Friday Fulham Stuff (19/10/18)...

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Wembley sale collapse a 'huge disappointment' for the English game, say grassroots bodies

Fulham owner Shahid Khan retracted his offer when it emerged that it would fall short of a clear FA Council majority

Shahid Khan's decision to withdraw his offer to buy Wembley has been described as a "huge disappointment" and a missed opportunity by two of the biggest sponsors of grassroots facilities.

The Fulham owner had offered the Football Association £600 million in cash for the stadium, as well as letting it keep the Club Wembley hospitality business, worth another £300m.

FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn were both strongly in favour of the deal and wanted to use the money to fix England's dilapidated changing rooms, water-logged pitches and stretched 3G facilities.

They hoped Khan's £600m could be the catalyst for a total investment in community facilities over the next 20 years of £3.3bn, more than double what the Football Foundation and Sport England have been able to do since 2000.

But in separate statements, Glenn admitted the proposed sale had been "more divisive than anticipated", while Khan said it had become clear "there is no definitive mandate to sell Wembley and my current proposal, subsequently, would earn the backing of only a slim majority of the FA Council, well short of the conclusive margin the FA chairman has required".

Such an outcome has been on the cards ever since last week's council meeting proved just how split football was on the idea, with some seeing it as a gilt-edged opportunity to solve one of football's most expensive problems, while others likened it to selling the family silver and questioned the FA's ability to invest the windfall wisely.

The UK's largest sports charity, the Football Foundation, would have been the vehicle the FA used to pick, manage and fund the projects, as it currently does with the funding it receives from the FA, Premier League and government.

In a statement, it said: "News that Mr Khan has decided to withdraw his offer to buy Wembley should come as a huge disappointment to community footballers everywhere.

"Football participation in this country is huge. Unfortunately, those who play the game, simply for the love of doing so and for the health benefits are having to put up with a stock of community football facilities that is in a shameful state.

"This would have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make considerable inroads into probably the most pressing issue facing football in this country."

Nick Bitel, the chair of Sport England, the government agency that funds grassroots sport, was more measured but his disappointment was equally plain.

"We agree with the view that the Wembley Stadium offer was a huge opportunity to boost funding into the development and maintenance of artificial and grass pitches up and down the country," he said.

"Now that this deal is off the table, we hope the football family will now consider other ways the much-needed additional funds for grassroots facilities can be generated."

Sports minister Tracey Crouch told the BBC she was "very disappointed" but a spokesperson for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it was always "a matter for the FA" and any deal "would have had to further benefit the grassroots game in this country", while the stadium remained the home of English football.



https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/wembley-sale-collapse-shahid-khan-martin-glenn-greg-clarke-football-foundation-huge-disappointment-a8589556.html

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How Fulham and the Riverside Stand will be affected by Shahid Khan's Wembley withdrawal

The Fulham owner withdrew is bid for Wembley Stadium - here's how it impacts Fulham and the Riverside Stand

Fulham owner Shahid Khan withdrew his offer to buy Wembley Stadium on Wednesday, choosing instead to wait "until a time when it is evident there is an unmistakable directive from the FA to explore and close a sale."

The £600million offer, which Mr Khan believed would've seen funds raised by any sale invested into grassroots football in order to improve facilities and pitches across the country, had split opinion, with former players like Gary Neville and members of the public against the idea of selling Wembley to a private investor.

The FA Council were due to vote on the proposal next week but the Fulham owner has now put his ambitions on hold after learning that he was unlikely to win the consensus he requires from the decision makers.

As well as splitting opinion up and down the country, there was also some concern from Fulham fans that the move would eventually see the club moved into Wembley Stadium, with their current ground, Craven Cottage, sold.

That was the view aired by former Assistant Director of Football Craig Kline, who has resurfaced in recent weeks on social media.

He claimed that Mr Khan intended to move Fulham into Wembley and sell off the Cottage to build housing, although both Fulham and Mr Khan have rebuffed those claims, with Lahore-born business man calling the claims 'bogus'.

Indeed, the Fulham Supporters' Trust issued a statement on Tuesday with chairman Tom Greatrex, who also sits on the FA Council, stating that any deal would "include a condition that explicitly prevents any new owner deciding to give any club, other than an NFL franchise, a principal tenancy at Wembley."


(Image: Clive Mason/Getty Images)

That meant that Fulham would be unable to be relocated to the stadium.

However, any possibility of that now happening is now at zero after Mr Khan withdrew his bid, but what does that mean for Fulham?

What is currently happening with the Riverside Stand?
As all connected with the club know, planning permission to redevelop the Riverside Stand was secured earlier this year, meaning the existing stand would be demolished and replaced with a new stand that would have a capacity of 8,650 seats, increasing the overall capacity of Craven Cottage to around 29,600.


A CGI of the proposed new stand (Image: Fulham FC)

At this moment in time, the club are still out to tender for potential contractors and are in advanced talks with a final shortlist of bidders.

The original timescale would've seen work start in the summer of 2019, which would then be completed by the 2021/22 season.

The club are still hopeful of achieving this, despite the delay in signing a contract with a contractor to carry out the works at Craven Cottage.

Will the Wembley deal impact the plans?
Mr Khan and Fulham have always been adamant that the Wembley deal and the Riverside Stand redevelopment were always separate ventures.

