A closer look at Fulham ahead of Southampton's trip
Every game feels huge for Saints at the minute, but this one really is crucial.
Fulham are languishing at the foot of the table and with Mark Hughes' side being kept out of the relegation zone by goal difference, this match has plenty riding on it for both teams.
Saints' opposition parted company with manager Slavisa Jokanovic at the beginning of the international break and replaced him with Premier League title winner Claudio Ranieri.
The Italian has a tough task ahead of him if he is to sort out Fulham's leaky defence. The Cottagers have conceded 31 goals from their opening 12 games.
However, by making the managerial change, the hosts are now under more pressure to justify the sacking of Jokanovic.
This can be a positive for Hughes' team because people will be looking at Fulham and it gives Saints the chance to go under the radar.
But the St Mary's side will be fully aware that if they fail to win this one, it could spell serious trouble in the coming weeks due to the difficult fixtures coming their way.
Premier League record v Fulham:
P12 W3 D6 L3
Who has been the opposition's key player this season?
(https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/resources/images/9065829.jpg?type=article-full)
Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic
Aleksandar Mitrovic looks to be a different proposition in the Premier League with Fulham.
He struggled to score goals during his spell at Newcastle, but already has five to his name this season.
Mitrovic has more to his game than just scoring though. The 24-year-old is also a force in the air, which will mean Saints' defenders will have a constant aerial battle on their hands.
Fulham spent a whopping £27m on the striker and the burden is on him to score the goals they'll need to retain their Premier League status at the end of the season.
A closer look at the Fulham manager:
Ranieri is the man behind Leicester City's incredible Premier League title in 2016.
However, a few months later he found himself out of a job after being replaced by ex-Saints boss Claude Puel.
The Italian has been out of work since his sacking but couldn't resist the chance to take his 18th managerial job in football with Fulham.
He has been tasked with turning their fortunes around after they spent big in the summer in a bid to ensure they stay in the Premier League for longer than a season.
Ranieri's first spell in England came when Chelsea appointed him in 2000. He spent four-years with at Stamford Bridge before being ushered out to make way for Jose Mourinho.
Since then, he has taken charge of a plethora of teams including Juventus, Inter Milan, Monaco and Greece.
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/17235536.a-closer-look-at-fulham-ahead-of-southamptons-trip/?ref=rss
What happened to the 40 signings Fulham made during Slavisa Jokanovic's spell at the club
Fulham news includes a look at where all the players signed during Jokanovic's reign are now
Slavisa Jokanovic was sacked by Fulham last week and replaced with Claudio Ranieri, but upheaval at Craven Cottage isn't that unfamiliar.
The club employ a recruitment team to deal with transfers, overseen by Tony Khan, who took overall control of transfers in the summer of 2016 implementing a data and scouting 'two boxes ticked method'.
It led to disagreements with former boss Jokanovic, who was unhappy that his lists were ignored and that players were sold without his consent, with the Serbian often slamming the policy in press conferences.
Ranieri, however, has shown a willingness to work within that model after his appointment last week.
With it still be the international break, we thought now would be a good time to look back at the 40 players that were signed during Jokanovic's two years and 11 months at Craven Cottage and look at where they are now.
Michael Madl
Originally arrived on loan in January 2016 from Sturm Graz before his deal was made permanent the following summer.
He started off well for the side but eventually stopped being selected in squads by Jokanovic, with Madl eventually being sold to his boyhood club Austria Wien, where he remains today.
Rohan Ince
Signed on loan from Brighton but only made a handful of appearances in a forgetful loan spell.
Now 26-years-old, Ince was on trial with Charlton Athletic in the summer after being released by Brighton but is currently without a club.
Zakaria Labyad
Another Fulham signed on loan during their transfer embargo, Labyad barely played for Jokanovic's side and on his return to Sporting, he was released.
He now plays for Ajax having signed a four year deal in Holland in the summer.
Chris Baird
Baird returned to Fulham on a loan spell in winter of 2016 but suffered an injury that saw game time limited.
He had hoped he would remain at the club but was recalled by Derby County, where he was released in the 2017/18 season.
He's now without a club.
Floyd Ayite
Ayite joined in the summer of 2016 from French side Bastia and played an important part in Fulham's charge to the play-offs.
He found game time more limited in the following season and has barely seen action in the Premier League after an injury at the start of the season.
Sone Aluko
This could well be the deal of the century - Aluko joined from Hull City on a free transfer and was sold just a season later for £7million to Reading.
He was important to Jokanovic and his departure caused further friction between the head coach and the recruitment team, but Aluko has struggled since his move to the Madejski Stadium.
Denis Odoi
Odoi joined from Belgian side Lokeren and has played virtually everywhere at the back for Fulham.
He became a favourite of Jokanovic's at centre back, with the former head coach continuing to play him there even in the Premier League.
At the moment, he's still a regular fixture in the Fulham sid.
Scott Malone
Malone joined from Cardiff City in a swap deal for Jazz Richards, with Fulham getting the better end of that particular deal.
He was a big part in their play-off season, with his performances doing enough to earn him a move to newly-promoted side Huddersfield Town.
Malone played one season for the club in the top tier before being signed by Derby on a three-year deal in the summer.
Kevin McDonald
Fulham got the services of McDonald from Wolves, with the Scot going on to be a massive part of the promotion winning side of 2018/19.
He was named as the club's vice captain last season and was key to Jokanovic's 4-3-3 formation that did so well in the Championship.
He's struggled somewhat making the step up to the top flight but is still a big part of the Fulham team.
