Sunday Fulham Stuff (03/12/17)...

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Results

Friday
Cardiff	3 - 1	Norwich
Leeds	1 - 1	Aston Villa
Saturday
Bolton	3 - 1	Barnsley
Brentford	3 - 1	Fulham
Derby	1 - 0	Burton
Ipswich	4 - 2	Nottm Forest
Millwall	3 - 1	Sheff Utd
Preston NE	1 - 0	QPR
Sheff Wed	2 - 2	Hull
Sunderland	1 - 3	Reading
Bristol City	2 - 1	Middlesborough

[WhiteJC]

 
Brentford beat 10-man Fulham in absorbing derby

Brentford 3 Fulham 1

Brentford came from a goal down to win an entertaining west London derby against a Fulham side who ended with 10 men.

Neeskens Kebano had fired the Whites ahead on 25 minutes but Sergi Canos' deflected strike levelled not long afterwards.

Romaine Sawyers, who had come on in the first half for the injured Lasse Vibe, put the Bees in front before Fulham's Denis Odoi was shown a second yellow card.

Ollie Watkins confirmed victory late on as Brentford were further boosted by Lewis Macleod's first appearance since October 2016.

Fulham had started well, with Tom Cairney's left-footed shot from just outside the box being beaten away by Bees keeper Daniel Bentley.

Brentford then suffered a double blow, as first Vibe limped off and then Kebano converted Ryan Fredericks' fizzing low cross.

However, the hosts eventually kicked themselves into a higher gear and conjured an equaliser, Watkins feeding Canos, who worked his way into the box before firing home via a Fulham leg.

And early in the second half, Sawyers completed the turnaround by netting the rebound after Yoann Barbet had diverted Watkins' cross on to the post.

Odoi was dismissed on 53 minutes – the centre-back, already on a yellow card and final warning, left the referee with little choice after bodychecking Watkins.

Nico Yennaris thumped a shot just wide and Whites keeper David Button pushed away Barbet's header, while at the other end, Tom Cairney struck the crossbar as Fulham briefly threatened a revival.

Their hopes were extinguished by Brentford's third, the excellent Watkins meeting Sawyers cross.

Brentford: Bentley; Clarke, Egan, Bjelland, Barbet; Yennaris (McEachran 79), Woods, Mokotjo; Canos (Macleod 73), Vibe (Sawyers 17), Watkins.
Subs not used: Daniels, Chatzitheodoridis, Mepham, Archibald.

Fulham: Button; Fredericks, Kalas, Odoi, Sessegnon; McDonald; Norwood, Cairney; Johansen (De La Torre 77); Ojo (Graham 86), Kebano (Fonte 63).
Subs not used: Bettinelli, Djalo, Kamara, Mollo.



http://www.westlondonsport.com/brentford/brentford-beat-10-man-fulham-in-absorbing-derby

[WhiteJC]

 
Head Coach Reaction

Slaviša Jokanović regretted Fulham's slow start to the second half after going down to a 3-1 defeat at rivals Brentford.

The sides went into the break level at 1-1, but within eight minutes of the restart Romaine Sawyers had put the Bees in front, and Denis Odoi had been sent off for a second bookable offence.

"These were crucial situations in the game," Jokanović admitted. "The second Brentford goal and the red card both came in four or five minutes, and this led to many problems in the last 40 minutes.

"We didn't show a killer instinct today. We played very well in the first 45 minutes, created many things and showed the improvements that we made in the last games.

"It was complicated after we became one player less but we tried to show a reaction. We pushed, we hit the woodwork, but didn't show enough energy to change our situation.

"We found many problems after the two situations at the start of the second half. We know Brentford, Brentford know us. We played well for 45 minutes, but we started sloppily in the beginning of the second half.

"It's easy to analyse now, we conceded an easy goal and had the situation with the second yellow card for Denis Odoi. After this, it started to be really, really complicated for us. Brentford had a plan, they wanted to show improvement."

Jokanović opted to play Stefan Johansen in a false nine position, and had the following to say when quizzed on the decision: "I try to choose what is best for my team. I play with strikers, I play with fake strikers too.

"We tried to fix this kind of the problem, but at the moment I didn't fix it. I played a team that I thought was competitive, I picked the team that I thought would win the game."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/december/02/head-coach-reaction-brentford

[WhiteJC]

 
Brentford 3-1 Fulham

Brentford beat 10-man Fulham to win the west London derby and leapfrog their rivals in the Championship table.

Neeskens Kebano opened the scoring for Fulham when he prodded in Ryan Fredericks' cross at the back post.

