Friday Fulham Stuff (07/12/18)...

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Fulham 'plotting January move for Matteo Darmian'



Fulham have reportedly expressed an interest in signing out-of-favour Manchester United full-back Matteo Darmian in January.

The Italy international's playing time at Old Trafford has steadily declined with each campaign, featuring for just the third time this season in Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Arsenal.

United are said to be prepared to offload Darmian to the highest bidder in the New Year, but only if his near-£13m valuation is met.

TuttoMercatoWeb claims that Fulham have emerged as contenders to sign the 29-year-old, initially on loan and then permanently next summer.

Darmian was brought to Old Trafford by Louis van Gaal in 2015 and has appeared 88 times for the club in all competitions.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/man-utd/transfer-talk/news/fulham-plotting-move-for-matteo-darmian_343509.html

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Fulham striker Mitrovic insists that he can get better

Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has insisted that he can continue to get better. The Cottagers are struggling in the Premier League so far this season and could have a tough task on their hands to avoid relegation from the top-flight.
Many fans of the club will however be inspired by the appointment of Claudio Ranieri as manager after Slavisa Jokanovic was recently sacked. Ranieri is best remembered for his heroics during the 2015/16 season as he led Leicester City to the Premier League title.
Mitrovic's form this season has also been a cause for joy among Fulham fans. The Serbian international has so far managed to find the back of the net several times at the time of going to print and also recorded one assist in the process.
If Fulham are to avoid the drop this season, it is essential that they get good displays out of the striker. Prior to joining the Cottagers, Mitrovic was on the books of Newcastle United where he had an indifferent spell. There were times when his form was superb and others where he struggled in front of goal while at the Magpies.
Speaking ahead of his sides game against Leicester on Wednesday, Mitrovic told Sky Sports:
"I feel good at the moment, I feel really good on the pitch.
"I'm very happy that I am playing football in the Premier League and for my country as well.
"I'm enjoying my time here at Fulham, and my time in this team.
"I think there is a lot more to come. I am still 24, so I have much space to improve."



https://www.flaminghairdryer.com/2018/12/fulham-striker-mitrovic-insists-that-he.html

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TC: Positive Mental Attitude

Tom Cairney was left with mixed emotions after Fulham drew with Leicester City at the Cottage.

The Whites were 20 minutes away from a vital three points, but James Maddison's first time strike denied us a first Premier League clean sheet of the season.

Both Sergio Rico and Kasper Schmeichel impressed in goal for their respective sides, but with Fulham having 25 efforts on goal to the opposition's 13, Cairney feels we're moving in the right direction.

"Leicester are a decent side, so having that many shots against them, you've got to take that as a positive," he said.

"You could argue a draw's a fair result maybe. There were chances either way – you could say they shaded the first half and we shaded the second half, so it's probably a fair result.

"We knew beforehand how difficult it was going to be. There's no easy game in this league, every side has quality but everyone's a little bit disappointed because when you go 1-0 up but don't win, it feels a little bit like you've lost.

"The fans were great, especially second half, it was really loud kicking towards the Hammy End. We're going to need them as much as ever in the second half of the season so long may it continue."

Next up is a trip to Old Trafford – the ground where we made our Premier League bow some 17 years ago – and Cairney wants Fulham to go there with a positive mental attitude.

"Teams have gone and got a result there in the past," he explained. "We're playing well at the minute, we're fighting for each other so anything can happen.

"Obviously they're a quality side with a lot of international players, so it will be tough but we've got to believe we can get something.

"December's a big month for us, there are a lot of games where you can either catch teams up or fall behind.

"We've picked up a point and we've got to see it as a point gained, so we'll move on to Saturday now."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/december/06/tom-cairney-positive-mental-attitude

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Sess: Keep Building

Ryan Sessegnon thinks Fulham are continually improving under Claudio Ranieri, but was frustrated not to beat Leicester City in midweek.

The Whites were responsible for two-thirds of the shots throughout the game, and Sessegnon is keen to see a more clinical edge.

"I think we were the better team," he told fulhamfc.com. "We had more of the chances, and we should've taken them, really. We were solid defensively and looked a threat again going forward.

"You've seen in the last three games that Ranieri has been in charge that we've been very compact, very hard to beat and you could see Leicester were getting very frustrated.

"On the counter attack we looked dangerous, but we need to just put our chances away.

"Every game in this league is a hard game and we take each one step-by-step. It was a good team performance.

"I think we matched up with them really well and we'll go again at [Manchester] United, which will be another tough game.

"We'll take the positives from the game into the weekend and keep building."

The atmosphere at Craven Cottage got louder and louder as the Fulham Faithful willed their team through the contest, and Sessegnon was keen to acknowledge the support.

"The fans were good again, same as Chelsea where they were brilliant," he said. "They were brilliant and really pushed us right until the end, which helped us to almost nick the win."

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/december/06/ryan-sessegnon-keep-building

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Captain Aleksandar Mitrovic & Fulham's lack of ruthlessness - Talking points from Leicester draw

Fulham drew 1-1 with Leicester City on Wednesday night as Claudio Ranieri faced his old club for the first time

Captain Aleksandar

Rafa Benitez sold Aleksandar Mitrovic because the Newcastle United boss felt he couldn't trust the 24-year-old, but last night the Serbian captained Fulham against Leicester City.

It shows just how much he's matured since arriving in west London in January last year.

When he was at Newcastle there was always the worry that Mitrovic would lose his head and end up getting himself sent off in frustration, but we haven't seen that all in his time at Fulham.

