Tuesday Fulham Stuff (14/08/18)...

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Report: Fulham's Rui Fonte will be offered to European clubs

The forward cost Fulham £8 million in 2017.

Fulham will offer Rui Fonte to European clubs after the English transfer window closed on Thursday, according to the Daily Mirror's printed edition (August 13th, page 47).

The Portuguese forward cost Fulham £8 million in 2017, but only scored three goals and made another two in 25 Championship appearances last season.

And after a productive summer for the newly promoted Cottagers, who added Andre Schurrle and Luciano Vietto to last season's attack, Fonte is reportedly free to leave.

However, it remains to be seen how much of their initial outlay Fulham are looking to recoup for the 28-year-old former Arsenal, Sporting, Benfica and Braga player.

Fonte was linked with a move to Olympiacos earlier this week, although a stint in French football may appeal after his brother Jose's recent transfer to Lille.

The older Fonte signed for Les Dogues on a free transfer, less than six months after he was sold by West Ham United for £5 million.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/08/13/report-fulhams-rui-fonte-will-be-offered-to-european-clubs/

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Fulham injury update on fans' favourite Tim Ream and new signing Joe Bryan

Bryan was taken off in the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on the opening day of the season with an ankle injury

Fulham will check on the fitness of both Tim Ream and Joe Bryan as they prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Ream was ruled out of the opening day defeat to Crystal Palace as a result of injury, while new signing Bryan was taken off 71 minutes into his debut with an ankle injury.

The American centre back is expected to be back in training this week but question marks remain over whether Ream will be fit enough to make the squad for the trip to Wembley.

Meanwhile Fulham will also check on the condition of Bryan's ankle injury ahead of the game, although head coach Slavisa Jokanovic doesn't believe it should be too serious.

Losing their new left back will strike somewhat of a blow to the side who have already faced a selection headache on the opening day of the season, with Ream and Alfie Mawson both missing the 2-0 loss, meaning Maxime Le Marchand and Calum Chambers had to step into the side.


(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Mawson will definitely miss the tie against Spurs as he recovers from a knee injury, with his expected return date sometime in September, while Floyd Ayite will also sit out the game after missing all of pre-season with injury.

Elsewhere, new signing Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa will start working with the side this week after his deadline day signing from Marseille and could find a place on the bench at the national stadium.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-injury-news-bryan-ream-15022328

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Fulham debut watch: How the eight summer signings got on in the defeat to Crystal Palace

We kept an eye on how the eight debutants got on in Fulham's 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday

Fulham gave debuts to seven of their summer signings in their opening day of the Premier League season in the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace - as well as another off the bench.

Some will say handing that many new players a debut in the first league game of the season is too much, but head coach Slavisa Jokanovic was left with no choice after losing six of his loan stars from last season and Ryan Fredericks over the summer.

While it will take time for new signings to gel - and don't forget, Fulham made 12 over the summer months - they continued to play the same way the side played last season, seeing lots of the ball, passing it around and attacking down the wings.

But they were taught a lesson in the top flight as Palace hit them on the break, picking off the space left by Fulham's forays forward and finishing their chances.

However, there were some impressive displays from some of the Fulham new boys - here's how we thought the six of them got on.

Fabri

Fabri makes a save during the loss to Crystal Palace (Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

It was always going to be a tough debut for Fabri after he and fellow new signing Sergio Rico pushed fan favourite Marcus Bettinelli out of the matchday squad.

Jokanovic likes his keeper to be comfortable with the ball at his feet, with most attacks starting from the keeper but the Spaniard struggled with that aspect of his game, with his distribution to the full backs not the best I've ever seen.

He also had a tendency to come out of his goal to try and claim balls that had been pinged over the two centre backs and there were a couple of times this caused a bit of panic in the stands - firstly when he came rushing out and sliced his clearance and then secondly for Wilfried Zaha's goal, where had he stayed on his line Zaha would've had a harder job to tuck it underneath him.

There were some positives - he made a stunning save to keep out Christian Benteke's header while his shot stopping seemed reasonably good.

There's a long way to go and once Fabri gets used to how Fulham play, he is sure to get better.

Calum Chambers

Calum Chambers tackles Christian Benteke (Image: Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

The Arsenal loanee went straight into the starting XI and showed he is certainly going to be one of Fulham's regular centre backs this season.

Chambers had a very good debut and did well to keep Zaha relatively quiet, stopping the winger in his tracks a few times with some really well time tackles.

He also did a good job on Benteke who didn't really have a sniff during the tie, with Chambers' physicality on the ball a real positive.

He found himself in positions where Crystal Palace's wingers were running direct at both him and Maxime Le Marchand, although that was less down to himself and more down to the space Fulham left in between midfield and defence when attacking.

A pretty solid debut.

Maxime Le Marchand

Maxime Le Marchand challenges Christian Benteke for the ball (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

We've seen a lot of the Frenchman in pre-season and the general reaction was that the jury was still out on him, having played both left back and centre back.

