Friday Fulham Stuff (09/02/18)...

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How Snapchat helped Fulham sign Aleksandar Mitrovic
by Dan on February 8, 2018

Alyson Rudd has a terrific piece in the Times this morning about the pivotal role Snapchat played in Aleksandar Mitrovic's late, late loan move to Fulham on transfer deadline day.

There has always been a bit of intrigue about how the fiery Serbian striker ended up being reunited with his old mentor Slavisa Jokanovic at Craven Cottage – despite Fulham's interest in the Newcastle United forward dating back to last winter's window. Mitrovic tells the story of a dramatic deadline day where he seemed all set to rejoin his old club Anderlecht only for the deal that was going to finance Mitrovic's return to full through at the eleventh hour. He wasn't keen on joining Newcastle's local rivals Middlesbrough and ended up scrolling through Snapchat, where he alighted on Jokanovic's name.

Rudd tells what happened next very well indeed:

    "How are you?" he said via Snapchat and Jokanovic half-jokingly replied that he was waiting for Mitrovic's deal with Anderlecht to collapse.

    "It's your lucky, day," replied the striker, "the deal is broken."

    They chatted again, after Jokanovic had cleared the deal with the club's board. It was 11pm and they had to find a doctor for the medical. The necessary papers were somehow exchanged and signed by 11.45pm.

Mitrovic is delighted with his move to work under the man who was the manager at Partizan Belgrade when the tall forward was earning rave reviews in the youth team. After his promising debut on Saturday against Nottingham Forest – where his introduction as a second half substitute changed the course of the contest – the Fulham fans are pleased with Mitrovic, too.

    I chose Fulham because of the style, because of the coach. Fulham play the best football in the league, definitely. It is the best move for me, even better than Anderlecht probably.

Jokanovic has already instructed his new signing not to place Fulham's promotion push in any jeopardy.

    Slavisa has told me not to do stupid things. He says I have to put my passion into scoring goals, not to do some crazy tackles. I understand this and agree with him.

Mitrovic is hopeful of using his loan spell in London to get some much-needed game time ahead of Serbia's participation in this summer's World Cup. The striker insists his side travels to Russia in good heart after an excellent qualifying campaign – and believes the team can surprise a few people at the finals, having been drawn in a group alongside Brazil, Switzerland and Costa Rica.

    To be Serbian is the proudest thing in my life. The country has been through a lot of wars. We never give up, we fight for our freedom. The Serbian mentality is really strong because of what we have been through. I bet every single Serbian thinks the way I think. It will be the biggest moment in our football careers, in our lives. If we need to give blood we will give blood just to represent our people in the best way we can.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/02/how-snapchat-helped-fulham-sign-aleksandar-mitrovic/

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Aleksandar Mitrovic reveals his move from Newcastle United to Fulham was thrashed out via Snapchat

Newcastle United's on loan striker masterminded a late switch to Craven Cottage via a chat message


Aleksandar Mitrovic (Image: Paul Burgman)

Aleksandar Mitrovic has revealed he secured his last gasp loan from Newcastle United to Fulham via Snapchat.

The Serbia international was left feeling anxious until the last throes of the January window after a move to his old club Anderlecht fell through on deadline day but as the Magpies prepared a switch to Middlesbrough as a fallback, Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic stepped to snatch the deal via social media.

The Times have revealed a conversation between Mitrovic and Jokanovic on deadline day morning "I won't lie to you.

"I am going to Anderlecht so you can bring in a different striker."

But as Anderlecht were unable to move on another of their players on deadline day, suddenly it emerged that the Belgian side had insufficient funds to complete the deal and after flying out to Brussels the deal was off.

Mitrovic recalled the Snapchat message and said: "How are you?

"It's your lucky day, the deal is broken."

Reflecting on the move to Fulham, Mitrovic then said: "I chose Fulham because of the style, because of the coach.

"Fulham play the best football in the league, definitely.

"It is the best move for me, even better than Anderlecht probably."



https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aleksandar-mitrovic-reveals-move-newcastle-14261635

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Aleksandar Mitrovic "Even now I wear black and white"

Aleksandar Mitrovic "Benitez saw the big potential of this club. I hope they stay in the Premier League."

Aleksandar Mitrovic has given a perfect summing up of the madness of transfer deadline day.

On 31 January, Newcastle United completed eight deals.

They were all loan arrangements and saw six players move out and two arrive.

To the general public, why this brinkmanship goes on is anybody's guess, as in most cases you can't understand why the clubs/players/agents/managers don't all have an unspoken agreement to get everything/most done by 30 January or earlier.

In an excellent interview with The Times, Aleksandar Mitrovic explains how late on Tuesday 30 January, agreement was reached for a plane to pick him up at 10am on deadline day to fly him to Bordeaux to sign on loan until the end of the season.

However, he woke up on the morning of the 31 January to find out that his former club Anderlecht wanted him, so he then knocked back Bordeaux.

His countryman Slavisa Jokanovic (Fulham manager) then called but Mitro told him that he wasn't interested in Fulham as Anderlecht had come in for him and that was his first preference.

