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Wednesday Fulham Stuff (14/11/18)...

Started by WhiteJC, November 14, 2018, 08:02:41 AM

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WhiteJC

 
Premier League clubs will have to chop number of foreign stars with new Brexit rules meaning HALF of squads must be homegrown

    Premier League rules state clubs can have 17 overseas players in their squad
    New Brexit deal would see that cut to 12 - currently 13 top-flight sides have more
    The FA would offer 'governing body endorsements' for work permit applications
    Hope is to increase homegrown talent without stopping top foreign stars coming

Premier League clubs will have to ensure that at least half of the players in their first-team squads are 'homegrown', under new FA measures designed to deal with Brexit.

As reported by The Times the drastic plan, which will be put to the 20 top-flight clubs this week, will see the maximum number of overseas players in each 25-man squad slashed from 17 to 12.

Any such proposal would have wide-ranging consequences for Premier League clubs, 13 of whom currently have more than a dozen foreign players in their first-team ranks.


Premier League clubs will have to cut the number of overseas stars in their squad to 12

Manchester City and Tottenham are two of five clubs who have 17, while Chelsea and Liverpool are among four with 16.

With the clock ticking on Britain's departure from the EU, Premier League sides face a potential cliff-edge if they cannot strike a deal with the FA.

Unless some agreement is reached, players from inside the EU could be forced to go through the same process required of non-EU players in search of a work permit.

It's reported the FA would offer a 'governing body endorsement' for a work permit for every overseas player who signs a contract with a Premier League side, in exchange for a deal to boost the number of homegrown players.

According to The Times, the FA believe this would allow the continued flow of top foreign players to England and also maintain the top-flight's worldwide appeal, all while boosting the amount of English talent.

Currently, to qualify as 'homegrown', a player can be born overseas but spend three years in an English or Welsh club's academy between the ages of 16-21. But after Brexit, clubs will have to wait until a player from Europe is 18 before signing them.

The government have also reportedly made it clear that should the FA and the Premier League agree a deal, it will be happy to give the new rules the green light.

But as with all changes set to come in after Britain leaves the EU, any plans would be subject to a transition period until at last the end of 2020.

And the two sides have so far struggled to find common ground.

HOW MANY FOREIGN PLAYERS DO CLUBS CURRENTLY HAVE?


17 - Manchester City, Tottenham, Brighton, Huddersfield, Watford

16 - Chelsea, Liverpool, Fulham, West Ham

15 - Arsenal

14 - Manchester United, Newcastle

13 - Leicester

12 - Crystal Palace, Wolves

11 - Southampton

10 - Everton

7 - Cardiff

6 - Burnley

5 - Bournemouth

But the two sides have so far struggled to find common ground. League chiefs are believed to want work permits granted to all players - regardless of current rules that use the number of international caps, the Fifa ranking of the player's national team, the transfer fee and wages to help determine who should be allowed in.

The FA, meanwhile, have long been keen to use Brexit as an opportunity to increase the percentage of English players in the top flight. As few as 62 (28 per cent) of players who started Premier League matches two weeks ago were English.

They don't want to impact clubs' ability to bring in the cream of the crop from overseas, however.

A government spokesman told The Times: 'We recognise the need for sports, including football, to continue to access talent from the EU and globally and are in discussions with sports bodies about this.'

Manchester City, Chelsea and the rest of the Premier League clubs will reportedly be given the full details of the plans at a meeting on Thursday.

The Times claim, meanwhile, that the FA is happy with the EFL's current rules, that mean clubs must have seven homegrown players (including at least one who has come through the academy) among their 18-man match-day squad.

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT RULES?


Premier League clubs are currently obliged to have 17 homegrown players in their 25-man first-team squads.

'Homegrown' players include those born overseas who have spent three years in an English or Welsh club's academy between the ages of 16-21.

Non-EU players are currently subject to vetting. For example, a player from Brazil or another non-EU country ranked in the world's top ten only has to have played in 30 per cent of games.

An 'exceptions panel' can also award visas on a points system based on fees, wages and previous clubs. A player needs to get four points.

He gets three if the transfer fee is in the top quarter of those paid in the previous season or if his wages compare to what the league's 30 highest earners took the previous season.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6383475/Brexit-rules-mean-HALF-Premier-League-squads-homegrown.html

WhiteJC

 
'Liverpool could launch double transfer raid on Fulham' says John Aldridge

John Aldridge has made some odd claims in his column for the Echo today...

Our former striker, clearly impressed with what he saw at the weekend, has penned a piece speaking up the possibility of Liverpool signing Fulham stars Ryan Sessegnon and Aleksandar Mitrovic.

On the teenage left-back, Aldridge thinks we should go all out to beat other clubs to his signature: "He's still only 18 but has almost played 100 senior games already," he writes.