However, he did well in the heart of defence alongside Chambers and was fairly solid as the game progressed, with his best attribute winning balls in the air.

We all know how good Benteke is when the ball is dropping for a long punt forward, but Le Marchand did very well to impose himself on Palace's centre forward and win the majority of aerial duels with the striker.

There was a few communication issues between him and Chambers, as you would expect in the pair's first game together, but there was plenty of reason to be encouraged by Le Marchand.

Joe Bryan

(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Despite his debut ending early thanks to an ankle injury, Bryan looked every bit the Premier League player and made the step up from Championship to the top tier almost seamlessly.

He looked good on the ball, could pick a pass and was able to attack down the left.

However, he wasn't quite up to speed on how Fulham play having only trained with his new team mates for a day after signing from Bristol City on deadline day, with the chemistry between himself and Ryan Sessegnon not yet there.

There was also a few long balls forward that Bryan dispatched which was out of sync with what the rest of his team mates were doing, but that will all come with time.

Jean-Michael Seri

(Image: Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

Out of all the new faces in the Fulham side, Jean-Michael Seri's performance was the one to get Fulham fans excited.

After the Cottagers secured his signature, the old stories of how he nearly signed for Barcelona surfaced and on initial viewing, it's clear why he almost signed for the Catalan club.

Confident on the ball, strong in the tackle and an almost effortless transition from defence to attack were just part of Seri's display that will have got Fulham fans excited.

He looked like he could well be the signing of the season and I'm sure every fan that was at Craven Cottage can't wait to see more of the Ivory Coast man.

Aleksandar Mitrovic

(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

A second debut for Mitrovic in Fulham colours and it was what fans have come to expect of him - strong and a focal point for the attacks.

He was unlucky not to get himself a goal as his play with his back to goal caused Palace's defence problems - if it wasn't for an inspired Wayne Hennessey, the Serbian could've got himself a brace on another day.

He quietened down as the game progressed, but having played a play-off campaign and then featuring in a World Cup, it will take time for Mitrovic to get fully match fit.

An encouraging start to life in the Premier League for the striker.

Andre Schurrle

Andre Schurrle in action (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

The German World Cup winner started the tie well and linked up nicely with Tom Cairney and Seri in the middle, while combining well with Cyrus Christie down the right.

Most of Fulham's chances in the first half came down Schurrle's side and he was clearly causing a problem for Palace's full backs, but as the game drew on his influence on proceedings started to wane, something Jokanovic also noted and he was subbed off on the hour mark for Aboubakar Kamara.

Still plenty of games to go for Schurrle to make his mark on the top flight once more.

Luciano Vietto

Luciano Vietto makes his debut against Crystal Palace (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

A 20 minute cameo display from the loan man for Atletico Madrid after signing on deadline day and there was some tidy moments from Vietto.

He didn't have too much of a say on proceedings, with Palace demonstrating their Premier League know-how when he came on, but there was moments to show why the club had signed him from the Spanish outfit.

Vietto looked good with the ball at his feet and shifted across the front three to where there was space, meaning he was able to pop up in decent positions in the attacking third.

Again, he'd only trained with Fulham for one day prior to this match so there is still more to come from the Argentine



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-debut-watch-how-eight-15022491

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adidas Fulham 10K Run

Scheduled for Sunday 18th November, the inaugural Fulham 10K is London's flattest closed road 10K, offering you the perfect opportunity to sign-off an epic year of running with a new PB, or a chance to dust off the trainers again

Whether you're a running newbie or a seasoned pro, take to the streets of Fulham with thousands of others, boost your fitness and raise vital funds for Fulham FC Foundation. Secure your spot for just £20 and pledge to raise £100 to support our work in the community.

All Fulham 10K runners will receive an adidas tech t-shirt, race day photos, medal, access to exclusive training events and discounts at the best restaurants Fulham has to offer.

Enter Now:  adidas-fulham-10k-run.eventbrite.co.uk

For more information email [email protected]

Fulham Is Yours. Run It.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/august/13/adidas-fulham-10k-run

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'We will not park the bus': Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic will adapt but won't compromise on style despite loss to Crystal Palace

Slavisa Jokanovic looks dejected after his side goes down 0-2 Credit: Getty Images

Roy Hodgson knew there would be few surprises from Fulham, a team renowned in the Championship for their passing style. He knew that the promoted side's new signings will need weeks to adapt to their surroundings, and that Slavisa Jokanovic, their manager, would not have had time to conjure up a "plan B" if the pretty patterns did not prove immediately effective.

And so Hodgson's Crystal Palace set about disrupting the Fulham flow. "For Jokanovic and myself, who need to work and get a style and get players understanding what their jobs are on the field, plan Bs are bloody hard to come by," Hodgson said. "So we did not expect anything really different from them. We expected a quick start and we adapted our play to try and make that a bit more difficult for them."

