Wednesday Fulham Stuff (17/10/18)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Hilton: A Great Boost

Sonny Hilton was delighted with his performance both in front of goal and creatively, following his hat-trick in the 7-0 win over Reading.

"It was a great performance all round, by the team and personally it was fantastic for me," he told fulhamfc.com. "To top it all off I got my hat-trick."

The midfield three of Fabio Carvalho, Sylvester Jasper and Hilton sparkled on Saturday, working in tandem to be involved in each other's seven goals. Hilton was modestly optimistic about their relationship.

"I'd like to say our midfield three is one that can move us along, but like we showed on Saturday, when we put our chances away we are a solid unit. It's a fantastic trio mind!

"We've had loads of opportunities throughout the season to equal this sort of score line, thankfully on Saturday we could do that.

"It's going to give us a great boost, we all came off having a laugh with each other at full time, it helped our morale. We needed that big score just to prove to the league that we can do it."

The International break comes at an unfortunate time, as the Young Whites will prepare to face Brighton on Saturday – a slight inconvenience, considering the form the team is in. 

"We would have liked to carry through that momentum into this week, but the International break is always going to be there. We always have important games so we have to just go into those with confidence."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/16/u18-hilton

[WhiteJC]

 
Ryan Sessegnon says improved physique can help him pull his weight for Fulham in the Premier League

The winger has put on a stone of muscle to help him thrive in the top division


Ryan Sessegnon is bulking up to cope in the Premier League ( Getty )

Ryan Sessegnon insists he will be able to pull his weight in the Premier League after putting on a stone.

The Fulham winger has bulked up in muscle over the summer to deal with the rigours of the top flight.

Sessegnon has had an understated start to life in the Premier League, although he has started six of Fulham's opening eight games with the Cottagers winning just once.

He is currently preparing for England Under-21s' final Euro 2019 qualifier in Scotland on Tuesday but feels he is fully equipped to handle the Premier League.

"I've got in the gym a few times this season to get bigger and stronger to face better and bigger players," said the 18-year-old.

"There is a physicality where I had to become a bit bigger to face bigger players.

"I feel bigger, I feel faster and I feel stronger and I think you can see that in some of the games where my speed has got me out of a bit of trouble.

"I did it knowing I'd be playing in the Premier League. I knew it's very physical in parts and in the position I play in I need to be strong.

"It was my idea to get in the gym. Fulham have pushed me as well to be in there two or three times a week, not just weights but flexibility as well to help my all-round body.


The England Under-21 winger has been nominated for Young Sports Personality of the year (Getty)

"We do yoga once every two weeks. A woman comes in and we have a little class and it helps as well."

Sessegnon has been tipped as a future senior star for England, although has seen Jadon Sancho elevated to the Three Lions ahead of him.

He has been nominated for the BBC's Young Sports Personality Year after scoring 15 times as Fulham were promoted via the Sky Bet Championship play-offs in May.

And the 18-year-old admits talk of a senior call up keeps him motivated having helped the Under-21s book their Euro 2019 spot with a 7-0 win over Andorra on Thursday.

He said: "It keeps you focused, it makes you happy knowing they are thinking of you but it drives you to be better and improve your game so you can get into the senior squad.

"You saw in the World Cup they had a specific way of playing. It was controlled possession, a lot of attacking entries in the final third and you can see that with all the age groups.

"Gareth has a way of playing and you can see that in all the age groups. It's exciting to be an English player at the moment.

"With the Under-21s we've not got another major tournament with the national team and it's another opportunity to win another tournament."

PA



https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/fulham-ryan-sessegnon-news-england-under-21-fifa-stats-a8586036.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Marcus Bettinelli endures nightmare journey home from England duty as bad weather redirects flight

The England team's plane was diverted to Manchester meaning the southern based players faced a long journey home

Marcus Bettinelli endured a nightmare return home from England duty as bad weather forced the team's flight to be redirected to Manchester - meaning the keeper face a long trip back to Fulham.

The number one was called up to the squad once again by Gareth Southgate but has yet to win his first cap for his country having not featured in either game against Croatia and Spain during this international break.