Jozabed
Spanish midfielder Jozabed moved abroad for the first time in his career when he left Rayo Vallecano for London, but he struggled to adapt to life in England.
He made only a handful of appearances before he was loaned back to Spain, joining Celta Vigo in January 2017.
Jozabed joined them permanently that summer and still plays for the club.
Ragnar Sigurdsson
Sigurdsson was signed off the back of his impressive Euro 2016 campaign for Iceland, but he never made the grade at Fulham.
He eventually stopped featuring in Jokanovic's squads and was sent out to Russian side Rubin Kazan in August 2017 for the season.
He left Fulham for FC Rostov - he still holds down a regular spot in the Iceland team.
Neeskens Kebano
The former PSG man was signed by Fulham from Genk in 2016 and he's played a part in both Championship campaigns.
However, he's fallen out of favour at the club this season and has only played 60 odd minutes in the Carabao Cup.
Stefan Johansen
Fulham signed Johansen from Celtic and he became a massive part of their promotion winning side.
His partnerships with McDonald and Tom Cairney in midfield built the basis for what the side accomplished, but he has struggled to make the step up to the Premier League and found game time limited.
Tomas Kalas
Kalas spent two seasons on loan at Fulham from Chelsea, helping them to the play offs in the first year before losing his place in the second season after injury.
He wanted to join the club permanently in the summer but a move never materialised, and he instead opted to join Bristol City on loan for the current season.
Lucas Piazon
Piazon also spent two loan spells at Craven Cottage and helped get the side promoted from the Championship.
However, he signed a new three year deal at Stamford Bridge at the start of the 2017/18 season and he remains at the club and hasn't played a competitive game all season.
Chris Martin
Martin signed on loan and wanted to head back to Derby in January, leading to Jokanovic's infamous 'Fulham isn't a train station line'.
He returned to Derby at the end of the season before joining Reading on loan in January 2018.
Martin's time there didn't go to plan and he was loaned out to Hull City on Deadline Day of the summer window of 2018.
Thanos Petsos
Petsos hardly played under Jokanovic despite his loan signing from Werder Bremen in January of 2017.
He returned having barely made a mark on Craven Cottage and most recently spent time on loan at Rapid Wien.
Cyriac
Cyriac was brought in to solve the club's striker problems, but it was another player that Jokanovic never warmed up to.
He was signed from Oostende but was returned at the end of his loan deal.
He now plays for Turkish side Sivasspor.
Marcelo Djalo
Djalo was signed from Spanish side Lugo in the summer of 2017 but he failed to hold down any sort of spot in the first team for Fulham.
He barely played all season long and was loaned out to Extremadura for the 2018/19 season.
Ibrahima Cisse
He was signed from Standard Liege as competition for the holding midfield role but Jokanovic was less than impressed with him.
Cisse remains at the club but has barely featured for the first team.
Aboubakar Kamara
It took Kamara a while to get up to standard after signing from Amiens but he played more regularly than some thought in the promotion winning season.
However, the jump up to the Premier League has been massive and the Frenchman has really struggled.
Rui Fonte
Fonte was Fulham's marquee signing of the summer of 2017 from Braga, but he struggled during his time at the club.
He scored only a handful of times and was loaned out to Lille for the 2018/19 season.
Yohan Mollo
Mollo was signed on a free transfer after he was released from Zenit St Petersburg but it was another of the signings of 2017 that failed to impress.
He never once completed a full 90 minutes and was eventually released after just five months.
Mollo signed for Al-Rayyan for a spell before returning to Russia to play for Krylia Sovetov Samara on a one-year deal.
Oliver Norwood
Signed on loan from Brighton, Norwood enjoyed a good spell at Craven Cottage and was important in getting Fulham to the Premier League.
Despite wanting to rejoin the club in the summer, a deal was never done and he joined Sheffield United in a loan deal that will be made permanent in January.
Sheyi Ojo
Another of Fulham's loan army from the 2017/18 season, Ojo was signed from Liverpool for the season and had a hot and cold time at the club.
He didn't feature much towards the end of the season and after heading back to Merseyside, he signed a new deal and joined French side Stade de Reims on another season long loan.
Rafa Soares
Soares was signed on loan from Porto and he came to Fulham with a big reputation.
However, after recovering from an ankle injury that he signed with, he never made the grade in Jokanovic's team and was sent back to Porto in January 2018.
He then signed for Portimonense in Portugal and now plays for Vitoria Guimaraes.
Jordan Graham
Signed from Wolves on a loan deal, he made just three appearances in the league for Fulham and was sent back to Molineux in January.
He's now on loan at Championship side Ipswich Town.
Matt Targett
One of Fulham's more successful transfers, Targett was signed on loan in January and lost only twice during his time at the club as he helped them to promotion.
The club tried to make his signing permanent in the summer but Southampton's £20million asking price was too high.
He remains at the south coast club but has rarely featured this season.
Other signings who remain at Fulham
Aleksandar Mitrovic
Cyrus Christie
Maxime Le Marchand
Jean-Michael Seri
Fabri
Alfie Mawson
Joe Bryan
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa
Andre Schurrle (loan)
Calum Chambers (loan)
Luciano Vietto (loan)
Sergio Rico (loan)
Timothy Fosu-Mensah (loan)
https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/what-happened-40-signings-fulham-15440517
Fulham's defensive options may not be ideal for Claudio Ranieri
The new boss will have to use a different strategy to the one he used with Leicester City.
Claudio Ranieri knows better than most how effective a strong, reliable defence can be in football - his title-winning Leicester City side was built on one, after all.
Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Simpson, Wes Morgan, Robert Huth, and Christian Fuchs made up a back five that conceded the second-least goals in the Premier League that season.
