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Sunday Fulham Stuff (30/12/18)...

Started by WhiteJC, December 29, 2018, 05:03:11 PM

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WhiteJC

 
Results









Saturday
Brighton
1 - 0 Everton
Fulham
1 - 0 Huddersfield
Leicester
0 - 1 Cardiff
Spurs
1 - 3 Wolves
Watford
1 - 1 Newcastle
Liverpool
5 - 1 Arsenal

WhiteJC

 
Fulham 1-0 Huddersfield Town


Aleksandar Mitrovic is Fulham's top scorer this season with eight goals

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a stoppage-time winner as Fulham secured what could be a priceless victory against bottom side Huddersfield.

Mitrovic slid the ball low past Jonas Lossl for his eighth goal of the season after being played in by substitute Ryan Sessegnon following a swift counter-attack.

Just minutes earlier, Aboubakar Kamara saw his spot-kick saved by Lossl with eight minutes remaining after Chris Lowe had been penalised for handball.

The win, Fulham's first in seven matches, moves Fulham above Burnley and to within one point of safety. Huddersfield remain bottom after a seventh successive defeat, equalling a club record set in 1955.

The most relieved player on the field will be Fulham striker Kamara, who refused to give the ball to Mitrovic for the Cottagers' late penalty, leaving the Serbian striker furious.

Thankfully for Kamara, he did not regret that miss for long, with Mitrovic's late goal earning what could be a hugely significant victory at the end of the season.

The late drama was at odds with what had been a largely dour game lacking in quality in front of goal.

Mitrovic had Fulham's best opportunity when his powerful near-post header from Joe Bryan's cross was well saved by Lossl.

Huddersfield, meanwhile, failed to truly test Sergio Rico in the Fulham goal, with the game rounding off a truly miserable December that has yielded seven straight defeats for the Yorkshire side.


Aboubakar Kamara refused to let Aleksandar Mitrovic take a late penalty

Mitrovic the hero

The Fulham dressing room was seconds away from being a very frosty place after the dispute between Kamara and Mitrovic over that late penalty.

Striker Mitrovic was seen pleading with the Fulham bench to allow him to take the spot-kick, but Kamara's refusal to give him the ball meant he simply had to score or risk the wrath of his team-mate.

Kamara's dramatic miss led manager Claudio Ranieri to remark after the game that he "wanted to kill" the French striker.

It looked to be the final act of a game that had failed to spark into life and leave Mitrovic seething, but his late intervention again highlights how important the 24-year-old is to Fulham's fortunes.

No player has scored more goals for Fulham this year than Mitrovic's 20, following his initial loan move from Newcastle at the start of February.

The Serbian again had more efforts on goal than any other Cottager but must have been fearing a repeat of what happened against Wolves on Wednesday, when he had eight efforts at goal without scoring.

That made it six games without a goal for the former Newcastle forward since scoring twice in Claudio Ranieri's first game in charge against Southampton as the Italian looks to employ a more conservative approach.

Those tactics are slowly starting to yield results however, with Saturday's win making it three matches unbeaten over Christmas with just one goal conceded to edge closer to safety.

If they are to complete a dramatic escape from the drop, then Mitrovic's goals will be central to it.

Familiar failings haunt Huddersfield

Huddersfield boss David Wagner admitted he "never" stops thinking about relegation in the build-up to this game and that prospect once again edged closer to reality after yet another defeat.

It is clear where Huddersfield's problems lie. The total of 12 goals they have mustered this season is comfortably the worst in the Premier League and leaves them five points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table.

His two strikers, Laurent Depoitre and Steve Mounie, have not scored a goal between them but what will have been most concerning to Wagner at Craven Cottage was their failure to even create any clear-cut chances.

The Terriers had 76% possession in the opening 15 minutes but their only shot on goal was an optimistic long-range effort from Philip Billing that was comfortably saved by Sergio Rico.

They would only muster four shots on target for the rest of the game, but none of them truly tested the Fulham goalkeeper.

When they did commit more men forward, in the first minute of stoppage time, they were caught on the counter-attack, with the defeat wrapping up a miserable month for the Yorkshire club.

The Terriers' have lost seven successive games for the first time in 63 years - equalling a club record - and are the first team in the Premier League to lose seven games in a calendar month since Leicester in April 2001.

Man of the Match - Aleksandar Mitrovic


During 2018, Aleksandar Mitrovic scored 20 league goals for Fulham - seven more than any other Cottagers player.

I'm so happy I want to cry - what they said

Aleksandar Mitrovic speaking to BBC Sport: "We had a small argument and I think it is my job for penalties. He did not think like this but I respect that. I have done the same in the past.

"I don't have a problem with this, he missed and that is part of football. He changed the game when he came on in the second half.

"Last time I said I am so unhappy I want to cry, today I want to say I am so happy I want to cry. It is a big three points, we kept another clean sheet and that is a big improvement for us.

"Today was a six-point game against rivals at the bottom and it was a very important game. It gives us confidence before facing Arsenal. We need to carry on winning games and taking points."

Huddersfield head coach David Wagner speaking to BBC Sport: "It is hard to take. If you see how we conceded it makes it harder.

"We had a good opportunity for the counter and could not finish then could not close the gaps and conceded after Jonas Lossl made a great penalty save.

"Today was a game with a lack of creativity from both sides - some shots from both sides and set plays but it was not a good game. We defended the counter well until the stoppage time situation."

Cottagers snatch late win - the stats

    Fulham recorded their second victory in eight Premier League games under Claudio Ranieri (D3 L3), with both wins coming at Craven Cottage.
    Huddersfield have failed to score in 20 Premier League matches during 2018 - more than any other side.
    Since the start of last season, only Lukasz Fabianski (4) has saved more Premier League penalties than Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl (3).
    Huddersfield striker Steve Mounie had two shots in this game without success, taking his tally to 32 without scoring in the Premier League this season - the most of any player.
    Huddersfield lost all seven of their Premier League matches during December 2018 - the first team to do so in a single calendar month since Leicester City lost seven in April 2001.
    None of Fulham's last 158 home league matches have ended goalless.

What's next?

Fulham make the short trip to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on New Year's Day (15:00 GMT kick-off). Huddersfield are at home to Burnley the following day (19:45).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46656880

WhiteJC

 
Manager Reaction

Claudio Ranieri was left with a bittersweet feeling after Fulham defeated Huddersfield Town in the final fixture of 2018.

A stoppage time Aleksandar Mitrović strike earned the Whites a 1-0 win, but it was clouded by an incident that occurred 10 minutes earlier.

Aboubakar Kamara won a penalty when he flicked the ball into Chris Löwe's arm, and subsequently thought he deserved to take the kick.

Mitrović – who Ranieri confirmed is the Club's designated taker – tried to take responsibility, but Kamara refused to hand over the ball, and subsequently missed his kick.


"It's not possible to explain, or maybe it's easy to explain," Ranieri stated. "When the man thinks only of himself, it's not right.

"He didn't respect me, the Club, his teammates, the crowd. He took the penalty, he didn't listen because he wanted to shoot.