But Brentford levelled through Sergi Canos's deflected strike and Romaine Sawyers fired in after Yoann Barbet struck the post to make it 2-1.

Denis Odoi picked up a second yellow card for bringing down Ollie Watkins, who then wrapped up the points late on.

The victory sees the Bees end a three-game winless league run and move from 14th up to 11th, while Fulham drop to 15th.

Fulham had the better of the first half and looked to be on course for a third-straight Championship win when Kebano bundled in.

But Canos' first goal since April brought the hosts level before Kamohelo Mokotjo and Oliver Norwood both spurned good chances.

Brentford took charge after the break, with Odoi's two yellow cards in 10 minutes compounding Sawyers' goal.

Nico Yennaris smashed a volley narrowly wide and Barbet's header was saved by David Button before Sawyers set up Watkins to tap in at the back post.

Brentford boss Dean Smith:
"We knew that if we pressed Fulham high they would make mistakes and as we did that our belief grew.

"The third goal was all about our knowledge and game management so it was very pleasing.

"We are nearing the midway stage now so if we remain as consistent as we have been, show the aggression and intensity we did today and turn some of the draws into wins, then we will maintain our push."

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic:
"We played well for 45 minutes, should have scored more but then gave them an easy goal.

"We started the second half very sloppy and they scored. Then we lose a player to a second yellow and that was one of the crucial decisions in the game.

"With a player less it got complicated for us, but we pushed and tried to force things but we didn't show enough energy to change the situation."



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42119758

[WhiteJC]

 
Reality check for Chris Coleman with mass walkout on his home Sunderland debut

Sunderland fans in mass desertion as Chris Coleman takes Mackems to within one game of entire season without a home win.

Chris Coleman got a real reality check on Saturday afternoon.

The new Sunderland boss was taking charge of them at home for the first time and was met by a half empty Stadium of Light.

A dismal performance against fellow strugglers Reading saw Sunderland dominated by the visitors.

A senseless red card for Callum McManaman (who assaulted Massadio Haidara in that infamous Wigan v Newcastle match) on the stroke of half-time, was quickly followed by three early second-half goals. The Stadium of Light rapidly emptying despite half the second half remaining.

Loan striker Lewis Grabban got a late consolation goal but the only real consolation for them was that Sunderland didn't return to the very bottom of the Championship.

Having beat Burton last week with late goals, the Mackems were once again indebted to their fellow strugglers as Burton conceded a late goal at Derby, which keeps Sunderland second off the bottom on goal difference.

The Mackems face league leaders Wolves away in their next game, before a home date with Fulham.

Sunderland have already smashed all kinds of records with their never-ending failure to win a home match and when they play Fulham on 16 December, it will be their very final chance to avoid the remarkable record of going a whole season without seeing a home win.

Good luck Chris Coleman – you can do it!



https://www.themag.co.uk/2017/12/reality-check-chris-coleman-mass-walkout-home-sunderland-debut-newcastle-united/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham boss stands by tactical decision

Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic said the sending-off of Denis Odoi proved the turning point in his side's 3-1 defeat against Brentford.

Odoi was walking a disciplinary tightrope having been yellow-carded in the first half and given a final warning by the referee shortly before he bodychecked Ollie Watkins.

Jokanovic refused to blame Odoi but hinted he was considering sacrificing the defender just as he made the foul that saw him dismissed.

"In one moment, we are thinking about avoiding this kind of situation and making some movement from the bench," the Whites boss said.

"But I cannot change all the players with one yellow card. At the end, the referee took this decision. It wasn't a particularly strong challenge."

Jokanovic also defended his tactical move of dropping striker Rui Fonte and playing midfielder Stefan Johansen in a so-called false nine role.

"I have played many times with a fake striker," he said.

"This is not the first time and it's probably not the last. This plan was working well. We stopped especially [Ryan] Woods from switching the ball from one side to the other.

"We played 45 minutes well. We started sloppy in the beginning of the second half.

"It's easy to make an analysis of what happened – they scored an easy goal, we can avoid this kind of situation, and then after the second yellow card for Denis Odoi it started to be really complicated for us."



http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-boss-discusses-odoi-red-card-stands-key-tactical-decision

[WhiteJC]

 
Everything Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic said in his post-Brentford press conference

Fulham went down 3-1 to Brentford at Griffin Park, here's what the manager had to say about the defeat.

Slavisa Jokanovic doesn't believe Fulham showed that killer instinct as they threw away a one goal lead to lost 3-1 to Brentford at Griffin Park.

