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Saturday Fulham Stuff (18/08/18)...

Started by WhiteJC, August 18, 2018, 07:06:42 AM

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WhiteJC

 
Kane Looks to End August Drought Against Fulham

What was supposed to be Tottenham's one and only match played at Wembley this season, now turns into the first of many. Tottenham take on newly promoted Fulham in an intriguing London derby. Fulham will provide further insight as to their Premier League capabilities, whilst Tottenham will try to show the surrounding chaos to have little effect on the team, and end the August goal drought of Harry Kane.

The stark difference of the transfer spend between the two teams, with Fulham spending £100M, and Spurs' famously buying no-one, will make an interesting debate post-match whatever the result.

Kane Looks to End August Drought
Will Wembley Have an impact?


The question of whether Tottenham would be able to perform at Wembley was hotly debated prior to last season's commence. Tottenham had previously struggled, albeit mostly against top teams in the latter stages of a tournament. They did indeed struggle initially at Wembley, failing to win any of the first three home games.

However, Tottenham grew into life at Wembley, showing they were more than capable with notable wins against Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. Interestingly, Tottenham finished 5th in the 2017/18 home-form table and second in the away-form table.

Ultimately, playing at Wembley shouldn't be an issue against Fulham. However, Wembley is a burden for Tottenham – both for team and fans. This is in stark contrast to Fulham, who excited to return to Wembley, where they sealed their return to the Premier League in May.

Bad Start at the Cottage

Fulham lost their opening game 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace. Fulham backed up a successful campaign last season with an equally successful transfer window. Securing the services of Alexander Mitrovic was perhaps the highlight. Their opening day defeat was, however, a rude awakening. The Premier League is unforgiving. A second successive loss will pile the pressure on for their next game – another difficult match against Burnley. Fulham will, therefore, be desperate to capitalise on any potential distractions in the Tottenham squad.

Fulham Aim to Restrain Kane

Premiership newcomers Fulham will target the attacking trio of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen. Dele Alli got off to a flying start on the opening day. Although most noticed for his goal celebration, he had a phenomenal game. The Englishman will certainly be looking to demonstrate the move again.

Harry Kane, despite it being August, a month in which he cannot seem to find his form, will still be the major concern for Fulham. The World Cup Golden Boot winner will be desperate to finally end his August hoodoo. Christian Eriksen has also got off to a good start, creating more chances, five, than anyone else on the opening weekend.

Aleksandar the Great?

Fulham will look to Aleksander Mitrovic for the goals this season. The striker grabbed an impressive 12 goals in 18 league appearances in his debut season with The Lilywhites. New signing Andre Schurrle will also be looking to make an impact, whilst long-term Tottenham target Ryan Sessegnon will undoubtedly be up for the game.

Team News

Tottenham


Tottenham will be starting their home campaign without Heung-min Son who has left for the Asian Games. Victor Wanyama has returned to light training but will also miss out. Harry Winks and Erik Lamela have returned to full training, but it may be too early yet for a return.

Fulham

New signing Alfie Mawson will miss out due to Injury. Fellow defenders Tim Ream and Denis Odoi will also be unavailable for selection.

Prediction

As stated in this week's Premier League predictions, Tottenham should have too much quality for Fulham. Pochettino has stated his desire to give back to the fans by winning games. He will expect nothing but a comfortable win.

Prediction: Tottenham 3-0 Fulham



https://lastwordonfootball.com/2018/08/17/harry-kane-august-drought-fulham/

WhiteJC

 
Exeter Confirmed

The date of Fulham's Second Round Carabao Cup tie against Exeter City has now been confirmed as Tuesday 28th August (7.45pm).

Tickets will go on General Sale from 12pm on Monday, priced at just £10 for adults, £5 for 18-21 year olds and over-65s, and £1 for under-18s.

Please note, everyone will be sent a paper ticket for this fixture, and all fans who have signed up for the Home Cup Scheme will have their accounts debited automatically.

Season Ticket Holders' seats will be held until 10am on Wednesday, at which point they will be released on General Sale.

Head to the website Monday lunchtime to secure your place at Fulham's first meeting with the Grecians since the 1996/97 promotion season!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/august/17/exeter-confirmed

WhiteJC

 
Fulham return to Wembley on mission to prove their style also has staying power



This summer Fulham spent like one of the Premier League's elite. Saturday's visit to Wembley gives the Cottagers a chance to prove that their investment was astute enough to allow Slavisa Jokanovic to play his way, no matter the opponents.

Both Tottenham and Fulham earned their place in the Premier League record books for their summer spending, but for very different reasons.

Spurs became the first team since the creation of the transfer window not to make a single signing. Meanwhile in west London, Shahid Khan was signing off on deals worth in excess of £100million - the first time a newly-promoted side had ever hit nine figures.

