Friends of Fulham

 
We asked a Fulham expert about Ryan Sessegnon: Here's what he told Aston Villa to look out for

The 18-year-old wonder kid has been one of the stars of the Championship season

Fulham reporter Ryan O'Donovan has given his thoughts on Fulham's highly rated young winger, Ryan Sessegnon, ahead of Saturday's Championship play-off final clash with Aston Villa.

The 18-year old has scored 16 goals this season and is Fulham's leading goal scorer for the campaign. He has also contributed 6 assists and his achievements are even more impressive considering he only turned 18 this month.

In the video O'Donovan, from football.london, states that Sessegnon has "really gone on to make a name for himself. He's scored 16 goals playing from that left-wing position which looks to be his favoured position."

Sessegnon broke into Fulham's first team as a left-back before being moved forward into a left-wing role by Jokanovic, sparking his goal-scoring exploits.

(https://i2-prod.birminghammail.co.uk/incoming/article14682950.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/JS151794511.jpg)

He ended the season by being nominated for the PFA young player of the year award and winning the Championship player of the season.

Sessegnon was also recognised by the London Football Awards where he received Best Player and Best Young Player.

His manager at Fulham, Slavisa Jokanovic, had this to say about him:

"He's focused and concentrated on improving himself, he's shown a great level of self-belief and he's clinical when the ball arrives to him in the box," said the boss

"He wants to be top level and push himself and I'm sure he'll be at that level soon.

"He's 18-years-old and he's special. At this stage (of his career) it's really fantastic, but at the end he knows it's about focusing and concentrating if he wants to prove himself."

You can watch Ryan's verdict in full in the video at the top of this piece.



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/asked-fulham-expert-ryan-sessegnon-14697667

 
Steve Bruce cuts 'feisty' training session short as Aston Villa prepare for Fulham

Fulham take on Villa in the Championship final on Saturday with both sides chomping at the bit ahead of the play-off final

Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce was forced to cut a 'feisty' training session short on Tuesday with a mini-match between his players getting too competitive ahead of the Fulham game.

The Whites take on Villa in the Championship play-off final on Saturday at Wembley, with a place in the Premier League at stake and it looks like Bruce's men are taking each training session as if it was the day itself.

Fulham opened their doors for the first ten minutes of training on Wednesday and it looked a relaxed atmosphere in the west London camp, with the players enjoying a few jokes as they went through their drills.

But up in the Midlands, Bruce was pleased the see his side so eager to put in the big tackles four days before the final.

He said: "I used to say when you can smell the hot dogs there's a big occasion around the corner.

"On Tuesday I had to stop training early because they were champing at the bit - too early. It got a bit feisty to say the least.

"It was very, very interesting. It's not a bad sign. I'm not against it at all. It's normal.

"We just stepped in and cut it a little short - shall we put it that way. And I hadn't even revealed the team then."

Meanwhile, Slavisa Jokanovic wasn't interested in chatting about speculation that his Fulham side could be torn apart if they don't gain promotion on Saturday.

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(Image: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)

Ryan Fredericks, Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon's futures are all subject to rumours ahead of the biggest game of the season, but the head coach is only focused on getting the side back to the Premier League.

He said: "To be honest, I do not care. I am not thinking about this. I am only thinking about the job ahead of us.

"We want to fight to bring Fulham to the place we believe they belong."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/steve-bruce-cuts-feisty-training-14698989

 
Fulham boss focused on 'huge' Wembley clash

Slavisa Jokanovic says he is focused solely on Fulham's date with destiny on Saturday and not speculation about his future.

Jokanovic leads the Whites into this weekend's Championship play-off final against Aston Villa, knowing victory would end a four-year hiatus from the Premier League.

His work in making Fulham one of the most attractive teams to watch this season has seen him linked to a return to Chelsea – where he was a player in the early 2000s – with Antonio Conte's position remaining in doubt.

But that is not going to be a distraction to the Serb, who took over at Craven Cottage in 2015 and turned the club from relegation battlers to promotion contenders.

"I have an important enough job this moment to think about this kind of thing," he said. "I am thinking only about the final, I don't have time to think about things like this.

"We are not thinking about my future, I am not talking about players' future.

"The only important thing is Saturday afternoon. I have the contract, this game is so huge, so massive.

"I don't know what I am going to do on Sunday morning, only what is immediately ahead of us.

"At the end I am here for two-and-a-half years, when I arrived we were fighting relegation battle.

"We showed clear improvement and we want to fight for bringing Fulham to a place where we believe we belong. We are in with a chance."

Jokanovic's men had a brilliant campaign, going on a 23-game unbeaten run, but missed out on automatic promotion on the final day.

They overcame that disappointment to beat Derby in the semi-finals and Jokanovic wants his side to "cross the magic line" at Wembley.

He said: "We are now at the front of an important chance. We are going to follow our style and be confident we will cross the line.

"There is a huge job ahead of myself. It is an opportunity for a side to be part of the best league in the world.

"That is a big motivation for us. Behind us is one great season but we can't think about past games.

"We have one opportunity to cross the magic line. I am thinking about the 90 minutes, the 120 minutes if we need it. We are ready for everything.

"We are playing a massive club, we know what we are going to face.

"It's a huge game, it can be a Premier League game, but not next season.

"This is the final, an important game and everyone wants to do what they can do to make the step."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/chelsea/fulham-boss-plays-down-chelsea-link-ahead-of-huge-game-against-aston-villa

 
Fulham want to sign £15m-rated Aleksandar Mitrovic from Newcastle... but transfer rests on promotion hopes

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Fulham want to sign Aleksandar Mitrovic from Newcastle United on a permanent basis if they are promoted to the Premier League.

Mitrovic has scored 12 goals since moving to Fulham on loan in January and the club are keen to buy the £15million-rated striker.

The 23-year-old Serbian will be allowed to leave Newcastle, but Fulham's hopes of signing him rest on whether they beat Aston Villa in Saturday's play-off final at Wembley.

Mitrovic's form at Craven Cottage has also alerted other clubs.

Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez wants to off-load Mitrovic, who won the Championship Player of the Month Awards for March and April.

Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic has given Mitrovic a platform to play before the World Cup and will hope he can convince his compatriot to stay if the club go up.

Jokanovic, meanwhile, says he has not thought about his future beyond Saturday's play-off final.

The 49-year-old will be in demand this summer because of the job he has done at Fulham and Chelsea have added him to their list of possible successors to Antonio Conte.

Jokanovic, who has one year left on his contract at Craven Cottage, said: "I am only thinking about the final and I do not have time to think about different things.

"I have enough important jobs at the moment to think about these kinds of situations. I have a contract and that is it. I am not thinking about my future or about players' futures. What is important is the game against Villa. After this game, we are going to see.

"A huge job is ahead of my team and myself. It is an opportunity to be part of the best football league in the world. It is one game where we have an opportunity to cross this magic line."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-want-to-sign-15m-aleksandar-mitrovic-newcastle-transfer-rests-on-promotion-a3847336.html

 
Hibs boss hoping to keep McGeouch

Neil Lennon has not given up on persuading Dylan McGeouch to stay at Hibernian after revealing the midfielder could be set for a change of heart.

The Hibs boss previously admitted the out-of-contract Scotland squad member, 25, had decided it was time to move on.

England was expected to be his next move, with Fulham, Brentford and QPR all interested in the former Celtic man.

But Lennon is clinging to the hope that McGeouch might decide against heading south and instead sign a new deal to remain in Edinburgh.

Lennon said: "It's an interesting one with Dylan because it's not done yet. We are still in there fighting for that.

"We've a small chink of light. The way he was after his last game we more or less felt that may be it but there's still some movement there.

"The club have made him what we feel is a very good offer."

Blackburn and Aberdeen are also among clubs keen on McGeouch



https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/midfielder-made-very-good-offer-as-bees-fulham-and-qpr-show-interest

 
Fulham manager sends strong message to the board ahead of a potential Premier League campaign

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic wants the club's owners to match his ambition ahead of next season, according to The London Evening Standard.

Ahead of the play-off final this weekend, Fulham boss Jokanovic wants assurances from the board that they will be ambitious in the summer transfer window.

Jokanovic, who has recently been mentioned as a target for the Chelsea job, will sit down for talks over his future with the club's owners after Saturday's crunch match.

Fulham face Aston Villa at Wembley on Saturday with the winners earning themselves a coveted place in next season's Premier League campaign.

Should the Cottagers win promotion, Jokanovic wants them to be ambitious and target some top players to keep them afloat in the top flight, as well as keeping stars like Ryan Sessegnon, Tom Cairney and Ryan Fredericks.

Jokanovic will ask the board to match his ambition this summer if they do go up, with owner Shahid Khan already stating that he wants to spend money to not only stay in the league, but compete higher up the division.

The 42-year-old Serbian has just one year left to run on his deal at Craven Cottage and that has alerted teams who are looking for a new manager.

The Verdict

It is about time Jokanovic gets to manage in the Premier League and he will be desperate to do that in a familiar and settled environment – like he has at Fulham.

If the Cottagers beat Aston Villa, they need to splash the cash to land Aleksandar Mitrovic permanently, add a few more faces to their first-team squad and keep their star men.

This is the minimum ambition Jokanovic will demand and the board needs to do all it can to keep the key man happy.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-manager-sends-strong-message-to-the-board-ahead-of-a-potential-premier-league-campaign/

 
Kalas the joker, but where was Djalo? Behind the scenes at Fulham open training

Football.London watched from the sidelines as Slavisa Jokanovic's squad trained ahead of the play-off final

Fulham opened the doors of Motspur Park to the press on Wednesday ahead of the Championship play-off final with Aston Villa, with training first on the agenda.

Slavisa Jokanovic's men know it's win or bust for their hopes of getting promoted to the Premier League in what is possibly the biggest game the side have faced since the Europa League final back in 2010.

With just a couple of days left until the final, the players were put through their paces once more at Motspur Park as they put the finishing touches on their preparation for 'the richest game in football' at Wembley.

And the side were in good spirits as they went through their warm-ups in front of the media in the glorious sunshine that engulfed the training pitches just days before heading out into a play-off final.

As Jokanovic officially revealed in his press conference a few hours later, all the side were fit and ready for the final, with the head coach having a full squad to choose from ahead of the game.

Here's what else we took from Fulham's open training session.

Good spirits

The side were certainly in good spirits at training, despite the massive game looming over them.

The early birds, like Ollie Norwood and the Sessegnon twins, had a bit of a kick about before training got underway properly and it had a throwback to Sunday league sides, pre-game preparation, where everyone just lashes a ball about for a bit.

But once Jokanovic had everyone in a huddle and got training underway, game faces were on and the side went through their warm-up routines with the professionalism you'd expect.

(https://i2-prod.getwestlondon.co.uk/incoming/article14699348.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Fulham-Play-off-Final-Preview-Day-Motspur-Park.jpg)
(Image: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)

That said, it became clear before long who the jokers are in the side - despite losing his place at centre back to Denis Odoi after injury, Tomas Kalas was laughing and joking his whole way through, clearly enjoying himself in front of the cameras.

There seemed to be a real togetherness too - there's cliques at the club like there is anywhere, but on the training pitch it was clear that everyone is striving for the same goal: promotion to the Premier League.

Youth exposure to the first team

We know that Jokanovic is a big believer in youth - Ryan Sessegnon's rise from the Academy to first team is testament to that - but we got to see who else is training with the first team too.

Steven Sessegnon, Luca de la Torre and Marlon Fossey were all included in training ahead of the play-off final, and while it's very unlikely either of those will play a part, it's encouraging to see the youngsters gaining the exposure.

Steven Sessegnon and de la Torre have both made their first team bows this season, but we're yet to see Fossey, the 19-year-old American, make his debut yet.

Fossey is a defender and has represented the States at youth level and won the U20 CONCACAF Championships in 2017, but missed out on the U20 World Cup with injury.

He's been at the Academy since he was 11 and we could certainly see him making an appearance in the EFL Cup next season, regardless of what division the team are in.

Luca Ashby-Hammond was back training with the goalkeepers after his disappointment with England U17s in the Euros last week, while Magnus Norman was also working out with the goalkeeper union.

Notably missing were Tayo Edun and Matt O'Riley - Edun made his league debut against Derby County in November while O'Riley made his first appearance against Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup in August.

Both of those have been training with the first team this season, but suffered injuries this campaign which has seen them sit this out.

Where is Marcelo Djalo?

Djalo didn't take part in training on Wednesday, and hasn't made a first team appearance since December 9 and the 1-0 victory over Birmingham City.

He's well down the pecking order at Fulham since arriving in the summer and has only made four appearances in total, with Kalas, Odoi and Tim Ream all ahead of him in the centre back position.

