Sunday Fulham Stuff (03/03/19)...

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Results

Saturday
Spurs	1 - 1	Arsenal
Bournemouth	0 - 1	Man City
Brighton	1 - 0	Huddersfield
Burnley	1 - 3	Palace
Man Utd	3 - 2	Southampton
Wolves	2 - 0	Cardiff
West Ham	2 - 0	Newcastle

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Fulham caretaker manager Scott Parker inspired by message from Sir Alex Ferguson

Scott Parker will take charge of Fulham for the first time on Sunday CREDIT: REUTERS

Scott Parker will begin his managerial career on Sunday backed by words of advice from Sir Alex Ferguson.

The former England midfielder, 38, will take charge of Fulham for the first time when Chelsea visit Craven Cottage, having been placed in temporary charge until the end of the season following Claudio Ranieri's 106-day reign being brought to an end this week with the club rooted in the Premier League relegation places.

For Parker, who had been working as a first-team coach, the move into management has been seven years in the planning, having started his coaching badges while a player at Tottenham Hotspur. By his own admission, he views the coming weeks as an audition for the permanent job, and has a clear idea of the minimum requirements he expects from a Fulham side he believes have capitulated too easily this season.

A constantly ringing phone on Thursday night confirmed Parker would not want for support to achieve his aim, but it was a text from Ferguson, the former Manchester United manager, that underlined his new status.

"When you are looking through your messages and there are a lot of them, and obviously to get one from Sir Alex was amazing," he said. "It was a long message with some different points about the modern-day footballer. How he handled certain things and just some bullet points for me really, which was amazing."

Parker has already demonstrated his ability to get his message across to his players, taking the lead at half-time when Ranieri's side trailed 2-0 to Brighton and helping inspire an outstanding second-half display that brought a 4-2 win.

It will take similar powers of recovery if the club are to close the 10-point gap to safety in the remaining 10 games, but Parker is determined that whatever the outcome, his team will not lack for fight.

"Giving 100 per cent, that is the minimum," he said. "I feel, as a fan, when you come into the stadium and pay for your ticket, you can forgive everything if the players give everything. It's the same in any walk of life. My little boy is doing his GCSEs this year and if he doesn't pass and he's given everything, he's revised, that's fine. And that's the message I am giving to the players. There's a way to lose a match. And this year, at times, we have lost games and people can point fingers. That's something that doesn't sit well with me."

The new manager avoided criticism of both Slavisa Jokanovic and Ranieri, his predecessors this season, and plans to adopt a playing style that will be "in a nutshell, somewhere in between the two". The coming weeks will determine whether Parker extends his stay, but he insists he will not be viewing his work as a short-term fix. "I will be taking a long-term view in that whatever the outcome is personally, I leave this club in a better place," he said.



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/03/01/fulham-caretaker-manager-scott-parker-inspired-message-sir-alex/

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Fulham vs. Chelsea, Premier League: Opposition Analysis
This could (should?) be the least competitive London derby on record. Can Chelsea finally play to their potential?

The Season So Far

Oh dear.

Off the back of a much-publicised £100m-plus summer spend, Fulham were supposed to emulate the achievements of Wolves, coming up from the Championship to establish themselves in the top flight within a few weeks. Their signings looked good on paper: Aleksandar Mitrović has genuine pedigree as a goalscorer, while André Schürrle, Jean Michaël Seri, Alfie Mawson, Calum Chambers and Luciano Vietto need no introduction at this level. With exciting prospects like Ryan Sessegnon and established pros like Stefan Johansen and Tom Cairney already at the club, a mid-table finish looked achievable. Alas, the Cottagers have been abject from start to finish and, now under their third manager of the season, are as good as down.

Slaviša Jokanović was quickly exposed as too naïve for the Premier League, sending his team out with instructions to play easy-on-the-eye attacking football but to turn into statues as soon as the ball was turned over. Claudio Ranieri, an odd choice of manager for a newly promoted club in a relegation dogfight, wasted no time in demonstrating that he wasn't the man for the job either. Sent packing this week after a mere 17 games, Ranieri – a man so likeable and avuncular that simply saying his name aloud makes one smile – somehow made himself a figure of hate at Craven Cottage and won't be missed in the slightest.

The Season Ahead

It's surely too late for Fulham to save themselves from the drop and everyone at the club will now be thinking about next season. For many of the high-earning players, that will mean looking for a move – hardly an incentive to give their all during a relegation battle. For the board, it will mean deciding which of the remaining players are worth keeping and which aren't. For whichever manager takes the job, it will mean accepting a poisoned chalice.

In charge for Sunday's game will be "caretaker" Scott (E.) Parker. It seems the 2010-11 FWA Footballer of the Year retired all of five minutes ago, but he's actually spent a year as Tottenham's Under 18s Coach and has been First Team Coach at Fulham since last summer. Always a responsible and tactically aware player in the centre of the pitch — except for when he was at Chelsea, when he a responsible and tactically aware player on the bench — few would be surprised were Parker to make a decent fist of a career in the dugout, but this will surely be a burning baptism of fire.

Tactics

At no point during the season have Fulham settled on a system or a side. They've used 27 players, the second highest figure in the division, and 16 of those have been new signings, of which no club has used more. This has, from start to finish, been an improvised effort. As such, their demise should come as no surprise. It would be equally unsurprising were Scott Parker to send out yet another new XI with new instructions this weekend. What would be surprising is if they somehow managed to play competently.

