Tuesday Fulham Stuff (06/11/18)...

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Huddersfield Town 1-0 Fulham

The goal was only Huddersfield's seventh at home in the Premier League in 2018

Huddersfield boss David Wagner says the win over Fulham - the club's first of this Premier League season - is one of the most important they have achieved during his three years at the club.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah's headed own goal was Town's first at home this season and lifted them off the bottom of the table at their opponents' expense.

It had been 659 minutes since Huddersfield found the net on home soil - through Tom Ince's injury-time winner against Watford on 14 April - and it was reward for a performance that showcased energy and endeavour in the first half and discipline and commitment in the second.

"This is huge for us," said Wagner, who was celebrating the third anniversary of his appointment as head coach. "We have the winning feeling back. For sure it is one of the most important wins we've had in the past three years. Everybody needed this belief back. It's massive for us.

"Nothing is more important than this winning feeling, having happy faces in the dressing room and in the club. We are back in the race after 11 games.

"When you look at the fixtures in front of us, they are teams in and around the area where they'll be open games. Today I think we were the team who really wanted this win."

Fulham weren't in the game before the break and while they improved after that, they have now equalled a Premier League record by conceding 29 goals in their opening 11 games.

Monday's defeat was the Cottagers' fifth in a row and exacerbates what has already been their worst ever start to a top-flight season.

This is represented in their new league position, which sees them level on five points with Cardiff and 20th courtesy of the league's worst goal difference.

Huddersfield remain in the bottom three and are just a point and two places above Fulham, but will be buoyed by their superiority over a relegation rival and a first victory in 15 top-flight matches.

Town off the mark
Huddersfield set the tone for the evening in the early stages, dominating possession, pressing high and snapping into tackles to win the ball back whenever Fulham threatened to counter.

It quickly became clear that this was a fragile Fulham side, stripped of confidence and there for the taking, which the Terriers almost did when the tireless Jonathan Hogg dispossessed Aleksandar Mitrovic in midfield to set up Philip Billing for a 30-yard drive that struck the crossbar.

Undeterred, the Terriers stuck to their positive game plan and were rewarded when Fosu-Mensah beat Schindler to the ball but succeeded only in heading it in just before the half-hour mark.

Town were facing the prospect of becoming only the second side in English Football League history to fail to score in their first six home games of a season, joining Mansfield who failed to score in their first nine in the third tier in 1971-72.

It was a good time, then, to face the top division's weakest defence.

The home side were understandably less forward-thinking as the second half wore on, focusing all their efforts into a defensive display that helped them manage and see the game out without conceding.

"I don't care who scored it or how we performed," added Wagner. "People know we can perform better. The pressure was on for both teams but how we fought... we left everything on the grass.

"It was deserved. In the first half, we were clear, and in the second half we were able to keep them away from our goal."

Fulham's defensive woes continue


Fulham are the only Premier League side yet to keep a clean sheet

Where do Fulham go from here?

Having spent £100m in the summer following promotion, they have acquired the necessary forward talent to help them stay up - not that they should much evidence of it here.

They did have the ball in the net in the second half, but Andre Schurrle's finish was ruled out as a result of Mitrovic straying unnecessarily offside.

And the German wasted a subsequent opportunity with a poor finish after he had broken clear down the left and had team-mates better placed to score.

However, such attacking errors pale in comparison to their inability to prevent goals going in at the other end, even against the division's bluntest attack.

It doesn't help that manager Slavisa Jokanovic still appears unsure of his best combination at the back, with Maxime le Marchand partnering Dennis Odoi in the manager's latest vain search for a clean sheet.

Their concession of 29 goals in their first 11 games means they emulate the unwanted defensive record set by Southampton in 2012-13. The Saints would go on to finish 14th that season but, on the evidence of this performance, such a recovery looks beyond the Cottagers.

"We're disappointed we didn't play well enough or show enough intensity, especially in the first 45 minutes," said Jokanovic. "We found some improvement but it wasn't enough to equalise.

"They must fight - this is a tough competition. There are 27 games ahead of us. We didn't show a positive reaction and we must be brave and look for improvement. At the moment it is not enough at this level."

Asked if he was concerned about his own position, Jokanovic said: "This is my job, that is it. I know in this kind of situation many things can happen but it is outside of my control.

"I will follow my plan and work with the team. I must find the solution. Other people, if they need to say something, they can use some words."

Man of the match - Jonathan Hogg (Huddersfield)

Terriers finally join the party - the stats you need to know

    Huddersfield ended a run of 14 Premier League games without a win (D5 L9).
    They are the final side in the top four tiers of English football to register a league victory this season.
    Fulham are the only Premier League side yet to keep a clean sheet in the competition this season, last registering a top-flight shut-out in April 2014 (1-0 at home to Norwich).
    Since the start of last season, only Manchester City, Tottenham and Leicester (five each) have benefited from more opposition own goals in the Premier League than Huddersfield (four).

What next?

Huddersfield are at home again on Saturday when they host West Ham (15:00 GMT). Fulham remain on the road with a tough fixture at unbeaten Liverpool on Sunday (12:00).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46013922

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Head Coach Reaction

Slaviša Jokanović knows his side weren't at the races in Monday night's 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield Town.

