Thursday Fulham Stuff (12/04/18)...

[WhiteJC]

Jokanovic salutes Fulham's spirit
by Dan on April 11, 2018

Slavisa Jokanovic praised Fulham's ambition and desire after the Whites moved up to second in the Championship by grinding out a slender victory over Reading at Craven Cottage last night.

Stefan Johansen's simple finish might have come against the run of play after the Royals made the brighter start – but Jokanovic was pleased with the way his side stuck to their task and extended their unbeaten run to twenty games. The Serbian head coach was also delighted that Fulham claimed their fourth consecutive clean sheet.

Jokanovic told his post-match press conference:

    Reading arrived here with great energy and a desire to press us. So we didn't create so many chances in the first 15 minutes. But we did well to be clinical in the first half; in the second half we created many more chances, but we didn't finish. We needed to be more clinical in the second half and more calm at the end of the game, but this is the Championship and it's not easy to win games.

    I am a positive man. We showed ambition and we weren't scared. We had many organised attacks and my team showed a great desire to kill the game. I must give credit to my squad. We're going to get ready for the next step in a similar style.

The Fulham coach's only disappointment was that his side failed to convert numerous chances to extend their lead, which made for a nervous end to the night.

    We had great chances to kill the game with a second goal, but we couldn't do it. But we did show great defensive concentration. We prevented Reading from creating chances and this is our fourth game in a row with a clean sheet. This is positive news for us.

He wasn't getting carried away after Cardiff's second consecutive defeat, insisting that the Bluebirds still hold the advantage in the promotion race by virtue of their game in hand.

    Everything is in Cardiff's hands. They still have one more game to play than we do. They must be under some kind of pressure. We have to be ready for the next step and that's it. It's not necessary to look any further and I am only getting the team ready for Brentford. My players and I are only focused on the next game. We cannot think about taking it more than one step at a time.

    The supporters were fantastic. They've pushed us all season and I expect they'll create an excellent atmosphere for us this Saturday against Brentford. Our momentum is fantastic. The team's spirit is great and we all have to focus on doing our jobs.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/04/jokanovic-salutes-fulhams-spirit/

[WhiteJC]

 
Five winnable games left, but City have lost their momentum.

When it became clear that I would be moving house last month, I was told by a few people that the biggest problem I would have when it came to having things back to "normal" once I was in my new home was getting my broadband working properly again.

I didn't believe them – after all, there are so many, apparently, more important things that needed to be ironed out before you can start to feel settled, but they were right and I suppose it's a commentary on how reliant we have become on something that barely existed a quarter of a century ago – it's been almost three weeks since I moved now and I've been told that I'm still up to a fortnight away from getting the fibre broadband service I was used to.

For now, I'm soldiering on with a Mifi which means I can browse and do all of the financial stuff I need to do online, but, streaming is too expensive a pastime currently, given how quickly it eats up the data I purchase under my pay as you go arrangement.

I did splash out to watch the Sheffield United match, but I've seen barely any televised football since I moved and so, with nearly all of you who get to read this having seen a lot more of last night's 1-0 loss by Cardiff City to fourth placed Aston Villa than I have, this is just going to be a short piece which will be more about looking at what's to come, than our latest setback, which has taken us out of the automatic promotion positions for the first time in a few months.

I listened to the match on the radio and one comment which stuck in my mind came from Jason Perry in the dying seconds when he said, despite doing very little between the two penalty boxes, City had more of the chances on the night. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing hit the post quite early on in the game, but, apart from that, just as he did at Cardiff City Stadium back in August, Villa keeper Sam Johnstone impressed with some fine saves – although the impression given was that he shouldn't really have been given the chance to show his shot stopping ability with some of them.

The inference of that comment by City's ex centreback was that our midfield of Gunnarsson, Grujic and Paterson didn't fire and, having watched the other two games, it seems to me that this has been the main problem in the trio of matches we've just played against genuine promotion contenders which has seen us only take the one, undeserved, point at Sheffield United.

I've made my feelings clear about the quality, or lack of quality, of our passing on a few occasions this season, and, although I get the impression it was more of the same last night, it would be unfair of me to go off on one again on this subject when I haven't seen any of the action at all.

So, I'll finish on the game which enabled Fulham to slip past us with a hard fought 1-0 home win against relegation troubled Reading, by saying that, if it were needed, there was more proof of the validity of the adage that what goes around, comes around when Jack Grealish scored what was, apparently, a superb winning goal in the eighty fifth minute.

Grealish, one of the Championship's more naturally talented divers, was booed and barracked unmercifully at Cardiff City Stadium last season during his side's 1-0 defeat and there was evidence that he let it get to him, so it must have been sweet revenge for him to volley in that winner. I still think he is the sort of player that gets you relegated from the Premier League though, but, by scoring that goal, I suppose Grealish has, just about, kept Villa's hopes of going up automatically alive – can't see it happening mind.

For me, it's still either Fulham or us to accompany Wolves up automatically and if you look at it in terms of form and momentum, the Londoners, with their twenty game unbeaten run, are holding the aces at the moment.

However, after weeks of being told that we had the toughest run in of any of the automatic promotion contenders, I'd say things have changed and Fulham are the ones with the trickier looking fixtures now. If City were to win at Norwich on Saturday, then Fulham would entertain Brentford at tea time back in third place for a local derby against opponents who have won their last four matches without conceding a goal to keep their Play Off hopes, which had looked dead and buried when we won at Griffin Park last month, alive.