Strengths

Well-stocked as they are with top-level players and exciting youth prospects, they're probably lots of fun to play on FIFA and Football Manager.

It's worth remembering that their attack is half-decent: they rank considerably higher for Expected Goals than the teams that will stay up above them and Mitrović, always a danger in the box, is already into double figures for the season. Besides Mitrović no-one else has stepped up to the plate, but with the likes of André Schürrle, Ryan Babel and Ryan Sessegnon to call on, that's entirely down to managerial incompetence. This is a team capable of scoring goals.

Weaknesses

Being as they are a team which has been set up to disregard all aspects of playing without the ball, Fulham have comfortably the worst defence in the Premier League. They've allowed an average of 2.25 goals against per game and while that's significantly worse than their Expected Goals Against figure, their xGA figure is still the worst in the division. Fulham may pack a punch, but they still deserve to go down with not so much as a whimper.

Only Burnley and Brighton have allowed more shots on their goal this season, but that's been by design rather than by accident. Sean Dyche and Chris Hughton have made their careers out of playing reactively and frustrating their opposition, while Fulham's managers have condemned their team to the drop by making life as easy as possible for other teams.

If Eden Hazard gets back to full fitness in time for this game, he should have lots of fun.

Expected XIs

Fulham have a bloated squad full of selectable players, so who knows, really. Schürrle is a doubt due to a viral infection and Alfie Mawson and Marcus Bettinelli are both out, but everyone else is available.

As for Chelsea... yeah.

Prediction

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Hazard and Gonzalo Higuaín filled their boots here? It should really be 5-0 or 6-0, but Chelsea will no doubt make harder work of it than they have any right to before winning 2-1 at the death with an own goal.



https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2019/3/2/18247187/fulham-vs-chelsea-premier-league-opposition-analysis-preview-jokanovic-ranieri-parker

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Quitting Tottenham justified for Scott Parker

Scott Parker only left Tottenham Hotspur last summer.

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Scott Parker is a Premier League manager.

The 38-year-old has been appointed as Claudio Ranieri's successor at Fulham following the Italian's sacking in midweek.

Parker was a youth coach at Tottenham only nine months ago, and this promotion indicates that his decision to leave Spurs was justified.

The former England international, who was Spurs' Under-18 manager, acknowledged to BBC Sport on Friday that his role at Craven Cottage is 'definitely an audition'.

But even still, going from a youth-team manager in North London to an interim boss for a top-flight senior club within the space of a year is mightily impressive.

It was a big risk by Parker to quit Tottenham. He was doing well with the Lilywhites and further progression would've taken him higher up the ladder.

But it's a gamble that has quite clearly paid off.

Parker, who made over 600 senior appearances during his playing career, was a no-nonsense figure on the pitch and the Fulham players might well respond better to him than they did to Ranieri.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/03/02/quitting-tottenham-justified-for-scott-parker/

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What the pundits are predicting for Chelsea's trip to Fulham - and Scott Parker won't be happy

A round-up of three predictions from top pundits

Chelsea have managed to turn the tide after a rough run of results of late and three notable pundits are all backing that to continue.

The Blues endured a 6-0 hammering at Manchester City last month before being knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United.

Then came the infamous end to the Carabao Cup final loss to Man City but the midweek win at home to Tottenham Hotspur has lifted spirits.

That could not be said about the feeling around Craven Cottage at the moment. Claudio Ranieri has been sacked and now Scott Parker has taken over, with Fulham currently ten points adrift of safety with ten games remaining.

In light of the contrasting feelings at both clubs right now, Arsenal legend Paul Merson is expecting a big 4-0 win for Chelsea.

"Chelsea have turned a corner, raised the bar and set an example. I expect them to go here and win this comfortably. These two are chalk and cheese," Merson told Sky Sports.

"It looked like Fulham downed tools the other night, they didn't look interested, and looked like a relegated team. If they play like that against Chelsea, who are far better than Southampton, it's going to be a comfortable result."

Whilst former Liverpool star Mark Lawrenson is not anticipating as many goals as Merson, he too feels Fulham will not compete and lose 2-0 at Craven Cottage.

"I don't think the change of manager will make much difference to the outcome on Sunday, simply because Chelsea are a better team," Lawrenson explained in his BBC predictions column.

"Fulham have been so bad of late, they seem to get into a mess whatever their game plan is. If they attack them, and you have to think they will try, it will just play into Chelsea's hands."

Meanwhile, Liverpool legend Michael Owen also predicted a win for Chelsea in his BetVictor blog.



https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/fulham-vs-chelsea-news-predictions-15909003

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'He's infectious' - Scott Parker speaks out after appointing Stuart Gray as assistant manager

The 58-year-old has returned to Craven Cottage after leaving his position as first team coach in July

Scott Parker has spoken out after appointing Stuart Gray as his assistant manager at Fulham seven months after the 58-year-old departed the club.

Gray was appointed first team coach at the club in December 2015 and was caretaker manager of the side for five fixtures before Slavisa Jokanovic took over the reins later that month, going on to serve under the Serbian for another three years.