Landing in Belgium at 7pm on deadline day (night), when he reached Anderlecht's stadium to complete the move, the striker was then told it was off because they didn't have the money to fund the loan, due t another deal breaking down.

At that point Mitrovic was sitting there without a loan club to go to for some regular football, with only an hour to go until the deadline.

Newcastle then called him to say he could go to Middlesbrough as they had set up a late deal, only to be saved from that fate as he waited for the papers to come through and be signed.

Aleksandar Mitrovic ending up in a random Snapchat conversation with Fulham boss Jokanovic who only then found out Mitro wasn't signing for Anderlecht. So a very very last minute deal was worked out and he signed for Fulham.

Having initially become a Newcastle United fan as a kid because they wore the same colours as Partizan who he supported, Mitro now finds himself once again in black and white at Fulham.

He is still desperate for Newcastle to survive and thrive and even more desperate to be a success this Summer at the World Cup finals in Russia.

Whatever you think of him as a player, it is difficult/impossible not to like him as a person. With a lack of real quality at Newcastle United in the playing squad, Aleksandar Mitrovic was a real cult hero, especially for younger fans. Whatever does or doesn't happen for him in the future at St James Park, many Newcastle supporters will be following his fate closely in these next five or six months.

Aleksandar Mitrovic talking to The Times:

"For me Newcastle is such a big club and he [Benitez] knows it as well.

"It has an amazing stadium and fans, it deserves to be in a much better position than it is now.

"Benitez saw the big potential of this club.

"I hope they stay in the Premier League, they deserve this.

"I never met Mike Ashley, he was my boss and I have to respect him.

"I will say Newcastle has a big history and I hope the club will be where it should be.

"Even now I wear black and white [at Fulham]."

Going to the World Cup:

"To be Serbian is the proudest thing in my life.

"The country has been through a lot of wars. We never give up, we fight for our freedom.

"The Serbian mentality is really strong because of what we have been through. I bet every single Serbian thinks the way I think.

"It will be the biggest moment in our football careers, in our lives.

"If we need to give blood we will give blood just to represent our people in the best way we can."



https://www.themag.co.uk/2018/02/aleksandar-mitrovic-even-now-wear-black-white-newcastle-united-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Newcastle man Aleksandar Mitrovic reveals his move to Fulham was helped pushed through via SNAPCHAT

An interview with the Times revealed how a Snapchat message helped push through a last-minute loan move to Fulham

Aleksandar Mitrovic has revealed how a Snapchat message from Slavisa Jokanovic helped push through a Deadline Day move to Fulham .

The Newcastle man revealed to the Times that the Cottagers' head coach had rang him that morning to ask about his availability, but at that stage Mitrovic was heading for Anderlecht.

Fast forward a few hours and that move had collapsed and the striker was scrolling through his phone when he saw Jokanovic's name pop up, with Mitrovic sending him a message via Snapchat.

The Times report that Mitrovic sent a message of "How are you?" he said via Snapchat and Jokanovic half-jokingly replied that he was waiting for Mitrovic's deal with Anderlecht to collapse.

"It's your lucky, day," replied the striker, "the deal is broken."

After a discussion with the recruitment team, Mitrovic eventually became a Fulham player later that night, and he's also revealed how Jokanovic has told him not to do anything stupid.

He added: "Slavisa has told me not to do stupid things, he says I have to put my passion into scoring goals, not to do some crazy tackles. I understand this and agree with him."



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/newcastle-united-aleksandar-mitrovic-fulham-14261763

[WhiteJC]

Piazon targets sixth straight win
by Dan on February 8, 2018

Lucas Piazon is targeting Fulham's sixth successive league win at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday – but insists there is no room for complacency as the Whites prepare for another crucial Championship clash at the Macron Stadium.

The popular Brazilian was back amongst the goals last week, breaking the deadlock in the second half against Nottingham Forest as Slavisa Jokanovic's moved up to fifth in the table after a hard fought victory at Craven Cottage. Piazon told FulhamFCTV that the first team's fine recent run is a result of hard work on the training ground and keeping focused on the next fixture:

    It's always good to be winning, especially at home, where we are on a good run at the moment. After the performance against Barnsley where we were not so good, we turned on Saturday with a good mentality, good spirit, good effort and we fought for the result and in the end it went our way. We were very pleased with that.

The forward, who has battled back from a broken leg to once again become an integral part of Jokanovic's side, isn't worried about complacency as Fulham seek to put together the kind of second half of the season that saw them reach the play-offs last term – as long as the Whites continue to respect their Championship rivals.

    I think we just have to do what we have been doing. We have a good mentality, respecting the opponents, respecting ourselves and play our game. Put the ball on the floor, try to play and create chances – and be solid when we don't have the ball.

He felt his goal against Forest arrived at a crucial moment, with Aitor Karanka's side digging in impressively, and was delighted to celebrate with the fans at the front of the Hammersmith End after putting Fulham in front.

    We were on attacking mode. We were trying to create chances, we were attacking them and they were defending quite well, to be honest. We were able to create a few chances but not like big, big chances. We were creating space, but when I had the chance to get a shot off it was in a part of the game when we needed to pull a goal in front and it was a great moment. I didn't plan that – it was an important game for us to stay in the top six and I was really happy to be with the supporters!