"I know a lot of clubs are interested in him but he can play at either full-back or in midfield and you can see he'll go far that lad."

And on Mitrovic, the ex-Ireland international considers him the kind of physical target-man we currently lack.

"He gives you something that little bit different and I like him as a squad player," Aldridge continued.

"The way Liverpool play they could do with someone who provides a bit of diversity and a Plan B."

On Sessegnon, we'd argue Aldridge has a point. The teenager is clearly a prodigal talent and he actually should have scored against us on Sunday. With Alberto Moreno likely to leave on a free at the end of this season, Sessegnon would provide fantastic competition for Andy Robertson, but also be able to play further forward, in Sadio Mane's position.

Mitrovic makes little sense to us. The idea of this 'Plan B' drives us crazy, to be honest. Pep Guardiola doesn't use one. Maurizio Sarri doesn't, and Jurgen Klopp certainly doesn't. 'Plan B' really means, 'lump it into the box if you're losing and have run out of ideas'.

Klopp had Christian Benteke on his books and offloaded the Belgian at the first possible opportunity. Fulham paid almost £30m for Mitrovic in the summer and will not sell cheaply, even if they're relegated.

Our sights should be solely set on attackers who directly complement our style of football – such as Xherdan Shaqiri – who has taken to life at Liverpool beautifully.



https://www.empireofthekop.com/2018/11/13/liverpool-could-launch-double-transfer-raid-on-fulham-says-john-aldridge/

WhiteJC

 
Premier League clubs put Video Assistant Referees (VAR) back on the agenda

Video Assistant Referees (VAR) will be high on the agenda at Thursday's meeting of Premier League shareholders and could lead to a vote on whether to introduce it next season, Sky Sports News understands.

The league will update its clubs on the latest VAR testing - just days after controversy in the games between Southampton and Watford, and Fulham and Liverpool.

Saints' Charlie Austin raged at the decision to disallow what would have been his side's second goal and possible winner in the 1-1 draw at St Mary's, branding the decision a "joke" and demanding VAR be introduced.

His manager Mark Hughes then said English football was stuck in the "dark ages".

Slavisa Jokanovic also criticised the decision to chalk off what would have been an Aleksandar Mitrovic opener at Anfield for offside, seconds before Mo Salah gave Liverpool the lead at the opposite end.

The Premier League clubs voted against VAR's introduction this season at a meeting back in April, before it was used to great success at the World Cup in Russia - and it is already in use in Europe's other top-four leagues of France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Premier League shareholders will next meet again in February following Thursday's talks.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/11553093/premier-league-clubs-put-video-assistant-referees-var-back-on-the-agenda


WhiteJC

 
Former Hull City boss Steve Bruce among the favourites for Premier League job

The manager has been out of work since being sacked by Aston Villa in October

Former Hull City manager Steve Bruce is one of the favourites to take over at Fulham, should Slavisa Jokanovic lose his job.

According to reports, Jokanovic's position is coming under scrutiny at Craven Cottage having picked up just one win from the club's opening 12 games and results over the weekend saw the club move three points adrift of safety.

Having spent over £100million in the summer transfer window on their return to the Premier League, the west London outfit would not have expected to be sat bottom of the table at this stage.

As such, it is being touted that a defeat to Southampton after the international break may spell the end of Jokanovic's three-year reign at Fulham and bookies are already taking bets on who will be his replacement, with Bruce featuring highly.

Bruce has been out of work since losing his job with Aston Villa last month, following a poor start to the season at Villa Park and is currently the fifth favourite for the role at 14/1.

Fellow ex-City boss Nigel Pearson also features on the odds list, but at the lengthier price of 33/1.

Here are the full Fulham next manager odds from PaddyPower.

Alan Pardew 8/11

Claudio Ranieri 4/1

David Moyes 11/2

Sam Allardyce 7/1

Steve Bruce 14/1

Chris Coleman 22/1

Brendan Rodgers 25/1

Slaven Bilic 33/1

Martin O'Neill 33/1

Mark Warburton 33/1

Nigel Pearson 33/1

Frank de Boer 33/1



https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-hull-city-boss-steve-2214222

WhiteJC


Seri, Anguissa, Jokanovic & Tony Khan - the winners and losers from Fulham's season so far

We're into the last international break of the season - but who has benefited and who hasn't from Fulham's start?

Fulham head into the last international break of 2018 on the back of seven losses in a row, rock bottom of the Premier League.

It can't have gone much worse to be honest.

Sunday's 2-0 loss against Liverpool was an improvement on what we've seen so far from the side who allowed Cardiff City to double their goal tally for the season in a single game in a 4-2 loss and one that gave Huddersfield their first home goal and win of the season.

They haven't scored in three consecutive matches now either while there's rumblings around Slavisa Jokanovic's future at Craven Cottage, with the fanbase very much split on whether he should continue in his role.