He was at Motspur Park in his training gear but didn't take part in the session .

On the other hand, the also lesser-seen Ibrahima Cisse was present, despite not having made a first team appearance since the loss at Villa Park all the way back in October.

A possible loan move was touted for him in January but that fell through, and he's come nowhere near making an appearance since October, with his last game coming in the Checkatrade Trophy with the U21 side in 3-1 win over Crawley Town at the back end of November.

While they'll play no part at Wembley on Saturday, it'll be interesting to see what happens to them in the summer months.

What next for the side?

This could've been the last time we were at Motspur Park at the same time as some of these players, and we could well have been watching one of their final sessions at Fulham.

Whatever happens on Saturday, there's set to be changes in personnel at the club over the summer, but what next for the side?

If they're promoted to the Premier League, what is the next step for the group of players that Jokanovic has assembled at Fulham?

Safety would be the first priority, but these players are ambitious and will want more than just to play in the Premier League to be safe.

But on the other hand, if they don't win on Saturday and it's another season in the Championship, we'll more than likely see a new-look Fulham side next season.

The aim then will be the same - to achieve promotion, but Saturday is the best chance they have



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/kalas-joker-djalo-behind-scenes-14699098

 
Championship Play-off Final Preview: Players to Watch

On Saturday 26th May, Aston Villa and Fulham will compete for football's biggest cash prize: The Championship play-off final. Although to the neutral it may be nothing more than an appetiser for the Champions League final, it's an enormous game for two clubs battling to return to the Premier League.

The Championship Play-off Final: Five to Watch
Fulham have enjoyed a wonderful season, narrowly missing out on automatic promotion on the final day. Former Watford manager Slaviša Jokanović's side play a possessive style of football, as evidenced by the stats. Fulham finished top of the average possession table for the season with 55%. Furthermore, they also had the highest pass accuracy (83%) and shortest pass length (17m). Importantly, they've been able to translate their dominance into goals scored (76, second highest) and chances created (448, third highest).

Aston Villa started the season sluggishly, winning just one of their first five games. Steve Bruce's side, though, turned this around. A steady season saw them reach the play-offs comfortably. Their solid defence provides security for their plethora of attacking options. Like Fulham, Villa have scored a high number of goals, particularly from set pieces. This could be key on Saturday. Villa have a clear aerial advantage over Fulham, who are ninth bottom in headed goals conceded this season.

Sam Johnstone
The Manchester United loanee has been vital to their efforts this season and will need to perform on Saturday. The keeper can consider himself lucky to be available for the final following his handling of the ball outside of the area during their semi-final win. He kept an impressive 20 clean sheets this season, despite being one of the league's busier keepers, making 106 saves during the campaign (seventh highest). The loanee will have the opportunity to play in the Premier League next season, with rumoured interest from Cardiff, so defeat on Saturday means this could be Johnstone's final appearance for Villa.

Albert Adomah
Adomah finished the season in fine form, resulting in a call-up to the Ghana squad for pre-World Cup friendlies. He also won Villa's Player of the Season award and was named in the EFL team of the season. Fulham are susceptible to the counter and Adomah's pace will be key in exploiting this. An impressive Championship Play-off final will see a fitting end to a good season.

Robert Snodgrass
Another Premier League loanee, Snodgrass has added an extra touch of class since his arrival in August. The midfielder has weighed in with seven goals and 14 assists this season. With Fulham vulnerable in the air defensively, his quality of delivery could make a key difference.

Tom Cairney
Fulham's captain and playmaker has had another impressive season, thus drawing interest from West Ham in January. Cairney's inclusion in listings for EFL Player of the Season award and team of the season recognising his achievement. Cairney keeps the ball well, his pass accuracy of 91% the team's highest. He creates chances for others, also weighing in with five goals of his own this season.

Ryan Sessegnon
Sessegnon has been Fulham's star this season. The recently turned eighteen-year-old was not included in Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad.   

An international debut may not be long after. The full-back turned winger has scored 15 goals whilst creating 49 chances in 44 appearances this season and has been rewarded with the Championship player of the season award. Furthermore, he became the first non-Premier League player to be nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Season award. His raw pace and trickery, developed via cage football in his childhood, have left defenders answerless all season. Alan Hutton will therefore have to be on his game to stop him on Saturday.

Aleksandar Mitrovic
Since joining on loan in February, Mitrovic has been in excellent form, scoring 11 goals in 15 appearances. Previously regarded as a loose cannon at Newcastle, Mitrovic has positively channelled his passion at Craven Cottage. At times his play has been too good for the division, his strength and quality obvious. He has been aerially dominant, winning 51% of his aerial duels. Quality service from Sessegnon and Fredericks could lead to John Terry and James Chester having a stressful Championship Play-off final.



http://lastwordonfootball.com/2018/05/24/championship-play-off-final/

 
John Terry v Aleksandar Mitrovic: The Key Battle in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final

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John Terry versus Aleksandar Mitrovic is the key battle when Aston Villa face Fulham in the Championship play-off final

The 2018 Sky Bet Championship play-off final is set to produce an intriguing encounter between serial Wembley winner John Terry and Fulham's in-form Serb Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The decorated 37-year-old defender has made 836 appearances for club and country and won 15 major trophies, lifting five major Cups at Wembley as Chelsea captain. Terry will need to call upon all his experience to shut out Mitrovic who was named Sky Bet Championship Player of the month for March and April.

Mitrovic's arrival, on loan from Newcastle, has had a huge impact on Fulham this season, coinciding with their red-hot end-of-season form. The 23-year-old scored in 10 of Fulham's final 14 Championship games this season (12 goals) with the Whites winning eight and drawing two of those 10 games that he netted in. Nine of his 12 goals coming against top-half sides in the division.

Only Mohamed Salah has scored more English League goals than Mitrovic since his Fulham debut on February 3.

(http://images.teamtalk.com/18/05/master/skysports-aleksandar-mitrovic_4318037.jpg)

Mitrovic in fact had the best minutes-per-goal ratio of any Championship player to play at least 900 minutes this season.
Minutes per goal in Championship (played 900+ mins)

Player    Mins per goal    Total
Aleksandar Mitrovic    115mins    12
Lewis Grabban    126mins    20
Matej Vydra    129mins    21
Atdhe Nuhiu    132mins    11

His major strength has been his ability to continually find opportunities to shoot better than any other player in the division. He also finished the season with 68 shots, almost the same return as leading scorers Grabban (74) and Vydra (74) managed, despite Mitrovic playing half as much in the Championship.

Despite the Serb remaining unbeaten in five career appearances against Aston Villa, he has yet to score a goal against them. His first Fulham start came in the 2-0 home League win against Terry's Villa on February 17. His only other meeting against Terry came in Chelsea's 5-1 Premier League home win against Newcastle in February 2016, Terry was subbed off on 38 minutes with a hamstring injury sustained during an aerial tussle with Mitrovic.

Terry has an impressive record when he's faced Fulham, losing only two of his 25 games played against them. He has also scored four goals against the Cottagers, only scoring more goals against Arsenal in his career (five). He can boast three goals in his last five games v Fulham and his only Villa goal came in their 2-1 Championship win against Fulham at Villa Park last October.

Mitrovic is of course looking for back-to-back promotions into the Premier League after helping Newcastle win the Championship title last season. Whilst this will be Mitrovic's first taste of Wembley, it will be Terry's 31st senior appearance at the national stadium for club and country.

Terry has won 23 and lost only four of his 30 games at Wembley for Chelsea and England, scoring four times. His last major cup final appearance at Wembley was when he scored and was named man of the match in Chelsea's 2-0 League Cup final win against Tottenham in 2015. In fact, Terry boasts an enviable record at Wembley in major cup competitions - winning eight of his nine games played there with Chelsea, winning his last seven.

Aston Villa will be making their fifth Wembley appearance in eight years with their last visit ending in a 4-0 FA Cup final defeat against Arsenal in 2015. Whilst Fulham will be making only their second Wembley appearance in their 139-year history and their first visit for 43 years since their 1975 FA Cup final defeat against West Ham.

Terry will be looking to keep his near-perfect Wembley record intact against the red-hot striker on Saturday.

Don't miss the Sky Bet Championship play-off final between Fulham and Aston Villa on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event from 4pm



http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11688/11382753/john-terry-v-aleksandar-mitrovic-the-key-battle-in-the-sky-bet-championship-play-off-final

 
Play-Off Final In Focus

There is a lot of crucial information to be aware of heading into Saturday's Play-Off Final. Have a read of our preview to make sure you're fully prepared.

Possible opposition absentees

Ahmed Elmohamady - knee injury
Tickets
Fulham sold out our entire allocation five days prior to the match, meaning there will be more than 38,000 of you at Wembley on Saturday. Anyone who has not received their tickets by Friday must contact Ticketmaster on 0333 003 5935 to arrange duplicate tickets in advance of the game.
Weather

It will be a warm day in Wembley with temperatures around 23 degrees, and some cloud cover expected.
#FFCWhiteWall

The Club is encouraging fans to wear white on Saturday to create a White Wall for the boys to walk out to.
Getting there

The Stadium is within a short walking distance of three stations. Wembley Park tube is serviced by the Metropolitan and Jubilee tube lines and is a five minute walk to the ground, while Wembley Central is on the Bakerloo and Overground lines and is a 15 minute walk. Trains also run from Marylebone to Wembley Stadium station which is a stone's throw from the ground.
Pre-match

The Fulham Fan Zone will be located at Arena Square, next to the SSE Arena. For a list of pubs accommodating Whites fans, follow this link.
Opening times

The Stadium will open to fans at 3pm - it is recommended to get there an hour before kick-off. Bags of any size will be checked so please allow ample time if you have a bag, although we would advise against bringing one if possible.
Live stream

Because this fixture has been selected for live broadcast on Sky Sports, we are unable to stream it on fulhamfctv, but Gentleman Jim's live audio commentary will be available as usual.
He said

"Fulham have got good players. We understand that their game is built on possession. They try and wear you down by possession. Our game plan will be to not give them that possession. We must keep the ball ourselves, especially at Wembley on a hot day." - Steve Bruce, Aston Villa manager
Grosvenor Casinos match odds

Aston Villa: 9/4

Draw: 21/10

Fulham: 13/10

Grosvenor Casinos are offering new customers enhanced odds of 5/1 for Fulham to be promoted. Follow this link for full details.
Previous five results

Aston Villa 0-0 Middlesbrough (Championship Play-Off)

Middlesbrough 0-1 Aston Villa (Championship Play-Off)

Millwall 1-0 Aston Villa (Championship)

Aston Villa 1-1 Derby County (Championship)

Ipswich Town 0-4 Aston Villa (Championship)



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/may/24/play-off-final-in-focus

 
The most Fulham things ever and more: Our random Aston Villa play-off final round up

Football editor Mat Kendrick tries - and most probably fails - to ease the anxiety ahead of Wembley

The Championship play-off final is almost upon us as Aston Villa and Fulham embark on football's equivalent of snakes and ladders.

It's tense, the stakes are high and the nerves are jangling to such an extent that we've just been told off by fans for mentioning the potential for a penalty shootout!

And breathe...

So in an attempt to ease the anxiety ahead of that winner-takes-promotion battle at Wembley on Saturday teatime we've tried to lighten the mood a little.

Football editor Mat Kendrick outline a collection of random things to take your mind off the play-off pressure.

The most Fulham things ever

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A couple of screengrabs, said to be from Fulham fanpages, have been flagged up to us.

I sincerely hope they are true, because if so, they are the most Fulham things ever!

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't expect the Cottagers fans to rock up at Wembley wearing straw boaters and quaffing Pimms, but there is something quintessentially quaint about the Craven Cottage clientele.

We know all about the clappers given out to Fulham fans to boost the atmosphere at their home matches, but now there's more 'evidence' that the SW6 faithful are a unique breed.

Exhibit A: The song sheets
On one forum, this message appeared under the title 'Going to Wembley'.

"With a lot of people going who probably don't know the words to some of our songs I thought it might be an idea to publish a song sheet that people could print off ans take with them." How Fulham.

Exhibit B: The sensible advice
This appeared on another Fulham site, and far from mocking it, I think it's brilliant.

It could be hot on Saturday, so with the kind of fuss your mother makes ahead of a school trip, the Cottagers contingent are sharing some sensible advice. How Fulham.



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/most-fulham-things-ever-more-14692508

 
Bad news for Aleksandar Mitrovic as report reveals how his Fulham move could be about to collapse

Fulham will have to beat Aston Villa on Saturday and seal promotion to the Premier League if they are to sign Aleksandar Mitrovic this summer according to the London Evening Standard – who claim they'll be unable to afford a £15m deal if they fail to go up.

