Tuesday Fulham Stuff (26/09/17)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton looking forward to facing 'brave' Fulham side

The Forest boss believes both sides are very similar and that Fulham are a formidable challenge ahead of the tie tonight

Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton has revealed he is looking forward to a high-quality encounter against a 'brave' Fulham side tonight at the City Ground.

Fulham travel to the midlands this evening to face Forest on the back of a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough, which saw the Whites concede moments after taking the lead once again - the sixth point they've dropped from a winning position this season.

Warburton wants his Forest side to try and dominate the games they play in, similar to how Slavisa Jokanovic wants his side to play, and the Forest boss is expecting a formidable challenge against Fulham tonight.

He said: "We have an important week ahead of us and we face two formidable challenges. It is important for us to try and dominate the football and get the results we are looking for.

"Fulham are a good footballing team, they like to move the ball, are dangerous in possession, have players who can hurt you but it should suit us and we are looking forward to what should be a high-quality encounter.

"Fulham are brave, they take risks and we know what we face. We are very similar and we are frustrated after Saturday but we have to move on quickly such are the demands of this league.

"The quick turnaround is good and it challenges the squad, on and off the field. You have to move on; there is no feeling sorry for yourself or hangover as you can't afford to. Games come thick and fast and you have to be prepared for each and every fixture."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/nottingham-forest-manager-mark-warburton-13674200

[WhiteJC]

 
Rafa Soares makes first Fulham appearances as U23 side are battered by Blackburn Rovers

The Porto man and Luca de la Torre both made their comebacks from injury as Peter Grant's side lost 4-0 at the Lancashire FA ground

Rafa Soares lasted just over 60 minutes in his first appearance in a Fulham shirt as the U23 side were battered 4-0 by Blackburn in their PL2 tie.

The 22-year-old left back was singed on loan from Porto in the summer but has yet to make an appearance for the first team as a result of an ankle injury, which the club were aware of when they signed him.

He had returned to training with the U23 side last week and made his bow last night as Peter Grant's team lost 4-0 to Blackburn at the Lancashire FA ground.

Goals from Callum Wright, Joe Nuttall, Joe Rankin-Costello and Lewis Mansell ensured it was another defeat for the side, who have won just the once so far this season.

Meanwhile, Luca de la Torre also played an hour as he made his comeback from injury, but there was a serious injury for Isaac Pearce who was stretchered off and taken to hospital.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rafa-soares-makes-first-fulham-13674353

[WhiteJC]

 
Sess' World Cup Call

Steven Sessegnon has been named in the England squad for the Under-17 World Cup which takes place in India next month.

It continues his impressive 2017/18 campaign, which has already seen him make two appearances for Fulham's First Team.

England are up against Chile, Mexico and Iraq in the First Round, which will be based in Kolkata.

They will travel to India this week for a pre-World Cup training camp in Mumbai, where they will play a warm-up game with New Zealand on Sunday 1st October.

After that, they will transfer to their base for the group stages in Kolkata where they open their World Cup campaign against Chile on Sunday 8 October.

Their second game will see them up against Mexico three days later before their final group game with Iraq which will be played on Saturday 14 October.

Full squad

Goalkeepers: Curtis Anderson (Manchester City), Josef Bursik (Stoke City), William Crelin (Fleetwood Town)

Defenders: Timothy Eyoma (Tottenham Hotspur), Joel Latibeaudiere (Manchester City), Marc Guéhi (Chelsea), Jonathan Panzo (Chelsea), Lewis Gibson (Everton), Steven Sessegnon (Fulham), Morgan Gibbs White (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Tashan Oakley Boothe (Tottenham Hotspur)           

Midfielders: Conor Gallagher (Chelsea),  Angel Gomes (Manchester United), Nya Kirby (Crystal Palace), George McEachran (Chelsea)

Forwards:  Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Callum Hudson Odoi (Chelsea), Philip Foden (Manchester City), Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal), Rhian Brewster (Liverpool), Danny Loader (Reading)



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/september/26/steven-sessegnon-world-cup-call

[WhiteJC]

 
Preview: Fulham (H)

Fulham are the visitors to The City Ground tonight as Nottingham Forest seek to get back to winning ways in the Sky Bet Championship.

Mark Warburton's side fell to defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday but will be returning to Trentside keen to bounce back.