It has been a whirlwind first four months of the season which has seen the negatives far outweigh the positives, so I've taken a look at the winners and losers of Fulham's first part of the Premier League.

Winners
This will be a fairly short section, as you can imagine, but it's always best to start with the positives and work down from there.

Sergio Rico

I think the loanee has been the big winner from Fulham's first part of the season having joined on loan on deadline day.

Having started the season in third choice behind Fabri, who was also signed in the summer, and Marcus Bettinelli, the 25-year-old has staked his claim for the number one jersey at Craven Cottage and has grabbed it with both hands.

He got given his debut in the 3-0 defeat against AFC Bournemouth, and while he hasn't kept a clean sheet yet, his performances in the goal mouth have been very encouraging.

His shot stopping, his calmness on the ball and his distribution are all standouts for me, and it's fair to say that Sergio Rico is proving that he's far and away the best keeper at the club at the moment.

For me, he will be vital in getting Fulham out of the mess they find themselves in after this international break.

Losers
See, I told you the winners section would be short! The losers section is going to be far, far longer though.

Tony Khan and the recruitment team

I have to start with the recruitment.

If I was writing this before the start of the season, Tony Khan and the recruitment team would have been top of my winners list, easily.

Jean-Michael Seri, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Andre Schurrle - the players they were bringing in were ones that looked, on paper, to possess real quality and not players that a recently promoted side could even think of signing.

Now, however, in the middle of November, they're top of my losers list.

Why?

It's clear the recruitment was disjointed, new players had to be signed to replace those that had left over the summer, but 12 new faces has clearly had a detrimental impact on the squad balance, especially with nine or so arriving in the last week and a bit of the window.

Five on deadline day gave Jokanovic an impossible task of going into the Premier League season with no harmony, with no time to drill players and with no clue how those players fit into a squad.

Big money signings like Seri and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa have not performed, while it looks like there's no depth to the attacking options at the club.

There was no Premier League experience brought in and that's had a massive effect on the side getting to grips with the top flight.

Also, where players fit into the team seems to have been overlooked slightly - Jokanovic revealed that Anguissa had never played in the defensive midfield role by himself before, so despite that being a key component of the team's set-up, why was it overlooked?

With this final international break of the year giving Jokanovic more time to assess the options he has, a lot of questions need to be asked of what policy was being worked to in the summer and what the criteria for building this team was.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa

He was signed as Fulham's record signing on deadline day, but so far he's looked out of his depth in the Premier League.

When his signing was announced, Marseille fans seemed delighted to have got so much for him, despite him having helped the club to the Europa League final that season.

Anguissa doesn't look like the powerful defensive midfielder that works well in the Premier League, and it took Calum Chambers playing in an unfamiliar role next to him in midfield to get anything of note out of him.

Khan Jnr said after signing Anguissa that he was a 'world class talent' but so far, we've yet to see anything of the sort from the 22-year-old.

It's not his fault his price tag was so high and it usually takes players from the French leagues time to settle in the Premier League, but what we've seen from Anguissa so far this season doesn't give much hope that we will see this 'world class talent' any time soon.

Jean-Michael Seri

Another big summer signing from Fulham who was chased by the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal, Seri's performances seemed to have followed the club's positioning down the table.

At the start of the season, Seri looked the real deal and his performance against Crystal Palace and then Burnley were something else.

Since then, we've seen nothing from him.

He's coasted through games at times, played lazy passes, taken sloppy touches and been shrugged off the ball as if he wasn't there.

For a team that need to battle for every ball and fight in every tackle, Seri has gone missing, ending up in Jokanovic dropping him from the Liverpool game.

It's clear the talent is there, but is the problem that Seri didn't think for one minute that he'd be in a relegation battle and instead thought he'd be able to showcase his talents in an attacking side for a top six club to come and get him next summer?

Whatever it is, this is the position that the Ivory Coast man now finds himself in and he needs to pull himself together and get stuck in to help Fulham get some wins together and get out of the relegation zone.

Fulham's defence

At times, the defending on show this season has been truly shocking.

Fulham have now conceded 31 goals and set a joint-record for the most amount of goals shipped in the first ten games of the season, equal with only Barnsley and Southampton.

It hasn't been helped by the fact the back four was pretty much rebuilt and thrust into a game days after deadline day and that the swapping and changing has continued as Jokanovic tries to find what works better, but that can't atone for some of the individual mistakes we've seen.

If Fulham are going to stay up, the defence is a priority and there were signs from Anfield on Sunday that it's being worked on at Motspur Park - they looked far more compact and for 40 minutes it was a very encouraging display.

For the club to remain a Premier League side, the defence will have to turn from losers to winners.

Slavisa Jokanovic

Unfortunately, Jokanovic has been a loser of Fulham's first four months to season, with some of it down to him and a lot of it not.