Brentford have been dangerous customers all season and, currently, I'd say that description can, perhaps, be applied to Millwall more than any other side in our division. A trip to the New Den has been a test for everyone in the Championship ever since August, but, at the moment, it is probably as tough an assignment as it has been all season.

Those are the two games most likely to cause Fulham to slip up. Sunderland at home could be tricky if the Wearsiders still have a chance of staying up, but their inability to win at home (they let a lead slip to draw 1-1 with Norwich last night) makes me think they'll be down by the time they go to Craven Cottage. Something similar applies to the final game of the regular season at Birmingham – the Midlands team are likely to be safe by then, but it will be an awkward task for Fulham if they go there needing a win while the home side could still go down.

City's game in hand is at Derby following the controversial postponement last month. It should be a real grudge match and could easily be a situation which will find Neil Warnock and his team in their element, but, even if we got nothing from that game, I'd still say our other four fixtures offer us the chance to sneak back into second if Fulham stop winning.

Norwich, Forest and Hull are all teams who are capable of beating us on their day, but the first named are the epitome of a mid table side with nothing to play for and it would take a catastrophic run of results, and a very good finish from twenty second placed Barnsley, to draw the other two into late relegation difficulties.

Reading, who we entertain on the final day of the season, are in a more precarious position, but have ground out a couple of wins in Paul Clement's first four matches in charge and Sunderland and Ipswich at home and Sheffield Wednesday away before they face us should give them the opportunity to come here with relegation fears a thing of the past.

I've always said give me sides with no worries at either end of the table to finish the season with if my side is involved in a fight at the top or bottom of a league and we could be facing four of those in our last five matches, while it's conceivable that all four of Fulham's remaining matches will be "Cup Finals". As long as the physical and psychological damage caused by our late heartbreak against Wolves and Villa hasn't caused too much harm, this is far from over for a City team who are at least guaranteed a place in the Play Offs after last night's results.



http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/five-winnable-games-left-but-city-have-lost-their-momentum/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham 1-0 Reading: Player ratings
by Sarah on April 11, 2018

Man-to-man marking as Fulham stretched their unbeaten run to twenty games ...

Marcus Bettinelli: Even though the Fulham goalkeeper didn't have to make a save for the second match in succession, this wasn't his most convincing of performances. Bettinelli was indebted to Tim Ream early on after being beaten to a through ball by Bödvarsson and some of his distribution was a little iffy. Almost played Ryan Fredericks into trouble with one pass out from the back, but redeemed himself by quickly clearing the danger when a couple of backpasses were left a little short. 6

Ryan Fredericks: Gave Fulham plenty of attacking impetus down the right. Might have helped add a clinching second late on after some superb interplay with Neeskens Kebano and saw his own shot deflect wide. Superb in his defensive duties too, making a vital tackle to deny Mo Barrow a sight of goal when the Whites were short of numbers at the back and headed away a dangerous cross with Royals' attackers waiting at the back post in the second half. Brilliant covering header in the 64th denied Reading a golden chance. 7

Tim Ream: The American was imperious at the heart of the Fulham defence. Showed great anticipation and agility to bail out Bettinelli and clear off the line when Bödvarsson appeared certain to score so early on and, barring one poor pass back to his goalkeeper, transmitted confident throughout the side. Dealt well with all of the forwards that Paul Clement brought on and produced one audacious moment of skill down by the Riverside to work his way out of a tight situation. 8

Denis Odoi: Another commanding display from the Belgian, who has been so impressive in his last three outings. Produced a brilliant block to deny Dave Edwards during the visitors' swift start and wins an incredible amount of headers for someone who isn't the tallest. Full of confidence when in possession and stepped out of defence to start a number of Fulham attacks from deep. 7

Matt Targett: We'll soon to running out of ways to sum up Targett's continuing excellence. What a distance he has made to this team since arriving from Southampton in January. Produced a moment of real quality with the majestic ball in that Johansen buried to give Fulham the lead. The Whites might have had two more goals from his deliveries before half time but Mitrovic failed to put away a couple of good headed opportunities. Defensively disciplined as ever. 8

Kevin McDonald: Kept busy in front of the Fulham back four, especially in the opening 20 minutes when Reading seemed to surprise the home side with the vibrancy of their start, but by the Scottish midfielder's fine standards this wasn't his best display. Looked a little hurried in possession, giving the ball away a little too often and missed a few tackles. Improved as the night went on and threaded a wonderful pass through for Mitrovic in the last ten minutes but the Serbian's low cross was scrambled clear. 6

Tom Cairney: It seemed as Fulham's playmaker might be nullified by Reading's fast start, but Cairney become increasingly influential after Johansen put the Whites ahead. By the end of the night, he seemed to have all the time in the world in run the midfield. Might have had a goal himself had he been a little greedier around the edge of the box – as it was his best effort was blocked. Unselfishly teed up Fredericks in the second half for a shot that was deflected wide. 8

