Monday Fulham Stuff (16/10/17)...

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Oliver Norwood admits Fulham were not good enough in the first half against Preston

Fulham fought back from a two goal deficit to grab a last second point thanks to Norwood's penalty and Denis Odoi's final second equaliser

Oliver Norwood admits Fulham's first half performance was nowhere near good enough but was happy with a point as they drew 2-2 with Preston .

The away side started the game very well and were soon 2-0 up through Jordan Hugill and Sean Maguire as they pressed Fulham high up the pitch and forced them into error after error, something the Whites struggled to deal with.

However, Tom Cairney entered the fray at half time and Preston dropped off, allowing the hosts more time on the ball which got them back into the game, first through Norwood's penalty and then through a Denis Odoi last second equaliser.

And despite the poor first half performance, Norwood was delighted that Fulham eventually got level and grabbed a point from the tie.

He said: "I missed a sitter, completely missed the ball and misjudged it and I should've scored to put it 2-2 and Denis got me off the hook.



"We accept that the first half was nowhere near good enough and that it wasn't us but you have to give a bit of credit to Preston, they came and pressed high, were aggressive and won the ball back and didn't allow us to settle into our rhythm.

"We tweaked it a bit at half time and thought second half was a lot better and we were delighted with the point we got last minute.

"In the second half we changed our shaped and got Cairney on the ball a bit more, maybe that gave us a better grip and different positions and as I say, I'm delighted with the point."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/oliver-norwood-admits-fulham-were-13763820

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Fulham young star impresses with England at the U17 World Cup

Steven Sessegnon bagged two assists as England beat Iraq 4-0 to qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup in India

Fulham's young star Steven Sessegnon impressed in England's 4-0 win against Iraq at the U17 World Cup on Saturday as the Young Lions won 4-0.

The 17-year-old started England's final group game in Group F and showed everyone why the two Sessegnon twins are so highly rated at Fulham as he bagged himself two assists.

First, the youngster had a part to play in the opener when Sessegnon played a great pass to Nya Kirby, who stuck the ball across the six-yard box for Angel Gomes to slot home, who also got England's second.

Sessegnon then grabbed himself his first assist of the evening when he went on a brilliant run before feeding the ball to Danny Loader who made it three for the Young Lions.



It was then a second assists for the Fulham man when Iraq cleared a free kick out to him, but he took his time and slipped the ball into Loader once again who finished for England.

England will now play Japan in the last 16 on October 17, with the winner of that game facing either Paraguay or the USA.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-young-star-impresses-england-13764025

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham were outmuscled by a strong Preston side and that could prove to be their weakness this season

Preston were relentless in their press and Fulham struggled - if teams start to do that against the Whites it could start to become tricky

Fulham will be pleased that they managed to salvage a point from yesterday's game with Preston , but there are warning signs that must be heeded from that first half display.

Preston were physical, relentless and extremely fit and Fulham didn't know what to do to combat that in those first 45 minutes - there was no space in the midfield and anything that went near the away side's box was snuffed out by at least two players.

Let's be brutally honest - Slavisa Jokanovic's side were dreadful in the first 45.

There were mix-ups, players weren't on the same wavelength and Ben Pearson was causing havoc along with Daniel Johnson in the midfield.

It was the first time this season a team have come to the Cottage and not sat back - Alex Neil's side were in Fulham's faces from the start, right up until the 60th minute when he brought Pearson off and sat back.

If they had continued pressing high, I don't think Fulham would've come back like they did and that in itself is a warning that Jokanovic and his men must heed.



We all know Fulham aren't a physical side, you just need to look at them when they're shaking hands with the opposition before the game that they aren't the biggest of teams, they pride themselves on their style of football and rightly so.

However, when a strong side like Preston match you in the middle of the pitch, you need to stand up and be counted and Fulham didn't do that in the first 45.

Stefan Johansen was too easily snuffed out by Preston's midfield and Oliver Norwood found he had no space at all to turn and pick a pass and was dispossessed a number of times in dangerous areas.

The only one who could hold his head high after that was Kevin McDonald, who looked to get on the ball and did a good job harrying Preston's forward line.

Neil's side have figured out the way to stop Fulham, and although every team won't have the fitness or players capable of doing what they did, teams will know from watching the footage back that snuffing out Fulham's midfield with deep lying midfielders will cut supply lines and render them useless.





It was fortunate that Sean Maguire was forced off through injury too, he was causing all sorts of the problems down the left, assisting and scoring the second and I feel if he was on for the second half, he would've scored some of the chances Josh Harrop missed.

Ipswich were a side that attempted to be physical but they didn't have the players capable of harassing Fulham like Preston did and the Whites were able to pick off the space that the high press can sometimes allow.

Not every side will play like Preston, but I think yesterday showed that if Fulham one huge weakness in their side, coming up against a fit, physical side like Neil's is it.

