Slavisa Jokanovic has rejected suggestions Fulham is seeking to copy Manchester City's style.
After losing its first two matches on its Premier League return, Fulham bounced back by beating Burnley and draw at Brighton and Hove Albion.
The side face a sterner test on Saturday when it travels to the Etihad Stadium to face champion City, a team to which Fulham has been compared due to their commitment to possession football.
However, Jokanovic said comparisons between him and City boss Pep Guardiola are wide of the mark.
"I don't use his style, I use my style and my players," Jokanovic told a news conference.
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"We cannot compare, he's one of the most successful managers, he showed similar style and it's possible to play the way his team [do] in this competition. All the credit for him, he made a really important step for this game.
"But copying is normally bad – copy, and it's not easy to catch this level that they show us is possible. We try to find our way and adapt ourselves and interpret what we can do to have the opportunity to win the game."
Jokanovic has two promotions to the Premier League on his record but the Serbian is managing in the top flight for the first time, having left Watford for Maccabi Tel Aviv after leading the Hornets out of the Championship in 2015.
However, he maintains he has a lot to learn at the highest level.
"I am a young manager and will have many tests," Jokanovic added. "This is one important game. This team has been built [over] a few years and have spent less money than us this window but because they spent before. I expect we will be successful and spend less next season.
"We need to adapt ourselves for the Premier League. There's a great history behind this team, and they are making the steps to be competitive in the Champions League."
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