No player typified Fulham's ambitious approach to recruitment quite like Jean-Michael Seri. The man Xavi anointed as his heir ought to have been playing in a Barcelona shirt last season, only for Nice to break the deal apart at the last minute.

Twelve months later Fulham swooped in to steal the Ivorian midfielder away from Borussia Dortmund, offering an ambitious vision (and impressive pay packet) that convinced Seri to make the move to Craven Cottage. It is the sort of power play Spurs fans have been crying out for Daniel Levy to make.

He is already making a strong impression, standing out even in defeat to Crystal Palace. A whirling dervish in the middle of the park, Seri completed more passes than any other player, won more tackles and managed more interceptions.

It may only have been his first game in the top flight but Seri appears to be ready made for the Premier League, with the quality to go toe-to-toe with Eric Dier et al at Wembley.

"His characteristics are good for how we have played before," Jokanovic told Standard Sport. "He is a player with a high reputation and he will be useful for us.

"Personally it helps me coaching him and using him on the pitch.

"For different reasons at the beginning of pre-season I used him as a defensive midfielder and he can play in this position too with different characteristics. He's not someone who can destroy [play] so much. From another side we believe he can play more offensively; he's not a top scorer but he can make assists.

"He's working really hard off the ball too, his technique is high-level, his control and first touch are perfect. He is always moving and tries to observe what is going to happen. He's a guy who needs a bit of time to discover what he has around himself and how he can collaborate with his team-mates better."

Seri is not the only new signing that it is reasonable to assume will hit the ground running. Andre Schurrle has two years of Chelsea experience to call on, Aleksandar Mitrovic a four-month spell with the Cottagers in the Championship and the Calum Chambers-Alfie Mawson axis excelled for the England Under-21s, though the latter is out until September.

Still this was all true last week, when Crystal Palace were the visitors to Craven Cottage. The football was easy on the eye but at times naive, particularly from a side that included six debutants. With the likes of Sergio Rico, Mawson and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa to come in, Jokanovic insists he will need plenty of time.

"Somebody told me that the Chelsea coach Sarri said they need a minimum three months to build a team. If he needs three months, we are going to ask for three years," he said, jokingly.

"Our intention is to be organised, do teams damage and try to win points and games. If it doesn't happen, we must keep going, take our time, keep calm and in some way find a solution for a completely new team.

"We are talking about following our style, but this style needs to follow some new faces and new players and we are talking about quality players but they haven't worked at the moment with the rest of their teammates. In this process we need time but in football time doesn't exist."

Having taken Fulham from the lower reaches of the Championship to the top tier, Jokanovic likely has more time in his favour than many managers. Though the result will not make or break the Cottagers' season on their return to Wembley mere months on from the playoff final, they must show soon that the unquestionable style of their play can make a substantial impact on the Premier League.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-return-to-wembley-on-mission-to-prove-their-style-also-has-staying-power-a3914431.html


WhiteJC

 
Fulham need time to find feet in Premier League, says Slavisa Jokanovic

• Fulham hit by injuries and suspensions for game against Spurs
• 'We must find solution for completely new team,' manager says


Timothy Fosu-Mensah could make his debut for Fulham when they play Tottenham at Wembley on Saturday. Photograph: Dave Shopland/BPI/Rex/Shutterstock

Slavisa Jokanovic has admitted Fulham will need time to find their feet back in the Premier League as he seeks to integrate a dozen new players into his squad at Craven Cottage.

The newly promoted side make the trip back to Wembley, where they won the Championship play-off in May, on Saturday for a daunting confrontation with Tottenham Hotspur. Jokanovic has major concerns across his backline, where injuries and suspension have left Fulham with a makeshift feel, but took enough positives from their opening weekend defeat by Crystal Palace to offer optimism.

More than £100m was spent in the market this summer, with eight of the new faces having featured against Palace. A ninth, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, could be involved for the meeting with Spurs.

"I haven't found many negatives since our return to the Premier League, and I always try and speak about positive things," said the manager. "In certain situations maybe we have to react a little bit better but we need to accept I have started with a completely new defence, a new goalkeeper and many new players. Somebody told me the Chelsea coach, Maurizio Sarri, had said they need a minimum of three months to build their team. If he needs three months, we are going to ask for three years.

"Our intention is to be organised, do teams damage and try to win points and games. If it doesn't happen, we must keep going, take our time, stay calm and, in some way, find a solution for a completely new team. We are talking about following our style but this style needs to [be learned by] some new faces and new players. We are talking about quality players but they haven't worked at the moment with the rest of their new teammates. In this process we need time. So what we're going to do is be calm, push forward and be brave. We must trust in ourselves but be more clinical."