England usually fly back to Birmingham, with the Midlands seen as the middle ground for the players in the north and south, but bad weather in the early hours of Tuesday morning meant that they were redirected to Manchester, leaving Bettinelli and the other southern based players with a far longer journey home.

Other players who were on international duty this weekend, such as Kevin McDonald, have already returned to Motspur Park to start their preparations for Saturday's crucial tie with Cardiff City, but Slavisa Jokanovic will be without a number of his stars until the middle of the week.

That includes Bettinelli, who was still on his way back to London at 7am this morning, while Floyd Ayite, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Cyrus Christie, Ibrahima Cisse, Stefan Johansen and Jean-Michael Seri all in international duty this evening and won't return until midweek.


(Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Having a number of key players away at such a crucial period will not have helped Jokanovic prepare for what is a must-win game at the Cardiff City Stadium as Fulham look for a second win of the season - something that will put seven points between them at Neil Warnock's team at the foot of the table.

Fulham still have injury concerns too - with Joe Bryan, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Tom Cairney all nursing injuries.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/marcus-bettinelli-endures-nightmare-journey-15286108

[WhiteJC]

 
The goalkeeper stats that show things can only get better for Fulham and Marcus Bettinelli

Fulham have conceded the most amount of goals in the Premier League so far this season

Marcus Bettinelli is having a tough season, statistically speaking, with some of the worst figures in the Premier League.

The Fulham No.1 has saved just 54% of the shots that he's faced in the league behind a defence that has conceded the most amount of goals in the top flight this season.

That's the lowest shots saved ratio in the Premier League, coming in just behind Ben Hamer of Huddersfield (55%), Ben Foster of Watford (57%) and Jordan Pickford at Everton (60%).

The young keeper also has one of the worst minutes per goal conceded ratios in the league.

Fulham have conceded once every 34 minutes that Bettinelli has been between the sticks for them so far this league campaign, with only Ben Hamer having a worse record with one every 21 minutes.

However, Bettinelli has faced the likes of Manchester City at the Etihad and Everton at Goodison Park, while a resurgent Arsenal took Fulham apart at Craven Cottage.

Those three games account for 11 of the goals he has conceded, but he has yet to keep a clean sheet for Fulham this season.

Bettinelli's teammate, Fabri, who started the first two games of the season, has conceded one every 36 minutes for Fulham, but he does have a better save ratio though at 76% in the two games.

Slavisa Jokanovic's defence has struggled this campaign, with the head coach having to build it from scratch after losing Matt Targett and Ryan Fredericks in the summer, while Tim Ream suffered an injury in the last week of pre-season while Denis Odoi was suspended for the first two games of the season.

It's meant that Fulham have had to shuffle with an unsettled defensive unit that has resulted in the side conceding in every game so far this season - something that is of concern to Jokanovic and everyone connected with the club.

Despite the statistics, Bettinelli received his first call-up to the England senior squad last month and retained his place in Gareth Southgate's side for their draw and win over Croatia and Spain during this international break, although he has yet to get his first cap for his country.

Player // Mins per goal conceded

Ben Hamer // 21

Marcus Bettinelli // 34

Fabri // 36

Neil Etheridge // 42

Michel Vorm // 45

David De Gea // 51

Alex McCarthy // 51

Martin Dubravka // 55

Mat Ryan // 55

Lukasz Fabianski // 55

Ben Foster // 60

Jordan Pickford // 60

Asmir Begovic // 60

Kasper Schmeichel // 60

Joe Hart // 60

Petr Cech // 65

Jonas Lössl // 66

Wayne Hennessey // 80

Rui Patrício // 120

Bernd Leno // 135

Kepa Arrizabalaga // 144

Hugo Lloris // 180

Paulo Gazzaniga // 180

Ederson // 240

Alisson // 240

[Shots saved %]

Player // % shots saved

Marcus Bettinelli // 54

Ben Hamer // 55

Ben Foster // 57

Jordan Pickford // 60

Asmir Begovic // 61

Kasper Schmeichel // 64

Neil Etheridge // 64

David De Gea // 64

Jonas Lössl // 65

Martin Dubravka // 66

Alex McCarthy // 68

Michel Vorm // 69

Mat Ryan // 70

Lukasz Fabianski // 74

Joe Hart // 75

Wayne Hennessey // 75

Petr Cech // 76

Fabri // 76

Kepa Arrizabalaga // 78

Ederson // 81

Rui Patrício // 83

Bernd Leno // 86

Alisson // 86

Hugo Lloris // 87

Paulo Gazzaniga // 89



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/goalkeeper-stats-show-things-can-15287788

[WhiteJC]

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 season so far, so we discussed each one of them during the show. On top of that, Ryan was asked to put each player into one of three categories, which were "Premier League starter", "Premier League squad player", or "Championship player".