The report reveals what we expected in the main, stating Fulham are desperate to sign him and that we're willing to let him leave, however admit that any deal completely hinges on the Cottager's promotion to the Premier League this weekend.

Here's a snippet from the Evening Standard's latest piece on Mitrovic's future this afternoon:

    "The 23-year-old Serbian will be allowed to leave Newcastle, but Fulham's hopes of signing him rest on whether they beat Aston Villa in Saturday's play-off final at Wembley."

Talk about news that will make Fulham fans that bit more nervous ahead of Saturday's showdown with Villa!

The game (and promotion to the top flight) is believed to be worth £170m to either side as it is, but for Fulham it will also define whether they'll be able to sign the striker who became a fan-favourite within weeks.



http://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2018/05/24/bad-news-for-aleksandar-mitrovic-as-report-reveals-how-his-fulham-move-could-be-about-to-collapse/

 
Championship play-off final: Bookies tipping Aston Villa and Fulham for penalty drama

Bookmakers are tipping Aston Villa's huge clash with Fulham this weekend in the Championship play-off final to go all the way to penalties.

It might not help Villa fans' nerves, but the bookies have a penalty shoot-out to decide a winner as short as 9/2.

Fulham are the favourites to lift the play-off trophy at 4/6, with Villa at 11/10.

bet365's Steve Freeth explained why they're not ruling out a dreaded penalty shoot-out:

"Recent history tells us that the world's richest game is often a cagey affair and we just don't see this experienced Aston Villa side going toe-to-toe with Fulham early on."

"In fact, it wouldn't be a shock to see this huge game go the distance."

Last season, the Championship play-off final went all the way to penalties, with Huddersfield Town getting the better of Reading after a goalless 120 minutes at Wembley.



https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/aston-villa/2018/05/24/championship-play-off-final-bookies-tipping-aston-villa-and-fulham-for-penalty-drama/

 
2017/18 Season Review - Matt Targett

Not a prolific season for Matt Targett at least not at St Mary's but you had the feeling that he was being groomed for the future, but is that with Southampton Football Club or elsewhere.

Matt Targett played only twice for Saints this season, although in fairness he spent the first part of it recovering from injury, his first appearance was against Huddersfield at St mary's in a 1-1 draw and then he played in the debacle at Spurs on Boxing Day.

But he did not disgrace himself in either game and it was a surprise that he was let go on loan to Fulham in January and he is still there as we speak about to play in the play off final at Wembley against Aston Villa.

He seems to have thrived at Craven Cottage so the big question is whether his future lies there or St Mary's ? Fulham's result at Wembley may help determine that.

Certainly he is Premier League class, however in the way that Saints have played in the past few seasons the other big question is whether he suits the style of play, Targett is similar to Luke Shaw he is more a traditional style left back than an overlapping wing back type of player.

Targett uses the ball well rather than take on defenders and put in crosses, I questioned whether Luke Shaw had the engine to play in United's style of play four years ago and that is the same question for Targett.

So it seemed strange that he went to Fulham when we were in a relegation battle and could have used him, but we seemed to balance up how many times he would actually play against getting him experience ready for next season, the few games that Sam McQueen was called upon during the second half of the season suggests we made the right call, now he will return to St Mary's with games under his belt, but if Bertrand does go do Saints think he is now ready to step into the gap, that is what we will soon find out.

If Bertrand departs and we make a signing to replace him then I do not think that Targett will want to hang around, he is ready for first team football now, he needs it, this is a big summer for him.



https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/48123/

 
How Fulham will have to stop the 'Aston Villa Engine' to progress to the Premier League

We spoke to Birmingham Live's Mat Kendrick about the style vs substance debate ahead of the play-off final at Wembley

The style vs substance debate has been one raging all season long in the Championship, with Wolves waltzing to the title while Cardiff City battled their way to second place.

Fulham gained plaudits over the past two seasons for the way they play football - their expansive, passing style has seen them batter some teams and has now guided them to 90 minutes from the Premier League.

Aston Villa stand in their way though, and Steve Bruce has assembled a style built on experience and a defensive sturdiness that opposing teams have struggled to break down.

Saturday's play-off final at Wembley is the meeting of two very different styles of football, but only one can get to the Premier League - Fulham and their easy-on-the-eye style or Villa, and their effective style.

We spoke to Birmingham Live's football editor Mat Kendrick ahead of the final to get his view on what Villa fans think about the style vs substance debate ahead of Wembley.

"We want to play The *insert club name here* Way.

"A trend seems to have developed lately for football fans desperate to see their team strut through games in with certain style that has apparently been ingrained in their DNA for generations.

"I'm not convinced this 'way' exists for many teams to be honest, and I'm pretty sure that all Aston Villa fans want to see is winning football.

"There have been some gripes over Steve Bruce's style during his season and two-thirds at Villa, but that argument only tends to rear its head on occasions when three points are not forthcoming.

"Bruce's Villa do not play the same expansive football that has earned Fulham plaudits beyond Craven Cottage this season, but for the most part they have played effective football.

"They're solid, which is what you would expect with an old-school centre half in charge and a man cut from a similar mould as his assistant, Colin Calderwood.

"A backline marshalled by John Terry and James Chester was the Championship's third meanest defence after the promoted pair, while a holding midfielder, usually in the form of Glenn Whelan or Mile Jedinak, provides that extra protection.

"But Villa have flair, they have creativity, they have goals.

"There's a threat on each flank, with the inverted wingers of Robert Snodgrass and Albert Adomah, a scoring machine up front in Lewis Grabban and a goal-getting midfielder in Conor Hourihane.

"That's not to mention Jack Grealish, a talented talisman, who is buzzing at the prospect of trying to find and exploit the open spaces of Wembley.

"Villa can be direct, but they can also be fluid.

"There's been talk at boardroom level about 'The Villa Engine', an ethos, a philosophy, a way of playing and, having seen the way Wolves, Fulham et al have gone about Championship football this term it would be great if over time Villa could be the Barcelona of Birmingham or the Manchester City of the Midlands.

"Right now though the claret and blue faithful couldn't care less whether that Villa Engine is located under the bonnet of a slick Aston Martin or a battered Austin Maestro as long as it gets them to their required destination - the Premier League."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/how-fulham-stop-aston-villa-14700360

 
Fulham want to sign Newcastle United striker on permanent deal

Fulham want to sign Newcastle United's Aleksandar Mitrovic on a permanent deal according to a report from the London Evening Standard.

The 23-year-old striker signed for the Magpies back in 2015 and he has had a mixed time at St James Park. While he has shown obvious talent during this time there, it has often been blighted by discipline problems which has seen him getting sent off in key games. That's why he struggled for first team football this season and eventually ended up on loan at Fulham.

This ended up being a fantastic move as Mitrovic quickly proved himself to be a star player for the Cottagers. He scored 12 goals in 17 appearances, an impressive tally which made him a feared striker in the Sky Bet Championship and a big reason why Fulham are set to contest the play-off final on Saturday. He was voted as the 13th Best Player in the EFL in our annual Top 50 Players of the EFL countdown.

So it should come as no surprise that Fulham want to make that loan deal a permanent one this summer. It is a move that could easily happen as well with Newcastle being willing to sell a striker that no longer fits in their plans. But the deal all resides on what happens this Saturday. Fulham will not be able to sign Mitrovic if they don't get promoted to the Premier League and that all depends on if they can beat Aston Villa on Saturday. Mitrovic will most likely be playing in that game so he can secure his new home with a great match-winning performance.



http://the72.co.uk/103360/fulham-want-sign-newcastle-united-striker-permanent-deal/

 
Fulham's Tim Ream predicts 'cagey' playoff final with Aston Villa

Fulham's United States international defender Tim Ream expects a tight game against Aston Villa in Saturday's Championship promotion playoff final (Noon ET, ESPN+).

Ream, 30, has been with the Cottagers since 2015, spanning a stretch that has seen them go from relegation contenders to missing out on promotion last season when they were beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Reading in the playoff semifinals.

Now, thanks to a 2-1 aggregate win against Derby in this year's semis, Fulham are one win away from a first return to the Premier League since the 2013-14 campaign.

Ream told ESPN FC in an exclusive interview: "I think it'll be cagey, in the beginning, I think both teams are going to feel each other out. When we played them earlier in the season [and lost], we weren't at full strength, and when we played them towards the back end of the season [and won], they weren't at full strength.

"So it's going to be interesting to see who blinks first, we have a style that we don't change, they have a style that they've been pretty consistent with all year, so I think it's going to be tight for the first 20-30 minutes, then I think things will open up a bit.

"I think it's going to be a fantastic day, it'll be a great final and it's two of the best teams in the Championship going at it for a place in the Premier League."

It's been a stellar year for Fulham, who had a chance to overtake Cardiff for automatic promotion in the final games of the season. And Ream has seen his fair share of plaudits for the success Slavisa Jokanovic's team have enjoyed.

"I've been the same player," Ream said. "I've not changed anything, I've been the same player. It's a system that suits my style and my strengths. I obviously have to put that down to the manager. When I first came in we tried to play it this way but for whatever reason the cohesion and the players weren't there.

"Over the course of two years now, the confidence that the manager has not only given myself but the entire team and the ability and the freedom to go and play no matter the situation has just brought the best out of us and I am no different."

Ream, who played for the New York Red Bulls and Bolton Wanderers before joining Fulham, sang the praises of teammate Ryan Sessegnon, the 18-year-old who might rival the American for player of the season at Craven Cottage.

"Obviously I don't train against all the other [players] every day of the week, but just his attitude, his work rate, everything he puts into training, on the pitch and in the gym is just incredible," Ream said.

"He's the most humble kid I've ever met. And I think that's what's going to take him very far. You know he doesn't get too up, doesn't get too down, if he struggles in a game he puts it behind him, and he just goes about his business."

Missing out on automatic promotion this year was a "difficult pill to swallow," according to Ream, but he says it won't be something the group is focused on ahead of Saturday's final.

"It was there for us at the end of the year and we didn't perform against Birmingham and ultimately that cost us," Ream said. "But at the same time I think that most of us feel that had we won then Cardiff would have probably have won as well.

"You can't dwell on it and in this division, games come so fast and we knew that had we not done it then we would have another chance and here we are. We obviously played very well against Derby in the first leg and we went 1-0 down and lost the game.

"But we thought we were the better team in that first leg and we were very confident going into the second one. Thankfully, I say thankfully, but we knew everyone was going to show up on the night and perform and we did."



http://www.espn.co.uk/football/fulham/story/3508490/fulhams-tim-ream-predicts-cagey-playoff-final-with-aston-villa

 
David Prutton's Sky Bet EFL play-off final predictions

David Prutton returns with his final predictions of the season ahead of the Sky Bet EFL play-off finals.

But who is he tipping for Wembley glory? Read on to find out...

This should be a fascinating encounter at Wembley. Fulham play the better football but they are coming against a side in Aston Villa who will be set up well to contain them.

here are certainly similarities between this Villa and the Hull side that Steve Bruce got promoted two years ago, and you would fancy him to have the nous to claim a record fifth promotion to the top flight.

It will all come down to who can manage the emotion of the day, get their noses in front and then see it out. Both sides will look to exploit each other's weaknesses and Villa will place huge emphasis on getting balls into the box and set-pieces.

These games are so often separated by the odd goal. You would not back against John Terry, with all his Wembley experience, to pop up with a header from a corner or a free-kick to win it.

Prutton predicts: Aston Villa to win 1-0 and John Terry to score (195/1 with Sky Bet)



http://www.skysports.com/football/news/34681/11382996/david-pruttons-sky-bet-efl-play-off-final-predictions

 
Marcus Bettinelli: Younger squad could give Fulham upper hand against Aston Villa


Championship play-off final: Aston Villa v Fulham
Venue: Wembley Date: Saturday, 26 May Kick-off: 17:00 BST Coverage: Commentary on BBC WM and BBC Radio London, live text coverage on the BBC Sport website

Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli believes their youth could benefit them in the Championship play-off final.

The Whites face a more experienced Aston Villa side at Wembley on Saturday for a place in the Premier League.

"I don't think many of the lads have been to Wembley before," the 26-year-old told BBC Radio London.

"But I think the reason we play so well and score so many goals is because we have lots of energy and can keep going right until the end."

The average age of Fulham's starting XI for the second leg of their play-off semi-final against Derby County was 25 years and 292 days, while Villa's was 29 years and 69 days for their tie at home to Middlesbrough.