Piazon has been encouraged by the January additions of Matt Targett, Cyrus Christie and Aleksandar Mitrovic, believing that the extra quality can serve Fulham well as they look to mount a serious promotion push over the campaign's closing weeks.

    I believe they are players with great quality. Two of them came from Premier League teams and Cyrus I've seen playing a lot of times – he's got great quality as well. The squad just got stronger with them as we could see on Saturday. Matt had a great game, linked up with Sess on the left side. It's great for us. I think they will be important for us in these last sixteen games.

The Chelsea loanee knows what to expect from Bolton having watched Wanderers' impressive victory over Bristol City last Friday night.

    I watched them play against Bristol City and they tried to defend and be solid and counter attack. I think against us they will be physical, they will tackle us and they will be strong at the back. It will not be easy. I think we will have to work hard, we will have to put a great effort in and play our game like I always say. Hopefully, we can get the sixth win in a row.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/02/piazon-targets-sixth-straight-win/

[WhiteJC]

 
Plymouth Argyle U18s: 1-3 Fulham U18s: Three players that impressed us at Home Park

Dan Crawford took a look at three U18 players that impressed him in the side's 3-1 FA Youth Cup win over Plymouth

Fulham's U18s showed commendable character to come from behind and end Plymouth's remarkable FA Youth Cup run at the fifth round stage at Home Park last night.

Colin Omogbehin's side had to shrug off the setback of conceding first in the south west and then survive an absorbing extra thirty minutes but their will to win shone through as the young Whites booked a place in the last eight, where they will face either Tottenham Hotspur or Chelsea.

The Fulham academy, expertly spearheaded by Huw Jennings, has seen several young talents progress along the pathway to the first team in recent seasons and several of this side could be called upon by Slavisa Jokanovic in the near future. Three particular players caught the eye with their displays at Home Park last night:

Nicolas Santos-Clase

The Portuguese winger was picked up by Fulham's head of international recruitment Gwyn James and has made a real impression in this year's competition, scoring a brilliant brace at Swansea in the fourth round.

Rather than disappearing after the Whites went behind, Santos-Clase drifted in from the flank in order to influence proceedings and got his reward by grabbing the equaliser with a low shot from the edge of the area.

It was a special moment for Santos-Clase on his eighteenth birthday.

Fabio Carvahlo

This lively forward looks like being one of the hottest properties in Fulham's academy programme after enjoying a fantastic five days.

Carvahlo scored a superb hat-trick as the young Whites routed Reading at Motspur Park on Saturday and his peerless performance was enough to earn a spot on the bench.

Carvahlo changed the course of the contest after replacing Sonny Hilton midway through the second half, with his eagerness to commit defenders and intelligent movement between the lines.

An outstanding display was capped with Fulham's crucial second in extra time, when he showed great balance to collect a pass from Ryan de Havailland and shift it to strike at goal almost simultaneously.

Luca Ashby-Hammond

The Fulham goalkeeper showed real resolve to put a first half mistake when he was nearly embarrassed by Plymouth goalscorer Klaidi Lolos to make a series of excellent saves as the game opened up in the second period.

Ashby-Hammond, still only 16, earned a richly deserved call-up to the England Under 17 squad this month and is a commanding presence in goal and talks his defenders through each game and produced a trademark penalty save from Cameron Sangster to prevent Plymouth staging a late rally at the end of extra time.




https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/plymouth-argyle-u18s-1-3-14261802

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Omogbehin: Good Response

Colin Omogbehin was pleased with his side's reaction on Wednesday night as they came from behind to progress in the FA Youth Cup.

The Under-18s trailed at half-time in their Fifth Round tie at Plymouth Argyle's Home Park, but Nicolas Santos-Clase's effort after the restart forced extra-time, in which goals from Fabio Carvalho and Jayden Harris secured victory for the Young Whites.

"Plymouth played exactly the way we thought they would – very compact, very narrow, very difficult to play through and against," Omogbehin told fulhamfc.com. "They played on the counter but I thought that we dealt with that really well.

"They played short, sharp, crisp passing which opened us up a bit at times, but I thought with our setup the way it was we were always in a position to deal with that."

Fulham improved in the second half following the introduction of Ryan De Havilland at the break, and Omogbehin was pleased to witness his team come back strong and nab a deserved equaliser through Santos-Clase on his 18th birthday.

"We made a little change, we played Jayden a bit deeper, wanted him to be the first receiver so he could step into midfield," he explained.

"We played Tyrese [Francois] and Ryan either side of him, like a little triangle to try and get down the sides of their midfield players and in little pockets, and I think that opened up space in the wide areas, as well as allowing us to play centrally.

"Wherever Nicolas plays along those front attacking areas, he's always going to be a goal threat, as his record shows this season. He's scored a lot of important goals, and he popped up at a good moment for us."

The victory sets up a Quarter-Final London derby at Craven Cottage, against the winners of next week's meeting between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

"It will be the first opportunity for us to play at home which is a good challenge for us, something again that we'll look forward to," Omogbehin stated.

"Whether we play Spurs or Chelsea, they're both good teams, both teams we've faced in the league so we understand what they're about. It will be a good game, a hard game but one we look forward to."

