and tired team and they are going to show some weaknesses,’ Jokanovic said.
‘steve Bruce knows how to protect his defensive line, but we know we can put them under pressure and cause damage.’
Jokanovic also had a warning for Villa veteran John terry, 37.
‘ terry has played so many games at Wembley, but we are going to put him under pressure from strong and fast players, and we hope he can make some mistakes,’ he said.
When Jokanovic took over three years ago, he was not tasked with promotion to the Premier league, rather to avoid dropping into league one.
the 49-year-old led Watford to the top flight earlier in 2015 but never got to manage there as his deal expired that summer and was not extended.
He has a year left on his current contract at Craven Cottage. Win today, and Fulham sources say a new and improved one may follow. ‘i’m not thinking about my future,’ Jokanovic said. ‘i am not thinking about the players’ future. i am not thinking about the Premier league. i am only thinking about the game. tickets are sold out. i am sure we will find a white wall at Wembley that will push, be noisy.’
sessegnon, the 18-year-old who scored 15 goals in the Championship this season, is the one who will be chased the most this summer. Fulham know it too.
this week a story circulated where he once went for a drug test following a night match then returned to the changing room to find the squad had left, including the kit-man.
so he took his shirt, shorts and socks home, washed them, ironed them, then brought them back the following day. it showed his level of maturity and Jokanovic insists on calling him a man, not a boy.
‘i try to avoid calling this man a kid, because he is in an important business and what he is doing, normally kids cannot do,’ he said. ‘this man doesn’t make mistakes. He is focused, concentrated and he wants to be successful.’
Fulham’s players are hungry to get to the Premier league. one way or another, a few of them will there next season.