Fulham struggled to really get going in the match, which was decided by Timothy Fosu-Mensah's first half own goal.

"To be honest, we didn't show enough intensity in the first 45 minutes," Jokanović admitted. "They were more solid, showed more pace, more power, and didn't give us any opportunity to stay with the ball.

"We didn't show the quality, we had some kind of the problems. They played many minutes with three centre-backs against our three strikers, but we didn't find any benefit.

"In the second half we used the bench and put an extra midfielder in this part of the pitch. We found a solution for this kind of problem but we didn't find the quality. We created some chances but nothing especially serious to equalise in the game.

"Today we didn't make so many defensive mistakes but we didn't win so many challenges. In the 50-50 challenges we didn't win the ball. We have quality but without winning the challenges it's complicated for us.

"I was a little bit surprised that we couldn't find the right answer to Huddersfield in this game. We know how they play, we knew they were going to be aggressive, but we didn't find a solution."

When asked if he thought his players lacked fight, he replied: "For some reason, yes. I don't know if our preparation wasn't good enough or if they didn't understand how important this game was.

"I don't know if some players were a little bit scared about this kind of responsibility that's in front of us, and we didn't perform enough. You don't need to be so talented to fight and show enough energy to compete in a Premier League game."

Ryan Sessegnon was one of the Whites' better performers on the night, but his Head Coach knows he can't do it alone.

"There is a lot of responsibility in front of the youngest man in my team," he explained. "Ryan Sessegnon tried to push and tried to force the situation, but probably other people need to offer a little bit more fight, a little bit more personality, a little bit more quality, and more work.

"My players had some words after the game between themselves, but it's a little bit late. We had the opportunity to do our talking [on the pitch] between 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock and we didn't talk with enough personality, power or quality.

"We are hurt, we are not satisfied with our level, and the situation is in our hands to work hard to look for an improvement."

The defeat saw Fulham slip to last place in the division, but Jokanović stressed that there is a long way to go yet.

"It's not a nice situation for us, being bottom of the Premier League is extra pressure for the team, for all of us," he said. "If you look at last season, after 11 games Crystal Palace had four points but didn't end up in the Championship.

"Many points, many games, are ahead of us. We immediately need an important improvement because at the moment we are not competitive enough to give us the option to win the game."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/05/head-coach-huddersfield

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Huddersfield 1-0 Fulham: Timothy Fosu-Mensah's own goal piles more pressure on Slavisa Jokanovic as Terriers pick up crucial first victory of season

    Timothy Fosu-Mensah put through his own net in the 29th minute to give Huddersfield the lead on Monday
    Christopher Schindler's header rebounded off the Fulham defender before nestling into the corner
    Andre Schurrle thought he had equalised for Fulham in the 74th minute but the linesman put his flag up

Slavisa Jokanovic's look up towards the directors' box at full-time was sheepish, nervous, almost resigned. His job now hangs in the balance.

The Serbian knew this was lost during a gutless first half and Fulham's issues are all pretty basic. They do not compete. They do not back their mates up. They do not keep the ball with any purpose.

All this despite the finances poured so lavishly into what now is an embarrassingly timid squad. It was so bad their own twitter account apologised. 'Really sorry everyone,' their message read. Another said: 'You deserve better.'

While he shoulders more than a portion of the blame, there must be an argument for Jokanovic deserving better. At least he cares. For much of Monday night, his players did not appear to.

'I don't know whether it was preparation not being that good or if we didn't understand how important this game was,' Jokanovic. 'In the end we were a little bit confused, some players a bit scared. We probably need more fight, more personality. We started to kick the ball without sense.'

He sighed, turned to the bench, even had a serious inquest with his assistant, Javier Pereira during a hugely frustrating evening. He tinkered with the formation, made bold half-time substitutions, but nothing worked. His players are not engaged enough and something serious must happen if they are not to sink without trace.

It is not overstating the rank performance to suggest they simply did not fancy it and seemingly for no good reason. They appeared desperate to get back home to west London.

Huddersfield, on the flip side, were desperate to reverse their fortunes on the third anniversary of David Wagner's appointment. Thousands stayed behind to celebrate with their players after Timothy Fosu-Mensah's 29th-minute own goal sealed a first Premier League victory in seven months.

Amazingly, the winner was Huddersfield's first home goal of the campaign. Or, for the more precise among you, their first for 659 minutes at the John Smith's Stadium, an implausible run dating back to April.


Andre Schurrle thought he had equalised for Fulham but it was ruled out after Aleksandar Mitrovic was offside in the build up


The German reacts in anger after seeing the linesman put his flag up with the minutes ticking down in Huddersfield


Kevin McDonald was forced off with injury in the 65th minute after coming on at half-time in place of Luciano Vetto


Fulham skipper Tom Cairney shows his dejection after he failed to get on the end of a ball played into him near goal

'This is huge for us,' Wagner said. 'We really have now the winning feeling back. This is one of the most important wins we have had in the last three years.

'The relationships the fans have with the team and the whole football club is extraordinary. Steve Mounie delivered a very important speech for us last week.'

