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Saturday Fulham Stuff (17/02/18)...

Started by WhiteJC, February 17, 2018, 06:33:48 AM

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WhiteJC

Snoddy - A Major Influencer From Midfield v Fulham

So who would win, our midfielder or Fulham`s?

OURS of course!

I think Robert Snodgrass has been a revelation since coming to Villa Park, and I know I`m not alone.

There were talks of David Moyes wanting him back last January but that door was slammed shut very quickly. Just got to hope that Aston Villa get promoted and that we can buy him.

These stats won`t dissuade Moyes from wanting him back, but Snoddy didn`t exactly leave with nice comments from 'that' owner at West Ham and he seems to have settled at Villa very quickly.

It`s been amazing this season seeing goals from midfield, Adomah (12 in the league) has been on fire, but so has Snoddy, not only that but look at his assists. He seems to shoot from any angle, which must worry the goalkeepers greatly.

4 away from home. Maybe it 5 or 6 tomorrow v Fulham then Snoddy!



Read more: http://www.astonvilla.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7524339#ixzz57LdUi2ff

WhiteJC

 
Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic hails job done by Steve Bruce at Aston Villa ahead of crunch tie

Aston Villa are the form side in the division and the Fulham head coach has praised the job the former Manchester United boss has done this season

Slavisa Jokanovic has praised the job Steve Bruce has done at Aston Villa the two meet at Craven Cottage tomorrow in a crunch tie.

Fulham are currently seven points behind Villa, who occupy that final automatic promotion slot, and host Bruce's side with the aim of ending their winning run and closing that gap.

Bruce beat Jokanovic to the Manager of the Month award for January after both teams went through the month unbeaten and the Fulham head coach has spoken highly of his counterpart ahead of the game at Craven Cottage tomorrow.

He said: "He (Bruce) is good, it's a big club and they spend many money and they showed their ambition.

"They improve definitely when we compare this season with last season and at the end now they are in the best moment in the few years they are in the Championship.

"They play with confidence, are organised and strong and Steve Bruce is a coach with many experience in both highest category in English football, he has experience with being promoted with a Championship team and in general he's made a great job in this moment and it's fantastic for him."

When the sides met earlier in the season, Fulham were undone by set pieces, with John Terry rising highest to give Villa the lead in that game - one they went on to win 2-1.

It's been a weak point of Fulham's game all season, but Jokanovic has revealed his side have been working on them ahead of the game and have been looking at how they can deal with different situations.

He added: "We are always working, at the end they score out of set pieces but after seven/eight times where we give them chance to deliver the free kicks with dangerous players, they punished us with one of these and John Terry score the goal.

"They can be a danger for us in set pieces and can be dangerous in different situations, but for us we try and check everything and we are working to check all the solutions we can find in the game."



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-boss-slavisa-jokanovic-hails-14300326

WhiteJC


3 Things Fulham Need to do to beat Villa at Craven Cottage

This Saturday, the two teams with the best runs of form collide at Craven Cottage.

Aston Villa are in our neck of the woods looking to make it 8 Championship wins on the bounce, whilst Fulham will be looking to add to their tally of 6 consecutive wins on home soil.

As they say in Boxing, somebody`s '0` will have to go!

But what do Fulham need to do to see the Villa travelling support go home with their tails between their legs?

Here are 3 things we, here at Vital Fulham believe are essential to grab the win.

1 - Stop Jack Grealish

By hook or by crook, Fulham have to stop the young midfielder from controlling the game from his middle of the pitch role. Grealish has been revitalised this season after a dip in form. Last week, against Birmingham City in some second-rate derby, he was head and shoulders above everybody else on the pitch. Stop Grealish and half the battle will be won!

2 - Pressurise John Terry

At 37-years-of-age Terry`s not the player he was, but what he lacks in mobility he makes up for with his reading of the game. But if our strikers can get up close to the former England captain, who won a few trophies for that lot down the road, he won`t be able to have the time on the ball he likes, pressure equals mistakes and heralds a Fulham success.

3 - Let Sessegnon do the Business

The most talented teenager this country has produced for many-a-year, is in great form. With the club having held off any advances, from bigger clubs, in the January transfer window, the teenage has stepped up to produce the goods with a raft of goals. Let Ryan roam that left-flank and let his pace and skills un-nerve an ageing Aston Villa defence.

So, there`s the plan, its as easy as 1-2-3!

COYW`s



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=521618#ixzz57LgINK5M


WhiteJC

 
Villa Tickets Extremely Limited

With Matchday Hospitality packages now SOLD OUT, only a very limited number of tickets remain for Saturday's Sky Bet Championship match against Aston Villa.

Unbeaten in nine league games, the Whites will be up against an in-form Villa who climbed up to second place last weekend.

Tickets start from £15 for juniors and £35 for adults, and are available to Season Ticket Holders, Members and supporters with a Previous Booking History.