It's a lesson learned, Fulham fought back as Preston sat off and they got a point from the game and they know going forward how to deal with such a ferocious press, but if they play like they did in that first 45 minutes they may not be so lucky next time.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-were-outmuscled-strong-preston-13764067

[WhiteJC]

 
Slavisa Jokanovic praises Preston North End after thrilling draw

Fulham head coach Slavisa Jokanovic has told the Lancashire Evening Post that he thought Preston North End were a great side after his team drew 2-2 with them.

The Lilywhites have surprised many this season by challenging for a place in the Sky Bet Championship play-offs this season despite losing Simon Grayson as their head coach and they would have hoped to get a win when they went away to Fulham. But the Cottagers are also hoping to rise up the Championship table and were equally hopefully of getting all three points.

It was Preston who looked most likely to get the win though as they raced to a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Jordan Hugill and Sean Maguire. However Fulham would fight back and a penalty from Oliver Norwood would allow Denis Odoi to score a dramatic 96th minute winner to make sure both teams went home with a point.

Jokanovic was very impressed with his opponents though, saying: "They didn't surprise us, we know they are one of the best teams off the ball,"

"We are one of the best teams on the ball."

The Lilywhites have surprised many this season by challenging for a place in the Sky Bet Championship play-offs this season despite losing Simon Grayson as their head coach and they would have hoped to get a win when they went away to Fulham. But the Cottagers are also hoping to rise up the Championship table and were equally hopefully of getting all three points.

It was Preston who looked most likely to get the win though as they raced to a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Jordan Hugill and Sean Maguire. However Fulham would fight back and a penalty from Oliver Norwood would allow Denis Odoi to score a dramatic 96th minute winner to make sure both teams went home with a point.

Jokanovic was very impressed with his opponents though, saying: "They didn't surprise us, we know they are one of the best teams off the ball,"

"We are one of the best teams on the ball."



http://the72.co.uk/92922/slavisa-jokanovic-praises-preston-north-end-thrilling-draw/

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Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic gives update on Ryan Fredericks after missing Preston game through injury

The fullback missed the draw with Preston with a foot injury and his boss has given an update on when the club expect him to return from injury

Slavisa Jokanovic has revealed that Ryan Fredericks missed Fulham's 2-2 draw with Preston as a result of a foot injury and hopes he will be available for the Bolton game.

The ever versatile Denis Odoi stepped into the void left by Fredericks and produced a decent display as he grabbed the late equaliser, even if he didn't provide the same attacking threat that the injured man does.

Odoi has found himself playing across the entire backline this season, having played his usual left back position as well as centre back when Tomas Kalas was suspended at Leeds and he may be called upon again at Villa Park if Fredericks doesn't recover in time.

Speaking after the game, Jokanovic said: "He has a foot problem and we expect him to be available soon, if not for for the next game then probably for when we play against Bolton at home."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-boss-slavisa-jokanovic-gives-13764482

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'Do we need a striker or two?' – Fulham react to manager's tweet after late draw

Fulham rescued a point at home to high-flying Preston North End after Denis Odoi's stoppage time goal earned them a 2-2 draw.

The home side had to come from two goals down to gain a share of the spoils but another positive was the return of talismanic captain Tom Cairney off the bench from injury.

Fulham showed impressive character against a hard working side who have ruffled a few feathers in the second tier this season and manager Slavisa Jokanovic took to Twitter after the match to give his view on proceedings.

He praised his side's second half display and their team spirit, desire and ambition and called on his side to move forward.

It was another lesson for his side on how to deal with sides who work hard off the ball to negate Fulham's passing game.

The return of Cairney should add some extra zip and help them deal with the packed defences they regularly face at home.

Fulham fans reacted largely by praising their side's second half display, although there were some who seem concerned that results are not matching performances and goals are still an issue.




https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/do-we-need-a-striker-or-two-fulham-react-to-managers-tweet-after-late-draw/

[WhiteJC]

Slav salutes Fulham's fightback
by Dan on October 15, 2017

Slavisa Jokanovic hailed his side's fighting spirit after Fulham fought back from a disastrous start against Preston North End to clinch a precious point with almost the last kick of a see-saw contest.

The visitors raced into a two-goal lead courtesy of Jordan Hugill and Sean Maguire and there were periods in the first half were it looked as though Fulham would be overwhelmed. Jokanovic was pleased with his players responded to adversity and refused to accept they were beaten, telling his post-match press conference:

    In the second half, we connected with a few more passes, held the ball more and took more risks. We showed great personality and character on the pitch. We started to play with more confidence and personality. It's important that we recovered.

    Generally, our plan didn't work well in the first half, but in the end we created many chances. We've lost a few points at home late on, but today, we won one point in the last minute, so we must be satisfied. In my opinion, we deserved a point.

The Fulham head coach hailed the immediate impact of the returning Tom Cairney, who featured for the first time since the end of August and should be able to lead the Whites out at Villa Park next weekend.

    We found some help from Tom Cairney, who in the first two minutes connected with a few key passes. We didn't use Tom at the start of the season because of a few complications, but he completed some work in the last session and we expect him to be available for the game that is in front of us.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/10/slav-salutes-fulhams-fightback/

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How Aston Villa respond against Fulham after Wolves set-back will be a measure of promotion credentials

Another weekend, another freak set of results in the Championship.