Huddersfield were certainly the more progressive throughout, even if Andre Schurrle thought he had equalised late on, only to find Aleksandar Mitrovic offside in the build-up. They spent much of the second half offside. A point would have been grossly unjust.

Maxime Le Marchand earlier froze as Mounie headed Aaron Mooy's cross over. Sergio Rico – Fulham's third goalkeeper of the season - produced a stunning one-handed save to deny Alex Pritchard from the edge of the box.

Yet, from one of the ensuing corners, Fulham fell behind. Fosu-Mensah was not tight enough to Christopher Schindler six yards out as a second phase developed. Mitrovic wandered aimlessly in his own box with a cross incoming via Chris Lowe.

Schindler made contact with his head first but his effort bounced straight off Fosu-Mensah, who ended up diverting it into his own net after initially being stationed in the wrong position. Dopey defending. All very fitting. He will not be sporting a Manchester United shirt any time soon.

Philip Billing had earlier thundered the bar from 30 yards and Huddersfield should have led by more. Pereira headed back out long before half-time had finished and the blank faces of the players during a confab in the tunnel did not suggest any sort of fightback would arrive.

The changes came, two of them, with Fosu-Mensah and the vanishing Luciano Vietto hooked. One substitute, Cyrus Christie, immediately forced a corner before Mooy struck over for Huddersfield. Schurrle later curled wide but the signs of life came far too late.

Fulham seem forever defensively fragile though and Pritchard pounced on a loose ball quicker only to fire over the top and Huddersfield were always more likely to extend their lead than throw it away.

'My players have some words after the game but it is a little bit late then,' Jokanovic rued. 'We didn't talk between eight and 10 o'clock with enough personality, with enough power, with enough quality.

'We are hurt. The situation is in our hands. It's not a nice situation for us to be bottom of the Premier League. It's extra pressure.'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6356133/Huddersfield-1-0-Fulham-Timothy-Fosu-Mensahs-goal-piles-pressure-Slavisa-Jokanovic.html

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Huddersfield 1 Fulham 0: Pressure mounts on Slaviša Jokanović as Terriers secure first league win since April

Slavisa Jokanovic was left on the brink after Timothy Fosu-Mensah's own goal condemned Fulham to a defeat to Huddersfield at the John Smith's Stadium.

Christopher Schindler rose to meet Chris Loewe's cross and his header deflected in off Fosu-Mensah to hand the home side a deserved victory.

It was Fulham's sixth straight defeat in all competitions and the loss left the Cottagers rock-bottom of the Premier League table, while Huddersfield climbed to 18th.

Many expected the Cottagers to put on a spirited display after an improved performance against Manchester City in midweek. The reality couldn't have been more different.

The visitors failed to register a single shot in the first-half as Huddersfield, who had not scored at home all season in the league, searched for the breakthrough.

Philip Billing was unfortunate to see his fierce drive crash off the bar, but minutes later the Terriers took the lead when Schindler's header from a Chris Loewe cross came off Fosu-Mensah and bounced into the bottom corner.

It was Huddersfield's first goal in over 10 hours of play at the John Smith's Stadium and the relief was clear to see - as was the despair on the Fulham players' faces.

Jokanovic responded with a double change at the break, hauling off Fosu-Mensah and Luciano Vietto and replacing them with Cyrus Christie and Kevin McDonald.

But the changes did not have the desired effect and to make matters worse, McDonald was forced off 20 minutes after coming on due to injury.

Fulham did show some attacking intent in the final quarter of the game and Andre Schurrle had their best chance when he curled wide from the edge of the box.

But ultimately, they were second best against the side who hadn't won all season until tonight. And that will be the most damning thing for Jokanovic if he does depart Craven Cottage.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/huddersfield-1-fulham-0-pressure-mounts-on-slavi-a-jokanovi-as-terriers-secure-first-league-win-a3981401.html

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Huddersfield claim first win after own goal sinks Fulham to the bottom

If good things are supposed to come to those who wait, few had waited longer than Huddersfield Town and few, as the roar at the John Smith's Stadium at the final whistle showed, enjoyed their reward more. This was not just a first win of the season; not when they had gone 205 days without scoring a home goal, a 659-minute barren streak that threatened to make them the wrong sort of history-makers. Instead that mantle settles on Fulham. As Huddersfield avoided the ignominy of joining the Mansfield team of 1971-72 as the only English sides to fail to score in the first six home games of a league season, Fulham equalled Southampton's divisional record by conceding 29 times in their first 11 games of a Premier League season.

Yet while the statistical distinction is unwanted, Slavisa Jokanovic has more immediate concerns after Fulham's worst start to a top-flight season deteriorated further. A sequence of six straight defeats imperils his position. With a trip to Liverpool next he may approach the international break with some trepidation.

"I personally trust in myself," said Jokanovic. But he accepted his fate depends on those who let him down on Monday night. "It is outside of my control," added the Serb. "It is not only in my hands. Part of the job is in the hands of my players." They conducted a post-match inquest in the dressing room. "My players have some words after the game but it is a little bit late then."

"Really sorry everyone" was the message on the club's Twitter feed at the end. Such apologies were probably not envisaged when Fulham spent £100m in the summer. This has the potential to be the most expensive relegation of them all and, given the resources, one of the more avoidable.