Fulham have had an underwhelming start to the season after last year's play-off semi-final defeat. The Cottagers sit in the bottom half of the table heading into the match and Slavisa Jokanovic will be wanting more from his side if they are to challenge near the top again.

See what boss Mark Warburton had to say ahead of the game here.

Team news
David Vaughan has been stepping up his recovery and is nearing a return but tonight's game will be too soon. Jamie Ward, Matty Cash and Chris Cohen remain sidelined while Danny Fox is a slight doubt.

From the opposition
Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic said his side must have faith in their playing style and they will start picking up more consistent results.

Speaking after the draw against Middlesbrough, he said: "First of all we are a different team to last season, we are unlucky with many, many injured people at the beginning of the Championship and today we lost Floyd Ayité who is an important player for us.

"At the end this is the third time where we arrived with a few minutes with some kind of advantage and we didn't win the game.

"We arrived from one poor game against Burton, I know in the end the only important thing is our results and we haven't made enough good results to show Craven Cottage.

"I believe we played better football, I believe we played with our characteristics and I believe also we created enough things to not only score one goal but to score more goals.

"People say where is plan B, C and D but I don't believe these are better than plan A and in this moment we are going to try and follow in this style.

"I must be satisfied with the fight in my team and I must be satisfied with the performance against one of the top teams in the league but unfortunately we are disappointed because of one important situation in our box and we didn't make a good enough job and we paid an important price."

One to watch - Stefan Johansen
Norwegian midfielder Stefan Johansen is a key player in the Fulham midfield and is crucial to the way that Slavisa Jokanovic wants his side to play.

The 26-year-old is a technically-gifted player and his playmaking ability keeps The Cottagers ticking in midfield.

Johansen joined Fulham from Celtic in August 2016. The Norway international started his career at Bodo/Glimt and featured for Stromsgodset from 2011-2013 before his move to British football in January 2014.




https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/news/2017/september/preview-fulham-h/

[WhiteJC]

 
Warburton reveals what Nottingham Forest are planning to do against Fulham tonight to ensure win

As quoted by The Nottingham Post, Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton has said that he wants his side to dominate in order to beat Fulham tonight as they face off at the City Ground.

After a good start to proceedings this year, Forest have struggled in recent weeks to keep their form up and losses against the likes of Aston Villa have seen them slip down the table.

For sure, though, there is still more than enough time for them to climb back up this season and that could all start with a morale-boosting win over the men from west London this evening.

And speaking ahead of that game, as well as looking ahead to their clash with Sheffield United coming up, the Reds manager said he wanted his side to dominate the ball in order to win:

"We have an important week ahead of us. Fulham and Sheffield United are two teams in form and we know we face formidable challenges again.
AdTech Ad

"But we will try to dominate the football and get the results that we are looking for."

Certainly, Forest are playing with freedom in terms of going forward but that has sometimes left them open at the back and that has cost them results.

If they can dominate possession, though, they are bound to have a good chance of getting back to winning ways.

The Verdict

Forest v Fulham should be a very open game tonight with both sides preferring to try and keep getting forward instead of shutting up shop.

And, with both sides needing a win, we could just see the side that does get the victory go on a little run to get themselves into the play-off picture.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/warburton-reveals-what-nottingham-forest-are-planning-to-do-against-fulham-tonight-to-ensure-win/

[General]

The Fulhamish Debate: Sone Aluko's Departure

Here at Fulhamish, we like to look at both sides of the equation. Few things this summer have divided Fulham's fanbase as much as the transfer of Sone Aluko, and so we thought, now that the dust has settled, that we'd take a look at whether the decision to sell our former wing wizard was the correct one.

Alex Bowmer and Jack J Collins take on the cases for the prosecution and defence, to try and settle the argument once and for all.

Alex Bowmer, Case for the Defence
In the immediate aftermath of Sone Aluko's transfer, many fans were triumphantly proclaiming that this was a great bit of business. The Nigerian is 28 and was getting increasingly criticised by some supporters for some scattergun finishing, while the club made a £7.5m profit following his departure.

It had been apparent for a while that shooting is not Aluko's forte. However, his strengths lie elsewhere. His speed and trickery often terrified opposition left-backs last season and he was happy to switch wings when required, making him difficult to mark.

His ability to elude defenders was demonstrated gloriously against Huddersfield both home and away, with a perfect marriage of speed and composure on display as he teed up Lucas Piazon in the 5-0 drubbing.

