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

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Scott Parker pays tribute to 'best in Europe' Liverpool after Fulham win

James Milner's late penalty meant Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool moved top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 win away at Fulham.

Scott Parker has labelled Liverpool the best counter-attacking team in European football as his Fulham side conceded late on to lose at home to Jurgen Klopp's team on Sunday, as reported by Football London.

Liverpool are looking to win the Premier League title for the first time this season and moved three points closer with a dramatic 2-1 triumph at Craven Cottage at the weekend.

The Reds were far from their best in West London and were indebted to a late James Milner penalty, the former England international ensuring an equalising goal from former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel did not cost the Merseyside giants dear.

While interim coach Parker was left disappointed with the result, which leaves his Fulham side teetering on the brink of relegation, he was gracious enough to pay tribute to his opponents after the game.

"There were big positives. We played against the best counter attacking team in Europe, a front three which are pretty deadly," Parker said, referring to the much-vaunted trio of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

"We need to stay in the game and we did that first half and there was some massive positives in the second half where the players took the front foot and we got back into the game but it's a shame we couldn't hold on.

"Now reflecting on it we're really disappointed in the result."

Senegal international Mane opened the scoring at Craven Cottage, his ninth of the calendar year and his 17th of the Premier League season.

Liverpool are now two points clear at the top but Manchester City have a game in hand.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/03/18/do-scott-parker-pays-tribute-to-best-in-europe-liverpool-after-f/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham fans loved Anguissa's performance as he finally showed his class vs Liverpool

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has not lived up to expectations at Fulham so far this season but he came to the party against Liverpool yesterday.

Fulham look set for relegation and yesterday's visit of Liverpool looked pre-match like it would be a routine victory for Jurgen Klopp's title chasers.

But just as they have done at home against Tottenham and Chelsea in recent weeks, Fulham acquitted themselves well against the Reds.

When Ryan Babel pounced on a mistake by his international team-mate Virgil van Dijk to cancel out Sadio Mane's opener and make it 1-1 with 15 minutes remaining, the Cottagers had a real chance of causing an upset.

But Sergio Rico's double blunder; dropping Mo Salah's simple shot before losing his head and hauling down Mane as he raced onto the rebound allowed James Milner to win the match from the penalty spot.

That should not take away from Fulham's performance; Scott Parker's side battled manfully and showed the spirit that was often lacking under Claudio Ranieri.

And one player who has struggled this season is Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who came in during the summer at considerable expense.

But many Fulham fans were impressed by his performance out of the blue yesterday as he finally showed what he can do against the Reds as they nominated him as their man of the match...



https://tbrfootball.com/fulham-fans-loved-anguissas-performance-as-he-finally-showed-his-class-vs-liverpool/

[WhiteJC]

 
Bryan: Proud Performance

Joe Bryan was gutted with the way the result came about on Sunday but was pleased with the desire shown by Fulham.

In front of a packed out Craven Cottage the Whites pushed a high flying Liverpool side all the way but came undone after a foul by Sergio Rico on Sadio Mane gave the Reds a penalty which James Milner calmly dispatched in the 81st minute.

Despite Mane's opener Ryan Babel levelled the scores and Fulham also had a Floyd Ayité goal ruled offside before the visitors came back.

"I thought it was a good performance, I thought we matched them," said Bryan.

"They might have had an off day but I think the desire was there from us, I thought there was a bit of quality, we could've maybe been better on the ball but I think it was a performance to be proud of.

"Unfortunately the result didn't go our way and that was probably a bit of a rush of blood to the head but I think we can be positive about yesterday.

"I think it's just one of those, an individual error, we've all been guilty of them this season, especially me.

"It's a horrible cliché but we've got two weeks now to work really hard and try and put in some more decent performances before the end of the season," he said.

It was a tough result to take for Bryan, especially after the resilience shown by the Whites to come back against one of the top teams in Europe and fall agonisingly short.

He said: "You've got to be a team now, I think you saw yesterday we are a team, we were running for each other and we've just got to carry that on.

"They are one of the best teams in the world, I don't think anyone can disagree with that and when we are putting in decent performances against teams like that, I think we've got to be positive, that's the only way to look at it.

"Since Scott has taken over it feels like performances have improved and until it is mathematically impossible we will keep putting in the performances and hope the results will turn.

"I feel like I am settling into the Premier League, unfortunately the results aren't there but personally I'm being given clear instructions, told what to do and what I can improve on so that can only be a positive."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/march/18/joe-bryan-reaction-liverpool

[WhiteJC]

 
Tom Cairney admits Fulham must now focus on rebuilding as Premier League relegation inches closer


Cairney and Fulham suffered a ninth defeat in 10 League games on Sunday.