Fulham have the talent but showed little of the character the victorious manager, David Wagner, identified in his Huddersfield side. "They seem to be a little bit scared," Jokanovic admitted. "Maybe we didn't understand how important this game is. We were a little bit confused. We didn't play the first 45 minutes with enough intensity." Perhaps his most remarkable admission about a side with footballing principles was: "We started to kick the ball without any sense."


Aleksander Mitrovic and Slavisa Jokanovic exchange words on another frustrating night for Fulham. Photograph: Jacob King/Mercury Press/Rex/Shutterstock

Given Fulham's self-destructive tendencies it was sadly symbolic that they donated the only goal, Timothy Fosu-Mensah being debited with Huddersfield's winner. Thereafter it was indicative of their fortunes that Kevin McDonald, who came on in a half-time double switch, lasted only 20 minutes.

Change is a constant. Jokanovic has named a different defence every game this season and is no nearer to finding a formula for clean sheets. Fosu-Mensah inadvertently applied the finishing touch when two Germans combined, Christopher Schindler meeting Chris Löwe's cross, to make it a happy anniversary for a third. "Sometimes everything comes together," said Wagner, who was tasked with avoiding relegation to League One when appointed in November 2015. "Three years I am here, this was my 50th win and for sure one of the most important because, after such a long period, you need this feeling."
All square at the Emirates, young debutants and bollards – Football Weekly

The sensation of scoring at home was novel enough. Philip Billing had struck the bar with a thunderbolt and Alex Pritchard drew a fine save from Sergio Rico to add to their litany of near-misses. "If you hit the bar and post as often as we have, you think: 'Come on, what is going on here?' Huddersfield's previous home goal came so long ago that the scorer, Thomas Ince, has since made 15 appearances for Stoke.

While he has returned to the Championship Huddersfield approached their task in a manner to suggest they will not go down without a fight. "If you don't bring passion and aggression you have no chance," said Schindler.

Huddersfield displayed both in considerable quantities. He, Billing and Aaron Mooy were outstanding. Their team mates were willing allies.

"The guys delivered," said Wagner. "We showed spirit and fighting intensity and in the second half, we were able to bring the result over the line. We know it is possible to deliver in big-pressure games."

Huddersfield have already won a relegation battle and limited Fulham to one shot on target. The beaten manager sought solace from the past after consulting last year's league table. "After 11 games Crystal Palace had four points and didn't get relegated," Jokanovic observed. But, and while he did not mention it, only after changing their manager.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/nov/05/huddersfield-fulham-premier-league-match-report

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Ex-Manchester United Boss Joins Big Sam As Bookie's Favourite For Fulham Job

Slavisa Jokanovic's reign at Fulham could be close to an end after tonight's insipid performance in a 1-0 defeat against Huddersfield at the John Smith's Stadium.

It's a former manager of their London rivals West Ham that's been installed as favourite to take his job if he is indeed relieved of his duties, with David Moyes a 7/2 favourite in the race to be The Next Fulham Manager.

Moyes left the Hammers in May after just six months in charge and has been without management work since. The 55-year-old would certainly bring a wealth of top-flight experience to the role, which is perhaps what the Cottagers have been lacking this term.

The slick attacking outfit that made late ground in their charge to promotion via the play-offs last term was bolstered by some heavy spending this summer, with the likes of Jean Michel Seri and Andre Schurrle being brought in to add quality and depth to Jokanovic's squad.

But while they've looked sharp on the front foot at times in their young season to date, they've been haemorrhaging goals and an experienced hand may well be brought in by owner Shahid Khan to shore up things and keep them in the arm wrestle for Premier League survival.

The presence of Moyes at the top of the betting would suggest that is likely to be the case, as does the name Sam Allardyce (6/1) coming in just behind him on that list.

Another former West Ham boss, Allardyce has shaped himself as something as a dogfight consultant in recent years, at Palace and indeed with the Hammers, and is another very viable candidate if Khan were to choose prioritise safety over all else and give Jokanovic his marching orders.

The presence of the likes of Brendan Rodgers and Franck de Boer (both 10/1) on the bookmaker's list of viable candidates paints an alternate picture for Fulham, with another forward-thinking coach being brought in to pick up Jokanovic work with fresh impetus being another avenue open to Khan.



https://www.thesportsman.com/articles/ex-manchester-united-boss-joins-big-sam-as-bookies-favourite-for-fulham-job

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Christopher Schindler helps Huddersfield find first win of the season as Fulham's woes worsen

Huddersfield 1-0 Fulham: The Cottagers are now bottom of the league and still without a clean sheet

David Wagner marked his third anniversary as Huddersfield manager with a much-needed victory against relegation rivals Fulham, a result which makes it increasingly doubtful whether his opposite number Slavisa Jokanovic will last to see that same landmark in December of this year.

German defender Christopher Schindler ended Huddersfield's seven-month wait for a home goal, via a deflection off Timothy Fosu-Mensah, inflicting a fifth successive defeat on Jokanovic in the process and leaving Fulham without a win in eight, a run dating back now to late August.