Group photo courtesy of Dave Rowntree



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/february/08/colin-omogbehin-youth-cup-reaction

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Away Day Cycle Challenge

Looking for a challenge in 2018?

Join us for our FFC away day cycle. The challenge involves cycling 130 miles from Fulham to Birmingham on the 5th and 6th May for the last game of the season, starting at the iconic Craven Cottage and finishing at St Andrew's stadium. The cycle challenge will help us raise funds for Fulham FC Foundation's work in the community.

A range of distance options are available for those that would like to ride a smaller part of the route, but still want to get involved.

What's included?

•        Accommodation

•        FFC Cycle jersey

•        Training Rides

•        Lunch and dinner on day 1

•        Breakfast and Lunch on day 2

•        Ticket to the match

•        Transport back to Craven cottage for you and your bike

Want to sign up or find out more? Email Hugh Thompson at [email protected] or call on 07500124055.




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/february/08/away-day-cycle-challenge

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Revealed: How much Fulham paid Newcastle for Aleksandar Mitrovic

Newcastle's Aleksandar Mitrovic at Fulham

One of the late deals in the January transfer window involved Aleksandar Mitrovic's move from Newcastle to Fulham.

That Mitrovic left St James' Park wasn't a surprise.

The Serb centre-forward has struggled to get into Rafa Benitez's side, and that's at a time when Newcastle have been starved for Premier League goals.

Mitrovic only scored once in the Premier League this season, although it's also true the forward had injury issues in the first half of the season.

Fulham were able to sign Newcastle's Mitrovic on loan in the final hours of the transfer window after a move to Anderlecht collapsed.

How much Fulham paid Newcastle for Mitrovic

On Thursday in the Times, there's an excellent interview with Fulham's newest striker.

He's talked about how his move from Newcastle actually came about.

But there's also another nugget of information dropped in the piece: Mitrovic's loan fee, which was reportedly £600,000.

Mitrovic used SnapChat to close his Fulham deal

Perhaps the highlight of the Mitrovic interview is his disclosure about using SnapChat to complete his loan move to Craven Cottage:

It was 10pm and Mitrovic had not eaten anything. His agent called to say Newcastle had, out of the blue, put a deal in place for him to sign for Middlesbrough. As the centre forward was sitting, scrolling through his phone, waiting for the papers from Middlesbrough to come through, he saw Jokanovic's name.

"How are you?" he said via Snapchat and Jokanovic half-jokingly replied that he was waiting for Mitrovic's deal with Anderlecht to collapse.

"It's your lucky, day," replied the striker, "the deal is broken."

They chatted again, after Jokanovic had cleared the deal with the club's board. It was 11pm and they had to find a doctor for the medical. The necessary papers were somehow exchanged and signed by 11.45pm.



https://www.101greatgoals.com/news/revealed-fulham-paid-newcastle-mitrovic/

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Fulham twins Ryan and Steven Sessegnon say they 'don't have to stay together at Craven Cottage'

EXCLUSIVE: Twins discuss their rise at Craven Cottage and future hopes


On target: Ryan Sessegnon has enjoyed shifting to left-wing this term Getty Images

It's not often you find two brothers playing professional football for the same club; rarer still for twins to do that.

But Ryan and Steven Sessegnon are realising their dreams together and at their local club Fulham.

The 17-year-olds from Roehampton signed their first professional contracts in 2017 just two years after helping their school win the PlayStation Schools' Cup. The brothers have enjoyed international success with the England age-group teams while Ryan is among the most highly prized teenagers in the English game.

But speaking to the Sessegnons at their former school in Surrey, it's clear their rapid rise has not fazed them.

"I wouldn't say it's weird because this is what we've set out to do," says Ryan at Coombe Boys' School. "Some people may think it's a surprise what we've achieved since we left school. But we've been aiming for things like that."

"It's what we wanted," Steven adds.

The brothers owe much of their early success to Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic, who has brought both, but particularly Ryan, through into the first team over the past two seasons.

"Obviously it's harder now for young players in the Premier League to go up from the academies into the first teams," says Ryan. "But for us to be at Fulham — we're not in the Premier League — it's a bit of an easier step.

"It's harder, too, because the Championship is such a demanding league. Fulham trust young players."

Such trust has led to international call-ups, with Ryan winning the Under-19 European Championships last July, while Steven got two assists in the final as England Under-17s came from two goals down to beat Spain and win the World Cup in October.

"Young players always want to win things," says Ryan. "So to win this at such a young age was great for me.

"To go away and win a tournament for your country and come back and know that everyone has heard of it and is talking about it gives you confidence going back to your club."

That confidence boost has been easy to see, particularly within Ryan as he has played a key role for Fulham this season, with the club fifth in the Championship.

After a breakthrough 2016-17 campaign, when he scored seven goals in 30 appearances, Ryan already has 11 goals this season — including a hat-trick against Sheffield United in an amazing 5-4 victory for Fulham. Part of his increased return has been down to a switch from left-back to left-wing.