Villa's squad is full of Wembley 'veterans', with former Chelsea and England captain John Terry having made regular appearances at the national stadium, and keeper Sam Johnstone and midfielders Conor Hourihane and Robert Snodgrass among several others who have won play-off finals.

Boss Steve Bruce has won four promotions from the second tier - two of which were through the play-offs - to Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic's one, which came with Watford in 2014-15.

Fulham aiming to manage nerves
Fulham spent 13 years in the Premier League before being relegated in 2014.

The west London club were beaten in the play-off semi-finals last season but, after missing out on automatic promotion by two points on the final day of this campaign, booked their place at Wembley by beating Derby 2-1 on aggregate.

Figures from Deloitte suggest promotion would be worth about £170m for Fulham, with that figure rising to £280m if the Cottagers were to survive a season in the Premier League.


Bettinelli says the players are fully aware of the "massive importance" of the encounter with Villa, but hopes they are able to play their normal passing game.

"We have been at our best this season when we have focused on how we play and going forward and attacking," he said. "That is how we have won most of our games this season.

"When we get there on the day and you are in the stadium the boys are going to be nervous. But Villa are going to be nervous - it is just the nature of the game.

"After the first 10 or 15 minutes the game will settle down, we will play our football and hopefully we can come out on top."

Accepting the Wembley limelight
Bettinelli established himself as Fulham's number one in December, taking over from David Button, and kept 11 clean sheets in the 23-match unbeaten run which lifted Fulham from 12th to third in the table.

He is comfortable with the pressure he may encounter on what will be Fulham's first Wembley appearances since losing the 1975 FA Cup final to West Ham.

"Of course goalkeepers play a vital role in finals and could be the difference of whether you win or lose," he said.

"You can make a mistake and cost your team but you can save a penalty in the last minute and win the game for your team.

"I am not putting too much pressure on myself as I'm proud of what I've done this season.

"You don't get many second chances in football so we are all well aware of what the game means to the club and the fans. It will be tough and tight but everyone is confident we can do it based on our ability."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44238575

 
Man Utd & Spurs target Sessegnon tipped for top four move

The highly-rated Fulham winger will soon be gracing a team towards the very top of the Premier League table, says current team-mate Ryan Fredericks

Ryan Sessegnon has already been linked with Manchester United and Tottenham and is destined to be "playing for a top four club in the next few years", says Fulham team-mate Ryan Fredericks.

The 18-year-old has seriously enhanced his profile during a Premier League promotion push this season, with his efforts having helped his current club to reach the Championship play-off final.

It remains to be seen whether the Cottagers will be back in the big time for 2018-19, but Sessegnon is expected to make that step up in the near future regardless of what happens in west London.



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/man-utd-spurs-target-sessegnon-tipped-for-top-four-move/1e7fb3rvaflpm158ig39yh08tw

 
Why Fulham are favourites: An expert lowdown on Aston Villa's play-off opponents

Football editor Mat Kendrick spoke to a Ryan O'Donovan

Fulham - the obstacle standing between Aston Villa and a return to the Premier League.

It's honours even between the two clubs this season with Villa winning 2-1 at Villa Park and the Cottagers winning 2-0 at Craven Cottage.

Fulham are the bookies favourites heading into the Wembley showdown after a remarkable run took them to third place, one position above their final rivals.

We spoke to Ryan O'Donovan, a regular Whites watcher from Football.london for the inside track on Slavisa Jokanovic's men. Here's the lowdown:

Sum up your season

I'd say it was the old cliche - a tale of two halves.

It started off as one of disappointment for Fulham - a poor start saw the side slip to 17th in the table after a summer that was full of hope and optimism.

But after the defeat at Sunderland, the lowest point in the campaign, the Whites' season can only be described as phenomenal.

To go 23 games unbeaten and challenge for the top two after that start makes where they are now all the more impressive.

Who have been Fulham's top three players this season?

Tim Ream - The centre back has enjoyed his best season in his career and has been an ever-present rock at the back. Fulham lacked strength in defence last year, but Ream has stepped to the plate and has been consistent all season.

Kevin McDonald - An unsung hero in Fulham's side - his anchor role protects the back four and allows the more creative players to flourish. He adds balance to the side, and although he doesn't score that many goals, he is vital to the Fulham machine.

Ryan Sessegnon An obvious one after the season he's had - 16 goals for a 17-year-old is just unbelievable when you think about it.

His goals were vital when Fulham were pulling themselves out of their rut, and his ability to pop up with a goal at the right time cannot be understated.

Sum up your thoughts on Villa's season

I fancied Aston Villa to go up automatically myself - you look at their squad and see quality all through it.

From the outside looking in, it seems to have been a good season for Villa after previous years, but I can't help but feel that with the players at their disposal, they should be in the top two.

From our point of view, it seems that inconsistency has been the reason why Villa weren't in the race for automatic promotion for longer.

Who is the Villa player you would most fear in the play-offs?

Jack Grealish - the side seems to be built around him and when he's on his game, he's by far and away one of the best players in the Championship.

He has the ability to make things happen for Villa and I think a lot of people were glad he missed out in the game at Craven Cottage earlier this season.

If he's on form, the Wembley pitch will do doubt play into his hands and he could exploit the space in between Fulham's defence and midfield, and that's a worry for the Cottagers.

How would you describe the job Slavisa Jokanovic has done?

It's been a very solid job. He guided the side to safety in his first year and since then has taken Fulham on an upward trajectory.

Some were calling for his head in November when the side were struggling, but he's hauled them into contention for a spot in the Premier League, and he's done it playing easy on the eye football, which isn't easy to do in the second tier.

What have been the five best moments of the season?

Sheffield United 4-5 Fulham: A crazy night which saw Ryan Sessegnon score a hat-trick on his 50th appearance for his boyhood club. I probably won't see a game like that again for a long time.

Middlesbrough 0-1 Fulham: The game at the Riverside proved Fulham have the steel this season that they were lacking in the last campaign. Add that to a last minute penalty to secure three points and it's a pretty good time.

Fulham 2-0 Wolves: This period in February was make or break time - Fulham played everyone in and around the top six but the victory over Wolves proved the side had to what it takes to mix it with the very best in the division.

Fulham 2-1 Preston: It was a hard fought game up at Deepdale, and after Sean Maguire had equalised it looked like Fulham would have to settle for one point. But Aleksandar Mitrovic's last minute goal sent the travelling fans into raptures as the unbeaten as the team made it four wins on the bounce.

Fulham 2-0 Derby: I can't mention best moments without mentioning the play-off final. Fulham played magnificently and the atmosphere was one not seen at the Cottage since the Europa League run back in 2010.

And the five worst?

Sunderland 1-0 Fulham: Sunderland hadn't won at home in a year, up step Fulham. No more needs to be said.

Wolves 2-0 Fulham: Defeat at Molineux, which looked like a training game at times, made it the whole month of October without a win and five in total.

Fulham 0-2 Bristol City: The club had just sacked data analyst, Craig Kline, and on the pitch Fulham were out played by their visitors. It looked like it would be a season full of turmoil for the Whites.

Derby 1-0 Fulham: Another play off defeat for Fulham and it looked like the curse could continue for the Whites. They peppered Derby's goal with efforts but couldn't find the breakthrough.

Tom Cairney's injury in pre-season: The talisman, he got injured in pre-season and it took until the second half of the season before we saw the real Cairney again.

How would you sum up your fans this season/what have been the best chants?

The fans have been great this season - the majority continued to back the side in the poor spell in October and travelled in big numbers towards the end of the campaign.

The 'Try Before You Buy' slogan going round about the Play-off final at Wembley and Shahid Khan's potential purchase has been a particular highlight for me.

Give us your final prediction please

I'm tempting fate here, but I'm going to go with 2-1 Fulham.

I think the Whites have enough about them to win this game, but Villa will pose the biggest challenge they've faced so far.

Fulham have quality all over the pitch and I think now is their time to finally get back into the Premier League.



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-fulham-wembley-final-14689407

 
Riches or heartache await Fulham and Aston Villa

LONDON (Reuters) - Fulham and Aston Villa clash in the English Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday knowing either unrestrained joy and financial riches or crushing heartache await.

No other game in world club football has quite as much riding on the outcome as the winner-takes-all clash to decide who will be the 20th club in next season's Premier League.

Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cardiff City claimed the automatic promotion places from the second tier — Cardiff pipped Fulham to second place after the London club suffered a 3-1 defeat by Birmingham City on the final day of the regular season.

It left Slavisa Jokanovic's side two points behind Cardiff and quite how costly that defeat, their first in the Championship since December, will be will only become apparent after the final whistle on Saturday.

The winning team will guarantee themselves a minimum windfall of 160 million pounds — their share of the Premier League's eye-watering broadcasting rights deal.

That does not even reflect the increase in merchandising, potential sponsorship deals and inevitable spike in social media followers, so the real prize is almost immeasurable.

Yet despite all the talk of the world's "richest game" it will boil down to a match between two proud old clubs trying to get themselves back to where they believe they belong.

"When I arrived here two-and-a-half years ago we were fighting relegation, so I believe we've made great steps to have the opportunity to bring this club back and be a promoted team," Serbian Jokanovic told the club's website.

"We have an important chance in front of us, and we expect we are going to find our best performance, follow our style, be confident, and cross this important line."

PROMOTION EXPERIENCE

While a free-flowing Fulham side featuring teenage prodigy Ryan Sessegnon and prolific Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, on loan from Newcastle United, are slight favourites, Villa are managed by Steve Bruce who holds the joint record for taking sides into the top-flight from the second tier.

He did it with Hull City in 2012-13 and 2015-16 and Birmingham City in 2001-02 and 2006-07 — two of those promotions via the drama of the playoffs.

Cardiff's Neil Warnock is the only manager to match him.

Fulham will also be wary of the presence of former Chelsea skipper John Terry in the Villa back four.

Having won every honour in club football, Terry's ability to handle the big occasion and the calming influence he will have on his team mates could be crucial.

Villa lost their ever-present Premier League status in 2016 after years of stagnation, but have been turned around by Bruce who, despite his vast experience, says Saturday's showpiece will be a nerve-jangling affair.

"I won't sit here and say that I'm not going to feel some butterflies on the day but, like everything in life, if you've already experienced something then you know how to handle it better," he told Sky Sports.

"Hopefully we can put a smile back on the faces of Aston Villa fans for a change because for five or six year it's been pretty desperate at times. Let's hope it's our turn again."

Villa's only doubt for the final is Egyptian winger Ahmed Elmohamady who suffered a hamstring injury in the semi-final against Middlesbrough. Fulham will be at full strength.

Both clubs have sold out their 38,000 ticket allocation.



https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-england-ful-ava/riches-or-heartache-await-fulham-and-aston-villa-idUKKCN1IP2N2?rpc=401&

 
World Cup 2018: Crystal Palace's Luka Milivojevic and Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic named in provisional Serbia squad

Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic and Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic have been named in Serbia's provisional squad for the World Cup.

Manager Mladen Krstajic has named a youthful side for this summer's tournament in Russia, however, there are a few names familiar to Premier League fans.

Manchester United's Nemanja Matic is on the 27-man list, to be cut to 23 by June 4, as well as Southampton playmaker Dusan Tadic, Liverpool's Marko Grujic, who has spent the last season on loan with Cardiff, as well as former Chelsea man Branislav Ivanovic and Manchester City title winner Aleksandar Kolarov.

The Serbians, who qualified for their first major tournament since the 2010 World Cup, will play warm-up matches in the Austrian city of Graz against Chile on June 4 and Bolivia five days later.

They start their World Cup Group E campaign against Costa Rica in Samara on June 17 followed by games against Switzerland in Kaliningrad on June 22 and Brazil in Moscow on June 27.

Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojkovic (Partizan Belgrade), Predrag Rajkovic (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Marko Dmitrovic (Eibar), Aleksandar Jovanovic (Aarhus).

Defenders: Aleksandar Kolarov (AS Roma), Branislav Ivanovic (Zenit St. Petersburg), Dusko Tosic (Guangzhou R&F), Antonio Rukavina (Villarreal), Milos Veljkovic (Werder Bremen), Milan Rodic (Red Star Belgrade), Uros Spajic (Krasnodar), Matija Nastasic (Schalke 04), Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina).

Midfielders: Nemanja Matic (Manchester United), Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio), Marko Grujic (Liverpool), Adem Ljajic (Torino), Dusan Tadic (Southampton), Mijat Gacinovic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Filip Kostic (Hamburg SV), Andrija Zivkovic (Benfica), Nemanja Radonjic (Red Star Belgrade), Nemanja Maksimovic (Valencia).