Fulham owner Shahid Khan, who bank-rolled his club's spending to the tune of £108 million this summer, claims Jokanovic's future is not in any doubt but, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United all to come in the next five fixtures, his manager may struggle to match Wagner in reaching that third anniversary.

For Wagner himself, a frustrating run of 659 minutes without a home goal, a sequence dating back to April 14 and a last-minute Tom Ince winner against Watford, ended just before the half-hour.

The goal had been coming and was fully merited as a Chris Lowe corner was cleared back to the Huddersfield wing-back who returned the ball into the six-yard area where Schindler rose above a group of players to head in with the aid of a deflection.

The relief around the John Smith's Stadium was tangible, little wonder considering the worryingly slow start Huddersfield have made to the new season, particularly in terms of goal scoring.

The problem has been - and may still be - deep rooted at Huddersfield with that Ince effort in April in fact the only home goal the Terriers had scored since mid-February before last night.

In fact, when Schindler struck last night, the effort ended a run of one goal in the previous 1,019 minutes of Premier League football at the John Smith's Stadium.

But in the build-up to last night's opener, it was hard to envisage quite how and why Huddersfield have compiled such a futile run.

After 15 minutes of largely relentless home possession, Jonathan Hogg's superb tackle on Aleksandar Mitrovic set up Philip Billing for a spectacular 30-yard shot which thundered against the Fulham cross-bar and flew to safety.

Just before the opener, Florent Hadergjonaj's square pass found Alex Pritchard in space and the Town forward swivelled before unleashing a shot that looked destined for the top corner until Sergio Rico leaped athletically to keep it out one-handed.

And in the dying moments of a productive first half, Aaron Mooy's corner was only cleared as far as Hogg whose well-placed header again forced Rico into an alert piece of keeping.

Jokanovic took drastic action at the interval, bringing on Kevin McDonald and Cyrus Christie, although Huddersfield produced the first notable attack of the second half with Mooy clearing the bar with a difficult attempt from a Billing long throw.

But at least the substitutions, and whatever Jokanovic had said to his players at half-time, seemed to have some impact on Fulham.

Jean Michael Seri soon delivered a couple of accurate corners although Huddersfield's defending was enough to deny Mitrovic a clean aim at goal.

But the upturn in fortunes was short-lived. Huddersfield regained momentum with Denis Odoi fortunate to escape punishment when he handled on the edge of his area under pressure from home substitute Laurent Depoitre.

And McDonald, one of Fulham's half-time replacements, was forced off before the midway point with injury, replaced by Stefan Johansen.

Andre Schurrle had the ball in the Huddersfield net in the later stages, although an early offside flag meant the defence had stopped playing, and the same Fulham man wasted their last meaningful chance after 81 minutes, racing onto Tom Cairney's through ball but planting his effort well wide.



https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/huddersfield-fulham-live-match-report-slavisa-jokanovic-schindler-premier-league-epl-a8619386.html

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Huddersfield get first home goal and win

Own goal by Timothy Fosu-Mensah lifts the Terriers off the bottom of the Premier League as they beat Fulham 1-0

Huddersfield Town ended their wait for a first home goal and win in the Premier League this season with a 1-0 victory over Fulham.

The Terriers made a strong start at the John Smith's Stadium, with Philip Billing thumping the crossbar with his long-range effort before they opened the scoring on 29 minutes.

After Chris Lowe's initial corner was cleared, the wing-back crossed in for Christopher Schindler, whose header was deflected in for a Timothy Fosu-Mensah own goal.

Alex Pritchard blasted narrowly over as Huddersfield pushed for a second, before Fulham winger Andre Schurrle had a goal disallowed and shot wide in the closing stages.

Victory lifts Huddersfield off the bottom of the table and into 18th place on six points, one point and two positions above Fulham.

Next fixtures

Huddersfield: 10 Nov v West Ham (A)
Fulham: 11 Nov v Liverpool (A)



https://www.premierleague.com/news/900903

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham player ratings: Dismal performances as Whites drop to bottom of the Premier League

Here's how we rated the Fulham players in the 1-0 defeat to Huddersfield Town this evening

Fulham ended the evening at the bottom of the Premier League table after Huddersfield Town secured their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory.

The away side struggled to get any rhythm into their game and it was the home side who took the lead - the Whites had cleared a corner but failed to reset for the ball back in, with Christopher Schindler rising unmarked to nod home on the half hour mark.

Jokanovic rolled the dice at the break, bringing on Kevin McDonald and Cyrus Christie for Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Luciano Vietto as he looked for a reaction.

They saw more of the ball in the second half and Aleksandar Mitrovic finally got a sight of goal, albeit through a header from a corner that was nodded wide.

Fulham did get the ball in the back of the net in the 74th minute, but Mitrovic was offside before Andre Schurrle smashed the ball into the goal, but in reality they offered very little going forward.

Schurrle had the side's best chance - a nice through ball released the German down the left and he cut in and drove towards the box, but he couldn't get a curl on the ball to put it into the bottom corner.

Here's how we rated the side:

Sergio Rico - 5

Made a great save from Pritchard to deny him an opener. Made some decent clearances from the back but his balls forward to his strikers fell short too often.