Supporters are advised that this fixture is all-ticket, with no sales on matchday, - don't delay secure your seat online, by telephone on 0203 871 0810 (opt 1) or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.

COYW!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/february/16/villa-tickets-limited

WhiteJC

 
Jokanovic reveals Fulham approach to crunch clash with Aston Villa

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic will be looking for his side to make it ten Championship games unbeaten when his side host Aston Villa on Saturday in the battle of the league's two form sides.

Villa's winning run, which currently stand at seven league matches, has propelled them in the automatic promotion spots while the Cottagers have risen up to fifth after putting their early-season inconsistency behind them.

Fulham's passing game has taken a while to click both this season and last time around but both times it has, they have gone on a hot run of form – although tomorrow's game will be a major test for Jokanovic's players.

He has revealed how his side will approach the game, speaking to the Fulham official website, he said: "We are going to push strongly to put them under stress, to do damage to them, and win the game. All teams have weaknesses.

"We are under pressure to perform well and show our best performance in front of our supporters, and do everything to win three points.

"We are not under any pressure, they are under pressure. We are chasing them and the teams that are in front of us. They could be one of the rivals for an important target for us. We have the chance to win the three points."

The Verdict

There is absolutely no point in Fulham doing anything other than persisting with the attractive, attacking football that has got them where they are now.

They are always better when they're on the front foot. I'm going to sit on the fence for this one and say it'll be a score draw.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/jokanovic-reveals-fulham-approach-to-crunch-clash-with-aston-villa/

WhiteJC

 
Jokanovic delivers Fulham player update fans will have been wondering about

Fulham certainly caught everyone by surprise late on in last month's transfer window as they signed Aleksandar Mitrovic on loan from Fulham.

The men from Craven Cottage stole in late on on Deadline Day to get the attacker into the club after it looked as though he might be on the way to Belgium.

We shouldn't have been surprised, of course, with the Lilywhites showing how capable they are of sneaking up with their run to the top six last year and a similar process going on at the moment.

Since, though, we haven't seen a lot of the forward in his new side's colours and fans must be wondering exactly when he is going to start playing more for their club.

It looks as though it won't be long now, though, with manager Slavisa Jokanovic saying Mitrovic is going to be a part of his plans soon – as per the club's official Twitter account:

The Verdict

Some exciting news for Fulham fans, then, and it remains to be seen exactly what happens with Mitrovic in the coming weeks.

It might not be long now, though, until we see him leading the line for the men from Craven Cottage.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/jokanovic-delivers-fulham-player-update-fans-will-have-been-wondering-about/


WhiteJC

 
Marcus Bettinelli: People don't give Fulham enough credit for dragging ourselves back into contention

The side were languishing in 17th place in November, but a run of two losses in 15 games has seen them haul themselves into fifth ahead of tomorrow's game with Aston Villa

It's December and Fulham are languishing at the wrong end of the table - a 3-1 defeat at Griffin Park to Brentford is the latest result to go against the side.

The Whites are 15th with two wins in their past nine games and a repeat of the previous season is looking less and less likely as the weeks go by.

But fast forward to February, and a run of seven wins in 11 games, with just one loss, has seen the Cottagers shoot to fifth place with one eye on the last automatic promotion spot held by tomorrow's opponents, Aston Villa.

It would be unfair to lay the success of that period on the door of Marcus Bettinelli, but the return of the 25-year-old to the Fulham goalmouth has coincided with that stunning run of form that has seen the team go from mid-table nothingness to a potential Premier League team next season.

While what has changed in the side from one that was struggling in November to one that is flying now is the talk of the town, Bettinelli doesn't think his Fulham side have been given the credit they deserve for a run that has seen them lose just twice in 15 games.

"We knew the start wasn't great and we were trying to find our form and I think a lot of people think it's easy when you go from being in a Play-off position last season like we was," he said.

"I think you can see this season, Sheffield Wednesday and Reading, they were two teams in the play-offs last season, two teams that were there the whole way through probably and this season it seems like a totally different challenge for them.

"It seems like the challenge for them is to stay in the league rather than get promoted so I think people don't realise how hard it is to keep that form and have another promotion push.


One of our own: Marcus Bettinelli (Image: Harry Trump/Getty Images)

"A lot of people haven't given us credit so far in terms of what we've done and where we've got to.

"In November we were 17th, and to come from there to where we are now is a huge, huge pat on the back for us because that's not easy, this league isn't easy, every game is tough.

"It showed that last week away at Bolton, they dug deep and got a good result against us but we're confident going into every game, we'll go into tomorrow full of confidence against a really good side and I'm sure they'll come with loads of confidence too.

"Our job tomorrow is to play our football, not get dragged into the importance of the game or position in the league, it's more about us playing our football, going out there and playing our stuff and try and get the win."

Last season, Fulham left a promotion push late, pipping Leeds United to a spot on the second last day of the season.