"It's unbelievable. It's the first time in my life [I've seen this]. Sometimes there is two players, but at the end there is respect for the man who is the nominated penalty taker.

"I will not accept Kamara taking the ball and wanting to shoot."

Nonetheless, Fulham took a vital three points courtesy of Mitrović's heroics, at the end of what was a hard fought contest.

"The first half was very difficult for us," Ranieri said. "We knew they'd press from the front, and we lost a lot of balls.

"In the second half with [Tom] Cairney as a central midfielder we found a solution, we played better and created some chances to score goals.

"It was good to score a goal at the end of the match, it was very, very important for us; a clean sheet, and three points."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/december/29/manager-reaction


WhiteJC

 
Fulham 1 Huddersfield 0: Aleksandar Mitrovic hits precious late winner after Aboubakar Kamara penalty miss

Aleksandar Mitrovic struck in stoppage time to secure a vital win for Fulham as they beat Huddersfield 1-0 at Craven Cottage.

The Serb struck a powerful low effort under Jonas Lossl to snatch all three points in the last minute of normal time.

Aboubakar Kamara had earlier seen his penalty saved but Mitrovic's goal ensures the Cottagers climb above Burnley into 18th.

In what was billed as the first relegation six-pointer of the season, Fulham were just a point above Huddersfield as the Premier League's two bottom teams met in west London.

In the first half the Cottagers really struggled to get anything going in terms of an attacking threat with Huddersfield controlling possession.

The home fans had to wait until the 15th minute for their first half-chance, when Luciano Vietto's cross just evaded Cyrus Christie at the back post.

But when coach Claudio Ranieri made a double change at the break, the tide turned. Fulham came forward at pace and in waves of attacks, and Lossl was forced into a fine save when turning away Mitrovic's header.

Fulham were awarded a penalty in the final 10 minutes when Chris Loewe handballed in the area. Kamara insisted on taking it but saw his spot-kick saved and it looked as if Fulham had blown their opportunity for all three points.

But when substitute Ryan Sessegnon found Mitrovic with a clever pass on the counter, the towering striker made no mistake with a typically venomous effort to snatch all three points and leave Huddersfield two points adrift at the bottom of the table.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham/fulham-1-huddersfield-0-aleksandar-mitrovic-hits-precious-late-winner-after-aboubakar-kamara-penalty-a4026951.html

WhiteJC

 
Fulham player ratings: Bryan looks good as Mitrovic spares Kamara blushes after penalty fiasco

It was a tale of two halves for Fulham but they still couldn't score

Fulham beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 in a very dramatic game! Here are the player ratings after two halves of different tactics from the Cottagers

Sergio Rico

Unconvincing start to the match for the keeper who spilled a direct shot from Philip Billing, though it did bounce in front of him. Settled to his normal self afterwards. 5

Cyrus Christie

Provided more of attacking option when Fulham were in possession which was certainly a positive and was never really tested in defence. 5

Denis Odoi

Produced another solid performance against physical opposition and remains up for the battle. 6

Alfie Mawson

Looked solid as Fulham defended well but was substituted at half time. 5

Tim Ream

The USA international once again looked like his old self and was assertive in the challenge and composed when put under pressure. Long balls struggled to find their target however. 6

Joe Bryan

Linked up with Luciano Vietto well and had a battle with Zanka in the first as he looks increasingly at home in a Fulham shirt. Produced some quality deliveries in the second half. 7

Calum Chambers

Struggled to find his groove in the first period but operated well in a defensive role as Fulham pushed on in the second half. 5

Jean Michael Seri

The Frenchman is just starting to add a little bit of bite to his game. The intensity and work rate is now good to see and although his foul on xxx was pretty bad, it seems the midfielder is adding something to his game. 6

Tom Cairney

Struggled to settle in the early stages and lost possession multiple times. Obviously looked a lot more settle in the second half as he moved into the centre of the pitch and more of a leader in that area. 6

Aleksandar Mitrovic

Dominant in the air but a number of wayward headers, suggest Fulham may need more chances if the Serbian is going to capitalise. Still poses the opposition plenty of problems. Found the net through Lossl's legs at the death to save Kamara's blushes 7

Luciano Vietto

Started as if he had a real point to prove and cut back for a fantastic cross 15 minutes into the match but Christie just couldn't reach it. Looked very dangers as he roved behind Mitrovic but crucially never got himself in a position to quite take advantage. A performance which offers hope however. 7

Substitutes
Maxime le Marchand - Slotted in exactly how Mawson finished off. Confident and comfortable. 6

Aboubakar Kamara - Provided penetration as Fulham changed tactics and again fulfilled the role of an impact sub. Did demand to take the penalty before missing however. 4

Ryan Sessegnon - Had a chance on goal within seconds of coming on as his movement once again caused problems. The youngster put through a lovely ball for Mitrovic to score. 7



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-player-ratings-kamara-penalty-15608602

WhiteJC

 
Fulham 1-0 Huddersfield: Aleksandar Mitrovic steals all three points for Claudio Ranieri's side in injury time moments after Jonas Lossl saved a late Aboubakar Kamara penalty

    Aleksandar Mitrovic scored in injury time to snatch all three points against relegation rivals Huddersfield
    Jonas Lossl saved an Aboubakar Kamara penalty late on and thought he earned the Terriers a point
    The Terriers have scored the fewest number of goals in the division while the hosts have conceded the most
    One point separated the Premier League's bottom two sides before the match at Craven Cottage on Saturday

Aleksandar Mitrovic saved the blushes of team mate Aboubakar Kamara by scoring a clinical injury time winner that gave Fulham a golden three points against their relegation rivals.

The Serbian striker latched on to Ryan Sessegnon's through ball to slip it past Jonas Lossl, having argued with his collague ten minutes later over who should take what looked like being a decisive penalty.

The French forward had refused to hand the ball to Mitrovic after Erik Durm handled in the area with just nine minutes left. After a heated discussion lasting more than a minute the Serbian eventually wished him luck but then watched in fury as he failed to give it enough width and Jonas Lossl saved with relative ease.


Aleksandar Mitrovic scored in injury time to snatch all three points for Fulham against relegation rivals Huddersfield


Mitrovic looked relieved to score a last-minute winner for the hosts as he helped his side secure their third win of the season


The home side thought they had blown their chance to win after Aboubakar Kamara missed a late penalty


That proved immaterial in the end, and Fulham gained a priceless win after holding off some last ditch pressure from their visitors.

An air of distinctly unfestive tension hung over Craven Cottage as the two teams, both winless in December and Huddersfield on a run of six straight defeats, emerged for what always looked a must-win game.

Having inherited a defence leaking like a colander, Claudio Ranieri sought to continue his tightening up at the back that had seen his team collect an encouraging two draws in two games. His tinkering tendencies were, however, in evidence in dropping eventual vilain Aboubakar Kamara to the bench.

That it was a cagey start from both sides was no great surprise, and the first half was no great improvement on the dire encounter between these two in Yorkshire earlier in the season.