One immediately notable attribute of those players is their ages; at 28 years old, Simpson was the youngest member of a defence that played virtually every game.
On top of that, Huth, Fuchs, and Simpson had played consistent top-level football for roughly a decade each, bringing an experience and reliability that Ranieri could rely on.
He will not have that luxury in West London, however.
Fulham's defence has been the worst in the league this season and if Ranieri is going to rebuild it into something passable, he will have to rely on something more than experience.
Maxime Le Marchand is perhaps the most experienced defender at 29 years old and with two full seasons in Ligue 1 under his belt. Other similar aged players, such as Denis Odoi and Tim Ream, may have the years but haven't spent them in top-level leagues.
Instead, Ranieri will have players like Calum Chambers, Alfie Mawson, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, and Ryan Sessegnon at his disposal - the oldest of which is Mawson at 24.
This could well prove to be Ranieri's biggest test while also providing him with an obvious area to target for the January window.
If he can get this defence sorted without being able to rely on his tried-and-tested formula, he'll have done a very good job indeed.
https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/11/21/fulhams-defensive-options-may-not-be-ideal-for-claudio-ranieri/
Get Alexandar Mitrovic scoring again and other ways Claudio Ranieri can save Fulham from Premier League relegation
London club should also benefit from newly-installed manager pushing Ryan Sessegnon forward and integrating signings
Having taken Leicester City to the top of the Premier League, Claudio Ranieri has inherited a Fulham side at its foot.
The manager who orchestrated the most improbable title of all is now charged with avoiding the most expensive relegation ever. But, as his reign begins in earnest against Southampton on Saturday, there is plenty on his to-do list.
Find a settled side
Ranieri dubbed himself "the Tinkerman" in his Chelsea days.
His predecessor Slavisa Jokanovic was more deserving of that nickname this season. The dismissed Serb never even named the same defence, let alone an unchanged team.
Indeed, Fulham have seemed in an unofficial competition with themselves to see if they can concede more goals than they have made changes to the starting 11. In contrast, Ranieri once named the same side for eight consecutive games at Leicester.
Stability is required now.
Keep clean sheets
"I'm an Italian manager," Ranieri said at his unveiling. "For us Italians, it's important to keep clean sheets."
Fulham have none in the league this season. Indeed, in all bar two games, they have conceded at least twice.
Jokanovic used three goalkeepers and a priority must be to stick with one. Jokanovic tried three- and four-man defences.
Ranieri's history suggests he will probably prefer a back four. Fulham signed five defenders in the summer, which is one reason why there has been so little understanding among strangers.
If Alfie Mawson is the best of an undistinguished bunch, Ranieri, who joked about rewarding his side for clean sheets with fast food from McDonald's, should build around him.
Shift Sessegnon forward
Ryan Sessegnon was named the best player in the Championship last season after scoring 16 goals. Nearly all came from the left wing, but the 18 year old has spent much of this season at left-back.
It is a consequence in part of Fulham's failure to buy Matt Targett, who excelled on loan at last season, though Joe Bryan and Maxime le Marchand have come in, but it has taken away from Sessegnon's strengths.
If one issue for Fulham is that they are weaker in both full-back positions than last season – the right-back Ryan Fredericks left for West Ham United – Ranieri should revisit his Leicester days again. Then he transformed their goals-against record by dropping Ritchie de Laet and Jeff Schlupp for more defensively solid full-backs, in Danny Simpson and Christian Fuchs.
The place for Sessegnon is further forward.
Integrate signings
Fulham made 12 signings in the summer which, even if some were necessitated by losing Fredericks and Targett, is too many.
It is understandable there has been a lack of cohesion and chemistry as well as a seeming disconnect between new and old, yet Fulham need more to show for their £100 million (Dh469.5m) spending spree.
Jean Michael Seri began well but has only started one of the last three players; a passer of his class should be crucial. The £30m Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has been a major disappointment, to the extent that Jokanovic put defender Calum Chambers alongside him in the midfield at Anfield.
If Anguissa can make the defensive contribution he did for Marseille, he could anchor a trio with Seri and captain Tom Cairney.
Get Mitrovic scoring again
Ranieri was quick to identify Aleksandar Mitrovic as a key man. "A fantastic player," the Italian said.
But Mitrovic has had a season of two halves: five goals in his first six games, none in the last six. Fulham have now gone 416 minutes without a goal in all competitions.
Bench the disappointing Luciano Vietto, though, and a potential front three of Sessegnon, Mitrovic and Andre Schurrle could offer plenty of menace.
https://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/get-alexandar-mitrovic-scoring-again-and-other-ways-claudio-ranieri-can-save-fulham-from-premier-league-relegation-1.794224
Are Mark Hughes Days Numbered
The media are full of reports that if Saints lose to Fulham then Mark Hughes will be sacked, perhaps they are just speculating but the reality is that win lose or draw on Saturday Hughes is walking a fine line.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look at the results of Southampton Football Club and work out that Mark Hughes is a man under pressure, defeat at Craven Cottage on Saturday could plunge Saints into the bottom three and the alarm bells will start to ring louder than ever in the Saints boardroom..
Although results have picked up in the last four Premier League games in terms of there being only one defeat and that being at Manchester City was almost expected, but there is far more evidence against Hughes than for him.
Unlike say Mauricio Pellegrino who came in at the start of a season Hughes has now been in charge for 20 League games over half a season and he has a grand total of only 3 wins and 16 points, a ratio of only 0.80 points per game overall.
This season it is even worse and he has accrued only 0.66 points per game and somewhere along the line this has to change even under Hughes or without him.