Being put in the position to embed 12 new signings that were given to you by the recruitment team, with the vast majority arriving so late in the window, is a near-impossible task.

I've mentioned it previously, even the best managers in the world would struggle to do that.

Being thrust into a Premier League season with no time to work a new squad into a well-drilled side ready to take on some of the best players in the world will more often than not result in the manager coming off worst for it.

That said, at times Jokanovic's tactics have been iffy to say the least, while his decision to have a subs bench at Huddersfield with no attackers on it was baffling.

Even if you look at it as Jokanovic being dealt a bad hand, which I believe he has been, he still comes off as one of the losers from the first four months because of where Fulham are in the table.

Hopefully the next time I write this in March at the next international break, Jokanovic will be top of the winner's list for turning it around.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/seri-anguissa-jokanovic--tony-15408828

WhiteJC

 
Crystal Palace and Fulham tracking midfielder, manager will allow transfer

Turkish newspaper Aksam claim Crystal Palace and Fulham are tracking Fenerbahce midfielder Ozan Tufan.

He was linked with a move to Crystal Palace in the last winter window but his proposed move to the Premier League collapsed on deadline day.

Aksam say Fenerbahce are ready to offload the player as their manager Erwin Koeman doesn't see him in his plans. The 23 year old Turkish international is currently training with the Istanbul club's U21s after disciplinary issues.

According to Aksam, both Fulham and Crystal Palace are looking to sign Tufan on a loan deal and the midfielder could be interested in a move to England.

Tufan has also been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia but it would be thought the Premier League sides would have an advantage should their interest turn into something more concrete.

This season Tufan has yet to make any appearances for Fenerbahce and is under contract with the club until 2020.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/crystal-palace-fulham-tracking-midfielder-manager-will-allow-transfer/


WhiteJC

 
Mitrović form a worry for hapless Fulham

Aleksandar Mitrović's loan spell at Fulham was one of the success stories of last season.

Marginalised at Newcastle United, the temperamental Serb moved to Craven Cottage in January and proceeded to score 12 times in 17 Championship games to help the Cottagers finish third and secure promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs.

The 24-year-old's performances persuaded free-spending Fulham to pay £22million for his signature, potentially rising to £27million.

And Mitrović quickly put paid to any concerns that he was unable to replicate such potency in the top flight, with five goals in the first six games lifting him to 17 since his debut in February, more than any other player in English league football during that period.

Since then, however, the goals have dried up, having failed to score in each of his last seven appearances.

Finding the net has been no problem for the former Anderlecht forward. He has done so with impressive regularity throughout his first year at Fulham but he now faces the first genuine test of his mettle.

During his purple patch in August and September, he was one of the most clinical finishers in the Premier League. Nobody scored more open-play goals during that period, while his expected goals (xG) of 2.95 was enough to rank him sixth. Since then, his xG has dropped significantly to 0.8.

Further to that, the Serb's open-play post-shot xG – a measure of finishing quality – was sitting at 3.58 before decreasing to 0.38. He was always going to be starved of service away to Liverpool (in Sunday's defeat at Anfield, he lost possession more than any other player, lost seven aerial duels and managed just one shot on target), he drew blanks against Huddersfield Town, Bournemouth and Cardiff City.


There has been much debate over whether his disallowed goal at Anfield should have stood but the Serb's subsequent anonymity in the second half spoke volumes of his shattered confidence. That Mohamed Salah ran up the other end and scored just 13 seconds after being flagged for offside perfectly encapsulated Mitrović's current plight.

It's interesting, too, that Mitrović's style has changed dramatically recently. As Football Whispers' Player Persona comparison shows below, his radar was dominated by goalscoring, on-target shots and missed shots between March and September. Since then, however, Mitrović's game has been overwhelmingly shaped by aerial play, perhaps reflecting how Fulham have often sought to use their forward as a target man.

The data appears to reflect such a change in approach. During his fruitful period, Mitrović was averaging 5.2 touches in the opponent's penalty area per 90 while managing 17 shots from open play. However, during his barren run, those figures have dropped to 2.83 and eight, while the amount of aerial duels he has won has increased from 3.0 to 5.5 per 90.

Of course, the striking department is not an area in which manager Slaviša Jokanović is overly blessed. The most obvious replacement is Aboubakar Kamara, who hasn't scored since January, while Luciano Vietto and André Schürrle have been primarily deployed in wide areas.

If Fulham's under-fire boss is unwilling to experiment, Mitrović will remain at the head of Fulham's attack. And that means the pressure to recapture his previous form will be as intense as ever.



https://www.footballwhispers.com/blog/mitrovic-form-fulham?utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=news-now

WhiteJC

 
Mitro: Keep Believing

Aleksandar Mitrović praised the Fulham faithful for their unwavering support after they turned up in their droves to back the lads at Anfield.

