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General Category => Archive => Daily Fulham Stuff => Topic started by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 04:52:43 AM

Title: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 04:52:43 AM
 
Aleksandar Mitrovic: Striker on Newcastle struggles & love of Fulham quiet life

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Aleksander Mitrovic has scored five goals in nine Premier League games this season for Fulham

Aleksandar Mitrovic had questions to answer when he left Newcastle United for Fulham. Would he always be the untamed talent who struggled on Tyneside or was there more to the Serbia striker than met the eye?

Mitrovic has gone a long way towards delivering the answers at Craven Cottage after spearheading the west London side's return to the Premier League with 12 goals in 20 games on loan last term - then starting this season in fine style following his permanent £22m switch in the summer.

He harbours no ill feelings towards the Magpies, where he scored 14 goals in 65 league games in the Championship and Premier League. It was just a case of the wrong club at the wrong time.

"It was really hard in Newcastle," he says. "It was one city, one club. Everybody there was really crazy about Newcastle.

"Sometimes it is nice, but sometimes you want to be quiet and go out with your family. When you are not happy on the field, you just don't want to think about football, [you want to] have your space.

"In Newcastle, there is no chance."

He is equally diplomatic about former boss Rafael Benitez, who inherited the striker after predecessor Steve McClaren brought him to St James' Park from Anderlecht for £13m in July 2015.

"We just didn't suit each other," says Mitrovic. "I didn't suit his tactics and I didn't really feel comfortable to play, so he couldn't get the best out of me. But it is nothing personal - just business.

"We had a good relationship and he is a good guy. Defensively he is one of the best managers that I have worked with."

Now Mitrovic can mix business with pleasure in the capital.

"I can go to the city," he says. "I am right on the river so it is always nice to have real space and time with your family. Nobody can disturb you. I enjoy it.

"Away from football it is just family. I try to spend time with my kids - I have to spend a lot of time away so every time I am at home I like to spend time with them. I am a really nice, quiet guy."

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Benitez (left) took over as Newcastle boss in March 2016

The quiet man

A visit to Fulham's secluded Surrey training HQ proves the 24-year-old is a more rounded character than the hothead many labelled him.

Mitrovic's early disciplinary problems at Newcastle - he was booked 22 seconds into his debut and sent off in his fourth game - have led to a somewhat undeserved reputation. Two red cards and 13 yellow in 101 games in England is hardly outrageous for a striker at the sharp end of the game's physicality.


Season     Team     Games Played     Yellow Cards     Red Cards    
2015-16  Newcastle United    36 
2016-17  Newcastle United    29 
2017-18  Newcastle United   
2017-18  Fulham   20 
2018-19  Fulham   

And in person, Mitrovic is a quietly spoken figure whose off-field presence is nowhere near as intimidating as his matchday persona within Slavisa Jokanovic's side.

He comes straight out of his beloved gym, where he can often be found on his days off, sits back in a chair sipping a bottle of water and reflects on his career in England.

"I am still the same guy but maybe in the past I spent time fighting with people. having chat with the referee," says Mitrovic. "Now I put my focus on my game, my goals - but I'm still the same way.

"When I play football I try to win the game. That is part of me. That is who I am. If you ask any player they will always say the same. They play to win."

Having sampled the goldfish bowl existence and fanaticism of Newcastle, Mitrovic seems to be thriving in the space that life in London offers, living on the banks of the Thames with his partner Kristina and children aged two and nine months.

(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/624/cpsprodpb/10359/production/_104039366_mitronew.jpg)
Aleksander Mitrovic scored nine goals in his first Premier League season with Newcastle

The Serb factor
Mitrovic was considering a move from Newcastle to Middlesbrough when contact from Fulham manager Jokanovic redirected him to London.

And the pair go back a long way, with Mitrovic a ball boy at Partizan Belgrade when Jokanovic was coach between 2007 and 2009.

"Thank God we kept in touch and he was one of the reasons I chose Fulham," says the striker.

"The manager is a big influence on me. It is always something special when you can talk with people from your country. It is always nice to hear advice in your own language.

"He's a great guy, a good manager and I really enjoy working with him. He is calm, honest - he knows what to do and get the best out of me."

A brief flirtation with karate was not enough to stop Mitrovic - brought up in the town of Smederevo, 28 miles down the Danube from the capital Belgrade - pursuing his dream to play in the Premier League, where his striking idols were Newcastle's own icon Alan Shearer and Chelsea's Didier Drogba.

"These are the two players I wanted to watch, work like and play like," says Mitrovic. "It is hard but I try to learn, to improve and to train hard to try and reach the top level."

There was another player the young Mitrovic idolised.

He says: "As a Serb of course you looked at Nemanja Vidic at Manchester United, Branislav Ivanovic at Chelsea, Aleksandar Kolarov at Manchester City - but obviously the biggest man who played in England was Vidic. He was one of the best defenders who ever played in the Premier League.

"All the dreams I wanted when I was young have come true and I feel I have a lot of space to improve.

"I hope if I can keep working everything will be better and better."

Fulham learning harsh lessons
Fulham arrived in the Premier League on a wave of optimism after beating Aston Villa in a Wembley play-off final in May, following that up with a £100m outlay as they confirmed Mitrovic's permanent signing, captured the coveted Jean Michael Seri from Nice for about £25m and brought in Germany World Cup winner Andre Schurrle on loan.

However, things have not gone to plan so far, with Fulham in the relegation places after one win and five points from their first nine games.

"We didn't expect this but we are here in this position and we need to try to get out really fast," says Mitrovic. "We have five points but if you can get one or two wins you can be in the top 10.

"Last year, when we made mistakes, teams couldn't punish us but now every mistake we make is punished with a goal - so we have to play smarter. This is life in the Championship compared to life in the Premier League.

"Some might say [Fulham] is a smaller club in the Premier League - but it is a club with big ambition, with a big future.

"I'm happy to be part of this."




https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45969705
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 04:55:23 AM
 
Cardiff send Fulham into drop zone

Cardiff ramped up the pressure on Slavisa Jokanovic by recording their first league win of the season and sending Fulham into the relegation zone after an end-to-end contest at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The Whites failed to build on going in front thanks to a long-range thunderbolt by Andre Schürrle and were left to rue familiar failings as more wretched defending allowed Neil Warnock's men to leapfrog them and climb out of the drop zone. A new-look back four, which Jokanovic admitted included 'four centre halves' and was designed to introduce more solidity at the back, crumbled under the weight of the task in front of them and, at times, it looked as if Cardiff, who had only scored two league goals all season, could score at will.

It looked as if the trip to Wales might bring some relief for Jokanovic, whose side were thumped 5-1 by Arsenal last weekend. The visitors went in front through a sensational strike from Schürrle , who may have been given far too much time to advance in a central position 35 yards from goal, but nobody would have expected him to curl a goal of the season contender past former Fulham keeper Neil Etheridge and into the top corner. It was a goal worthy of winning any game, but it proved a false dawn as the Bluebirds hit back twice in the space of five first half moments.
Calum Chambers, who endured a nightmare 45 minutes at right back, was caught horribly out of position going for an expansive one-two with Schürrle in the centre circle and Josh Murphy had the freedom of the city to race onto a searching through ball from centre back Sol Bamba. The former Norwich winger ran at Denis Odoi and finished clinically into the bottom corner with Marcus Bettinelli having little chance as the strike took a deflection off the covering Belgian defender. Five minutes later, it was 2-1 and again it proved a calamity of Fulham's own making.
The Londoners' looked to have dealt with the danger from a Cardiff free-kick which Gunarsson blasted into the wall but Schürrle attempted to take an extra touch rather than clear his lines and was robbed of possession outside his own area. Aron Gunnarsson's tackle ricocheted past Tim Ream, who was slow to react, and Bobby Reid pounced to slide a finish under the advancing Tim Ream. It might have been worse for Fulham had Chambers been dismissed for pulling back his tormenter Murphy when he seemed set to race through on goal. The on-loan Arsenal man was shown a yellow card instead, before being substituted at half-time.

The Whites did at least go in level courtesy of Ryan Sessegnon's first top-flight goal. The teenager, who has now scored five times in five appearances against City, produced an excellent finish to a flowing move to level the contest after Aleksandar Mitrovic – horribly isolated for most of the afternoon – beautifully flicked a through ball from Chambers into the winger's path. Fulham might have been fortunate to have restored parity by the break, but the second half was a much more even and cagey affair until Jokanovic made the decision to replace Jean-Michael Seri with Floyd Ayite, unbalancing a midfield that was dominating possession until that point.

Both sides had chances to win it, but Fulham's defence caved in with 25 minutes to go. Cardiff worked an opening down the right with the excellent Gunnarsson and Bruno Ecuele Manga involved before makeshift centre forward Calum Paterson beat both Ream and Mawson to the ball, turned and shot into the far corner, with Bettinelli seemingly going down in slow motion. Mawson had a header from a corner brilliantly palmed away by Etheridge but Fulham's soft underbelly was underlined when Ream slipped on the halfway line allowing Victor Camarasa to surge into the area and cross for substitute Kadeem Harris, who made sure of the points with a low finish. No wonder Jokanovic admitted Fulham have 'so many defensive problems to fix' afterwards.

CARDIFF CITY (4-4-2): Etheridge; Ecula Manga, Bennett, Bamba, Morrison; Gunarsson (Richards 77), Arter (Damour 86), Camarasa, J. Murphy (K. Harris 82); Paterson, Reid. Subs (not used): Smithies, Cunningham, Hoilett, Zohore.
BOOKED: Gunnarsson, Morrison, Bamba, Richards.
GOALS: J. Murphy (15), Reid (20), Paterson (65), Harris (87).