Stefan Johansen: The Norwegian gave Fulham real impetus from midfield with those trademark forward runs of old. Took his goal superbly and, on another night, might have ended up with three or four himself. Had several efforts blocked and saw one second half shot superbly saved by Vito Mannone. Planted a free-kick right on the head of Mitrovic, who headed wide, before the Serbian couldn't finish from a second-half cutback. Taken off before the end to a richly deserved standing ovation. 8

Ryan Sessegnon: Posed Reading a host of problems down the left flank, especially as the game opened up in the second period. Gave an early indication of his threat with a low ball that Liam Moore cleared at full stretch and fashioned an opening for Mitrovic, who shot over just before the break. Storming run and cross played in Johansen after the break before Mitrovic somehow stabbed his cross wide with six minutes to play when it seemed easier to score. Seemed to have no ill effects after Bacuna's horrible late lunge that earned the former Villa man a red card. 7

Lucas Piazon: Included down the right perhaps due to his eagerness to put in a performance against his old club. Started brightly and drifted into plenty of dangerous positions as he cut inside from the right, but didn't have the pace of an Ayite or a Kebano. His best moment came from a second half free-kick that he got over the wall and back down again from 30 yards causing Mannone to juggle it before gathering. 6

Aleksandar Mitrovic: To the Serbian's immense irritation, Mitrovic was wasteful in front of goal. Passed up countless chances to add to his winner at Sheffield Wednesday, but occupied Reading's centre halves throughout. Made a host of intelligent runs and delivered a performance full of his usual power to give Fulham a focal point up front, but failed to put the game out of sight. 6

Substitutes:

Neeksens Kebano (replaced Lucas Piazon, 79): The Congolese winger's encouraging return from the wilderness continued with a lively cameo after replacing Piazon. Injected some pace and intensity from the bench – immediately presenting a different option to the Brazilian. Perhaps should have scored instead of dragging a finish wide of the far post after a blinding dribble through the penalty area and also saw a low cross a couple of minutes later narrowly elude several white shirts. 7

Ollie Norwood (replaced Stefan Johansen 89): Introduced for Fulham's goalscorer as Jokanovic sought to run the clock down ahead of stoppage time, but had very little time to get involved. 6



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/04/fulham-1-0-reading-player-ratings/

[WhiteJC]

 
Games of interest for weekend 13-15/04
This week-end its another London derby, this time Brentford visit Craven Cottage

20 games unbeaten, 20 games! I'm sure that Brentford will be looking to bring our unbeaten run to an end as they are on a 5 game unbeaten run, they've won the last 3 games 1-0.

Cardiff will be looking to bounce back from 2 consecutive defeats which has seen us leapfrog them into 2nd place, however Cardiff have a game in hand as their away trip to Derby was postponed due to bad weather earlier in the year.

Millwall have forced their way into the play-offs with their win over Bolton Wanderers, they are also on a great unbeaten run of 16 games so our away trip to the Den should be an interesting game.

other games of interest include...

FRIDAY 13TH APRIL

Aston Villa v Leeds

SATURDAY 14TH APRIL

Burton v Derby

Middlesbrough v Bristol City

Norwich v Cardiff

Sheffield Utd v Millwall

SUNDAY 15TH APRIL

Wolves v Birmingham City


COYWs



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=144

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Ayite sidelined by hamstring problem

Fulham forward Floyd Ayite is expected to be sidelined for 10 days with a hamstring injury.

Whites boss Slavisa Jokanovic confirmed the problem after Ayite missed Tuesday's win over Reading.

Ayite suffered the injury after just 10 minutes on as a substitute against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

He will miss the west London derby against Brentford this weekend and possibly the away game at Millwall on April 20.



http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-man-sidelined-hamstring-problem

[WhiteJC]

 
The Cardiff City talking points as Aston Villa defeat throws up Aron Gunnarsson dilemma and Fulham now face pressure

Football writer Ian Mitchelmore runs through the main topics of discussion from the match at Villa Park

Here are the key talking points from Cardiff City's 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa .

A new pressure shift

Warnock has continuously played down his side's chances of promotion and has been quick to re-iterate - justifiably so - how much the Bluebirds are over-achieving this term.

And speaking after the defeat to Aston Villa, the Yorkshireman admitted he prefers to be the "hunter" rather than the "hunted" .

It of course comes after Fulham continued their remarkable run of form with a 1-0 win over Reading at Craven Cottage, a result that saw Slavisa Jokanovic's men leapfrog the Bluebirds into second place in the table.

But with the game in hand over Derby County still to play, Cardiff's destiny still remains in their own hands.

And Warnock - who will at the very worst see his side compete in the playoffs come the end of the season - will be more than happy for the spotlight to shift away from the Welsh capital and on to the Cottagers.

The Gunnarsson dilemma

The Iceland international returned to action against Burton Albion following a lengthy injury lay-off, but the Bluebirds have failed to win in any of the three games in which the midfielder has started since that 3-1 victory.

Clearly there are several mitigating factors behind that run, most notably the difficult fixtures Cardiff have had in that period while Gunnarsson needs minutes to get back to full speed after such a long spell on the sidelines.

But the midfielder endured an immensely difficult night against the Villans, and Jack Grealish in particular.

Craig Bryson has every right to feel hard done by after missing out on a starting spot against Steve Bruce's side after such an impressive shift in the 1-0 loss to Wolves while Joe Ralls' absence has been felt even more of late.