Over the line: Marcus Bettinelli (Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

This year, however, they've broken into that top six a lot earlier, meaning they're now there to be shot out by clubs looking to imitate what the Cottagers managed last season and haul in one of the current teams occupying those four spots.

A lot of people are wondering whether second place is now the target for Fulham, but Bettinelli insists the side are well aware of what is around them as they hunt Villa and second.

He added: "As much as we have one eye on second place, of course we have to be aware of what's coming behind us.

"We were a team that was out of it last season and chasing the teams, I think Leeds were in it nearly the whole season and just towards the end they fell out of it.

"We're well aware of the teams chasing us and we're aware of how close second is as well, and that's great.

"We put ourselves in this position, football is never easy, Wolves have made the league look completely easy this season but very rarely does a team do that and that's credit to them and what they've done.

"For everyone else, you have a good start, a couple bad games and I think everyone around that top six other than Wolves have had that at some point this season.

"Villa are on a great run at the moment and they've kind of been similar to us in the way in the last couple of months they've won massive games and kept clean sheets.

"They're on a great run and so are we, I think the last time we lost was Sunderland away and since then we've drawn two.

"We're on a great run ourselves and we just have to keep pushing, take it game by game starting with tomorrow and seeing where it goes."

In his press conferences, Slavisa Jokanovic insists that he's not thinking about the massive period of games Fulham have coming up, a run that includes Wolves and Derby, but is instead taking it game by game.

It's hard to believe, though, that there isn't any thought on those six games and what it could mean for the season - win them and Fulham are staring automatic promotion in the face.

And Bettinelli agrees that it's difficult not to give those fixtures thought, especially after he considers his side have given themselves a great chance to do "something really special this season".


(Image: Paul Burgman)

He said: "It is hard, but these fixtures have been in place for a long time and we all knew at some point this run of games was going to come.

"Personally, I'd much rather be facing these run of games now with the position we're in the league now rather than where we were back in November.

"We've given ourselves a great chance to do something really special this season, we know the next five games are key to what we'll do this season, if we're going to push on and have a great chance for promotion or if we're going to not get into the Play-offs and end in mid-table.

"That's the reality of it, I'm sure after these six games we'll have a good idea where we are and where we stand.

"If we do lose tomorrow, it can't be a case of 'that's our season done' because that's not how it will be - we'll deal with the result tomorrow but we're confident going into the game, we've not lost in a while and neither have they and I'm sure it will be a great game."



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/marcus-bettinelli-people-dont-give-14301079

WhiteJC


Get your chequebooks out – What can Fulham learn from Wolves going into the crucial part of the season?

This weekend, Slavisa Jokanovic and Nuno Espirito Santo square up in an all mighty promotion clash that promises to be a game to remember. Wolves are currently 12 points clear at the top of the table and have shown no signs of being about to slip up in a way that would stop their march to the title, and to the Premier League.

Fulham themselves are on a brilliant run and have hauled themselves into playoff contention and Craven Cottage is a difficult ground to play at. So Fulham will be hoping that they can play on these advantages to turn the match in their favour.

Wolves have been all-conquering this season, and have some of the best players in the Championship. Clubs throughout the league will be looking to copy their blueprint in the future but what can teams like Fulham learn from Nuno Espirito Santo's side?

First of all, the thing that sets Wolves apart is their goal difference – a massive 33 at this stage. Very simply, they have scored the most goals and conceded the least. John Ruddy and his back line have kept 17 clean sheets, which is the most in the league.

By contrast, Fulham have only collected 7, and while the front line of Fulham can be frightening at times, the defence is not as solid as it is required to be. In the Championship, margins like this are the difference between 1st and 5th where Fulham currently sit. The performance levels of the Wolves defenders are always of an incredibly high level – Boly, Coady and Bennett hate to concede and they very rarely do.

Fulham are currently on an excellent run where they haven't lost in the league since the middle of December but they did go 6 games without a win earlier in the season and it appeared at that stage that Jokanovic may be out of a job. The consistency with which Wolves have been producing results must be the benchmark for all teams in this league.

When this team loses, they bounce back straightaway. Many reports from players within the camp say that the team know each other so well that when they lose there isn't a 'blame game' to determine who was at fault, instead they just pick themselves up and put it right in the next game.

By contrast, Fulham have only collected 7, and while the front line of Fulham can be frightening at times, the defence is not as solid as it is required to be. In the Championship, margins like this are the difference between 1st and 5th where Fulham currently sit. The performance levels of the Wolves defenders are always of an incredibly high level – Boly, Coady and Bennett hate to concede and they very rarely do.

Fulham are currently on an excellent run where they haven't lost in the league since the middle of December but they did go 6 games without a win earlier in the season and it appeared at that stage that Jokanovic may be out of a job. The consistency with which Wolves have been producing results must be the benchmark for all teams in this league.

