Friday Fulham Stuff - 02/11/18...

[WhiteJC]

 
Head Coach Reaction

Slaviša Jokanović was upset to exit the Carabao Cup, but took more positives away from Manchester City than recent matches.

Brahim Diaz struck in either half to earn the holders progression to the Quarter-Finals, but Fulham showed a lot more resilience than had been evident of late.

"We cannot be happy because we lost the game," Jokanović confessed. "We had the intention to be competitive, respect the competition, and try and go through.
"At the end of the day, we made some positive things, we showed some better kind of the defensive organisation than in the past, and we continued our learning and improving process.

"We played against City's second team, if I can call this a second team. In this team was [Kevin] De Bruyne, [Vincent] Kompany, [Gabriel] Jesus, and these kinds of players.

"We tried to play football, be competitive and show our best face to pass into the next round. This game served to show us that we can be a little bit more organised, make less mistakes, show we can be a team off the ball, too.

"I'm unhappy with the result but some positives exist that I look at with optimism.

"Obviously they showed their quality, they showed the power and the speed. We made less mistakes but we still made some kind of mistake and could have found some better actions when they scored the goals."

He added: "I believe in myself, I must believe in my team. We know it's not an easy job ahead of us, [but] it wasn't easy last season, the season before, or three seasons ago when we were fighting not to be relegated.

"We need to not cry so much, and try to find a solution. We are in a situation where our supporters expect a better performance, and we are working in this direction."

The Whites only have to wait four days until our next test, and it's a vital one as we face Huddersfield Town on Monday – another side currently residing in the Premier League's bottom three.

"It's a really important game for both teams," our Head Coach admitted. "We are going to go there with every intention of winning the game.

"It's not the last game in the Premier League. Victory would be a really important step for us, but it's definitely not the last step.

"If we don't take this step there's still a long period for us to do everything to reach our targets."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/01/head-coach-reaction-man-city

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham player ratings: Better performances despite 2-0 defeat to Manchester City

Fulhan went out of the Carabao Cup thanks to a 2-0 defeat to Man City - but there were positive signs

Manchester City knocked Fuham out of the Carabao Cup thanks to a 2-0 victory at the Etihad.

Fulham started the game well, defending deep in numbers and cutting out space, but Manchester City took the lead in the 19th minute through Brahim Diaz, whose strike from the edge of the area bounced off Aleksandar Mitrovic, wrong footing Sergio Rico and hitting the back of the net.

City had further chances to put more space between the two teams, with Leroy Sane and Phil Foden both coming very close to adding a second for their side, with Fulham not threatening much.

Luciano Vietto had the only shot on effort in the first half through a counter attack, but his tame effort was easy for Aro Muric to claim.

It was a slow burner of a second half, but City made it 2-0 through Diaz again - Gabriel Jesus shrugged off Ream in the box to get a shot off, but Sergio Rico made a good save to tip it onto the post, but it fell to the winger who smashed home.

Here's how we rated the side.

Sergio Rico - 6

Looked very comfortable with the ball at his feet and communicated well with his defenders. Made some decent stops, including a fine stop from Jesus, which was unfortunately bundled home by Diaz.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah - 5

Needed to be braved to shut down Diaz and stop the shot for the City first goal. Looked good going forward but was caught out positionally a few times.

Denis Odoi - 4

Didn't look comfortable against City's attack, much like his partner Ream. He looked more comfortable in possession, however, something that is of importance to this side.

Tim Ream - 3

Struggled at the back against a strong Man City attack, getting turned inside out at times by his markers. Had a hard job against Gabriel Jesus but it was an uncomfortable night.

Ryan Sessegnon - 6

Did a good job against Diaz and played well at left back once again at the Etihad. Had a generally good game at left back and looked fairly comfortable all round.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa - 5

A much better showing than what we've seen from Anguissa in recent weeks. Gave the ball away cheaply a few times but he looked far stronger on the ball and in the tackle.


(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Jean-Michael Seri - 6

A nice few touches and pieces of play from Seri - he looked far comfier with Cairney next to him. Looked like he was starting to link well with the other two midfielders.

Tom Cairney - 6

Played some nice passes and looked comfortable in possession, but couldn't thread that important final ball. Impressed with him in the second half as he saw more of the ball and looked to try get Fulham ticking.

Luciano Vietto -6

Looked sharp going forward but there was concerns about his defensive work as City looked to exploit his flank. Looked really lively in the second half and was the side's best attacking outlet.


(Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

Andre Schurrle - 5

Was okay going forward and looked somewhat dangerous when Fulham were on the break. His decision making wasn't the best going forward.

Aleksandar Mitrovic - 5

Made a presence of himself up top but found himself defending deep more times than he was threatening the City goal.
Substitutes

Maxime Le Marchand - 5

Slotted in at centre back and looked as comfortable there as you could be when you're facing a front three of Jesus, Sane and Mahrez.

Floyd Ayite - 5

Didn't have much time to have any impact on the game.

Cyrus Christie - 5

Was only on the pitch for a few minutes, but was interestingly used in a more advanced role in front of Fosu-Mensah.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-player-ratings-better-performances-15360775

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham knocked out of Carabao Cup by City

Man City 2 Fulham 0

Teenager Brahim Diaz scored twice to send Fulham out of the Carabao Cup despite them fielding a strong side against City's youngsters.

Diaz's first senior goals settled the tie and gave a hint of why Real Madrid have been linked with the Spaniard.

While Pep Guardiola made sweeping changes, Whites boss Slavisa Jokanovic fielded a strong side with only three new faces from the weekend, hoping for a victory that would end a run of four straight defeats.

There was little to encourage him early on. Kevin De Bruyne needed less than a minute to have his first crack at goal, and went close again in the fifth minute.

City had quickly set up camp in the Fulham half and would rarely leave, with Phil Foden the next to go close when he hit a powerful shot from the left which stung the palms of Sergio Rico before De Bruyne sent the rebound over.

Instead it was Foden's fellow youngster Diaz who broke the deadlock five minutes later with his first City goal.

Vincent Kompany headed down a looping cross from Fabian Delph and Diaz ran on to it to hit a powerful shot which deflected off Aleksandar Mitrovic to beat Rico.

City pushed for more with Danilo cracking a shot against the outside of a post after breaking into the area, while Foden would head just wide from De Bruyne's wicked cross as half-time loomed.

The second half started in much the same vein, with Leroy Sane's dinked cross headed wide by Gabriel Jesus before De Bruyne bent a shot narrowly wide from the edge of the area.

The longer the game stayed at 1-0 the more Fulham were tempted into the City half, but just as it looked as though they were gaining a foothold in the match, the hosts doubled their lead in the 65th minute.

Foden was involved again, recovering possession and slipping it to Sane. He in turn played in Jesus but when the Brazilian's shot across goal was touched on to a post by Rico, the ball fell for Diaz and the Spaniard took a touch before rifling the ball into the roof of the net.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-knocked-out-of-carabao-cup-by-impressive-man-city-youngsters

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League predictions: Lawro v rock band Bring Me The Horizon

Two of the Premier League's top four meet at Emirates Stadium on Saturday when in-form Arsenal take on unbeaten Liverpool, but who will come out on top?

"Arsenal have had a fabulous run, but I think Liverpool are a better team," BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson said.

"As good as the Gunners have been going forward, I still don't trust them at the back."

Lawro is making predictions for all 380 top-flight matches this season, against a variety of guests.

This week's guests are Matt Kean and Matt Nicholls, bassist and drummer in rock band Bring Me The Horizon.

LAWRO'S PREDICTIONS

Huddersfield v Fulham (20:00 GMT)

On current form, this looks like it could be a game in the Championship next season - these two teams have managed one win from their combined 20 league games so far.

Huddersfield have not scored a goal in any of their five home games this season either, but surely that has to change against a Fulham team with the worst defensive record in the Premier League?

I actually think Huddersfield will win, but it is Fulham who have the better chance of staying up this season.

The Cottagers have got goals in their team, but they have got to find a formation that lets them keep the back door closed too because, at the moment, that is not happening.

Lawro's prediction: 2-1

BMTH's prediction: 0-0



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46046671

[WhiteJC]

 
Slavisa Jokanovic transcript: Fulham boss on positives, Tom Cairney's return & more

Read everything the Fulham head coach had to say after his side's defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup

Assessment of that game, positives to take?

"First of all we cannot be happy because we lost the game.

"We want to go in with intention to be competitive and respect the competition and try go through.

"At the end of the day, we made some positive things, we try be competitive and show some kind of the defensive organisation which was better than the past.

"We continued our learning and improvement process.

"This is my sensation for the game, obviously they show the quality and the power and the speed and we made less mistakes, but still with mistakes where we can find some better action in the situation where they score the goals.