FULHAM (4-3-3): Bettinelli; Chambers (Mawson 45), Odoi, Ream, Le Marchand; McDonald, Seri (Ayite 58), Johansen (Vietto 82); Schürrle , R. Sessegnon, Mitrovic. Subs (not used): Rico, Christie, Anguissa, Kamara.
BOOKED: Chambers, McDonald, Johansen.
GOALS: Schürrle (11), R. Sessegnon (34).

REFEREE: Kevin Friend (Leicester).
ATTENDANCE: 29,681.




https://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/10/cardiff-send-fulham-into-drop-zone/
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 04:57:07 AM
 
Half Term Specials
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Head to the Stadium Store or shop online today with a range of exclusive special junior offers available to enjoy during the half-term break!

Don't forget, fans have until 5pm on Friday 26th October to have your photo with the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final trophy free of charge.

Free Printing On All Junior Shirts

When you purchase any 18/19 Fulham Home, Away or Goalkeeper Junior Shirt today you can feature your favorite player - or even your own name - on the back at no extra cost!

20% Off Junior Training Range

Look the part and enjoy 20% off all Junior Training products. From the new winter jacket to adidas training tops and pants, get matchday ready by shopping the 18/19 Training Range today.

20% Off Junior Fashion Wear

With a number of trendy jackets and hoodies available to wrap-up in, or keep it cool with polo's and summer tee's, take advantage of 20% off all boys and girls fashion wear.

All on sale until midnight on Sunday 28th October, supporters can take advantage of these offers online or at the Stadium Store located at Craven Cottage on Stevenage Road.




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/26/half-term-specials
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 04:59:03 AM
 
Is it time for Fulham to give Sergio Rico a chance in goal?

On Thursday, Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli signed a contract extension at the club.

Yet for some Fulham supporters, the news was overshadowed by the looming presence of goalkeeper Sergio Rico, the Sevilla loanee and Europa League-winner who has yet to play a Premier League match for Fulham.

Supporters frustrated with Bettinelli's performances have been calling for the Spaniard to get the nod in goal, yet such a move would be a counterproductive measure that would simply increase the instability and lack of consistency in Fulham's defence.

Firstly, Bettinelli is not to blame for the Whites' defensive disaster. The vast majority of goals conceded by Fulham have been the back four's fault, and the Englishman has produced a number of outstanding saves to keep the scores close this season.

Questions can be asked over Bettinelli's diving, especially in the Arsenal and Cardiff matches, but the reality of the situation is that any goalkeeper would leak goals for fun when playing behind Fulham's dreadful backline.

In addition, dropping Bettinelli for Rico would yet again lead to a different back five for the Cottagers, contributing to more selection chaos in a squad that desperately needs a consistent starting XI.

And furthermore, there is no guarantee Rico will be a better option than Bettinelli, as his brief cameos in the League Cup tell us little about how he would far in the Premier League.

Nevertheless, Rico could prove to be an improvement in goal for Fulham, but the Whites must stick with Bettinelli against Bournemouth in order to maintain some semblance of defensive consistency for the vital home match.



https://tbrfootball.com/is-it-time-for-fulham-to-give-sergio-rico-a-chance-in-goal/
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:01:18 AM
 
Fulham v Bournemouth – Time for a change

We entertain Eddie Howe's Bournemouth tomorrow at Craven Cottage and the Cherries pose a serious threat to Slavisa Jokanovic's plans to turn Fulham's faltering season around. Bournemouth now find themselves in sixth after enduring their own sticky start to the campaign and will head to the capital full of confidence. They have one of the game's finest young managers in Eddie Howe, whose achievements since taking over at Dean Court have been nothing short of sensational. It is no surprise that he has been considered as a potential future successor to Gareth Southgate in the England job. Howe likes to set his teams up to be tough to beat, but not without sacrificing an easy-on-the eye style.

The stakes couldn't be higher for tomorrow's game. Fulham are in the bottom three following that lamentable display at Cardiff last weekend and badly need the points to gain some momentum. Club captain Tom Cairney has returned to training this week and is in line for a return to the starting line-up. If the Scottish international does start tomorrow, I would like to see Jean-Michael Seri and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa alongside him as I think that is our strongest midfield three and we need to get some consistency in a crucial area of the pitch.

I do expect changes after the nightmare in south Wales, especially given how poor we have been defensively. Despite signing a new contract this week, it could be time for Marcus Bettinelli to be replaced in goal. He was slow getting down to Cardiff's crucial third goal on Saturday and in Sergio Rico, we have one of the most consistent goalkeepers in Spain and a two-time Europa League winner on the bench. Tomorrow, could be Rico's opportunity to show what he can do in the Premier League.

We have conceded 25 goals this season – and you simply won't stay afloat in the top flight whilst being that vulnerable at the back. Ryan O'Donovan's analysis earlier in the week suggested that 80% of those goals were down to individual errors, which is just unsustainable. Jokanovic has had to juggle his resources due to injuries and suspensions and I think now is the time to put a back four together for the next three or four games – regardless of the outcome tomorrow. You'd expect Timothy Fosu-Mensah to come back into the defence. I've been very impressed with his start at right back and we've missed his pace at both ends of the field since that untimely shoulder injury at Everton.

I am in complete agreement with the majority that the substitutions have been questionable over the past couple of games and only Slavisa can answer why certain changes were made. I am a big Slav fan and I would hate to see him sacked so early on in the season. Our previous stay in the Premier League ended with three different managers in the space of six months and I hope we don't get the same turnover of managers this time around. Stuart Gray's departure has clearly affected things – and now is the time for some consistency and a bit of faith.

In his programme notes ahead of tomorrow's game, chairman Shahid Khan has stated he firmly believes Slav is the right man for the job and expects things to change given Jokanovic's record. It is a stance I share. Fulham's past couple of seasons started disappointingly, but gradually the performances and results began to improve. It is based on that history that I am confident we will start winning again before long under Jokanovic. The fans frustration over the past few weeks is totally understandable, but Jokanovic has been operating without our playmaker and has been trying to integrate twelve summer signings at a level most of them haven't experienced before.

Let's hope our second win of the season is against Bournemouth and gets us out of the bottom three, thus bringing some optimism back to the Cottage. There's no question that tomorrow is our biggest game of the season and it won't be easy. When the fixtures were released, Fulham would have been targeting this as a fixture they could get three points from, although it is a measure of how low confidence is right now that I'd take a draw were it offered to me. Let's hope that Jokanovic can get our football flowing again and have us back to winning ways.




https://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/10/fulham-v-bournemouth-time-for-a-change/
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:08:12 AM
 
Tom Cairney a major doubt to start AFC Bournemouth tie as he steps up recovery from injury

The skipper returned to training last week but it is unlikely he will start the game at Craven Cottage

Tom Cairney is a major doubt to start Fulham's game with AFC Bournemouth on Saturday as he steps up his recovery from injury.

The captain returned to first team training in the week, having spent the international break working on the pitches at Motspur Park without the ball, but the visit of the Cherries looks like it will come too soon for the 27-year-old.

He suffered an ankle injury against Burnley at the end of August in Fulham's only win of the season and has been missing ever since, except for a 26-minute spell against Everton in the 3-0 defeat at Goodison Park.

That cameo seemed to aggravate the injury, meaning that Cairney has missed both the Arsenal and Cardiff City defeat, but despite returning to training the game against Bournemouth looks like it will be too soon for the captain to return to the starting XI.

Fulham are looking forward to having Cairney back in the squad, however, and see his return as one of the ways the side can adapt and stop conceding so many goals, with his ability to dominate possession a vital asset to Slavisa Jokanovic.

Meanwhile, the injury list at Craven Cottage is growing shorter by the week, with only Joe Bryan out of the squad due to a hamstring injury he suffered against Everton.

He's been undergoing yet more rehab to get him back fit, but the club have placed no timescale on the injury as a result of it being a muscle injury and don't want to rush him back into the squad.

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(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Calum Chambers limped off at half time in the defeat to Cardiff but he has taken part in training this week and is fit to be in contention for the game with Eddie Howe's side.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah is also fit for selection after recovering from a dislocated shoulder that he also suffered at Everton and could start at the Cottage.

Speaking of injuries, Jokanovic said: "Cairney is really important and after nine weeks he start working with us.

"He made a few training before the Everton game and now he needs little bit of time to catch his best level.

"It's not an excuse, we weren't at our best with injuries and with the team, I never have opportunity to work with all the team since we signed the players.

"Now I am only without Joe Bryan, he is not ready to work with us, it can be good news for us that Cairney starts working with us and I have a near complete team."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/tom-cairney-major-doubt-start-15331264
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:09:30 AM
 
Leicester City Tickets
(http://ffcw001.azureedge.net/-/media/tickets/2018-19/leicester_city/leicester_news_sth.jpg?w=622&h=278)

18/19 Season Ticket Holders can now purchase additional tickets to the Whites' home Premier League fixture against Leicester City.

The Whites take on the Foxes at Craven Cottage on Wednesday 5th December, kick-off 7:45pm, and Season Ticket Holders can secure up to four tickets each.