Hodgson is far too polite to say that Fulham walked into a Palace trap, but it was evident that the game-plan worked to spectacular effect. Fulham had two-thirds of the ball, but they were twice exposed on the counter-attack as Jeffrey Schlupp and Wilfried Zaha scored in either half for the visitors.

The way in which Fulham stuck to the system that suited them so well in the Championship, despite six of their 12 summer signings starting this first Premier League game in four years, will raise early questions over whether Jokanovic needs to find an alternative approach. The Serbian, though, is not one to compromise on his ideals.

"If you ask me if I am going to put the bus in my box and try to finish the game 0-0, I do not have this quality in my team," the Fulham manager said. "It is so complicated to do something like this. If you ask me if I am taking some risks, I have always taken risks. This is what we are doing, and I believe there is less risk than parking the bus and playing for 0-0. Yes, we are going to follow our style.

"It is a characteristic of my team, it is simple. If you check the team, we are comfortable in possession of the ball. I do not play with [Christian] Benteke and Zaha and after a few passes try to play behind the defenders. I can use another quality and be brave."

This is not to say that the Fulham "style" will not be tweaked as more of Jokanovic's signings (who arrived for a combined cost of £100 milion) become ready for selection. Jean Michael Seri, the £25m central midfielder, impressed on his debut on Saturday, as did Andre Schurrle, the former Chelsea winger who has arrived on loan. Joe Bryan and Luciano Vietto, meanwhile, featured just two days after joining the club on Thursday's deadline day. Jokanovic has no doubt, then, that Fulham will improve over the coming weeks, even if he "cannot answer" how long it will take for the new arrivals to adjust.

"We must adapt ourselves, adapt for the level where we compete now," Jokanovic said. "We are in some kind of process. We need to be working. Some teams did not make any investment and probably they can be in a better position than we are. We need to build a Premier League team. We are ready to do this. Two players played today after only two days with us, and they are going to be better."



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/08/12/will-not-park-bus-fulham-managerslavisa-jokanovic-will-adapt/

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Marcus Bettinelli future in doubt as Slavisa Jokanovic freezes out one of last season's Fulham promotion heroes

    Marcus Bettinelli was key in helping Fulham earn Premier League promotion
    But the keeper was dropped for season opening defeat by Crystal Palace
    Bettinelli has fallen behind Fabri and Sergio Rico in pecking order

Fulham promotion hero Marcus Bettinelli has been forced to consider his future following the club's decision to sign two new foreign goalkeepers.

The former England Under 21 international looked set to start the season as Slavisa Jokanovic's No 1 after playing a key role for the Cottagers in their charge to the Premier League last season.

But the keeper appears to have been frozen out after his shock omission from the squad for the opening-day clash against Crystal Palace.


Marcus Bettinelli enjoyed an excellent season at Fulham to earn Premier League promotion

Fulham fans expressed their bemusement at the treatment of Bettinelli on social media over the weekend given the keeper's contribution to last season's promotion.

Bettinelli conceded just 19 goals to play an instrumental part in Fulham's 23-game unbeaten run last season, culminating in their euphoric play-off win over Aston Villa.

Bettinelli spurned the opportunity to join West Ham and Palace over the summer believing he would start the season as Fulham's Premier League goalkeeper.


But Bettinelli was replaced in the starting XI on Saturday by summer signing Fabri


The debutant could not prevent the Cottagers from slumping to a 2-0 defeat at Craven Cottage

However, the summer captures of Sergio Rico and Fabri has pushed Bettinelli down to third choice.

Fabri started the opening day defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday. Fulham lost 2-0; Palace's second goal raised questions over Fabri's decision making.

Rico is expected to eventually overtake Fabri as first choice but Sportsmail understands the Spaniard's lack of English has posed an early problem for Jokanovic as he looks to embed the keeper, who arrived from Sevilla on deadline day, into his starting XI.


Bettinelli said on Twitter he was not injured despite Slavisa Jokanovic's claims to the contrary

Jokanovic cited a training injury to explain his decision not to select Bettinelli on Saturday. However, Bettinelli tweeted on Saturday that he is not injured.

The Fulham manager's decision not to keep faith with Bettinelli has dashed the keeper's hopes of breaking into Gareth Southgate's plans this season - it also underlines the apparent preference from top-flight bosses to opt for experienced foreign goalkeepers rather than give homegrown ones an opportunity.

Given the dearth of English goalkeepers playing in the Premier League, it is believed the 26-year-old had a realistic chance of breaking into the England set-up with Southgate earmarking Bettinelli as a serious contender for his upcoming squad selections.

But now Bettinelli may have to look at alternatives to continue his progression with a host of clubs waiting to swoop.


Fellow summer signing Sergio Rico is expected to become Jokanovic's No 1 at Fulham



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6055307/Marcus-Bettinelli-considering-Fulham-departure-axed-team.html

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Mitro: Keep Going

Aleksandar Mitrović believes Fulham showed enough on Saturday to suggest we can be a force in the top flight.