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2018-crystal-palaces-luka-milivojevic-and-fulhams-aleksandar-mitrovic-named-in-provisional-a3847841.html

 
From Sunderland to Aston Villa - how Fulham steered themselves from disappointment to Wembley

Fulham turned their season round to reach the play-off final - we take a look at what was addressed to change their fortunes this campaign

The clock has hit 7.30pm on November 18 and Fulham have let a one goal lead slip at home to Derby County, meaning it's now six games without a win.

The club are now languishing in 17th position in the Championship having conceded ten goals in those six matches, scoring just five times and picking up three points.

There's calls for Slavisa Jokanovic to go while the players look totally devoid of confidence, with fans on the terraces muttering 'this wasn't how this season was meant to go'.

But fast forward to May 14 and Denis Odoi is being carried to the changing rooms under a sea of jubilant Fulham fans, while Marcus Bettinelli is on someone's shoulders waving a black and white flag signing 'we're going to Wembley'.

Derby are the visitors again, but this time Fulham have beaten them 2-0 to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the play-offs that will see the side to the national stadium for the first time in 43 years after losing just four times in their past 32 matches.

It sounds like the stuff of fairy tales, but the remarkable turnaround is real and the Whites will be playing for a place in the Premier League against Aston Villa on Saturday May 26.

But how did it happen?

A real hard look in the mirror, a Christmas party and a renewed togetherness all contributed to a stark turnaround - here's how Fulham turned their season from disaster to Wembley.

Fitness levels

Fulham's football is based on dominating the ball and the opponent, keeping a high intensity and attacking passing brand to pummel opponents over the course of 90 minutes.

To do that, you need high levels of fitness which the side didn't have to start with this season.

Pre-season didn't seem to be the kind they needed and it took Fulham a long time to even get going - their first win of the league campaign didn't come until the end of August at Ipswich Town.

The calibre of opponents in pre-season weren't the right type to prepare the side for the start of the season - the likes of Piast Gliwice, FC Zlin and Darmstadt won't prepare you for the likes of Cardiff City, Norwich and Sheffield Wednesday, while getting thumped 8-2 by Chelsea does nothing for confidence.

But now, however, the side have gotten up to the speed on their fitness levels and the amount of goals in the last ten minutes is testament to just how fit this side are and what a difference it can make.

Better understanding of roles

The Fulham squad took time getting to know their roles in the squad this season, and getting to know one another's too.

A number of new players have come into the team over the season and it looks like it took a while for everyone to get to know what one another does.

The Fulham squad took time getting to know their roles in the squad this season, and getting to know one another's too.

A number of new players have come into the team over the season and it looks like it took a while for everyone to get to know what one another does.

January Transfer Window

Getting the January window right was huge.

Everyone knew what Fulham were missing, and after a disappointing summer and a turbulent November, when data analyst Craig Kline was sacked from the club, making sure January was a success and put the club in a position to continue their good form that had started at the turn of the year.

Keeping Ryan Sessegnon, Tom Cairney and Ryan Fredericks was a big base upon which to build, while the additions of Matt Targett, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Cyrus Christie adding strength and that final bit to the jugsaw.

But perhaps more importantly, off the pitch it represented a new Fulham.

The power struggles between Jokanovic and the recruitment team were well documented, and while the window started shakily with the head coach issuing that 'back me or sack me' call over transfers, they came together to deliver three solid signings.

James Lovell's hiring made a bridge between Jokanovic and the recruitment team, and the signing of Mitrovic via Jokanovic's Whatsapp demonstrated a better working relationship between two of the most important departments in the club.

That harmony, whether or not it was direct, would certainly have been felt around the squad, with players knowing that Jokanovic would play them, unlike those that came before and were subject to some of the earlier rants about transfers in the media.

Return of Tom Cairney

Having got injured at the start of pre-season, Cairney struggled to shake off the knee injury throughout the most part of the season, and its influence was telling.

Without a fit Cairney, Fulham struggled to have that creative spark in the middle of the pitch.

Oliver Norwood stepped into the gap and did well and his performances in this resurgence can't be understated, but for me the Northern Irishman is more of a hybrid of Kevin McDonald and Cairney, as opposed to a straight replacement.

Having someone of Cairney's quality is so important for a title-chasing side, and his return pushed Fulham to that next level, with his ability on the ball a massive influence in the style of play Fulham employ.

A team without Cairney will always be worse than one with him, and the fact he was named in the Championship team of the year despite playing half the season shows that.

Defensive solidarity

The Whites struggled with keeping the ball out of their net early on in the season, with only four clean sheets between the start of the season January 13.

But since then, they've kept 12, including a run of five in a row at Craven Cottage with Marcus Bettinelli in the Fulham goal, while Tim Ream has had the season of his life and has contributed massively this season.

I've said it all season that defences win you titles, and Fulham's just weren't up to the standard required in the start.

But Bettinelli coming in, Ream performing well, Denis Odoi's second coming as a centre back and Targett's introduction at left back have all combined to make the side a good defensive outlet.

Addressing the balance

For the first half of the season, Fulham looked extremely unbalanced.

Most of the attacks came down the right, where Fredericks and Ayite would combine to cause problems, whereas the left lacked the same kind of threat.

Sessegnon was employed at left back and was contained there for the most part, concentrating on defensive duties rather than attacking, while there was no one to link up with him like Scott Malone had done the year before.

There was no striker either - Fonte is more of a number ten and he liked dropping into the midfield to pick the ball up and make things happen, meaning there was no outlet up front for when he did turn and try to play people in.

But with the introduction of Targett at left back and Mitrovic up top, Fulham look so much more balanced, with attacks coming down both sides, while Mitrovic is that focal point for the side's build up play.

Having an unbalanced side disrupted the flow of Fulham, but the change since addressing that has been clear.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-aston-villa-wembley-sunderland-14665863

 
Selling Wembley not selling crown jewel, says FA's Clarke

LONDON (Reuters) - English Football Association chairman Greg Clarke says the country will not be selling its "crown jewel" if an offer from U.S. billionaire Shahid Khan to buy Wembley Stadium is accepted.

Khan, owner of the NFL franchise Jacksonville Jaguars, wants to buy the stadium in a deal that could be worth up to 1 billion pounds ($1.40 billion).

In a letter answering questions from FA Council members, Clarke outlined some of the detail of the bid and offered reassurances that the iconic venue, opened in 2007 after being built on the site of the old Wembley Stadium, would remain at the heart of English football.

"It's important to remember that The FA did not own Wembley Stadium before 1999, so this is not a historic situation we are unwinding," Clarke said.

"There are very few national governing bodies that own and operate their own stadiums.

"We did not own it in 1966 or 1996. The emotional reactions and arguments are entirely understandable and that is why it is important that any owner of Wembley Stadium respects its role as the home of English football."

Clarke said that while Wembley holds a special place in English football, many people regard the "soul" of the English game as being the "clubs, leagues and volunteers".

The FA, Clarke says, has funds in place to repay the remaining debt on Wembley by 2024, after which the organisation would be £3 million pounds a year better off.

However, he said that scenario, while positive, was not a transformational one.

"Even debt free, there is a limit to what additional profit can be generated from owning the stadium when capital and operational costs are considered," he said.

Under the terms of the potential sale, which would involve an initial cash payment of 600 million pounds, would also include the FA continuing to own Club Wembley and its revenue stream valued at around 300 million pounds over its future life.

"If accepted The FA would no longer be responsible for the significant operational and capital expenditure costs of the stadium," Clarke said. "However, the FA would retain the income from our FA generated events, such as England and Emirates FA Cup matches, even if the stadium was sold.

"In addition the FA offices would remain at Wembley."

The money from the sale of Wembley would allow the governing body to reinvest in the English game at grassroots level, particularly pitches, and stage more England games away from the capital, a plan to which it is already committed.

Khan, the owner of English Championship club Fulham, insists his bid is not a precursor to moving the Jaguars, who have played one home NFL game per season at Wembley since 2013, to London permanently.

Clarke said the FA were a long way from making any decision on a potential sale.



https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-england-wembley/selling-wembley-not-selling-crown-jewel-says-fas-clarke-idUKKCN1IP2PE?rpc=401&

 
A Message From Our Chairman

As we are within 48 hours from match time at Wembley Stadium and as I sit here at Motspur Park and reflect on our campaign so far, I was asked to share my thoughts on fulhamfc.com on the achievement and memories of the past few weeks and the anticipation for what awaits all of us on Saturday. In lieu of my traditional programme notes that are published monthly prior to home matches, I thank you for taking a few moments to read my thoughts as we look ahead to what is undoubtedly a milestone occasion for your club.

First, a bit about my personal post-season journey and experience.

Despite the result at Derby County in the first leg of the semi-finals, I was extremely confident that we were in excellent position to qualify for Wembley. Why? The conversation I had with Slaviša Jokanović following the match at Pride Park was bold and assured.  It was all I needed to know and hear.  I was also told that our players returned to London in an excellent frame of mind, extremely determined yet measured.  As everyone knows, our historic run of 23 matches undefeated was followed by two defeats in less than a week, so naturally there were doubters – but none within our club.  That made for a better weekend!

I was aware that Fulham had never won a play-off game but admittedly didn't fully comprehend the gravity of our absence from playing at Wembley since 1975 until the day of the second leg at the Cottage.  The closer I got to kick-off, both in terms of time and location, it became more clear to me how important it was for generations of Fulham supporters to return to Wembley – in this case, a new Wembley but the national stadium nonetheless.  Again, I was super confident in our squad.  But, better understanding how important a result was for our supporters, not only for the right to play for promotion but for the experience of playing at Wembley ... all I could think about on the ride to the match was it may test the nerves, but this is why we love our club and the game itself.  In short, no reason to fret.

I also learned on the commute to the Cottage that Aboubakar Kamara was getting the start on the right side.  I was happy for Aboubakar as I know he's been hungry to show what he's capable of, but this gives me the opportunity to say thanks to everyone who suited up for your club during this special season.  This would include players who may not be on the pitch or in the dugout on Saturday, or perhaps have moved on.  Thanks to all.


When I arrived, the Cottage was rolling.  It was very different, very evident this was unlike any match I've attended.  I met with our coaches and though I was feeling good, I felt better than ever.  Then I walked across the pitch to my seats, about 45 minutes prior to kickoff, and while the stands were not fully occupied, they were sure a lot more full than usual that far ahead of the match.  That also told me this would be a different evening.

As for the match, there is nothing I can say that hasn't been said.  We were dangerous in the first half and responded, immediately and gloriously, in the second half.  Ryan Sessegnon continues to underline for me why our Academy will always be a priority.  His goal made the ultimate outcome possible.

I will then leave it to our veteran Fulham supporters and historians as to where Denis Odoi's goal ranks in club history, but for me it has to be an all-timer.  The timeliness (though time stood still) and the touch will forever be remembered, as will the celebration that ensued about 30 minutes later.  It was the most Fulham of pitch invasions – orderly, civil, happy.  I watched with absolute joy before going to the lounge for two glasses of champagne, one for each goal, per my routine.

Yes, more goals would have been welcomed, as the champagne was outstanding.  But, I finished my night in the lounge with tea and a meeting with a number of lifelong FFC supporters who didn't want the evening to end.  I am so happy the fans I met, our players and our coaches – and I trust you as well – celebrated the moment.  No one is uninformed that there is still everything to play for on Saturday.  We've been back to work for some time.  But when your club hasn't been to Wembley in 43 years, had never won a play-off game and bounced back at home from a 1-0 aggregate deficit to advance, it's OK to be human and have fun.

I wanted to recount my recollection of the past few days in a manner that hopefully will inspire all of us to keep and cherish these memories for a long time.  And because we don't know what fate will bring on Saturday against an impressive side from a storied club like Aston Villa, I just wanted to say that no matter what mood we leave Wembley Stadium, I am proud of everyone but especially just very happy for everyone.  I am thrilled for longtime FFC legends like the great George Cohen and so many players who fiercely represented and defended our badge, to loyal executives like Alistair Mackintosh, David Daly, Mark Maunders, Huw Jennings and all of our fantastic staff.  I know for a fact Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey are all in this weekend in the U.S. as are alums from on and off the pitch here in the UK and throughout the world.

I'm happy for our football and business staff.  My son Tony Khan, our vice chair and director of football, and his team have worked diligently to produce a squad that expects to win with respect and class.  We work equally hard away from the pitch to ensure the best match day experience possible for supporters and sponsors alike.  What a great reward this is for everyone at Motspur Park and Craven Cottage.

But above all, I am delighted for those who were among the few but faithful who didn't miss a match – home or away – some 30 years or so ago when our status and future as a club was grim.  Ups and downs come with loving any club, but FFC supporters in the late 80s and early 90s paid a price for their devotion.  To those fans, you have my utmost respect and thanks.  This is your weekend and I hope you'll have the time of your life.