Priced from £30 adults and £20 juniors, secure your seats today online, by phone on 0203 871 0810 or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/26/leicester-city-tickets
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:11:20 AM
 
Eddie Howe says Slavisa Jokanovic has his full respect, but not sympathy

Eddie Howe says Slavisa Jokanovic has his full respect, but not his sympathy, after Fulham's tough start to life back in the Premier League.

Bournemouth visit Craven Cottage on Saturday looking to build on their excellent form that sees them in sixth place, 10 points better off than they were at this stage last season.

Fulham's defeat to Cardiff last weekend saw them drop into the relegation zone, with Jokanovic's side being punished for their open, attacking brand of football.

Howe said: "I have respect for Jokanovic, but not sympathy.

"I know he's an outstanding coach and you can see his work on the pitch with how his team plays.

"They've got some very good players, a good way of playing and we know we'll have to be at the top of our game to win.

"I've got a lot of respect for their manager who led Watford to promotion.

"He's done the same with Fulham and that's not easy to do, with two different clubs. He has my full respect.

"The style of play is one that draws a lot of praise, a lot of plaudits last year for the way they did it.

"They haven't changed and they haven't adapted that, they're trying to enhance that this season and I've got a lot of respect for that way of working."

Howe stressed that there are no guarantees in the Premier League, particularly when playing away from home, and said he is expecting a tough game.

"This start to the season means everything because you're immersed in your work and this is your life," said Howe.

"It has been a pleasant start for us, but I think that's all it is.

"We know how tough the Premier League is and how quickly football can change, so we're very much focused on the next match."

And Howe was cautious of letting his standards slip on the training ground simply because of the Cherries' promising league position, saying that the hard work was continuing in earnest.

"It's a place where we work hard, where I set high standards for the players and try and push them in a productive and positive way, so they reach their maximum levels," he added.

"I'm not sure if 'buzz' is the word they would use to describe it, but it's a good place.

"I love being there, I love working with the players, their attitude to the work is second to none and it's an enjoyable place to be."




https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11743/11535985/eddie-howe-says-slavisa-jokanovic-has-his-full-respect-but-not-sympathy
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:23:18 AM
 
Defensive stability & sacking Jokanovic - how Fulham can avoid Premier League relegation

The Cottagers spent heavily in the summer upon their return to the top-flight but find themselves struggling inside the drop zone after nine matches

Despite racking up a transfer bill of over £100 million ($129m) this summer, and bringing in the likes of Jean Michael Seri and Andre Schurrle, Fulham are struggling in the Premier League.

The Cottagers are currently sitting in 18th place with only one win from their opening nine games, conceding 26 goals along the way, including four against fellow promoted side Cardiff City last time out.

This represents Fulham's worst start to a Premier League season, but can the west London outfit turn things around? Here are five things that would have to change if Slavisa Jokanovic's side are to beat the drop ahead of Saturday's crucial home game with Bournemouth.

Defensive stability

Jokanovic is yet to select the same back four in more than one Premier League game so far this season after bringing in six defenders over the summer, with the Fulham manager struggling to settle on his preferred back-line.

Fulham have persevered with diminutive defender Dennis Odoi at centre-back after his successful Championship campaign, as well as playing Ryan Sessegnon in his less preferred left-back position on numerous occasions thus far.

It is somewhat unsurprising, then, that the Cottagers boast the worst defensive record in the league at this early juncture and are on course to concede in excess of 100 goals should their current rate continue throughout the campaign.

In contrast, another newly-promoted side in Wolves have picked the same starting XI in every game, with great success. Consistency in defence could be key if Fulham are to steady their ship.

Sentiment cannot dictate team selection

The squad that carried Fulham on the 23-game unbeaten run that saw them qualify for the play-offs last season will always be heroes at Craven Cottage, but sentiment cannot fuel your team selection in the Premier League.

Odoi and Tim Ream were an incredible defensive duo in the Championship but Maxime Le Marchand and Alfie Mawson look more suited to playing against this level of opposition. Mawson was Swansea City's Player of the Year las season while when Le Marchand has played in the middle, he has looked like a Premier League-level player.

Stefan Johansen and Kevin McDonald are good back-up players but they should not be keeping Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa out of the squad after Fulham splashed out £30m on the Cameroonian midfielder.

Sergio Rico, meanwhile, has won the Europa League and had been Sevilla's first-choice keeper for the past three years but cannot get a look-in ahead of Marcus Bettinelli, who has been leaking goals of late despite earning a first call-up to the England squad.

Share the goals & change the style

Fulham's playing style lends itself to goals being spread throughout the squad rather than everything going through one or two players.

Schurrle and Aleksandar Mitrovic are the only players who have struck more than once for Fulham and they are currently the third and fourth highest shot takers respectively in the Premier League, taking 3.8 and 3.6 shots per game.

Last season Fulham's highest shots-per-game taker was on-loan Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo, who was out of favour for most of the campaign due to struggling to fit into Jokanovic's style. The next highest was Johansen, who would take an average of 1.8 shots per game.

It seems that Fulham's slow passing build-up has been replaced by a hit-and-hope way of playing relying solely on Mitrovic and Schurrle. Jokanovic has the personnel to change this, however, as Sessegnon was their top scorer last year and Luciano Vietto was once considered one of the hottest strikers in Spain.

Tom Cairney and Seri can also provide goals from the midfield, and if Fulham are able to revert back to their patient build-up then the results will come.

Make Craven Cottage a fortress again

During Fulham's last spell in the Premier League, Craven Cottage was always seen as a potential banana skin ground for big clubs. Fulham would routinely pick up 30 points a season from home games alone, claiming a big scalp somewhere along the road.

They picked up 11 league wins at home in the 2009-10 season, as well as going unbeaten at home during their Europa League run when teams such as Juventus, Roma and Wolfsburg all failed to overcome Fulham in west London.

This season, though, they have only picked up one win at home from four games to date, and were comfortably beaten by both Crystal Palace and Arsenal.

Do not hesitate to sack Jokanovic

Recent reports suggest Jokanovic has two games to save his job. They are against Bournemouth and Huddersfield Town, and are two matches that Fulham will have earmarked before the season as opportunities to pick up points.

Jokanovic has always been a slow starter, Fulham won only seven of their first 22 games last campaign, and the season before it was a similar story, winning just eight times before Christmas. Both times they have been able to pull together an incredible run of form in the second half of the season to secure themselves a top-six spot, but how likely is a run like that in the Premier League?

They have to face the reality that they have one of the weakest squads in the league and Jokanovic may not be the man to carry them through, with his passion for playing good football potentially being their downfall. 'Ugly' managers have kept teams in the league for years and there is no doubting their effectiveness. Fulham, themselves, were once Roy Hodgson's biggest success story.

While the amount of money spent is different, Fulham are comparable to Ian Holloway's Blackpool team of the 2010-11 season. Blackpool outscored the majority of the teams in the division and were one of the most entertaining sides in the league, but ultimately were relegated, finishing behind teams managed by the likes of Mick McCarthy, Steve Bruce and Tony Pulis. If Fulham continue to leak goals, it could be time for a manager in that mould to take the reins.



https://www.goal.com/en/news/defensive-stability-sacking-jokanovic-how-fulham-could-avoid/12gzu96sb4l1y1ri1abtkak1el
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:27:17 AM
 
Tottenham stadium blow as Jacksonville Jaguars rule out games at new ground: 'We will only play at Wembley'

Jacksonville Jaguars will never play at Tottenham's new stadium despite the collapse of owner Shahid Khan's Wembley deal, says the NFL club's president Mark Lamping.

The Jaguars host the Philadelphia Eagles at Wembley on Sunday in their sixth consecutive year playing a regular-season game at the national stadium.

Khan's franchise have committed to playing annually in London until 2020 and Lamping says they want to extend the agreement with the NFL for a further half-decade.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, who was opposed to Khan's aborted £600million bid to buy Wembley, also has an agreement with the NFL to play at least two games a year for 10 years in the club's behind-schedule new stadium, due to open this winter.

Levy has said he would like to house a permanent London franchise at the 62,062-seat ground but Lamping insists the Jags — who are most often linked with a full-time move to the capital — are only interested in Wembley games.

"We've been doing five-year agreements," Lamping told Standard Sport. "In a couple of years we'll sit down with the NFL again and I'm sure we'll want to continue that commitment to London and it's our hope and expectation that the NFL will support us.

"Our conversations and our proposals to continue to play games in London will be conditioned on them being played at Wembley.

"We don't control that — the NFL controls that — but our commitment here [in London] is tied to Wembley.

"For the Jacksonville Jaguars, Wembley is the best place to play our NFL games and that's where we intend to play them. We think Wembley is the best place to play NFL in London. That's our view — not necessarily shared by everyone — but we firmly believe that."

Lamping, who distanced the Jags from a permanent move to London, added: "There is room in London for enough NFL games to satisfy commitments to Spurs's new stadium and Wembley."

Tottenham's stadium, which could eventually cost £1billion, has been custom built as both a football and NFL arena, with two dedicated entrances and a grass football field above a synthetic surface for  NFL games.

There will be NFL-sized dressing rooms, medical and media facilities, and the sight-lines in the ground will be as good for NFL games as they will be for football.

The NFL have paid Spurs £10m towards the tailoring of the build.

However, Lamping said: "We believe that the infrastructure, the public transport around Wembley is far superior to any other stadium in London. We believe the prestige and the image of the national stadium is far superior to the home ground of a Premier League team.

"We preferred an alliance with the [English] game as a whole through the FA, rather than an alliance with an individual club."