Under Slavisa Jokanovic he found a mentor that brought out the best qualities of him, while Claudio Ranieri has continued to nurture those qualities since replacing the Serbian head coach.

The result is an outstanding striker whose goals have been vital in not only getting Fulham to the Premier League, but also giving them a chance of staying there.

Once again against Leicester he led from the front, causing problems for their back four while also doing the dirty work at the back - I'd love to see the stats for how many times it's been Mitrovic to clear corners into the Fulham box this season.

He has grown immeasurably over the past year and leading the side out last night was a just reward for the striker.


(Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Luciano Vietto's poor 45 minutes

Tom Cairney was rested for the visit of Leicester with two games in four days seen as an unnecessary risk to take with the captain so Luciano Vietto was picked for the first time under Ranieri.

It was an extremely poor performance from Vietto in the number 10 role and it only lasted 45 minutes, with the Italian manager seeing what everyone else could see at Craven Cottage.

His touch was poor, he turned into trouble too often and he found himself not equipped to deal with the physicality of the game.

It's not the first time we've seen him struggle with the intensity of the Premier League - we saw in under Jokanovic that the game would sometimes pass him by while he was shrugged off the ball too easily.

It's a concern if Ranieri is going to continue with the 4-2-3-1 formation - he needs someone else that is able to play that number 10 role in place of Cairney and at the moment, Vietto just isn't good enough.

Cyrus Christie a new man under Ranieri

Cyrus Christie looks a man revived under Ranieri at Fulham and he put in yet another strong performance at right back.

He seemed to have lost his place to Timothy Fosu-Mensah at the start of the season but he's started the past four games in a row, including all three of Ranieri's matches, and is keeping the Manchester United loanee out of the side at the moment.

No one can say it isn't deserved.

Christie looks like he has a new lease of life under his new manager - defensively he was solid last night while when he gets forward, he causes issues.

Ranieri wants his full backs to pick the right moments to attack in order not to leave themselves open at the back, which has meant Christie doesn't get forward as much as he did under Jokanovic, but when he does he's able to drive inside which caused a few problems for Leicester on Wednesday evening.

It's good to see - he hasn't had the best of times since arriving from Middlesbrough in January but he seems to be becoming a regular fixture in the Fulham side now.

Fulham's lack of ruthlessness in front of goal

At 1-0 in the second half, Fulham had a host of glorious chances to put the game to bed and they'll be kicking themselves this morning that they weren't able to take all three points.

Ryan Sessegnon, Tom Cairney and Aboubakar Kamara all had good chances to get their side's second and if they had done that, I have no doubt they would've gone on to win the game.


(Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

When the side are fighting for their lives in the Premier League they need to show that killer instinct and better decision making to put games out of sight when they're on top - they got into so many good positions last night but just couldn't find that composure to put the ball in the back of the net.

Ranieri is doing a good job of making them stronger defensively, but they'll need to start working on composure in front of goal too in order to start getting some wins under their belts.

Looking better defensively each week

And that leads me on to how they're looking defensively.

There's certainly a marked improvement since Ranieri took charge - yes there are still some iffy moments but for the most part last night Fulham's back four looked comfortable.

Having Calum Chambers play that holding role alongside Jean-Michael Seri has helped massively - Chambers is able to move about the pitch breaking up plays while the Ivory Coast man is extremely capable of tackling his man in one on one situations and has the tools necessary to split the defence open with one pass.

Ranieri has played the same back four in all three of his games now and last night he said how he wants his defence to become 'one man' instead of four individuals.

Slowly, slowly (as the Italian manager would say) it's starting to pay off and you feel it won't be long before they get themselves a clean sheet this season.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/captain-aleksandar-mitrovic--fulhams-15513576

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Football gambling ads banned during matches - and it could have massive impact

Britain's biggest firms have voluntarily signed up to the changes that will limit when they can advertise during broadcasts

Betting adverts are to be banned during live sports broadcasts, according to a.

The move follows political pressure about the amount of betting advertising on television, with more than 90 minutes of adverts shown during the football World Cup last summer.

BBC Sport has reported that the Remote Gambling Association, which includes Bet365, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power among others, has struck a deal to agree a "whistle-to-whistle" TV advertising ban.

The deal is said to ensure no adverts will be broadcast for a defined period before and after a game is broadcast.

It will reportedly include any game that starts prior to the 9pm watershed but ends after that time.


Nearly 60% of clubs in England's top two divisions have gambling companies as shirt sponsors. (Image: Getty Images)

Anti-gambling campaigners say sport's use of adverts "normalises" betting and the RGA has previously said it was "very mindful of public concerns".

It has been claimed that "whistle-to-whistle" advertising contributes to the rise in the amount of problem gamblers - with a Gambling Commission report suggesting 430,000 Britons can be described as such - and helps fuel under-age gambling.

According to the BBC, horse racing will be exempt from the restrictions because of the commercial importance of gambling on its viability, but all other sports will be included.

The impact of the ban will be mostly felt in football given the financial value of the sport to both the gambling companies and broadcasters.

Nearly 60 per cent of clubs in England's top two divisions have gambling companies as shirt sponsors.

It is expected that the final ratification of the TV ban is needed from the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling before it comes into force.

But it has been reported that is a formality and will come into place as early as this month or at the start of 2019.



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/football-gambling-ads-banned-during-13694812

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Neil Etheridge: I nearly blew my career after Fulham and had to sell my house



Neil Etheridge is currently enjoying his first season in the Premier League, but money demands meant the Cardiff City goalkeeper nearly didn't have a career at all after leaving Fulham.

