Aleksandar Mitrovic has taken a dig at Rafa Benitez by saying that Fulham play a more enjoyable style of football compared to Newcastle.
Three goals in as many games, including the winner at Derby County on Saturday, has reinvigorated Mitrovic after a difficult season that saw the Serbia international frozen out by Benitez before joining Fulham on loan.
The 23-year-old has made six appearances in just over a month for the Cottagers as they chase promotion from the Championship, just one fewer than he was afforded at United during the entire first half of the campaign.
Mitrovic is clearly relishing working under fellow countryman Slavisa Jokanovic at Craven Cottage and aimed a sly jibe at Benitez by praising the freedom that Fulham play with compared to the conservative style employed by the United boss on the way to winning the second-tier last term.
“It’s a different style we play here,” he explained to the Daily Mail. “The players enjoy the football more than last season with Newcastle, where we knew how we wanted to play, we always played on the results — that’s it.
“This season, this team, we always try to score more goals than the opponent. Newcastle was more tactically [set up].
“We didn’t play as much attacking football as we play now. Obviously, it worked because Newcastle were promoted last season. I hope we are promoted again with Fulham.”
Mitrovic’s comments are unlikely to go down well with Benitez considering he lost all trust in the Serbian striker following a retrospective ban for elbowing Manuel Lanzini during the victory over West Ham in August.