Ryan Sessegnon - 5

Had a decent game and looked like one of the only Fulham players that wanted something from this evening's game.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah - 3

Made a few rash challenges and struggled at right back for the first half - was hauled off at half time for Christie.

Denis Odoi - 5

Was Fulham's best performer in the first half as he looked to bring the ball out from defence. Saw more possession in the second half but it wasn't a fantastic performance.

Maxime Le Marchand - 4

Full of mistakes at the back and struggled - putting pressure on the rest of his defence. Looked well out of his depth tonight.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa - 3

Sat in a deep role to try solve Fulham's defensive woes but wasn't strong enough in the tackle. Was poor on the ball and struggled to deal with Mooy's influence.

Tom Cairney - 4

Largely anonymous in the first half and didn't get on the ball any where near enough. Was more of the same from the second half and I expected more from Fulham's captain.

Jean-Michael Seri - 3

Did nothing in the first half and gave away the ball far too cheaply. Continued that into the second half and looked as if he'd given up on the game.

Luciano Vietto - 4

Lost the ball so many times in good positions up top for Fulham. Offered very little up top and was subbed at half time.

Andre Schurrle - 4

Really didn't have much impact on the game in the first half as he struggled to keep hold of the ball. His final pass was poor and he ran into trouble far too much.

Aleksandar Mitrovic - 4

Laced any service from his forwards or midfield and couldn't win the ball in the air, being crowded out by his defenders. Tried to put himself about but had nothing to feed off all night.

Substitutes

Kevin McDonald - 5

Added a bit of steel into Fulham's midfield and got on the ball, but was fighting a losing battle but was subbed back off after injuring himself.

Cyrus Christie - 4

Added width down the right for Fulham after coming on but there was no final ball from the Irishman. Battled well and showed some grit but didn't have the effect Jokanovic would've wanted.

Stefan Johansen - 4

Fought in the middle but saw very little of the football. When he did he made some neat passes in the midfield.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-player-ratings-dismal-performances-15374877

[WhiteJC]

 
Aleksandar Mitrovic helps ensure Newcastle United stay out of the relegation zone

Don't wish Aleksandar Mitrovic any bad luck but if he and Fulham keep this Monday night form up, it will be massive boost to Newcastle.

On Monday night, Aleksandar Mitrovic has helped ensure that Newcastle United will face Bournemouth on Saturday, as a club that is not in the relegation zone.

It seems an awful long time ago now since Fulham had four points from their opening four fixtures, with four Aleksandar Mitrovic goals a key component of that decent start to Premier League life with the Cottagers.

The 'experts' were queuing up to question why Rafa Benitez had been daft enough to sell this excellent striker, as Newcastle struggled for goals and points.

Funnily enough, the next 10 weeks have seen the experts getting quieter and quieter, only one more goal in that time for Aleksandar Mitrovic and one additional point for Fulham.

As Newcastle fans know, whatever they thought of Mitro as a player, the really stupid thing wasn't selling the Serbian, it was that Mike Ashley agreed a £22m (rising to £27m) transfer fee for Mitrovic BUT only allowed Rafa Benitez the £2m loan signing of Salomon Rondon as a replacement.

Monday night saw Fulham travel to Huddersfield, the bottom two clubs facing each other.

A Fosu-Mensah 29th minute own goal decided the contest, with Mitro's main contribution being a yellow card and being caught out in an offside position which ruled out an equaliser when Schurrle did finally get the ball in the net in the second half.

The result means that Fulham drop to rock bottom and Huddersfield join Newcastle on six points but with a worse goal difference.

The Premier League table after Monday night's Huddersfield 1 Fulham 0 match:

I don't wish any bad luck towards Aleksandar Mitrovic but tonight just reminded me of exactly why many of us weren't upset when he left in the summer, as described above, the only upset being that Mike Ashley insisted on a £20m+ profit on transfer deals this summer rather than properly backing the manager in any kind of reasonable way.

Against Huddersfield, Mitro looked really slow and lacked mobility, meaning he was easy to mark for the home defence and helped stifle any attacking intent that Fulham did have.

This weekend has simply confirmed that there are at least three teams that are as bad as, if not worse than, Newcastle United. This group of clubs includes Fulham despite £100m+ spending in the summer.

The challenge now is for Rafa Benitez to help this Newcastle team be better than the sum of their parts and ensure we remain above at least three of our fellow strugglers.



https://www.themag.co.uk/2018/11/aleksandar-mitrovic-helps-ensure-newcastle-united-stay-out-of-the-relegation-zone/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham bottom after losing crucial six-pointer

Huddersfield 1 Fulham 0

Timothy Fosu-Mensah's first-half own goal condemned Fulham to another damaging defeat, leaving them bottom of the Premier League.

Fosu-Mensah headed into his own net, under pressure from Town's Christopher Schindler as Huddersfield halted an eight-game home run without a top-flight goal – and moved above Fulham and Cardiff at the foot of the table.

The Terriers' winless league run stretched back to April – 14 league games in total – but manager David Wagner was able to celebrate on the night of his third anniversary in charge with a morale-boosting victory.

Fulham's fifth successive league defeat did little to ease the pressure on boss Slavisa Jokanovic, whose side's own run without a league win was extended to eight matches.