Etheridge started all but one of Cardiff's games last season as they were promoted from the Championship as runners-up and has maintained his position as No.1 since making the step up, becoming the first Filipino to play in the Premier League.

The 28-year-old has started all 15 games so far, helping Neil Warnock's side steer clear of the relegation zone, but it's been a far from straightforward journey back to the top flight since he was released by Fulham in 2014.

Etheridge, who was born in Enfield to a Filipino mother and English father, took up goalkeeping at the age of 10 and joined Chelsea's academy three years later in 2003 before switching to Fulham in 2006.

He went on to sign professional terms at Craven Cottage but despite four separate loan spells only ever made one senior appearance for the club – in the Europa League in 2011.

Still, he was on a Premier League wage, which created a problem when he was let go by the Cottagers following their relegation.

"The team had just got relegated to the Championship and it had been a really tough season for me being injured for the majority of it," Etheridge says.

"But when I got released it was a shock to be honest. The new manager wanted to change things so I found myself not really knowing what to do. I was forced out of my comfort zone."

A number of League One clubs were interested in signing Etheridge, but he turned them down, believing he would be able to secure a contract on the same terms he had been on at Fulham.

"It was the naivety of making wrong decisions due to money and not really seeing the bigger picture," he says.

"I had the opportunity to take a starting spot at these clubs, but I had bought a house a year ago and I was looking for the kind of money to basically keep everything exactly the same as it was so I held on and turned down some good opportunities."

Even when Etheridge received a helping hand from his friend Ben Roberts, who was at the time the goalkeeping coach at Charlton Athletic, the then-24-year-old failed to grab the opportunity he had been offered.

"I knew I had to keep myself fit. I was fortunate enough to know Ben Roberts so when pre-season came about I asked him to train with Charlton," Etheridge says.

"I was living in west London so I was travelling to the east which took me about an hour and a half just to train. The manager there said he loved me and offered me a contract, but I ended up turning it down trying to negotiate hard.

"It was the same thing: me not seeing the bigger picture at the time. Finances kept holding me back."

Accepting reality
Roberts highly believed in Etheridge and continued to find him clubs in League One and League Two interested in signing him, but there was always conflict over money and it wasn't until the Filipino was forced to sell his house and his car that he started to accept reality.

"As time went on I started to see the reality of football I guess in the sense that it wasn't going to be an easy ride," Etheridge says.

"However, when I accepted reality and when I was in a position to accept contracts, contracts weren't coming my way.

"As the season started teams were saying, 'we don't have space in our squads', 'we don't have finances to pay you', 'you haven't got enough experience', or 'we cannot ask the chief executive to take a risk on someone like you'.

"It was all about the timing and the bad decisions I made. I put myself in a situation where around the end of September I called everyone I knew from goalkeeping coaches, agents, Ben Roberts, people in the industry offering to play for free.

"I was saying, 'I've sold my house, I've got money in the bank, let me just have a way in,' but even then clubs were telling me they cannot sign me.

"I was ready to say goodbye to English football. I just didn't see any light at the end of the tunnel, even though I had confidence I could play at league level."

Then, just days away from returning to the Philippines, out of the blue, Etheridge received a phone call from an agent with an offer.

"I wasn't assigned to him or anything like that, he obviously knew of me and he just said, 'do you want to go to Oldham? They need a goalkeeper, they are not offering much money but obviously you're in a situation where you need a club.'

"I was offered £200 a week. I could have earned more by working at a supermarket, but I saw an opportunity where I can go there and show what I could do."

Etheridge thought it was an opportunity he would grab with both hands, but he made only one appearance for the club, in the Checkatrade Trophy against Preston, and was soon having to deal with another setback.

Ending in a draw, it went to a penalty shootout, as they reached 11 penalties, Etheridge missed his and cost Oldham the tie.

"It was my first game for the club, it was obviously a disappointment and it was kind of down to me because I missed the penalty," Etheridge says.

"The next day I went to the training ground and as I was speaking to the groundsman he asked me about the new goalkeeper. I told him, 'I've met you before, I'm the new goalkeeper,' but he said, 'no, they're bringing someone else on loan.'

"And that meant I was going to be number three in the pecking order of a League One club."

Thankfully for Etheridge, Roberts, now of Brighton, once again came to his aid when Charlton's first-choice goalkeeper Stephen Henderson got injured and Roberts advised manager Bob Peeters to sign his friend on loan in November 2014.

"Ben has been fantastic to me," Etheridge says. "He believes in all sorts of goalkeepers and all sorts of walks of life, and he doesn't look for just Premier League goalkeepers, he looks outside the circle.

"He watched me with my national team and look at what he has done with Mat Ryan. You wouldn't expect Mat Ryan to come from Australia and play in the Premier League, but Roberts did that."

Getting a break
Etheridge signed a permanent contract with Charlton until the end of the season, but his real break did not come until he joined Walsall ahead of the 2015-16 campaign – and he has another goalkeeping coach to thank for that.

"I was in the Philippines and I got a message from Neil Cutler (currently at Aston Villa). If Ben Roberts did a lot for me then Cutler definitely did too.

"In the text he was asking me if I'd like to join Walsall to play and be the number one goalkeeper. He said he'd seen international footage of me and despite the fact I didn't play a lot of games, he believed I had a lot of talent."