The proposal of Khan to buy Wembley collapsed last week amid a lack of support from the FA Council but Lamping, one of the Jags and Fulham owner's leading lieutenants, says it will have no impact on the team's commitment to London.

"Because the Wembley deal collapsed, that has no impact on the quality of this market," he said. "For the Jacksonville Jaguars, who prefer to play at Wembley, all it really means is that if we're going to continue to play there it'll be as a tenant, rather than an owner.

"For Wembley to remain an investment class facility, just like an other ageing stadium, it requires significant investment. We don't think there are any inherent design issues with Wembley Stadium. The sight-lines may be somewhat limited but I view that as an opportunity more than an issue.

"The NFL choose to close those seats off — why not open those up and allow kids who are just discovering American Football to sit there for free?

"There are so many ways to look at it."




https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham-stadium-blow-as-jacksonville-jaguars-rule-out-games-at-new-ground-we-will-only-play-at-a3972511.html
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:29:21 AM
 
Fulham youngster Matt O'Riley wanted by Dortmund

Arsenal and Manchester United will face competition from Borussia Dortmund for the signature of Fulham youngster Matt O'Riley.

The London Evening Standard reports that the Fulham midfielder is attracting interest from some of Europe's biggest sides after impressing with the Premier League new boys.

Juventus are also said to be keeping a close eye on the player, who has previously caught the eyes of Arsenal and Manchester United.

Shakhtar Donetsk and Valencia have been credited with an interest in the 17-year-old, who could be the next English youngster to take his career abroad in search of regular first-team football.

The promising midfielder is on the fringes of the first-team squad at Craven Cottage, having already made his debut for the senior side.

O'Riley is under contract at Dortmund until 2020 but there are concerns over the prospect of him breaking into the first-team in London.




https://readbundesliga.com/2018/10/26/fulham-youngster-matt-oriley-wanted-by-dortmund/
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:32:33 AM
 
Media view: Expert insight on Fulham

AFC Bournemouth travel to Craven Cottage for the weekend's game against Fulham.

Ahead of the fixture, afcb.co.uk sat down with Football London's Ryan O'Donovan, who has reported on Fulham every game this season.

Here's a look at what he had to say on the Cottagers.

afcb.co.uk: What do you make of Fulham's start to the season?

ROD: It's not been a good start to the season, they've only won the one game which came all the way back in August. They've struggled of late and keeping goals out is the real problem. They went to Wales and Cardiff managed to double their goal tally for the season against Fulham's defence.

They've looked good going forward and they've certainly had spells. Aleksandar Mitrovic led the Premier League scoring chart for some time an Andre Schurrle has looked a good signing and added something there.

It's defensively that they've looked really concerning and have been struggling this season. It's basic mistakes that they wouldn't have made last season, whether that's because of the pressure in the Premier League or because the teams they're playing have better players than those in the Championship, I'm not sure. 

afcb.co.uk: How crucial is Alexander Mitrovic up top for Fulham?

ROD: He is key. There are a few other players that Fulham rely on but he's the one that gets the goals. Last season he came in in February and Fulham didn't really have that focal point that they could get the ball into to provide anything and he's been a revelation since he came in.

He scored goals last season and he's scoring them this season. He provides a really physical presence for Fulham where they can play their nice football in behind him, but they also have someone who can hold it up, get on the end of it and put a few goals away.

afcb.co.uk: How big is tomorrow's game for Fulham?

ROD: It's a massive game. At this stage Fulham need a win so Bournemouth at home is going to be a big game.

I don't know whether the consensus is that it's a game that they should be winning, Bournemouth have started so well and they're an established Premier League side.

I was in Jokanovic's press conference and he was really complimentary about Bournemouth, he said what a good side they were, they have big physical players and are very very good up top. That's the concerning thing for Fulham, Bournemouth's attack is very strong and Fulham's defence is very weak.



https://www.afcb.co.uk/news/first-team/media-view-expert-insight-on-fulham
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:36:05 AM
 
Fulham need to start getting real and improve – or Slavisa Jokanovic will suffer the consequences

The Cottagers' defence record is atrocious this season, writes Daniel Storey, and undermining everything that was good about them in the Championship

There were very few managers who began this season with more goodwill in the bank than Slavisa Jokanovic. The last time the Serbian began preparing for a Premier League campaign, in 2015, his plans were shelved after only six weeks. If reports suggested that Jokanovic had demanded an unrealistic annual salary from Watford, his achievements in charge probably merited the pay rise.

Instead, Jokanovic left England and found redemption in Tel Aviv. During his six months at Maccabi, the club reached the group stage of the Champions League for the first time in 11 years, eliminating Basel in the process.

But when Fulham – down on their luck and struggling in the Championship – called, Jokanovic jumped at the chance to return to England. He had unfinished business.

Reality bites

In some respects, Jokanovic is just another victim of his own success. Having staved off the lingering threat of relegation to League One, he led Fulham to the play-offs in his first full season. They beat Reading in the semi-finals in 2017, then won at Wembley a year later. Jokanovic became the first non-British manager to achieve two promotions to the Premier League.

Most impressive was the style of Fulham's success. Relying upon a squad of players with minimal top-flight experience and sprinkled with exciting young talent, Jokanovic utilised an alluring, attacking brand of football. Tom Cairney, Marcus Bettinelli, Kevin McDonald and Ryan Fredericks were just four players performing at a higher level than they had ever done before. This time, there was no danger of Jokanovic leaving before August.

But neither is there any guarantee that Fulham's manager will be employed beyond the end of October. If Fulham's cautious ambition for this season was Premier League consolidation, Jokanovic is so far failing in that task. Fulham haven't won in the league since August. Their Achilles' heel is exposed with a flashing neon sign pointing towards the flaw.

For all of Fulham's excellence in the Championship last season, their defence was the weak point. Only Derby in the division's top eight conceded more times, and only champions Wolves scored more goals. The solution was obvious: Fulham needed to focus investment on their defence.

Imperfect priorities

It would be unfair to accuse Fulham of ignoring the problem entirely. When you sign 12 first-team players in one transfer window, very few areas of the team get ignored.

But the west Londoners did spend the majority of their transfer fees, and allocated the majority of new salaries, on the attacking half of the pitch. Andre Schurrle, Luciano Vietto, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Jean-Michel Seri were the four highest-profile arrivals.

The neutral may welcome a promoted team that tries to do more than grimly cling on to the Premier League's cliff edge. There is a subtle but important difference between trying to be better than those around you, and trying to be a little less worse. The bottom half of the Premier League has become a bloated mess over the last few seasons. Fulham represented a different model.

But there is a reason why clubs opt for safety first: optimism is a short step from naivety. Fulham's defensive record is appalling: they have conceded 25 goals in their first nine league games, which is already six more than any other team. Extrapolate that to a whole season, and Fulham will concede 105 goals. That would break the record for a 38-game Premier League season by a margin of 16 goals. If football clubs are usually advised to avoid panicking, these are panic stations.

Drilling down into the figures won't give Fulham supporters any more cheer. Only Burnley and Brighton have allowed more shots this season, and no team has faced more shots on target. The simple conclusion is this: keep defending as they are, and Fulham will be relegated.

Gotta Slav faith

Jokanovic is not solely responsible for the problem, but he carries more guilt than most. Having wrestled control of transfers from the club in his first full season, it was he who had final say on transfer targets.

The Serb has also regularly chopped and changed his defence in search of a solution that remains out of reach. The accusation from worried supporters is that Jokanovic's only reaction to a strategic issue is to throw even more players forward. Attackers are given licence to stay forward, but it leaves the defence exposed.

The first signs of disillusionment are appearing, with some reports suggesting that Jokanovic has two games to save his job. Fulham have moved to reject those rumours – as is par for the course – but it's clear that such defensive calamity cannot persist.

"My job is to keep working and fighting to find the solution," Jokanovic said after Fulham conceded four times against a Cardiff side that doubled their goals total from the first eight games. "Last year people were against us, but we found a way to improve ourselves and be more competitive. We showed some positive things, but the negative things are killing us."

Killing Fulham, and killing the goodwill that Jokanovic had in the bank. If promotion from the Championship afforded the Cottagers boss a chance to create his own fairytale following Watford frustration, the Premier League does not give up happy endings easily.

It's time for a dose of the real world: Fulham must improve or Jokanovic will soon be sacked.



Read more at https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/fulham-need-start-getting-real-and-improve-or-slavisa-jokanovic-will-suffer-consequences#xaQVOOwjMCUQHdJU.99
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:38:23 AM
 
Fulham return to basics as Slavisa Jokanovic tries to find solution to defensive issues

The head coach has said that his players have shown a 'great attitude' to right the problems they're having this season

Fulham have made a return to basics in training this week as Slavisa Jokanovic's side look to find a solution to their defensive issues ahead of the game with AFC Bournemouth.

Another four goals conceded last weekend, this time during a 4-2 defeat to Cardiff City, took their tally to 25 goals shipped in nine games.

Those goals included a worrying number of unforced errors and individual mistakes - something that has been the story of the season so far for the Whites who look like they're lacking any defensive cohesion and are doing simple things wrong.

The past week has presented Jokanovic with the chance to get his players together, refresh their minds and work on the basics in order to get Fulham working together as a unit in defence - and stop conceding goals.

He said: "First of all, behind us is a normal week.

"We cannot be satisfied with the last result but the team show their confidence and desire to improve.

"We must fix this, it's not so complicated to detect what the biggest problems are in the team and people show the great attitude to refresh their minds and understand we must be more organised and show more defensive discipline to work as a unit.