Or are we just seeing teams in this division levelling out?

Incredibly, ten of the top 12 teams dropped points while the bottom seven all avoided defeat on a weekend where the bookmakers were the only real winners.

Out of the 11 second-tier games on Friday and Saturday, five ended all-square, and five more were decided by a single goal.

Wolves' 2-0 win over Villa was the only convincing victory and rather fittingly highlights how Nuno Espirito Santo's men are leading the way right now.

They are the stand-out team in the division and you can only see them getting better.

Where that leaves Villa is up for debate.

They were easily beaten and must find as response against Fulham, the best away team in the division, who visit Villa Park on Saturday.

The outcome of that game will determine whether defeat at Wolves was a blip, or whether Villa are not quite cut out for this automatic promotion assault.

"For us, it's about getting ready for next week," warned boss Steve Bruce.

"We were beaten by the better team at Wolves so we need to dust ourselves down and get on with the next game."

Bruce knows more about the inner-workings of the Championship than most.

After all, he's masterminded more promotions out of this division than any other manager, so his words carry with them a significant weight.

"There's a long way to go. There's a long winter ahead," he said.

"It's all to play for. There's 30-odd games to play and it's all still all ahead of us.

"But on this occasion we have to go again.

"I still feel that the season only really gets going when the yellow ball comes out.

"Being top of the table doesn't mean anything in September or October. You have to be there when the daffodils come out."

Asked whether Wolves can stay at the top following their win over Villa, Bruce replied:

"I'm not really interested in that.

"They're a good side. They've invested heavily over the last 12 months and they've got some momentum going.

"They've got very good players at the top end and there's a big winter ahead.

"There's some very good teams in the division and Wolves are one of them."



http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-aston-villa-respond-against-13765023

[WhiteJC]

Sessegnon stars as England U17s reach World Cup second round
by Dan on October 15, 2017

Steven Sessegnon starred as England U17 romped to a 4-0 win over Iraq in their final World Cup group game and made sure of a place in the second phase.

The Fulham youngster, who has had to wait patiently for his opportunity at this tournament, made two goals and a had a hand in one move. He supplied a lovely pass for Nya Kirby, whose cross was expertly converted by Angel Gomes. A storming solo run from Sessegnon and well-timed release of possession created the Young Lions' third for Danny Loader and he took his time after intercepting a half-cleared free-kick before locating Loader again for England's fourth.

Sessegnon, who has made two senior appearances for Fulham having made his debut at Wycombe Wanderers back in August, might have done enough to force his way into the England starting line-up for Tuesday's last sixteen meeting with Japan.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/10/sessegnon-stars-as-england-u17s-reach-world-cup-second-round/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham captain Tom Cairney admits frustration as he continues to struggle with knee injury

The Fulham skipper has been out since August as a result of a knee injury and he admits the recovery has been difficult and that he still isn't 100%

Tom Cairney admits he's hoping that he will wake up one morning and the knee injury that has plagued him all season will have disappeared, but for now it's all about managing the injury.

The Fulham skipper has been plagued by the knee injury since pre-season and has been missing since the 2-0 victory over Ipswich, but made his return to the first team as a half time sub on Saturday afternoon.

Although the Whites came back from a two-goal deficit, Cairney very much looked like he was still in second gear with that knee injury still causing him some problems throughout the 45 minutes he played against Preston.

Cairney isn't worried about the injury long-term, but is frustrated with the injury after having the season of his life last term when Fulham reached the play-offs and he wants to be able to kick on and pick up where he left off.

He said: "It's a strange one, it's like a constant pain that I can't get rid of but we're working really hard behind the scenes and off the pitch trying to sort it out, but it's difficult.

"I'm not worried about long term, I think once it goes it'll go but as you know I've been off the pitch a lot this season and it's just been so frustrating and I just want to get it right like I did last year.

"Maybe it wasn't in his plans [to come on] but we were 2-0 down and I think he wanted to get the extra man in midfield because it was man for man and I think you could tell they didn't know what to do in the first 15 when we changed it and we got some more momentum and the crowd got up and that changed the game.

"I'm just hoping one day I'll wake up soon and it'll be gone - it's been very frustrating since pre-season and as everyone knows I tried to play with it at the start and it was difficult.



"My last game was against Ipswich, which I played well but there was a couple of days after where I was really struggling so we'll see how I feel after this and take it from there.

"After last season I just wanted to kick on again and that's why its been so frustrating and difficult from watching the game up there and on the sideline today but there's no feeling like getting out there today, with a bad knee or not."

Cairney has found that he has had a lot of time to himself while recovering from his knee injury, and the stuff the Fulham captain has been doing in his recovery periods may not be as high tech as you may think.

He added: "I've been just watching box sets at home with frozen peas on my knees, that's about as high tech as it gets.

"All I've done is this week in the last six weeks, my fitness levels aren't where they should be but I've tried to watch what I eat when I'm injured and worked really hard and a bit of last week and I was well enough to play 45.

"I feel quite tired now but I've got a lot of adrenaline now after a last minute equaliser."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-captain-tom-cairney-admits-13764204