Put it another way he has now had over a half a season in charge and even if he improves to his overall ratio that is still only 30 points over a season.
In comparison in his 30 games in charge Pellegrino managed to accrue 28 points, a ratio of .93 a game, again rocket scientist's are not needed to work out that if Pellegrino was not up to standard at that ratio, then why should Hughes be.
Certainly the whisper in the press is that the Fulham game is do or die for him, that the Saints board are well aware that they left it too long in firing Pellegrino and that almost cost them dearly, the Mail claims
"There is acknowledgement behind-the-scenes at Southampton that waiting so long to make a material change was a mistake, even though Hughes eventually kept them up."
"And there is a feeling at St Mary's that they cannot afford Hughes a similar amount of time and are likely to take decisive action significantly sooner if he can not halt their alarming slide down the table."
"Furthermore, Southampton's top-brass believe their squad is far better than their current 17th place position and are therefore concerned Hughes is currently underachieving. "
But the fact that the board are even thinking like this, if indeed they are is perhaps suggesting that whatever happens Hughes days are numbered, after all this is no blip, it runs across two seasons and not a lot has changed.
The Mail also suggests that the firing of Les Reed might have bought Hughes time, I don't quite agree with this in that Reed has paid the price for sticking with Pellegrino for too long,if he had stayed he would have had to back Hughes as sacking him would be damning on Reed's own judgement.
The fact that Reed has gone means that the board can point the finger at Reed and the fact that he has gone and do not have to keep Hughes to try and protect themselves.
The only thing that is perhaps keeping him in the job is that Reed's departure has left a hole in the committee that would appoint a new manager and Krueger would rather have Reed's successor in place to get in the man that he wants.
Saints have given Hughes all the time and resources that he needs and although it cannot be denied that the last transfer window was not great ( I discount last January, we had to make a panic buy and do something, we stayed up to that justifies the expense) but the squad should still have been doing better than it is.
It is still short in key areas notably in the central defensive positions and again Reed failed to deal with that, but there is a spark missing that is present in teams like Bournemouth and Watford and wins them games that we would draw, we are no worse than them, but we don't have that motivation and that has to be down to Hughes.
Reed went safe in appointing Hughes, there was a euphoria in staying up and it was only after that died down that we realised that Hughes didn't as much keep us up as Swansea dropped like a stone.
If Saints draw at Fulham it may buy Hughes a little time, but I feel only enough to allow the board to source his successor, even a win might not be good enough for more than a few weeks grace.
But defeat would surely mean the board would have to act quickly and decisively to change things, at the moment it could be claimed that because the team lacks so much spark, direction & leadership that anyone could pick it and the truth is that if we have to sack Hughes without his successor lined up then it would be down to goalkeeping coach Dave Watson and Kelvin Davis to pick the team unless we go to the academy and bring in Radhi Jaidi, none of these three have any real experience and that is a dilemma for Saints.
By 5pm on Saturday we will either have a little bit of time bought for both Hughes and the board or we will be in crisis.
However better to have that crisis now when there is more than enough time and games to turn things around and get out of it than do as we did last season and leave it to the last 8 games.
https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/49015/
Saints set to make decision on Mark Hughes' future after Fulham game
Southampton are set to make a decision on the future of manager Mark Hughes after their clash against Fulham this weekend, the Daily Mail reports.
Mark Hughes is under increasing pressure at Southampton and the club's chiefs are ready to give Hughes the sack should they lose to Fulham.
With the Saints sitting near the foot of the Premier League table, the club's chiefs are weary of making a managerial change late on in the season as they did with Mauricio Pellegrino last term.
The club believe they should have opted to fire Pellegrino sooner than they did last campaign after leaving him in charge until March when the club were just one point away from the drop zone,
The Southampton hierarchy are keen to see a quick turn around in results, with club chiefs believing that the squad is far better than the 17th place that they currently occupy in the league.
The Saints have games again Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur coming up after the Fulham clash and so will be desperate to take some points away from the London club this weekend.
https://readsouthampton.com/2018/11/21/saints-set-to-make-decision-on-mark-hughes-future-after-fulham-game/
Claudio's firsts: Ranieri's significant managerial debuts
Claudio Ranieri begins his 18th managerial appointment when Fulham host Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.
Here, Press Association Sport looks at significant first games for the charismatic Italian, whose next Fulham games are against former clubs Chelsea (December 2) and Leicester (December 5).
Tinkerman arrives
Manchester United 3 Chelsea 3, September 23, 2000, Old Trafford
Carlo Cudicini; Christian Panucci, Marcel Desailly, Frank Leboef, Graeme Le Saux; Jody Morris, Roberto Di Matteo, Gianfranco Zola, Jon Harley; Tore Andre Flo, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
The Blues had won only their first of their opening six games, with Ranieri replacing compatriot Gianluca Vialli as boss. Ranieri, who spoke broken English, swiftly earned the moniker 'Tinkerman' for rotating his players, while he knew his future was bleak when Roman Abramovich took over as owner in June 2003. The Italian lasted one more season before Jose Mourinho was appointed.
First three games: Manchester United (A) D 3-3, St Gallen (A) L 2-0, Liverpool (H) W 3-0.
Greek tragedy
Greece 0 Romania 1, September 7, 2014, Piraeus
Orestis Karnezis (Udinese); Vasilis Torosidis (Roma), Kostas Manolas (Roma), Sokartis Papastathopoulos (Borussia Dortmund), Jose Holebas (Roma); Panagiotis Tachtsidis (Genoa), Andreas Samaris (Benfica), Dimitris Salpingidis (PAOK), Petros Mantalos (AEK Athens); Georgios Samaras (West Brom), Kostas Mitroglou (Fulham).