When this team loses, they bounce back straightaway. Many reports from players within the camp say that the team know each other so well that when they lose there isn't a 'blame game' to determine who was at fault, instead they just pick themselves up and put it right in the next game.



https://soccersouls.com/2018/02/17/let-out-your-cheque-books-what-can-fulham-learn-from-wolves-going-into-the-crucial-part-of-the-season/

WhiteJC

 
"We've Achieved Nothing Yet" Stresses Bruce as Villa Look to Banish Craven Cottage Curse

The Villa Appetiser: Fulham v Aston Villa 2018

After a great performance in the derby, it's a different kind of fixture for Villa to contend with – at a ground we never really do well at.

Still, the positive momentum is with Villa at the moment, and while Fulham are enjoying an excellent run of form too, it's a game we need to be taking something from if we are to achieve our ultimate goal of automatic promotion.

Can we get our 8th consecutive league win at an unlikely venue?

Form

FULHAM

5th in the league table with the 7th best home record.

Last five matches at home: W 5

VILLA

2nd in league table with 6th best away record.

Last five matches away: W 3, L 2

Jokanovic on Villa/Bruce

"He (Bruce) is good, it's a big club and they spend many money and they showed their ambition.

"They improve definitely when we compare this season with last season and at the end now they are in the best moment in the few years they are in the Championship.

"They play with confidence, are organised and strong and Steve Bruce is a coach with many experience in both highest category in English football, he has experience with being promoted with a Championship team and in general he's made a great job in this moment and it's fantastic for him."

"We are always working, at the end they score out of set pieces but after seven/eight times where we give them chance to deliver the free kicks with dangerous players, they punished us with one of these and John Terry score the goal.

"They can be a danger for us in set pieces and can be dangerous in different situations, but for us we try and check everything and we are working to check all the solutions we can find in the game."

Bruce on Blues victory

"There's nothing quite like beating your local rivals. It was the manner of it for me, the level of performance that we got to in a big game. We played very very well on the day.

"When you analyse it back it was arguably one of our better performances of the season, in the context of the game.

"It's gone, it was nice to enjoy it and great for the supporters. It's another three points on the road to the target we want to achieve."

and on Fulham

"It's going to be another tough game tomorrow in a different way because Fulham are a very very good football side. Very very good, who I tipped at the start of the season that are the ones we might have to beat.

"In this particular moment they're going very well, got some talented players. So it should be a really cracking game down there tomorrow."

and on promotion chances

"Slowly but surely we hope that we're turning the tide a little bit.

"We've achieved nothing yet. We're not going to get carried away just because we've won the derby.

"We've got to be bigger and better than that. We've given ourselves an outstanding chance.

"We've got 15 games to go.

"We haven't done anything yet, if we think we're Real Madrid, we're not.

"We've just got to make sure we keep producing the level of performance that we've hit over the heights.

"After an awful start consistency wise, we're looking a very decent team, which is important at this particular time in the season."

Memory Match

28th December 2005 – Fulham 3 Aston Villa 3


This six goal thriller saw Villa repeatedly fight back from losing positions to salvage a point. Luke Moore made it 1-1 after an opening goal from Brian McBride but Fulham soon regained their advantage. At 2-1 down in the 60th minute, Ridgewell equalised only for McBride to quickly score a second. Then, in the 76th minute, it was Ridgewell (of all people) who scored again to make it 3-3. Phew!

One to Watch

Aleksandar Mitrović – Signed last month on loan, the striker won promotion with Newcastle last season.

    fulham have only lost one of their last 11 home league games against Villa

Facts to Sweep Under the Carpet

There's always a certain stadium that your team never does well at, and for Villa, out of all the Championship grounds, it's probably Craven Cottage.

Saturday's opponents have only lost one of their last 11 home league games against Villa (a 2-0 loss in 2010), so the history books certainly aren't kind in this instance.

Things tend to be better when we face Fulham at Villa Park, but the records tell us that we've not achieved a league double over Fulham since the 2009-10 season.

Villa's momentum could be brought to a halt by worrying injury news, and it seems Grealish and Adomah are doubts for this weekend's game. It was those players who made the difference against Birmingham City, so it will be tough to find two temporary replacements.

Adomah's goalscoring form this season has put him up there in terms of the overall Championship records, and only Sheffield United's Billy Sharp has won more points from goals scored this season than King Albert!

We've shown good discipline and concentration in recent matches and this will need to continue on Saturday – Jokanovic's men have won more points from losing positions than any other side in the league...

On a nine-match unbeaten league run, Fulham are a tough prospect with their own ambitions of promotion.

If that wasn't enough, Fulham have won six home games in a row...

    "They play with confidence, are organised and strong" – jokanovic ON VILLA

Why Villa Have Got This Game in the Bag

It's not too hard to think of reasons why a win could be possible given our tremendous run of form.

As a Villa fan it's almost strange to write about optimism but our recent performances suggest the tide has truly turned for Villa's fortunes.

Fulham's home run is impressive, but a seventh home win on the trot would be the first time that's happened since 2000.