Jonas Lossl saved a late Aboubakar Kamara penalty which he thought had earned Huddersfield a point against Fulham


Aboubakar Kamara sent the penalty to the bottom right corner, but Lossl pulled off a wonderful save to deny him


Huddersfield provided what early threat there was, mainly coming from the runs of German wing back Erik Durm down the right. One of them resulted in Philip Billing driving from the edge of the box, an effort which Sergio Rico could only parry.

Aleksandar Mitrovic, said to have been feeling unwell this week, provided the most positive response, heading just over from a corner in the 21st minute. Five minutes later Jean Michael Seri was booked after mistiming a scything challenge on Florent Hadergjonaj.

Neat footwork and a surging run on the half hour from Denis Odoi, which saw him nearly put skipper Tom Cairney through on goal, was a rare injection of quality amid the turgid mediocrity that prevailed.

Neither side was excelling itself, and Huddersfield were struggling to create the chances that they have been so regularly missing this season.


Aleksandar Mitrovic had the second biggest chance of the match with a header at the far post that was well saved by Lossl


Jean Michael Seri was lucky to stay on the pitch after a two-footed challenge as Kevin Friend only showed him a yellow card


Fulham keeper, Sergio Rico, didn't look comfortable trying to save a Phillip Billing shot from outside the area in the first half


An isolated chance came on 34 minutes when Jonathan Hogg floated a precision cross in to Steve Mounie, who was unmarked but could do no better than head straight at Rico.

The half meandered to close with the only incident of note being the booking of Odoi, hitherto one of the few sources of any creativity, tripping Billing. Elements of the home support made their feelings known with a cacophony of boos as the teams headed off for the interval.

The introduction of Kamara at the break added some impetus (the apparently injured Alfie Mawson was also replaced) and Odoi just failed to latch on to a header across the area from Calum Chambers after Christie's free kick.

The right wing back was involved again just before the hour mark when he put the ball into the box and it was worked to Joe Bryan, who from 15 yards out opted to place his shot and succeeded only in sidefooting it to the keeper for a comfortable save.


The home side's two victories this season have both come at Craven Cottage and were looking to make it three on Saturday

It heralded a more promising spell for the home side that saw a Mitrovic force a rare save from Jonas Lossl. On the debit side Christie was arguably lucky to stay on the pitch when he was booked for flattening Alex Pritchard on the halfway line with no man behind him.

Fulham had the greater momentum while creating little, Kamara running onto a volley but firing it straight at Lossl.

Kamara was at the centre of the penalty shambles when his challenge helped force the handball out of Durm, but he would have faced massive anger without Mitrovic saving him from acute embarrassment.

Substitute Laurent Depoitre might have equalised at the death when his shot went wide and the Yorkshire side will feel they deserved to leave with something.


Steve Mounie and Alfie Mawson tussle for the ball as the league's lowest scorers against the divison's leakiest defence


Fulham chairman Shahid Khan, who failed in a bid to buy Wembley in October, attended the match at Craven Cottage


David Wagner (right) and Claudio Ranieri (left) are under pressure to save their sides from relegation this campaign




https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6538013/Aleksandar-Mitrovic-steals-three-points-Claudio-Ranieris-injury-time.html


WhiteJC

 
Fulham 1 Huddersfield Town 0: Terriers end miserable December with defeat

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ended a miserable December with a record-breaking seventh straight defeat.

The Terriers had looked to be on course for a point after Jonas Lossl had saved Aboubakar Kamara's 81st minute penalty.

But Fulham snatched all three points in a largely forgettable basement battle when Aleksandar Mitrovic broke the deadlock in the first minute of stoppage time. Defeat means Huddersfield become the first Premier League side to lose seven times in the same month - eclipsing the half dozen losses suffered by Leicester City in April, 2001.

More importantly, this latest reverse leaves David Wagner's men in danger of being cut adrift at the foot of the table. Mitrovic's winner came just seconds after Huddersfield's own move had broken down deep in home territory when Erik Durm's cross intended for Laurent Depoitre was cut out. The ball was moved to Ryan Sessegnon and the youngster was soon tearing into the Town half before releasing Mitrovic, who beat Jonas Lossl in impressive fashion. It meant a heart-breaking end to the afternoon for Lossl, who just ten minutes earlier had looked like being the hero for Town by saving Kamara's penalty.

More importantly, this latest reverse leaves David Wagner's men in danger of being cut adrift at the foot of the table. Mitrovic's winner came just seconds after Huddersfield's own move had broken down deep in home territory when Erik Durm's cross intended for Laurent Depoitre was cut out. The ball was moved to Ryan Sessegnon and the youngster was soon tearing into the Town half before releasing Mitrovic, who beat Jonas Lossl in impressive fashion. It meant a heart-breaking end to the afternoon for Lossl, who just ten minutes earlier had looked like being the hero for Town by saving Kamara's penalty.

Chris Lowe's blatant handball left referee Kevin Friend with no option but to point to the spot. Mitrovic is the designated penalty taker for the Londoners but Kamara grabbed the ball and insisted he take it despite the pleas of club captain Tom Cairney and defender Calum Chambers. Kamara, though, would not be swayed and this gave Town a lifeline with his penalty being poor. That should have meant a point apiece from a poor game for two teams whose confidence seemed as low as their league standing.

The first half was a total non-event. Fulham goalkeeper Sergio Rico was almost left embarrassed by a 25-yard effort from Philip Billing that swervedly wickedly but otherwise neither side looked capable of making the breakthrough.

Alexsandar Mitrovic did have a couple of openings from corners but his headers went wide without troubling Jonas Lossl. Matters improved markedly after the restart and Billing could have won it for Town with a late drive that flashed just wide. Then came the ultimate sucker punch for Huddersfield, who are going to have all on to get out of trouble following this latest setback.



Read more at: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/huddersfield-town/fulham-1-huddersfield-town-0-terriers-end-miserable-december-with-defeat-1-9512969

WhiteJC

 
Fulham's Mitrovic makes late difference in basement clash with Huddersfield


Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrates scoring Fulham's late winner against Huddersfield. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters

To judge this match by the scenes at the final whistle you might have thought a cup final had just taken place. Fulham players were standing stock still in shock, half the Huddersfield team were on the floor. It may have been only three points, and in truth it was an awful match, but clearly they meant a lot.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's injury-time winner in this relegation fixture moved Fulham to within one point of the safety zone, and the manner of victory will give Claudio Ranieri's team confidence. For Huddersfield there was no disguising that belief is running out. This was their seventh consecutive league defeat and David Wagner was visibly shellshocked in his post-match press conference.

In an unusual turn Ranieri chose to use his conference not to celebrate victory but to deliver a tough message on the primacy of team over individual. Aboubakar Kamara was the focus and the subject of a public dressing-down.

The French forward had won a late penalty for Fulham, rather dubiously after flicking the ball on to the arm of Huddersfield's Chris Löwe. But he then refused to give the ball to Mitrovic, the designated taker, and his kick was saved by Jonas Lössl. It is safe to say his manager was not happy.

He told the BBC: "I wanted to kill him," and then added: "It is not possible to explain what happened after we got the penalty – or maybe I should say it is easy when a man thinks only of himself.