Former Valencia, Juventus and Monaco boss Ranieri was in charge of Greece for four games. In his only national team appointment, he was tasked with guiding the Euro 2004 winners to the 2016 European Championships, but failed spectacularly. The home loss to Romania was followed by the only goal and point in a draw in Finland. Further home defeats to Northern Ireland and Faroe Islands were the final straw.
First three games: Romania (H) L 1-0, Finland (A) D 1-1, Northern Ireland (H) L 2-0.
Flourishing Foxes
Leicester 4 Sunderland 2, August 8, 2015, Leicester
Kasper Schmeichel; Ritchie De Laet, Wes Morgan, Robert Huth, Jeffrey Schlupp; Marc Albrighton, Andy King, Danny Drinkwater, Riyad Mahrez; Shinji Okazaki, Jamie Vardy.
Leicester won four and drew four of their opening nine games, but Ranieri was keen for a clean sheet and rewarded the players for a 1-0 home win over Crystal Palace with pizza. The Foxes continued on an upward trajectory thereafter and, with the established top order struggling for consistency, it was the 5,000-1 outsiders who won the Premier League title. He was sacked nine months later.
First three games: Sunderland (H) W 4-2, West Ham (A) W 2-1, Tottenham (H) D 1-1.
https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/chelsea/news/claudios-firsts-ranieris-significant-managerial-debuts_342054.html
International Young WhitesSteven Sessegnon enjoyed a productive spell as he scored in two out of England Under-19s' three fixtures. The first strike came as he rounded off the scoring in their 4-0 win over Moldova in the Euro Under-19s Qualifiers. Connor Gallagher, Dan Loader and Bukayo Saka completed the goal scorers.
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The full back then opened the scoring against Iceland in a 3-1 win, Dan Walker this time netting a brace to send the Young Lions to the top of Group E. However, a 1-0 defeat to Turkey knocks them off top spot in the standings.
Luca Ashby-Hammond enjoyed a mixed International break, but a successful one nonetheless. He was sent off after six minutes against Holland for handling the ball outside the box. This didn't stop England Under-18s scoring twice through Tyreece John-Jules and Dan Adshead to secure a draw.
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He did return to the starting line-up for the two 3-1 wins over Ireland and Belgium to secure another piece of silverware in Murcia. John-Jules was at it again to hit a brace and Florian Balogun completed the scoring as the Young Lions secured a comfortable win over Ireland. The same score line was met against Belgium as John-Jules, Arvin Appiah and Tino Anjorin put the 18s 3-0 up.
Cody Drameh was on standby for the Under-18s squad in what has been a fantastic period for the young right back.
Elsewhere, Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho were at the heart of England Under-17s' success. Carvalho captained the side in their games against Ireland and Czech Republic.
The Young Lions ran out 3-1 winners against Ireland as Harvey Elliott opened the scoring, this was followed by an Alex Mighten strike and capped off by a Sam Greenwood effort. The game against Czech Republic ended in a stalemate.
Connor McAvoy enjoyed an unbeaten run in Scotland Under-17s' Euro Qualifiers. A 2-1 win over Kosovo was followed by two 1-1 draws with Switzerland and Cyprus. The results put Scotland through in second place in their group.
http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/21/international-young-whites
Fulham defender Joe Bryan close to return in boost for new manager Claudio Ranieri
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Injured: Joe Bryan has been sidelined since September ( Getty Images )
New Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri has been handed a boost with left-back Joe Bryan closing in on a return to action after seven weeks out with a hamstring injury.
Bryan, who has made just four Premier League starts since his move from Bristol City, is back in training and played 45 minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly last week.
Saturday's crunch home game against Southampton might come too soon for the £6million summer signing but his return to fitness is a lift for Ranieri as he looks to tighten up Fulham's defence and turn things around at Craven Cottage.
The left-back position was a problem for Slavisa Jokanovic, who was forced to play either Maxime Le Marchand and Ryan Sessegnon there before he was sacked last week after six straight defeats.
One of the main priorities for Ranieri will be to find a settled back four and having Bryan fit could help some of their defensive problems.
Jokanovic named 12 different backlines in 12 matches and Fulham conceded 31 goals in slumping to the foot of the Premier League with just five points on the board.
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham/fulham-defender-joe-bryan-close-to-return-in-boost-for-claudio-ranieri-a3996051.html
The Tony Gale ColumnThere's plenty to get through in this column, but I want to start by thanking Slaviša Jokanović for what he did for our football club. What he achieved at Fulham deserves a lot of credit. The way we earned promotion and the friends we won on the way, playing the type of football that we did, it was a joy to behold. Let's give Slav the credit he deserves because he got us out of the Championship, which is no mean feat.
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The 2017/18 team, in terms of the quality football they played, ranks right up there I think in terms of the attacking sides in our history. You'd have to look at maybe the team I played in where we narrowly missed out on promotion to the old First Division with the likes of Ray Houghton, Paul Parker, Kevin Lock, Ray Lewington, Rob Wilson – a really good footballing side. That team deserved to play in the top flight, and it's one of my regrets that I didn't manage that with Fulham. One team that didn't miss out was Jean Tigana's. There was some great football played in that year, so those footballing teams, and Slav's footballing team, have to be put together in the same bracket, I feel. Those three teams, as footballing sides, played with real style.