In the return game, he played a key part in the third goal, spinning away from Jonathan Hogg and Michael Hefele despite the German's best efforts and then having the presence of mind to check inside Philip Billing and lay it off to Tom Cairney.

These are just two examples of the skill and explosiveness that Sone brought to the table. Last season, he was better at that than anyone in the side. Along with our captain fantastic, he notched up ten assists during the league campaign, the joint-highest figure at the club.

Aluko was not our most consistent performer, but he was integral to our success. Composure comes in many forms and when it comes to teeing up team-mates, there are few better in this division.

His goals tally is also not as woeful as people make out. I, like many people, was left exasperated when yet another of Aluko's close-range attempts was blazed high and wide (a particularly presentable opportunity from a Fredericks cut-back at Reading in January springs to mind).

However, according to stats compiled by Squawka, his shooting accuracy was on a par with Nahki Wells and Yann Kermorgant. Neither of these players could be described as liabilities last season, yet that seemed to be how Sone was perceived by sections of the Fulham faithful.

The fact that we remember so many of his misses is testament to how good he was at finding space and getting into good positions after bamboozling defenders. While he should clearly have notched up double figures, let's not get sucked into hyperbole. His finishing was poor, but not dreadful.

Indeed, only four Fulham players managed to get over 50% of their shots on target and only one of those was a regular in the side (you guessed it, Cairney). Even Stefan Johansen and Floyd Ayite were more likely to miss the target than not.

The Super Eagle's understanding with Ryan Fredericks was also an important component of our play last season, while the former was always an option that the midfield three would eagerly look out for.

Opposition sides often found it impossible to work out whether Aluko was going to stand the defender up and dash past him or whether he was waiting for the marauding overlaps of the former Tottenham man. That link-up did not quite hit the same heights during the very early stages of this campaign, but no player before the Ipswich game really showed what they were capable of.

The fee is also a curious cause for celebration. A £7.5m profit is a very handy bit of business by the club, but there is a risk of putting profit before progress. We are now left with two right-wing options, both of whom are very promising talents but lack experience.

Neither of them have shown what they can do over the course of an entire season, with Jordan Graham's highest number of appearances in a league season being 11 at Wolves. That season saw him create 27 chances, with five of those leading to goals. Had 2015/16 not been curtailed by a knee ligament injury that kept him sidelined for 15 months, he would surely have fashioned many more openings.

If Graham can replicate that chance creation rate over a 46-game regular campaign, then Aluko will quickly be forgotten. The major caveat though is that he has not done anything close to that before and it would have been useful to have an experienced head to compete with for a spot in the starting XI, both to drive up standards and to ensure, if Graham be given the nod, that there was a proven Championship performer waiting in the wings should the Villa academy product suffer an injury.

Sheyi Ojo possesses Premier League experience, but his best season also came at the West Midlands outfit two years ago in the Championship, where he created 16 chances in 17 league games, with three assists and two goals during that spell.

The game at Portman Road showed that he's not afraid to take players on and try his luck from distance, but he still looks very raw and there were times when his decision-making let him down.

It would have been wise to have a more experienced head in the same position who can be relied on to produce consistent performances in the second tier, and who has lost none of the pace and agility that made him so deadly in 2016/17. Following the pre-season friendly defeat to Wolfsburg, Jokanovic described the prospect of selling Aluko as a "big mistake". I believe that his worries could be well-founded.

Jack J Collins, Case for the Prosecution
It's apparent to anyone that watches Fulham that our issue at the moment is not creating chances, but putting them away. For all his qualities, Sone Aluko is not the goalscorer that Fulham need at the moment, and whilst his style and ability down the right hand flank were eyecatching and produced heartstoppingly brilliant moments at times last season, the whole deal makes complete business sense from Fulham's perspective.

When you look at Aluko's statistics from last season, one thing leaps out, and that is the profligacy of his shots to goals ratio. Aluko in front of goal can be summed up in a word – wasteful.

Whilst Alex is correct in suggesting that composure comes in many forms, it would be madness to argue that on the showing of the first few games of the season, Fulham look to not be teeing up opportunities. In the Burton game alone, presentable chances within the eighteen-yard box for Johansen, Ojo and Norwood were all spurned. Fulham are still a creative force, with or without Aluko.

Whilst those moments of awe-inspiring brilliance did get fans out of their seats applauding last year, it's not as if we've suddenly been denied them. Aluko's absence should result in a starting berth most weeks for the effervescent Neeskens Kebano, who not only is just as capable of terrorising defenders with magic feet, but is also far more useful in front of goal.