Here's everything the gaffer had to say:

What went wrong?
"We didn't show today the killer instinct, we played very well in the first 45 and created many things

"We showed in this first 45 some improvement that we made from the last game but they scored the goal and we threw the game in four minutes.

"After one player less we tried to show some kind of reaction, we push and hit the post but didn't show enough energy."

The formation?
"I played many times with fake striker, this is not the first time and not the last for us, this plan works well and we connect enough times with them.

"This is what I expect we find during the game, but after the second half we find many problems.

"We follow the team and I try choose what is best, I play with strikers and play with phase strikers too, it's simple we are talking about this situation so many time we try to fix this problem and at the moment I didn't."

Surprised with how game changed?
"We play with a team that is more competitive and close to win the game

"At the end exists one situation before this, we are talking about second yellow and not red card, but he didn't get it for nothing.

"In general, we must interpret situations and take care, in one moment we are thinking about avoiding this situation and try make some movement for the bench

"For another side, I expect something different, I cannot change all the players with one yellow, but after the battle all the generals are clever and have different opinions."

The sending off?
"At the end, referee takes this decision and didn't be so strong or important challenge and this situation is one of the crucial ones in the game between the second Brentford goal and this situation only four or five minutes passed and in this moment we throw this game away and find so many problems in the last 40 minutes.

"I cannot be surprised about anything, this is football and we know Brentford, they know us and we play 45 minutes well and started sloppy in the beginning of this second spell and its easy to make the analysis of what happened.

They scored an easy goal and we can avoid this situation and the second yellow card for Denis Odi.

"After this it was complicated for us, don't be surprised that Brentford made what they can make it and we always play against a team, they have a plan and have improvement and want to compete, this is not too complicated."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everything-fulham-manager-slavisa-jokanovic-13986512

[WhiteJC]

 
Brentford boss felt targeting Fulham's full-backs was key

Brentford boss Dean Smith said he focused his tactics on targeting Fulham's attack-minded full-backs in the 3-1 derby victory at Griffin Park.

Sergi Canos and Ollie Watkins were told to press high on Ryan Sessegnon and Ryan Fredericks respectively and exploit any gaps left in behind.

The plan worked as both were highly influential, scoring during an impressive second half.

"We felt that their full-backs would vacate some space in behind them, and the likes of Ollie and Sergi could use that," Smith said.

"For the second half, I gave them a bit more belief about what we were doing – go and press them high, they'll make mistakes.

"I thought we certainly did that. We came out and controlled the second half."

Smith revealed a hamstring injury was behind Lasse Vibe's early substitution, which left the Bees light on strikers with Neal Maupay suspended and Justin Shaibu also carrying a knock.

But Romaine Sawyers slotted in as an auxiliary striker and Smith praised his efforts.

"Romaine's played there before. He did really well for us today," Smith said.



http://www.westlondonsport.com/brentford/brentford-boss-reveals-felt-fulhams-weaknesses

[WhiteJC]

Frail Fulham fall apart at Griffin Park
by Dan on December 2, 2017

As galling as this derby defeat appears, it is worse because Fulham were the architects of their own downfall at Griffin Park. Slavisa Jokanovic's side looked in control of this strangely subdued local skirmish once Neeskens Kebano stubbed home a low cross from Ryan Fredericks, but failed to hold onto the advantage their patient, probing passing had delivered. The visitors couldn't hold out for more than eight minutes and both Fredericks and David Button were capable as first the dangerous Sergi Canos was allowed far too much space to cut inside in the box before his deflected shot squirmed under the goalkeeper's body.

The jolt of being pegged back by Brentford's only shot on target of a largely forgettable first half turned to nothing as the Bees seized control of the contest. Dean Smith's side played at a far higher tempo after the interval and their pressure paid dividends. The lively Ollie Watkins, who had made the equaliser with a determined individual run that carried him through the Fulham defence, returned a poorly cleared set-piece into the box and – after Yohann Barbet's fierce drive came back off the base of the post – Sawyers smashed his fourth goal of the season.

The atmosphere around Griffin Park charged and Fulham looked jittery at the back. No one portrayed this sudden lack of confidence more than Denis Odoi, who had injured his knee in a challenge at the start of the second half. The Belgian inexplicably remained on the field, despite finding it difficult to run, even after he received a final warning from referee Bobby Madeley. The official eventually put Odoi out of his misery – showing the defender a second yellow after he blocked Watkins as he burst down the right flank.