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The 23 game unbeaten run, which is comfortably a club record, and that day out at Wembley mean that last season is going to go down in Fulham folklore. People will look at that and put it right up there in the same category as what Roy Hodgson achieved here. Okay, getting to the Europa League Final is a bigger feat, but certainly as days out go, there's nothing better than winning the Play-Offs at Wembley to secure promotion to the Premier League.
Now we welcome Claudio Ranieri to Fulham. I think it's a good appointment for us as he'll lift the Club. The Chairman would have looked at the fact that he's got a lot of experience. He's got a happy demeanour, something that could be useful if there are any slumped shoulders around the training ground after recent results. As soon as he's settled on what's his best team, he'll stick with it, and that's something we need right now. I also think we'll win a lot of friends in the press because you won't find a more media friendly manager than Claudio.
The first thing Claudio needs to address is solidifying things at the back, and that will mean the style may have to suffer a little bit. It's going to be interesting how he goes about things because we do need to tighten up. We've been too open, too easy to play against, and too easy to beat. First and foremost we've got to make ourselves harder to beat. Get that right, and then we've got the players who can open up defences. Nobody denies that we're a decent team going forward, but we have to learn to defend as a team. That's what he'll have to get first, get that mentality that a team will only score against us over our dead bodies.
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Southampton at the Cottage is first up for the new regime, and not only is it a hugely important fixture for us, it's a big one for them as well because they're not in the best of form. It's a big game for both, and hopefully we get the run of the ball and then can get the result. I don't think Southampton are as bad as their results have suggested. I've commentated on their matches twice this season, and they've been very unfortunate. They play some good football, most people know how Mark Hughes plays, he doesn't put shackles on his sides. I think it's going to be a really close, tight game, and hopefully we can nick it.
I found out recently that I'm going to be presented with the Forever Fulham award at the Leicester game, which is a nice honour. It was lovely to hear from our Club Director Dave Daly that he'd like me to receive it in recognition of what I achieved with the Club, and it will be an honour to receive. I understand there's been a few of the boys who have got the award, it's for players who played a significant number games for the Club. I played more than 300 times for Fulham, and it was an honour to do so.
http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/21/the-tony-gale-column
PL questions: Will Claudio Ranieri make a winning start? Will Jurgen Klopp rotate?
Bournemouth vs Arsenal, Wolves vs Huddersfield and Burnley vs Newcastle live on Sky Sports
Claudio Ranieri takes charge of Fulham for the first time. Will he get off to a flyer against Southampton? We look at some of the questions in the Premier League this weekend.
The Premier League is back after the international break, and there are six games at 3pm with Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool all in action.
There are also three games live on Sky Sports, with a Renault Super Sunday double header of Bournemouth vs Arsenal and Wolves vs Huddersfield, before Burnley host Newcastle on Monday Night Football.
Will Claudio Ranieri be buying burgers on his Fulham bow? (Fulham vs Southampton, Saturday, 3pm)
Claudio Ranieri endeared himself to the media early on during his Leicester City tenure when he said he would buy pizza for his players each time they kept a clean sheet.
It proved the perfect incentive at the start of the club's memorable title-winning season in 2015/16, and Ranieri was busy making promises at his first press conference as Fulham manager last week.
"Pizza is not enough now," Ranieri said. "I have to promise something more. It's better for everybody to go to McDonald's. Now I have to choose players who show me fighting spirit."
Ranieri is aware of the task he faces in shoring up a Fulham defence that conceded 31 times in 12 league games under Slavisa Jokanovic and is the only side not to keep a clean sheet this season.
Hosting Southampton, however, could just be the perfect opposition for Fulham to make a fast start under the Italian. No side has failed to score in more Premier League games than the struggling Saints this season (6), while Mark Hughes' side have scored with just eight of their 173 shots, giving them the lowest conversion rate in the division (4.6 per cent).
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/11559184/pl-questions-will-claudio-ranieri-make-a-winning-start-will-jurgen-klopp-rotate
Ranieri should rely on promotion-winning players to create more harmony at Fulham(https://tbrfootball.com/static/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-1062361798.jpg)
(BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)
Many of the problems Fulham have encountered this season and led to the sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic have been down to a lack of harmony.
An influx of expensively assembled players was an understandable decision. Fulham needed a host of defensive reinforcements and it was tempting to conclude that their midfield and attack was in need of an upgrade if they were to persist with the stylish approach that earned them promotion from the Championship in the Premier League.
But that glut of new players has created more problems than it has solved. When the defence has leaked goals, Jokanovic had too many expensive options knocking on his door to resist the temptation to tinker; which in turn led to a lack of defensive cohesion and the problem was exacerbated.
Fulham's forward play was given a boost of physicality, speed and quality but suffered as the new arrivals were not as in tune with the intricacies of their attacking play as the players who had pulled them into the decision.
Now Claudio Ranieri has been brought in and the key for any manager appointed mid-season is to create harmony quickly and settle on a winning formula.
The quickest way to do that is to go back to what was so successful in the Championship last season, and drip feed the new arrivals into that as and when.
https://tbrfootball.com/ranieri-should-rely-on-promotion-winning-players-to-create-more-harmony-at-fulham/
Championship sides in race to sign Fulham player as January approaches
A host of Championship sides are keen on bringing in talented Fulham midfielder Luca de la Torre when the January transfer window opens.
The 20-year-old has failed to establish a place for himself in the Cottagers squad, which is understandable given his age, although he will hope that can change under new boss Claudio Ranieri.
However, realistically, a loan move seems likely in the New Year and HITC are reporting that there is a lot of interest in the technical player.
They state that clubs at the top of the Championship, along with teams in France, Holland, Germany, Portugal and Belgium have expressed an interest.