The Whites had 15 shots to Crystal Palace's 12, but some clinical finishing from the visitors earned them a 2-0 victory at Craven Cottage.

"We had a good day, we played good football, but this is the Premier League," Mitrović told fulhamfc.com. "We made two mistakes and they punished us and won the game.

"We had chances but their 'keeper was amazing, he saved everything. I think we had a good day but they had more Premier League experience, they knew what they wanted to do, and they punished us.

"Of course we are not happy but I still think we had a good day and we will try to learn from this game and I think if we keep playing like this we won't have a problem this season."

Wayne Hennessey unsurprisingly won his club's official man of the match award for his heroics between the sticks.

The goalkeeper was Mitrović's tormenter-in-chief at the weekend, pulling off a plethora of top saves to keep the Fulham number nine out.

And when it was put to him that on another day he could have walked away with the match ball, Mitrović replied: "I had some half chances, one good chance, so if I was a bit luckier I could have had a hat-trick, but I would have been happy if I'd scored one.

"I didn't score but, to be honest, the last 20 minutes I didn't have that much power because I didn't go through all of pre-season.



"But the first 60-70 minutes I felt good, I thought the players used me very well around the box, we created a lot of chances, we were unlucky not to score.

"But I say again, if we play like this I think we will be fine this season."

Despite the defeat, a glance on social media shows that the Fulham faithful spotted the positives from the performance, something that was evident in the Cottage forecourt post-match, with the players still radiating plenty of optimism.

"The mood is not nice after losing the game but we saw that we can deal with Premier League teams," Mitrović stated. "I think we were the better team for most of the game.

"If we play like this we can deal with every club in the Premier League. We know that it's going to be hard, it was hard against Palace and every game will be hard, but we are ready.

"We showed we can handle Premier League clubs, we can play against them, we have quality to compete with them.

"We have some more players to come and settle in, and I think as the season goes on we will get better and better."

Mitrović's affection for Craven Cottage and the Fulham fans has been plain to see since he initially arrived on loan at the start of the year, and he was pleased to get back out there for the Whites, this time as a Premier League player.

"It was nice, a good atmosphere like always," he said. "The stadium was full, they stayed behind us even when we were 2-0 down, they kept with us until the last minute, and we really appreciated that.

"I just want to say that we need to stick together, to be one club, one team all together. Like last season we need to stay with one another and go through this season all together.

"Of course there are going to be nice moments, bad moments – that's football. We are Fulham and we need to stick together until the end."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/august/13/aleksandar-mitrovic-keep-going

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Cottage Talk: The Player Ratings Show With Special Guest Ryan O'Donovan From Football.London
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

This is a new feature on Cottage Talk that focuses on player ratings. Special guest Ryan O'Donovan from Football. London had his own player ratings for the Fulham players against Crystal Palace, so we discussed each one of them during the show.

This is a brand new feature, so please let us know what you thought of this episode?

to listen to the podcast follow this link...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cottagetalk/2018/08/13/the-player-ratings-show-with-special-guest-ryan-odonovan-from-footballlondon

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Referee announced for Tottenham Hotspur's game at Wembley against Fulham

The man in the middle will be all to familiar with Fulham fans after their play-off victory at Wembley Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur take on newly-promoted Fulham in their game at Wembley Stadium, with their visitors all too familiar with the man in the middle.

The referee for that game has been announced as Anthony Taylor - the very same man who reffed Fulham's last game under the arch when they won promotion to the Premier League in the play-off final against Aston Villa.

He sent off Denis Odoi that day - a red card that means the defender will miss this trip to Wembley as he finishes his two-game ban.

Meanwhile, Taylor took charge of three of Spurs' leagues games last season, with Mauricio Pochettino's side winning just the once in a 1-0 victory over Arsenal back in February.

They lost the other two - a 2-1 loss to Chelsea in match week two and another 2-1 loss to Leicester City, while he also oversaw Spurs' 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi final.

He didn't give out any red cards in the Spurs games he managed last season, unlike his sole Fulham appearance, nor did he give any penalties.


Denis Odoi is shown a red card

However, in total last season in the Premier League Taylor six red cards in total, with just one in the top flight, while he also dished out 11 penalties, with six of those coming in his Premier League games.

Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn will be his assistants, while Simon Hooper will be the fourth official.



https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/news/referee-announced-tottenham-hotspurs-game-15025248

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'If the other signings are as good as Seri, Fulham will survive' - Roy Hodgson on his old club

Crystal Palace beat Fulham 2-0 on the opening day of the season but Hodgson believes Fulham have enough quality to stay up

Roy Hodgson believes if the rest of Fulham's new signing have the same quality of Jean-Michael Seri, his former side will be a good team in the Premier League this season.

Crystal Palace beat Slavisa Jokanovic's side in the first league game of the season 2-0 at Craven Cottage, but despite that Hodgson is backing his old side to stay up this year.

The Cottagers started their first game back in the top flight in four years well, but the experience of Hodgson's men started to show through and once they went 1-0 up through Jefferey Schlupp, there was no looking back.