"We must refresh our minds for the basic things and this is how we have been trying to find the solution this week.

"The attitude is good and we must all be motivated because we have opportunity to be part of the Premier League.

"A team from the Championship coming to the Premier League, it's not a walk in the park, we know we will find problems in this process and in general we have enough attributes and knowledge to overcome this setback that we made in the last few games."




https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-return-basics-slavisa-jokanovic-15331340
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:41:24 AM
 
Fulham boosted by Tom Cairney return as Slavisa Jokanovic looks to stop the rot

The return of Fulham captain Tom Cairney is a major boost for Slavisa Jokanovic as he looks to turn things around at Craven Cottage.

Cairney has been out for a month with an ankle problem but the midfielder was back in training this week and is in contention to start tomorrow's match against Bournemouth.

Fulham are in the relegation zone having failed to win a Premier League game since August 26 but Jokanovic was still given a strong message of support by owner Shahid Khan yesterday.

And the return of Cairney, who scored the winner in the Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley last season, could be key as he is influential to the way boss Jokanovic wants Fulham to play.

Gareth Southgate is said to be considering the 27-year-old for an England call-up and the rest of the team look more comfortable with him in it.

But, apart from 26 minutes as a substitute against Everton, Cairney has been sidelined since August.

While their defensive frailties have been the main issue for Fulham — they have conceded more than any other club in the League with 25 and have failed to keep a clean sheet — they have clearly missed their captain.

Jokanovic has been unable to get Cairney, Andre Schurrle and Jean Michael Seri in the team together but the trio could all start tomorrow for the first time in two months. The last time Cairney, Schurrle and Seri did start together, Fulham beat Burnley 4-2 in their best performance this season.

"Cairney is really important," said Jokanovic. "It is good news for us that Cairney starts working with us and I have a near-complete team."

Jokanovic has said he was grateful for the backing of owner Khan after the American delivered a public message of support to him yesterday. But the Serbian has insisted he is happy to shoulder the pressure of responsibility to take the heat off his players.

Khan, who last week pulled out of his £600million bid to buy Wembley, will be at Craven Cottage tomorrow and will hope to see Fulham climb out of the relegation zone. Jokanovic added: "I am happy with the pressure. It is part of the job and what I need is to give some freedom to my players to clear their mind to understand what we must do."

Speaking of Khan's support, Jokanovic added: "It is great. He is a great man and he is a brilliant businessman, too.

"Generally, I am not the kind of person who needs a shoulder for support. I am calm, I do my work and live in the present but they are great words from the owner's side.

"I know very well what my job is and what my players' jobs are. I want to make him and the supporters satisfied and I must do everything to offer them some enjoyment at Craven Cottage."




https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-boosted-by-tom-cairney-return-as-slavisa-jokanovic-looks-to-stop-the-rot-a3972706.html
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:42:57 AM
 
Omogbehin & Davis Reaction

Colin Omogbehin was upbeat following our Under-18s' win over Brighton, but knows there is still work to be done on the training ground for their form to continue. 

(http://ffcw001.azureedge.net/-/media/dsc_0194.JPG?w=350&h=250)

"I think the fact that any team who is winning back-to-back games has shown improvement." He told fulhamfc.com. "We had one or two strange results at the start of the season but we seem to have overcome that and we can continue to progress against Tottenham."

Tottenham will prove to be a tricky test for the Young Whites as they sit top of the table having amassed 41 goals and maintaining an unbeaten record. However, Fulham will take great heart into the game.

"I think the group deserved the win, we were the better team from start to finish so I couldn't ask for more.

"When they scored it was against the run of play and we'd had two chances prior to that. What I was happy with was the response - we didn't feel sorry for ourselves, we carried on sticking to our strategy.

"A lot of the intricate play is what we work on in training. It is always lovely to see when it comes off. This is how we encourage our players to play, to perform and be creative with their build-up play."

The Head Coach was keen to give credit to his two holding midfielders, Jonny Page and Ben Davis, who worked tirelessly throughout to sustain pressure on the Brighton goal.

"I thought Jonathon Page and Ben Davis were our unsung heroes. We will talk about the flair players and the goals they scored but I thought those two were excellent with their discipline.

"They broke up play and used it very calmly, as well as some fantastic off the ball awareness to go and win it back. They have been doing that sort of thing for the last two games so it bodes well going forward."

Davis was in a similar mind-set to his Head Coach as he stressed the difficulty of his side's fixtures coming up.

"It's good to get our first run going especially with back-to-back wins. The performance was excellent but we need to keep it up for the next few games because we have got a tough month coming up.

"I always felt that we would click into place. We just needed to get past the tough times at the start of the season and learn from it.

"We are going to be going in with loads of confidence, training has been good, so hopefully we can move that into Tottenham who will be the toughest test yet.

"I definitely worked hard and played well. The goalkeeper made a very good save to deny me, but it came at me quickly so I didn't have the time to adjust. It's important myself and my partner sit in. Fabio (Carvalho) and Sylvester (Jasper) love to attack, and although they get success they are prone to losing the ball. We need to have that insurance to mount fresh attacks."




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/26/u18-reaction
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:44:02 AM
 
FA eyes betting industry levy after collapse of Wembley sale

After Fulham owner Shahid Khan retracted his £600m offer to buy Wembley Stadium, FA Chief Executive Martin Glenn has revealed the FA could seek to implement a levy on betting operators.

Glenn had pushed for the sale of Wembley to increase the funding of grassroots football, however he failed to gain the backing of the FA Council and the potential takeover caused much discontent and division amongst English football, leading to Khan withdrawing his bid.

The FA Chief Executive has now revealed there's potential for a levy to be introduced on the gambling industry, in order to fund grassroots football. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Glenn said: "France has effectively a tax on gambling. We would call it a fair return on football gambling.

"All those betting companies use our intellectual property to have people lay bets, so why wouldn't a small percentage of that be put into the thing that made that possible in the first place?

"We, as football, could approach the government and say 'Have you thought about something like that?'

"It doesn't need to be a big lump sum. We've got £64m going into the Football Foundation between the three of us (FA, Premier League and government) – imagine if it was £80m or £100m. If we could get to that it would be brilliant."

In a statement to the media, Gillian Wilmot, Chair of the Senet Group, responded to the proposals: "Gambling companies already pay significantly above the market rate for the right to advertise alongside live sport.

"This is money which flows to broadcasters and ultimately benefits sport through the sale of broadcast rights. Instead of looking to further monetise gambling's relationship with live sport, the FA, clubs and broadcasters should be looking to work with the gambling industry to reduce the amount of gambling advertising around football. This is in the interests of protecting young people from any potential future harm."

In its conditions for the potential sale of Wembley, the government prohibited the national stadium from having an official betting partner. The FA hasn't had an official betting partner since it ended its partnership with Ladbrokes in 2017, citing a change of policy on gambling relationships as the reason.

The Remote Gambling Association also responded, echoing the sentiments of the Senet Group: "The British betting industry already pays for the use of football's intellectual property rights, not least through contractual arrangements with Football Data Co," RGA chief executive Clive Hawkswood told Press Association Sport.

"Alongside that, significant funds flow from the betting to the football industries through a range of commercial partnerships such as sponsorship, advertising and joint ventures.

"If the football authorities wish to use some of those funds to support grassroots football then that is an option they might consider, but there is no basis whatsoever for the introduction of a statutory betting levy to support what most people would consider to be an extremely wealthy sport."




https://www.sbcnews.co.uk/sportsbook/2018/10/26/fa-eyes-betting-industry-levy-after-collapse-of-wembley-sale/
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:48:18 AM
 
Premier League faces major rule change as football chiefs look to stop 'cheating'

The International FA Board plan big changes in their bid to combat time-wasting

Football's decision-makers are on the verge of declaring war on time-wasting 'cheats'.

A ban on substitutions in injury-time is one of the ideas being considered by the game's top brass.

The International FA Board will discuss the plans at their AGM in March, report The Times .

Their aim is to speed up the game and eradicate players and coaches running down the clock.

The recent Premier League match between Cardiff City and Burnley saw the ball in play for a total of 42 minutes, a record with the average time standing at 55 minutes.

Another idea thrown forward is for players to leave the pitch by walking to the closest touchline - and not back to their bench.

An IFAB source said: "We all want to crack down on major time-wasting and increase playing time but the fundamental question is how we do it."

Fans have been demanding change for some time with supporters fed up of games being slowed down in the closing stages.

Now, some solutions are being thrown forward to solve the issue.

"A rule to say there should be no substitutions during added on time is an interesting one," the source added.

"Referees add on 30 seconds for every one but in practice it can eat up a lot more time than that.

"There would, however, need to be trials to see if there are any unforeseen ramifications."

Last years the IFAB looked into whether time keeping should be taken away from referees.

But despite gaining a high level of support, the idea was disregarded and no experiment ever took place.




https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-rule-changes-revealed-13482417
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:49:26 AM
 
Jokanovic: Cairney return can spark Fulham revival

Ahead of AFC Bournemouth match, Fulham manager says absence of influential captain has hindered club's PL return

Slavisa Jokanovic is hopeful the imminent return of Tom Cairney will help improve Fulham's disappointing start to the Premier League season.

The club captain injured his ankle in the 4-2 victory over Burnley on 28 August and suffered a setback in his only comeback appearance, as a substitute during the 3-0 reverse against Everton in September.

He is, however, in the frame to feature against sixth-placed AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.

