Slavisa Jokanovic lavishes praises on Aleksandar Mitrovic in today’s Evening Standard – ridiculing both the notion that the Serbian striker couldn’t score goals in the Premier League or that he is unprofessional.
Jokanovic, who brought Mitrovic to Craven Cottage in 2018, is in no doubt that the forward, who has plundered 35 goals already this season, can flourish at the highest level.
“I think he’s a player who could play for a top club. He could be someone like Lukaku or Giroud, but he’s not a player who can play on the counter-attack.
He needs to be in a team that dominates games and gets him in the box, he needs to be in and around the opposition’s box. I think that’s the key to the difference in his performance levels in the Championship and the Premier League. He needs to be in a team that plays to his qualities.
The former Fulham coach also saluted Mitrovic’s work ethic after he had was frozen out by Scott Parker last season.
“He’s extremely professional and very hard-working. He came to Fulham wanting to succeed. I never had any problems with him. In fact, when he joined, he said to me: ‘Boss, I’m not going to do anything crazy.’ When we started to train, you could instantly tell that he was a top player with real quality.”