Fabri is expected to retain his place in goal against Spurs with another new signing, Sergio Rico, on the bench. Marcus Bettinelli, who made 26 starts in the Championship campaign but was hampered by injury in pre-season, finds himself third-choice but Jokanovic will resist attempts to send the 26-year-old on loan before the closure of the window at the end of the month. "I am happy with three quality goalkeepers," the manager said. "A loan? I am not thinking in this direction. I do not know what the player is thinking but he must work and fight for his chance."



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/aug/17/fulham-premier-league-slavisa-jokanovic

WhiteJC

 
Heung-min Son could be a huge miss for Pochettino

Tottenham Hotspur will play their first "home" fixture of the Premier League at Wembley Stadium on Saturday when they meet Fulham.

Spurs will be looking to build on their opening day victory against Newcastle United last weekend and will entertain one of last season's promoted clubs in a London Derby.

However, the clash will not be easy for Mauricio Pochettino, as according to a match preview by Sky Sports, he will be without a couple of key men for the clash.

Heung-min Son is away on international duty with South Korea as he looks to help his country lift the Asian Cup.

The winger, who has been influential for Spurs, could be a huge miss to Tottenham but Pochettino will be hoping he has players that can step up in his absence.

One man that could fill in that role is Erik Lamela, however, it is unlikely he will feature for the north London outfit as he has just returned from an injury, as has Harry Winks.

Victor Wanyama is another that remains unavailable for Pochettino as he continues to recover from a knee injury.

The Verdict:
Tottenham will be looking to continue their solid start to the Premier League season when they face Fulham on Saturday.

The Craven Cottage outfit could prove to be a tricky test for Pochettino's side after they have had an active transfer window, bringing in a number of quality additions.

Son could be a huge miss for Spurs, however, the club will feel confident that they have the players able to step up in his absence.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/heung-min-son-could-be-a-huge-miss-for-pochettino/

WhiteJC

 
Marcus Bettinelli challenged to fight for his place at Fulham by Slavisa Jokanovic

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic has told Marcus Bettinelli to fight for his place in the first team following the arrival of two new goalkeepers over the summer.

Bettinelli, 26, was the No 1 at Craven Cottage last season and helped Fulham secure promotion to the Premier League but has fallen down the pecking order after the signings of Fabri and Sergo Rico in the summer transfer window.

He was left out of Jokanovic's matchday squad against Crystal Palace last weekend and tweeted during the game to confirm he was not injured.

Fabri made his Premier League debut following his £5m summer move from Besiktas, while Rico was on the bench despite only joining from Sevilla less than 48 hours earlier.

Newspaper reports have suggested Bettinelli could seek a loan move to gain first-team minutes but Jokanovic has told the player to knuckle down and compete for his spot at Fulham.

He said: "I do not know what the player is thinking but he must work and fight for his chance.

"I have three goalkeepers and I can choose only one of them. One of them will be in the stands, one will be on the bench and one will be in the goal. The situation for Marcus Bettinelli is like the situation for the other goalkeepers, and like other parts of the squad.

"I am happy with three quality goalkeepers. This is a fantastic situation for a head coach. The three keepers must fight for the position and I will decide what is best for my team."

Rico, who won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2015, is expected to overtake Fabri as the first choice at Fulham once he settles into his new club.

Jokanovic said: "If you ask why Bettinelli is not in goal, you can talk about we made some investment for other players.

"A player who has some experience in a high level and who has some experience in the Champions League.

"Another situation [an injury] with Bettinelli during the pre-season forced us to bring another keeper too. This goalkeeper is a quality keeper who has similar experience. A Champions League keeper who won a European trophy."

Fulham return to Wembley Stadium, where they beat Aston Villa in last season's Championship play-off final, to face Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday.



http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11475468/marcus-bettinelli-challenged-to-fight-for-his-place-at-fulham-by-slavisa-jokanovic


WhiteJC

 
Fulham team news: Duo out for Tottenham clash, summer signing cleared to play

Wembley holds fond memories for Fulham. The last time they walked out there, a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the Championship play-off final secured their return to the Premier League.

Fulham will return to the scene of that famous win on Saturday afternoon, as they face Tottenham Hotspur.

It wasn't the dream return that the Cottagers had been hoping for though, as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.

In that loss, new signing Joe Bryan was forced off late on, but according to BBC Sport the fullback will be available for the London derby.

Fulham's defensive duo Tim Ream and Alfie Mawson won't feature though, as they both continue their recovery from knee injuries.

Denis Odoi will be unavailable too, as he serves the final game of his suspension.

If Fulham are to clinch their first win of the season they will have to overcome a Tottenham side that have won eight of the last nine meetings between the two sides.

A Dimitar Berbatov goal sealed their last Premier League victory over Spurs, as they picked up a 1-0 win back in 2013.