Despite a tough period for the Whites, 2,744 away fans were there on Sunday, outsinging the home crowd and staying behind to give the players a standing ovation as they departed the pitch at full-time.

"Thanks to the fans, they were amazing," Mitrović told fulhamfctv afterwards. "[The away stand] was full which is amazing support, even after a lot of defeats.

"The least that we can do for them is keep fighting and keep going, not giving up, because that's all that they want from us.


"Even after we lost they were clapping. They were happy because we showed that we care and we're fighting, so we need to keep going with them and stick all together.

"It was a lot better because we showed desire, fight, we played as a team, and it was a lot better. If we'd played like this against Huddersfield we would have won the game.

"We need to keep this mentality and this desire to work hard for each other and the results will come. It's hard mentally and physically to be in this situation after a lot of defeats, but we all need to stick together, to keep believing."

For much of the opening 45 minutes there was nothing between the two sides as we each created good openings, until a decisive 14 second period towards the end of the half.

Mitrović thought he had headed his team in front but was ruled offside, with Liverpool instantly countering and taking the lead through Mohamed Salah.

For good measure, the ball was moving when Alisson Becker took the quick free-kick – just to further irk our number nine.


"I don't want to be rude now, but it changed the game a lot," he stated. "You can see from the replay I was not offside, I was in line, and I think the goal should be allowed.

"And then the ball was moving when the 'keeper played it, so if you want to play by the rules I think their goal should be disallowed as well.

"They're a good team, they were keeping the ball and playing well, but I think we did as well. We were good defensively, we waited for our chances and had our chances, [but] we didn't score. We maybe had better chances than they had.

"We need this mentality, to keep working hard, and if we play like this against the teams around us we will win games. It's tough mentally after a lot of defeats, but that's football and in two weeks everything can change. We will keep working hard and keep believing."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/13/aleksandar-mitrovic-keep-believing

WhiteJC

 
Stan Collymore sticks by his Fulham stance despite failed prediction

The former Fulham loanee remains behind Slavisa Jokanovic.

It is more than a month since Stan Collymore predicted that Fulham would soon go on a run.

But while Fulham may have in that time found some consistency, five straight Premier League defeats is perhaps not what the former Cottagers striker turned pundit was expecting.

In his column for the Daily Mirror on Tuesday (November 13, page 51), however, Collymore is continuing to urge against panic at Craven Cottage - where the manager, Slavisa Jokanovic, is under increasing pressure.

"Fuham should not panic - I am absolutely convinced about this - and sack manager Slavisa Jokanovic for one of the easy option replacements," he writes.

"Jokanovic was sublime last season and if Fulham were to go down they're only a good, veteran, Championship centre-half away from bouncing straight back up."

Bookmaker Paddy Power has already opened a market on Fulham's next manager, which is currently being joint-led by Alan Pardew and David Moyes.

Claudio Ranieri is also highly placed, ahead of outside candidates Sam Allardyce, Steve Bruce and Chris Coleman.

Fulham have shown a marked improvement in the second half of each of Jokanovic's previous two campaigns as boss, resulting in a sixth-place finish in 2017 and promotion this year.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/11/13/stan-collymore-sticks-by-his-fulham-stance-despite-failed-predic/


WhiteJC

 
Replacing Jokanovic with Pardew would make Fulham dead certs for relegation

It is no surprise that Slavisa Jokanovic's job is on the line after Fulham's shambolic start to the season and run of six straight recent defeats.

His supporters will point to his body of good work over a number of seasons at the club and the fact that the club's summer activity served to negate many of the positive consequences of that long-term work.

Tony Khan was unable to resist the lure of spending over £100m which completely overhauled his squad and seemingly disintegrated the flowing playing style that got the club promoted.

And the new odds-on favourite to be Fulham's new manager – Alan Pardew – would only make matters worse at Craven Cottage.

Pardew's reputation is built on being an experienced Premier League campaigner who nominally offers slightly more entertainment value than fellow firefighters such as Sam Allardyce and Tony Pulis.

But he demonstrated total incompetence at West Brom last season. He took a club who were not even in the drop zone when he took over to an abject relegation; a previously well-run club reduced to a shapeless rabble, disgracing the club off the pitch as well with the ill-imagined mid-season trip to Barcelona.

Those are not the credentials Fulham need to drag themselves out of trouble; they would be nailed on to go down if Pardew is appointed.

Second-favourite Claudio Ranieri would be a far superior option, with a Premier League title as opposed to a top flight relegation the most recent posting on his CV.



https://tbrfootball.com/replacing-jokanovic-with-pardew-would-make-fulham-dead-certs-for-relegation/

WhiteJC

 
Fulham player ratings so far as the side struggle to adapt to life in the Premier League

Fulham news includes player ratings for the entire team as we enter the third international break of the season

With 12 games of the Premier League season gone we've entered the final international break of 2018 - so what better time than to tot up player ratings for the season so far?