Etheridge duly signed a contract with Walsall and in his first season helped guide them to the play-offs. Finally establishing himself as a first choice, he made 93 appearances across two years before joining Cardiff in 2017.

Immediately installed as No.1 by Neil Warnock, Etheridge kept 19 clean sheets in 45 appearances as the Bluebird booked their ticket back to the top flight.

"I was happy just playing in the Championship, let alone looking for promotion," Etheridge says.

"Neil Warnock has been fantastic with me since the day I signed. He was very black and white on how it was going to go. He said, 'listen, you're going to start the season and we've got another goalkeeper we brought in and it's your shirt to lose or yours to keep.'

"From where I was, to be playing in the Championship every week was amazing. But the first part of the season until the New Year, I was just playing. It wasn't till the second part of the season that I was able to be more comfortable and show my real abilities."

Making history
Handed his chance to showcase his ability at the highest level, Etheridge did not disappoint, becoming the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in both of his first two top-flight appearances since Erik Thorstvedt for Tottenham back in August 1992.

"Starting in the Premier League was a massive achievement on a personal level, and then being the first South East Asian player to play in the Premier League was fantastic," Etheridge says.

"The penalty saves obviously caused a lot of attention and it was great to raise my profile, but it's all about keeping the shirt and helping the team.

"The first penalty save against Bournemouth we didn't manage to get the win, but the second one against Newcastle, that one was the biggest one obviously because it was in the last minute and it earned us our first point on board in the Premier League. That was a massive achievement for me."

Despite being currently outside of the drop zone, Cardiff are still third favourites with the bookmakers to be relegated this season.

Etheridge is realistic about the battle ahead but says the type of player Warnock has bought will be key when the chips are down.

"At Cardiff we know the situation, we know it's going to be tough for us to stay in the Premier League this year," he says.

"However, what makes us different is that we are like a family. We have a great bunch of players and didn't bring in too many over the summer.

"Many times last season people wrote us off even when we were in the top three, but we stuck together and we knew exactly what we've got to do and were able to achieve that together.

"The manager brought in players who have something to prove. You look at the players we have in our dressing room, including myself, we may not be the biggest names, but all of us would work together and fight together.

"We all have a point to prove because somewhere down the line we had upsets like myself and we are here to prove people wrong."

Believe in yourself
Etheridge ends the interview by sharing a few thoughts on his days of struggle and has a message for anyone going through a rough patch in their lives.

"When you get on the pitch you suddenly feel like a superhero, the crowds are there and they're cheering your name, but when that's taken away you're just a normal human being.

"When you reach such a high level at a young age you don't think it's going to end, you think that bubble is indestructible and to a certain extent you think as a human being you're indestructible, but you're not.

"A football player is still a human being. We have all the newspapers and social outlets that we could talk to the world through, but in the end we are still human beings and we find things tough at times.

"It's a blessing that I am able to tell my story because I know a lot of people go through tough times. You can have any job and you'll find yourself going through sticky patches, but you've got to believe in your ability, have good people around you and eventually things do work out.

"You may change what you thought would be the original path, you may need to go down a long road like I did, but no matter who you are you can always change and improve as a person.

"Giving up and walking out the door some people might say is the easy option, but I hope people will face their struggles and see their goals as the only way out.

"Believe in yourself, in what you can do, surround yourself with good people, keep your feet on the ground, be humble and the right thing will come your way."



https://www.planetfootball.com/in-depth/neil-etheridge-i-nearly-blew-my-career-after-fulham-and-had-to-sell-my-house/

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Diogo Dalot: Manchester United hosting Fulham a 'big game' after winless run

Diogo Dalot has warned Manchester United that Fulham's visit to Old Trafford does not represent an easy chance to get back on track but insists Jose Mourinho is the man to guide his struggling team back into the top four.

Dalot impressed on his first Premier League start in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal and is hopeful of keeping his place against Fulham on Saturday.

Claudio Ranieri's side are rock bottom of the Premier League table despite picking up a point against Leicester on Wednesday but the Portuguese full-back has already learned there are no easy games for United, who have not won any of their last four league matches.

"We are improving and we are fighting to get results and I think we are getting and better," said Dalot, who signed from Porto in the summer.

"Fulham is a big game now. One of the things have noticed in England is that there are no weak games in the Premier League. There is no game in which you can relax. We need the points to climb the table.

"I feel ready now for a run in the side and as long as the coach needs me I will be ready for him."

Despite an improved performance against Arsenal, Mourinho is coming under increasing pressure as the gap widens between the top four and a place in next season's Champions League.

United twice came from behind against Arsenal -- fast becoming a feature of the season -- to prove they are not ready to throw in the towel and Dalot insists the whole squad is behind the manager.

"Jose Mourinho brings all his experience and knowledge of the game to us all, not just me," said the 19-year-old.

"He is one of the best coaches ever and for me it is a dream come true to be alongside him and to learn from him. For me it is very good.

"As a team we need to develop every single game. The spirit and fight is there and we will get there."

United will kick-off against Fulham eighth in the table, 18 points behind leaders Manchester City and eight adrift of the top four.

A draw against Arsenal took their tally to 23 points from 15 games. Only Arsenal in 2012-13 and again in 2014-15 have recovered from worse starts to end the season in the Champions League places.

"We sleep thinking about getting into the top four and we wake thinking about getting into the top four," Dalot added.