This is not to say that I will not miss Sone Aluko. In fact, I loved watching Aluko play – his ability to ghost past players was sensational, and his trickery is something we have not seen at the Cottage in a regular starter for a long time. On top of that, he was clearly a popular figure around the camp, and felt an affinity for the club, something reaffirmed by his visit to Craven Cottage to watch the Hull game last Tuesday night.

Yet we live in a time where football is a business game, and getting £7.5 million for a player going into the final year of his contract and who we signed on a free, is good business whichever way you look at it. Even if it takes three players to fill the void that Aluko has left, there are more than capable deputies in the shape of Sheyi Ojo, Jordan Graham and Yohan Mollo, all of whom come with a degree of hype associated with them.

Graham in particular, has yet to be given a chance to shine, but the reaction of the Wolves faithful on loaning him out should be a good sign. There is undoubted talent there, and if the former Villa youngster can tap into Slavisa's philosophy fully then I expect him to get gametime soon. Ojo is slightly more hit and miss, but as he grows into the side he can improve on some inconsistent performances where he has shown glimpses of his clear potential.

Yohan Mollo, I feel, is perhaps the most likely candidate to fill Aluko's boots, though. The Frenchman is a showboat, just like the Nigerian, and has a natural ability to go past a player which has already been demonstrated in his games this season. Unlocking his dynamism could be the key to getting the Whites firing on all cylinders once again.

Having studied his time in France and Russia, looking at his statistics graphs (you can see them here) and talking to Russian journalists about his potential, I think that Fulham might well have a gem on our hands here, and I'm extremely excited for Mollo to get his fitness up to scratch, and to force his way into Slavisa's first XI.

With Fonte and Kamara suggesting that the False 9 system might soon be relegated to a moment in time, there is plenty of wingers to fill just two spaces, and when Rafa Soares gets to full fitness, that cohort of Ayite, Kebano, Graham, Ojo and Mollo will probably be supplemented by the wunderkind Ryan Sessegnon, leaving Slavisa with plenty of choice and plenty of competition, which will be used to drive players on further to better their game.

Only time will truly tell how much we will miss the winger, but on the showing of the first few games, there can be no doubt that profligacy is Fulham's greatest enemy, and there can be no doubt that Aluko was a harbinger of that wastefulness. If we start to look like we lack a creative spark, then the argument may have to be reopened.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2017-09-25-the-fulhamish-debate-sone-alukos-departure/

I think this sums it up perfectly.. sone was a known entity who created product and was replaced by potential which hasn't been proven to the same degree and managed to establish themselves. Am example of where statistics let the reality of the situation down. Having a player who stays fitfor an entire season and consistently performs is far better value for money than two players who aren't present for half the season. Playing against a player you know can be a real threat vs playing against a team where the threat is injured is a completely different proposition... even if considered not prolific statistics clearly show Aluko has created 4 chances a game this season (double to a third of our season game average), which would probably increase the likelihood of some of those being converted or followed up on.

Sone for me was just as potent as having the ability to turn his man and put an opposing team on the back foot than anything else. The fact he set up 10 goals and scored some too just shows he had more in his locker we just didn't value for what it was.

[WhiteJC]

 
Opposition Camp

Nottingham Forest Manager Mark Warburton says he admires Fulham's style of football ahead of tonight's game at The City Ground.

Aston Villa beat Forest 2-1 on Saturday and Warburton said his side, who have one more point than Fulham, are looking to bounce back quickly.

"We have an important week ahead of us and we face two formidable challenges," Warburton told Forest's official website. "It is important for us to try and dominate the football and get the results we are looking for. 

"Fulham are a good footballing team, they like to move the ball, are dangerous in possession, have players who can hurt you but it should suit us and we are looking forward to what should be a high-quality encounter.

"Fulham are brave, they take risks and we know what we face. We are very similar and we are frustrated after Saturday but we have to move on quickly such are the demands of this league. 

"The quick turnaround is good and it challenges the squad, on and off the field. You have to move on; there is no feeling sorry for yourself or hangover as you can't afford to. Games come thick and fast and you have to be prepared for each and every fixture."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/september/26/opposition-camp

[WhiteJC]

 
Derby & Millwall on Sale

Tickets for Fulham's home matches this November are now on sale to Season Ticket Holders and Members.