Wilfried Zaha wrapped the job up in the second half but Fulham did well for large periods and continue to impose the same style of play that saw them gain promotion from the Championship last season.

New signing Jean-Michael Seri impressed in his debut after signing from Nice during the transfer window - a move that sent shockwaves through football after the Ivory Coast man had been close to signing for Barcelona last summer.

The 27-year-old also impressed Hodgson who pinpointed him as one of the standout players in his post match press conference, and the Palace boss reckons if the other new signings are of a similar ilk to Seri Fulham will be a good team this campaign.

He said: "Yes, I do, I think they have got the quality.


(Image: Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

"Slavisa is the one to ask the question. Certainly going forward they are going to be as good as the teams in our neck of the woods.

"Defensively I don't know he would be saying they have got that string to their bow at the moment.

"Certainly they've bought in an awful lot of players. Seri, the young lad in midfield, showed his class and if some of the others they have brought in have got similar class to him then they'll be a good team this season."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/if-signings-good-seri-fulham-15022828

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Fulham: 3 ways they could line up in the Premier League this season
The Cottagers were one of the most frantic sides on Deadline Day. What do the additions mean for their tactical set-up?

Few sides begin the season with as much anticipation as Fulham.  After making a whopping 12 signings during the summer transfer window, the Cottagers have a wealth of tactical options available at their disposal.  

Their promotion last season was spectacular in that they spent the first half of the season more worried about relegation than promotion. They eventually finished in the top six, narrowly missing automatic promotion before beating Aston Villa in the play-off final at Wembley.

Key to that success was players like Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ryan Sessegnon and Tom Cairney. Luckily for Fulham, all three of them have remained at the club.

Slavisa Jokanovic, the expansive pragmatist at the helm of his club's revival, can field his side in myriad ways. Here are the three that he could use:

1 4-3-3
Fulham opened their Premier League season with an opening day defeat at home to Crystal Palace in which Slavisa Jokanovic deployed his team in a 4-3-3. Despite the loss, you would expect Fulham to retain this formation: a system that they used predominantly in the Championship.

The quality of Fulham's additions means that most of the eleven picks itself. Sergio Rico will displace Marcus Bettinelli in goal with Fabri offering stiff competition as the season unfolds.

In defence, expect to see a new-look back four with Alfie Mawson and Calum Chambers partnering one another in the middle. Maxime Le Marchand and Tim Ream will be used as back up where necessary.

Flanking the centre backs, Jokanovic has the choice of two young full backs in Joe Bryan and Timothy Fosu-Mensah who will offer support to the wide attackers whilst remaining defensively solid.

Club record signing Andre Zambo Anguissa is the most important figure in this set-up. The young Cameroonian will assume much of the defensive duties, allowing Jean-Michael Seri to drive the play further forward, linking up with the likes of Tom Cairney and Andre Schurrle to exploit space in more advanced positions.

90 minutes of effort is all you can expect from the unpredictable Aleksandar Mitrovic but his shoulders are broad enough to carry the frontline on his own. Expect Schurrle and Sessegnon to swap wings repeatedly, providing an instant goal threat as they cut in on their stronger feet.

2 4-2-3-1
If, as proved the case on Saturday, the 4-3-3 proves to be too open for Premier League opponents, Jokanovic could drop his team into a slightly more conservative 4-2-3-1. 

Seri and Anguissa are key in this formation, playing slightly behind their captain Cairney, who is probably more suited to a classic number ten role.

In this system, Ryan Sessegnon could drop back into a left back role, where his pace and crossing can be put to more fulsome use. This would allow Luciano Vietto, another impressive capture from Atletico Madrid, to start in the front three.

If more defensive cover were needed, the wide players could pull deeper alongside the midfield three as the side adopted more of a 4-5-1 arrangement.

3 3-4-3
If Fulham want to retain a defensive system without sacrificing any attacking threat, it could be time for them to switch to three at the back.

With Mawson, Chambers and Maxime Le Marchand — brought in with Seri from Nice — the Cottagers have ample defensive talent to pull this off and, in Sessegnon and Fosu-Mensah, they also the wing backs to match.

Using the 3-5-2 would allow Cairney to stay in the number ten role that favours him. However, Luciano Vietto could push up alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic and support him.

Lined up like this, Fulham could sit deeper against better sides and frustrate them or seek to stretch lower-table teams and look to cause them problems in attack.



https://realsport101.com/news/sports/football/fulham-3-ways-they-could-line-up-in-the-premier-league-this-season/

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ICM.com Upgrades Fulham Deal to Display Logo on Jerseys
After announcing its rebranding to ICM.com, the brokerage continues its football marketing

London-headquartered brokerage ICM.com is continuing its partnership with Fulham FC. After the team's return to the Premier League, the company is upgrading to a jersey sponsor. The announcement comes days after the firm rebranded from ICM Capital to ICM.com.