"Tom Cairney is a really important player for us," Jokanovic told the club's official website. "After nine-and-a-half weeks he started working with us [on Tuesday], although he had a few training sessions before the Everton game."

Without a win since that Matchweek 3 result against the Clarets, Jokanovic believes the end of an injury-plagued few weeks will help his side recover from a return to the top flight that has garnered five points from nine matches.

"There's no excuse or justification for the beginning of this season," said Jokanovic, whose side lie third from bottom in the table.

"But injuries haven't been our best partner in this period behind us."



https://www.premierleague.com/news/888179
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:54:11 AM
 
Shahid Khan issues update on Craven Cottage after Wembley deal falls through

The Fulham owner wrote in his pre-Bournemouth programme notes that he is still committed to re-devloping the Riverisde Stand

Shahid Khan has reaffirmed his commitment to Craven Cottage and redeveloping the Riverside Stand after his bid to buy Wembley Stadium fell-through.

The Fulham owner will be at Saturday's game with AFC Bournemouth before heading to Wembley on Sunday to watch his Jacksonville Jaguars NFL side in action against the Philadelphia Eagles in what will be the first time Mr Khan has been at the stadium since withdrawing his offer to buy it.

That bid raised a divide in the football community, with some believing the sale was a good thing as it would provide money for grassroots football, while others believed the stadium shouldn't be sold and should remain in the FA's hands.

It also raised questions about the future of Fulham and whether or not they would remain at the Cottage or be relocated to Wembley, with the club's former assistant director of football, Craig Kline, claiming in the past month that there were plans to relocate the club and sell Craven Cottage for housing, although last week he also claimed that there were plans for Fulham to groundshare with Chelsea at their proposed new ground.

However, ahead of Saturday's game, Mr Khan has taken the time reaffirm his commitment to the Cottage and the Riverside Stand to fans and has asked them to 'judge him by his actions, but until then to take his word."

In his pre-match programme notes, Mr Khan said: "It's a good reminder for me, and hopefully longtime Fulham supporters, that we should never take for granted the treasure we have here at Craven Cottage.

"It's why we will see through the renovation of the Riverside Stand, with work targeted to begin in May so this remarkable venue will continue to serve generations of Fulham supporters and football fans in general while also providing spectacular new amenities for the neighbourhood.

"We are currently speaking with potential partners who will bring the Riverside Stand to life, with plans calling for a café, leisure and exercise facilities, roof garden and other features based on the council's guidance that the new Riverside Stand must deliver amenities for residents and families on non-matchdays.

"Already we have been approached by celebrity chefs and Michelin-star restaurateurs to ensure such an experience, and we are close to appointing a contractor so that when it's time to commence work, we will be ready.

(https://i2-prod.football.london/incoming/article14457779.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/riverside-4.jpg)
An artist's impression of the Riverside Stand looking from the Johnny Haynes Stand

"I wanted to touch on this early in my notes to once again emphasise to the Fulham community that I am committed to the renovation of the Riverside Stand and therefore a future for Craven Cottage as our traditional, spiritual and hallowed home ground.

"While I've tried to make this point clear over the past several years, and just earlier this month reiterated it in a letter to FA Council members in my offer to purchase Wembley Stadium, misunderstandings or doubts will occasionally surface.

"You can judge me by my actions, but until then, I ask you to take my word."




https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/shahid-khan-issues-update-craven-15331413
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 05:56:28 AM
 
Aleksandar Mitrovic: Fulham's saviour in West London?

Fulham's attacking style of play is refreshing for a newly-promoted side. In a period where many promoted teams come up to the Premier League with a very conservative way of playing in order to survive, the Cottagers instead have chosen a bolder approach.

For neutral fans, this is an exciting time in the Premier League as alongside Fulham are Wolves who also deploy an attacking approach. However, it is Fulham who have had more goalscoring success so far. Under Jokanivić, Fulham have scored eleven goals in their first nine league games, the highest of the bottom nine sides, and it makes sense with players including Andre Schurrle, Ryan Sessegnon, Jean Seri and Aleksandar Mitrović. Jokanović is clearly playing to their strengths, and integral to their attack over the past two seasons has been Aleksandar Mitrović.

Having watched him score a 90th minute header against Arsenal to earn a draw from 3-0 down when playing for Anderlecht, he has always impressed me. Not only did the goal cement the comeback, but it was very well taken header as he ran across the box and expertly glanced the ball near post past Szczęsny. That season (2014-2015) was his last for Anderlecht FC, where he finished with 22 goals as the top scorer of the Pro League in Belgium.

It was therefore not surprising that in the following summer transfer window he made a move for a bigger league. Newcastle United who paid around £13 million for the Serb, though it is difficult to sum up his time as a Magpie because Newcastle were in a period of big spending (over £80million that summer), and therefore the team had a heightened pressure to perform. Newcastle were also relegated this season. They were relegated after scoring 44 goals, which placed them 13th in goals scored in the Premier League that year. Clearly, there were defensive issues at play here rather than attacking ones, which ultimately led to their demotion from the top-flight.

Even though Mitrović's debut season was with a relegated team, he scored nine in 22 appearances. The Serbian started 22 times, yet was also regularly used as an impact substitute, 12 times, which is more then he would've liked, but perhaps this was a punishment from Steve McClaren/Rafael Benitez as Mitrović picked up several cards and bans in his first season in the Premier League.

In defence of the managers, you do not need to look any further than Mitrović's Newcastle debut to see his aggressive attitude on the pitch. He was booked just 22 seconds into his substitute appearance after a lunging slide tackle that sent Matt Targett flying into the air as he tried to clear the ball. He draws his feisty playing style from his time growing up and playing in the Serbian leagues, which he utilises to his advantage over defenders. Regardless of his aggressiveness, he was lucky enough to gain his fair share of appearances in his debut season for Newcastle.

Unfortunately for Mitrović, Benitez seemed to lose faith in his Serbian international as Dwight Gayle and Ayoze Perez took the majority of EFL Championship appearances away from Mitrović. There was a lot of pressure on Newcastle returning to the Premier League immediately, and therefore no expense was spared. Having spent over £80 million the previous season, Benitez was granted permission to sign 11 players for £57 million. This included Dwight Gayle who ended up as the joint second top goal scorer in the Championship. Determined to solidify his place in the Newcastle squad, Mitrović stayed on Tyneside the following season, but after an unsuccessful return to the Premier League, he was loaned out to Fulham.

The turn of events that led to Mitrović joining Fulham is a story in itself after he was initially poised to join Bordeaux FC, and after those talks broke down he was going to return to his old club Anderlecht. Once more talks broke down and it looked like he was not going to get his desired loan move until, in truly modern fashion, a conversation took place with a fellow Serb over Snapchat. This fellow Serb was the manager of Fulham, Slaviša Jokanović. Incredibly this moment became what seems the turning point in Mitrović's career.

This loan move reignited Mitrović's top flight career and proved that if utilised correctly, he can be a leading number nine. He was particularly fortunate to be among a group of like-minded attacking individuals including Sessegnon, Cairney and Johansen all in midfield. Of course, he was also fortunate to have a Serbian manager. It took him until his fourth game to find his feet at Fulham, where he scored an easy tap-in thanks to a well improvised, outside of the boot, threaded a ball from Cyrus Christie from the right corner of the box. This was the start of an excellent run of form for both Fulham and Mitrović as he went on to score 11 more in 14 games in the league.

An upturn in form undoubtedly facilitated his time with the Serbian national side, as he scored a hat-trick against Bolivia in the final friendly before the World Cup. He then went on to score in the opening World Cup fixture against Switzerland and almost earned a penalty when, after pausing, referee Felix Brych decided to turn down the appeal.

Many Newcastle fans wanted Mitrović back after proving himself in the Championship with Fulham and the Serbian national side. His loan spell ended with 12 goals in 20 appearances after joining them in the January transfer window. Many thought this would prompt Newcastle to regain a much needed prolific striker, however, clearly, Mitrović was thinking otherwise. Shortly after his £22 million move to newly proved Fulham, he stated: "in England, this [at Fulham] is the first time that I really feel comfortable in the system and in the way we play".

Clearly aiming shots at Benitez's more conservative playing style, it will be interesting to see if Fulham survive this year. It is evident that Benitez utilised this style to avoid relegation and Fulham are completely contrasting in style, much to the appreciation of the neutral fan.

Yet, their attacking style comes at a price. Fast forward from Mitrović's impressive display with Anderlecht, scoring to complete the comeback against Arsenal to now playing for the Cottagers at home to Arsenal, it is a very different story. Many would have thought Fulham could put up a goalscoring fight against Arsenal who have generally struggled so far under newly appointed Unai Emery. However, it finished 5-1 to the Gunners, and although Fulham can score goals, they now have conceded 25 goals in nine games. They have conceded on average over 2.5 goals a game, which is appalling for any Premier League side, let alone a newly promoted one. On top of this, they are the only Premier League outfit who have not recorded a clean sheet yet.

Fulham finished the first half with promise as it ended 1-1. But the floodgates opened in the second, and Mitrović's only genuine chance came in the 73rd minute when Bernd Leno saved his header. These are not the games Mitrović can flourish in and mirrored his performances for Newcastle; nonetheless, Mitrović's first Premier League season with Fulham so far has been promising. He has scored five and assisted two in nine games. It took him until the 6th of February to record the same goal haul for Newcastle back in the 2015/2016 season.