As everyone is well aware, the season has not been the one we were all hoping for and Fulham sit at the bottom of the Premier League table with just five points so far.

They've conceded an almighty 31 goals in the process - by far and away the most in the division as they struggle defensively.

We've rated the players after every match so far this season and have given our average for their displays in both international breaks, so with this being the last one until March we've done the same.

Warning: they don't make for good viewing.

Marcus Bettinelli - 5

Despite getting called-up to the England squads recently, Bettinelli has lost his place as Fulham's number one to Sergio Rico after some below par performances from the keeper.

His display at Cardiff in the 4-2 defeat wasn't his best and that proved to be his last, with Jokanovic opting to give the loanee the chance to stake his claim as the number one at the club.

It's a strange one - he was given a new contract days before being dropped by the club and while he hasn't played badly, his performances haven't been of the level required from a Premier League keeper.

Sergio Rico - 6

If there's anyone who is coming out with some credit at the moment, it's Sergio Rico.

He may not have kept a clean sheet in the league as yet, but his performances in goal have been a source of hope for a side that has struggled defensively.

He's proved he's a good shot stopper and can play with the ball at his feet - something that Jokanovic has wanted from a goalkeeper since he's been at the club.

His distribution is also very good, something that will come in useful going forward from him.

Fabri - 5

We haven't seen him play since the second game of the season and he's now not even making the squad.

It's unfair to judge Fabri when he wasn't really given a fair crack of the whip at the start of the season, although it was clear that he wasn't any better than Bettinelli when he came to the club.

Like I said in the past, I doubt we'll see much more of him this season.

Denis Odoi - 6

If you had said to be after the play-off final at Wembley that Odoi would be the best performing defender Fulham have had 12 games into the season, I probably would've laughed at you.

But here we are, and Odoi is doing just that.

He's not the best of defenders and makes mistakes, but he is far more consistent than any of the others have been this season, which is why Jokanovic keeps picking him.

Odoi is also comfortable in possession of the ball and having that kind of defender at the back can only help the side as they look the become more solid.

Calum Chambers - 5

Chambers has been in and out of the side and endured nightmare performances against Watford and Cardiff, with the latter of those games a particularly poor game.

He hasn't performed how a man on loan from Arsenal should be performing, especially at centre back and right back, but there is one bit of hope that I have seen from him, and that came at Anfield.

In the defensive midfield role he looked more comfortable and did a good job against Liverpool, with Jokanovic also similarly impressed with his performance.

I think we'll probably see more of him there going forward and that's where he'll get his chance to perform.

Tim Ream - 4

Ream had to recover from a back injury that seems like it was quite bad and he did well to return, but his performances since haven't been the Ream we remember from last season.

Against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup, Ream had a really bad time of things and was hauled off for Maxime Le Marchand and hasn't played since.

It's a shame, but that step up from the Championship to the Premier League is a tough one to make and it isn't made any easier when you suffer a bad back injury a week before the season starts.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah - 4

Fosu-Mensah started life brightly at Fulham but has gone downhill since then.

He's often caught out of position when defending and doesn't have the same attacking threat of the man he replaced, Ryan Fredericks.

There's clearly something about Fosu-Mensah but he needs to start performing and showing it quickly, otherwise he'll continue to struggle at Craven Cottage.

Cyrus Christie - 5

Another that has been hit and miss in the right back department, he's had some decent performances but then some horrible ones too.

The game against Arsenal sticks out in my mind where he was ripped to shreds down the right by Unai Emery's team, but after coming on against Huddersfield Town and Liverpool, he looked to be one of the only players on this team with some fight and determination.

We know he has his limitations, but the kind of fight that Christie has will help a long way in the relegation battle the side are facing.

Joe Bryan - 5

Since I wrote this last we still haven't seen Bryan much, so rating him anything lower or higher than average would be unfair.

He's back in training though, so we should see more of him once the break is finished.

Alfie Mawson - 5

Another player we have seen very little of, despite his price tag in the summer.

The jury is still out on Mawson but he started against Liverpool on Sunday and had a very decent game, looking more like the player we thought he would be.

I think we'll see more of Mawson now going forward and he'll have a big task on his shoulder to help this defence out.

Maxime Le Marchand - 5

It's been hit and miss for Le Marchand this season too - at times he's looked a decent acquisition but at other times he's looked lost at sea, especially in the left back role.

He's starting to look a bit more solid now but it will be interesting to see where Jokanovic sees him playing in the future.

Ryan Sessegnon - 6

Another green shoot from Fulham's season, Ryan Sessegnon has done well at both left wing and left back in these 12 games so far.

He's been particularly good at left back, where Jokanovic has asked him to play as cover for the side's problems there and he's done well, with the head coach even highlighting his performances and mentality.