The Sky Bet Championship is a fine league.  It's one of the best leagues in the world.  But when I was introduced as Fulham's chairman in 2013, it was as chairman of a Premier League club.  My goal has been to return, but to return in a responsible and sustainable manner.  I know that's been your goal as well, and I thank you for your patience, backing and support as we work together to make it happen.

Come On You Whites!
(http://ffcw001.azureedge.net/-/media/shahidkhan/signed.png?w=290)
Shahid Khan, Chairman



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/may/24/a-message-from-our-chairman

 
View From The Press Box

The Sun's Football League Reporter Tom Barclay has seen plenty of Fulham and Aston Villa this season, so we caught up with him to get his take on Saturday's huge fixture.


How appealing is Fulham versus Aston Villa as a Play-Off Final?

Very, but then I thought that about Reading v Huddersfield last year and it turned out to be the dullest match I watched all season! It won't take much for this game to beat that one but it has the potential to be one of the most intriguing Play-Off Finals in recent years. Fulham are the great entertainers of the division, playing some of the best stuff I've ever seen in the second tier of English football. Villa are more what I would label a traditional Championship side in that they are robust, hard to beat, and occasionally easy on the eye. But they have all the experience both on the pitch with John Terry and Co, as well as in the dugout with Steve 'Four Promotions' Bruce.

Considering in recent years the home side always wins this fixture, it should be an interesting one at Wembley?

If Fulham play to their potential, they should be too strong for Villa even with all their know-how. But a lot can be said for having been there and done it. Bruce and many of his players, like Robert Snodgrass, can proudly say they have. But you cannot say the same for Slaviša Jokanović and the majority of his team.


Do you think the size of the pitch will play a factor at all?

I suppose an expansive pitch will be a benefit to Fulham with their pace out wide in the boy wonder Ryan Sessegnon, Ryan Fredericks, and whoever gets the nod at right wing. But then you can say the same thing about Villa with fleet-footed Albert Adomah. Perhaps the biggest area of concern for Villa will be John Terry's lack of speed being exposed, although he was never that quick and has played at Wembley so many times it is virtually the former England captain's second home!

You've watched a lot of Fulham – how would you analyse our season?

Second half great, first half not so great. You can almost hear Jokanović saying those exact words. The camp did not seem particularly happy before Christmas and the Manager made his feelings public about the transfer policy a few times. But some significant changes internally have had a massive impact on the upturn in the team, with January's recruitment pivotal. I sometimes am accused of a Fulham bias from other fans (particularly Preston ones for some reason) which I refute completely. The reason I speak positively about Jokanović's side is simply because they are great to watch and I don't think anyone can argue on that front.


Who have been our key performers in your opinion?

Sessegnon is the headline grabber and rightly so - although Wolves' Ruben Neves should have won Championship Player of the Year. That is only because the Portuguese midfielder is the best player ever to play in the Championship and should not take anything away from the phenomenon that is Sessegnon. To think he has only just turned 18 and has played over 70 league games already is astonishing. Depressing too, as it makes us all wonder what we've done with our lives no matter what age you are! But of course Little Sess, as he's known in the dressing room, is not the only star player. This is no one-man team. I could go through most of the squad but for starters Aleksandar Mitrović, Kevin McDonald, Tim Ream, Tom Cairney, Ryan Fredericks and Matt Targett have all been outstanding. And yes, I realise I have pretty much just named the whole squad.

How much of Villa have you seen?

A lot. In my role I cover the whole of the EFL, but it is mostly Championship matches that I attend (it is more interviews and news stories from Leagues One and Two). The majority of those are for the teams fighting for promotion, though I have been to every ground in the second tier now. I've probably seen Villa live about 10-15 times this season and while I think they are a solid side, it is very rare I walk away from watching them and think, 'Wow, they really impressed me.' At home they often labour to victories where doing the bare minimum gets them over the line. They hardly ever blow teams away, which Fulham are capable of. Having said that, they battered champions Wolves 4-1 - maybe if I had been at that game I would change my tune!


Which of their players will Fulham need to be particularly wary of?

Jack Grealish has been very, very good since coming back from that nasty kidney problem. He is starting to show the ability that had England fans (and optimistic Irish ones for a while) so excited a few years ago. Although a caveat to that is it is still only the Championship. We will have to see him do it in the big league before we're truly convinced. But the 22-year-old has matured into their go-to guy and has benefited enormously from playing alongside experienced Terry. The one thing I really like about Grealish is he often attempts the difficult pass. Cairney is a terrific player but I would like to see him go for the thread-the-needle balls more often, like Grealish. After that, Lewis Grabban has been a solid signing, Adomah has chipped in with loads of goals while Alan Hutton had Adama Traore in his pocket for both Semi-Final legs which is no mean feat.

Have you covered many matches at Wembley before?

Yes, a fair few. This will be my fourth year of covering all three Play-Off finals, while I also regularly cover the Checkatrade Final and have done a handful of England games too. It is a fabulous day out but even better when it is jam-packed full of fans in full voice (hint hint).


What sort of match are you expecting?

Well, as I said earlier, I thought last year's Final would be decent fare and it was rubbish so I'm not so sure now! The first 20 minutes are usually pretty nervy as players get used to their surroundings and that might well be the case for Fulham more than Villa, given the contrast in experience. I hope there will be some goals because the last three years the Championship Final has only had three. With all their firepower, Fulham will be gutted if they come off the hallowed turf without scoring.

Where do you think the game will be won or lost?

If Villa grab an early goal, that could be crucial. Villa have the organisation, experience and coolness at the back to defend a one-goal lead to the end. But Sessegnon in particular will have nothing to fear. He is so clinical, as we saw against Derby, that I fancy him to step up to the plate. He was made to play on the biggest stage and as an England fan I am disappointed he is not on the plane to Russia.

What score prediction are you going for?

2-1, Fulham. Slaviša Jokanović's side are simply a better team than Villa when they play like they can.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/may/24/view-from-the-press-box

 
Preview: Aston Villa vs. Fulham - prediction, team news, lineups

Aston Villa take on Fulham at Wembley Stadium in the Championship playoff final on Saturday as Steve Bruce and Slavisa Jokanovic's sides compete for a place in the Premier League next term.

In a game potentially worth upwards of £170m for the winners, Bruce will be hoping to earn his fifth promotion from the second tier as a manager, while Jokanovic will be striving to rewrite some torrid history for the Cottagers when competing in the post-season spectacle.

---

Aston Villa

At times this term Villa under Bruce threatened to challenge for an automatic promotion spot, having won seven games on the bounce between December 2017 and February 2018.

The Villains, however, stuttered and flailed in what was arguably a rather problematic end to their Championship season that saw Bruce's charges collect just four points from a possible 15 on offer across March and April.

Such was Villa's strength for the majority of the season, though, a playoff position never really appeared out of touch and Bruce's men finished the season in fourth place, seven points clear of fifth-placed Middlesbrough.

In the grand scheme of the playoffs, that points difference was to matter little as Villa then had to face Tony Pulis's men over two legs in the semi-finals. Villa produced a hard-fought 1-0 aggregate win over 180 minutes that was perhaps emblematic of the side's embattled character present over the course of 48 games this season. Bruce is now chasing a record fifth promotion from the Championship as a manager.

The club will be hoping that the travelling Midlands support will be able to recreate a similar atmosphere to the one conjured at Villa Park throughout the season. At home Villa were outstanding this campaign. Across the regular 46-game season, Villa notched 42 goals at home and were able to bag 49 points in the process.

Unlike Fulham, the Villains have never taken part in a playoff throughout their history and entering unchartered territory might just help Bruce's men as they head into a high-pressured fixture loaded with ramifications that could have a defining impact on a club that was relegated from the top flight just one season ago.

What will likely help Villa too is the presence of former Chelsea legend John Terry in the heart of defence. The 37-year-old has played in Champions League finals and holds five Premier League titles as a player.

Elsewhere, on-loan Manchester United stopper Sam Johnstone has arguably been the Championship's best keeper this term, producing 20 clean sheets from 45 appearances for the club, and he could prove vital against a Fulham side full of attacking marvel.

Recent form: WWDLWD

Fulham

The last few months have been nothing short of nerve jangling for Fulham fans, who, after a glorious 23-game unbeaten run, saw the club charge from relative Championship obscurity to the brink of automatic promotion.

Failure on the final day of the season at the hands of Birmingham City saw Jokanovic's charges give up second place to Cardiff City, leaving Fulham with the task of having to find a way past Derby County in the playoff semi-finals.

Jokanovic's charges were off the boil in a 1-0 defeat in the opening leg at Pride Park, but a commanding 2-0 victory back in London quashed any hushed rumours of Fulham gearing up to fall at the penultimate hurdle.

The Whites are now just one game from returning to Premier League glory and face a contest that could be worth at least £170m for the victors. Fulham went up to the English top-flight in 2001 having won the Championship and spent 13 years in the Premier League before relegation in 2014.

Serbian coach Jokanovic guided Fulham to the playoffs last term too, but the club came up short during the semi-finals over two legs against Reading. Finally breaking their playoff duck to reach Wembley should hand the bookies' favourites a further confidence boost ahead of a monumental clash on Saturday evening.

Central to the club's success this season has been the continual rise of young winger Ryan Sessegnon, whose performances this term have seen the 18-year-old claim the Championship Player of the Year award. Sessegnon has 16 goals and seven assists in the Championship and bagged the opener in Fulham's 2-0 second-leg win over Derby in the semis.

The January acquisition of Aleksandar Mitrovic will be viewed as an equally defining moment for the Whites this season too. The 23-year-old Newcastle United forward moved to south London on loan on the final day of the window and has since scored a crucial 12 league goals in 17 appearances.

Fulham head to Wembley knowing that a single defeat could undermine and ultimately nullify what has been a standout season for the Cottagers, but they also head into the game safe in the knowledge that the club has already shown the capability to put together the longest unbeaten run in the league this campaign.

Recent form: DWWLWW

Team News

Aboubakar Kamara did not have the best of games against Derby last time out, leaving Jokanovic likely to lead with Floyd Ayite out on the right. Chelsea loanee Lucas Piazon will also be hoping to stake a starting claim, though.

Fulham should continue with a 4-3-3 that sees Mitrovic leading the line, while Sessegnon and Ayite should provide creative support from out wide.

The influential Tom Cairney will sit in the centre of a three-man midfield with Kevin McDonald and Stefan Johansen occupying the space either side of the 27-year-old.

As for Villa, Bruce is still sweating on the fitness of Ahmed Elmohamady at right-back, who will be replaced by James Bree again should he miss out through injury.

Lewis Grabban will look to lead Villa from the front in a 4-5-1 that will also see Jack Grealish, Albert Adomah and Robert Snodgrass aiming to assist attacks from a little deeper.

Adomah is Villa's top scorer this term with 14 league goals, while Bournemouth forward Grabban has 20 to his name in a campaign split between loan spells at Sunderland and Villa Park.

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Johnstone; Elmohamady, Terry, Chester, Hutton; Jedinak, Snodgrass, Grealish, Hourihane, Adomah; Grabban

Fulham possible starting lineup:
Bettinelli; Fredericks, Odoi, Ream, Targett; Johansen, Cairney, McDonald; Sessegnon, Mitrovic, Ayite

Head To Head

The last meeting between the two sides this season saw Fulham win out 2-0 at Craven Cottage, as Sessegnon and Ayite both got on the scoresheet in London.

The victory was payback for the season's first clash between the two sides, which Villa won 2-1 courtesy of goals from Terry and Adomah in October of last year.

When looking at the full competitive history between the teams, both sides have 23 wins each while there have also been 22 draws between the clubs.

---

We say: Aston Villa 2-1 Fulham

Fulham have been frightening going forward at times this season and they enter the final as slight favourites after some blistering displays in a 23-game unbeaten run in the latter half of the campaign.

The likes of Sessegnon, Mitrovic and Ayite have the potential to cause real problems for Villa, although Bruce's men have been defensively astute so far this term, with the likes of Terry and James Chester enjoying standout seasons at the back.

Fulham have tended to struggle in the history of Championship playoffs and they will now be facing a manager in Bruce who has already gained four promotions from post-season finals. The former Manchester United centre-back might just have the required nouse to upset the applecart come Saturday evening.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/preview/preview-aston-villa-vs-fulham-prediction-team-news-lineups_326734.html

 
English U19 international Tayo Edun on trial with Portland Timbers 2

There was plenty to be excited about during Tuesday night's Portland Timbers 2 friendly against German side FC St. Pauli, but amidst the goals, the drama, and the old-school atmosphere, one name on the Timbers' team sheet caught the eye: "Trialist".