The Whites take on Derby County on Saturday 18th November (5:30pm) with tickets now exclusively available to all Season Ticket Holders and Members.

One week later the Whites welcome London rivals Millwall to SW6 on Saturday 25th November (3pm).

Priced from just £30 for adults and from £15 for juniors, supporters can now purchase up to 6 tickets per person for each match

Get behind the boys and secure your seats online today, by phone on 0203 871 0810 (opt. 1) or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/september/26/derby-and-millwall-on-sale

[WhiteJC]

 
Forest In Focus

Get ready for Fulham's trip to the City Ground with a read of all the key matchday details as we take on Nottingham Forest.
Possible opposition absentees

David Vaughan – groin injury

Jamie Ward – calf injury

Matty Cash – ankle injury

Chris Cohen – knee injury
Tickets

Fans will be able to purchase tickets on the gate, cash only, priced at £22 for adults, £16 for fans aged 65+, £12 for under-18s and £6 for under-12s.
Weather

It is a dry day in Nottingham, with temperatures of around 16 degrees at 7.45pm.
He said...

"Fulham are a good footballing team, they like to move the ball, are dangerous in possession, have players who can hurt you." – Mark Warburton, Nottingham Forest manager.
Live stream

Overseas subscribers to fulhamfctv will be able to watch a live stream of this game. Follow this link for all available packages, and head to www.fulhamfc.com/live from 7.30pm (BST) to view.
Grosvenor Casinos match odds

Forest: 9/4

Draw: 23/10

Fulham: 6/5
Previous five results

Aston Villa 2-1 Nottingham Forest (Sky Bet Championship)

Chelsea 5-1 Nottingham Forest (Carabao Cup)

Nottingham Forest 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers (Sky Bet Championship)

Sunderland 0-1 Nottingham Forest (Sky Bet Championship)

Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 Nottingham Forest (Sky Bet Championship)



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/september/26/nottingham-forest-in-focus

[WhiteJC]

Up next: Nottingham Forest (a)
by Dan on September 26, 2017

After the disappointment of defeat at Burton and the concession of another late equaliser against Middlesbrough on Saturday, Fulham will hope to get their Championship campaign back on track at Nottingham Forest this evening. Slavisa Jokanovic's side will face an inconsistent Forest outfit and don't exactly have history on their side. The Whites haven't won on the banks of the Trent since an extra-time League Cup success back in 2004 and haven't taken three points back to London from Forest since 2000, when second half strikes from Louis Saha, Fabrice Fernandes and Barry Hayles sealed Fulham's best start to a season with their seventh successive league win under Jean Tigana.

Repeating that feat would be a real boost as Fulham's season has been something of a paradox so far. It was understandable that crushing disappointment was the overriding emotion after Cyrus Christie's emphatic strike saw the Whites drop two points on Saturday, but Fulham's display against a side now unbeaten in seven games was their most complete home performance of the new campaign. Jokanovic would also have been pleased with the way that Aboubakar Kamara and Rui Fonte linked him after he threw on the French striker in search of goal – as well as the former Amiens' forward's perseverance that saw him score a superb header after spurning a glorious chance – that hints at more to come in the penalty area.

The Serbian was at points to point out after the Boro draw that this side is still a work in progress with a number of new players. Even the team that finished last season so strongly took several months to hit their stride – Fulham went seven games without a win between September and mid-October – and learning the adventurous, possession-based football that Jokanovic wants his side to play. There were signs on Saturday that Neeskens Kebano, Sheyi Ojo and Fonte were beginning to develop an understanding; especially in the final quarter of that contest, although Floyd Ayite's absence with an injured hamstring will be a blow.

Jokanovic's main choice will be whether to offer Kebano, who was outstanding in Fulham's first win of the season at Ipswich, a starting opportunity or turn to the likes of Yohan Mollo, who has been impressive in his fleeting appearances since his free transfer arrival from Russia, or Jordan Graham. There could also be a move to partner Fonte with Kamara, but Saturday's goalscoring hero will probably remain on the bench for a while. Whether Fulham can concentrate at the other end of pitch – and avoid the sloppy mistakes that have dogged a disappointing start to the campaign – will also be key.

Mark Warburton, once a serious candidate to take over at the Cottage after his surprise departure from Brentford, appears to under a little bit of pressure after four defeats from Forest's last five games. Forest have had six different managers in their last six meetings with the Whites – England legend Stuart Pearce, Dougie Freedman, Paul Williams, Frenchman Philippe Montanier, former Fulham midfielder Gary Brazil and now Warburton – and you would hope that new owner Evangelos Marinakis, with a whole of host of football experience from his time at Olympiakos, has learnt from the mistakes of Fawaz Al-Hasawi.