Add to the mix the seemingly forgotten man Loic Damour who has barely had a sniff of late and there's a real selection dilemma in the midfield for Warnock to ponder.

But perhaps even more frustratingly for the travelling army of fans who made the trip from South Wales to the Midlands, they once again witnessed a raft of Gunnarsson's trademark long throw-ins, but once again they failed to see the tactic yield any rewards.

Perhaps it's time for a tweak.

It's not all doom and gloom

Having scored goals for fun at times this season, the Bluebirds have only bulged the net once in their last three games, a run that has seem them collect just one point from a possible nine.

But even in defeat, at least Warnock's men have been creating chances.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing looked back to his rip-roaring best at Villa Park, being denied by the post and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, while Kenneth Zohore - who barely got a sniff against the Villans - did have one golden chance in the second half.

And even against Champions elect Wolves, the Bluebirds had enough openings - including two spot-kicks - to take something out of the game.

It was yet another gut-wrenching result for the Cardiff supporters to take against Bruce's side.

But if they can be a bit more clinical in-front of goal over the next few weeks, the Bluebirds' points tally will no doubt be back on the rise.

Time for the January stars and others to shine

The January arrival of Gary Madine had a huge impact on Kenneth Zohore while the other regulars seemed to benefit from the winter window additions as Cardiff went on a 13-game unbeaten run in the league after their loss to Queens Park Rangers on New Year's Day.

But of the men signed by Warnock in January, only Marko Grujic has impressed thus far.

Armand Traore showed flashes before picking up an injury while Jamie Ward has also spent a lot of time on the sidelines, but the Cardiff faithful are yet to see much encouraging from either Madine or Yanic Wildschut.

And all the while Anthony Pilkington - who rescued a point for Cardiff at Sheffield United - has had to settle for a cameo appearance here and there as those ahead of him in the pecking order continue to get the nod, understandably so given the Bluebirds' form in 2018.

But following back-to-back defeats, there has been a clamour from fans for Warnock to mix things up over the final five league matches to help get Cardiff's automatic promotion bid back on track.

And those mentioned could yet have a big say on whether or not the Bluebirds go up this season. It just remains to be seen if someone will get the opportunity to be a surprise hero.



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cardiff-city-aston-villa-promotion-14516084

[WhiteJC]

 
Craig Bellamy delivers honest verdict on automatic promotion tussle between Cardiff and Fulham

Former Cardiff City star Craig Bellamy has delivered an honest and considered appraisal of the automatic promotion tussle between his employers and Fulham.

The race for promotion to the Premier League from the Championship is hotting up with Cardiff City and Fulham locked in a battle for the second automatic spot behind champions-elect Wolves.

Neil Warnock and Slavisa Jokanovic are the front-runners to lead their sides back to the big time after Tuesday night's results saw the Cottagers leapfrog the Bluebirds into second spot after respective 1-0 wins and defeats against Reading and Aston Villa.

Fulham's amazing form - 16 wins in their last 20 games - has seen them storm up the Championship table with four games remaining.

Cardiff do have a game in hand, though, as they go from being the hunted to the hunters for the last month of the season.

Many pundits are backing Fulham to seal the second automatic spot, so good has their form been.

And now former Cardiff City player and the club's current U18s manager Craig Bellamy has delivered his honest verdict on the promotion race when appearing as a guest on Sky Sports' The Debate... even if he is backing Warnock's side to avoid the playoffs.

"Look they've (Cardiff) got a lot of character in the squad, that's been enough all season to be fair to them," Bellamy told The Debate.

"We didn't quite expect - and this is us looking at it inside the club - them to do as well as they have done, we were looking at playoffs but credit to the manager, his staff, the players as well, they've shown big character all season.

"We knew we were coming into a difficult stage of the season, I tell you one thing you've got to say is well done to Fulham by the way, I think that's 20 games, 16 wins, the run they've gone on - and it's taken that good a run because that's how well Cardiff have done.

"Got to give credit to Fulham and even about a month ago we were saying they're the only one team I could see challenging Cardiff. Cardiff have even gone on a brilliant run themselves ... it's a tricky period, they are games you would expect Cardiff to go on and win, but Fulham do have the easier games but saying that they are up against teams in the relegation zone or thereabouts relegation and we all know at this stage of the season they can be very difficult.

"The class at Fulham is very good, but Cardiff's character to be fair to them they just got to get back going now... but they've had setbacks (before) and bounced back. Fulham are easier on the eye, a lot of teams are easier on the eye than Cardiff but their character, with the manager as well, the group of men they have might be enough - MIGHT be enough - to get them through."

Cardiff have Norwich, Nottingham Forest, Derby County, Hull City and Reading to play in the run-in.

Fulham meanwhile have London derbies against Brentford and Millwall before finishing the season with games against relegation threatened Sunderland and Birmingham.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/04/11/craig-bellamy-delivers-honest-verdict-on-automatic-promotion-tus/

[WhiteJC]

 
Ryan Fredericks reacts to Fulham's win over Reading



Fulham picked up a vital 1-0 win over Reading last night and the Cottagers are now edging towards automatic promotion.

Slavisa Jokanovic's men are now unbeaten in 20 matches and they have moved into the top two in the table. Cardiff have dropped out of the top two for the first time since February.

Stefan Johansen's first-half strike was enough to earn the three points for the Londoners.