"It is not right. He didn't respect me, the club, his teammates, the crowd – he took the ball and just said: 'I want to shoot.' He didn't listen to reason.

"I don't know if that is it, if it is finished or if it will continue. Maybe I will take him away from the squad. The other players are calm because we won – but not me. It is not important whether we won or lost, it is important what you did and why."

Ranieri at least found time to acknowledge the importance, and celebrate the contribution, of Mitrovic, who played through illness to end a barren run with his eighth league goal of the season. Running on to Ryan Sessegnon's defence-splitting pass – the teenager having been set free by Tom Cairney in a move reminiscent of Fulham's promotion form of last season – he finished precisely and coolly between the legs of Lössl. Ranieri said: "Mitrovic has played with a 39-degree fever but he is a strong man."

For Wagner, there was little to be said at all. "It's very difficult. I think it was a game where you've seen both teams are struggling at the minute in the Premier League with less clear-cut chances. We were not able to create. This was the story of the game.

"Obviously it's a low point. Not only because we've lost seven in a row but how we lost it. It's a heavy loss we've conceded today. We will need for sure a little bit longer than only 30 minutes afterwards to deal with it."

With the Christmas fixtures unrelenting, Fulham now travel to the Emirates to face Arsenal on New Year's Day while Huddersfield have yet another must-win game against Burnley.

Wagner will have to make sure his team have cleared their heads by then.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/dec/29/fulham-huddersfield-town-premier-league-match-report

WhiteJC

 
Fulham 1-0 Huddersfield

The Wolves game felt like a carefully managed rope-a-dope performance against an underrated side. Today's Huddersfield game was something else, a disjointed non-showing against a team struggling to make an impact at the top level, and yet... sometimes good things happen anyway.

The first half was a disaster, or as much of a disaster as you can have and not be losing. The team again felt broken, but this time the back five and protecting midfielders weren't really able to stop much and the attacking trio: Vietto, Cairney and Mitrovic had nothing either. The midfield and wing backs didn't really support in attack and it looked like the kind of performance that spoke of a lack of confidence, capability and, well, hope.

There were a few half sniffs to Mitrovic's head but even then nothing to really work the 'keeper. The second half saw Seri and Mawson removed: Seri, who had been quiet and picked up a yellow card, was as reasonable a candidate as anyone, and we must presume Mawson had a knock. Le Marchand – who I quite like – and Kamara came on.

It's not immediately obvious why the new combination would be better than the old. Perhaps Ranieri just gave them the mother of all bollockings. Either way, Huddersfield weren't half as strong and Fulham at least felt like they were playing with some momentum. Ranieri saved up Sessegnon for late on and again it brought dividends. It's a legitimate strategy to use certain players for the last 20 minutes given fatigue, etc, so it's not necessarily the mistake some are suggesting that Sessegnon isn't in the starting 11, although we might assume that he'll be there next time anyway. In any case, his presence again brought some forward momentum and soon enough Fulham had a fairly random penalty earned after Bryan's cross nearly dropped in at the far post.

You've seen what happened next I presume, but suffice it to say, Kamara didn't cover himself in glory there. He's lucky that Mitrovic nicked a winner late on, a terrific Sessegnon pass setting him free to finish strongly.

1-0 feels okay and while the performance wasn't very good we must be happy enough with the points. It's anyone's guess what happens next, or how this unit is going to avoid losing 7-0 at Arsenal, but that's a problem for another day.  For now, if you can't be good, be lucky.

Notes on players, comments by exception this time:
Bryan – decent left foot hasn't he? Still not 100% but if this is an avenue for Fulham to attack through then probably it needs to be worked into the overall plan a bit more strongly.
Seri – not coping well with the lack of possession. Still does good things when he gets it. Really needs to be playing up the pitch and seeing lots of the ball but that doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon.  I can see what people get cross about.  He is busy and always running around but some players have that Roy Keane ability to make the match about them, to have everything go through them and to have their input in some capacity.  Seri is very good.  I'm still not conceding that.  But he needs to lead, to be the man.
Cairney – bleugh. I'm not at all convinced at this point. How do you fit him into the team you need this team to be?
Kamara – you can't have a player doing that. He got away with it but that's not the way a professional team works.
Mitrovic – marvellous again. What a joy to have him in the side. I hope fans appreciate what they're seeing here.
Vietto – clearly talented but would benefit from a regular run, a regular role, and from a slightly less desperate situation. For players like Vietto and Seri do you need to surround them with other players like themselves? I don't know. It feels like a waste that they're not playing to a level they could be. I mean I maintain that Seri is/was fine (not sure now that the new non-possession game is playing to his strengths but we are where we are) but Vietto's also in limbo somewhat. Anyway.



https://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2018/12/29/fulham-1-0-huddersfield/


WhiteJC

 
Fulham 1-0 Huddersfield: Late Aleksandar Mitrovic strike sees off Terriers

Highlights and report as Cottagers move up to 18th in table

Aleksandar Mitrovic's injury-time strike saw Fulham beat Huddersfield 1-0 in the battle of the basement sides at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

There was huge relief for the hosts after Aboubakar Kamara had a late penalty saved by Jonas Lossl, with the substitute having grabbed the ball off top-scorer Mitrovic in order to take the spot kick.

However, that 83rd-minute miss was soon forgotten as Mitrovic drilled home a 91st-minute winner, the Serbian's first goal in seven matches and eighth in total this season.

Player ratings

Fulham: Rico (6), Odoi (8), Mawson (6), Ream (6), Christie (7), Chambers (6), Cairney (6), Seri (5), Bryan (7), Vietto (5), Mitrovic (7)

Subs: R Sessegnon (7), Le Marchand (6), Kamara (6)

Huddersfield: Lossl (7), Durm (7), Schindler (6), Zanka (6), Kongolo (6), Hadergjonaj (6), Lowe (6), Billing (6), Hogg (7), Pritchard (7), Mounie (6)

Subs: Kachunga (6) Depoitre (6)

Man of the match: Denis Odoi

As a result, Claudio Ranieri's team moved up to 18th in the Premier League and are just a point from safety, while Huddersfield remain bottom of the table.

Huddersfield may have started the better of the two struggling sides, dominating both possession and territory before the break in west London.

It was the home team who created the better openings, though, with leading-scorer Mitrovic twice going close from right-wing corners, only for his far-post headers to miss the target.

Ranieri made a double change at the break and while the switches gave the hosts more attacking edge, the contest appeared to be petering out for a draw, until late drama unfolded down by the Thames.

Team news

Fulham made two changes from their Boxing Day draw with Wolves, with captain Tom Cairney and Luciano Vietto coming in for Andre Schurrle and Aboubakar Kamara, who dropped to the bench.

The Terriers, meanwhile, made three changes from their 3-1 loss at Man Utd on Boxing Day, with Jonathan Hogg, Chris Lowe and Steve Mounie all recalled. And Elias Kachunga, Isaac Mbenza, Laurent Depoitre were subs.

Firstly, Fulham were awarded a penalty when Chris Lowe was judged to have handled Kamara's shot in the box after Joe Bryan's miss-hit cross had deceived Lossl and hit the bar.