After being partners over the past 12 months, ICM and Fulham FC are taking their cooperation to a whole new level. Aside from the display of the broker's logo on the sleeves of the team, the company's brand will also be taking center stage with TV-relevant LED presence. The logo of the firm will be on the screens of the worldwide audience of the UK Premiership during every game of the season.

Breaking New Ground with ICM.com

The value of the Fulham deal for ICM.com has increased significantly since it signed its initial agreement with the club in November. Fulham rejoined the UK Premiership after four seasons in the English Football League Championship.

Before re-joining the UK Premier League, Fulham FC made significant changes to its team over the Summer transfer window. The London-based club brought in 12 players including the five deadline day signings of Andre-Frank Anguissa, Joe Bryan, Sergio Rico, Luciano Vietto and Timothy Fosu-Mensah.



https://www.financemagnates.com/forex/brokers/icm-com-upgrades-fulham-deal-to-display-logo-on-jerseys/

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What went wrong for Fulham and West Ham despite a summer full of promises?

What went wrong for Fulham and West Ham despite making numerous new signings?

London rivals West Ham United and Fulham are yet to meet in the Premier League this season but their respective campaigns appear to have gotten off to similar starts.

Both clubs spent a good amount of money in the recently concluded transfer window as they were scurrying about to bolster their teams. Manuel Pellegrini and Slavisa Jokanovic made some important new signings and to be fair, both clubs looked immensely strong ahead of the new season.

West Ham had to prove their naysayers wrong after enduring a dismal season last time out. Fulham, on the other hand, had to put up a strong show to announce their return to the English top-flight in style. Unfortunately for both clubs, they faltered in their opening day matches and crumbled like a pack of cards.

Fulham lost 0-2 to Crystal Palace at home whereas West Ham were thrashed 4-0 at Anfield. When one takes a look at the quantity and quality of players they signed over the summer, something just does not add up.

One might argue that the Cottagers are a newly-promoted side and hence, failed to keep pace with the gruelling nature of the Premier League. If that's the case, their loss to Crystal Palace should serve as a major lesson for them. Given the amount of promise and potential they have displayed to get to where they are, Fulham are capable of doing a lot better.

Furthermore, after signing players like Andre Schurrle and Jean Michael Seri, it goes without saying that expectations were sky-high from Jokanovic and his men. And maybe that is what led to their undoing against Roy Hodgson's Palace.

As far as West Ham are concerned, it will certainly take time for them to gel together and function as a unit. A few individual players performed well for them against Liverpool but ultimately, none of that mattered because they failed to play together as a unit.

Perhaps that's what happens when a club signs too many new players at once. It takes time for relationships to form and bonds to develop between the players. And only once that happens, the team can perform as a unit. While signing numerous players at one go has its set of perks, this is a massive disadvantage that comes along with it.

And as far as the present scenario is concerned, it looks like both Fulham and West Ham are struggling. Nevertheless, the new season has just started and let's hope the Londoners are able to perform better in their next few games and live up to their potential.



http://www.mediareferee.com/2018/08/13/what-went-wrong-for-fulham-and-west-ham-despite-a-summer-full-of-promises/

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Fulham's season will be defined by how quickly they learn from early lessons in the top flight

The Premier League's very first game threw up lessons that Fulham need to learn quickly in order to thrive in the top flight

Fulham may have only played 90 minutes of football this season - but they will have learnt far more about themselves than they did in 46 games last campaign.

After winning promotion at Wembley from the Championship, the Cottagers were brought back down to Earth win a 2-0 opening day defeat at the hands of Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace.

While Fulham had the possession, Palace had the experience and know-how of five consecutive years in the Premier League and that showed through, with Jefferey Schlupp and Wilfried Zaha both hitting the back of the net to give them the three points.

Last season, Slavisa Jokanovic's side may have learnt how to deal with the nitty gritty side of the second division, but they've now got another lesson to learn as they embark on a top flight campaign - and they need to learn it quickly.

Palace didn't do anything spectacular against Fulham, but what they did was effective in nullifying Fulham for large periods, allowing them to have possession of the football but while keeping them at arm's length.

Aleksandar Mitrovic caused a few problems with his back to goal, but apart from that, there weren't any real clear cut chances in front of goal, with Fulham limited to just six efforts on target over the course of the game.

It's here where they must learn their first lesson - the need for a cutting edge in front of goal is more important now than ever and they can look to Palace on that front.


(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

The visitors had 12 shots, but 10 of them were on target, with Schlupp's goal a ruthless piece of finishing that nearly took the roof of the net off.

Fulham have players that can score goals - the likes of Mitrovic, Andre Schurrle, Ryan Sessegnon, Luciano Vietto and Aboubakar Kamara all know where the back of the net is, but they need to develop that ruthless clinicalness in order to thrive in the Premier League.

Another lesson that needs to be learned from the defeat is the quality of the final delivery has to be much better in order to get those chances for the strikers to tuck away.