"For sure we will get there. It is our main goal for now to get into the top for and I think are will get there."



http://www.espn.co.uk/soccer/english-premier-league/story/3720094/diogo-dalot-manchester-united-hosting-fulham-a-big-game-after-winless-run

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When the FA Cup third round games to be broadcast live on BBC & BT Sport are announced

The draw for the third round of the competition took place on Monday evening

A number of football fans are starting to get FA Cup fever following the draw for the third round of the competition on Monday evening.

While it doesn't seem that long ago that Chelsea lifted the famous trophy with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in May courtesy of Eden Hazard's penalty, Premier League teams will get their cup campaigns underway in just over four weeks.

The FA Cup holders will begin their defence of the trophy with a home tie against Nottingham Forest, while Arsenal will travel to either Solihull Moors or Blackpool at the start of January.

Spurs are also still waiting to find out who they will face at the start of next year, with Tranmere and National League North side Southport set to replay on Monday, December 17.

West Ham, Crystal Palace and Fulham all face Football League opposition with home ties against Birmingham City, Grimsby Town and Oldham Athletic respectively, while Watford will be aiming to avoid a cup upset when they travel to National League South side Woking.

A number of other teams from the capital will also be in action on third round weekend, with QPR facing a tricky tie against Leeds United.

With fans across the country waiting to find out if their team's game will be televised on either the BBC or BT Sport, they won't have to wait too much longer.

David Gerty, The FA's senior communications manager, has revealed that the TV picks will be announced at 3pm on Thursday afternoon.

As seven games were broadcast live last season between the Friday and Monday for the third round of the competition, it appears likely that a number of our London clubs could be shown live on the box.

FA Cup third-round draw

Bolton v Walsall or Sunderland

Millwall v Hull

Gillingham v Cardiff

Brentford v Oxford

Sheffield Wednesday v Luton

Manchester United v Reading

Everton v Lincoln

Tranmere or Southport v Tottenham

Preston v Doncaster

Newcastle v Blackburn

Chelsea v Nottingham Forest

Crystal Palace v Grimsby

Derby v Southampton

Accrington Stanley v Ipswich

Bristol City v Huddersfield

Wrexham or Newport v Leicester

Fulham v Oldham

Shrewsbury v Stoke

Solihull Moors or Blackpool v Arsenal

Manchester City v Rotherham

Bournemouth v Brighton

West Ham v Birmingham

Woking v Watford

Burnley v Barnsley

QPR v Leeds

Sheffield United v Barnet

Norwich v Portsmouth

Fleetwood v AFC Wimbledon

West Brom v Wigan

Middlesbrough v Peterborough or Bradford

Wolves v Liverpool

Aston Villa v Swansea

Ties will take place on the weekend of 4-7 January 2019.



https://www.football.london/premier-league/fa-cup-draw-televised-fixtures-15515550

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Claudio Ranieri transcript: Every word on Manchester United, Jose Mourinho & more

Fulham news includes a full transcript of Claudio Ranieri's pre-Manchester United press conference

Three games in - how do you assess things?

"I think we made three good matches but of course we are a work in progress.

"For us it's important to make a point, last night one point is better than nothing, of course we conceded a goal in our best moment because after our goals we create more chances but after they score they also had great chances.

"I see my players very concentrated to try to do what I want - the concentration is not fully 100 per cent but we are working."

Had chance to work with players - feel there's more work to be done?

"No no, when I came I knew very well what we had to do.

"We are in the line that I was wanting."

Happy with squad - enough to stay in Premier League?

"Of course. I am very confident with my players."

Confident they're buying into your methods?

"If you observe the three games we improve every game a little more. There is a lot of work to do but we are in a good way."

Up next is Manchester United

"Manchester are one of the best teams in the Premier League and also in Champions League.

"It's a fantastic team and stadium and we want to make a point. We know it's hard but nothing is impossible."

Look at United's recent form - no win in four Premier League games

"I think Manchester are getting better, for us it will be difficult - we must make perfect performance."

Regards to Jose Mourinho - experiences with him

"He's fantastic man.

"He was the first who sent me a message to say welcome back and he is very friendly friend."

How much can you learn from someone like that?

"I know him for a long time when he came to Chelsea and in Italy and he was very polite with me."

Last time Fulham won at Old Trafford was in 2003 - challenge to recreate history?

"I think sooner or later it will happen, I hope sooner than later!"

Be type of game that could be springboard for your season?

"I believe every match we improve but it's not easy because when you stay at the bottom of the table, it's not so confident 100 per cent.

"I gave my confidence to my players but if you have two or three good results the confidence of the team grows immediately and I am confident we will do this."

Message to players the gap is only one point?

"For this reason we must be satisfied, three matches and four points, that is good."

Confident you can go to Old Trafford with a game plan?

"I think every manager when starting the match would like to win, the desire is to win but we have a great respect for Manchester."

Fulham team news?

"Everybody is in good condition, today the people who played 90 minutes recovered very well and the others make a training session."

Enjoying being back?

"I enjoy very much, I come back home."

How is Tom Cairney doing?

"I said yesterday I wanted to give another striker close to Mitrovic to create more space and more chances - he [Vietto] had a good chance to shoot but his shot was unlucky.

"In the second half I make a change because I need one midfielder more and it was better but I am very pleased with the performance of the other striker."

Looking to make defensive changes in Janaury?

"Wait till Saturday!"

How hard is it to go to Old Trafford?

"I have very good memories, my first game in 2000 was United vs Chelsea, we were losing 3-1 and drew 3-3. It was a good result for us"

Steve Clarke on youth coaching staff at Chelsea - what was he like as manager having taken Kilmarnock top of SPL?