He left Fulham in the summer with fans left confused as to why he departed, with many of them feeling the club have missed his organisation on the training pitch this season.

Having been appointed as caretaker manager on Thursday by Shahid Khan, one of the first things Parker did was ask Gray to return as his assistant, with Parker having worked under him as a player during his time at the club.

It was a move that has pleased fans - small step in healing the divide between the club and its supporters that has opened up for a number of reasons this season.

And speaking about his appointment, Parker said: "I was with Stuart here as a player. He is a real man's man.

"The players endear to him. He's infectious, he will help me and I'm pleased he has taken it up and we can work together well."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/hes-infectious-scott-parker-speaks-15909688

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Why Ian Holloway's take on Fulham's struggles reveals the ignorance of the media

After Claudio Ranieri's sacking, Ian Holloway made an appearance on Talksport to discuss Fulham's failings this season.

In a classic example of the media's utter ignorance towards Fulham Football Club, Holloway trotted out the oft-used line to deride Fulham's summer business — the fact that the Whites spent £100 million and alienated their promotion-winning side in the process.

Because of Fulham's massive expenditure, the reasoning goes, the Whites ruined the spirit of last season's team and overspent on players that contributed to a collapse of team morale.

"When you spend that amount of money when you first go up, you could cause a problem in your dressing room," Holloway said, going on to claim players who were on lesser wages than the new recruits would become unsettled.

Holloway suggested Slavisa Jokanovic should have stuck with the midfield trio of Stefan Johansen, Kevin McDonald, and Tom Cairney in the top flight — before showing a modicum of intelligence when he correctly concedes they would be nowhere near good enough for the quality of play.

His fallacious view fails to grasp the true situation: it wasn't that Fulham bought too many players, it's that the club bought the wrong players.

Following 26 May, when Fulham triumphed over Aston Villa at Wembley, the club faced a crisis.

The starting lineup that day featured Marcus Bettinelli in goal, a back four of Matt Targett, Tim Ream, Denis Odoi, and Ryan Fredericks, the aforementioned midfield trio, and a front three of Ryan Sessegnon, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Aboubakar Kamara.

On the bench were David Button, Rui Fonte, Floyd Ayite, Oliver Norwood, Tomas Kalas, Cyrus Christie, and Lucas Piazon.

Targett, Mitrovic, Kalas, Norwood, and Piazon all returned to their parent clubs. Fredericks left for West Ham United and Button was sold to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Of the 18 that brought Fulham up, just 11 remained in the aftermath of the Wembley victory. The squad was unbelievably threadbare: one first-team goalkeeper, two centre-backs, one back-up right-back, three central midfielders, three wingers, and a misfit striker — a team that would have been doomed for relegation from day one.

If Fulham had taken the pundits' advice and not seriously strengthened their side, then the club would have been rightfully called out for a serious lack of ambition.

When they justifiably brought in 12 players to beef up an obviously weakened team, Fulham were instead lampooned for over-investment — a perfect indictment of the lack of research of the punditry.

And even with all this summer investment, clueless pundits would be surprised to learn that Fulham still stuck with the 'core' of their promotion-winning side in many instances — and have been totally found out for it as a result. Ream and Odoi have shockingly played in 44 combined league matches this season, being consistently exposed for their defensive deficiencies.

In the clearest instance of Fulham sticking with their Championship players and getting smashed, one must review their 4-2 away defeat to Cardiff in October. Ream and Odoi started at the back, McDonald and Johansen started in central midfield, Bettinelli was between the sticks, and along with Sessegnon and Mitro in attack, even Ayite came off the bench. Yet the Whites turned in a turgid performance and were sent packing from Wales.

An argument is there to be made that Fulham are perhaps too reliant on last season's Championship-quality players, instead of the common, incorrect belief that they have discarded the 2017/18 team.

Cyrus Christie, a clear back-up in the second division, has played a mind-boggling 20 times in the league this year, along with Odoi, who was second choice to Kalas much of last season, making 26 appearances Premier League appearances to date.

The summer business was necessary, but deserves to be criticised. Not for the expenditure, but for the quality, as only Mitrovic and Calum Chambers can be considered overwhelmingly positive transfers.

There is no doubt that Tony Khan and Fulham made massive errors in the summer transfer market. But to blindly critique the Whites for spending big money is ignorant, as the criticism must instead focus on the quality of those who were brought in.



https://tbrfootball.com/why-ian-holloways-take-on-fulhams-struggles-reveals-the-ignorance-of-the-media/

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Scott Parker explains what style of football he hopes to bring to Fulham

All eyes will be on how the caretaker manager sets his side up for the game with Chelsea on Sunday

Scott Parker has explained his style of play at Fulham will be a mix between Slavisa Jokanovic and Claudio Ranieri - but that he wants to bring pace into the team.

The 38-year-old served under both managers as first team coach this season before being appointed as caretaker boss until the end of the season after Shahid Khan made the decision to sack Ranieri following a 2-0 defeat to Southampton.

This will be Parker's first job in senior football having spent his first year of retirement as Tottenham Hotspur's U18 manager, where in 25 games he won 12 times, scoring 66 goal while conceding 41.

He has a wealth of experience to call upon from his playing days having played under some of management's biggest names, but it's under Jokanovic and Ranieri that he seems he will be taking most of his experience from having seen two contrasting styles of play.