(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Schurrle, Sessegnon, Joe Bryan and Cyrus Christie saw a lot of the ball out on the wings as Fulham imposed their style early on, but the final ball was poor on most occasions with Christie failing to beat the first man a number of times.

That has to improve.

Fulham's style is built on dominating the ball, building through the thirds and then either getting the ball to the striker through the central midfielders or via the wings.

If Mitrovic isn't receiving those balls from the flanks, he's going to struggle to have much of an impact on games.

It would be unfair to just pinpoint Fulham's wide players for not delivering those final - Jean-Michael Seri, who had a great game by most accounts, also failed to deliver into the box when on the edge of the area, while Tom Cairney struggled to deliver those final cutting edge balls.

Elsewhere, the defence played their first ever game together, with Fulham having rebuilt their defensive unit after last season's triumphs.

They will take time to gel together and learn how one another player, while it will take a while for the two centre backs of Chambers and Maxime Le Marchand to get used to whichever goalkeeper is orchestrating the back four.

Fulham's full backs will also learn that both left and right backs can't bomb forward at the same time like they were able to in the Championship - that created too much space in behind that Zaka and Andros Townsend exploited.

I've spoken a lot about the lessons the Cottagers can take from this game, but the most important one is this will take time.

People have been quick to point out what an unforgiving league the Premier League is and that you have to start quick or face being cut adrift before Christmas, but for a side like Fulham, who have only just come up with players that haven't been here before, time is the answer.

Jokanovic was quick to point out after the game that his side will need time to gel and time to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League - and he's spot on.


(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Fulham have the players to compete in this league - the likes of Seri, Schurrle and Sessegnon are Premier League players will prove that by the season's end.

With Tottenham Hotspur next up on Saturday, Fulham will be in for another tough lesson in how top flight football works, but experience has always been the best way to learn these lessons.

There are 37 games left this season and 37 more lessons for the Cottagers to learn - but they must take these early ones on board fast in order to adapt to the Premier League.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulhams-season-defined-how-quickly-15023900

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Goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli 'considering Fulham future'

Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli is reportedly considering his Craven Cottage future after being snubbed by manager Slavisa Jokanovic.

The 26-year-old was left out of the matchday squad to face Crystal Palace on the opening day of the season, despite confirming that he is fully fit.

Bettinelli appears to have been relegated to third-choice keeper following the arrival of Sergio Rico and Fabri since last season's Championship playoff success.

According to the Daily Mail, the ex-England Under-21s stopper rejected moves to Palace and West Ham United during the summer window, but will now consider other options.

Meanwhile, the same report indicates that Fabri was preferred to Rico for the 2-0 loss to Palace at Craven Cottage as he speaks better English.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/transfer-talk/news/bettinelli-considering-fulham-future_333403.html

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Fulham's Bettinelli rejected West Ham and Crystal Palace

ulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli rejected the chance to join West Ham and Crystal Palace in the summer transfer window, according to the Daily Mail.

The newspaper claims online that Bettinelli, 26, is now considering his options after his future at Craven Cottage was left in doubt thanks to the summer arrivals of Fabri and Sergio Rico.

The 6ft 4in (transfermarkt) colossus was left out of the squad that played Fulham's first game back in the Premier League on Saturday when the Cottagers lost 2-0 to Palace.

It is understood that he turned down West Ham and Palace as he though he would be Fulham's No 1 shot-stopper this season.

OPINION

Bettinelli is by no means a bad goalkeeper. Last season he was crucial to Fulham's promotion campaign by keeping 14 clean sheets in 30 appearances across all competitions. They lost just two league games in which he played and one of them was on the last day of the season when the play-off spot was already secured. It's a shame about what has happened to the former England Under-21 international, but it is also part and parcel about what happens to a club when they are promoted. Bettinelli is clearly top-class in the Championship, but he has never played in top-flight football and Slavia Jokanovic clearly thought that he must upgrade his goalkeeper options. West Ham probably wouldn't have given him a starting spot anyway, but Palace certainly could have. Either way, there's no chance of him joining a Premier League now unless he holds out until January but a move on loan to the Championship could be on the cards.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2018/08/blogs/fulhams-bettinelli-rejected-west-ham-and-crystal-palace/

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Slavisa Jokanovic: The Former Chelsea Villain and Now the Premier League's First Serbian Manager

He was once dubbed 'The Joker' by his own fans, and this season became the first-ever Serbian to manage a Premier League club. Slavisa Jokanovic is best known to English fans for, first, his unpopular two-year stint as a player at Chelsea before guiding Watford to promotion to the Premier League in 2015 and now doing the same with Fulham three years later. However, in 2015 he left business unfinished as he was unable to lead Watford out in the Premier League after failing to agree to a new deal with the club. Now he is back and determined to leave a lasting impression in the Premier League with Fulham.

Slavisa Jokanovic: The Premier League's First Serbian Manager
The London Connection
Jokanovic joined Chelsea in 2000 for £1.7 million as a player at the age of 32, managing to make 39 appearances in two seasons. He left a year before Roman Abramovich's takeover and overhaul of the future Premier League-winning club.

