Why Slavisa Jokanovic Is A Good Managerial Option For Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace have reportedly made Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic as their top target after Sam Allardyce’s surprise exit earlier this month.
Big Sam replaced Alan Pardew as the Eagles’ boss in December last year and led the team to eight wins from 21 games in charge to help them avoid relegation and finish 14th in the Premier League, before quitting in shocking circumstances, citing personal reasons.
In a statement, the former England boss said:
“I want to be able to savour life while I am still relatively young, and when I am still relatively healthy enough to do all the things I want to do, like travel, spend more time with my family and grandchildren without the huge pressure that comes with being a football manager.
“This is the right time for me. I simply want to be able to enjoy all the things you cannot really enjoy with the 24/7 demands of managing any football club, let alone one in the Premier League.”
Palace have been on the hunt for a new manager and have reportedly made Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic as their primary target as per reports. Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish sees the Serbian as the right man to take the club in the right direction after Allardyce’s shock exit.
The 48-year old Jokanovic did a fine job at Fulham last year and a half, having taken over the reins at the club back in December 2015.
Jokanovic, a footballer himself, started out his managerial career with Serbian club Partizan Belgrade midway through the 2007/08 season and led the club to a domestic double in his very first season in charge. He completed another double in the subsequent season, before leaving the club in September 2009.
After a three-year hiatus, Jokanovic returned to management with Thailand based club Muangthong United FC and led them to the Thai Premier League title, finishing the season unbeaten. He joined Bulgarian club Levski Sofia in July 2013, but was released of his duties a few months later due to poor results. A short spell with Spanish club Hercules followed thereafter.
Jokanovic was given the reins of Watford FC in October 2014. The Hornets were in the Championship back then and Jokanovic was the person who led them to promotion to the Premier League, just missing out on the Championship title in the final game of the season. However, a failure to agree terms on a new deal meant he was let go after promotion. A six month stint with Maccabi Tel Aviv came afterwards, before he was appointed the Fulham boss for the second half of the 2015/16 season.
After finishing in 20th in his half season with the club, he turned Fulham from also-rans to one of the most feared sides in the Championship this year as they just missed out on promotion to the Premier League, after finishing in the playoff positions.
Jokanovic turned Fulham into a fluid, well-gelled attacking unit this past year. The Cottagers finished the season with the second-highest number of goals in the second tier (80). They had the most shots at goal (696), attempted (24065) and completed the most number of passes (20262) with the best accuracy in the league (84%). They had the best possession in the competition too (57%) and created the most number of chances as well (523).
To dominate almost all the attacking facets of the game in the Championship, just a season after they were on the cusp of relegation, indicates the kind of work the Serbian has put in. So, it is no surprise that someone who is able to turn things around so drastically in such a short time, is on the top of the list for Palace.
Jokanovic has adapted a free-flowing attacking approach at Fulham and has shown that he isn’t afraid to back the young talents coming through the academies – Ryan Sessegnon is the prime example of his trust in youth.
Someone who has won titles during his career, has had a variety of experience across the world and has proven himself in England as well, that too with his teams playing an attractive brand of football, he would be ideal for Crystal Palace. The quality squad that Palace have, they deserve to be much higher in the table and Jokanovic could be the man to lead them there, having pulled off something similar with Fulham.
Palace will need to convince him to leave Fulham and will also need to pay a £5 million compensation. But if they manage to sign him ahead of the next season, things will definitely turn around at the Selhurst Park.
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