SLAV BACKS DEFENDER
season as they won promotion through the play-offs.
“I understand he wanted to encourage the team to push harder and look for more determination,” said the Cottagers boss.
“I didn’t interpret them as negative words. He wanted to say, ‘Come on lads, it’s not enough, you must do more and be better’.
“We must push harder, on the players’ side, on the staff ’s side, for all the sides, for finding improvement.
“Tim is always positive, and tried to encourage the team, our club, our supporters, to trust in ourselves, be brave, and believe we can offer different afternoons in Craven Cottage.
“We’re going to fight to offer something different, like what we offered last season many times – this is our target, and our desire and we are working in this direction.”
And Jokanovic insists he has no intention of gagging his players.
“I don’t have any problem because I understood his words as a positive message,” he said.
“I talked to Tim Ream and he made some honest analysis about our situation and he is a great example of a professional player.
“My interpretation is he’s not happy with himself and with everything that’s happening around him. I’m not interpreting his words as negative.”
Jokanovic wants a back-to-basics approach in defence after leaking nine goals in two games.
“We might have to take one step backwards to go two steps forward,” he said.