That trialist, Stumptown Footy can confirm, is Fulham midfielder and England U-19 international Tayo Edun.

Edun, who turned twenty on May 14th, is a left-footed defensive midfielder and left full back who came up through the Fulham youth set up. He made his debut with the Fulham U-18's when he was 15 and his first team debut with Fulham in the English Championship at 18.

Since then, Edun has represented England at the U17, U18, U19, and U20 levels, including starting during the England U19's winning campaign at the 2017 U19 Euros and playing all but four minutes of the competition.

This year saw Edun make two appearances with Fulham's first team totaling 96 minutes on the pitch. While he often made the bench for Fulham, Edun spent most of his time in the 2017/18 season with the Fulham U21s in the Premier League Two where he went the full ninety minutes in each of his twelve matches.

With Fulham only a playoff win away from promotion back into the Premier League — this Saturday against Aston Villa — it seems likely that a promising but fringe youngster like Edun might be sent looking for a new club as Fulham prepare for the potential rigors of competing at the highest level in England. Edun's potential search for a new club might also be motivated by the first-team emergence of young brothers Ryan and Steve Sessegnon at left back and defensive midfield, both of Edun's primary positions.

Moreover, with rumors of a new infusion of allocation money aimed at bringing in talented young players on the horizon, Edun seems to be just the sort of player that the Timbers might look to bring in. It is difficult to tell if the Timbers can provide the sort of landing spot that a player like Edun could thrive in, and hard to estimate just how well Edun's successes with the English youth national teams will translate into successes in MLS, but the simple fact that the Timbers have been able to lure Edun in for a trial speaks well of their ability to attract young and unconventional talent.

But, how did word of Edun's trial in Portland get out?

Well, despite the initial mystery when the lineups were announced, it helped that his kit, No. 37, had his last name on it. And that the St. Pauli Twitter account mentioned his last name. From there, the sleuthing skills of Timbers fans went to work and in short order they found a photo of Edun standing outside what appeared to be a Portland hotel several days earlier -- helpfully geotagged "Portland, Oregon".



https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/24/17388110/english-u19-international-tayo-edun-on-trial-with-portland-timbers-2-fulham-championship-mls

 
Robert Snodgrass has had this to say about important Fulham man

Robert Snodgrass believes Aleksandar Mitrovic will be the main threat for Fulham.

The Scottish international sees the imposing Serbian as the difference-maker which has made the Cottagers such a tough team to beat. Mitrovic has scored 12 goals in 19 league games since he joined on loan from Newcastle in January.

Snodgrass is a key player himself, though, because he scored eight goals and provided 13 assists during the regular season. His set piece ability will be key against Fulham because their chances are likely to be limited, so these will probably be the best openings

This is what Snodgrass had to say about Fulham in an interview with Sky Sports:

"Cairney is a great player, but for me what has kicked him on is Mitrovic. He holds the ball well, he runs the channels, he brings others into play. He has sort of brought that Premier League class into Fulham and they have not looked back since they signed him.

"He is the platform for them as you look in a striker, but they have got Sessegnon, Fredericks, Johansen and McDonald as well. Everybody in those sorts of positions are good players.

"You need to study your opponents and I'm sure the rest of the lads will be firmly focused on what we have got to stop, but what can we do to try and get the victory"

The Verdict

It's interesting that Snodgrass picked out Mitrovic because the Serbian striker has certainly given them an extra edge since he joined in January, which helped them go on their 23 game unbeaten run. However, he was mostly nullified by Derby's Curtis Davies in the play-off semi-finals with little effect on the overall result.

Tom Cairney is arguably the most important player for the Cottagers because he dictates play and carves open the opposition, so giving him space and time is dangerous. Ryan Sessegnon is a key threat as well.

Snodgrass' comments show the priority is clearly stopping Fulham and then working from that rather than imposing themselves on their opponents, which makes sense in regards to their strengths.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/robert-snodgrass-has-had-this-to-say-about-important-fulham-man/

 
Aston Villa v Fulham: Championship play-off final 'worth £160m' to winners


Wembley hosts the English Football League play-off finals this weekend, with the winner of the Championship play-off final on Saturday set to receive at least £160m in revenue.

Steve Bruce's Aston Villa and Slavisa Jokanovic's Fulham will meet at Wembley in the Championship play-off final

Wembley hosts the English Football League play-off finals this weekend, with the winner of the Championship play-off final on Saturday set to receive at least £160m in revenue.

This year's Championship play-off final features two clubs who were, until recently, established Premier League outfits.

Aston Villa were founder members of the rebranded top flight in 1992-93 but were relegated in the summer of 2016, while Fulham spent 13 years in the top flight before dropping back into the second tier in 2014.

Villa started the campaign slowly, with just one win in their first seven games, but manager Steve Bruce managed to lift them into the play-off places.

"You just know there's a big game in the air, and there's none bigger than this," Bruce, who is chasing his fifth promotion to the top flight as a manager, told BBC WM.


"I've thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of my 19 months here. Can we now top it off by getting where we want to be?"

Fulham's promotion bid was built on a 23-match unbeaten run which was ended on the last day of the campaign at Birmingham, as the Whites missed out on automatic promotion by two points.

"We have an important chance in front of us," boss Slavisa Jokanovic said.

"We expect to follow our style and be confident. This is a really great kind of pressure and we feel the responsibility in front of our supporters and the board of the club."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44238566

 
Fulham ready to 'prove everyone wrong' against Aston Villa, insists Kevin McDonald

The vice captain will be making sure his side know that Wembley is a place for winners ahead of the play-off final on Saturday

Kevin McDonald doesn't think anyone expected Fulham to be in the play-off final back in December and has reminded his team mates Wembley is a place for winners.

A winless October saw the side sink to 17th place while a defeat at Sunderland, the Black Cats first win at home in a year, back in December look to have consigned the Whites to another season in the Championship.

But 26 games later, 23 of them part of an unbeaten run that stretched from that defeat in the north east all the way to the final day of the season, and Fulham are 90 minutes from being a Premier League side once again.

Standing in front of them is Aston Villa, a side full of experience, but whatever happens, McDonald wants everyone to remember just how well the side have done to get to the play-off final to give themselves a chance of promotion.

"If we get beaten we'll be devastated, that's the initial reaction but we have to look back on the positives," he said.

"Whatever the outcome is on Saturday we need to realise we've had a fantastic season, in the middle of December did anyone think we'd be in this position?

"I would say there is no one that thought that, but we gave ourselves a chance, we had a chance of automatic promotion and now we have a chance of the play-offs and there's no better way to get promoted than at Wembley."

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(Image: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

There's a lot of talk surrounding the future of some of Fulham's players heading into the play-off final, with Tom Cairney, Ryan Fredericks and Ryan Sessegnon just a few of the names that have been touted with moves away from Craven Cottage.

Their future at Fulham could well depend on whether or not the side are successful at Wembley on Saturday, with Premier League football a huge bargaining chip in keeping their best players.

McDonald thinks it's just one of those with football, however, and he wants Fulham to give it their all to make sure that this side stay together next year.

"It's one of those things, everyone wants to play in the Premier League and everyone wants to play at the highest level," he added.

"If it doesn't happen, some players will have the chance to play there next year and move to a Premier League team and some people won't.

"But as a team right now we have a chance for everyone of us to go up to the Premier League and we have a big chance.

"With the players we have in this team, we know we've got what it takes, it's a matter of how much we want it and how much we'll show our personality on Saturday and put all that occasion stuff behind us.

"We need to go out and give it our all and see where it takes us, everyone wants to play there but it won't be an easy game.

"The manager is the same as all the players, he wants to manage in the Premier League and we want to play in the Premier League, it's no different to him and he'll be the first to admit that.

"We've got a real chance to do it, he will be doing all it takes to try and make sure we're ready, that's all he can do and he relies on us on the pitch."

The Scottish international is one of the few Fulham players that have experience at playing at Wembley and in a Championship play-off final.

He won promotion with Burnley in 2009, although he was on the bench for that game, but played a pivotal role in the League One play-off final with Sheffield United in 2012, where he lost on penalties.

Fulham are relatively inexperienced in that department, and while McDonald admits it was too soon for him to be a Premier League player back in 2009, he's matured since and will be using all his experience to help his side over the line.

He said: "I enjoyed it, you get promoted to the Premier League at Wembley and there's no better way to do it.

"I've been on the losing side, Sheffield United vs Huddersfield to get to the Championship so I've been on both sides and the winning side was fantastic and the losing side was devastating.

"I'll be drilling it into the boys to make sure that doesn't happen and we'll do whatever it takes.

"I wasn't ready, as a young boy you want to play in the Premier League but I was probably too young at the time, I'll be the first to admit that.

"I enjoyed my time there but it's one of those, I've matured a bit more and played some more games and I think I'm more ready now than ever."

And what can they expect from the day?

The vice captain expects the occasion to take over for the first 20 minutes, but apart from that it will be the same as any other game for Fulham.

"The occasion takes over for the first 20 minutes, even in the FA Cup final the other day was the same.

"It's the same as any other game, it's 11vs11 on the pitch, regardless of how many in the crowd and you have to win your individual battles and battles as a team.

"There's not much else we can do, if we do that and play with a bit of freedom and relax a bit we'll have a chance."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-ready-prove-everyone-wrong-14701386

 
Kit Symons predicts Fulham to win, but warns about Aston Villa's big game players

Fulham face Aston Villa at Wembley Saturday in the playoff final.

Former Fulham manager Kit Symons says Aston Villa's big-game players are a worry, but if the Championship final goes to form then the Cottagers will triumph at Wembley this Saturday, the Sun  reports.

It's third versus fourth this weekend as last season's playoff semi-finalists Fulham take on the pre-season promotion favourites Aston Villa in what is said the most lucrative football game in the world. Sky Sports reports that the winner will make around £170m out of the encounter.

Both teams have reason to believe they will secure a place in next season's Premier League, and it's without doubt one of the toughest Championship playoff finals to predict with so much quality on either side.

Symons, who recently left Sunderland as assistant manager, has faced both teams this season and he edges towards his former club Fulham winning the encounter.

"What would worry me is Villa have more big game players. They are used to the big occasion and could handle that one-off game at Wembley better with their extra experience. The enormity of the occasion is my concern but if it goes to form then I think Fulham will do it," the former defender explained.

Symons had a brief spell in charge of Fulham after taking over from Felix Magath, and contributed quite significantly to the current set-up as he signed Tom Cairney, Ryan Fredericks and Tim Ream.

Fulham reached the final by overcoming Derby County 2-1 on aggregate in their semi-final, and they have every reason to feel confident of beating Aston Villa as they won the most recent meeting between the two 2-0.

In fact, prior to their last-day defeat at Birmingham City, Fulham oversaw a 26-game unbeaten run which included wins over fellow top six sides Cardiff City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Middlesbrough, Derby and Aston Villa.

Fulham finished on 88 points, five points clear of Aston Villa, and the bookies see them as favourites to beat the Villans. Steve Bruce, however, already has a Wembley playoff final victory on his CV, while several Aston Villa players have played in high-profile matches before, and are unlikely to be fazed by the challenge.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/05/25/tt-kit-symons-predicts-fulham-to-beat-aston-villa-at-wembley/

 
Ryan Sessegnon: From quiet pupil to English football's teenage marvel

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Ryan Sessegnon is destined for great things Credit: Getty images

Alistair Mackintosh, Fulham's chief executive, was speaking at a supporters' meeting this week when he recalled an evening game, earlier in the season, in which Ryan Sessegnon had been selected by doping control to provide a sample after the match had finished.

This can be a lengthy process, and by the time the 17-year-old had returned to the changing room, the entire team – including the kit man – had left for the night. So, Mackintosh said, the boy wonder of English football simply stuffed his muddy kit into his bag, fired up the washing machine at home and then returned it, fully ironed, the following day.

It may not seem the most revelatory tale, but it does add further weight to a belief held within the club that it is Sessegnon's impeccable attitude, as much as anything, that has allowed him to become one of the nation's most exciting prospects.

Ask Tom Cairney, for example, what makes Sessegnon so special, and there is an immediate reply. "It's his mentality," the Fulham captain says. "It's a one-off."

Tim Ream, the Fulham centre-back, likens Sessegnon to a "35-year-old veteran", while Slavisa Jokanovic, his manager, makes a deliberate effort to describe him as a "man" rather than a boy.

Technically, Sessegnon has only just become a man. He turned 18 last week, four days after starring in the 2-0 victory over Derby County that sent Fulham to the Championship play-off final.