The Championship outfit will now look to finish the season strongly and secure promotion to the Premier League.

Fulham are full of confidence right now and they have the momentum with them. The Londoners have looked unplayable at times this season and Jokanovic will be hoping for more of the same when his side takes on Brentford later this week.

Right back Ryan Fredericks sent out a message after his side's win over Reading. The 25-year-old urged his teammates to stay focused and finish the job.



http://sportslens.com/ryan-fredericks-reacts-to-fulhams-win-over-reading/230289/

[WhiteJC]

Ayite out with hamstring injury
by Dan on April 11, 2018

Fulham will have to do without Floyd Ayite for their two forthcoming London derbies after the winger injured his hamstring at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Slavisa Jokanovic told the press after last night's win over Reading that the Togolese international is likely to be out for at least another ten days following the injury problem that he picked up at Hillsborough. The winger was forced off just ten minutes after coming on as a substitute against Sheffield Wednesday, having been tackled by George Boyd. That means Ayite is set to miss Brentford's visit to Craven Cottage on Saturday as well as the trip to Millwall on Friday 20 April.

It isn't the first time the 29 year-old has been sidelined by a hamstring complaint this season. Ayite picked up a similar injury at Reading on August 12 and missed five games as a result before aggravating the problem during the 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough a month later. He also injured his hamstring again in the 5-4 win at Sheffield United in November and was out of action for a month.

Jokanovic will likely have to choose from Lucas Piazon, Neeskens Kebano and Sheyi Ojo to fill the void in the Fulham squad until Ayite returns to full fitness.


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/04/ayite-out-with-hamstring-injury/

[WhiteJC]

 
Brilliant Targett, Decent Mitrovic – The best and the worst rated Fulham players vs Reading

Fulham 1-0 Reading: Cottagers Move 2nd After Important Win Over The Royals

High-flying Fulham welcomed Paul Clement's Reading to Craven Cottage hoping to close the gap on Cardiff. After Reading started well, Fulham grew into the game and Stefan Johansen put the West Londoners in the lead.

In-form striker Aleksandar Mitrovic had several chances to extend the lead but he wasn't able to. As Cardiff lost their game, this result puts Fulham into the all-important automatic promotion places, and they will hope to stay there until the end of the season.
Fulham Player Ratings
Marcus Bettinelli – 6.5

Was tested early on but after that, he hardly had a save to make.
Ryan Fredericks – 7

Solid at the back for Fulham, he was only dispossessed once in the entire game.
Denis Odoi – 7

Another strong performance from Odoi at the heart of the Fulham defence. He continues to keep Tomas Kalas out of the team.
Tim Ream – 7.5

A leader on the pitch, Ream kept the Reading strikers at arm's length all game.
Matt Targett – 8

Always a threat to the Reading defenders, Matt Targett provided the assist for Johansen to put Fulham in the lead.
Kevin McDonald – 6.5

With a very high 88% pass completion rate, Kevin McDonald was very tidy on the ball throughout this game.
Stefan Johansen – 7.5

Scored a lovely goal after 25 minutes and kept pushing until the 89th minute when he was replaced by Oliver Norwood.
Tom Cairney – 6.5

There were a few touches of brilliance but this was not his best performance.
Lucas Piazon – 7

Ran himself into the ground for his team and was impressive when he had the ball. Was replaced by Kebano in the 80th minute.
Aleksandar Mitrovic – 7

Could have extended Fulham's lead but he spurned two very presentable chances before the end of the first half. In total, he had 7 shots and will be disappointed not to have added to his impressive goal tally.
Ryan Sessegnon – 7

A quiet game for the young man. Was off the pace at times.
Substitutes
Neeskens Kebano (for Piazon) – 6

A good ten minutes as he works his way back into the team.
Oliver Norwood (for Johansen) N/A

Came on at the last minute so that Johansen could have a standing ovation.


https://soccersouls.com/2018/04/11/brilliant-targett-decent-mitrovic-the-best-and-the-worst-rated-fulham-players-vs-reading/

[WhiteJC]

 
Boss Jokanovic urges Fulham to stay calm

Slavisa Jokanovic has urged Fulham to remain calm after they moved into the automatic promotion places with just four games remaining.

Victory over Reading moved the Whites above Cardiff City, who have a game in hand, but boss Jokanovic insisted that was "not important" and instead focused on the fact they have sealed at least a play-off place.

"We cannot promise anything. We know this is a crazy competition and we must be calm," he said.

"We are not thinking about position so much at the moment. The situation is still not under our control. Cardiff have another game.

"I am only thinking about short steps. We have caught one target and we are enjoying today this good performance and three more points.

"The team showed fight, desire and ambition, and in the past too. We must recover and push for the next three points. I'm sure many things are going to happen."

Fulham face west London rivals Brentford next and they will be without Floyd Ayite, who is out for 10 days with a hamstring problem.

Jokanovic said: "We don't need to think about Millwall, Sunderland or Birmingham. We cannot think too far ahead of us.

"We need to think about a good team in Brentford, fighting for the play-offs. I like when we have to play a team that is fighting for something at the end."



http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/football-jokanovic-urges-fulham-stay-calm-end-crazy-competition

[WhiteJC]

 
Slavisa Jokanovic insists Cardiff City are still promotion favourites after Fulham jump into second place

Stefan Johansen's goal secured a 1-0 win for the Craven Cottage club

Slavisa Jokanovic insists automatic promotion is still in Cardiff City's hands, despite Fulham leapfrogging the Bluebirds into second place in the Championship.