Warburton is expected to make changes tonight following Saturday's reverse at Aston Villa but. like Jokanovic, has urged his players that this is no time to panic and asked them to believe in the ethos he is trying to establish throughout the club. He will be without the Welsh midfielder David Vaughan, who is sidelined by a groin injury, Ben Osborn, who made a strong impression at Villa Park at the weekend, may well start alongside Liam Bridcutt in the centre of midfield, which means that Fulham's midfield three will have their work cut out.

Forest possess plenty of quality in a squad that Warburton should, given the time, have challenging the play-off places at the very least. Kieran Dowell, the highly-rated England youth midfielder, had an excellent start to his loan spell from Everton and nobody needs reminding of the quality young Ben Brereton, who scored at Craven Cottage last season and won the European Under 19 Championships alongside Ryan Sessegnon in the summer. Add to that the Championship pedigree of Daryl Murphy, who has arrived from Newcastle, and Andreas Bouchalakis' goal-getting ability from midfield and Fulham's defence will have to be disciplined and resolute. Tonight's test will represent another yardstick of where Jokanovic's troops are in what is a ruthlessly unforgiving division.

MY FULHAM XI (4-3-3): Button; Fredericks, R. Sessegnon, Kalas, Ream; McDonald, Norwood, Johansen; Ojo, Kebano, Fonte. Subs: Bettinelli, Madl, Odoi, Cisse, Mollo, Graham, Kamara.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/09/up-next-nottingham-forest-a/

[WhiteJC]

 
Nottingham Forest handed welcome boost ahead of Fulham game

As reported by The Nottingham Post, Nottingham Forest midfielder Ben Osborn is likely to start for the Reds against Fulham tonight in the Championship.

The game at the City Ground promises to be a very open affair with both sides needing to get a win on the board to boost their challenges for the top six places.

And, with both sides favouring a more attacking approach instead of playing it safe, we should see goals with Osborn likely to be part of Forest's line-up.

The young midfielder didn't start at the weekend against Aston Villa but that was only down to a minor injury, it has become apparent, and manager Mark Warburton has hinted that he'll be playing Osborn from the off this evening.

He said:

"He had some bleeding behind his nail on his toe, which can be very, very painful. But they drained it and he felt much better with the pressure being relieved.

"But I am conscious about him playing every minute of every game, because he is still a young player. We will look after him and it made sense to leave him out of the starting line-up in the circumstances.

"You saw the impact he had when he came on, however."

Indeed, it made sense to leave Osborn on the bench for that one but the impact he made when he came on at Villa Park was obvious and so it's more than likely he'll return from the off tonight.

Certainly, Forest will be hoping he puts in another good display, too, as they look for an all important three points.

The Verdict

For a young player, Osborn plays a lot of football and so Forest need to be careful that they do not burn him out.

He looked rejuvenated after half a game or so on the bench against Villa last time out, though, and so it is more than likely that the midfielder will be restored to the starting line-up.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/nottingham-forest-handed-welcome-boost-ahead-of-fulham-game/

[WhiteJC]

 
More pressure on Mark Warburton? Pundit makes his prediction ahead of Nottingham Forest v Fulham – Thoughts?

David Prutton is expecting Nottingham Forest to suffer another Sky Bet Championship defeat this evening when they face Fulham, reports Sky Sports. 

Writing in his prediction column for Sky, Prutton had predicted that Fulham will hand Mark Warburton's side a 2-1 defeat when they meet at the City Ground this evening.

Despite starting the 2017/18 campaign magnificently, and picking up three victories from their opening four fixtures, Forest have hit a worrying run of form, slipping out of the play-off places in recent weeks.

Forest enter tonight's fixture in 12th, having picked up just three points from their last five Championship fixtures, which includes back-to-back defeats against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa over the last two weeks.

Tonight's visitors to the City Ground are struggling themselves, with Slavisa Jokanovic's side currently 14th and also without a victory in their last two Championship fixtures.

A disappointing defeat to Burton Albion was followed up by a frustrating draw with Middlesbrough, where despite taking the lead late in the contest, the Cottagers were pegged back by Cyrus Christie's goal.