On that subject, not only was our win against Birmingham City important for bragging rights, it marked our 7th consecutive victory – something we hadn't achieved since the 1990's.

You have to go back even further to find the last time we won EIGHT in a row.

That was in the 1974-75 season with Ron Saunders in charge, a season which ended with promotion back to the top flight, appropriately enough.

With Derby's mid-week defeat, we have a chance to tighten our grip on 2nd place, and need to be mindful of Cardiff who also keep getting results.

Hopefully we can overcome our Craven Cottage troubles for the first time in a while.

UTV.



https://www.myoldmansaid.com/weve-achieved-nothing-yet-stresses-bruce-as-villa-look-to-banish-craven-cottage-curse/


WhiteJC

 
Bruce on Fulham: The toughest test of this run

Steve Bruce says today's fixture against Fulham provides the biggest threat yet to our winning run.

We've been flying throughout 2018 so far, registering seven consecutive Sky Bet Championship wins to propel ourselves to second in the table.

But Fulham have been on a surge themselves, climbing to fifth after a run of five victories in six matches.

And Bruce, who backed Fulham to challenge at the beginning of the season, says they pose the biggest obstacle to our current form.

He said: "It's possibly the biggest test of 2018 so far.

"I'm expecting a very difficult game. Fulham are a very good side.

"I tipped at the start of the season that they were the ones we might have to beat to get where we want to be.

"At this particular moment, they're going very well.

"They've got talented players. It should be a cracking game."

Bruce also hopes to see our away formula that has been so successful of late come off again, with us having taken nine points, scored three and conceded none.

The same again would see us record four consecutive away clean sheets in league competition for the first time since September 1985.

He added: "It's worked and they've been classic away performances, but I'd rather win 2-0 or 3-0 if you offered it to me.

"Away from home especially, if you can rely on your defenders the way we can, then our forward-thinking players are always in with a chance of scoring a goal and winning it for us.

"Hopefully we can do that again. We've got to make sure we keep hitting the levels of performance that we have done in the last few months."



https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2018/02/16/bruce-on-fulham-our-toughest-test-of-this-run

WhiteJC

 
Merson predicts Fulham v Villa

Paul Merson shared that he thought Aston Villa were one of the best teams in the Championship but predicted that they would lose to Fulham.

The Villans have won their last seven league games in a row to sit second in the table ahead of playing Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

"They've been absolutely outstanding, I've just gone for Fulham due to home advantage, but I think Villa will take a draw," said Merson in his Sky Sports Super Six predictions.

"Hard game Fulham away, they're playing well."

The pundit was then asked whether Saturday's game was between two of the best sides in the league, and Merson revealed that he rated both sides highly.

"After Wolves, I would say so," stated the pundit.

The Villans won the first league meeting between the sides 2-1 at Villa Park earlier in the season, with John Terry and Albert Adomah scoring for Steve Bruce's side.

OPINION

Aston Villa have been on an unbelievable run as of late, but all good things must come to an end. Fulham may have failed to beat Bolton in their last league outing, but the Cottagers have been in impressive form recently. Bruce confirmed ahead of Saturday's game that Jack Grealish and Albert Adomah were both likely to miss the match due to injury. Without the talented duo the Villans will struggle to cope with an in-form Fulham. If at least one of the pair is able to feature in the game, it might see Aston Villa scrape a draw if they're lucky.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2018/02/blogs/championship/merson-predicts-fulham-v-villa/

WhiteJC


Three Players to Watch: Matchday 32 vs. Aston Villa
Can Fulham continue their winning ways against the hottest team in the Championship?

So Fulham was introduced to a foreign concept last Saturday. It was called a draw: an event in which two teams totaled the same number of goals at the end of a game of football. The good guys didn't score more than the other, but most importantly, nor did they score less. Therefore, Fulham stayed where they were in the Championship table. Better yet, they came on strong in the last 15 minutes of the game and won the process battle 1.5-0.8. That last portion of the sentence shouldn't matter at all as it's the actual goal counts and the results that matter. But at the end of the day, Fulham are still a good side in a rich vein of form at the right time.

If you really want to get a true handle on their recent success, don't just look at their unbeaten January. Look at when they started to put any form a run together towards now and you'll see that the boys from Southwest London improved dramatically since their crazy 5-4 win over Sheffield United. Since then, Ryan Sessegnon has been the prospect of the future coming from the second tier of England and Fulham are now the fourth best team, from an analytical standpoint, behind Wolves, Cardiff City, and Brentford. Most importantly, Fulham's expected goal counts almost match their actual output throughout the entire campaign.

Now you can argue that the club has been quite lucky with their finishing as of late. Since the Sheffield United game, Fulham has scored 33 goals in 14 games. That is well past the 24.7 expected goals they have accumulated during that span, but that is still quite a respectable total. In fact, if you transpose that rate throughout the whole 2017/18 campaign, Fulham would actually have a season-long total of 54.7 expected goals instead of their 47.8. That brand new total would be the best in the entire Championship. So yeah, Fulham are fine when it comes to their process because even their worse case scenario means that they should be able to terrorize every opponent in the remainder of their fixture list.