Fulham will be hoping Harry Kane continues his August drought, as the England international picked up a hat-trick in the last meeting of the two teams when Tottenham eased to a 3-0 FA Cup triumph.



https://ninetyminutesonline.com/fulham-team-news-duo-out-for-tottenham-clash-summer-signing-cleared-to-play/

WhiteJC

 
Match Preview: Tottenham vs. Fulham (H)

It's no secret that the fans are disgruntled as Spurs welcome Fulham to Wembley for what we hoped would be the last time. The anxiety over a lack of summer signings was supposed to go away as the club embarked on the next chapter of its history. Instead - due to 'safety issues' - the opening of the new stadium could be as late as November with the exact date unconfirmed.

Poch will need to make sure the dampened mood in N17 doesn't filter through to the players as we look to maintain our perfect start to the season. This shouldn't be an issue for a squad which is typically professional under such circumstances. Furthermore, our league record at Wembley (W13, D4, L2) - and at home vs newly promoted teams (18 wins in a row) - suggests we will collect the three points.

However, Fulham will go into the game with reason to be hopeful. Against Newcastle, we became very leggy in the later stages, and were fortunate to leave with a win. If Slaviša Jokanović's men can bring us to the 65 minute mark - without being behind - they will feel confident of getting a result. And as good as Spurs' Wembley form is on paper it took a while for us to get the wheels in motion there last year. If there are any cobwebs this time around then we may well drop points. As per our season opener Poch will look to balance out the team with players who didn't play at the World Cup.

We will be waving goodbye to Son who departs for the Asian Games thereby avoiding military service (if South Korea win gold). Aside from that the squad remains unchanged from a week ago.

Tip of the day: Draw 9/2

Spurs got off to a slow start at Wembley last season and it might take a while for them to get going again. If Fulham are well oiled they will feel hopeful of taking a point against a Spurs team still weary from its efforts in Russia.



https://www.spursstatman.com/articles/2018/8/18/match-preview-tottenham-vs-fulham-h

WhiteJC

 
Three ways Fulham could line up against Tottenham
The Cottagers face an away trip to Tottenham this weekend.

Fulham travel to Wembley on Saturday for the second time since May, facing the toughest test of their Premier League season so far.

Slavisa Jokanovic has a multitude of options to choose from as the Whites face off against Tottenham Hotspur, with debates raging over whether Fulham will adapt their possession-based style of play to combat Spurs' strengths.

Here are three possible ways Fulham could line up at Wembley, as the club seeks their first league points of the season.

Tried and tested

Slavisa Jokanovic is known as a firm believer in his footballing philosophy, and it is entirely possible he will decide to change nothing against Tottenham Hotspur.

    "We will try – we believe it's our best way to be successful and this season, if you believe now a better way for us is to give Spurs the ball and wait for them on the edge of the box and try finish the game 0-0, I am not sure this is best plan for us."

   
Slavisa Jokanovic when asked by football.london whether Fulham will continue their attractive style of play

The Whites would stick with their passing game plan, attempting to control the flow of the match and pin Tottenham inside their own defensive half.

In this system, Jokanovic would stick with his favoured 4-3-3 formation and largely keep the starting XI from the Crystal Palace match intact.

Tried and tested 4-3-3: (Rico; Bryan, Chambers, Le Marchand, Fosu-Mensah; McDonald, Seri, Cairney; Sessegnon, Mitrovic, Schurrle).

Defensive masterclass


However, Fulham might be forced to adapt to an unfamiliar situation: a match where the opposing team dominates possession. The last time Fulham were outclassed in possession came in December 2017, when Brentford had 51% of the ball against the Whites.

    "We know this team will take possession off us and we must be ready for working altogether off the ball and suffer and show the solidarity and great effort. In some part of the defensive work, we don't need to be so talented but must be clever, organised and show great decision for working off the ball."

   
Slavisa Jokanovic when asked by football.london how Fulham will defend

In a defensive scenario, the Serbian manager could opt for a more solid 4-2-3-1 and favour a counterattacking style of play with faster players, such as Aboubakar Kamara, getting the nod.

Defensive masterclass 4-2-3-1: (Rico; Bryan, Chambers, Le Marchand, Fosu-Mensah; McDonald, Anguissa; Sessegnon, Seri, Kamara; Mitrovic).

New signings galore


In a possible final twist, Jokanovic could view the Spurs match as a chance to see how well-suited many of his new signings are to Premier League football.

A wildcard option of sorts, Fulham could set up in a 4-4-2 formation that would allow Mitrovic and Luciano Vietto to work up top together, and hand former Ligue 1 duo Jean-Michael Seri and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa a partnership in midfield.

It is an unlikely proposition, but Jokanovic might be tempted to throw Mauricio Pochettino a curveball with his team selection.

New signings galore 4-4-2: (Rico; Bryan, Chambers, Le Marchand, Fosu-Mensah; Sessegnon, Seri, Anguissa, Schurrle; Mitrovic, Vietto).



https://tbrfootball.com/three-ways-fulham-line-tottenham/