The Serbian's time at the West London club, however, was less than fruitful as he was often booed by the club's own fans. A statement on Chelsea's official website at the time of his release read: 'He wasn't the most popular player with the fans but his input was always appreciated by the staff and players.'

Playing Career and Managerial Career Outside England
As a player, Jokanovic famously won La Liga in 2000 with Deportivo La Coruna, making 23 league appearances and contributing two goals in the title-winning season. He also appeared 65 times for Yugoslavia, including at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 European Championships.

In his first managerial job, Jokanovic took over the reins at Partizan Belgrade, one of Serbia's biggest clubs, in 2007. Under his leadership, Partizan did the Serbian League and Cup double for two consecutive seasons – a first in the history of Serbian football. Upon being named the 'best coach in Serbia' in 2008, he refused to accept the award because of Partizan's poor results in the UEFA Cup group stages at the time.

The club's 2008/09 season saw the Belgrade club win the 21st title in their history with five rounds of the season remaining, 18-points in front of second-placed FK Vojvodina. Partizan's statistics say everything about their season. They were the top scorers in the league, had the top goalscorer, won more games, lost fewer and conceded less than anyone else. The season also saw their goalkeeper, Mladen Bozović, enter the history books for lasting a record 916 minutes without shipping a league goal – and this was after Jokanovic had sold midfield duo Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic to Manchester United halfway through the season in December.

After a three-year break, he joined Muangthong United in Thailand in February 2012. In his first and only season, he led the team to the third Thai Premier League title in their history – going undefeated in the process.

Success at Watford and Style of Play
He may have been a defensive midfielder in his playing days but there is nothing defensive about the way Slavisa Jokanovic sets his teams out – as can be seen from his aforementioned record-breaking feats.

Initially arriving on a short-term deal at Watford, the Serbian was the Hornets' fourth manager in five weeks at the time of his arrival in October 2014. Under his leadership, the Hornets were promoted to the Premier League with one match to spare. The team was also minutes away from winning the league title in the final match but conceded an injury-time equaliser to Sheffield Wednesday that allowed Bournemouth to overtake them. In June 2015, after achieving automatic promotion, he parted ways with the club after failing to agree terms on a new deal.

Jokanovic always has his teams playing an attractive brand of football, focused on keeping and quick recovery of possession.

Returning to England and Being Labelled the 'Manchester City of the Championship'
After leaving Watford, Jokanovic joined Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv and led them to group stages of the Champions League for the very first time. After six months in Tel Aviv, Jokanovic was brought back to England by Fulham, who paid a £367,000 compensation fee to Maccabi to secure his services.

"He said no to everything," said Jordi Cruyff, Jokanovic's director of football at Maccabi. "Including to clubs in La Liga. But when Fulham came we all knew that he wanted to go back. He loves London, he likes the style, he loves the football and maybe deep inside there was some unfinished business."

Fulham were 18th in the Championship when he joined in December 2015. He helped them avoid relegation to League One before winning promotion last season. Current Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock described Fulham as "the Manchester City of the Championship". Fulham were top in the division for pass completion (83.1%), total passes (24,857) and also the side with the most accurate short passes, second most shots on target and the highest average possession.

Winning a Power Struggle and Looking Ahead
A resolute and principled manager, Jokanovic stood firm as he won full control over player transfers at Craven Cottage last season, with the owner Shahid Khan being forced to fire the club's former director of statistical research, Craig Kline, in October.

The January transfer window was crucial for Fulham as the former Chelsea player brought in the players he wanted to help his side's push for promotion. The incoming players included his compatriot Aleksandar Mitrovic, a loan signing from Newcastle. Jokanovic had known about Mitrovic for years. When Jokanovic was starting out at Partizan Belgrade, Mitrovic was a teenager in the club's academy. In the first half of last season, the striker was not having the best of times at Newcastle but Jokanovic gave the 23-year-old a fresh start and a platform to impress at before the World Cup. Mitrovic ended up scoring 13 goals in 21 appearances in all competitions for the Cottagers, prompting Jokanovic to swiftly make his move from Tyneside permanent.

Big things await a very talented Balkan manager, still young in terms of football management at 50. He is a coach with an ever-growing reputation and managed to attract the likes of World Cup-winner Andre Schurrle and Jean-Michel Serri to Fulham this summer. Jokanovic's Fulham possesses a host of young and talented players among their ranks, including Ryan Sessegnon, Aleksandar Mitrovic combined with new arrivals Andre Anguissa, Joe Bryan, Luciano Vietto and Sergio Rico.

Despite a reality-check in their first Premier League game versus Crystal Palace, we should not be surprised if Slavisa Jokanovic picks his boys up and leads the Cottagers to a top half finish in their first season back in the top flight.



https://lastwordonfootball.com/2018/08/13/slavisa-jokanovic-the-former-chelsea-villain-and-now-the-premier-leagues-first-serbian-manager/