Jokanovic, who had started with a curious variation on his favoured 4-3-3 with no recognised striker and Stefan Johansen as an advanced playmaker behind two wide forwards in Sheyi Ojo and Neeskens Kebano, showed little appetite for rejigging the ten men who had 37 minutes to find a response to going behind. His belated substitutions did little to alter the game's pattern and, with both Aboubakar Kamara and Yohann Mollo left on the bench throughout, invited more questions than answers.

Brentford's tails were now up. Barbet bent a free kick over the bar and Ryan Woods saw a shot deflected behind for a corner. From being in control of the contest, a fragile Fulham side were clinging on for dear life. Button batted away a Barbet header at his near post and both Watkins and the returning Lewis Macleod drove efforts into the side netting.

In a game that was becoming increasingly open, Fulham's ten men threatened sporadically on the counter attack – but every break left more space for the home side to attack. Sheyi Ojo had a header blocked and John Egan threw himself in front of a Johansen drive, but the clearest chance was fashioned by Tom Cairney after a surging run from Ryan Fredericks. The Fulham captain took aim from 20 yards and his curling shot had Dan Bentley beaten but cannoned back off the crossbar.

The visitors kept pushing forward, epitomised by young Ryan Sessegnon's raids from left back but when the teenager lost possession high up the field, Fulham's feint hopes were extinguished by a clinical Bees counter. After Woods and Kamohelo Mokotjo had played a bit of keep ball, the South African spotted the overlapping run of Sawyers down the right and his low cross was guided home by Watkins, who won't have an easier finish all season, at the back post.

Desolation had been the last thing on Fulham's mind after they had enjoyed the better of a first half that was full of pretty, passing football. Cairney tested Bentley's reflexes from the edge of the area and Ojo buzzed around the box with intent, but Jokanovic's side looked most dangerous when the full-backs advanced into full third. The goal came that way with Fredericks driving to the by-line and, even though his low cross was missed by Norwood, Kebano snaffled up the chance with glee unattended at the back stick. Fulham spurned decent chances to extend their advantage – with Bentley pushing away an Ojo drive at his near post and Norwood's drive blocked at source – and such profligacy ultimately proved costly.

BRENTFORD (4-3-3): Bentley; Barbet, Clarke, Egan, Bjelland; Mokotjo, Yennaris (J. McEachran 80), Woods; Watkins, Canos (Macleod 72), Vibe (Sawyers 17). Subs (not used): Daniels, Mepham, Chatzitheodoridis, Archibald.

BOOKED: Canos.

GOALS: Canos (33), Sawyers (49), Watkins (85).

FULHAM (4-1-2-1-2): Button; Fredericks, R. Sessegnon, Kalas, Odoi; McDonald; Norwood, Cairney; Johansen (de la Torre 77); Ojo (Graham 86), Kebano (Fonte 63). Subs (not used): Bettinelli, Djalo, Mollo, Kamara.

BOOKED: Odoi, Cairney, Fredericks, Norwood.

SENT OFF: Odoi (53).

GOAL: Kebano (25).



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/12/frail-fulham-fall-apart-at-griffin-park/

[WhiteJC]

Jokanovic defends tactical tweaks
by Dan on December 2, 2017

Slavisa Jokanovic refused to take the blame for Fulham's derby defeat at Griffin Park – defending his decision to take on Brentford without a recognised striker and questioning referee Bobby Madeley's decision to send off Denis Odoi.

The Serbian head coach dropped Rui Fonte and deployed Stefan Johansen as a false nine – with wingers Sheyi Ojo and Neeksens Kebano operating either side of him – and insisted that his gameplan was working when the Congolese winger put the Whites in front on 25 minutes.

    I have played many times with a fake striker. This is not the first time and it's probably not the last. This plan was working well. We stopped especially [Ryan] Woods from switching the ball from one side to the other.

Jokanovic felt Fulham's approach had earned some real success and was disappointed with the straightforward way Brentford equaliser and, then, went in front. He was critical of the referee's decision to show Odoi a second yellow after the makeshift centre back checked Ollie Watkins:

    We played 45 minutes well. We started sloppy in the beginning of the second half. It's easy to make an analysis of what happened – they scored an easy goal, we can avoid this kind of situation, and then after the second yellow card for Denis Odoi it started to be really complicated for us.

    In one moment, we are thinking about avoiding this kind of situation and making some movement from the bench. But I cannot change all the players with one yellow card. At the end, the referee took this decision. It wasn't a particularly strong challenge.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/12/jokanovic-defends-tactical-tweaks/