Cardiff's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa , coupled with Fulham's triumph over Reading by the same score, means Jokanovic's side are now one point ahead, albeit Neil Warnock's side have a game in hand.

And after Warnock said his team were now the 'hunter' rather than the 'hunted', Jokanovic was quick to point out that the Bluebirds' fate remains in their own hands.

Slavisa Jokanovic insists automatic promotion is still in Cardiff City's hands, despite Fulham leapfrogging the Bluebirds into second place in the Championship.

Cardiff's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa , coupled with Fulham's triumph over Reading by the same score, means Jokanovic's side are now one point ahead, albeit Neil Warnock's side have a game in hand.

And after Warnock said his team were now the 'hunter' rather than the 'hunted', Jokanovic was quick to point out that the Bluebirds' fate remains in their own hands.

"Everything is in their hands and we will try make it our job, it's natural that we try and put them under pressure and we will try for our side to win the next game," he added.

"End of the season, they will play five games and we will have four, it's possible many things will happen and we will need to be ready for next step and try.

"If we do it or not, I cannot answer you."



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cardiff-city-fulham-jokanovic-warnock-14516731

[WhiteJC]

 
Jokanovic insists Fulham do not have advantage over Cardiff

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic insists his side do not have an advantage over Cardiff in the Championship promotion race despite moving above them following a 1-0 victory over Reading.

Stefan Johansen's first-half goal ensured the Cottagers earned a nervy victory and combined with Cardiff's defeat at Aston Villa they moved to up to second place.

But Jokanovic, who saw his side guarantee a top-six finish, said: "The table's not important, the situation is still not under our control as Cardiff have one game more. This is the situation. We are not thinking so much about the position.

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic insists his side do not have an advantage over Cardiff in the Championship promotion race despite moving above them following a 1-0 victory over Reading.

Stefan Johansen's first-half goal ensured the Cottagers earned a nervy victory and combined with Cardiff's defeat at Aston Villa they moved to up to second place.

But Jokanovic, who saw his side guarantee a top-six finish, said: "The table's not important, the situation is still not under our control as Cardiff have one game more. This is the situation. We are not thinking so much about the position.



http://londonfootballnews.co.uk/fulham/jokanovic-insists-fulham-not-advantage-cardiff/

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Cardiff City: Neil Warnock happy to be 'hunter not the hunted'

Neil Warnock has been a manager since 1980

Manager Neil Warnock says he is looking forward to being "the hunter not the hunted" after Cardiff City lost their Championship automatic promotion berth.

The Bluebirds are out of the top two for the first time in two months after being overtaken by Fulham.

Cardiff have lost their past two games against leaders Wolves and fourth-placed Aston Villa, while Fulham are undefeated in their last 20 matches.

"Now we have to regroup and we still have a great chance," Warnock said.

Cardiff started the season as outsiders to win promotion, but have been a fixture of the top two for almost nine weeks with Warnock named as manager of the month for a record 10th time.

Warnock believes the pressure will now build on Fulham with the Bluebirds determined to overhaul them.

"I think it is nice to be the hunter, rather than the hunted," he continued.

"Fulham are a good side, they have been talking a good game, but they are not all simple games and we have got an opportunity.

"We don't need to get too down. You can't decide missing two penalties (against Wolves) and then the (Aston Villa) goalkeeper having a world beater, that's life I am afraid.

"Fulham think they will win every game, but they might be surprised and we have to keep giving the same sort of effort.

"Luck has the habit of evening out, hopefully we will have that in the coming weeks.

"We will keep fighting until the end."

Warnock says he thought his side did enough to secure victory at Villa Park where Jack Grealish's late strike secured a narrow win for Steve Bruce's side.

"I don't know how we have not won with the chances we had. There were so many chances. I can't fault the lads at all," he said.

"It is tough to take but football is a cruel game sometimes.

"You would think Villa had won the World Cup with the way they celebrated at full time. We've come a long way.

"People will say beating us is a fantastic result and that just shows how far we have come."



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43723347

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Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic wins PFA Player of the Month award


Getty Images

Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic has been named PFA Championship Player of the Month for March.

The Serbian, on loan from Premier League Newcastle, bagged five goals in three games early in the month as Slavisa Jokanovic's side continued their promotion push.

The 23-year-old has nine goals for the Cottagers since joining the club on a deadline day loan deal in January.

Mitrovic, who continues to shine for his country ahead of this summer's World Cup in Russia, also picked up the EFL's Player of the Month gong for March and, having been watched twice in recent weeks by West Ham manager David Moyes, has been tipped to go on to an 'even bigger, better club' following his spell at Craven Cottage.

Serbia manager Mladen Krstajic said last month: "Mitrovic was very lucky to be coached by [Fulham boss Slavisa] Jokanovic, a coach from Serbia who knows him very well.

"Mitrovic did a very good thing in choosing to come to Fulham. I'm sure that after the loan he will move to an even bigger, better club where he can do much better."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulhams-aleksandar-mitrovic-wins-pfa-player-of-the-month-award-a3811101.html

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"It doesn't count" – Kostas Mitroglou dismisses time at Fulham

When Fulham decided to buy Kostas Mitroglou from Olympiakos back in January 2014 for over £13m, they thought they were getting a very good target man, and, on paper, they technically were.

