Slavisa Jokanovic Promises to Be Hard on His Players During Fulham's Premier League Return

Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic has insisted he won't show sympathy towards those who earned Fulham promotion last campaign as he prepares for ruthless approach this season.

The west London side are preparing for their first season back in the Premier League since 2014 after securing promotion back to England's top flight last season. They defeated Aston Villa 1-0 in the Championship playoff final and Fulham fans will be feeling well-equipped heading into the new season after a very busy transfer window.

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They signed 12 players over the summer - including five deadline day additions - and became the first newly promoted side to ever spend over £100m in a transfer window, which suggests we may be set to see a rather different side for their opening game of the season to that which played the playoff final at the end of last season.

There will be plenty of competition for places, however when asked by the Telegraph how he plans to keep everyone happy, Jokanovic admitted he doesn't have to try and make people happy and that he is looking for his team to push hard this season. He revealed: "I am not Santa Claus. I do not need to make anyone happy.

"I try to make it hard and great competition between my players. It will be hard for all the players to have an opportunity to be a Premier League player. I need them to compete daily to be ready for a harder competition at the end of the week. It's not a question of enjoying, to be a professional player is about hard work and they must be ready to push hard."

Fulham will kick off their Premier League campaign on Saturday afternoon when they host Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage, and fans will be optimistic heading into what promises to be a thoroughly entertaining season for the Whites.