It is a necessity for Fulham to pick up points in the upcoming games, starting with Bournemouth on Saturday, and no doubt Mitrović will have his part to play. For now, it is time for the Serbian to truly make his mark on the English top-flight, and his fellow Serb Jokanovic will be hoping, if not praying, that the result is Fulham's retaining their place in the Premier League.



https://90maat.com/2018/10/26/aleksandar-mitrovic-fulhams-saviour-in-west-london/
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 06:07:49 AM
 
Three Players to Watch: Matchday 10 vs. Bournemouth
How will a struggling Fulham fare against a surging Bournemouth

Somewhere along the line, Fulham will have to get through this adversity, figure out their best starting XI and system, and come up with a signature win this Premier League season. They had an opportunity when they bounced back to claim a draw against Watford. They almost had Tottenham on the ropes early this season, so it's not like the club haven't put any effort into this season. But it just seems like this past month has been a landmine full of errors and lack of confidence.

If Fulham are to get a win, it might as well happen at home in front of a raucous support that will have their backs the whole way through. In spite of calls for Slavisa Jokanovic to be fired by the mainstream media, owner Shahid Kahn posted on the club website to dispell any rumor left, right, and center. Vice versa, the sentiment from the supporters have been the same. As much as it would be a good idea to remove someone who has shown inept qualities in being able to make adjustments and to find the correct starting XI in an instant, we only need to look back to the years before Jokanovic to remind us why it is a bad idea to chuck and change managers for the sake of it.

Are we really sure Roger Schmidt or Leonardo Jardim would want to come to a club whose goal is simply to avoid relegation? Also, do you reeeeeeeeeally want Sam Allardyce to manage Fulham? As if Jean-Michael Seri hasn't been underachieving enough.

In the meantime, Bournemouth come to town and have performed brilliantly in these first nine games of the Premier League season. They currently sit sixth in the league, but their underlying numbers indicate that they shouldn't be too far off a Champions League place.

That's right, tiny little Bournemouth are a few underachieving performances from Tottenham and Arsenal regressing to the mean away from playing the best Europe has to offer in 2019/20!

So that's it then, Fulham are doomed in this occasion, right? Well not exactly. Every Premier League side is unbeatable and positivity has to be found from the data available. According to whoscored, Bournemouth are generally out-shot 12.0-12.7 in any given Premier League contest. Along with that, only Manchester City are worse in accruing successful tackles and only Chelsea are worse in generating interceptions. Now that might mean that Bournemouth are a high possession team just like all of the big six clubs in England, so their opportunities to make defensive actions happen are don't exist. But the Cherries' 49.6% time on the ball this season will tell you otherwise.

If anything, manager Eddie Howe has his side sitting deep in defense and hoping to capitalize on opposition mistakes and spring board their attack with killer passes. Add in a touch of strong shot selection and finishing and you could see why Bournemouth are pulling off what you would expect a well functioning Everton to do.

So in short, the opportunities will come Fulham, but they have to be smart with the ball at their feet. As has been the case since Tom Cairney's injury, all will depend on how the midfield will get set up and how they are able to springboard the attack. If that cannot take place, expect another defeat in the manner Kit Symons teams were too accustomed to. But until proven otherwise, Bournemouth are not a 100% guarantee of victory, so Fulham need to find their chance and take it.

On that note, are are the three players to watch that are coming from the south coast.

Callum Wilson
(https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13336231/Screen_Shot_2018_10_25_at_8.57.12_PM.png)

First up has been Bournemouth's star man all season with three goals and four assists into his account. It is really nice to see the 26-year old Wilson on full display because his injury record is one you don't wish on even your worst enemies. Now that he back in full force, he's been able to display his speed and a very underrated passing ability that hasn't come out at any time since his club entered into the Premier League. Now Wilson's 2.94 expected assists is far enough from his actual total that we expected regression to the mean to occur. But if anything else, it is a sign that Bournemouth's attacking players do a very good job at linking up play well with each other to set up shots most likely to go in for goals. Wilson's play will surely test a backline and goalkeeper that are already lacking in stability and confidence, so Fulham will have to be at their most sharp in limiting his influence in the game.

David Brooks
(https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Icq8ub9TgEJVQVvwtS__V6ZLr4E=/0x0:514x246/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:514x246):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13336235/Screen_Shot_2018_10_25_at_8.57.42_PM.png)

Next up is one of the hidden gems of the Championship last season that has now become the find of the Premier League. Only 21, David Brooks has made a name for himself in such a short period of time but has really come alive as a multidimensional wide forward who can join in on the press. Along with that, his two goals are already a sign for things to come for the Welsh International and only Wilson has a higher xGChain among Bournemouth players that have played over a quarter of the season. Other elements of his game can be enhanced in comparison to what he showed at Sheffield United last season, but once that comes alive, it will only be a matter of time before bigger named clubs come looking for him.

Steve Cook
(https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/67n_J-WCFj7_Uep4hU_ii6TYj9c=/0x0:514x246/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:514x246):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13336233/Screen_Shot_2018_10_25_at_8.55.32_PM.png)
All data from whoscored.com

Lastly, we take a look at one of the long-standing veterans on this Bournemouth side that have been through the trials and tribulations that this club has endured since being promoted to the top flight of English football. At 21, Steve Cook went out on loan to the Vitality Stadium from Brighton and Hove Albion and the rest has been history for him. Now at 27, the center back has garnered 266 appearances for the Cherries and his partnership with captain Simon Francis has been the bedrock for the club during their time together.

While Cook may not join in that much in the buildup play when Bournemouth have the ball, he has been solid in defense this season by leading all Cherries players with 14 interceptions and 35 aerial duels won. There will be no denying who will try to snuff Aleksander Mitrovic out of the game and I expect a good contest between the two stalwarts in that area of the pitch.



https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2018/10/26/18021716/three-players-to-watch-matchday-10-vs-bournemouth
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 06:10:14 AM
 
Bournemouth Hospitality Sold Out

All Matchday Hospitality packages for Fulham's match against AFC Bournemouth have now SOLD OUT.

(http://ffcw001.azureedge.net/-/media/hospitality/1819/seasons_wine_lounge/seasons_1.jpg?w=250&h=250)

Supporters who have missed out on this occasion can browse Matchday Hospitality packages available for future Premier League fixtures at Craven Cottage online today.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/26/bournemouth-hospitality-sold-out
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 06:12:51 AM
 
Transfer Battle: Aleksandar Mitrovic vs Callum Wilson

Fulham will be desperate to gain all three points from their next Premier League fixture versus Bournemouth at Craven Cottage on Saturday having dropped into the relegation zone after their 4-2 defeat to Cardiff City last weekend.

And one man manager Slavisa Jokanovic will be looking to is Aleksandar Mitrovic with the striker comfortably sitting near the top of the Premier League goal-scoring charts after registering fives goals in nine appearances so far this season.

Meanwhile, in the Bournemouth corner, Callum Wilson is just one attacking option Eddie Howe can turn to for goals when his side travel to west London.

So how do the two No.9s match up ahead of Saturday's clash?

Aleksandar Mitrovic
After making a bright start to the campaign, the goals have dried up for Mitrovic over Fulham's last couple of matches.

However, the 24-year-old still makes massive contributions to games with his ability to hold up the ball and bring other team-mates into play.

Mitrovic is great with his back towards goal, dangerous in the air and is an overall powerful striker who offers so much more than just numbers.

His presence up front is something both his former side Newcastle United and Fulham's west London rivals Chelsea could do with.

All in all, Fulham's decision to sign Mitrovic on a permanent deal is proving to be a great one and could be the difference between Premier League survival and relegation for the club.
TT Grade: B+

Callum Wilson

Wilson has not had the easiest of times with Bournemouth in the Premier League since the Cherries' promotion to English football's top flight back in 2015.

The 26-year-old has had some serious injuries in that time and has missed a lot of games, as a result.

However, when he has played, more often than not, Wilson has been able to make an impact.

The former Coventry City man, understandably, has not shown the same kind of goal-scoring proficiency as the likes of Joshua King and Jermain Defoe during his previous stints with Sunderland and Tottenham.

But he still remains a threat with his pace and ability to run in behind, giving Howe a dangerous weapon up front.
TT Grade: C+

TT Verdict:

With the ability he possesses, Wilson definitely could have offered Bournemouth so much more if it were not for injuries.

On his day, he is a very capable striker and a good finisher. Compared to Mitrovic, though, the Englishman's all-round game is not quite there.

Mitrovic is so much more effective at holding up the ball and is the better outlet for defence to attack transitions. Therefore, the Serbian centre-forward wins this battle.




https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/features/transfer-battles/transfer-battle-aleksandar-mitrovic-vs-callum-wilson/
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 06:14:40 AM
 
Weak defence and instability behind Fulham's autumn of discontent

With goals being conceded at an alarming rate and new signings struggling to integrate, Slavisa Jokanovic is under pressure

Autumn is not a great time to be a Premier League manager. As the leaves turn, so the optimism of summer begins to fade and chairmen of struggling clubs start getting twitchy. November is the most dangerous month of the season for sackings, and Slavisa Jokanovic heads into it facing two crucial games.

Fulham host Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, before travelling to Huddersfield on 5 November. Jokanovic, who did so well to get the club promoted last season, could do with his team having caught fire by Guy Fawkes night.
Fulham v Bournemouth: match preview
Read more

So far, Fulham's numbers make for troubling reading: 18th in the table with five points from nine games, they have won just once, against Burnley. In losing their last three matches, the Cottagers have given up 12 goals in the process. The total conceded to date is 25, the worst in the Premier League this season and the second-worst ever.