You can also listen to the show here...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2018/10/16/17983346/cottage-talk-the-player-ratings-show-with-special-guest-ryan-odonovan-from-football-london

[WhiteJC]

 
Wembley Stadium update

As you may know, as well as being involved in our Trust, I am also a member of the FA Council, one of the two supporter representatives. The Council met yesterday to discuss the potential sale of Wembley to Shahid Khan. This was the first of two meetings of the Council dedicated to this issue alone - the second will be on 24 October, at which a vote will be taken. If the Council vote to support the sale in principle, then a formal decision on whether to proceed to negotiate a sale of Wembley will be taken by the Board of the FA at a subsequent meeting. Even if the FA decide to proceed, I anticipate it will take some time before any sale is concluded.

Thank you to all of those of you who took the time to complete the short Supporters Direct and Football Supporters Federation survey we circulated late last week. The two supporters' representatives were able to share the interim results of the survey with the FA Council as part of our discussion today. One of the striking interim results of that survey we could share was that the potential of an anchor tenancy of a football club at Wembley in the future  was in the top two concerns expressed by supporters (the other related to protection of games traditionally played at Wembley  - cup finals, play-off finals etc).

The reason I wanted to provide an update to members of our Trust, though, is that there are some aspects of this that may have a particular relevance to Fulham fans.

When I joined the Council in July, and there was a discussion on the sale of Wembley, I asked for there to be consideration given to a safeguard in any proposed sale that would prevent any future owner moving a club side to play at Wembley on  a permanent basis. I argued that this was a wider concern than just Fulham, although that might be the most immediate possibility.

Over the course of the last couple of months, I have been seeking to persuade others in the FA and associated with this discussion of the merits of such a safeguard. Necessarily, as with some other aspects of the work the Trust does, this has had to remain low key.

At the meeting of the Council today, it was confirmed that any sale of Wembley includes a condition that explicitly prevents any new owner deciding to give any club, other than an NFL franchise, a principal tenancy at Wembley. This would prevent any football club being relocated to Wembley by any future owner of the stadium. The power to allow any change to that remains with the FA and Sport England, even if they no longer own the stadium.

I should also emphasise that during recent weeks, when the Trust has met with Fulham and also with representatives of Mr Khan, there has been strong commitment given to the new Riverside stand, and work on that project starting at the end of the current season. As you will have seen from the notes of our meeting with the Club earlier in the week, this was the subject of most of that meeting. As a Trust, we have no reason to doubt those statements, and no evidence to suggest any alternative agenda.

Our Trust was initially established as the Back to the  Cottage campaign, and it is part of our aims and objectives to work to ensure Fulham remain at our historic home. Given the twists and turns in this saga for almost the past 35 years, the Trust is just the latest of a long line of fans who have fought, campaigned and lobbied for Craven Cottage to remain Fulham's home. We welcome the most recent reiteration of the long term commitment to the Cottage made by Mr Khan, and we continue to work constructively with the Club to achieve that shared ambition - but we will also always remain vigilant.

With your continued support for the Trust, together we can be an important voice towards ensuring our Club retains the historic link between Club and ground that is so much of the identity of Fulham.
If friends, family and fellow Fulham fans are not already Trust members, please do encourage them to join - so we can ensure our voice remains strong. You can join at our website here: http://fulhamsupporterstrust.com/join-us/

With best wishes,
Tom Greater



http://fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2018/10/11/wembley-stadium-update.html

[WhiteJC]

 
How the terms of Shahid Khan's Wembley Stadium purchase affect Craven Cottage housing rumours

FA Council have had questions over the future of Wembley Stadium answered

The sale of Wembley Stadium to Shahid Khan has been a big talking point.