However, following a dispute over who should take the spot kick, with Kamara winning the argument, the substitute then saw his weak effort easily saved by Lossl, diving to his left.

That miss was soon forgotten, though, when in stoppage time the home team launched a swift counter through captain Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon.

From the substitute's wonderful pass, there was the ever-willing Mitrovic to drill the ball through the advancing Lossl's legs and send the Cottage into pandemonium.

Opta stats

    Fulham recorded their second victory in eight Premier League games under Claudio Ranieri (D3 L3), with both wins coming at Craven Cottage.
    Huddersfield failed to score in 20 Premier League matches during 2018 - more than any other side.
    During 2018, Aleksandar Mitrovic scored 20 league goals for Fulham - seven more than any other Cottagers player.
    Since the start of last season, only Lukasz Fabianski (4) has saved more Premier League penalties than Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl (3).
    Huddersfield striker Steve Mounie had two shots in this game without success, taking his tally to 32 without scoring in the Premier League this season - the most of any player.
    None of Fulham's last 158 home league matches have ended goalless.

Managers

Claudio Ranieri: "The man who should shoot the penalty is Mitrovic, and Kamara did not respect me, the club, the team-mates, the crowd, anybody. He take the ball and want to shoot the ball, it is unbelievable. I want to kill him."

David Wagner: Obviously it's a low point. Not only because we've lost seven in a row but how we lost it. It's a heavy loss we've conceded (at Fulham). We will need for sure a little bit longer than only 30 minutes afterwards to deal with it.

"December wasn't our month, obviously. But for me it's not possible to think so quickly after the game about the transfer window or the next game. I have to reflect."

Man of the Match - Denis Odoi

The experienced defender has come in for criticism for some of his displays with his side struggling this season.

However, against Huddersfield, the Belgium international was back to the sort of form he showed as the Cottagers won promotion to the Premier League last season.

The 30-year-old was a dominating presence in the hosts' back line, breaking up opposition attacks, before helping to launch attacks with his accurate passing into midfield.

Ranieri will need more such performances from the Belgian between now and the end of the season if Fulham are to beat the drop.

What's next?

Fulham take on Champions League-chasing Arsenal at the Emirates on Tuesday afternoon, while Huddersfield host fellow-strugglers Burnley on Wednesday night.



https://www.skysports.com/football/fulham-vs-huddsfld/report/390950

WhiteJC

 
Aleksandar Mitrovic saves Fulham blushes after Aboubakar Kamara has penalty saved against Huddersfield


Fulham fans and player celebrate together following Aleksandar Mitrovic's last-gasp winner Credit: Action Images 

There was no doubting the most relieved man inside Craven Cottage on Saturday. After winning his side a penalty, Aboubakar Kamara wrestled the ball from designated take Aleksandar Mitrovic, with Tom Cairney trying to act as peacemaker.

Kamara won the argument but missed the kick. So irate were the supporters that many of them booed each of the Frenchman's touches for the remaining nine minutes.

"When a man thinks only of himself, it's not right," said Fulham coach Claudio Ranieri. "He don't respect me, the club, his team-mates, the crowd. I speak a little with him," added the Italian before hinting that he may take further disciplinary action against the player.

"He doesn't understand the reason. It's unbelievable. It's the first time in my life I've ever seen this. The other players are calm because we won but for me it doesn't matter if we win or lose. It matters what you do and why."

Thankfully for Kamara, Mitrovic spared his blushes to score the most precious of match-winning goals in the 91st minute and lift Fulham above Huddersfield.

"I believed until the end," said Ranieri. "The first half was very difficult for us because they pressed a lot in front. We lost a lot of balls. In the second half we played better. It was very important for us."


Aboubakar Kamara had his second-half penalty saved after appearing to argue with team-mate Mitrovic over spot-kick duties  Credit: Action Images 

Spare a thought for Huddersfield Town this festive season. December has not been a month of celebration for them – they have lost all seven of their Premier League games. It is the worst run in their history and the joint-worst in the competition.

After a wonderful 2018 in which David Wagner kept his side in the division against all the odds, the prospects for next year look much bleaker.

"Obviously this was a real low point," said Wagner. "Not only that we lost the seventh game in a row but how we lost it. We need longer to think about it. It was very difficult. It was a game where you could see that both teams were struggling without any clear-cut chances."

They have scored just 12 times in their 20 games to date, comfortably the lowest tally of any of the 92 professional clubs, but for the most part, they were the better side in what was an abject encounter.

Huddersfield pressed their opponents into frequent errors and were comfortable in possession, which they largely dominated.

But they, like Fulham, were devoid of any creativity and clearly scarred from their recent string of defeats.

A dreadful first half saw neither side make any serious impression in the final third with Fulham in particular looking disjointed.

Ranieri's newly-adopted three-man central defence seems to have come at a cost to their attacking fluidity and they struggled to exert any real pressure on the visitors' back line.

The closest Huddersfield came was when Sergio Rico fumbled Philip Billing's speculative effort whilst Mitrovic headed tamely over the bar from Seri's corner for the home side.

Ranieri withdrew the injured Alfie Mawson and the disappointing Jean Michael Seri at half-time but Fulham only began to wake up in the final 25 minutes.

Joe Bryan set up their best chance by far as Jonas Lossl saved brilliantly from Mitrovic's near-post header.

With the game drifting towards stalemate, Fulham were handed a lifeline.

Kamara scooped the ball back towards the area and the ball struck Chris Lowe's arm.

A lengthy and fierce consultation ensued between Kamara and Mitrovic as to who would take the spot kick.

Kamara won but ultimately proved the loser as Lossl saved to his right and Fulham's chances of victory looked to have vanished.

Thankfully for Kamara, Ryan Sessegnon had the pace and direct running to create one final chance for Mitrovic on the counter which the Serbian converted through the legs of Lossl.



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/12/29/aleksandar-mitrovic-saves-fulham-blushes-afteraboubakar-kamara/

WhiteJC

 
Aleksandar Mitrovic's late winner hands Fulham crucial three points in relegation scrap with Huddersfield

Fulham 1-0 Huddersfield: Aboubakar Kamara resisted Mitrovic to take a spot-kick – only to see Jonas Lossl save his effort – but the Serbian atoned for the miss minutes later

As the whistle blew for full-time, bodies were strewn all over the Craven Cottage pitch. Fulham in white, exhausted and elated; Huddersfield in black, emptied of energy and emotion. After 94 draining minutes, a game of almost unbearable tautness was decided in its final flings: a winning goal by Aleksandar Mitrovic, through the legs of Jonas Lossl, straight as an arrow, straight as a punch to the guts.

For Huddersfield's players, their staff and their supporters, the aftershocks from that goal will be felt all along their trip back home up the M1, and perhaps even longer than that. They will end 2018 bottom of the Premier League: still fighting, still furiously flailing against a tide that threatens to wash them right back where they came from. With every passing week, the waters are rising.

Fulham aren't safe either, not by any stretch. But three unbeaten games have at least given them back the hope that seemed to have been extinguished during a rotten autumn. After a shocking first 45 minutes, Claudio Ranieri shuffled the pack at half-time and was rewarded with a far more convincing performance. Had Aboubakar Kamara not missed a penalty eight minutes from time, they may even have enjoyed a little breathing space.