Despite his lack of appearances for his club, de la Torre has already been called up for America and he won his first cap for his country in June against Ireland.
Prior to that, he has won many cups for the US at various different youth groups.
The youngster also impressed earlier this season in the League Cup, where he scored one and made two in a 3-1 win for the West London side over Millwall.
The Verdict
There's no denying that de la Torre is a real talent and he is someone that Fulham have high hopes for, even if he will have to be patient for his chance at Craven Cottage.
Given that, a loan move seems inevitable and it will help his career development which is vital at his age.
But, it's clear that any Championship side wanting to bring the player in will face fierce competition going from the reported interest.
https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/championship-sides-in-race-to-sign-fulham-player-as-january-approaches/
Team against Southampton 24/11Over on the forum we've been discussing the team against Southampton...whitejc(http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2411-whitejc.jpg)
Subs: Betts, Ream, MLM, Anguissa, Vietto, AK47
I think we did OK against Liverpool, certainly for the 1st half, and Chambers looked a completely different player. Ryan has to play a more attacking role and I can see AK47 coming on later in the game.
Burt(http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2411-burt.jpg)
come on over to the forum and join in the discussion...
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?topic=68360.0
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=492
Mark Hughes must be getting very close to winning a 'serial underachiever' medal as a manager.
International Round-UpAleksandar Mitrović became the top scorer in the UEFA Nations League after restoring Serbia's advantage against Lithuania. The goal takes his tally to six goals, one ahead of Switzerland's Haris Seferović. They went on the win the game 4-1 and the victory ensures they top their Group to secure promotion to League B. Adem Ljajic and Aleksandar Prijovic rounded off the scoring in an impressive performance.
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Ryan Sessegnon saw his England Under-21s side stretch their unbeaten run to 22 games in all competitions with a 5-1 win over Denmark. The winger came on after 70 minutes in what was a comprehensive win for the Young Lions.
Demarai Gray opened the scoring before Dominic Solanke's header doubled the lead. Marcus Ingvartsen pulled one back just before the break. Solanke was at it again to extend the lead shortly into the second half before a late Dominic Calvert-Lewin brace saw England romp home.
Cyrus Christie played the full 90 minutes in Ireland's 0-0 draw with Denmark. The result sees Ireland relegated to League C after finishing four points behind Wales in their Group.
Stefan Johansen watched from the side lines in Norway's 2-0 win over Cyprus. Two Ola Kamara goals moved Norway to the top of their group after Bulgaria failed to better their result.
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa wasn't involved in Cameroon's defeat to Brazil. Richarlison with the only goal on the stroke of half time.
http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/21/international-round-up
How Fulham can get back on track
After a summer splurge of big money signings, many respected pundits tipped Fulham as dark horses to finish in the top half of the Premier League come May. But, as with any promoted side, remaining in the top division was the primary objective. Having collected just five points from their first twelve games, safety seems far from assured and it was clear that something had to change. The sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic and his immediate replacement by Claudio Ranieri was a decisive move from the Fulham board – and a decision that should provide some hope heading into a critical pre-Christmas period.
Fulham's defence has been the cause of their faltering start, with fundamental mistakes costing the Whites dearly as they conceded 31 goals in a harrowing first three months back in the Premier League. This is something that the new manager and his coaching staff will be looking to rectify, as Ranieri indicated in his first press conference. The imminent returns of Alfie Mawson and Joe Bryan should give the Italian options at the back that Jokanovic simply didn't have for much of this season. Mawson was brought in from Swansea in the summer for around £20 million and has not quite had the start he and the fans were hoping for. Approaching match sharpness again, Mawson could be the anchor at the heart of the back four that Fulham have badly missed – and the Whites would dearly love him to replicate some of his assured displays for Swansea.
Joe Bryan looked bright at the beginning of his season, with an impressive display at Wembley against Tottenham in August, where he created an equaliser with a fabulous cross. His attack-minded nature meant he was ideally suited to Jokanovic's sense of adventure, but there is no reason why he can't adapt to a more disciplined Ranieri approach. Fulham have sorely missed a natural left back since his hamstring injury at Everton and Bryan's reintroduction into the side should allow Sessegnon the freedom to take up a more advanced role and torment defences as he did when claiming the Championship player of the year award last term.
Looking back, Fulham were unfortunate at Anfield in what proved to be Jokanovic's final game in charge. They were unlucky not to lead through Aleksandar Mitrovic's excellent header – a misery compounded by the injustice of Mo Salah's strike seconds later being allowed to stand. The Whites showed fight – typified by the feisty performance of Calum Chambers in a holding midfield role – in a game few expected them to win, but they need to pick up points before they are cut adrift at the foot of the table. Ranieri will need to establish some consistency and it is already clear that Jokanovic's expansive playing style will be one of the first things sacrificed.
A win against Southampton would be the dream start, with the Fulham fans hoping they can build on that dogged showing on Merseyside. Home form is very important to any team fighting relegation and it looked like Fulham were ready to continue the impressive run in SW6 from last season when they put Burnley to the sword at Craven Cottage and fought back to claim a point against high-flying Watford. Since then, defeats by Arsenal – who were ruthless in front of goal – and a sharp Bournemouth side have punctured any lingering optimism and left the side looking more than a little bedraggled.
In his first press conference as Fulham head coach last week, Ranieri emphasised the importance of defensive strength -something that should be welcomed with open arms after Jokanovic's exciting style proved unsustainable at this level. The international break should have given Ranieri some extra time to impart his methods and philosophy on to the majority of his squad and there will be a few players looking to prove a point or two against the Saints this weekend. We'll always remember Slav for his pretty football and that remarkable day at Wembley, but Ranieri's realism could be just what the doctor ordered.
https://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/11/how-fulham-can-get-back-on-track/
Cottage Talk: View Of The Opposition - Simon Peach Breaks Down Southampton
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.