On the other side, you have an Aston Villa side that is also on a strong run of form. They have won seven in a row and have outscored the opposition an astounding 16-3. However, expected goals will tell you that Villa should have only outscored everyone 8.6-7.0. Almost all of that luck from this hot streak can be encapsulated with how much they have had this entire season. Like Fulham though, this isn't so much to say that luck was the sole reason for their achievements more than luck is needed to keep a winning streak going to dizzying heights.

After all, Villa is the eighth best team in attack and the fifth best team in defense based off of their season-long expected goal totals. Those high marks make them one of the most well-rounded clubs in England's second tier and they will be quite difficult to stop. Add in Fulham's rankings in attack and defense of third and ninth best in the league, respectively, and you have yourself a great matchup at Craven Cottage.

But first, let's take a look at Villa's players to look out for the most.

Robert Snodgrass

First up, we go to a Premier League veteran that is not resting on his laurels. The 30-year old certainly wants to return to England's top flight one more time and help guide a once-famous club back to where it belongs. With Snodgrass's consistent rate of 2.16 chances created per 90 minutes, no Villa starter will be more dangerous with the ball at his feet. Thanks to a multi-dimensional attack, his assist rate of 0.39 per 90 minutes are the highest it has been since his data has been tracked by whoscored. It also helps that his shooting has been much more lethal now that he has other teammates that can make opposing defenders and goalkeepers sweat.

Albert Adomah

Before this campaign started, you would have thought that Jonathan Kodjia would be leading Aston Villa's line and the goalscoring charts in the league. Then, he has been dealing with ankle issues all year to the point where he has only played in four league games. Enter Albert Adomah: a former Ghana International who is 30 and hasn't reach double digits in goals since 2013/14. This particular campaign is almost a rich man's version of what we are witnessing four years ago.

His shot rate struggles mightily to get above 1.7 per 90 minutes, but his accuracy forces goalkeepers to respect his shot. That is why his goal conversion rate of 25.0% has to be respected. No his career conversion rate of 12.2% proves that this feel-good story could all come to an end very soon. Still, Villa has needed a wide man that can take on people on the dribble and track back defensively and Adomah has more than done that. In fact, Adomah leads all Villa players with 89 defensive contributions this season.

Jack Grealish
All data from whoscored.com


Lastly, we go towards looking at a controversial youngster that looks like he has finally come good and looks to be living up to his billing. It's quite amazing to think that Jack Grealish is 22 years old, but that's how far both the attacking midfielder and Villa have fallen over the years. Instead of partying till the clock strikes dawn at a local club near you, the now-England youth international has decided to party on the pitch and has shone to spray some good passes all over the pitch. Along with Snodgrass and Adomah, this midfield triumvirate, plus Conor Hourihane is the most dangerous part of Villa's XI and for Bruce to find a way to implement all of them with their specific skill sets is what has led to the club's current run of form.

It will be fascinating what comes of Graelish as a shooter because if he were to ever pick that up, his skill-set will match that of a modern day attacking wide player. Until then, he has the look of an old-age winger with a good cross. His style can work, but only if he plays in the right system. Until then, there's still more room to grow for Jack Grealish. He's just finally allowing himself to do so after being in the limelight for so long.


https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2018/2/17/17019368/three-players-to-watch-matchday-32-vs-aston-villa


WhiteJC


Defensive midfield remains the big question as Aston Villa take on Fulham
Despite some potentially key injuries, the DM position is important to Villa

With a satisfying win over the Bluenoses! Villa fans would be forgiven for feeling satisfied with this team right now. The next match against Fulham, however means a lot more to the club's promotion hunt. A win over an in-form, exciting and recently bolstered Fulham FC to not only maintains momentum but keeps pressure on Cardiff and Derby while signalling to promotion rivals that Villa are the form team of the Championship. A draw opens the door and a loss would signal weakness.

With this Villa side seemingly almost set barring injuries, (take note of Jack Grealish and Albert Adomah) there is one position left which remains unlocked, the DM role. One thing that we know about Steve Bruce is that when he is certain of his players in a system that's working, is that he only adjusts his starting line up to the opposition - he's flexible. In Mile Jedinak and Birkir Bjarnason (Whelan as backup), Steve Bruce has capable options to guard his defensive line. So, out of the pair, who is better to face Fulham?

Who's at DM?

Looking at the 5 last matches Bruce has favoured Birkir Bjarnason, he's defensively solid, a strong passer and capable of getting forward to contribute to attacks. Bjarnason has proved these qualities recently in burying lower table opposition at home in Barnsley and Burton while showing defensive solidarity away in close wins against Forest and Sheffield United. He's also much more mobile than Jedinak, but Jedinak offers a point of difference in his defensive characteristics, his ability to marshal defenders/midfielders and the ability make jail breaking tackles/intercepts which turn quickly into counter attacks. He's a shutdown player

So what about Fulham?

