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Slavisa Jokanovic insists Fulham will be mentally ready for the play-offs despite admitting his side had lost confidence in a bitter final-day defeat at Birmingham.
The Whites missed out on automatic promotion after failing to better Cardiff’s draw against Reading, and now face Derby County in the semi-finals hoping to avoid a repeat of last season’s heartbreak against the Royals.
Jokanovic admitted last week that his players were feeling under pressure and, after losing 3-1 at St Andrews, he said: “We weren’t confident or comfortable on the pitch.
“All teams are under pressure, whether its promotion or relegation. They did a better job than us. We need to be calm and confident. We played well so many times this season. We need to accept this wasn’t our best performance and be ready for the next stage.
“We are not disappointed because we are in the play-offs. We are disappointed because we lost a great chance to win the game. But we must be strong and ready for the next challenge.
“We are more experienced now. This is the second time we are in the play-offs, we are a good team and can perform better than today. We can find more pace and create more chances, and be more solid on the defensive side.
“This is the target for us in the few days. We must be strong, adult, and ready to compete.”