"I'm happy to be versatile right now but I play where the gaffer wants me to play," says Ryan. "I'm enjoying my position on the left wing because I think I'm affecting the game more in terms of goals and assists. But I'm happy to play wherever I'm told."

Ryan attracted interest from Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United last summer while Chelsea and Manchester City were also thought to have kept a close eye on the 17-year-old. But Ryan stayed at Fulham and feels his decision has been justified given he has already played 33 games this term.

"It was flattering to be linked with other clubs but my main focus was on Fulham," Ryan says. "My aim has always been to try and help the club get back into the Premier League. I didn't pay too much attention to it. I'm always focused on my job at Fulham.

"As you can see in every league game I've started, each game I try to be better than the last. I'm enjoying having this good season. That is down to the game time I'm getting."

Steven is eager to emulate Ryan's early success but insists the twins need not stay together at Fulham in order to progress.

"It's great to see Ryan doing so well," Steven says. "I just want to be up there with him. I keep working hard and soon I'll be up there, too. It's not a big thing for us to stay at the same club.

"We managed to do it and it's great because we can push each other on and be around each other and do well. It just happened. We try to give each other a lot of advice from another person's perspective. Advice is welcome."

Ryan and Steven Sessegnon were supporting the first-ever National Schools' Football Week, staged in association with the PlayStation Schools' Cup. For more information visit playstationschoolscup.com




https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-twins-ryan-and-steven-sessegnon-say-they-dont-have-to-stay-together-at-craven-cottage-a3761601.html

[WhiteJC]

'Fulham trust young players,' say Ryan and Steven Sessegnon
by Dan on February 8, 2018

Ryan and Steven Sessegnon have told tonight's Evening Standard that they feel so comfortable at Craven Cottage because 'Fulham trust young players'.

The teenage twins gave a wide-ranging first senior interview to the London evening paper and downplayed both their meteoric rise from being stars of junior football to have an international impact. Ryan has just collected the PFA's Championship player of the month award for January – after scoring six league goals in the space of a month – whilst Steven has followed up his World Cup winning exploits with England's Under 20s by making his senior debut for Fulham and helping the club's under 18 side reach the last eight of the FA Youth Cup.

Ryan told the Standard's Vai Bhardwaj that he and his twin brother had always aimed to make it in the professional game:

    I wouldn't say it's weird because this is what we've set out to do. Some people may think it's a surprise what we've achieved since we left school. But we've been aiming for things like that.

Both brothers believed their progression owes much to the pathway put in place by Fulham's academy director Huw Jennings and patient nurturing from the club's head coach Slavisa Jokanovic. Ryan said:

    Obviously it's harder now for young players in the Premier League to go up from the academies into the first teams. But for us to be at Fulham — we're not in the Premier League — it's a bit of an easier step. It's harder, too, because the Championship is such a demanding league. Fulham trust young players.

He insists he's happy to play wherever Jokanovic puts him, but admitted he has enjoyed his spell on the left wing since Matt Targett joined from Southampton on loan.

    It's harder, too, because the Championship is such a demanding league. Fulham trust young players. I'm enjoying my position on the left wing because I think I'm affecting the game more in terms of goals and assists. But I'm happy to play wherever I'm told.

He also reiterated that, despite constant transfer speculation linking him with a move away from the Whites, his focus has solely been on furthering Fulham's promotion push over the last few weeks. His continued inclusion in the senior side is a key factor in his happiness at the Cottage.

    It was flattering to be linked with other clubs but my main focus was on Fulham. My aim has always been to try and help the club get back into the Premier League. I didn't pay too much attention to it. I'm always focused on my job at Fulham. As you can see in every league game I've started, each game I try to be better than the last. I'm enjoying having this good season. That is down to the game time I'm getting.

Steven, who turned in a composed performance at centre back as Fulham's under 18s came from behind to beat Plymouth and reach the quarter finals of the FA Youth Cup at Home Park last night, says he is hoping to emulate Ryan's progress with the senior side in due course.

    It's great to see Ryan doing so well. I just want to be up there with him. I keep working hard and soon I'll be up there, too. It's not a big thing for us to stay at the same club. We managed to do it and it's great because we can push each other on and be around each other and do well. It just happened. We try to give each other a lot of advice from another person's perspective. Advice is welcome.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/02/fulham-trust-young-players-say-ryan-and-steven-sessegnon/

[WhiteJC]

 
What's App Slavisa? Fulham boss denies contacting Newcastle United striker through Snapchat

Aleksandar Mitrovic claimed the pair communicated on the photo app on Deadline Day, but the head coach has revealed it was another messaging app and not Snapchat

Slavisa Jokanovic has revealed he's never used Snapchat in his life after Aleksandar Mitrovic claimed the pair had communicated using the app on Deadline Day.

The Newcastle man said that he had sent the Fulham head coach a message on the photo app after his move to Anderlecht fell apart, which Jokanovic responded to asking if he would come to Fulham .

Despite it being a great story, the Serbian clarified that he's never used Snapchat in his life, and that him and Mitrovic actually communicated over Whatsapp on Deadline Day

"No, I've never used it in my life!

"Snapchat is probably a great story, a funny story but we use Whatsapp - it's a similar word, really my kids use Snapchat.