The FA selling the national stadium to the American billionaire owner of Fulham has caused quite the stir.

When the news first came out, Whites fans voiced their concerns over any rumours that the club could move out of Craven Cottage and into Wembley as a result.

Khan's plans to purchase Wembley are part of a wider project of his to bring his Jacksonville Jaguars NFL franchise to England on a permanent basis, with no plans to move the Premier League side across London.

However, allegations of corruption were made by former Fulham employee Craig Kline last week, who alleged that Khan was keen to sell off the Craven Cottage land to build flats in one of the most lucrative areas of the city.

Khan dismissed the cliams out of hand, with his representative Jim Woodcock, calling it "nonsense".

Woodcock said: "This is nothing more than the same ongoing nonsense and bogus claims made by a former employee who left the club in 2017. Nothing here merits a further response."

And Fulham Supporters Trust chairman Tom Greatrex has put fans' fears further at ease with news from a meeting of the FA Council.

Greatrex is also on the board of the FA Council and the October meeting discussed concerns about the potential sale of the stadium to Khan.

Greatrex said: "At the meeting of the council, it was confirmed that any sale of Wembley includes a condition that explicitly prevents any new owner deciding to give any club, other than an NFL franchise, a principal tenancy at Wembley.

"This would prevent any football club being relocated to Wembley by any future owner of the stadium. The power to allow any change to that remains with the FA and Sport England, even if they no longer own the stadium."

You can read the full update on the stadium from Tom Greatrex here.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/how-terms-shahid-khans-wembley-15288787

[WhiteJC]

 
Daniel Levy doesn't want proposed £600million Wembley sale to go through

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is against the idea of selling Wembley to Fulham owner Shahid Khan, according to Daily Mail.

The Fulham and Jacksonville Jaguars owner wants to purchase the stadium from the FA for £600million (h/t Daily Mail), however, Levy is opposed to the move.

The report claims that the minutes of a meeting held with the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust highlighted Levy's opposition to the deal.

Levy was further recorded claiming that if Khan potentially purchased Wembley, it would not affect Tottenham's NFL plans. However, he was still against the deal.

Spurs will host two NFL games per season once our new home is complete and Wembley will also be hosting matches, as per the report.

Tottenham's stadium was expected to be complete by 15th September but the club have had to deal with numerous delays. There is no confirmed date for the stadium's completion, however, Mauricio Pochettino claimed we could be playing at the new ground before Christmas.

Spurs have played all their Premier League and Champions League home games at Wembley. We also played a Carabao Cup game against Watford at Stadium MK due to the unavailability of Wembley.

Spurs could face Burnley in their new home opener, provided we can get the stadium up and ready by 15th December.



http://tothelaneandback.com/2018/10/16/daniel-levy-doesnt-want-proposed-600million-wembley-sale-to-go-through/

[WhiteJC]

 
Comparing Fulham and Brighton's talismanic stars – Stats show that the former is slightly better

Aleksandar Mitrovic vs Glenn Murray – A Statistical comparison

Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and Brighton forward Glenn Murray are both a major source of goals to their team. Both strikers have started their campaign in good form as well. While Fulham have been poor overall, the Seagulls have been impressive in the early stages of the season.

The pair has so far played a crucial role in their respective teams' season, chipping in with a lot of goals and proving to be the focal point of the team.

Mitrovic has picked up a total of 5 goals in 8 appearances this season and has come close on many other occasions. The Serbian forward has started the season in exceptional form and is proving to the Cottagers' driving force up front.

Mitrovic has taken a total of 34 shots, of which 13 have been on target, averaging a shot success rate of 38%. The former Newcastle United striker has also hit the woodwork on 3 occasions and is guilty of missing 2 big chances.

He has proven to be extremely dominant in the air, with 3 of his 5 goals coming from set-pieces or crosses into the box. Mitrovic has also averaged a pass success rate of 75.5% in the Premier League this season. (Stats courtesy – Premier League)

Glenn Murray, on the other hand, has been very consistent in his performances for the Seagulls over the last two years. For a striker playing in the Premier League at the age of 35, he has been extremely clinical in front of the goal.