Most recently Jedinak got the nod over Bjarnason and battled successfully with the 6"4 Sam Gallagher with David Davis sitting behind, validating Bruce's choice. Fulham are not Birmingham City though and the differences are clear. While Birmingham City offer some danger out wide, strong defensive tracking back from Villa's flank players nullified this danger leaving Gallagher/Davis to compete with Jedinak and the defensive line. Fulham offer other threats despite lining up in the same 4-2-3-1 formation as Birmingham. Fonte/Johansen offer a similarity to Gallagher/Davis despite Rui Fonte being Bjarnason's height. Fulham have options in the middle with Oliver Norwood or another option to dropping Johansen back to CM and sitting Tom Cairney behind the striker in the hole. All are capable defensively capable and float forward getting involved in attacks similarly to how Conor Hourihane operates.

Where things get really interesting is out on the flanks, Fulham have a slight favourability to attack from the left with the exciting Ryan Sessegnon (should have been snapped up in January) and recent loanee Matt Targett offering pace/aggression down the left, both have Premier League quality, but like Albert Adomah, Sessegnon is likely to cut inside and shoot or put crosses in from the byline. Ahmed Elmohamady should hang back with Robert Snodgrass forced to track back and the pair will require support from the central midfield in order to get back and defend on the break. On the right Lucas Piazon can cause trouble, but Ryan Fredericks is Fulham's leading goal-maker at right back with 7 assists and offers more of a threat in delivery.

Conclusion

Fulham's versatility in attack, similar to Villa's, is the team's strength and Villa are likely to need versatility in front of the defence to cover centrally and out wide, especially on the left. Despite Jedinak's strong defensive characteristics and aerial excellence, for me Bjarnason's physical attributes, range of passing and ability to play/defend wide give him the edge. Don't be surprised though if we see the glorious beard of the Jedinak gracing Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon!




https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2018/2/17/17022646/defensive-midfield-remains-the-big-question-as-aston-villa-take-on-fulham

WhiteJC

 
Impressive Fulham reveal will be a major worry for Aston Villa

The standout fixture in the Sky Bet Championship this weekend is undoubtedly Fulham's clash with Aston Villa at Craven Cottage, where two of the division's promotion hopefuls will be going up against each other.

Fulham have won five of their last six Championship fixtures to storm into the play-offs, whilst Villa are the form team in the country right now, with Steve Bruce's side winning their last seven, moving into second and grasping hold of the second automatic promotion place with 15 fixtures of the season remaining.

This weekend's clash marks Slavisa Jokanovic's 100th league game in-charge of Fulham, according to Goodbrand Stats (@StatsChristian), who has also taken a look at a breakdown of results at Craven Cottage under his previous 99 fixtures.

Jokanovic has won 44 of those 99 fixtures, drawing on 30 occasions and losing just 27 times, leaving the Serbian with an impressive league record during his time at Craven Cottage.

It has also been highlighted Fulham's impressive home form in recent weeks, which has been the backbone to their recent surge towards the top-six.

Fulham have won their last six fixtures at Craven Cottage.

The Verdict 

It should be an entertaining contest at Craven Cottage this afternoon, with both sides holding promotion ambitions this season.

Fulham's record under Jokanovic is extremely impressive, but more worrying for Villa is the form that they have shown at Craven Cottage in recent weeks, which highlights the task at hand today.

Villa are on a good run of form, but today is the biggest test Steve Bruce's side have faced.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/impressive-fulham-reveal-will-be-a-major-worry-for-aston-villa/

WhiteJC

 
Fulham v Villa – Preview

Fulham vs Aston Villa
Sky Bet Championship
15.00 – Saturday, 17th February 2018
Craven Cottage, London.

Aston Villa will head down to the Capital today to take on an in-form Fulham side at Craven Cottage today in the Sky Bet Championship.

Steve Bruce has challenged his side to do everything they can to catch runaway leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers so he will hope they can continue their run of good form. Villa has won their last seven league games, scoring 15 and conceding just 3 in the process.

Slaviša Jokanović's teams form is not to be sniffed at as they have done their usual second half of the season push for a playoff position by winning 7 of their last 9 league games.

Villa finds themselves sitting second in the division just a point ahead of both Derby and Cardiff while Fulham sits 5th, three points clear of 7th placed Preston.

TEAM NEWS

Bruce revealed in his press conference yesterday that both Albert Adomah and Jack Grealish are doubts for our trip to Craven Cottage. Both were substituted in the 2-0 win over Birmingham.

Otherwise, we have a fully fit squad to pick from apart from the long-term injuries.

The home side is hoping that captain Tom Crainey will return from injury. He has missed their last two games with a knee injury.

On-loan Newcastle striker Aleksander Mitrovic will be pushing for his first start also following a few substitute appearances.