(https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/football/2018/05/24/TELEMMGLPICT000164530321_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQfyf2A9a6I9YchsjMeADBa08.jpeg?imwidth=1160)
Ryan (left) plays alongside his twin brother Steven (right) at Fulham Credit: PA

Saturday's meeting with Aston Villa will be his first game as an adult, yet he has played more matches and scored more goals this season than any of his Fulham team-mates. "He's our top goalscorer," as Cairney puts it, "and he's just done his GCSEs."

Sessegnon has been liberated by a move to the left wing this season, and has played with such freedom that it has at times looked as if he was back in the cage in Roehampton, south-west London, where his footballing story begins.

"We used to play from morning until night," he told The Daily Telegraph this year. "There were times where you couldn't even see the street lights, so you had to picture who was on your team."

Fulham were the local team and Sessegnon, with his twin brother Steven, was signed in 2008, shortly after his eighth birthday. Football is in the Sessegnon blood: of four brothers, three are footballers. The son of the oldest brother, meanwhile, has recently joined Fulham's academy. A distant cousin is Stephane Sessegnon, the former Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion forward.

As they began to progress through Fulham's ranks, Ryan and Steven soon joined Coombe Boys' School in New Malden, where an agreement with the club allows academy players some additional time for training.

Ryan, whom Ream describes as "the quietest kid I have ever met", was the more introverted twin at school, but was always diligent. "Ryan was quiet," says Gary Rogers, the deputy headteacher at the school, where a picture of Sessegnon hangs at the main reception. "He always did his homework and he was down to earth. He had his head screwed on."

Naturally, the twins starred for the school team, winning the PlayStation Schools' Cup in 2015, when Ryan scored twice in the final. Less than a year later, before he had turned 16, he was training with Fulham's senior squad.

He made his debut in August 2016, at the start of a season in which he still took the bus home from matches, and within a few weeks had become the first player born in the 2000s to score in the Championship.

The hope in the Sessegnon household was that Ryan and Steven would break into the first team together, but Steven's development was hampered by a knee injury that eventually required two operations.

Steven, a more flamboyant player than Ryan, is now beginning to tread his own path, though, and was part of the England Under-17 side which won the World Cup last year, a few months after Ryan had won the European Championships with England Under-19s.

As can be seen by his social media feed, Steven is endlessly supportive of his twin, and the pair live at home together, with their mother, Brigitte. Ryan has yet to pass his driving test, but the family home is close enough for them to walk to the training ground.

Steven made his Fulham debut earlier this season, but is unlikely to feature this weekend in a match that has been dubbed "the richest game in football".

Brigitte, who prefers to watch games from home, will not be at Wembley either but there will no doubt be a feeling within the family that promotion would be a fitting reward for Ryan, who already appears well prepared for the rigours of top-flight football.

Tottenham Hotspur made an offer last year, while Manchester United are interested.

Sessegnon was recently named the Championship Player of the Season and is one of only five players to appear in all 48 League games this season, including play-offs. He is strong, he is fast and, with 16 goals in this campaign, he is clinical.

Comparisons have been made with Gareth Bale, another who started as a left-back, but Sessegnon is a different type of player. He relies more on his reading of the game than an ability to burst past players and smash the ball into the top corner, and it is noteworthy that so many of his goals are a result of positioning rather than technique. "I would call him a proper player," Cairney says. "He's effective."

The question is how effective he will be in the top division, which is where he will almost certainly end up, with or without Fulham. He has insisted that he wants to play in the Premier League with his boyhood club, but there is a clear expectation that this most grounded of youngsters will soon soar to the game's highest levels.



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/05/25/ryan-sessegnon-quiet-pupil-english-footballs-teenage-marvel/

Press high, disrupt the flanks: How Aston Villa can beat Fulham in the play-off final
Gareth brings the statistical preview ahead of the play-off final

Villa head into a big clash this weekend, the final one of the season, with a place in the Premier League as a reward. What's the key to the game?

It may sound obvious, but Fulham need the ball to be effective going forward, to be precise they need a lot of the ball. Fulham have one of the highest percentages of passing success in the four highest English leagues, and to be fair they are extremely effective when it all comes together. They exceeded their total expected goals total by 5 goals compared to Villa's expected total of 66.81 of which they managed to equal.

Fulham powered their way into a playoff spot. Starting with a win away at Middlesbrough on the 13th of January, from that point on they won 16, drew 4 and lost only twice away at Birmingham City on the 6th of May. They lost the following game away at Derby on the 11th May in the first leg of the play-off semi-final before beating The Rams in the return leg at Craven Cottage 2-0 to overturn the deficit.

The Villa run-in wasn't so smooth. In the same period as Fulham Villa won 13, drew 4 and lost 5 the last of which coming the game before the first leg of the play-off semi-final first leg against Middlesbrough, so in that respect the two sides have that in common.


Looking at the radars it is easy to see who seems the more overall balanced side, but looks can be deceiving.

Lineups

I don't expect Steve Bruce to make any changes to the Aston Villa side which has served him so well of late. One change could be that we seeJames Bree continue to deputise for Ahmed Elmohamady at right back, however the Egyptian's hamstring problem seems to have cleared up so he should take his place in the starting eleven. Whether Bruce feels the same is yet to be seen.

Fulham's top-scorer Ryan Sessegnon will be looking to continue his hot streak in front of goal with the teenager being a real threat down the Fulham attacking left hand side. Odoi should continue at centre half after his winner in the play-off semi. A position up for grabs is the attacking right with Kamara and Ayite fighting it out with the former winning that battle of late.

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Game plan

In terms of the attack, Aston Villa will need to push Fulham back as much as possible. John Terry will need to cement a high-line, as long as it is safe and ensure his squad can play in the midfield, where Villa are at their strongest, with Conor Hourihane and Jack Grealish pulling the strings.

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Grealish, will again, be key and if Mile Jedinak can push on to McDonald instead of sitting deeper this will leave Grealish with more space and even more so if Albert Adomah can cut infield and take Fredericks with him leaving that space for Grealish to burst into with those jinking runs of his into the penalty area from the inside left position. The opposite side may prove more of a problem with the threat of the Fulham counter attack especially with Ryan Sessegnon and his pace which brings me nicely onto the defensive shape needed.

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The Villa defensive plan is similar to the attacking one, push Fulham back as far as possible so that they have to play in their own middle third and not ours. Keep them pinned back.

Fulham love nothing more than a team that gives them the time in midfield to pass the ball around to get the ball from McDonald to Cairney or Johansen in positions around the edge of the oppositions 18 yard box.

Villa must press high and across midfield, Jedinak will be key here as Cairney and Johansen are extremely mobile so when they enter his eye-line, he needs to press quickly to disrupt the flow of the attack.

Grealish and Hourihane again will need to press as high as possible as do all our midfielders. Villa essentially have a spare man in midfield and this could be key in defence to attacking transitions especially if Jedinak can recycle the ball quickly after regaining possession. Alan Hutton and Elmohamady need to engage Sessegnon and Kamara as high as possible, disrupting attacks. This in turn means if we can press high, no passes in behind should prove a threat as long as Chester can drop off a tad in the event Mitrovic tries to run in behind.

Either way, enjoy the game. Let's do this. UTV.



https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2018/5/25/17391506/press-high-disrupt-the-flanks-how-aston-villa-can-beat-fulham-in-the-play-off-final

 
Slavisa Jokanovic wanted by bigger teams so Fulham must reach Premier League now, says Denis Odoi

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Fan power: Denis Odoi celebrates reaching Wembley (Rex Features)

Slavisa Jokanovic has refused to be drawn on the outlook beyond Saturday's Play-off Final but it is hard to escape the feeling that Fulham are approaching a crossroads.

If they go the right way at Wembley they will be planning for a return to the Premier League next season and promotion could be the start of an exciting new period for the club.

Fulham owner Shahid Khan is ready to spend in the transfer market this summer and the good times may be on the horizon for an already talented young team. Yet lose against Aston Villa and the future will be uncertain.

The likelihood is key players including Ryan Sessegnon and Tom Cairney would leave Craven Cottage and increasingly it feels like head coach Jokanovic might also be prised away.

Jokanovic has worked superbly to turn Fulham into one of the most attractive sides in the Championship but he is set to be in demand this summer.

The 49-year-old Serb has caught the eye of a number of clubs, including Chelsea, and if this combination of manager and players is to get into the Premier League together then they must do it now.

"For everybody I think it would be the best option to go up together," said defender Denis Odoi. "Am I surprised clubs are interested in him [Jokanovic]? No, because we have had good results and everybody says we play good football. He is getting credit for that. If it goes well then it is no surprise other teams would be interested in his job.

"With great results and achievements with a club like Fulham, you need to accept there are even bigger teams who will be interested in our players. Like Ryan Sessegnon — you cannot expect him to be here for another 10 years. That is the way it is. It is something you have to accept. But we are working hard to achieve something together."

Fulham believe they will keep Sessegnon, Cairney and Ryan Fredericks if they go up but Jokanovic is the most important figure they must ensure stays. He has transformed a side that were struggling against relegation when he took over in December 2015 to one that went unbeaten in 23 games this season and just missed out on automatic promotion. He is also fundamental to their possession-based style.

Fulham are expected to dominate the ball at Wembley but Jokanovic wants his team to earn the right to play and drills that into his squad on a daily basis. A lot of his training sessions are focused on winning the ball back immediately after losing it, rather than simply dropping back into their defensive shape.

"Press after loss, press after loss," has been the message from Jokanovic. Midfielder Kevin McDonald admits Jokanovic "can be a bit intimidating for certain people" but he has the respect of the players, who trust his approach.

He wants his team to take risks by passing out from the back but he shoulders the blame for any mistakes.

"He tells us that if we make mistakes then he pays the bill," said Cairney. Even in tough situations Jokanovic demands Fulham stick to their style and that will be no different against Aston Villa.

Odoi said: "Even when things were not going well he said, 'Stick to the way we are playing, that is the way we are more dangerous'. Sometimes he adapted but sometimes after we lost he said we just had a bad game and we need to forget about it and keep playing. I think that is going to be the message for Saturday, keep playing the way we have because if we start playing totally different we are going to regret it after."

Fulham were out of the promotion picture in the first half of the season but then a WhatsApp message Jokanovic received in January changed the course of their campaign.

Aleksandar Mitrovic contacted Jokanovic late on transfer deadline day after a proposed move to Anderlecht broke down and within hours the 23-year-old striker had joined on loan from Newcastle. Mitrovic has scored 12 goals to reignite Fulham's promotion push and his arrival is another example of why Jokanovic holds the key to the club's future. He was for a long time frustrated by the transfer policy and felt data analyst Craig Kline, a close friend of Tony Khan, the son of owner Shahid Khan, had too much influence over signings.

But the departure of Kline last October meant Jokanovic was given more control on transfers in the January window and results have vindicated his methods.

"Mitro had a huge impact," said Odoi. "He gave us a platform to play because he could keep hold of the ball and we could push up higher. If he was not here we would not have had the results we have had. I am not saying we would not have made it this far but he has made a huge contribution and helped us a lot.

"He will be a handful for Villa defenders and they will be aware of that."

Even with Mitrovic at his bulldozing best, tomorrow will not be straightforward against an experienced Villa side.

Jokanovic did not discuss the future of either himself or his players this week but at Wembley it will become clearer which direction Fulham will take.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/slavisa-jokanovic-wanted-by-bigger-teams-so-fulham-must-reach-premier-league-now-says-denis-odoi-a3848096.html

 
Report: Fulham lead Hull City and others in chase for Dimitrios Chatziisaias

Fulham and Hull City are among the clubs said to be tracking the Greek defender.

Fulham are leading Hull City and a host of English sides in the chase for Greek defender Dimitrios Chatziisaias, according to the Sun.

Chatziisaias has impressed during a loan spell with Atromitos and is due back at parent club PAOK, where he has a year left on his contract.

The Sun reports the 25-year-old is keen to try his luck abroad, however, and has caught the eye with his ability on the ball - belying his powerful 6ft 4in frame.

The newspaper adds that Fulham, who face Aston Villa in Saturday's Championship play-off final, are looking at players who can do a job whichever division they are in next season - and in securing promotion to the Premier League they could see off Hull's challenge entirely.

Fulham could lose Tomas Kalas when his temporary deal expires this summer, while Michael Dawson looks likely to leave Hull for Nottingham Forest after reaching the end of his contract.

Chatziisaias has yet to be capped by Greece, but was called up to their latest squad.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/05/25/report-fulham-lead-hull-city-and-others-in-chase-for-dimitrios-c/