Sessegnon will probably feel like he should have more than just his one goal this season, but if he keeps grafting like he is that will come.

Kevin McDonald - 5

While game time has been limited for the most part and a hamstring injury has put pay to him playing a part at the moment, McDonald adds a vital voice on the pitch for Fulham.

One of the main things for me is that there's no leadership, and if McDonald adds anything it's that.

He also has a bit of fight about him which added to the Huddersfield game before he was subbed off with that injury.

Neeskens Kebano - 5

He's still not played in the Premier League for Fulham and has only had around 60 minutes of game time this season, so to give anything more or less than average wouldn't be fair.

Stefan Johansen - 4

He's looked a yard off the pace required to play against some of the top opposition in the world and that has been clear to see, like in the loss at Man City.

Tom Cairney - 5

An injury has ruled out the skipper for most of the season, and while it's clear that Fulham have missed him in the middle of their midfield, he hasn't exactly set the world alight since returning.

This break will give him a good chance to iron out any niggles and get back to full fitness so he can have a big impact on the next run of games.

Jean-Michael Seri - 4

Having started the season extremely well, Seri has gone downhill since and was even dropped for the Liverpool game.

Sloppy passes, poor touches and easily broken tackles, I'm not sure what has happened to Seri but he is really off the pace compared to what he's been like in the past.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa - 3

Anguissa hasn't put in the performances that have been required of such a big money signing, and while the price tag isn't his fault he needs to be performing better than he has done.

There's enough for me to see that there's a good player in there, but he needs to start putting it all together and performing for his new side.

Ibrahima Cisse - 3

Poor Cisse - He played against Exeter in the cup and struggled at times to stop the League Two side from breaking through onto his centre backs.

I don't think we'll see him anywhere near the Premier League, he's been in the U23 side but that's about it.

Aleksandar Mitrovic - 6

Mitrovic started the season on fire but has since gone cold with a lack of service to him a large part of that.

He's mucking in defensively for Fulham and his performance against Liverpool was very encouraging, but he needs a goal to his name again.

Floyd Ayite - 5

We haven't seen much of the Togo man either with him missing the start of the season with injury.

He's not featured much for Jokanovic since then, playing bit parts for Fulham in the league campaign

Andre Schurrle - 4

Despite scoring four goals, Schurrle's role is starting to look detrimental to the team's overall performance.

His tendency to shoot from everywhere when players are in better positions is costing the side, while his overall impact in recent weeks has been very small.

For a man who has won the World Cup and Premier League, he needs to start performing to near that level again.

Luciano Vietto - 4

He's made things happen when he's on the ball at times, but he disappeared at Huddersfield with a number of really poor passes in a match that needed Jokanovic's players to stand up and be counter.

Vietto doesn't track back either and that leaves his full back dangerously exposed - something we saw at the John Smith's where Huddersfeld over loaded his flank to go 2 on 1 with Sessegnon.

Has to increase his work rate for me.

Aboubakar Kamara - 3

He's really struggled in the Premier League.

His last performance against Bournemouth showed that he doesn't have the tactical capabilities to play in the top flight, while he was lucky not to get sent off for a stupid act of dissent in the second half.

He's been dropped altogether from the squad since then and it makes you wonder when, or if, Jokanovic will use him again.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-player-ratings-far-side-15409277

WhiteJC

 
Southampton: Hughes to stay in charge for next game at Fulham

Southampton manager Mark Hughes will stay in charge at St Mary's until at least their next game against Fulham in two weeks time.

According to a report from skysports.com, the Saints board remain happy with the work being done by the Welshman and have full faith in his ability to turn things around.

Saints could have been considered unlucky not to get their second Premier League win of the season on Saturday after controversy and a late equaliser from Watford denied them the three points.

The report also states that there is the belief that the team should have claimed more than a solitary victory under his leadership but there are currently no plans to remove Hughes from his position.

The club did take some action last week as they parted ways with Vice-Chairman Les Reed and Technical Director Martin Hunter, and this could hint at where bigger problems are perceived to be coming from.

It cannot be argued that Saints have had a poor start to the season after collecting just eight points from their opening 12 league games.

They have also played just three of the top-six and face a tricky run of fixtures over the Christmas period that could see them pull away from the relegation zone or stuck in another scrap for safety.

The removal of Reed and Hunter from prominent roles at the club highlight areas where things have gone wrong, such as player recruitment and production from the youth academy.

However, the club can't afford to give as much time to Hughes as they did to Mauricio Pellegrino. He was given until the end of March despite a woeful campaign for Saints and that left a huge challenge to get safety by the middle of May.