"Anyway, I want to stay with the positives and continue to take this improving process and be more ready and more competitive for game ahead of us."

Difficult to stay positive?

"No, it's not complicated, it's part of our work, I am not depressed man, I am very happy with my life.

"I don't know why you ask me this kind of question, but no, I believe in myself and must believe in my team

"We know it's not an easy job ahead of us, it wasn't last season, or season before, or three seasons ago where we are fighting not to be relegated into League One.

"It's our job, we don't need to cry so much, we need to find solution and we are in some kind of the situation where people, especially our supporters, expect better performance for our side, and we are working and looking in this direction."

Played strong team tonight, one eye on Monday?

"It's not so strange in this country, especially teams plays Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, between these three games it's nine days and I try first of all respect the competition.

"We know when we play against second City, if I can call this team a second team, you will find De Bruyne, Kompany, Jesus and these kind of players, to be honest we try play the football and competitive and try pass the next round and try show our best face.

"For another side, situation where we are we need to find some kind of the work, some improvement and these games show we can be more organised, make less mistakes and show we can be team off the ball too, not only with the ball.

"I want to observe this night, I am unhappy for the result but there exists some positives that I want to look at with optimism and positive way for us ahead of us."

How do you look at Huddersfield game?

"It's looking like a really important game for both teams.

"For us, it's not last game in the Premier League, we are going to try go there with all the intention to win the game, with positive intention to be competitive and fighting hard to win this game.

"It's not the last game, victory will be really important step for us, but it's definitely not last step.

"If we don't do this step, we still have long period to do everything to reach our targets in middle of May."

Tom Cairney played 90 - how encouraging is it to have him back?

"It's important for us, between other things I try force him for all the games.

"I know in life there always exists risk, he push all the game bravely, he made good work, he needed this kind of situation with this kind of game.

"He didn't play so much this season, he's an important player for us and I believe he is positive in everything he made tonight."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/slavisa-jokanovic-transcript-fulham-boss-15361535

[WhiteJC]

 
Jokanovic plays down significance of Huddersfield game

Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic has played down the significance of next Monday's game against fellow strugglers Huddersfield.

Amid speculation over Jokanovic's future, third-from-bottom Fulham cannot afford to lose to the Premier League bottom's side.

Speaking after Fulham's Carabao Cup exit at Manchester City, Jokanovic described Monday's encounter as "a really important game for both teams."

But he added: "It is not the last game in the Premier League. We are going to try with all our intention to win the game, to go with a positive intention, to be competitive and to fight hard to win this game.

"But it is not the last game. Victory can be an important step for us but it is definitely not the last step."

Jokanovic fielded a strong line-up at the Eithad Stadium but Fulham were well beaten by a young City team.

Nevertheless, the Serbian saw some encouraging signs.

"We showed better defensive organisation and we continued the improving process," he said.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/huddersfield-clash-not-the-last-game-jokanovic

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham captain Tom Cairney has the talent to make up for lost time
Weight problems once affected him but now he is ready to shine

Fulham have struggled without Tom Cairney but the captain could be about to make a belated impact in the Premier League. Adam Bate spoke to Cairney's former team-mates to find out why the midfielder was always destined to make it to the top in the end...

Fulham's return to the Premier League has not gone how the club or their captain would have wished. Not only are the Cottagers in the relegation zone, key man Tom Cairney has not started a game since providing an assist in the 4-2 win over Burnley in August. Injuries have stalled his impact so far, but Cairney is well used to having to make up for lost time.

The midfielder is viewed by many as a prospect but he is already 27. His appearance on the opening weekend of the season was his first in the top flight for over eight years, having first had a taste of it as a teenager at Hull. It has taken time for him to fulfil his potential but those who worked with him back then were never in any doubt that he had the talent.

Liam Rosenior was a team-mate at Hull and a big admirer. "He always had the ability," Rosenior tells Sky Sports. "He was 18 or 19 when I first played with him and that ability was there. I always saw Tom as a deeper-lying, ball-playing midfielder because of his technical abilities. Almost like a Michael Carrick, I thought he could dictate play from there.

"He can see a pass before other people can see it. He has the ability to receive the ball in tight spaces, to play one-twos and to give assists as well as goals. In terms of his football intelligence, Tom is unbelievable. I remember when I first went to Brighton and I was begging Chris Hughton to sign him. I was telling him that this kid can do everything."