It was the moments before the penalty, however, that laid bare the underlying tensions that remain within this squad. For a few surreal seconds, we were treated to the sight of Kamara and Mitrovic engaged in a heated argument over who would take the kick. Kamara argued that he had won the penalty, flicking the ball off Chris Lowe's arm, as well as scoring their last penalty at Old Trafford a few weeks ago. But Mitrovic was the designated kicker, and watched in horror as Kamara snatched the ball up, placed it on the spot, and put it at a comfortable height for Lossl to save.

Kamara was booed by his own fans for the rest of the game, and despite the three points Ranieri, too, was unimpressed. "When a man thinks only of himself, it's not right," he said. "He didn't respect me, his team-mates, the crowd. I cannot accept Kamara taking the ball. It's unbelievable." Ranieri also suggested Kamara may be about to enjoy a short period in the reserves.

It was his good fortune, and Fulham's, that Mitrovic still had his eye for goal. And after 90 minutes of the utmost caution, in which Huddersfield enjoyed 56 per cent of possession but did virtually nothing with it, there was a certain irony in the fact that it was a wildly ambitious attempt on goal that proved their downfall. It came from Philip Billing, eyeing up a spectacular injury-time winner from 30 yards out, trying an audacious scissor-kick, and missing the ball completely.

All of a sudden, Fulham were away. Tom Cairney laid the ball calmly out to Ryan Sessegnon on the right, the substitute Sessegnon bore down on goal, slipped in Mitrovic, and just seconds after Huddersfield had been on the attack, the game was lost. Such are the margins at this level.

In a way, it was harsh on Huddersfield, the sort of spirited, hard-working side that make the Premier League such a compelling weekly spectacle. But they may be fast discovering that you can't defend your way to survival. Sooner or later you have to take a risk, string a few chances together, rely on more than good shape and relentless running to break teams down. They gave everything here, stuck to their gameplan, defended for their lives. But at the end, it was only Fulham left standing.



https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/fulham-vs-huddersfield-result-final-score-epl-latest-table-news-a8703406.html


Mince n Tatties

Quote from: WhiteJC on December 30, 2018, 07:51:51 AM

Fulham's Mitrovic makes late difference in basement clash with Huddersfield


Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrates scoring Fulham's late winner against Huddersfield. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters

To judge this match by the scenes at the final whistle you might have thought a cup final had just taken place. Fulham players were standing stock still in shock, half the Huddersfield team were on the floor. It may have been only three points, and in truth it was an awful match, but clearly they meant a lot.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's injury-time winner in this relegation fixture moved Fulham to within one point of the safety zone, and the manner of victory will give Claudio Ranieri's team confidence. For Huddersfield there was no disguising that belief is running out. This was their seventh consecutive league defeat and David Wagner was visibly shellshocked in his post-match press conference.

In an unusual turn Ranieri chose to use his conference not to celebrate victory but to deliver a tough message on the primacy of team over individual. Aboubakar Kamara was the focus and the subject of a public dressing-down.

The French forward had won a late penalty for Fulham, rather dubiously after flicking the ball on to the arm of Huddersfield's Chris Löwe. But he then refused to give the ball to Mitrovic, the designated taker, and his kick was saved by Jonas Lössl. It is safe to say his manager was not happy.

He told the BBC: "I wanted to kill him," and then added: "It is not possible to explain what happened after we got the penalty – or maybe I should say it is easy when a man thinks only of himself.

"It is not right. He didn't respect me, the club, his teammates, the crowd – he took the ball and just said: 'I want to shoot.' He didn't listen to reason.

"I don't know if that is it, if it is finished or if it will continue. Maybe I will take him away from the squad. The other players are calm because we won – but not me. It is not important whether we won or lost, it is important what you did and why."

Ranieri at least found time to acknowledge the importance, and celebrate the contribution, of Mitrovic, who played through illness to end a barren run with his eighth league goal of the season. Running on to Ryan Sessegnon's defence-splitting pass – the teenager having been set free by Tom Cairney in a move reminiscent of Fulham's promotion form of last season – he finished precisely and coolly between the legs of Lössl. Ranieri said: "Mitrovic has played with a 39-degree fever but he is a strong man."

For Wagner, there was little to be said at all. "It's very difficult. I think it was a game where you've seen both teams are struggling at the minute in the Premier League with less clear-cut chances. We were not able to create. This was the story of the game.

"Obviously it's a low point. Not only because we've lost seven in a row but how we lost it. It's a heavy loss we've conceded today. We will need for sure a little bit longer than only 30 minutes afterwards to deal with it."

With the Christmas fixtures unrelenting, Fulham now travel to the Emirates to face Arsenal on New Year's Day while Huddersfield have yet another must-win game against Burnley.

Wagner will have to make sure his team have cleared their heads by then.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/dec/29/fulham-huddersfield-town-premier-league-match-report

Brilliant from the Guardian, the photo of Mitro isn't from yesterdays game...lol

WhiteJC

 
Claudio Ranieri says he 'wanted to kill' Aboubakar Kamara

Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri said he "wanted to kill" Aboubakar Kamara after the striker snatched the ball off team-mate Aleksandar Mitrovic and missed a late penalty against Huddersfield.

The pair argued and designated spot-kick taker Mitrovic was furious after Kamara refused to give him the ball.

"He did not respect me, the club, team-mates and crowd. I spoke with him, it is not right," Ranieri told BBC Sport.

Mitrovic, though, rescued the Cottagers with an injury-time winner.

The Serbian coolly converted his eighth goal of the season on 91 minutes after being put through by Ryan Sessegnon.

But despite Ranieri's anger, there seemed to be few hard feelings between the two players at the final whistle, as the relegation-threatened side celebrated their victory over the Premier League's bottom side.


"No, it's my ball", "no, it's mine"

Mitrovic told BBC Sport: "We had a small argument and I think it is my job for penalties. He did not think like this but I respect that. I have done the same in the past.

"I don't have a problem with this, he missed and that is part of football. He changed the game when he came on in the second half."

Ranieri added: "I said to Aboubakar Kamara to leave the ball to Aleksandar Mitrovic, he is the man who shoots the penalties. It is unbelievable what he did.

"I wanted to kill him. That is normal when one man takes a ball, only because he scored the last penalty (against Manchester United). It should be Mitrovic, that is it."

Tears of sorrow to tears of joy


What a difference three days makes...

Mitrovic said he felt like crying after missing several chances in his side's 1-1 draw at Wolves on Wednesday, but he proved to be the match-winner three days later.

Fulham are now unbeaten in their last three games, keeping two clean sheets and though they remain in the drop zone, victory over Huddersfield lifted them up a place to 18th, just one point adrift of safety.

A pleased Mitrovic on this occasion said: "Last time I said I am so unhappy I want to cry, today I want to say I am so happy I want to cry.

"It is a big three points, we kept another clean sheet and that is a big improvement for us.

"Today was a six-point game against rivals at the bottom and it was a very important game. It gives us confidence before facing Arsenal. We need to carry on winning games and taking points."