"We used WhatsApp."




https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/slavisa-jokanovic-newcastle-united-fulham-14264101

[WhiteJC]

 
Slaviša On TC & Sess

Tom Cairney could feature against Bolton Wanderers at the weekend, but Slaviša Jokanović will not make a decision on his inclusion until Friday.

Fulham's Captain has sat out our recent victories over Barnsley and Nottingham Forest with a knee complaint, but took part in the entirety of Thursday's training session with no adverse effects.

"Tom Cairney started working with us today," Jokanović revealed. "He lost many training sessions.

"Today he finished the work with the team without any problems. In the last few months we had many up-down situations with him.

"I expect he is going to be okay now and he is going to improve his fitness in the days and weeks that are ahead of us, and we expect we can enjoy the best version of Tom Cairney in the future.

"I will make a decision tomorrow."

This week has been one of personal accolades for Ryan Sessegnon.

After winning PFA Championship Player of the Month on Wednesday, the following day saw him nominated for the Sky Bet version of the award.

"A lot of fantastic news is around him, and the latest of this good news is he is nominated to be Player of the Month," Jokanović stated. "I believe he deserves it, but we are going to see tomorrow [when the winner is announced].

"He's a young man who did an adult job with a lot of quality, but from another side his teammates have really supported him and helped him grow up in the right direction.
"Ryan returned this favour in the best possible way, and I believe we must be satisfied with him, and he must be especially satisfied with his teammates."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/february/08/slavisa-jokanovic-on-tom-cairney-and-ryan-sessegnon

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Fulham's Tom Cairney back working with side as Slavisa Jokanovic hopes to see best version of the skipper

The 27-year-old has been out of the squad after a recurrence of the knee injury that has plagued him all season but has been back in training today

Fulham will have a near fully fit squad for the trip to Bolton on Saturday, with Tom Cairney back in training with the first team.

The skipper has been suffering with a recurrence of the knee injury he picked up in pre-season and has been out of the squad since the win over the Middlesbrough, while he hasn't started a game since the victory over Ipswich at the start of the year.

It's been a worrying time, with no one seemingly able to say what exactly is wrong with the skipper, but Slavisa Jokanovic revealed he was back training with the side today, and came through it without any problems.

He said:"Tom Cairney started working today with us, all the team is available for the next game.

"Definitely he lost many training sessions, today he finished the work without any problem with the team and in the last few months we had many up-down situations with him.

"I expect he will be okay now and expect he will improve his fitness in the next few days and weeks and we expect we can enjoy the best version of Cairney in the future."

When asked if Cairney could make the squad for the Bolton trip, the head coach replied: "I will make a decision tomorrow."



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulhams-tom-cairney-back-working-14264357

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Jokanovic makes honest admission ahead of Bolton clash despite Fulham's recent good form

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic has as much reason as anyone to be relaxed and confident right now, given that his Fulham side are rampant and moved up to fifth in the Championship with a 2-0 home win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

After an inconsistent start to the season, Fulham's flowing passing game has clicked into gear in recent weeks and they added some quality signings in January to further add to the feel-good factor around Craven Cottage at the moment.

The Serbian manager takes his team to face Bolton Wanderers, who are battling relegation, this Saturday and the nature of his focus and character is that he is taking nothing for granted and has issued a strong warning to his players.

He told the club's official website: "We must be satisfied but we cannot be overconfident. The right direction for us is to be calm, show solidarity and humility, respect the opposition team, respect ourselves, work hard, be confident and brave, and trust we can win the game.

"We didn't win at home against Bolton. We must trust in our possibilities and push to try and get the points. We have enough experience now to know easy games don't exist.

"They lost their target man (Gary Madine) and they changed their shape a little bit against Bristol City. They played a quality game. They've probably tried to find a different solution. In the end they chose to play a little bit different with two strikers, and the plan worked perfectly for them.

"We observed the team with Madine and without Madine, and we know more or less what could happen, but we must be ready for any shape that we could find."

The Verdict

Some managers simply pay lip service when trotting out the 'no easy games' line but the feeling I get from Jokanovic is that he means it.

He watched his form struggle for consistency over a period of months earlier in the season and he knows that if his players do not remain focused, that could happen again. The last thing they need is to be stung by Bolton but it will be a very tough game at the Macron on Saturday.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/jokanovic-makes-honest-admission-ahead-of-bolton-clash-despite-fulhams-recent-good-form/

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Bristol City: How many points we think Robins will get against Sunderland, Leeds United, Fulham and Cardiff

City reporter Gregor MacGregor looks at what might happen over the next weeks

Whether distracted or downright knackered, Bristol City have been in dire form of late.

It's now just one win in their last nine games in all competitions.

With the trip to the Macron Stadium out of the way we look at City's next forthcoming fixtures and examine what sort of points return might be forthcoming.

Spoiler: fixture-wise, it starts well but gets a lot tougher in the next weeks.

Sunderland, Sat Feb 10
The Robins have a great chance to bounce back from that dispiriting loss to Bolton next weekend with a victory over second from bottom Sunderland.

The Black Cats have lost four of their last five games and we can't see anything but a home win here.