Matty Fryatt was also in that Hull squad and soon appreciated Cairney's knack for picking passes. "In training, he dictated everything," Fryatt tells Sky Sports. "He was so good technically and could see a pass. He could shoot and was just so comfortable in possession in small spaces. He would work the ball so well. Everything looked right in training."

Unfortunately, there was a problem. Cairney was overweight.

His old pals are reluctant to criticise him too much for that. Fryatt stresses that Cairney is a "really good lad" while Rosenior points out that he was among the last to leave the training ground because of his dedication to practising free-kicks. But both acknowledge that there was something missing from his game as a youngster because of his physical condition.

"He would be the first to admit that he was a little bit overweight when he was younger," says Rosenior. "As a top professional, he has worked on his diet, he has worked on his nutrition and he has worked in the gym. I see an athlete there now. So he can play higher up, make forward runs and score goals. That's something that has surprised me."

Fryatt adds: "He had put weight on and it was holding him back. You need to be able to run, especially in the modern game, and he was carrying a bit." The penny dropped for Cairney in the summer of 2013 after a serious knee injury had seen him play only a bit-part role in Hull's promotion back to the Premier League under Steve Bruce.

"He went away that summer and lost a lot of weight," says Fryatt. "He got much leaner and when he came back for pre-season he was suddenly one of the top runners and was right at the front in training. It was like, 'bloody hell, he can run now'. We all knew how good he was so if he had that in his game as well then the sky was always going to be the limit."

Rosenior remembers it much the same way. "Steve Bruce was very tough with Tom in terms of how he looked after himself so he came back for pre-season and was the fittest player at the club," he explains. "The turnaround was massive. The shame was that we had just got promoted to the Premier League so the club bought Jake Livermore and Tom Huddlestone."

As a result, it was too late for Cairney to convince Bruce, who was under pressure to build a team to stay in the top division. On the eve of the season, he was loaned out to Blackburn with the move being made permanent in January. Cairney won the club's player of the year award that season and made a £3m move to Fulham the following year.

"Looking back now it may be seen as a mistake," says Rosenior. "As players, you always see someone's quality and I thought Tom could have been a very good player for Hull. It wasn't a case of Steve Bruce not rating him, it was just a case of finding that coach and club that played the right way to bring out the best in him. He has shown his quality since."

Fryatt adds: "You look at it now and wonder why he was even allowed out on loan let alone sold. It was just unfortunate with the timing. We could see the talent and having lost the weight we knew what he was capable of. When he started playing regularly for Blackburn, he got leaner and his fitness went through the roof. At Fulham, he went to another level."

Moving to a central role after spending time influencing the game from the right flank for Blackburn, Cairney emerged as one of the outstanding midfielders in the Championship at Craven Cottage. He completed 235 more passes than any other player in the competition last season, his simple but effective prompting helping the team to promotion.

Ironically, Cairney's winning goal in the play-off final at Wembley in May came against an Aston Villa team managed by his old boss Bruce. "It is funny how these things come up," says Rosenior. "But I am not surprised that it is a coach like Slavisa Jokanovic who has been able to see the qualities that Tom has. He is bringing the best out of him now

"People ask me about Tom and whether I can believe the improvement. I don't think it's about improvement, it's about finding the right club. He plays in a team that suits the way he plays. They play technical football and short passes through midfield. It suits him down to the ground and he is the major reason for me why they are in the Premier League now."

Of course, getting there and staying there are two different things. Fulham's sloppy start has dampened the excitement after their strong finish to last season looked to have been supplemented by some quality additions in the summer. There are concerns over their prospects. But given the chance to shine, Cairney could still make the difference.

"In the Premier League it will be tougher but it will also be easier in some ways," explains Fryatt. "There are moments in the Championship where you get tackled from behind and are wondering what's going on. Tom was able to handle that and he will get more time in the Premier League to show even more. I think it will suit him down to the ground."

Rosenior adds: "I actually think the Premier League is going to suit him better than the Championship did. You have more time on the ball in areas where you can't hurt teams but you have to be quicker in your brain the higher up you play. I think he will thrive and I would not be surprised if at the end of the season there are big clubs looking at Tom."

That would be some turnaround for a player who turns 28 in January and only made his Scotland debut last year. It has taken time for his true potential to emerge but do not be too surprised if he makes a belated impact this season. Cairney tends to get there in the end.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11539969/fulham-captain-tom-cairney-has-the-talent-to-make-up-for-lost-time