Tom Cairney says Fulham need to focus on rebuilding rather than staying in the Premier League, after Sunday's defeat left them 13 points from safety with seven games remaining.

James Milner's late penalty earned a 2-1 win for Jurgen Klopp's side, who leapfrogged Manchester City into top spot, and consigned Fulham to a ninth defeat in 10 League games — a run stretching back to New Year's Day.

After Sadio Mane had opened the scoring, the Cottagers looked to have earned a point when former Liverpool forward Ryan Babel capitalised on errors from Milner and Virgil van Dijk to equalise 16 minutes from time but goalkeeper Sergio Rico was penalised for a foul on Mane seven minutes later.

Cairney insisted performances have improved since Scott Parker replaced Claudio Ranieri at the end of last month, despite three defeats under the interim boss, but admitted the club needed to start thinking long-term. "It was another good performance," the midfielder said.

"The gaffer has only been in charge for just a couple of weeks but you can see the turnaround already. There's a better atmosphere. Obviously we need results but we're on the up

"There's a better vibe around the training ground and among the fans. But it's looking unlikely we're going to stay up. But there's a bigger picture. We've just got to build now. It's not the season we dreamed of having but these things happen.

"We've got to start rebuilding. We lost a bit of what we had last season. It's mad how fast things can change.

For a number of reasons it didn't go right — we spent a lot of money. I don't know. The Premier League is tough, it's the best league in the world for a reason and we're finding out why."

Kevin McDonald emphasised the mood change at the sinking club in a candid interview in the match-day programme, criticising Ranieri's man-management and tactics.

Midfielder McDonald started just one of Ranieri's 17 League games his charge — the 2-0 defeat by Southampton in what proved to be the Italian's final match — and revealed he was free to leave the club in January.

"I could have easily gone...[but] I had a feeling the manager wouldn't be in a job for much longer," McDonald said. "When I spoke with him, he never really gave me an answer. He just said I wasn't his type of player.

"[Against Southampton] I questioned what his thoughts were. He'd frozen me out pretty much for four months and then it comes to the biggest game of the season and he throws me in.

"His style didn't suit the players. He wanted us to play with the ball in behind the opposition defence but the whole Fulham team is about playing the ball on the floor. We were a bit confused with what he wanted. We were...just winging it."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham/tom-cairney-admits-fulham-must-now-focus-on-rebuilding-as-premier-league-relegation-inches-closer-a4094671.html

[WhiteJC]

 
International Young Whites

A few of the Academy lads have earned deserved call-ups to their respective Nations, including some fresh faces.

Fulham goalkeepers dominate the England Under-18s set-up as Luca Ashby-Hammond earns another spot in the squad. There is also a maiden place for George Wickens after his impressive string of performances for Mark Pembridge's Under-23s side.

In the same squad, Cody Drameh also earns himself a spot in Neil Dewsnip's side who will face Japan Czech Republic and Mexico over the International spell.

Harvey Elliott is included in England Under-17s squad as they begin their Euro Qualification phase against Switzerland, Croatia and Denmark. Similarly, in the Under-19s, Steven Sessegnon will begin his Euro Qualifying phase as he embarks on another stint with Keith Downing's lads.

Striker Terry Ablade received the nod to lead Finland Under-18s' line. Also, Connor McAvoy will continue at the heart of Scotland Under-17s' defence.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/march/18/academy-international-call-ups

[WhiteJC]

 
Jennings compares Sessegnon's recent struggles to Gareth Bale's at Tottenham

The head of Fulham's academy, Huw Jennings, has worked with both Gareth Bale and Ryan Sessegnon during their time as young players.

(Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Huw Jennings is the head of Fulham's thriving academy and also worked at Southampton in an era when the likes of Gareth Bale came through the ranks.

He knows all about what it takes for a young player to come through and become a successful professional and that's why he remains relaxed about Ryan Sessegnon's travails this season.

According to the Sunday People, 17/03, page 54, Jennings said: "Ryan, by his own admission, is finding it tougher at the moment. I've had the privilege to work with Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

"All of those guys have had hurdles to overcome. Gareth was saddled with the fact that Spurs never won when he was in the team early on. It's how they deal with it that sets them apart. Ryan will come through this tricky patch."

Sessegnon is reminiscent of a young Bale with the way he can play at either left-back or on the wing with pace and guile, but he has struggled this season as the Cottagers have lost their way upon their return to the Premier League.