Huddersfield almost halted their barren spell in spectacular fashion when Philip Billing's 30-yard thunderbolt struck the crossbar in the 15th minute.

Steve Mounie headed Aaron Mooy's cross tamely over soon after and Alex Pritchard's brilliant effort from outside the area was expertly clawed away by Fulham goalkeeper Sergio Rico.

But Huddersfield's agonising wait for a goal at the John Smith's Stadium was finally over in the 29th minute, making it 659 minutes in total.

Chris Lowe crossed deep from the left and German centre-half Schindler saw his header deflect into the net off Fosu-Mensah.

Jonathan Hogg almost pierced the Premier League's leakiest defence again just before the break, but his looping header was saved by Rico.

It was the 29th goal conceded this season by Fulham, who did not manage a single effort on target before the break, such was Huddersfield's whirlwind first-half performance.

Fulham boss Jokanovic sent on Kevin McDonald and Cyrus Christie for Luciano Vietto and Fosu-Mensah at the interval and the Londoners began the second half with more intent.

Christie's cut-back was cleared behind by Hogg and Mooy headed away the corner.

The Terriers continued to harry and chase and Pritchard fired narrowly off target in the 68th minute.

Substitute McDonald had been forced out of the action due to a knock – but Fulham began to make a fist of it.

Schindler blocked Aleksandar Mitrovic's shot and Andre Schurrle's effort was ruled out for an offside decision against the former in the 74th minute.

Schurrle shot off target again, while Town substitute Isaac Mbenza also spurned two half chances when sent through on goal in the closing stages.

Town were not to be denied however – and the first top-flight meeting between the two sides since 1952 ended in their favour.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-bottom-after-losing-crucial-six-pointer

[WhiteJC]

 
'Big Sam incoming' - There's only one manager people are talking about as Fulham lose again

Slavisa Jokanovic is under pressure at Craven Cottage

Fulham have slipped to the bottom of the Premier League.

It was a fifth straight Premier League defeat for the Whites as they lost 1-0 to Huddersfield Town at the John Smith's Stadium on Monday Night Football.

It was another poor display from Slavisa Jokanovic's men, who hardly had a sniff in front of goal.

A Timothy Fosu-Mensah own goal in the first half proved to be the difference between the two sides on a desperately disappointing display for the Whites.

In truth, Fulham never looked like scoring with Aleksandr Mitrovic isolated up front and given little to no service.

The one time they did get a shot away they found the back of the net through Andre Schurrle, but Mitrovic had already been flagged offside

With only one win in their opening 11 games and no clean sheet, the pressure is on Jokanovic. He has been under pressure for a number of weeks, with the Whites struggling to hit top form, but football.london has always understood that the manager's job was safe.

However, with every passing defeat, the pressure intensifies and people continue to talk about who could replace him.

The name on everyone's lips tonight is Sam Allardyce.

Fulham reporter Ryan O'Donovan has laughed off such speculation with the former England boss, saying: "No chance. Fulham have shown that the head coaches and players they want have to fit into a certain style, and while Sam Allardyce has proven he can keep teams in the division, going down that road will lead the side nowhere.

"The Khans are ambitious and will want a name that they feel can not only keep them in this division, but push them to the next level and Allardyce offers none of that. He would be a short term solution to a problem that needs to be attacked with a long term approach. Not to mention the football he plays does not suit the players at the club whatsoever."

But Big Sam was the name on everyone's lips on Twitter during and after the defeat to the Terriers.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/big-sam-incoming-theres-only-15376283

[WhiteJC]

 
Jamie Carragher singles out one Fulham player as being 'lazy' after Huddersfield defeat

There were a number of bad performances from the Fulham players this evening

Slavisa Jokanovic has gone in on his players after defeat to Huddersfield Town tonight.

The Whites were poor in what many described as a must win game, and defeat dropped them to the bottom of the Premier League table.

It is just one win in 11 for Jokanovic's side, who remain the only side without a clean sheet in the division and have conceded the most goals in all of Europe's top five divisions.

And Jokanovic dug out his players saying: "I don't know if it's preparation of the game wasn't good enough of if they didn't understand how important this game was, like all the games are in the Premier League.

"At the end we were confused, I don't know if some players were a bit scared of this kind of responsibility that was in front of us, and we didn't perform enough.

"But to perform, you don't need to be so talented to fight and show energy where we are competing in Premier League game.


(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

"People need to offer more fight, personality, more quality and more work. If players have some kind of words after the game between them, but it's a bit late."

And Jamie Carragher singled one Fulham player out for criticism after the game.

Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, the Liverpool legend said: "It's not like Fulham are getting beaten 3-2, being involved in these high-scoring games. Besides Burnley at home when they scored four, they've scored seven goals.

"It's not just about the set up, they're not scoring goals either.

"[Andre] Schurrle tonight was so poor. The last action tonight, the last chance for something the goalkeeper's got it to pump it upfield and he gets flagged offside for being lazy and not coming back into the picture.