STATISTICS

    Aston Villa hasn't achieved a league double over Fulham since 2009-10.
    Fulham has won more games from losing positions than any other team in the division (13).
    If Villa wins today, the would have won 8 games on the trot for the first time since 1975.
    Fulham have lost just one of their last eleven home league games (W5, D5)

TICKET INFORMATION

Once again Aston Villa has sold their full allocation and it is believed they have the majority of the neutral zone so between 6,000-7,000 fans are expected to travel.

LIVE MATCH CHAT

Can't make the game? Well, why not discuss the game on our Aston Villa forums with fellow Villa supporters.

PREDICTIONS

David Prutton: Fulham 0-1 Aston Villa
Larry-AV: Fulham 1-2 Aston Villa
Martin Crispin: Fulham 0-3 Aston Villa



http://www.avillafan.com/27770/fulham-v-villa-preview/


WhiteJC

 
Preston North End Away Tickets

Tickets for Fulham's match against Preston North End on Saturday 10th March (3pm) are now on sale to Season Ticket Holders and Members.

The Whites travel to Lancashire with advance tickets priced at £24 for adults, £16 for over 65s and £15 for young adults and students. Supporters can view the full pricing table here.

Follow Fulham Away with tickets released on General Sale from 10am on Wednesday 21st February.

Secure your seat at Deepdale today online, by telephone on 0203 871 0810 (Opt 1) or in person at the Fulham Tickets Office.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/february/17/preston-away-on-sale

WhiteJC

 
Aston Villa team news: Jack Grealish and Albert Adomah latest ahead of Fulham clash

Aston Villa team news includes updates on key pair ahead of Fulham

Aston Villa have concerns about key pair Jack Grealish and Albert Adomah ahead of today's crunch promotion clash with Fulham.

In-form Villa head to the capital to take on Slavisa Jokanovic's Fulham looking to win eight successive league games for the first time since 1975.

But they may be without two of their star performers with Grealish and Adomah carrying knocks.

Adomah was struggling with a hamstring problem midway through the Second City derby but recovered to fire in the decisive first against Birmingham City.

Grealish is also carrying a slight calf problem and Bruce confirmed both players will be assessed ahead of the match at Craven Cottage.

He said: "There's a doubt about Adomah and there's a doubt about Grealish unfortunately. We'll see how they both are later today."

Adomah is Villa's top scorer this season with 14 goals while Grealish has been inspirational since his return from a freak kidney injury.

Villa have an otherwise fully fit squad with just long term absentees Jonathan Kodjia (ankle) and Jed Steer (shoulder) on the sidelines.



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/adomah-grealish-injury-update-villa-14297680

WhiteJC

 
Key Change In Midfield? Predicted 4-1-4-1 Aston Villa Lineup To Face Fulham

Aston Villa are unarguably one of the favourites to clinch a ticket for promotion to the Premier League. Under the tutelage of Steve Bruce, the Villans have really dazzled this season and are currently placed at the 2nd spot in the Championship table with 59 points to their name from 31 league encounters.

On Saturday, they are due to make a trip to the Craven Cottage to face Fulham in their next league fixture. Jonathan Kodjia and Jed Steer are out injured, but Gabriel Agbonlahor and Mile Jedinak are fit to feature. Here is how we expect Bruce to roll out his starting line-up against Slavisa Jokanovic's troops.

Goalkeeper

Sam Johnstone is expected to start between the sticks once again for the Lions. The 24-year-old custodian has mustered a fine season so far in the Championship, having notched up 14 clean sheets from 31 games and has been one of the main reasons for Villa's form this season.

Defence

John Terry and James Chester are expected to be chalked once again at the heart of Aston Villa's defence. Terry and Chester have really been able to inject a lot of resilience at the back and have worked really well together and it is highly unlikely that we would see Bruce trifling with a proven chemistry.

From the right-back slot, Ahmed Elmohamady is expected to showcase his industry and on the other side, Bruce will select Alan Hutton. The Lions have garnered 5 clean sheets in their last 7 league fixtures and Bruce's defensive line would not be bereft of confidence against the Cottagers.

Midfield

Birkir Bjarnason is anticipated to operate as a deep-lying holding midfielder to cushion the backline, having performed brilliantly in the recent games. Ahead of him, Jack Grealish and Conor Hourihane are looking all set to operate right from the very beginning.

Hourihane and Grealish have the calibre to not only dictate the tempo of the game from the middle of the park, but have also galloped forward occasionally to carve offensive endeavours for their side. Robert Snodgrass would be a sensible option to be placed on the right side of the midfield whereas on the left, Albert Adomah is expected to start once again.

Attack

Up front, we expect Bruce to go with Scott Hogan. Hogan has been in a decent touch of late as he has scored 3 goals in his last 4 league outings and would be definitely looking to make his presence felt against Fulham.



http://madaboutepl.net/2018/02/key-change-midfield-predicted-4-1-4-1-aston-villa-lineup-face-fulham/