Jokanovic is not prone to getting emotional but with each passing match his expression has become more crestfallen as he repeats the message that his squad can work things out given time. "I'm happy with all the pressure," he insisted this week. "This is part of my job and what I need is to give some kind of freedom to my players to clear their minds and understand what we must do in the next game."

First item on the list is obvious: defend better. The numbers do not improve if you break them down: 22 goals conceded from inside their own box, 21 from open play; third in the league for shots conceded and 15th for tackles made; Fulham have been robbed of possession 106 times.

There are differing explanations as to why it is going wrong. The first is a lack of continuity. Jokanovic has yet to play the same defensive line-up twice, but those around the club argue it is not out of choice. Tim Ream, Joe Bryan, Alfie Mawson, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Calum Chambers have all been injured at various points while Denis Odoi has missed matches through suspension. The three Fulham defenders with Premier League experience, Chambers, Mawson and Fosu-Mensah, have played just 934 minutes so far. Contrast that with Bournemouth's centre-half pairing of Steve Cook and Nathan Aké, ever present with 1620 minutes between them.

A defence in flux has been undermined further by a number of individual errors. Both Chambers and Ream had a torrid time against Cardiff City last Saturday, with the latter's botched clearance leading to Cardiff's third goal, before he slipped on to his posterior in the build up to the fourth. Ream is Fulham's current player of the year and in recent weeks Jokanovic has turned to him, alongside last season's partner Odoi, to restore some stability. It has not worked. They are not alone. Ryan Sessegnon and Marcus Bettinelli have also struggled to translate their Championship form to the Premier League.

The manager's tactics have come under scrutiny too, with Jokanovic's commitment to possession football coming up against the higher technical demands of the top flight. Fulham have lost the ball too easily, too often this season, and when they do they are open. Again absences are cited in mitigation: club captain Tom Cairney, the team's passing fulcrum, has made only three starts so far.

Every team has injuries and Fulham spent £100m in the summer, a record for a promoted side, to cover themselves for such eventualities. Recruitment is led by the owner's son and sporting director Tony Khan, but several signings have yet to make an impact. The £30m defensive midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa has barely featured, amid concern he is struggling to adapt to the Premier League. Jean-Michaël Seri, who nearly joined Barcelona a year ago, was also signed to toughen up the midfield but while he has contributed assists to the team, defensively he has made only 17 tackles and nine interceptions (over half of both totals coming in his first match against Crystal Palace).

With five goals to his name, Aleksandar Mitrovic is the one signing to hit the ground running and, also, the only name Jokanovic himself pushed for. But the Serb will not get much sympathy if he fails to integrate the other parts of an expensively assembled squad.

Right now Fulham look uncertain, both during crucial moments in matches and in their identity as a team. The owner, Shahid Khan, released his programme notes early this weekend, declaring rumours Jokanovic was out if he failed to win these next two games as "sensational and fictional". But in giving a vote of confidence Khan appeared also to set a deadline for his coach that was only marginally longer.

"We have a head coach who understands and appreciates the honour of representing Fulham," Khan wrote. "In the past two seasons he has found the right formula with his personnel to hit our stride in time for the holidays and a strong run in the second half of the campaign."

As autumn moves towards winter, there are only 58 coaching days left till Christmas.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/oct/26/weak-defence-instability-fulham-autumn-discontent-slavisa-jokanovic
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 06:17:54 AM
 
Slavisa Jokanovic speaks out on Tim Ream's comments about his Fulham team mates' fight and grit

The 31-year-old seemed to question his team mates' fight, but his head coach has no problems with what his defender said

Slavisa Jokanovic has no problems with the comments Tim Ream made about Fulham during the week - believing they were intended as a positive message to his team.

After defeat to Cardiff City last Saturday, the Cottagers slumped to 18th in the Premier League, with the four goals they conceded in the 4-2 defeat meaning the 25 goals they let in puts them as the league's worst defence so far this season.

Ream played the entire game and struggled, like the rest of his team mates, to not make unforced errors, with Cardiff's fourth goal coming after the American slipped on halfway, allowing the home side to break and eventually put the ball into Marcus Bettinelli's net.

The 31-year-old was Fulham's Player of the Season last year and, when put in front of the press, is one of the most engaging and thoughtful players at the club, but he wasn't happy at how his answers were portrayed during a TV interview.

Ream seemed to question whether some of his team mates have the fight required to get themselves out of the situation they find themselves in at the moment, saying that 'not enough guys want it'.

During the interview, he said: "Amongst ourselves, and those on the outside, the question is, do we really have the fight? Do we have the grit? Do we have the determination?

"And at this moment in time, I would say, 'No.'

"There are not enough guys who want it. Who want to fight for each other, for themselves, for the club."

And while Ream is unhappy with the way his answers were delivered, Jokanovic has no concerns about them, saying that he made an 'honest analysis' about Fulham's situation and that he was trying to encourage his team mates to find an improvement.

Speaking ahead of the AFC Bournemouth game, Jokanovic said: "I'm not sure this is exactly what he wanted to say. I understand he wanted to push, encourage the team to push harder and look for more determination.

"I didn't interpret them as negative words; he wanted to say 'Lads, it's not enough, you must do more and be better'.

"Tim's really professional, and always positive, and tried to encourage the team, our club, our supporters, to trust in ourselves, be brave, and believe we can offer different afternoons in Craven Cottage.

"We're going to fight to offer something different, like what we offered last season many times – this is our target, and this is our desire, and we are working in this direction.

"I interpreted it, and understand, because I am talking with Tim Ream – he made some honest analysis about our situation, and he's a great example of a professional player.

"He's always professional, always working well, honest, and my interpretation is he's not happy with himself, and not happy with everything that's happening around him.

"The message he wanted to send was 'Come on, lads, we must do better, we must push harder, on the players' side, on the staff's side, for all the sides, for finding improvement'. I'm not interpreting his words as negative; I understand.

"I don't have any problem because, as I explained, I interpreted it and understood his words as a positive message.

"For another side, I don't know if he made an interview of only 10 seconds – there can be some words before and after these – because what I see is few words, and something that [jokes, smiles] is a great [journalists'] trick.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/slavisa-jokanovic-speaks-out-tim-15331201
Title: Re: Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...
Post by: WhiteJC on October 27, 2018, 06:23:56 AM

Fulham v AFC Bournemouth
SAT 27 Oct 2018   Premier League
Venue: Craven Cottage


(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/0B0F/production/_104013820_callumwilson.jpg)
Callum Wilson has impressed for Bournemouth this season with three goals and four assists

TEAM NEWS

Fulham captain Tom Cairney is in contention to return, having only played 26 minutes as a substitute since August because of an ankle injury.

Left-back Joe Bryan is definitely out with a hamstring injury, but fellow defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah is hoping to be fit after a shoulder problem.

Bournemouth full-back Charlie Daniels is nearing a return from a knee injury but will not be involved this weekend.

Forward Joshua King could make his 200th English league appearance.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Jonathan Pearce: Forwards can win a match with a moment of individual brilliance. Clean sheets only come through bonded mutual defensive reliance.

Slavisa Jokanovic unglued the bond that had tied his team together through the grinding promotion campaign in the first game of this season, fielding six new players against Palace.

Half of the promotion team had been discarded. Dressing room division! Twenty five goals conceded.

Bournemouth got it right. They stuck by their promoted team, strengthening gradually into a hardened unit capable of winning four of its last six games.

If Fulham don't defend soon with an 11-man bond, they'll go down.

VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT

Fulham head coach Slavisa Jokanovic: "We started more or less the same way last season and found a way to find confidence and start playing better football. We can't compare one season with another.

"Seasons are full of good and less good afternoons. We are still looking for a way to adapt ourselves. When we find a way our mood will be better."

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: "I have respect for Jokanovic, but not sympathy. I know he's an outstanding coach and you can see his work on the pitch with how his team plays.

"The style of play is one that draws a lot of praise, a lot of plaudits last year for the way they did it. They haven't changed and they haven't adapted that, they're trying to enhance that this season and I've got a lot of respect for that way of working."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

I know people are looking at Fulham and thinking they are in trouble but I am still confident they will get a positive result soon.

This will be an open game, because Bournemouth are an attacking team too, and I think that will suit Slavisa Jokanovic's side - I am expecting a little bit of a revival at Craven Cottage.

Prediction: 2-0

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

    This is the first top-flight meeting.
    Fulham have won just two of the last 16 encounters in all competitions, drawing five and losing nine.

Fulham

    Fulham have conceded a league-high 25 goals this season - the second highest tally at this stage of a Premier League season, after Southampton's 26 in 2012-13.
    The Premier League record after 10 matches is 28, set by Barnsley in 1997-98 and Saints in 2012-13.
    Fulham could equal their Premier League club record of 14 consecutive matches without a clean sheet on Saturday.
    They are one win shy of 300 in the top flight.
    Aleksandar Mitrovic is without a goal in three Premier League games, having scored five in his first six appearances in the division.

Bournemouth

    Bournemouth have taken 23 points from the last 33 available (W7, D2, L2).
    They have won four of their past six games in all competitions, drawing one and losing one.
    The Cherries have won three of their last five league away games, as many as in their previous 19 attempts.
    However, they have only won one of their eight Premier League away games against promoted opposition.
    With three goals and four assists, Callum Wilson has been directly involved in more Premier League goals this season than any other Englishman.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45924057