Anything less, doesn't bear comprehension and would likely signal an end to any genuine hopes of promotion.

Prediction: 2-0

Leeds, Sun Feb 18
Thomas Christiansen's side put in a fine display at Ashton Gate to thump the home side 0-3 in a fiery game where Gaetano Berardi was sent off. So we remain wary of the trip to Elland Road.

However, it could be a good time to play the Whites, as they've not won in six Championship games and have slipped away from the promotion play-off spots.

We're optimistic that City can grab a draw in Yorkshire and start to put an unbeaten run together.

Prediction: 1-1

Fulham, Weds Feb 21
A huge game at Ashton Gate as the Cottagers come to BS3.

Given how well Johnson's side played at Craven Cottage we can see a vital win for the Robins here, and a much needed boost to the team's promotion hopes.

Reid, Smith, Flint and co will all need to be on top form for City to get the three points here, though by this point the squad could be swelled with the return of Callum O'Dowda, Eros Pisano and Gary O'Neil from injury.

Prediction: 2-1

Cardiff, Sun Feb 25
Another biggie. The Bluebirds will be hoping to avenge their narrow loss at Ashton Gate in November, and no doubt Neil Warnock will have his side fired up for this.

But the Robins have done well at all the big boys this season – including creditable draws at Wolves and Derby – except against Aston Villa.

Another point on the road would be a good result for Johnson and his squad.

Prediction: 0-0



https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-city-prediction-sunderland-leeds-1164098

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Fulham get sizeable boost as top six challenge gathers pace

Fulham will be looking to keep their ferocious top six challenge up this weekend as the Championship action resumes.

The men from Craven Cottage have really started to hit their stride this season with them one of the form teams in the league and certainly looking capable of giving anyone a good game.

For sure, their attacking swaggerer looks to be back after a drab start to this campaign and players like Ryan Sessegnon are surely only going to get better and better.

And, ahead of the rest of the season and this weekend's game against Bolton, the Cottagers have got Tom Cairney back in the fold after injury, providing another big boost to their cause.

Cairney had been out of action recently with a knock but is back in training and could feature against the Trotters with Slavisa Jokanovic saying – as per Get West London Sport:

"Tom Cairney started working today with us, all the team is available for the next game."

The Verdict
Some certainly good news for Fulham fans, then, though it might be worth leaving the midfielder out of this game this weekend.

He'll still be working back to match fitness and with Fulham performing well even without him, they might be able to get away with him missing just one more game.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-get-sizeable-boost-as-top-six-challenge-gathers-pace/

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Kevin McDonald on Fulham's 'Holy Trinity', being the unsung hero and starting the season slowly

The Scotsman has been a staple in the Fulham midfield since joining from Wolves - we sat down with him to discuss how important that midfield trio is

If you were to show people a picture of a football pitch and to point which area they thought Fulham were strongest in, most would move their finger to the middle of it.

Fulham's midfield has been a Holy Trinity of sorts for the past two seasons, with whatever trio of players Slavisa Jokanovic picks becoming the engine and creativity of the side.

Tom Cairney, Stefan Johansen and now Oliver Norwood have all been part of that trinity, but the one constant force in the midfield powerhouse is Kevin McDonald - Fulham's shield.

The 29-year-old has been an ever-present in the Craven Cottage midfield since joining from Wolves in 2016, being named vice-captain of the club as they look for a route back into the big time of the Premier League.

He might not get the goals (although he made sure to mention that overhead kick he put away against Barnsley) or the plaudits, but he doesn't mind being the unsung hero of the Cottagers' promotion charge.

"I don't mind that," he says, "I've never been one that is going to bang in ten goals a season, that's life - it's never been me and it never will be but I try to set myself targets to get a few goals per season.

"Put it this way, if TC (Cairney), Stef (Johansen) and Ollie (Norwood) get ten goals each, they don't need me to get ten, they've got the strikers as well so I'm happy to chip in whenever, whether it's an overhead kick on the line or whatever, it's one of them.

"I don't mind being the so-called unsung hero, I'm there to do a job for my team and want to do well for myself and the team.

"The centre of the pitch is a massive part of any team and I think if we control the tempo of the games and we win that battle first it gives the others confidence to go and do their thing.

"We've got a really good mixture of players in that midfield three/four just now as it is, you've got Ollie whose brought a bit of everything, he's a mix between me, TC and Stef and he's got it all between him.

"I think it generally gives the team a platform to play and that's the main thing."

And it's not a bad team - five wins on the bounce, six wins in a row at home and fifth in the Championship, Fulham are finally starting to live up to the pre-season hype that saw many name them as promotion favourites.


(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

But rewind back to November, and a slow start and a winless October had seen them drop to 16th in the league table, well off the Play-off hunt and looking nervously over their shoulders at the wrong end of the table.

It has similarities to last season, where The Cottagers didn't spark into life until the second half of the campaign, but although the Scotsman can't figure out why it takes so long for them to get going, he'd rather they be a team that finishes strong, rather than one that starts well and drops away.

"I'm sure there's a reason for it but I'm not too sure, it was exactly the same as last season and I think it takes us time to get going but you can't really use that as an excuse if you ask me.