The boost of a new man in charge could also be the catalyst for a rise up the table. New ideas and ways of playing will provide some hope for fans and player alike and hopefully maintain the club's status as Premier League club for further years to come.


https://saintsmarching.com/2018/11/13/southampton-hughes-to-stay-in-charge-for-next-game-at-fulham/


WhiteJC

 
Animal Planet TV boss (and Fulham fan) Susanna Dinnage, 51, becomes first-ever female Premier League chief - as clubs are asked to stump up £5m for out-going Richard Scudamore

    Susanna Dinnage has been global president of Discovery's Animal Planet
    She was previously president of Discovery Networks UK and Ireland
    Dinnage announced as Richard Scudamore's successor at a meeting in London

Animal Planet TV boss Susanna Dinnage is going to replace outgoing Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore.

Dinnage has previously been global president of Animal Planet and Discovery Networks UK and Ireland.

The news comes as England's top-flight clubs have been asked to stump up £250,000 by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck from Chelsea for a £5million golden handshake for Scudamore, 59.


Susanna Dinnage of Discovery is to be the new Premier League chief executive


Scudamore announced in June that he is stepping down as executive chairman


But the request for cash by Buck, who has become firm friends with Scudamore since become chairman 15 years ago, has surprised some clubs - considering the salary and bonuses he has commanded in that time.

Dinnage was announced as Scudamore's replacement on Tuesday, at a meeting for Premier League clubs in the division's headquarters.

Dinnage's official title will be 'chief executive' with the responsibility of Scudamore's role split with a non-executive chair who is still to be appointed.

Bruce Buck, chairman of Chelsea and the Premier League's Nominations Committee, said: 'We are very pleased to appoint such a capable leader to this important role.

'We had a very strong field, but Susanna was the outstanding choice given her track record in managing complex businesses through transformation and digital disruption.

'She is a leading figure in the broadcasting industry, a proven business executive and a great developer of people. She is ideally suited to the role and we are confident she will be able to take the Premier League on to new heights.

'Richard Scudamore, having provided exceptional stewardship for almost 20 years, will leave us at the end of the year in great shape and with an excellent executive team and board able to fully support Susanna.'

Dinnage, whose exact start date is still to be negotiated with Discovery, said: 'I am excited at the prospect of taking on this fantastic role.

'The Premier League means so much to so many people. It represents the pinnacle of professional sport and the opportunity to lead such a dynamic and inspirational organisation is a great privilege.

'With the support of clubs and the team, I look forward to extending the success of the league for many years to come.'

Scudamore first joined the Premier League in 1999 and has been responsible for its meteoric growth in stature across the globe, becoming one of the most significant figures in English football in the process.

Sportsmail understands that Buck has called round the 20 clubs asking for them to each make a £250,000 donation.

Although Scudamore earns a basic wage of £900,000 he receives closer to £2.5million a year with the bonuses he gets for negotiating the top flight's multi-billion pound broadcasting deals.

Scudamore first joined the Premier League in 1999 and has been responsible for its meteoric growth in stature across the globe, becoming one of the most significant figures in English football in the process.

He has negotiated television deals worth billions, which in turn has allowed England's major clubs to spend huge sums on buying players, as well as paying them lavish wages.

Scudamore gave an emotional speech when he announced in June that he would step down from his role as executive chairman.

'It's an absolute privilege to have been allowed to enjoy this role for so long,' he said. 'It is too much fun to be called a job.

'I am sure (the PL's broadcast partners) will forgive me for singling out Sky for special recognition.

In a feature she wrote in 2014 for campignlive, Dinnage revealed she is a Fulham fan.

Buck called round the 20 clubs asking for them to each make a £250,000 donation ahead of Tuesday's meeting.

Buck, who led the search for Scudamore's replacement alongside Leicester chief executive Susan Whelan and Burnley chairman Mike Garlick, is known to have forged a close personal friendship with Scudamore since becoming Chelsea chairman 15 years ago.

Club officials were asked to attend the meeting at the Premier League headquarters in London on Tuesday afternoon and asked to dial in on a conference call if they were unable to make it at short notice.

Scudamore has negotiated television deals worth billions, which in turn has allowed England's major clubs to spend huge sums on buying players, as well as paying them lavish wages.

Scudamore gave an emotional speech when he announced in June that he would step down from his role as executive chairman.

'It's an absolute privilege to have been allowed to enjoy this role for so long,' he said. 'It is too much fun to be called a job.

'I am sure (the PL's broadcast partners) will forgive me for singling out Sky for special recognition.

'Back in 1992 they were the catalyst for the start of the Premier League journey and have backed us all the way since.'

Last year, the Premier League 'big six' of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham began pushing for a heftier share of the television revenue pot.

Top clubs would like to dictate Premier League business rather than let Scudamore, or his successor, call the shots in the way it has been the case for almost two decades.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-6386299/Fulham-fan-female-Premier-League-chief-clubs-asked-stump-5m-old-boss.html