Bale is even finding now at Real Madrid that tough times follow top players throughout their career and the fact that Jennings feels Sessegnon is well-equipped to deal with those highs and lows is a promising sign.

The Englishman looks set for his next move, in truth, and that should see him go on and kick his career into another gear just like Bale did after leaving Southampton.



https://tbrfootball.com/jennings-compares-sessegnons-recent-struggles-to-gareth-bales-at-tottenham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Johansen named in Norway squad

Stefan Johansen has been named in Norway's squad for their two opening EURO 2020 qualifiers.

Norway, in Group F alongside Spain, Sweden, Romania, Faroe Islands and Malta, travel to Valencia to face Spain on Saturday, March 23 (ko 7.45pm) before returning to Oslo on Tuesday, March 26 where they welcome Sweden (ko 7.45pm).

All the best, Stefan!



https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2019/march/johansen-named-in-norway-squad/

[WhiteJC]

 
Tottenham, West Ham, Fulham: 3 London clubs all keen on same player

Three London clubs are involved in the race for the Real Sociedad defender Diego Llorente, according to the Spanish press today.

As reported by outlet Mundo Deportivo, the return of Monchi to Sevilla could put the La Liga side in the chase for the 25-year-old, since the director had previously scouted the player when working for Roma.

But Sevilla would have some big competition for Llorente, since Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United all follow him closely.

None of these clubs made a bid in January, but Real Sociedad are aware of the big interest the defender attracts, and are prepared to receive offers for him.

Mundo Deportivo says Llorente is protected by a €50m release clause, and Real Sociedad could demand that amount to sell him. The only club who could get him for less are Real Madrid, since they have an agreement to buy him back for only €25m.

Along with Tottenham, Fulham and West Ham, Liverpool are also said to be interested.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/tottenham-west-ham-fulham-3-london-clubs-keen-player/

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Former referee gives his verdict on the penalty awarded to Liverpool in the win against Fulham

Dermot Gallagher has spoken about the penalty given to Liverpool in the win at Craven Cottage

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has said that referee Craig Pawson had no choice but to award a penalty to Liverpool in the game against Fulham yesterday (Sunday).

The Reds were awarded a penalty with nine minutes remaining at Craven Cottage, when Sadio Mane went down in the box under a challenge from Fulham goalkeeper Sergio Rico, after he had failed to hold on to a shot on goal.

James Milner scored from the spot to give Liverpool all three points and move Jurgen Klopp's men back to the top of the Premier League table, while leaving Fulham 13 points from safety with just seven games remaining.

Fulham's Spanish goalkeeper came in for some criticism from Manchester City and Manchester United fans after the game, but did referee Craig Pawson make the right decision?

According to Gallagher, who refereed in the Premier League for 15 years between 1992 and 2007, he had no alternative.

"I think he's (Rico) panicked, he's pulled him down. The referee has no choice but to give a penalty," said Gallagher, speaking as part of Sky Sports' Ref Watch feature .

"If he'd have thought it through, I don't think Mane would have got the ball. He's dropped the ball and gone for the quick way. It's a penalty."

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said he too thought it was a penalty, with the Dutchman critical of Rico when analysing the incident on BBC programme Match of the Day 2.

"The keeper [Rico] makes a meal out of it, first of all he needs to catch it and then he tries to rectify it," the Dutchman said.

"But he pulls Mane back, and for me, it is a penalty."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/referee-verdict-penalty-fulham-liverpool-15992101

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Fulham re-igniting interest in this 28-year-old international defender would help them fix backline woes

Fulham Opinion: Fulham should reignite their interest in Andre Almeida

Back in January, a report from Portuguese publication O Jogo claimed that Fulham were interested in signing right-back Andre Almeida from Benfica. However, a move to the Premier League failed to materialize for the Portuguese international and he stayed put in his native land.

Almeida has been one of Benfica's standout performers in the Liga NOS this term and been one of the driving forces behind his team's surge to the tip of the table, contributing with a goal and 8 assists from 25 appearances in the league.

The right-back has plied his trade with Benfica since making a move from Belenenses back in 2011 and has accumulated a total of 5 goals and 30 assists from 240 appearances across all competitions, helping the team claim four Primeira Liga titles.

Fulham's interest in Almeida is not surprising, considering that the Cottagers have endured a dismal campaign in the Premier League due to their defensive frailties.

They have one of the worst defensive records not only in the Premier League but also across the top-five leagues in Europe, having shipped an embarrassing 70 goals in 31 games so far.