The veteran forward has also picked up 5 goals in 8 appearances this season, though all of his goals have come via his feet. Murray has only been able to muster a total of 13 shots this season, with just 6 of them on target.

This means that the English forward's conversion rate is a lot better than Mitrovic but the Serbian has more shots on target. Murray has averaged a 46% shot accuracy so far and has missed no big chances, but he has been poor with his passing. The Brighton striker has averaged a pass success rate of 57.9% in the league this season. (Stats courtesy – Premier League)

Both players have been phenomenal for their club and will definitely play a crucial role as the season goes on, but it seems like Mitrovic who slightly has the edge over Murray so far.



https://soccersouls.com/2018/10/17/comparing-fulham-and-brightons-talismanic-stars-stats-show-that-the-former-is-slightly-better/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham must raid London rivals Chelsea to sign this this out-of-favour star

Fulham should not hesitate to sign Chelsea star Lucas Piazon

After tasting commendable success in the Championship, Fulham secured promotion to the Premier League. As a result, Slavisa Jokanovic resorted to extensive transfer activities to upgrade his squad ahead of the season.

The Cottagers made headlines in the summer with mega-money deals for Aleksandar Mitrovic (loan deal made permanent), Jean Michael Seri and Andre Schurrle (two-year loan deal from Borussia Dortmund).

Although the club bagged big scalps in the transfer market, they haven't had much to cheer about so far. While they have shown flashes of promise, Fulham haven't managed to keep pace with the Premier League teams. In fact, the Cottagers currently sit 17th in the standings with 5 points from 8 games, just a shade above the relegation zone.

It is definitely disheartening to see a strong team struggling the way Fulham have. The 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal before the international break won't do any good to their confidence either. Actually, the humiliation against Arsenal provided ominous signs that they might not be able to avoid the drop this season.

Fulham have shipped goals at an alarming rate, having already conceded 21 goals so far with a goal difference of -12. This could return to haunt them if the relegation battle goes down to the wire. Quite clearly, the defenders haven't adapted their game to suit the demands of the Premier League and going by the defensive record, Jokanovic should consider signing a quality centre-back in January.

Even though Fulham have looked impressive in the final third, they should not hesitate to add more attackers to achieve a better scoring record. And they can certainly do that by adding Chelsea's out-of-favour star Lucas Piazon to the squad.

When Chelsea signed Piazon back in 2011 as a 17-year-old, few would have argued against him becoming one of the hottest young properties in the Premier League. However, it has been eight years since he made his move from Sao Paulo.

His appearances for the Blues have been limited to a couple of League Cup outings in the 2012/13 season and it has been a long time since he played for the club.

So much so, barring the fans, few would be familiar with the fact that he is still a part of the club. However, the most interesting fact is that Chelsea did not loan him out in the summer.

The Brazilian did spend a lot of time on loan just like his fellow academy youngsters, having had loan stints at Vitesse Arnhem, Eintracht Frankfurt, Reading and most recently Fulham, where he played for a couple of seasons and tasted reasonable success.

To put things into perspective, Fulham should look to sign the 24-year-old to add depth to their attacking options. Still only 24, the Brazilian is not a spent force by any means and regular first-team football will definitely bring the best out of him.

The Brazilian is a versatile attacker who is capable of playing as a left-winger and a playmaker. He often uses his flair and vision to influence the proceedings.

A good reader of the game in the final third, Piazon combines his technique, dribbling and presence of mind to link up the play effectively either down the flanks or through the centre. He is a tidy passer and moves the ball quickly in the final third.

To go with his passing, flair and game-reading abilities, he is also adept with his movement and tends to get into promising positions in the final third by making subtle runs behind the defenders.

That said, it won't be a bad idea for the Cottagers to buy him as he would be the perfect feeder for the likes of Mitrovic and Schurrle. Jokanovic should deploy him in a No.10 role as the team currently lack a creative midfielder. Hence, Piazon could be the perfect man to partner Tom Cairney and Jean Michael Seri in the midfield.



http://www.mediareferee.com/2018/10/17/fulham-must-raid-london-rivals-chelsea-to-sign-this-this-out-of-favour-star/