"Steve was with the young teams and he was great manager, he is young and has a good prospect."

Message Jose sent you?

"It was a text message.

"Sometimes we speak.

"He told me welcome back, all the best and that's it.

"We speak about everything."

Jose gets a hard time from the press - do you understand why?

"I don't know, I think you need sometimes to make something good with colour in football but he's a great man, coach, manager and also the football is important."

Do we see the real Jose?

"It's not my matter, for me it's important how you speak with me."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/claudio-ranieri-transcript-every-word-15515090

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Claudio Ranieri says Jose Mourinho is a 'fantastic man' ahead of Fulham's trip to Manchester United
Fulham boss says Mourinho was first to message him after last month's appointment

Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri insists Saturday's opponents Manchester United remain one of the best Premier League teams under the "fantastic" Jose Mourinho.

United are winless in four league matches, and host a Fulham side who sit bottom of the table despite taking four points from three games under Ranieri.

Despite United's blip, Ranieri insists Fulham still need a perfect performance as he prepares to face Mourinho, whom he says was the first manager to message him upon his appointment at Craven Cottage last month.

"Jose is a fantastic man, he was the first to send me a message to say, 'Welcome back'. He's a very friendly friend," Ranieri said of the manager who replaced him at Chelsea back in 2004.

"I know him from a long time ago, when he came in at Chelsea. He was very polite with me in every moment.

"United are one of the best teams in the Premier League, and in the Champions League they've done a very good job.

"We want to make a point. We know it's hard but nothing is impossible. For us it will be difficult, we have to make a perfect performance."

Ranieri enjoyed a 3-2 victory over Southampton in his first game in charge, before losing to former club Chelsea and drawing at home to Leicester, the club he won the Premier League with back in 2016.

Though the four points have not lifted Fulham off the bottom of the league, the fact they are now one point behind Huddersfield in 17th has shown they are improving, according to Ranieri.

"United are one of the best teams in the Premier League, and in the Champions League they've done a very good job.

"We want to make a point. We know it's hard but nothing is impossible. For us it will be difficult, we have to make a perfect performance."

Ranieri enjoyed a 3-2 victory over Southampton in his first game in charge, before losing to former club Chelsea and drawing at home to Leicester, the club he won the Premier League with back in 2016.

Though the four points have not lifted Fulham off the bottom of the league, the fact they are now one point behind Huddersfield in 17th has shown they are improving, according to Ranieri.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11573228/claudio-ranieri-says-jose-mourinho-is-a-fantastic-man-ahead-of-fulhams-trip-to-manchester-united

[WhiteJC]

 
Why Tom Cairney was dropped for Luciano Vietto in Fulham's 1-1 draw with Leicester City

The skipper came on as a half time sub for the Argentine at half time on Wednesday

Claudio Ranieri has revealed he played Luciano Vietto over Tom Cairney in the 1-1 draw with Leicester City because he wanted the Argentine to create more chance for Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Italian has spoken in the past of his desire to find a partner for the Serbian striker, with Cairney playing as the number 10 in his first game against Southampton while Ryan Sessegnon was played as a striker in the first half of the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.

Cairney playing in a more advanced position has worked well in the previous two games and when he came on at half time against Leicester he was a handful for the Foxes defence, getting on the ball in good areas and creating chances for his team mates.

It was Vietto who was replaced at half time but despite Ranieri hauling him off he was pleased with the loan man's performance but felt that an extra midfielder was needed.

He also revealed that the reason why Cairney was dropped was because he felt Vietto would be able to play closer to Mitrovic and create more space for him to score more goals.

Speaking ahead of the trip to Manchester United, he said: "I said yesterday I wanted to give another striker close to Mitrovic to create more space and more chances - he [Vietto] had a good chance to shoot but his shot was unlucky.

"In the second half I make a change because I need one midfielder more and it was better but I am very pleased with the performance of the other striker."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/tom-cairney-dropped-luciano-vietto-15515877

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri says secret to survival is defending as 'one man'


Survival mission: Claudio Ranieri ( Getty Images )

Claudio Ranieri has challenged his Fulham rearguard to defend as "one man" as he bids to end their woeful run of mistakes at the back.

After 15 games of the Premier League season the Cottagers, bottom of the table on goal difference, have conceded 36 goals and are yet to keep a clean sheet.

The porous nature of Fulham's defence cost Slavisa Jokanovic his job and the Serbian arguably did not help himself by naming a different backline in each of his 12 league games.

Significantly Ranieri has named the same back five - goalkeeper Sergio Rico, Cyrus Christie, Denis Odoi, Alfie Mawson and Maxime Le Marchand - in each of his matches in charge and there were signs of improvement in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Leicester, where James Maddison's 74th minute strike denied them a clean sheet.

"The more times they play together, the [more the] movement is together," Ranieri told Standard Sport. "I want to see one man.

"They are four men behind. I want to see only one man.

"Slowly, slowly they're understanding my vision."

He added: "We improve every match. We have to work hard again.

"For them it is the first time they work in this way. For this reason I'm happy. A lot of work they understood, the little things but important things."

The defence's frustration would only have been heightened as Maddison's equaliser ought to have been relatively easy to deny. Substitute Shinji Okazaki glided through Fulham's left flank before cutting back for the the No.10 on the edge of the box. Without anyone to challenge him Maddison was able to stroke a smart strike beyond Sergio Rico.