Everyone will be keen to see the team sheets at 1.05pm to see what kind of formation Parker will play, but ahead of that game he's spoken about his style of football and believes some pace may be needed in the side.

He said: "In a nutshell, somewhere in between (Jokanovic and Ranieri).

"I think under Slavisa the playing style was pleasing on the eye with wonderfully, technical, gifted players.

"I've learnt from both, it's been a vital experience for me - to see the pros and cons first hand.

"We have technical players, but maybe we need to bring a bit of pace back into the team especially in an attacking sense."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/scott-parker-explains-what-style-15909700

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Parker: Time To Regroup

As far as months go, March couldn't be much tougher for Fulham, but Scott Parker isn't the kind of man to shirk a challenge.

After Sunday's SW6 derby, we travel to Leicester City who have appointed a new manager of their own, before entertaining title favourites Liverpool and Manchester City at Craven Cottage.

"The situation doesn't lie," Parker admitted. "It's tough, but this is a bunch of players that were, for me, one of the best teams in the Championship.

"They were gruelling through that season for moments like this in the Premier League. This is a tough ask this month but you want to be up against top players and coaches.

"We are playing against a top team [on Sunday] and it'll be difficult, [but] the players have been working so hard for games like this.

"They need to show everyone their quality and then have the 25,000 fans clap them off knowing how hard they've worked."

Matches against Chelsea are always eagerly anticipated by the Fulham faithful, and Parker has pledged to get his team pulling in the right direction.

"I want to give the players an idea of what I expect and what the fans expect," he explained. "If I can do that and they translate it, I can't promise we win games but what I can promise is we'll be in a better place.

"It sounds quite weird being a Manager. It's been a whirlwind and I'm looking forward to it.

"This is big for me. At the same time, I understand what is needed, this is a Club that needs to pick up results and move in the right direction.

"The main focus is to get a balance back. When you're involved in relegation battles things go off in different tangents. As fans, players and ownership, we need to regroup, and if we do that results will be a by-product. This task is difficult but not impossible.

"I hope I can bring energy and passion to transmit to the team. There is more to the game than that, but it's a key fundamental.

"I feel as if at times this year we have been easy to play against, which could be why the fans have pulled away a bit. We need to address that."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/march/02/scott-parker-time-to-regroup

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Scott Parker can succeed just by restoring Fulham's missing, third dimension

The good news for Scott Parker, is that life at Fulham cannot get any worse. The defeat to Southampton on Wednesday night proved the end for Claudio Ranieri, that had been coming, but the situation's true barometer was the audible despondency of the travelling fans.

The loss at St Mary's has left Fulham ten points from safety and, for all intents and purposes, in a virtually hopeless situation. Nevertheless, long before that result was final, the evening was characterised by the visitor's fatalism: on the pitch, through a particularly anaemic effort, and in the stands, where gallows humour chorused out from early in the first-half.

So this is what Parker has to confront. In his heart, he'll know that this season probably can't be salvaged and that, given that they will face Chelsea, Everton, and Leicester in their next three games, Fulham's relegation might be a certainty by the end of the month. This is a job, then, which shouldn't really be assessed in terms of points and results, but in Parker's ability to change the mood around this club.

The structural issues are beyond his pay-grade. Nothing he does is going to purify the ownership situation or re-focus the recruiting department, but Parker's role – as is so often the case with interims – is to reclaim hearts and minds and, in basic terms, make the act of supporting Fulham an attractive proposition again and remove the blank-faced horror that it seems to have become.

It doesn't seem pleasurable now. Not just because of the realities of the league table, but because there's so little to believe in. In fact, everything that worked for Fulham previously, all the combinations which brought them back to the Premier League in the first place, have been tossed aside.

From August onwards, the outside world has looked at the club differently. While previously it admired their progress back through the Championship, attributing their rise to the fine coaching of Slavisa Jokanovic and a band of cohesive, developing components, that appreciation has evaporated in the months since. Jokanovic is gone, of course, but so too is this side's identity. Ryan Sessegnon and Tom Cairney, talismen in the division below and surely good enough to grow onto the bigger stage, have been bit-part players, made subservient to bigger names on bigger contracts, and players who – regrettably – have never seen entirely invested in the collective cause.

Against Southampton, six of the starting eleven were signed in the summer or later. Seven, if Aleksandar Mitrovic is included. The theory has long been accepted that trying to change too much too soon is a mistake, particularly in this environment, but in Fulham's case that turn-over has not only weakened them on the field, but also frayed the social tethers. The result, of course, being that this failure has occured in a disenchanted vacuum, in which fans are so disillusioned that they effectively tune out, removing themselves from the week-to-week dynamic.

It's now March and the season's end is approaching, but Fulham's performances have been backdropped by such resignation for some time. Occasionally, bursts of optimism have escaped from that gloom, but more often the atmosphere has been saracastic and self-deprecating. The anger remains and the supporters haven't turned mute, but all their energy is being directed towards something other their side. It's been focused on the Khan family and, until very recently, Ranieri. His substitutions, his selections, his passing tactics. That's not unreasonable, all parties have a case to answer, but neither is it likely to improve the immediate situation.