This episode is an interview with Simon Peach, who is the chief football writer at the Press Association, and he is also a Southampton supporter.
During the intervew, he shared his views on Southampton so far this season. He also talked about his time covering Fulham Football Club, which included when Mark Hughes was the manager. We ended the show with Simon sharing his thoughts on this upcoming the match, and he gave a prediction. This is our preview show for this match.
You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2018/11/21/18107077/cottage-talk-view-of-the-opposition-simon-peach-breaks-down-southampton
Southampton: Saints facing selection issues ahead of Fulham
Southampton are in the midst of a selection crisis with three players suspended or close to suspensions and two others potentially injured.
Current Saints captain Ryan Bertrand is banned for this weekend's vital Premier League clash with Fulham after picking up five yellow cards.
He was booked during the 1-1 draw with Watford last time out and now faces a one match spell on the sidelines.
Both Mario Lemina and Cedric are also close to bans after collecting four bookings in the first 12 league games of this campaign.
They will have to try and hold out until the cut-off date for bans for five yellows, with the 31st of December being when the number rises to 10 bookings for a suspension.
Lemina is a possible doubt for this weekend anyway after suffering with a muscular injury whilst on international duty for Gabon in the past two weeks.
Saints striker Danny Ings also picked up an injury during the Watford game and it remains to be seen whether he has recovered to be involved at Craven Cottage this weekend.
With these key players potentially out, Saints manager Mark Hughes could face a few selection headaches.
The game is expected to decide his future as manager of the club so he will be hoping that whoever he chooses performs.
Matt Targett is the only real replacement for Bertrand at left-back with Sam McQueen currently out on loan and injured.
Playing against Fulham will see him up against some of his former teammates after he spent a successful spell on-loan with them last season.
If Lemina remains out, an opportunity could come for Oriol Romeu or James Ward-Prowse to impress.
Charlie Austin may need to be called upon to replace Ings too and will be wanting to get on the scoresheet after his second goal against Watford was controversially ruled out.
The clash at Craven Cottage sees 17th place face 20th place in the Premier League and a win for either side could help kick-start their season.
The hosts will also be buoyed by the arrival of a new manager in Claudio Ranieri during the international break after the Italian replaced Slavisa Jovanovic.
https://saintsmarching.com/2018/11/21/southampton-saints-facing-selection-issues-ahead-of-fulham/
Matt Targett would 'relish' playing ex-Fulham teammates
Targett excelled in a five-month loan spell at Craven Cottage last season.
He played 21 matches, including the play-off final win against Aston Villa, as Fulham won promotion after finishing third in the Championship behind Wolves and Cardiff.
Now the 23 year-old is expected to make his second Premier League start since his Fulham spell as a replacement for the suspended Ryan Bertrand, who picked up his fifth booking in the 1-1 draw against Watford 12 days ago.
Fulham may have changed their manager, after a busy summer in the transfer market, but the left-back would be up against several players he knows well
Former Saints left-back Benali is backing Targett to thrive if he gets the chance in the absence of the club captain.
"This is where the depth of the squad comes in," he said. "After breaking into the team a few years ago Matty has been fighting for a regular position.
"He needs to be playing games so going out on loan would have been good for him last year.
"If Mark Hughes decides to give him an opportunity and he puts in a good performance, and hopefully helps us pick up three points, he can give the manager a difficult decision."
Southampton-born Targett has only started three matches this season; the EFL wins at Brighton and Everton and the 3-0 Premier League defeat at Liverpool. His only other appearance for the first team this season was in Saints' only Premier League win, as a substitute at Crystal Palace in September.
"This is the sort of opportunity he would have been waiting for," said Benali. "Naturally, he's probably been frustrated not to be playing and he'll relish the chance to go back to Fulham.
"It's funny how these scenarios get thrown up. Fulham have made a lot of changes but he'll know a lot about the club and the players.
"He'll want to go there first and foremost to put in performance for him and Southampton. Fulham know what he's capable of but assuming he slots in it's an opportunity he'll relish and one he has to grab with both hands."
Targett was ineligible when Saints won 1-0 at Fulham in the FA Cup third round last January. That was Saints' first win in ten games and the start of a six-match unbeaten run.
Benali is hoping for a repeat as much as any Saints fan.
"It's been a frustrating and disappointing season so far," he said.
"There have been two huge games we should have won, at home to Newcastle and Watford, and we haven't done so."
Two weeks after Les Reed's departure, victory on the banks of the Thames would be a much-needed boost ahead of next week's visit from Manchester United.
"The management has made its decision and they're obviously looking at it," continued Benali.
"Things have got to change, ultimately for Mark Hughes as well. He's no fool and will know that's the case. It makes Fulham an even bigger game now.
"With each bad result that goes by the pressure is more on everybody involved, not just Hughes but the players as well to get that win.
"It's going to be tough at Fulham, given Claudio Ranieri's appointment.
"Traditionally clubs have a bit of an upturn when a new manager comes in.
"They get an increased performance and effort levels from players so that's going to make the game tougher.
"But that's not to say it's a game we can't win and that has to be our mindset."
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/17240349.matt-targett-would-relish-playing-ex-fulham-teammates/?ref=rss
Quote from: MikeW on November 22, 2018, 08:12:48 AM
Mark Hughes must be getting very close to winning a 'serial underachiever' medal as a manager.
I dont know if that was his ambition