Prutton has highlighted the form Fulham showed last season, indicating that he is expecting Jokanovic's side to once again make a surge for the top-six at some point.

The Verdict

September has been a worrying month for Nottingham Forest and Warburton, with the Reds struggling to maintain their early season form and slipping out of the top-six.

Things aren't getting any easier for Forest, with Fulham visiting this evening.

Despite starting the season slowly, Fulham have still played an impressive brand of football, and it would be no surprise to see them pick up a victory at the City Ground.

However, despite Prutton's prediction of an away victory, we feel the points could well be shared this evening.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/more-pressure-on-mark-warburton-pundit-makes-his-prediction-ahead-of-nottingham-forest-v-fulham-thoughts/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham ace Sessegnon is heading to India

Fulham's young star Steven Sessegnon will be in international action in two weeks

Steven Sessegnon has been named in the England squad for the U17 World Cup which takes place in India next month.

England will play Chile, Mexico and Iraq in the first round, which will be based in the city of Kolkata.

Sessegnon an England will travel this week for a pre-World Cup training camp in Mumbai, where they will play a warm-up game with New Zealand this Sunday.

Then they will head to Kolkata to play open their World Cup campaign against Chile the following Sunday, October 8.

Their second game will see them up against Mexico three days later before their final group game with Iraq which will be played on Saturday 14 October.

Sessegnon has made two appearances for Fulham's first team so far this season.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-ace-sessegnon-heading-india-13676620

[WhiteJC]

 
Nottingham Forest team news: Four out, one doubtful for visit of Fulham

Nottingham Forest will be without four senior players when Fulham visit the City Ground for a Championship encounter on Tuesday night.

David Vaughan, Jamie Ward, Matty Cash and Chris Cohen are all set to miss out, whilst Danny Fox is a slight doubt, according to the club's official website.

The Reds are looking to bounce back from a run of three successive defeats in all competitions, with the most recent of those coming away to Aston Villa on Saturday.

Mark Warburton's side looked off the pace in the first half and found themselves 1-0 down at the break, but improved dramatically after the interval and found an equaliser through Daryl Murphy.

Chances to take the lead passed them by and the Villans responded with Conor Hourihane's long-range free-kick to take all three points.

Warburton will have been impressed with how his players competed in certain stages, but he will be looking for a more consistent overall performance against the Cottagers.

Vaughan is still sidelined with a groin injury and whilst he is stepping up his recovery he will not be ready in time to take the field on Tuesday.

Neither winger Ward or midfielder Cash have made an appearance for Forest so far this term, with calf and ankle issues keeping them out respectively.

Meanwhile, Cohen had minor surgery on a knee problem back in August and has no fixed date for his return.

As for Fox, he was not part of the squad that travelled to Villa Park at the weekend but may well recover from a minor niggle in time to face Fulham.

Forest started the season well with three wins from their opening four Championship fixtures, but their poor form over the last few weeks has seen them slip to 12th in the table.

They will need to win their home games to be in with a chance of the play-offs come the end of the campaign and can reignite their promotion bid by taking maximum points this evening.



https://ninetyminutesonline.com/nottingham-forest-team-news-four-one-doubtful-visit-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Three Players to Watch: Matchday 10 vs. Nottingham Forest
After losing two points against Middlesbrough, Fulham hope to move past mid-table status at the City Ground

Welp, what else is new? Fulham had a chance to seal the victory against a strong Middlesbrough side thanks to Aboubakar Kamara's first goal for the club, only for a poorly defended set piece goal to put those dreams to an end.

To make matters worse, the underlying numbers still indicate that Fulham are performing roughly as well or as poor as their results indicate. They're nothing more than a mid-table side that is missing one too many players due to injury, due to not being in form or due to the players that left. No matter the situation, Slavisa Jokanovic and his team have to make due with what they got and get the most out of the month of September with two critical games on the road. The first is at Nottingham Forest, where they are also within the same vicinity as Fulham in the Championship table.

Manager Mark Warburton initially had his team moving in the right direction by winning three of their first four games. Since then, they've lost all but one of their last five games and their underlying numbers match with what is seen on the football pitch. During these last five games, Forest have scored four goals and given up nine, while expected goals has them scoring 3.4 and giving up 7.6.