Parker's objective is to change that. He may profit personally from doing so, putting himself in position to inherit this job full-time, but his broader task is to ensure that Fulham begin next season, in whichever league they find themselves, with far greater engagement. He can play some quick tricks. Cairney and Sessegnon aren't just avatars or illusions perpetuated by the lesser standard in the Championship. They're brave, bold and skilled attacking footballers and they're also crowd favourites, liable to stir at least something just by being on the pitch – and that same logic can be applied across almost every other position, where with very few exceptions reliable parts have been downgraded with only the illusion of greater talent.

It may sound like a hopelessly optimistic rationale, but there's great virtue now in Fulham failing on their own terms. Or at least dedicating the rest of their season to representing what they were in some kind of way. Ultimately, anything is better than this meek, featureless surrender, instructed really be repeated acts of self-sabotage which have, over the course of the season, blunted the senses in the stand.



https://www.tifofootball.com/features/scott-parker-can-succeed-just-by-restoring-fulhams-missing-third-dimension/

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Scott Parker looks to get fans on side for Fulham's daunting salvation bid
• Strugglers face Chelsea before hosting title-chasers
• Parker wants players to give everything for supporters


Fulham caretaker manager Scott Parker addresses the players before training. Photograph: Javier García/BPI/Rex/Shutterstock

Scott Parker is relishing the challenge of facing the Premier League's top clubs as he prepares for a daunting introduction to management with Fulham.

The former England midfielder begins his interim tenure at home to west London rivals Chelsea on Sunday after replacing the sacked Claudio Ranieri. The 19th-placed Cottagers, who are 10 points from the last safe spot and facing an immediate return to the Championship, also host title challengers Liverpool and Manchester City before the end of the month.

"This was a team that went through a hard season in the Championship for these moments," said Parker. "OK, it's a tough ask, but I know sitting in this position I'm relishing this opportunity of playing against these top teams, top players and top coaches. And I know the players will be as well. I'm looking forward to it massively."

Having represented five different London clubs in his playing career, Parker has plenty of experience of derby matches in the capital. He spent the 2004-05 season at Stamford Bridge and has represented both Chelsea and Fulham in this fixture.

While he has not given up hope of masterminding an improbable escape with only 10 games remaining, his main objective this weekend is to restore the faith of the club's disgruntled supporters. "I understand what is at stake and that it's a London derby against a very, very good football team," he said.

"In that sense it's probably not going to be different; what probably will be is you're standing on the outside hoping your 11 players on the field can transmit what you've put into them, and sometimes you're powerless in that sense. I want to give the players a real clear idea of what I expect, what the club expect and what the fans expect. The most important thing is to make sure the 25,000 fans clap them knowing they gave everything."

Maurizio Sarri was sparing in the advice he was willing to offer his opposite number. The Italian said: "To take this job, you have to love football, but you have to forget everything that is around football. I think so, otherwise it's impossible to do this job."

Sarri, buoyed by Wednesday's 2-0 win over Tottenham three days after the bizarre climax to the Carabao Cup final, believes the furore around Kepa Arrizabalaga's behaviour has galvanised his squad. Arrizabalaga was fined and dropped for the Spurs game for his refusal to be substituted just before the penalty shootout won by Manchester City.

While Sarri insists the episode is over, he has yet to decide whether the world's most expensive goalkeeper could return in place of Willy Caballero at Fulham or be recalled for Thursday's Europa League match with Dynamo Kyiv.

"For the players, it was an experience useful for staying more united," Sarri said. "When there is a difficult situation, I think it's difficult for everybody, but it is a big opportunity, also. You have to take that opportunity. Of course, it was really a very bad experience but I think we can come out of this situation better than before."



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/mar/02/scott-parker-fulham-fans-on-side-chelsea-premier-league

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BBC pundits have their say where it has all gone wrong at Fulham after Claudio Ranieri's exit

The Italian left Fulham earlier this week after less than four months in charge

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince believes Fulham should have followed Wolves' example and not spent as much money as they did in the summer.

The Cottagers spent £100million in the summer after being promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs, signing 12 players as they looked to try and establish themselves back in the top flight.

But they have failed to do that as it has been a real season of struggle for the Whites, with Slavisa Jokanovic losing his job after a poor start to the campaign, being replaced by Claudio Ranieri.

The Italian was also sacked this week, with Scott Parker taking charge on a caretaker basis to become Fulham's third manager of the season.

And BBC pundits Paul Ince and Matthew Upson have had their say on the latest change at Craven Cottage, with the former Manchester United and England midfielder expressing his surprise at the decision made by the club.

"It doesn't make sense. We were saying whether he was the right fit," he said, speaking on BBC programme Football Focus.

"They were leaking so many goals under [Slavisa] Jokanovic, and they had to stop leaking goals, and you would think with Claudio Ranieri being Italian, he would know how to set a defensive team up.

"But the players they had, the money they spent on players - £100million on players in the summer, you can't just do that. You need continuity and look what Wolves have done, they kept those players into the Premier League and look at how well they are doing.

"Fulham went a different way. They spent a lot of money on a lot of players, and you can't do that really. It is a shame, because he is a good manager, but it is a great chance for Scott Parker now to take the helm and see what job he can do."

And former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson was similarly surprised by the decision, as he spoke out on the latest managerial change.