Prior to the knee injury that completely messed up his time at Craven Cottage, one he suffered before his transfer there, the Greek forward had scored 14 goals in 10 league games for the Super League side, and there was some excitement.

Three appearances (one start) later, however, it was clear it just wasn't going to work out, and the now 30-year-old was swiftly shipped back to Greece and then Benfica on loan after Fulham got relegated.

Eventually sold to Benfica for less than half his original price in 2016, Mitroglou is now at Marseille in France, where he has, once again, struggled to have the impact desired from a £13.5m recruit.

Scoring just five league goals in 14 appearances is below the requirements expected from the club's main striker, and, while there have been signs of improvement, there are still plenty of question marks surrounding his long-term future at the club.

Speaking to L'Equipe on Wednesday ahead of his side's return Europa League leg against RB Leipzig, the former Fulham forward was asked what his thoughts about Ligue 1 were.

He said: "It's the best league in which I've played. I only played six months in England (with Fulham), the team was relegated and I was injured. It doesn't count. But compared to Portugal and Greece, it's the best. It's very physical, with very powerful players and some world class ones".

Considering he made just three appearances, his thoughts on his time at Fulham are perhaps understandable, even if he could have gone about it in a different way.


http://sportwitness.co.uk/not-count-mitroglou-dismisses-time-fulham/

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Sessegnon lauds Mitrovic after Serbain nears double figures for Fulham

Aleksandar Mitrovic has now scored nine goals for Fulham since joining the West London club in January on loan from Newcastle.

Fulham drew within two points of Cardiff City after defeating Sheffield Wednesday on the weekend thanks to a late Aleksandar Mitrovic strike.

Last night, the Cottagers defeated Reading which saw them overtake Cardiff into the automatic promotion spots, and are sitting only eight points behind league leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Things have really fallen into place for Fulham as the end of the season draws nearer, and the addition of Aleksandar Mitrovic can be greatly attributed to their rise in form in the second half of the season.

The Serbian, who struggled for game time under Rafa Benitez at Newcastle, joined the London club on loan in January and has not looked back, having netted nine goals so far.

Speaking about his teammate, Fulham youngster Ryan Sessegnon lauded the forward, and could not praise his goal scoring ability enough.

The youngster told the Fulham website: "He's on fire at the moment. All you have to do is keep feeding him the ball and you know he's going to score the goals for us."

Should Fulham experience promotion, it will be the second time Mitrovic has experienced this in the space of a year, and Slavisa Jokanovic will no doubt be hopeful of retaining the Serbian star's services next season for the Premier League.

Speaking about his teammate, Fulham youngster Ryan Sessegnon lauded the forward, and could not praise his goal scoring ability enough.

The youngster told the Fulham website: "He's on fire at the moment. All you have to do is keep feeding him the ball and you know he's going to score the goals for us."

Should Fulham experience promotion, it will be the second time Mitrovic has experienced this in the space of a year, and Slavisa Jokanovic will no doubt be hopeful of retaining the Serbian star's services next season for the Premier League.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/04/11/rm-sessegnon-lauds-mitrovic-after-serbain-nears-double-figures-f/

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Fulham 1-0 Reading FC: Match Report
Waldemar Januszczak pens the tale of the Royals versus the River Elves from Craven Cottage.

Given the form Fulham have been in – 19 games unbeaten; six clean sheets at home since January; second highest scorers in the division – any half cogent Reading fan turning up for the night game at Craven Cottage would have been expecting a tanking. I certainly was.

And it's not just their current form. As we Reading fans know all too well, Fulham may sound like a diddy bunch of elves who live by the river, but they are actually a squad of ruthless dream crushers. Who can forget 2008, and the final day relegation they engineered for us? Or that awful game in 2015 when Orlando Sa put us in the driving seat with a second goal – Piazon, of all people, scored our first – before we parted like the Red Sea on Moses' command, and allowed them to stroll through the gap and score three goals in five minutes. (That's Moses in the bible, btw, not Victor Moses who played that blinder against us for Palace in 2009).

So no. There was no reason to feel anything but pessimistic going into the game. And – given that we ended up losing 1-0 – you might think pessimism would be appropriate after the game as well. But you'd be wrong, brother. We gave them a proper go. Could easily have come away with a draw. Might even have nicked it on another day. And when this particular Biscuitman strode out of Craven Cottage into the night – game over, game lost – he did it with his head held high and the shirt buttons on his chest straining from the pride.

Clement, as is his wont, kept the team changes to a sensible minimum. Where Jaap might have switched Aluko to left back, and put Tom Holmes into central midfield, just to surprise us, Clement was content to bring back Edwards for Swift, and continue with Bodvarsson up front. The increasingly solid partnership of Moore and Illori formed a brick wall in front of Mannone. And for the first 25 minutes or so, we had the elves of Fulham by their tiny little nuts. Dadi had one cleared desperately off the line. Barrow blasted a good chance straight at a defender. It was all going so well.

But then Richards, who'd been wobbly, as he was against Preston, misplaced an adventurous pass to Barrow, and Fulham were down our throats. First Sessegnon. Then Targett. A low cross into the box, when everyone was expecting a high one. And there was Stefan Johansen to bundle in a clumsy slider under Mannone. It was their first proper attack.