Ranieri added: "It was unbelievable. If we had to dream this match, it is important to score in the last minute and that is what we did. It was very important for the victory and the effort."

'Defeat hard to take'

Huddersfield are rooted to the bottom of the table having lost all seven games in December and are in danger of being cut adrift from the rest, five points off safety.

The West Yorkshire side have won just twice in their 20 games so far and face another crucial game against 19th-placed Burnley on Wednesday.

"It is hard to take," said Terriers boss David Wagner. "If you see how we conceded it makes it harder.

"We had a good opportunity for the counter and could not finish then could not close the gaps and conceded after Jonas Lossl made a great penalty save.

"Today was a game with a lack of creativity form both sides, some shots from both sides and set plays but it was not a good game. We defended the counter well until the stoppage time situation."

Goalkeeper Lossl added: "It leaves us with an awful feeling at the end of the year. There is another very important game coming up. We need to be angry and frustrated and take that feeling into the next game."


Lossl's penalty save was not enough for Huddersfield



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46711004

WhiteJC

 
Aleksandar Mitrovic saves Fulham after Aboubakar Kamara's penalty shambles

Claudio Ranieri's team strike late against Huddersfield in the relegation six-pointer after spot of bother

Fulham boosted their Premier League survival hopes after Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a stoppage time winner to give them a 1-0 win over bottom team Huddersfield.

But they did it only after a shambolic penalty clanger almost dropped them in it.

The result lifted Fulham one place up to 18th on 14 points from 20 games, two more than Burnley who are at home to West Ham United in one of Sunday's four fixtures.

Huddersfield have 11 points after suffering their seventh successive defeat.

Having had a bullet of a header saved by Jonas Lossl, who also kept out an Aboubakar Kamara penalty, Mitrovic delighted the home fans after taking a Ryan Sessegnon pass in his stride and firing it past the visiting keeper.

Kamara will have been particularly relieved with the outcome as he snatched the ball away from Mitrovic to take the spot kick he earned after Chris Lowe handled the French forward's attempt to control the ball.

Kamara was booed by the home fans every time he touched the ball in the closing stages and just when it seemed he would be left to rue his ill-judged perseverance, Mitrovic spared his blushes with a superb finish.

Huddersfield launched a dangerous raid at the other end and after Fulham cleared the danger, they launched a quick breakaway move with Sessegnon feeding Mitrovic to rifle the ball past Lossl from just inside the penalty box.

Fulham match-winner Mitrovic told Sky Sports: "Unbelievable. I am so tired and so happy. We deserved this, we worked hard and this is the best way to win the game, scoring in the last minute. We are very proud.


Maxime Le Marchand embraces Sergio Rico as Fulham claimed a big win (Image: Justin Setterfield)

"When Ryan Sessegnon got the ball I knew he will go inside so I tried to find the space and I knew he would pass or shoot. I made the run and he decided to pass and I finished it well. I did not have luck in last game, but today I did.

"For the penalty, we had a small argument and I think it is my job for penalties. He did not think like this but I respect that. I have done the same in the past. I don't have a problem with this, he missed and that is part of football. He changed the game when he came on in the second half. We worked very hard for the win.

"Last time I said I am so unhappy I want to cry, today I want to say I am so happy I want to cry.

"It is a big three points, we kept another clean sheet and that is a big improvement for us. Today was a six points game against rivals at the bottom and it was a very important game. it gives us confidence before facing Arsenal. We need to carry on winning games and taking points."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/aleksandar-mitrovic-saves-fulham-after-13790716


WhiteJC

 
'It's impossible to speak with this man' - Full transcript of Ranieri on Kamara penalty farce

The Frenchman missed his spot kick after arguing with Mitrovic

In the end it was a clean sheet and a win but before Aleksandar Mitrovic's late winner a penalty fiasco threatened to overshadow Fulham's performance.

A moment of joy when Fulham won a penalty in the 80th minute after Aboubakar Kamara kicked the ball against a Huddersfield arm turned into one of embarrassment as the French forward would not relinquish the ball to designated penalty taker Mitrovic.

The Serbian lifted his arms in the air as Kamara clutched tight to the ball despite Tom Cairney trying to negotiate with him.

Kamara then went and missed the penalty. Despite the win, Ranieri was very unhappy with the forward.

See what he had to say below:

Can you explain what happened with the penalty?

It is not possible to explain. Or, maybe it is easy to explain. When the man thinks only of himself it's not right. He didn't respect me, the club, his teammates, the crowd, he take the penalty, the ball, 'I want to shoot'. Don't listen to reason, he wants to shoot. I speak a little with him

Can you share what you said?

I think he did understand,

Who is the penalty taker?

It's Mitrovic, Mitrovic but he [Kamara] scored the last penalty and he thought, 'ah I am the man'.

Did he apologise?

No, he said I want to shoot and I said 'if your teammate want to shoot, what happenw?' then it is impossible to speak with this man.

He doesn't understand the reason, for him, everything is fine in the match. It's unbelievable. It's the first time in my life.

Did you understand why the fans were booing him?

Yeah, I understand but it's much better when the fans are together and then let me make what I have to do.

How will you make it clear what he did was wrong?

To Kamara? Already I have spoke with him. I hope he understood. It's difficult, he can understand.

Is that it?

I don't know if it finish or continue. I don't know.

How did the other players react?

Calm because we won. For me, it is not important if we win or lose. It's important what you did, why, why.

Will he be punished? Taken away from the squad?

Could be, I think first of all of the club and the squad. If I think it is good for the squad he can play, if I think it's not good for the squad I take out. Now I have to see the Arsenal match and then decide.

Many years of football but you've never seen anything like that?

Never. There are sometimes two players but there is at the end a respect for the man who is the nominated to shoot the penalty. That's it.

He said 'I made the penalty, the penalty was with me and then I had to shoot.' It was a strange answer.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-mitrovic-kamara-penalty-miss-15609331

WhiteJC


Fulham 1, Huddersfield Town 0
Football is the best and worse at the same time


Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images

It would be good for everyone involved to never watch sports ever again. It's bad for your heart, soul and self esteem all at the same time when things go completely wrong. But on nights like tonight where all you can do is shake your head in disbelief, sports can be quite wonderful. I mean really, what in the living love was that?!?!

First, Fulham claimed a penalty after so much huffing and puffing in the second half thanks to a handball by Chris Lowe in the 81st minute. But instead of Aleksander Mitrovic taking the penalty, Aboubakar Kamara wrestled the ball away from every Fulham player that tried to convince him not to take it. To his credit, Mitrovic gave him a kiss on the cheek to wish him good luck after so much bickering beforehand, you could make a soap opera out of it. But all you needed to do was watch Kamara's first step towards his shot on goal to see that there was no chance of him putting it past Jonas Lossl in front of the Hammersmith End. From there, Kamara officially became the most hated Fulham player in recent memory and I seriously don't know how the Frenchmen will ever fully forgive his teammates, his manager and the supporters ever again for what he did. Should I mention he's under contract for another two seasons?

