Opinion: This manager vs recruitment debacle must stop

Another transfer window, another Slavisa Jokanovic press conference where the Fulham head coach reveals he isn't happy with the way things are done recruitment-wise.

After the sacking of Craig Kline, the notorious assistant director of football operations, there was an air of hope around the Cottage that these outbursts, which have been all too common in the past, would stay there.

But today's press conference proved differently, as Jokanovic launched a furious tirade regarding transfers at the club, issuing a 'back me or sack me' ultimatum over his view that the Fulham side isn't strong enough to achieve their targets.

It was unexpected to say the least - just last week the 49-year-old said that he wanted to add three new players to the squad, with no inkling that anything was amiss behind the scenes once again.

Today's presser seemed no different, with Jokanovic in good form over Aboubakar Kamara's recent goal glut, for which he said there is no magic button to switch on and off for form, while also answering questions over Ryan Sessegnon and whether he would be rested for the Southampton tie.

But at the mention of the magic words 'transfer window' the press conference turned on it's head, with Jokanovic's talk of "sacking me could be a good option for the club" putting the room into a state of shocked silence.

We know that he has a tendency to use us, the press, to vent his frustrations about the club's recruitment policy - he did it in his first summer and he did it at the beginning of this season with Sone Aluko, but you would've hoped after the Kline sacking and the introduction of James Lovell into the recruitment department that it would've stopped.

But it seems that this window could well be the same as every other Fulham fans have had to endure since Jokanovic and Tony Khan's recruitment department stopped seeing eye-to-eye (if they ever did in the first place).

Fulham 4-1 Ipswich Town

Let's look at it from both points of view - Jokanovic, like most fans and myself, feel Fulham need to strengthen in January in order to achieve promotion to the Premier League - the club need a central defender and could do with another striker in my eyes, while a left back would also be a good addition.

The recruitment department, on the other hand, hold the view that the squad is good enough to get promoted and will move in the transfer window and improve the squad only if the right options become available.

They are also not looking to sell any of the Fulham players, including Sessegnon - something that Jokanovic also thinks is important should the club wish to get promoted.

You can certainly see where Jokanovic is coming from, it's by far the majority view and considering he works with the players every day, he's in the best position to see what needs strengthening.

Not seeing eye-to-eye: Slavisa Jokanovic with Tony Khan (Image: Fulham FC)

However, the club invested heavily in the summer on players, adding 11 new faces, and don't want to sign players for the sake of signing someone.

It's disgraceful that this has been allowed to play out again during a transfer window.

Whether it's a lack of communication from both sides, or just a disagreement, this is becoming the norm in the transfer window and is creating an image that Fulham are a club in crisis behind the scenes.

Someone, whether that be Jokanovic or Tony Khan, needs to take the initiative here and stop the wheel as it were - having this kind of stuff come up in every transfer window is not good for the image of the club.

It shouldn't be that hard to do - other football clubs seem to be able to find the balance between keeping the manager happy and using a recruitment team, so why are Fulham finding it so difficult?