"The owners obviously saw something there and thought this is the man to take us forward in whatever direction they are going to be taking next year, even if they thought they were going to get relegated and let's plan for next year," he said.

"There are so many different outside details.

"I just felt that they took a punt on him [Ranieri] to try and keep them up, and it hasn't worked out how they have wanted.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/pundits-where-wrong-fulham-ranieri-15911474

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With The Appointment Of Parker And Gray Fulham Fans Have Something To Be Happy About – At Last!

I believe the majority of Fulham fans will have mixed emotions this weekend.

Why did the second best (after Wolves) footballing side in last year's Championship, turn into such a shambles from the opening day of the Premier League season?

Poor selection of players brought in, not enough done to secure the services of our two full backs and central defender (Fredericks, Targett and Kalas), and a constant change of defensive selections every week, that led to Jokanovic and ultimately Ranieri both losing their jobs.

As Odoi, Cairney and the owner Shahid Khan all stated, the players were just as much to blame as the managers, as they lacked the willingness to work hard and give 100% effort each game, which is needed in this top division.

It may be too late to be saved from relegation, but many fans have been asking for the Khans' to replace Ranieri with Scott Parker and were not happy when Stuart Gray was pushed out of our club. The call has been listened to, so thank you Mr Khan.

It was a breath of fresh air to hear Scottie's first media interview after being given his new role. He said that it would be an uphill battle to avoid the drop, but he and the fans want to see every single player giving 100% each time they are on the field. No supporter can ask for more than that.

I am sure the Fulham fans, who have had a miserable season after the highs of the last one, will give Parker and Gray all the support they deserve on Sunday against Chelsea, and for the remaining games.

Given a chance, this could be the making of a very successful managerial partnership. Let's hope this new pairing can bring back the fun times at Fulham and make Craven Cottage a fortress that our opponents are worried to visit.

We wish you every success Scott Parker and Stuart Gray. We are with you. Good luck.

COYW ..................



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/with-the-appointment-of-parker-and-gray-fulham-fans-have-something-to-be-happy-about-at-last/

[WhiteJC]

Cottage Talk In The Community: A Chat With Clare Parish From London Calling CALM
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

This episode is part of a new feature entitled " Cottage Talk In The Community". This show is an interview with Fulham supporter Clare Parish, who is also a member of London Calling CALM.

During this episode, Clare talked about CALM, and what it means to her. She also talked about the walks she has participated in to support CALM. Clare did mention as well the walk that is happening on Sunday from Stamford Bridge to Craven Cottage.

Clare also talked about her journey as a Fulham supporter, and also shared her thoughts on this season. We ended the show talking about the appointment of Scott Parker as caretaker manager.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2019/3/2/18247644/cottage-talk-in-the-community-a-chat-with-clare-parish-from-london-calling-calm

[WhiteJC]

Player with pre-agreement to join new club if Fulham get relegated

Although Fulham have a lot to worry about at this stage of the season, one of their players is making some noise in Turkey which the club may not even be aware of.

That's because, according to Hurriyet, Ryan Babel has already agreed a deal with a new Turkish side for next season.

The player, who belongs to Besiktas and is currently having a loan spell at Fulham, would have called his agent and authorised a deal with league rivals Galatasaray.

The move is conditioned on the Whites' relegation in the Premier League, which looks very likely by now, and that's why this news is so important for both Turkish clubs.

Besiktas don't really feel like keeping Babel in the squad for next season, and since Galatasaray are returning Henry Onyekuru to Everton, Babel would arrive as his replacement.

But for the move to happen, as we've just said, Fulham would have to be relegated. Maybe that means he's staying in London in case the Craven Cottage side manage to keep themselves in the Premier League.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/player-pre-agreement-join-new-club-fulham-get-relegated/

[WhiteJC]

 
Ex-Man United man makes big claim about Scott Parker at Fulham as he makes Solskjaer comparison

Paul Ince has been speaking about Scott Parker taking charge at Fulham

Paul Ince hopes that Scott Parker can have a similar impact to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has had at Manchester United after the former England midfielder prepares to take charge of Fulham for the first time.

The former Fulham midfielder has taken over on a caretaker basis following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri earlier this week, with Parker's first game against his old club Chelsea at Craven Cottage tomorrow (Saturday).

And Ince says this is a great opportunity for the 38-year-old to stake his claim for the job on a full-time basis, although he admits he faces a tough task, with Fulham ten points from safety with ten games to play and home games to come against Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in the coming weeks.

But he reckons Parker would do well to follow the example of Solskjaer at United, who has gone unbeaten in his first 12 games in the Premier League since taking over at Old Trafford.

"I spoke to him the other day. He will bring a passion back into the club, he is a former captain there," said Ince, speaking on BBC programme Football Focus.

"He has a baptism of fire with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in the next three games. But if he can get through that unscathed, I am sure he will have a chance of getting the job.

"He wants to get the fans back on board. Fulham is a fantastic club right on the Thames, I love going there. He has brought in Stuart Gray, who is a fantastic coach, and I think he will do well there.

"I look at it and I relate it to [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer and what he has come in and done at Manchester United.

"Hopefully for Scott, he might get the Solskjaer effect."

Meanwhile, former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson believes Parker has the right attributes to succeed as a manager as he outlined what he is likely to bring to the role.