With the Cottagers languishing 13 points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table, relegation looks almost inevitable for the west London outfit. It might sound harsh but they are probably going to have to prepare themselves for a long and hard slog in the Championship next term after their Premier League miseries come to an end.

Fulham should aim for a major overhaul of their defensive options next summer and right-back is one area which is in dire need of investment. Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Calum Chambers are likely to return to Man United and Arsenal respectively at the end of their loan spells, which would leave the underwhelming Cyrus Christie as the only option on the right. Denis Odoi has failed to deliver the goods at his makeshift right-back role, which should further prompt the club hierarchy to bring in reinforcements.

To put things into perspective, an experienced and versatile defender like Andre Almeida would be an ideal solution to their right-back. conundrum. While the 28-year-old is essentially a right-back, he is also adept at playing in defensive midfield and on the left-hand side of the defence.

Almeida is not particularly lightning quick but he knows how to contribute equally to both attack and defence, with his high work-rate and stamina allowing him to patrol up and down the pitch throughout the ninety minutes.

The Portuguese international is also quite sharp and agile on and off the ball, whilst his game-reading ability and awareness make him a solid presence at the back.

The 28-year-old likes to venture forward and join the attack, making subtle overlapping runs and creating chances with his wonderful eye for decisive passes.

Almeida is not only adept at linking up with his teammates down the wide areas but he also has the ability to cut out attacks by making good recovery runs.

Technically astute with sound positional sense and good aerial ability, Almeida should be the perfect man to answer Fulham's prayers.

Fulham might find it difficult to attract a hugely experienced player like Almeida next season if they lose their Premier League status, but the financial muscle of Shahid Khan might just give the Cottagers a chance of striking a deal for the Portuguese international.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2019/03/19/fulham-re-igniting-interest-in-this-28-year-old-international-defender-would-help-them-fix-backline-woes/

[WhiteJC]

 
Five Thoughts: Fulham 1-2 Liverpool

Fulham gave another spirited performance at the Cottage against Liverpool on St. Patrick's Day, but ultimately fell to another defeat as our Premier League lives slowly ebb away. With Cam Ramsey on a short term loan deal in the academies of Thailand, Jack Collins steps into the breach to give his five thoughts on the Liverpool game.

Scotty Restoring Some Pride
It's not been the points that we were perhaps hoping for, and we failed to take the opportunity to have our say in the title race, but Fulham under Scott Parker, especially at the Cottage, have been vastly improved in almost every sense. Something feels a little different with Parker at the wheel, and although his tactics were somewhat questionable at points (4-1-5 anyone!) it was refreshing to see a manager going for it when Fulham were still within touching distance.

Scotty's not done anywhere near enough to secure the job on a permanent basis at this moment in time, but he's restored some semblance of the connection between the fans and the club, he's freed the players to play their natural game and everyone around Fulham seems so much happier and more comfortable with his style of football. It's a start, and I believe in starts.

Rico's Recurring Errors
I haven't really felt it was right to apportion too much blame to Sergio Rico this season for the amount of goals that we've conceded, because the defences that have been shielding him have been so flimsy they may as well have been made out of paper, but at the end of the day, it was his error against Liverpool that has cost Fulham when the game was level again.

Rico's been one of Fulham's better players for most of this season, but recent form has seen costly errors against both West Ham and now Liverpool, and he needs to be held to account for those. The Spaniard's decision-making has become somewhat questionable, and his flapping at crosses does little to raise confidence. This mess is by no means his fault, but we really need him to find some semblance of form for the run in.

Big Frank Shines
As a big-money signing, finding your feet in the Premier League is rarely easy; but no-one needs to tell that to Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa. Not only did things not go to plan for him to begin with, but an injury has kept him out over the period where Fulham really started to languish at the bottom of the table. Against Liverpool, however, he finally started to show some of the form and ability that convinced Fulham to bring him to SW6 from Marseille.

He finally started to show composure on the ball, he motored around the midfield confidently and he drew a smart stop from Alisson with a clever volley. It wasn't perfect yet, but there was enough in there to suggest that there's a player worth finding out more from – and Scotty's words after the game suggest that he's got faith in the Cameroonian to become the player we hoped he could be.

Bryan Finding Form
Another person that's finding a show of form late is Joe Bryan, who's had back-to-back excellent performances. Against Leicester, he was Fulham's main creative outlet as well as being defensively sound, but he stepped up another gear, comfortably dealing with (an albeit out-of-form) Mo Salah. An inspired moment came in the first half when Bryan took the ball off Salah in the Fulham box, dropped a shoulder and sold the dummy to the Egyptian before pinging the ball down the line.