Their attack is very limited at 11.7 shots per 90 minutes despite having among the most possession in the Championship. Along with that, teams beat them on the counter-attack quite easily at a rate 16.0 shots per 90 minutes. To put things in perspective, those are almost similar shot and possession numbers to when Fulham were managed under Kit Symons. Still, the Cottagers have not business complaining about Nottingham Forest being ahead of them in the table for a reason. Here are the players that have contributed the most for Warburton at this stage of the 2017/18 campaign.

Daryl Murphy

At 34 years young, Murphy has found a way to return to his days at Ipswich where he scored 51 goals in 129 total appearances from 2013/14 to 2015/16. This season, he's put up five goals in nine games and has hit peak levels of passing accuracy (72.1%) and shots on target percentage (55.6%) among every league season whoscored.com has kept track of him.

That being said, Murphy's 27-goal season from 2014/15 happened when he averaged 3.64 total shots per 90 minutes. That number has dwindled to 2.27 shots per 90 minutes and his 27.8% goal conversion rate is almost double his usual average of 14.0%. Add the fact that he doesn't provide much else in terms of overall footballing skill set these days and things could get testy at Forest if the Irish International doesn't continue to deliver.

Barrie McKay

While there is one man scoring the goals, there has to be someone that provides the service that leads to those goals. With two tallies of his own and four assists into his first season at the City Ground, Mckay is doing just that. The 22-year Scottish International seemed to be one for the future at Rangers before having a falling out with new manager Pedro Caixinha. With that, he left for Nottingham Forest this summer to meet up with the manager that gave him his senior club debut for just £500,000.

As one of the wingers in Forest's 4-2-3-1 formation, McKay is adjusting quite well in England by leading the club with 2.37 key passes and 3.48 successful dribbles per 90 minutes. Already, his dribbling rate is sixth best among those that have made four appearances or more in the Championship. I suggest you ignore his high dispossession rate by how many times he takes people on. Thus, having 59.5% of those situations lead to successful dribbles is a more telling statistic and how staggeringly good he is with the ball at his feet. With so many years of his prime left, the world is McKay's oyster and I for one will not be surprised to see him playing in the Premier League somehow in the near future.

Joe Worrall

All data from whoscored.com

Tendayi Darikawa has also been a worthy candidate for this column because he has been sensational over at right back in both going forward and in defense this season. However, if there is one player that fits the playing style and ethos of the club, it has been the 20-year old Worrall.

After making 21 appearances last season, the England Under-21 International has now made one of the center back positions his own and he could take a strangle hold on that for a long time if he were to stay throughout his career. There are two numbers that have made Nottingham Forest elite this campaign and that has been the usage of the long ball passes (35.2 per 90 minutes with 49.0% accuracy) and their ability to block shots (4.0 per 90 minutes). Among all outfield players, Worrall leads the team in both categories (5.11 long balls and 1.67 blocked shots per 90 minutes with 54.8% long ball passing accuracy).

While getting this much playing time at such a key position at a young age, Worrall is just one of many Under-22 Nottingham Forest players doing just that. Along with Worrall and McKay regularly starting, 22-year old Jordan Smith has taken the reigns as the team's number one goalkeeper after being in the middle of a three-man battle with Stephen Henderson and Vladimir Stojkovic. Also, 19-year old Everton loanee Kieran Dowell and 18-year old Forest academy product Ben Brereton are getting plenty of minutes after successful spells in England's youth teams. While Dowell was a key member of the Under-20 World Cup winning squad, Brereton was joint leading scorer for European Champion Under-19 side.

Whether you think Forest are a good side or not, there is no denying that they are giving England's future a chance and that is something to give plenty of plaudits to. With so many of the youth national teams proving that they can not only go toe-to-toe, but beat the best from around the world, club agendas like the one Forest are initiating (and even Fulham thanks to Ryan Sessegnon) are critical for English football's future.



https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2017/9/26/16364988/three-players-to-watch-matchday-10-vs-nottingham-forest

[WhiteJC]

 
Wickes Offer

Calling all tradespeople! In partnership with the EFL, Wickes is offering its Wickes TradePro customers the chance to win a full Mitre football strip & match balls for your team.

The EFL and Wickes have teamed up to offer football teams up and down the country the opportunity to be kitted-out for the 2017/18 season, with 230 kit bundles on offer.

Wickes TradePro members will exclusively benefit from this promotion: Whether you're a current Wickes TradePro member or new to Wickes TradePro you can find out more on how to enter below.
As ever, Wickes TradePro members will also benefit from other EFL competitions throughout the course of the season.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/september/26/wickes-offer