"He has got great leadership qualities Scott, as a player, and as a person, and he will try and transmit that to the players and try to get them to take ownership of their performances, and see how good the performances are he can get out of them between now and the end of the season.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/parker-claim-fulham-solskjaer-comparison-15911569

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham vs Chelsea: 3 Key Battles That Might Affect The Outcome

Fulham will look to test Chelsea in the London derby come Sunday when they host the Blues at Craven Cottage.

In their last 10 games in the Premier League, Fulham have managed to pick up just four points, and are still facing relegation.

Chelsea have not been that successful either as Maurizio Sarri has had a difficult few weeks, but the win against Tottenham in midweek will give the team some much-needed confidence.

Both clubs are full of some strong personalities, and that's exactly what this match is going to come down to.

Aleksandar Mitrovic vs Antonio Rudiger
Mitrovic has given Fulham hope with his ability to score goals this season, and his battle against Antonio Rudiger will be an interesting one to watch.

Rudiger's strength has come into full display this season, and with each passing game, he appears to only get better. While there have been instances where Chelsea's defence has collapsed, Rudiger has managed to hold his own.

The German will not find it easy against Mitrovic as there aren't many defenders that can overpower the Serbian, but if the German can assert his dominance, Chelsea are likely to coast to a win.

Cesar Azpilicueta vs Andre Schürrle
The key problems of Chelsea this season has been in their defence. Time and time again their defence has collapsed, creating doubts if Sarri-ball is all about getting goals. That's where the team needs leaders, and Cesar Azpilicueta is definitely one who needs to step up.

Former Chelsea attacker Andre Schürrle has shown glimpses of what he can do, but not consistently enough.

The Fulham fans will hope the German World Cup winner is in the mood today and test Azpilicueta who doesn't have the pace to keep up with Schürrle.

Schürrle has managed 2.5 shots a game on an average, and it's his ability to cut in as an inverted winger that might cause Azpilicueta problems.

Maxime Le Marchand vs Eden Hazard
Hazard has scored 12 goals in the Premier League this season and played an astounding 2080 minutes, with 2.6 shots per game. The Belgian has been the Man of the Match on 9 different occasions, and he will be looking to put up yet another good performance for his side against Fulham.

With 2.2 tackles and 2.1 interruptions per match, Maxime Le Marchand has had a productive season on paper, but since Fulham have failed to perform as a unit, the goals have crept in.

While hardly the most successful player, if there is even one player with a hope of stopping Hazard, it is him.

Stats via Whoscored



https://madaboutepl.net/2019/03/fulham-vs-chelsea-3-key-battles-that-might-affect-the-outcome/

[WhiteJC]

 
What Scott Parker said about Ryan Sessegnon and his importance to his Fulham team

The 18-year-old found life tough under Claudio Ranieri but will be integral to Parker's Fulham side

Scott Parker wants to get the best out of Ryan Sessegnon and thinks he can definitely help Fulham in the final ten games of the season.

Having finished last season as the side's top scorer with 16 goals in the Championship, the 18-year-old has found the going together in the Premier League, something that hasn't been helped with the departure of Slavisa Jokanovic and the hiring of Claudio Ranieri.

Sessegnon only started seven of Ranieri's 17 games in charge of the club, a stat made all the more grim by the fact he only started three times in the last 14 matches.

That angered supporters of the club who felt that Sessegnon should have been starting ahead of the likes of Andre Schurrle, but Ranieri preferred having experience in his side over the 18-year-old, who is undertaking his first season in the top flight.

But now Parker is in charge Sessegnon is set for more of a starring role for the final ten games of the season.

He described the wonderkid as an 'outstanding' football player before going on to say the player was a someone everyone connected to the club 'loves' and that he can help Fulham in the final part of the season.


(Image: Steven Paston/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS)

He said: "Ryan Sessegnon is an outstanding, talented football player who has played a lot of football. He was pivotal to getting this club into this division.

"For someone at such a young age to do what he did last year, and even now for someone at such a young age to be in the top league which is the best in the world is amazing.

"Like anything, when you're a young boy, you have moments when you have little dips. When you're young, sometimes it's harder to deal with than when you're older and have past experience.


(Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

"But certainly Ryan Sessegnon is someone that we all love, whether that's the fans, the actual club, the academy, the coaching staff.

"Certainly we'll be trying to get the best out of him because he has so much quality and you know for sure that he can help us in the remaining part of the season."



http://sport.bt.com/news/scott-parker-insists-fulhams-inquest-into-poor-season-must-wait-until-the-summer-S11364342508751

[WhiteJC]

 
'You know for sure that he can help us in the remaining part of the season': Interim Fulham boss Scott Parker to show the love to Ryan Sessegnon

    Ryan Sessegnon is loved at Fulham according to caretaker boss Scott Parker
    The teenager was dropped from the side by sacked manager Claudio Ranieri
    Sessegnon was top scorer when Fulham won promotion to Premier League
    Fulham will host Chelsea on Sunday in Parker's first game in charge

Fulham caretaker manager Scott Parker will put an arm around Ryan Sessegnon and show the teenager how much he is loved after the talented youngster was ostracised by former boss Claudio Ranieri.