Fortunately for him and everyone involved, there was enough time to claim a winner. On the one occasion in which Huddersfield ever decide to go on the break, a failed cross was swept away and Fulham countered quickly. From there, the ball eventually was released towards substitute Ryan Sessegnon who only had Mitrovic to pick out versus four defenders retreating. Fortunately, the Serbian sensation made the perfect run inside the penalty area and the teenage wonder did it again to pick a perfect pass to him. All Mitro needed to do was one-touch it home to sent Craven Cottage into delerium. The celebrations were more of relief more than of pure ecstasy. Kamara tried to join into the celebrations as muted as he could, but he only got quiet handshakes in return. Fortunately again, Mitrovic gave him some embrace.

All in all, it was another game of two halves as has been the case in every fixture since Claudio Ranieri introduced three at the back to Fulham. Huddersfield completely controlled the first half but only because Fulham didn't even bothered to press at all. It was as if the whole of Southwest London didn't recognize that this is what they've been doing all month long while completely neutering the attack in the process. But in the 291 completed passes by the Terriers, they were only met with nine defensive actions by Fulham.

Fortunately, Huddersfield continue to be one of the worst goal-scoring teams in Premier League history and none of their 65.5% possession resulted into anything. They may have had six total shots with four going on target for the opening 45 minutes, but the Terriers' efforts only led to 0.17 expected goals. They would only get another 0.09 expected goals the rest of the contest.

Fulham clearly heard all of the River Thames booing them off the pitch at the end of the first half demanding a dominant performance when they returned. And boy did they deliver! But this was not without a few substitutions before the start of the second half: a Fulham tradition this football season. Alfie Mawson had to come off due to injury and was replaced by Maxime Le Marchand while the Seri-Cairney experiment didn't work once again as one Frenchmen was replaced by another in Kamara.

Say what you want from here on out about Kamara as a player, but his presence alone on the pitch completely changed Fulham's shape the rest of the game and a much more aggressive football club was released from its shackles as a result. This time, Huddersfield's 126 completed passes were more than half of what they accomplished in the opening 45 minutes and were met with the same total of defensive actions by Fulham. Only this time, the home side had four of those tackles and interceptions occur in the attacking half and were hounding the visitors hard whenever they had the ball. The influences of Phillip Billing and Jonathan Hogg were rendered mute the rest of the match and once Luciano Vietto came off for Sessegnon, it was up to Fulham's attacking players to carry them home.

Mitrovic was at his best once again with five shots at goal while Joe Bryan and Cyrus Christie were immense delivering width from their wingback positions all second half. Even Kamara had a decent attempt at a volley, even if it was calmly catched by Lossl. If anything, all of Fulham's efforts led to the decisive penalty attempt and goal that sealed their three points. A 14-9 shot advantage and a 1.72-0.28 expected goal advantage was their just reward and further proof that their attacking nous can be even better going forward.

It may have been as ugly as you could get out of a football match, but what do you expect with a battle between the two worst football clubs in the Premier League. But for what it's worth, Fulham can kick on...and hey, Arsenal are getting pummeled by Liverpool right now. Dreamers can keep dreaming.



https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2018/12/29/18160169/fulham-1-huddersfield-town-0

WhiteJC

 
Mitrovic overcame illness to be Fulham's matchwinner

Aleksandar Mitrovic overcame a fever before scoring a dramatic stoppage-time winner for Fulham against Huddersfield.

Boss Claudio Ranieri revealed he was concerned the Serbian would not be able to finish the match before he swept home Ryan Sessegnon's pass right at the death.

"I wanted to make two changes at half-time but Alfie Mawson was injured and I had to wait to put Sessegnon on," Ranieri explained.

"So I couldn't take risks because Mitrovic played yesterday and the day before with a fever – I didn't know if he could continue.

"Fortunately he is a strong man and finished the match. He didn't have a fever in the morning of the game."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/mitrovic-overcame-illness-to-be-fulhams-matchwinner


WhiteJC

 
Fulham blow as defender Alfie Mawson suffers injury in Cottagers win over Huddersfield

The defender was substituted at half time

Claudio Ranieri beleives that Alfie Mawson could be out for a while with a knee injury he suffered in Fulham's 1-0 win over Huddersfield.

The defender was substituted at half time along with Jean Michael Seri so it was initially unclear if it was purely a tactical decision, even though ex-Barnsley man was performing well.

The Italian reveled however, he had hoped to put Ryan Sessegnon onto the pitch half time but was forced to wait due to Mawson's problem combined with the fact Aleksandar Mitrovic was recovering from a fever.

Ranieri said: "I wanted to make two changes but at the end Mawson was injured. I had to wait to put Sessegnon and I put him on the last ten minutes because I can take risk. Also Mitrovic played yesterday with a fever and I don't know if he can continue. Fortunately he is strong man and he continued all the match.

"Last night he finished the fever and tonight he didn't fortunately."

The Cottagers will hope it isn't too serious as fixtures come thick and fast and the former Swansea defender has just started to look back to his best following knee surgery in the summer.

The 24-year-old suffered that injury in a warm up to an FA Cup match against Sheffield Wednesday last February but waited until May for the operation.

That meant Mawson was still undergoing rehabilitation when he joined Fulham last summer and missed the start of the season because of it. While he had mostly commanded a first team spot, the centre-back had not looked up to pace of his normal heights for much of the season but looked a man transformed in Ranieri's new system.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-blow-defender-alfie-mawson-15609388

WhiteJC

 
Fulham's Ranieri furious with Kamara over penalty

LONDON (Reuters) - Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri said he wanted "to kill" his striker Aboubakar Kamara, whom he accused of disrespecting the club by insisting on taking a penalty against the Italian's orders in their 1-0 win over Huddersfield Town.

The bizarre incident, made worse by Kamara's subsequent miss from the spot, happened in the 82nd minute of the Premier League game with the score goalless at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

As soon as the penalty was awarded, Frenchman Kamara wrestled the ball from Fulham's top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic and ignored all entreaties from his team mates to give the ball back to the Serbian.

The 23-year-old Kamara's subsequent effort was then saved by Huddersfield keeper Jonas Lossl.

Although Mitrovic scored a late winner that moved Fulham up one place to 18th, Ranieri afterwards expressed his anger at Kamara, who had netted a penalty against Manchester United earlier this season.

"I said to Aboubakar Kamara to leave the ball to Aleksandar Mitrovic, he is the man who shoots the penalties," said the Italian coach.

'It is unbelievable, he did not respect me, the club, the team and crowd. I spoke with him, it is not right.

"I wanted to kill him, that is normal when one man takes a ball, only because he scored the last penalty (against Manchester United). It should be Mitrovic, that is it."

Mitrovic adopted a more conciliatory tone, saying: "For the penalty, we had a small argument and I think it is my job for penalties. He (Kamara) did not think like this but I respect that. I have done the same in the past. I don't have a problem with this, he missed and that is part of football."

Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke was involved in a similar incident in a Premier League game last December, when he wrestled the ball from regular penalty taker Luka Milivojevic but also missed from the spot in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

Belgian striker Benteke subsequently issued an apology to his team mates for his actions.



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