"The back four of Huddersfield push up, he can't be bothered running back and is flagged offside, game over, that summed up the performance of Fulham."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/jamie-carragher-singles-out-one-15376314

[WhiteJC]

Cottage Talk Full Time - Huddersfield Town vs. Fulham
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

In this episode, we shared our "initial reactions" to Fulham's horrible 1-0 loss to Huddersfield Town. Co-host Max Cohen shared his frustrations regarding this loss, and mentioned why he thinks Slavisa Jokanovic should be sacked.


You can also listen to the show here...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2018/11/5/18066292/cottage-talk-full-time-huddersfield-town-vs-fulham

[WhiteJC]

 
Slavisa Jokanovic: Fulham future outside of my control, says manager


Slavisa Jokanovic was appointed Fulham manager in December 2015 and led them to promotion last season

Slavisa Jokanovic says his future as Fulham boss is "outside of my control" after defeat at Huddersfield left them bottom of the Premier League.

The club have five points from 11 games, having conceded 29 goals, although last week reports stated Fulham owner Shahid Khan was willing to give the Serb more time.

"I'll follow my plan and I must find the solution," he told BBC Sport.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah's 29th-minute own goal separated the two sides.

Jokanovic added: "I know in this kind of situation many things can happen, but it is outside of my control.

"Other people, if they need to say something, they can use some words."

Fulham managed seven efforts on goal against the Terriers, but only one on target. German midfielder Andre Schurrle did find the net, but Aleksandar Mitrovic was judged to be offside in the build-up.

But it is at the other end where there are concerns. No side has ever conceded more goals at this stage of a Premier League season, and Fulham are the only side in the division yet to keep a clean sheet.

"They must fight - this is a tough competition," Jokanovic continued.

"There are 27 games ahead of us. We didn't show a positive reaction against Huddersfield - we must be brave and look for improvement. At the moment it is not enough at this level and it's in our hands.

"We know we can play better, show more intensity, be more solid and win the game."

He added: "My players had some words after the game between themselves, but it's a little bit late.

"We had the opportunity to do our talking [on the pitch] between 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock and we didn't talk with enough personality, power or quality."

The Cottagers are at third-place Liverpool next Sunday and host fellow strugglers Southampton at the end of the month. They then have matches against Chelsea and Manchester United in the early part of December.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46102375

[WhiteJC]

 
Jokanovic admits his future is in the balance

Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic admitted his future was in the balance after his side's 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah's first-half own goal sealed Huddersfield's first Premier League win of the season and lifted them above Fulham, who slumped to the bottom of the table.

It was the Whites' fifth straight league defeat and leaves them with just one victory from their first 11 matches back in the top flight.

"Part of the job is in the hands of my players, part is in the board's hands too," Jokanovic said.

"I personally trust in myself. I will push hard. The solution can be from another side, the board can have some different views. This is part of the board's responsibilities.

"I remain confident. I know it's not enough for the team, I know it's not enough for the supporters what we offer right now at the beginning of the season.

"I'm working with these people for close to three years. People know how I am working and my mentality but it is not only in my hands."

Fulham equalled a Premier League record of 29 goals conceded in their opening 11 matches and Jokanovic was clearly disappointed in some of his players, accusing them of lacking fight.

"For some reason, yes," he added. "I don't know if the preparation of the game wasn't that good, or if we didn't understand how important this game is.

"At the end we were a little bit confused. I don't know if some players were a little bit scared about the responsibility of what is in front of us. We didn't perform enough.

"Other people need to offer a little bit more fight, a little bit more personality, more quality and more work. My players had some words after the game between them. But it is a little bit too late for us."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/jokanovic-admits-his-future-is-in-the-balance

[WhiteJC]

 
Huddersfield vs Fulham: Slavisa Jokanovic admits Cottagers' future is out of his hands

The Cottagers lost their fifth straight league game and have won only one of their first 11 matches

Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic acknowledged the club's board would decide his future after his side's 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah's first-half own goal sealed Huddersfield's first Premier League win of the season and cranked up the pressure on Fulham, who slumped to the bottom of the table.

The Cottagers lost their fifth straight league game and have won only one of their first 11 matches back in the top flight.

"Part of the job is in the hands of my players, part is in the board's hands too," Jokanovic said. "I personally trust in myself. I will push hard. The solution can be from another side, the board can have some different views. This is part of the board's responsibilities.

"I remain confident. I know it's not enough for the team, I know it's not enough for the supporters what we offer right now at the beginning of the season.

"I'm working with these people for close to three years. People know how I am working and my mentality, but it is not only in my hands."

Fulham equalled a Premier League record of 29 goals conceded in their opening 11 matches and Jokanovic was clearly disappointed in some of his players, accusing them of lacking fight.

"Other people need to offer a little bit more fight, a little bit more personality, more quality and more work," Jokanovic added.

"My players had some words after the game between them. But it is a little bit too late for us."

Huddersfield boss David Wagner described his side's win as one of the most important in his time as manager of the club.

The Terriers scored their first home league goal in eight matches on the night Wagner celebrated his third anniversary in charge.

"Sometimes everything comes together on one day," the German said. "Three years now I've been in charge. This was my 50th win I hear and one of the most important to be totally honest.

"After such a long period, 10 games without a win, you need this feeling."



https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/slavisa-jokanovic-sack-next-fulham-manager-huddersfield-premier-league-epl-a8619581.html