The 18-year-old Sessegnon has started just three of the previous 12 Premier League games after falling out of favour with the Italian and was substituted at half-time in his last two starts.

Ranieri was sacked after just 106 days and 16 league games in charge with the club 19th in the Premier League.


Ryan Sessegnon struggled for game time under former Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri

Sessegnon was crucial to Fulham's promotion last season and was named Championship player of the year. He started 10 of the first 12 league games under previous manager Slavisa Jokanovic.

Now with Ranieri gone too and former Fulham and Tottenham midfielder Parker in temporary charge, Sessegnon looks set to make his return to the starting line-up against Chelsea on Sunday.


Ranieri opted to use more experienced players instead of the teenage winger

'Ryan Sessegnon is an outstanding, talented football player who has played a lot of football. He was pivotal to getting this club into this division,' said Parker.

'For someone at such a young age to do what he did last year, and even now for someone at such a young age to be in the top league which is the best in the world is amazing.

'Like anything, when you're a young boy, you have moments when you have little dips. When you're young, sometimes it's harder to deal with than when you're older and have past experience.

'But certainly Ryan Sessegnon is someone that we all love, whether that's the fans, the actual club, the academy, the coaching staff. Certainly we'll be trying to get the best out of him because he has so much quality and you know for sure that he can help us in the remaining part of the season.'


Caretaker boss Scott Parker praised Sessegnon's contribution to the club at a young age

Fulham are 10 points adrift of safety with 10 games left. Parker was a part of the Fulham team who were relegated from the Premier League in 2014.

He admits he does not want to go through the same emotions again as a manager and will draw on inspiration from playing under Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham.

'Relegation hurts,' says Parker. 'It's the same situation you find yourself in when you go into any club which is down at the bottom of the league. They'll all have the same issues: confidence, whatever that may be.

'Certainly I've got experience from that as a player from being relegated. I'd like to learn from that and get that across to the players.

'The year I had at Spurs was invaluable. Mauricio and his staff and what they are doing there as a football club, how it's run, the processes they have in place, are first class. Under the guidance of John McDermott, who has been first class with me, who put me in some uncomfortable positions at times but he was doing it to get the best out of me and give me some insight into some the things I'll be experiencing. That year was a massive learning curve for me.'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6765047/Interim-Fulham-boss-Scott-Parker-love-Ryan-Sessegnon.html

[WhiteJC]

Fans' choice Chelsea lineup against Fulham: Rotation is a must, including Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek
Fulham vs. Chelsea, Premier League: Predicted, preferred lineups

There's hardly a better feeling than winning a derby against one of your biggest rivals in the race for Champions League football, especially if they're called Tottenham. The next 'derby' may not be as prestigious, but the stakes are just as high as Chelsea travel down the road to Craven Cottage, to take on relegation-bound Fulham, who have not beaten Chelsea in 18 tries, since 2006.

PREDICTED LINEUP
Maurizio Sarri announced "three to four changes", mostly fitness-induced to the lineup that started against Spurs on Wednesday but whether or not that includes Kepa Arrizabalaga remains to be seen. At the moment, it seems like a 50-50 situation and that possibly means that Caballero gets this game and Kepa resumes his No.1 role on Thursday, in the Europa League Round of 16.

With Sarri talking a fair amount about the left back situation and the minutes catching up to Alonso, we should see Emerson rotate in. Christensen will just have to wait until European competition to play.

This game might be one of the final obvious rotation opportunities this season, but chances are Jorginho and N'Golo Kanté will continue to start as usual. Barkley did not play at all against Spurs so he's surely starting this one. Maybe Loftus-Cheek could rotate in as well and give Kanté a breather? It depends if Sarri's "three to four changes" could also mean five or maybe even six.

Up front, considering that Eden Hazard almost couldn't play against Spurs, he'll surely get a rest and give the spot to Pedro instead. Could Hudson-Odoi start as well? Maybe, but again, it depends on how strictly accurate Sarri's "three to four" was meant to be.

4-3-3
Caballero | Emerson, David Luiz, Rüdiger, Azpilicueta | Barkley, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek | Willian, Higuaín, Pedro

THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE
The WAGNH community's preference also involves a fair share of rotation with Christensen, Emerson, Loftus-Cheek and Hudson-Odoi all getting the call over David Luiz (46%), Alonso (18%), Kovačić (40%) and Pedro (36%), respectively. Arrizabalaga returns from his exile with Caballero (37%) moving to the bench, and Willian replaces an Eden Hazard (41%) we don't want to see risked against Fulham.

4-3-3 (72%)
Arrizabalaga (62%) | Emerson (80%), Christensen (64%), Rüdiger (86%), Azpilicueta (79%) | Loftus-Cheek (79%), Jorginho (60%), Kanté (87%) | Willian (44%), Higuaín (89%), Hudson-Odoi (82%)

PREFERRED LINEUP

Rotation is a must and my preference is fully in line with the community voting.

4-3-3
Arrizabalaga | Emerson, Christensen, Rüdiger, Azpilicueta | Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Kanté | Willian, Higuaín, Hudson-Odoi

COME ON YOU BLUES!!!



https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2019/3/3/18246634/fans-choice-chelsea-lineup-against-fulham-rotation-is-a-must-including-hudson-odoi-and-loftus-cheek