Piazon, who spent the evening listening to the Reading fans telling him how young she was, with a count down from eight to one, got his revenge by turning to us with upturned fists and gleaming happily like the cretinous Brazilian he is.

The next few minutes felt hairy. Reading unveiled that post-goal state of panic that has been such a prominent feature of the season. But then Edwards, in his best contribution of the night, signalled to his fellow Biscuits to calm down, slow down, stop crumbling, and we saw out the half without much problem.

The second half was basically more of the same. Yes, they began to see more of the ball, especially when Edwards was replaced by the ineffectual Swift in the 58th minute. And yes, our attacks grew blunter and blunter, especially when, after a couple more substitutions, we ended up with a Dad's Army attack of Martin and Kermogant. But by the end, Fulham were the ones doing the time-wasting.

Man for man, they were not nearly as good as I expected. Fredericks, the Usian Bolt run-alike who terrorised us down our left last season, looks to have lost a yard of pace and hardly put in a cross. On the other wing, Targett from full-back, was more of a threat than the over-hyped Sessegnon, who spent the game sitting in Ilori's pocket. Poor Tom Cairney is a shadow of the passing genius I remember from last season. And as for Aleksandar Mitrovic, the buffalo-chested loanee from Newcastle who's been banging them in for fun recently, Moore put a ring through his nose and kept the poor beast tethered for the whole game.

Our own buffalo brain, Leandro Bacuna, managed to get himself sent off in the 93rd minute for hacking down the ineffectual Sessegnon. But even that mad moment could not disguise the fact that Reading made Fulham work really hard for their win, and were generally a decent match for the league's form team.

Clement has got them organised and passionate in defence. And with the attacking energy they also showed, especially in the first 20 minutes, this was probably the best they have played under him.



https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2018/4/11/17223578/fulham-1-0-reading-championship-april-2018

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Brentford, Millwall and Sunderland stand in the way of Fulham and some Manchester City sized plaudits

Can they post an English league record this season?

After beating Reading last night Fulham made it 20 games unbeaten.

The Whites have not lost a game since December 16 and finally pushed themselves into the top two as a result of Aston Villa's win over Cardiff City.

After beating Reading last night Fulham made it 20 games unbeaten.

The Whites have not lost a game since December 16 and finally pushed themselves into the top two as a result of Aston Villa's win over Cardiff City.

So, two more games unbeaten would see Fulham equal that record, while three would see them break it.

Who are the team standing in their way of a little slice of history?

Brentford (H) - Saturday, April 14

A west London derby. Never easy. The Bees have hopes of making the play-offs themselves and will be desperate to halt the Whites' charge towards promotion.

Millwall (A) - Friday, April 20

The Lions have been on a magnificent charge towards the play-off places and this London derby looks to be Fulham's most difficult game in the run-in on paper. They will probably be happy to take a point away from the Den, and if everything has gone to plan up until then, that would equal City's record.

Sunderland (H) - Friday, April 27

The last team to beat Fulham. That's almost as crazy as the run that the Whites have been on! This should not pose too much of a problem for Jokanovic's men.

Fulham then finish away at Birmingham City, hoping then that they've beaten City's record and only have a place in the top two to think about...



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/brentford-millwall-sunderland-football-history-14505318

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Ream: Nothing's Changed

Three points was the only thing Tim Ream cared about on Tuesday, and he didn't mind how we got them.

Fulham were not at their fluid best in the first half against Reading, but took a lead into the break courtesy of Stefan Johansen's poacher's finish.

Much improved after the restart, the win could have been by a greater margin, but Ream was satisfied with a 1-0 victory.

"The last couple of games we've made things a little bit more difficult, but still managed to grind out the wins," he told fulhamfc.com.

"On the one hand you look at the performance and there are things we could have done better, but then you look at the result and you can't really complain.

"Another clean sheet, another three points, on another day we score a few more goals and turn on the style a little bit more, but at this point in the season that doesn't matter."

Reading arrived at Craven Cottage with a game plan of putting the Whites defence under pressure wherever possible, but Ream and his colleagues remained unflustered.

"For the most part we dealt with it well," he said. "Whenever you can limit a team to no shots on target is always a good day.

"We knew they were going to come here and sit in, and try and hit us on the counter. Denis and I, and Kev to a certain extent, were going to have to mop up a lot of long balls and a lot of wayward clearances and start the attack again.

"Later in games teams are always going to hit it high and hope for the best, hope a ball bounces their way. But I thought we dealt with everything they threw at us really well throughout the match, especially towards the end."

Cardiff City's defeat at Villa Park meant Fulham moved into the automatic promotion spots for the first time this season, but Ream says nothing is going to change going into the final four matches.

"That's been the aim all year, but it doesn't change what we're doing," he insisted.

"It doesn't change the way we've been playing, it doesn't change our attitude, it doesn't change our mentality, and it doesn't change what our end goal is.

"We're going to continue doing what we've been doing throughout this run, and continue it through. Four more games to go, and we'll see where it takes us."
Make sure you're at the Cottage for our massive London derby against Brentford on Saturday, with tickets available to purchase on General Sale!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/april/11/tim-ream-nothings-changed