It's not just a mark of someone freed from the shackles of Ranieri's catenaccio, but also someone who's rediscovered confidence in his own ability. If he continues playing like this, Fulham will have the best left-back in the Championship next year – and with the delivery that we know he possesses, that will be some asset to have for a side that is supposed to dominate through the use of its fullbacks.

Liverpool Fan-Gate
There's been a lot said about the matter, but there's a few underlying rules. I don't personally think that it's completely wrong to sit in an opposing home end – as long as you show some respect, and respect the protocol. You don't wear colours, you don't cheer when your team scores and you basically just go chameleon and blend in as best you can – sit on your hands if you need to.

The club have questions to answer about the entire 'selling tickets to members without any booking history' debacle, but there are plenty of Fulham fans who have their own crosses to bear on this one. If you bring a mate who's a Liverpool fan, I can live with that, but selling off season tickets for profit to people that aren't going to respect the idea of blending in doesn't sit well with me at all. It's done, and we need to all draw a line under it, but seeing people bouncing out of the Hammersmith End at the end beaming away was unbelievably frustrating. Bring on the Championship, bring back proper football.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2019-03-18-five-thoughts-fulham-1-2-liverpool/

[WhiteJC]

 
TT Battle: Cauley Woodrow vs Kieffer Moore

Not a bad partnership at all, is it? A large part of why Barnsley remain hot on Luton Town's heels is due to the form of both Cauley Woodrow and Kieffer Moore across the course of the season.

It speaks volumes that for the seven games Moore has been sidelined through injury lately, Barnsley have failed to score in four of them.

Without Moore starting, it also means there is the lack of a natural partner for Woodrow as himself as Moore excel together, but Woodrow does not have the same connection with Jacob Brown, Mamadou Thiam or Victor Adeboyejo.

Though Moore may be sidelined, for now, we can still compare the importance of the Tykes' duo...

Cauley Woodrow
Woodrow has nearly always had an impressive record when going out on loan and his spell at Barnsley has been no different. Since January, when the deal was made permanent, he has just kicked on from there and continued to develop.

The former England youth international has netted 14 times across all competitions this season. Everyone knew he could finish, but the level of his clinical nature has surely surpassed expectations.

TT Grade: A

Kieffer Moore
Prior to his injury, Moore had netted 18 times in 31 games, helping out with four assists in the process.

The 26-year-old has been able to play a part in the build-up at times, bring fellow teammates into play very well whilst also flourishing in front of goal with an array of different finishes.

Grade: A+

TT VERDICT
Whilst Woodrow may be the more potent finisher of the two, Moore seems to more complete in what he offers to the side beyond just goals. They are both fantastic strikers that help get the best out of each other, but the lack of goals with Moore out of the side just shows how crucial he is to the side.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/features/transfer-battles/tt-battle-cauley-woodrow-vs-kieffer-moore/

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Kevin McDonald's comments expose Claudio Ranieri's failed Fulham tenure

Fulham players have a penchant for exposing their ex-manager's major flaws after they are sacked, with the notorious Felix Magath cheese saga chief among these headlines.

In Fulham's official programme this weekend, Kevin McDonald continued the tradition, lambasting Claudio Ranieri and revealing why the Italian failed at Craven Cottage.

In comments reported by the Evening Standard, McDonald shed light on the key clash between Ranieri's system and Fulham's philosophy.

"His style didn't suit the players," McDonald said. "He wanted us to play with the ball in behind the opposition defence but the whole Fulham team is about playing the ball on the floor. We were a bit confused with what he wanted."

It must be noted that McDonald was unceremoniously frozen out by Ranieri and will surely be aggrieved by his treatment; but nevertheless, the disconnect the Scot reveals is shocking.

Whenever a manager fails to communicate his methods to his squad, it is an utmost concern for a club, and the fact that the Fulham players were "confused" in the midst of a relegation battle is inexcusable.

Ranieri was brought in to stem the flow of goals Fulham were conceding, but in the end his attacking tactics doomed the club, by robbing the Whites of their most effective way of winning matches.

The ditching of possession-based tactics and an emphasis on direct play in a team lacking in pace has proven to be seriously misguided.

Kevin McDonald's brutal honesty was refreshing for Fulham supporters, but overall invoked a feeling of frustration over the deluded tenure of Claudio Ranieri.



https://tbrfootball.com/kevin-mcdonalds-comments-expose-claudio-ranieris-failed-fulham-tenure/