"It's football, you don't get time to get going, you have pre-season and then that's you for 46 games.


(Image: Paul Burgman)

"I would think that it seems to be one of those things, I'm sure other teams start good and finish bad, I'm sure that happens but it seems to me that I'd rather it worked this way - I'd rather start slow but finish off really good so hopefully it continues."

One person who didn't have the best of starts to the season was one of McDonald's midfield partners, Johansen.

Having ended the season in fine form, arguably looking like a Premier League player, the former Celtic man struggled to hit those heights in the first half of the season, often fading in games and even finding himself as a false nine.

It's not a position the fans felt was best for him nor the team, but McDonald thinks Johansen found himself there as a result of circumstance and has backed the Norway captain to be a big player for Fulham in the final few months.

He added: "I think the false nine was due to the manager not being too sure what way to set up the team, so I think Stefan was put there just as a temporary thing, I don't think anyone had a long term plan for him to play there.

"He's back in a position where he should be and he's really starting to find a bit of form, he's not scored as many goals this season, but there's still plenty of time left and he'll be a massive player for us for the last few games."




https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/kevin-mcdonald-fulhams-holy-trinity-14265040

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Jokanovic wants Fulham to focus on Bolton
by Dan on February 8, 2018

Slavisa Jokanovic has urged Fulham side not to underestimate Bolton Wanderers as they go in search of a sixth successive league win this weekend.

The Londoners have moved up to fifth in the Championship table after an exceptional January, which saw them win all four of their league fixtures. But Jokanovic has warned his players not overlook Bolton's battling qualities. The Whites needed an injury-time equaliser from Tom Cairney to claim a point from this season's first meeting in October and Wanderers defeated high-flying Bristol City at the Macron Stadium last Friday night.

Jokanovic told his pre-match press conference at Motspur Park this afternoon:

    We can't be overconfident. We need to be calm, show solidarity and respect our opponents. We can't be overconfident. We need to be calm, show solidarity and respect our opponents. To be successful, we must be focused to avoid mistakes and a little bit lucky at the other end.

    My target is the Bolton game and that's it. I don't know where we'll finish but we will fight. We've made three good signings and they have brought more competition to the team. Dreams are for the bed. In real life, we have to do everything we can to win points. I trust we can win against Bolton.

Jokanovic revealed that Cairney resumed training this morning having been ruled out of Fulham's last two games, but says he will leave a decision about the extent of captain's participation this weekend until as late as possible.

    Tom Cairney started working with us today. He lost many training sessions. Today he finished the work with the team without any problems. In the last few months we had many up-down situations with him. I expect he is going to be okay now and he is going to improve his fitness in the days and weeks that are ahead of us, and we expect we can enjoy the best version of Tom Cairney in the future. I will make a decision tomorrow.

The Fulham boss was full of praise for teenage sensation Ryan Sessegnon, whose six goals in January have put among the leading contenders for the league's player of the month award. The young winger has already scooped the PFA version after winning the votes of supporters.

    A lot of fantastic news is around him, and the latest of this good news is he is nominated to be Player of the Month. I believe he deserves it, but we are going to see tomorrow. Sess pushes himself to be better each day. We have the privilege to watch him grow up professionally and as a person.

    He's a young man who did an adult job with a lot of quality, but from another side his teammates have really supported him and helped him grow up in the right direction. Ryan returned this favour in the best possible way, and I believe we must be satisfied with him, and he must be especially satisfied with his teammates.

In a wide-ranging press conference, Jokanovic also corrected a report in this morning's Times that he had enticed Aleksandar Mitrovic to Craven Cottage on transfer deadline day via Snapchat.

    No, I've never used it in my life! Snapchat is probably a great story, a funny story but we use Whatsapp – it's a similar word, really my kids use Snapchat. We used WhatsApp



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/02/jokanovic-wants-fulham-to-focus-on-bolton/

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Jokanović up for managerial award after Fulham overtake Leeds in play-off race

The Fulham boss has been nominated for the Championship manager of the month award after steering his side to four wins of out four in January...

Slaviša Jokanović, the Fulham manager, has been nominated for the Championship manager of the month award after leading his team into the play-off places.

Steve Bruce (Aston Villa), Steve Cotterill (Birmingham City) and Daniel Farke (Norwich City) are the other nominees.

Jokanović's nomination arises after the 49-year-old Serbian guided the Cottagers, who currently occupy fifth place in the Championship, to four successive league victories in January - an impressively imperious run of form that has seen them overtake Leeds United in the race to secure a play-off berth come May.

After a slipshod start to the season that saw the former Chelsea midfielder's fitness for the role impugned, Fulham have gone eight league games unbeaten since they slumped to an ignominious 1-0 defeat away to struggling Sunderland in December and appear, at the time of writing, to be unvanquishable. Jokanović, though, still faces stiff competition from Villa's Bruce for the award after the latter led the one-time European Cup winners to four wins in four matches.

Fulham supporters will no doubt be jubilant to learn that their manager's meritorious efforts have received recognition, whilst followers of Leeds United will be concerned about the rich vein of form their fellow play-off aspirants are in at this moment.

The winner of the award will be announced on Friday.



https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/leedsunited/news/47494/