"Of course we made some mistakes but all the big teams make mistakes," Ranieri conceded. "In this moment when we make mistakes the opponent scores the goal.

"Sooner or later we'll win. I'm sure."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham/fulham-boss-claudio-ranieri-says-secret-to-survival-is-defending-as-one-man-a4010606.html

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Reported Fulham target Tiemoue Bakayoko better than Desailly according to Milan boss

Fulham have reportedly asked Premier League rivals Chelsea about signing Tiemoue Bakayoko on loan, but he's starring in Serie A for AC Milan now.

Eyebrows were certainly raised when Calciomercato broke the news in early November that Fulham had made an enquiry about signing Tiemoue Bakayoko on loan from West London neighbours Chelsea.

Bakayoko was an unmitigated disaster in his debut Premier League season with the Blues, making a mockery of his £40 million transfer fee, as reported by the BBC. And the French midfielder had hardly enjoyed a sparkling start to life on loan at Serie A giants AC Milan either.

That was then, however. And things have certainly changed in the four weeks since.

Out of nowhere, Bakayoko has suddenly established himself as one of the first names on Genaro Gattuso's Milan team-sheet, stepping up in stunning fashion in the injury enforced absence of Lucas Biglia.

And, speaking to RMC Sports, Gattuso has gone as far as to compare Bakayoko with the legendary Frenchman Marcel Desailly, the former Milan and Chelsea ace who counts the World Cup, Champions League and Serie A title among his list of honours.

"For me, the biggest surprise is to see Bakayoko play like he does right now," said Gattuso.

"(This is) something I could not even imagine. It was hard to believe that he was able to progress in so many areas in such a short time.

"Today, it looks like he's playing like Desailly. I see a player with the same characteristics. Maybe "Baka" is even better technically."

High praise, then, for a man who would suddenly look like a massive coup for a Fulham side who are still stuck down the bottom of the Premier League table.

But according to Calciomercato, Milan are now desperate to take up their chance to sign Bakayoko on a permanent basis, though it is understood that they want a discount on his £30 million price-tag.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/12/06/do-reported-fulham-target-tiemoue-bakayoko-better-than-desailly/

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Games for the Weekend – 08/12
This weekend we're off to Old Trafford to give Manchester Utd a game

After 3 "better" performances, our defence still needs some work but we're going in the right direction. Playing Man Utd at Old Trafford will be one of the games that the players will have circled when the fixtures came out, I'm sure all of the lads will be up for it.

Ranieri hasn't "tinkered" as much as I thought he would and he seams to be getting closer to playing the way he wants the team to play.

Man U had a tough game against Arsenal on Wednesday but I still think we'll be lucky to get anything from this game, but you never know, the footballing gods may just decide to favour little old Fulham. COYW

Games of Interest
Saturday 8th December
Arsenal v Huddersfield
Burnley v Brighton
Cardiff v Southampton
Man Utd v Fulham
West Ham v Palace

Sunday 9th December
Newcastle v Wolves


come on over to the forum and jin in the discussion
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=517

[WhiteJC]

Cottage Talk Post Match Show: Fulham vs. Leicester City
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

This is our post match show of the 1-1 draw for Fulham against Leicester City. During the show, co-host Max Cohen analyzed the key moments of this match.


.You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2018/12/6/18129046/cottage-talk-post-match-show-fulham-vs-leicester-city

[WhiteJC]

Premier League predictions: Lawro v world champion boxer Josh Warrington

Leaders Manchester City might have been knocked off the top of the table by the time they play Chelsea at tea-time on Saturday in the pick of the weekend fixtures.

But BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson thinks they will get a win at Stamford Bridge that will put them back on the Premier League summit.

"Chelsea have lost their past two away games, at Tottenham and Wolves, and there are one or two cracks starting to appear," Lawro explained.

"Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has changed his team around for their past two matches without affecting their results, but they will definitely be at full strength for this game."

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

This week's guest is boxer Josh Warrington, the IBF world featherweight champion.

Warrington is a Leeds United fan - and chairman of their supporters club - who became the first boxer from his home city to win a world crown when he beat Lee Selby at Elland Road in May.

That fight and the years leading up to it are documented in a new film 'Josh Warrington: Fighting For A City'.

He defends his title against Carl Frampton in Manchester on 22 December, but has been keeping a close eye on how Marcelo Bielsa's side are doing in the race for promotion from the Championship.

"He has brought a good buzz back to Elland Road," Warrington told BBC Sport. "We have been entertaining to watch and it is a good place to be at the moment.

"Whatever has happened in games, even if we are behind in stoppage time at the end of the game, there is still a belief that we can win.

"The one thing with Leeds fans is that they always want to see the team just have a go and it seems he has changed the mentality of all the players, and he is bringing the best out of them.

"Will we go up? Well, I always said that when I won a world title, Leeds would get promoted the same season. We are flying high at the moment, and I have already won the world title so let's hope this is our year."

LAWRO'S PREDICTIONS
Man Utd v Fulham

I am covering this game for BBC Radio 5 live and wondering whether there will be anything different about Manchester United this time. At the moment it is the same story every week.

United have a few issues with their manager and with different areas of their team but the bottom line is that they just cannot seem to win a game - Wednesday's draw with Arsenal was their fourth league game in a row without a victory.

Surely that has to change at home to the Premier League's bottom club, even taking into consideration that Fulham have improved under Claudio Ranieri.

Things have been pretty bad at Old Trafford for a while, but anything but a win would really underline where United are at the moment, and how far they are off the top four.

