If Slaven Bilic is sacked by West Ham then there is every reason to believe Slavisa Jokanovic could be a real success if poached from Fulham.
Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic.
Ahead of the 2016/17 Championship season Fulham were being tipped by some to be relegated, having only avoided the drop by two places the previous season after manager Slavisa Jokanovic took over in December.
They certainly weren’t considered among the promotion favourites, yet a fast-paced and attacking style under Jokanovic (the Cottagers were joint topscorers in the division with champions Newcastle United and Norwich City with 85 goals) saw them finish sixth, eventually eliminated from the playoffs over two semi-final legs against Reading.
Lucas Piazon celebrates scoring during the Sky Bet Championship match between Reading and Fulham.
This impressive feat saw the Serb catch many an eye, particularly at West Ham United, who have been long-term admirers of the 49-year-old and according to the Express are considering him as a replacement for current boss Slaven Bilic – whose own position is under threat after losing all three of the Hammers’ Premier League matches to date in 2017/18.
Jokanovic may not have managed in the English top flight as yet, but does have significant experience in the country having also guided Watford to promotion in 2015 and there is every reason to think he could be a success at the London Stadium.
Fans arrive at the stadium prior to kickoff during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Not least because the former Yugoslavia international would be backed by a board who according to the Telegraph were the tenth biggest spenders in the division this summer, just behind Leicester City on £48.7m worth of outgoings on the likes of Marko Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez and Joe Hart.
Quite a change from what Jokanovic has experienced at Craven Cottage in recent times, with him complaining in a press conference back in May that; “my role is completely ignored in recruitment this year.” And this was before the West London club sold Sone Aluko to the Royals against his wishes, as reported by the Daily Mail.
It seems that every day is a battle for Jokanovic currently and while his side’s start this term has been solid but unremarkable with six points from five league matches and just the one defeat, his achievements against the odds last campaign cannot be forgotten.
Bilic’s position has been shaky for over a year now and if the West Ham board are to sack the Croatian, then perhaps Jokanovic finally deserves his chance in the big time where his attacking style could be facilitated by some real talent that look lost at the moment under the current regime.
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