Daily Mirror

SLAV LAYS BLAME ON PLAYERS

- BY IAN BAKER

SLAVISA JOKANOVIC has told his men: You are to blame for Fulham’s mess, not me.

The Cottagers chief is fighting to save his job with the west Londoners bottom of the Premier League ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Liverpool.

But defiant Jokanovic has issued a passionate defence of his qualities insisting his players are not following his instructio­ns or trying hard enough. He said: “They need to change the body language. They are profession­al.

“I don’t defend a corner, I don’t press any players. I don’t run into the space. I am working for them so they can do this and be available for this kind of situation.

“After the Huddersfie­ld game, I told them: ‘Listen, I am great, I’m a fantastic coach.’ I did a fantastic job with my staff and the analysts because everything we expected, we found it during the game.

“If you check the game, they pressed us with seven players.

“We had a situation three against three 25 times. We did not stay with any ball, we did not run the space, we must run the space. We were not available for second phase.

“We are not showing enough effort or ambition and we must change this. If we are jogging on the field and people think we will get a present, this is the wrong way and we must show more effort.

“If we are confused, scared and play like kids, it’s not easy for any team.

“I give the people time for adaptation and for making steps forward, now it’s time for them to understand that we don’t have the time to wait for some miracle.

“I know they feel a little hurt after my words, but they must be adults and take responsibi­lity as I can’t score the goal and I can’t defend.”

And Jokanovic insisted that a different boss will not change Fulham’s fortunes.

He added: “Nobody will arrive from outside of this dressing room to find the solution. Right now, the situation is in my hands and in the hands of my players. We must take responsibi­lity.”

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