Lawro's prediction: 2-0

Josh's prediction: United are not doing too clever are they? The wheels are maybe falling off so I am backing Fulham, with a new manager in Claudio Ranieri, to leave with the points. 0-7

My manager is a United fan and I often check the scores or watch Match of the Day then phone him up to give him some stick. It has been quite sweet to see United struggling but I am hoping next season is the start of Leeds playing them again as a regular fixture.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46467688

[WhiteJC]

 
Row behind 'sham' Jean-Michael Seri transfer to Fulham from Nice

    Jean-Michael Seri's move to England in July from France is under further scrutiny
    Fulham were accused of breaching FA agent rules over his transfer from Nice
    Seri and Nice team-mate Maxime le Marchand joined for £25million combined
    It is understood the complaint made against Fulham in July has been withdrawn

Jean-Michael Seri's move to England is under further scrutiny after Fulham were accused of breaching FA agent rules.

The highly rated Ivorian midfielder moved to Fulham from Nice in July.

According to legal paperwork seen by Sportsmail, Fulham and Seri's then agent Franklin Mala-Makani empowered intermediaries Willie and Mark McKay to orchestrate the deal — when another FA-registered agent had exclusive rights to represent Seri in any move to England in the summer transfer window.


Jean-Michael Seri's move to England in July from France is under further scrutiny

It is claimed a copy of the exclusive mandate was emailed to Fulham's chief executive Alistair Mackintosh on June 20 and that the club's use of the McKays therefore induced a breach of contract.

Willie McKay does not hold an FA intermediary licence but his son Mark does and it understood he signed the relevant documentation.

The situation descended into a legal dispute with compensation demanded and the Premier League club accused of misconduct.

It is claimed Fulham's decision to use the McKays caused a £1million loss for the agent who had the exclusive mandate.

But it is understood the complaint made against Fulham in July has been withdrawn and the issue has been resolved.

A club spokesman said: 'Fulham does not intend to comment on this as it relates to a private dispute that we understand has been discontinued.'

Willie McKay was unavailable for comment on Thursday and so was unable to say whether he was also in possession of a mandate.

On Tuesday Sportsmail reported calls for the FA to investigate Seri's transfer.

Jean-Louis Dupont, who represented Jean-Marc Bosman in the 1995 case that revolutionised the transfer market, wrote to the FA's compliance chief on Monday demanding an inquiry.


Fulham signed Seri and Nice team-mate Maxime le Marchand for a combined fee of £25million

Fulham signed Seri and Nice team-mate Maxime le Marchand for a combined fee of £25m. French reports claim only £10m was for Seri — an astonishingly low figure given the release clause in his contract was £35.5m. Le Marchand's valuation was claimed to be only around £2m.

Seri has initiated legal proceedings in France against Nice, claiming the club undervalued him in order to avoid paying a bonus.

Nice deny the claim, having dismissed reports last month that Seri's former clubs in Ivory Coast and Portugal lost out on sell-on payments.

Dupont is acting for the two clubs in Ivory Coast. On Thursday the FA would only confirm receipt of the letter from Dupont, but not whether a decision had yet been made to investigate the transfer.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6468781/Row-sham-Jean-Michael-Seri-transfer-Fulham-Nice.html

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Phonelines Down On Monday

Due to improvements being made to the Club's phonelines, the Ticket Office will not be able to receive incoming calls on Monday 10th December.

Fans will still be able to purchase tickets in person by visiting the Ticket Office at Craven Cottage which will be open from the usual hours of 9am-5pm.

Alternatively, calls to the Ticket Office (0203 871 0810) will be diverted to the Ticketmaster Call Centre who will be able to assist with general ticketing enquiries.

You can also request a call-back from a member of Ticket Office staff by filling in the below form.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/december/07/phonelines-down

[WhiteJC]

 
Claudio Ranieri and Danny Drinkwater need to start working together again

Claudio Ranieri tasted defeat for the first time as Fulham manager against former club Chelsea.

The Italian guided the Cottagers to victory in his first game after replacing Slavisa Jokanovic, but the promoted side were no match for Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea. The London side performed admirably but were unable to break Chelsea's defence. Goals from Pedro and Ruben Loftus-Cheek either side of half-time was enough to secure all three points for Sarri's men.

The former Napoli boss admitted after the game that he believed his countryman would do a fine job once settled into his new role. Fulham looked dangerous at times but ultimately were unable to sustain a lasting period of pressure against their rivals. Nevertheless, the January transfer window is fast approaching, giving Ranieri the opportunity to bolster his ranks.

One man who should be on his wish list is Chelsea outcast – Danny Drinkwater. Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, Ranieri knows all about the Englishman after the pair worked together at Leicester City. Drinkwater was an integral part of the Foxes team that lifted the Premier League title, his fantastic range of passing combined perfectly with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. His performances saw him join the Blues for £35m, but the 28-year-old has failed to break into the first-team at Stamford Bridge. A January exit is looking increasingly likely for the midfielder who doesn't feature in Sarri's plans.

Drinkwater should have no issues adapting to Ranieri's methods at Craven Cottage and will be desperate to get playing first-team football again. Under a manager who believes in his ability, there is no reason why the Englishman can't rediscover his form of 2016. Alongside N'Golo Kante, Drinkwater excelled meaning he would be the ideal partner for Jean Michel Seri in the engine room.

This move should be a no-brainer for the Italian.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/fulham/claudio-ranieri-and-danny-drinkwater-need-to-start-working-together-again/