When Mr Khan was still in for the stadium, he issued a number of statements stating that he was always committed to Craven Cottage being the long-term home of Fulham and that his purchase of Wembley would have no impact on that.

That doesn't change much now that he has pulled out of a deal for Wembley - there is still a commitment to redevelop the Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage.


The Fulham fans at Wembley

Does the collapse of the deal impact Mr Khan's ownership of Fulham?
Mr Khan has stated that he would reignite his interest in buying Wembley in the future under 'proper circumstances'.

This means that he still has a strong interest in purchasing the national stadium, meaning that Mr Khan sees a long-term future in London.

It's no secret that he sees an NFL franchise in the UK in the future and that he saw Wembley as the ideal venue to host a team, with his Jacksonville Jaguars franchise already playing a regular season game in the UK every year.


(Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

It would be fair to say that Mr Khan also sees his future in London, as well as in Jacksonville - over in the US, he's invested heavily in a in a five-year, $2.5billion regeneration of riverfront land around the Jaguars' EverBank Field in Florida.

So, in short, the collapse of the deal will have no impact of his ownership of Fulham - he remains committed to the club and its future.

What happens next?
The next step is for Fulham to announce a contractor for the Riverside Stand redevelopment, which they hope to do by December of this year.

After that, they'll release a more in-depth timescale of work before eventually beginning work on demolishing the existing stand in the summer of 2019.

Then, Fulham will play in a reduced capacity Craven Cottage for two-years, with the new Riverside Stand pencilled in to open in time for the start of the 2021/22 season.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/how-fulham-riverside-stand-affected-15295693

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Premier League predictions: Lawro v cricket legend Shane Warne

The Premier League returns this weekend, with Chelsea playing Manchester United at lunchtime on Saturday in the first action after the international break.

"It is a big game - talk about announcing that the Premier League is back," BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson said.

"The story is former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho going back to Stamford Bridge. You would think he has gone back enough times but it always seems to be a big deal when he goes back, and this is no different.

"Jose lost on all three of his visits to the Bridge when Antonio Conte was in charge of the Blues and it is going to be very interesting to see how he gets on against Maurizio Sarri, who is doing an extremely good job."

Lawro is making predictions for all 380 top-flight matches this season, against a variety of guests.

This week's guest is Australia cricket legend Shane Warne.

Warne is a Chelsea fan and says he has been supporting them since he first came to the UK in 1989.

He explained: "I had caught the train from Bristol to London and was on the tube when some guy with a Chelsea scarf and Chelsea stuff all over him came up to me and said 'who do you support?'.

"I looked at him and in his hand he had a big knife - a bit like the one Paul Hogan had in Crocodile Dundee when he says 'that's a knife' - so I said 'I support Chelsea'.

"And ever since then, I have been too scared to support anyone else."

LAWRO'S PREDICTIONS
Cardiff v Fulham

Both teams know how big a game this is for their survival hopes - it sounds ridiculous to say that in the middle of October, but they will see it as a platform for improving their recent results.

They obviously both need it - Cardiff have only picked up one point from their first four home games, while Fulham have the same record away.

But their managers have completely different philosophies and while Slavisa Jokanovic's Fulham side will come out and try to play, Cardiff have not shown any signs of trying to do that under Neil Warnock so far this season.

The Cottagers played them in the Championship, so their manager and some of their players will know what to expect, and that is one of the reasons I think Jokanovic will come out on top.

Fulham have got a bit of a soft centre but they also have goals in their team. By being more adventurous they are a little bit more open, but I think they will come out on top in this one.

Lawro's prediction: 1-2

Shane's prediction: 0-1



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45889056

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Cann & Betts Masterclass

Esteemed officials Darren Cann and Lee Betts dropped by Motspur Park today to give our academy lads a refereeing masterclass.

Cann has been involved in games of the highest order, including the World Cup and Champions League finals. The first game of note was the memorable 2006 FA Cup final between Liverpool and West Ham, before going on to be a mainstay official in the Premier League.

Betts has a wealth of experience as an assistant referee in the Premier League, making over 140 appearances in the top-flight over seven years.

The two gave our first-year scholars a mix of scenarios to tackle and a practical element to put their skills into practice.

Head of Education, Sean Cullen, stated the importance of the Under-18s learning all aspects of the game.

"The Laws of the Game Course is a great opportunity for our boys to develop their understanding of the game through a slightly different perspective." He told fulhamfc.com. "Having two world class referees, like Darren Cann and Lee Betts, come in and improve the lads' wider knowledge of the game, through refereeing and officiating, has been a fantastic experience for our scholars.

"Darren and Lee's enthusiasm for their profession has rubbed off on the scholars and it was great to see our lads tackling the practical part of the course with dedication and enthusiasm. Hopefully the course will help improve the boys' decision making on the pitch and also make them more empathetic to the demands of being an elite referee."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/18/darren-cann

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Stamford Bridge redevelopment: How Chelsea will be affected by Shahid Khan's failed Wembley bid

The Blues' redevelopment plans are currently on hold

Chelsea's Stamford Bridge redevelopment was set to become 'the jewel in London's sporting crown' when planning permission was accepted by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan back in March 2017.

However, a lot has happened since then and the plans for the new 60,000 stadium were put on hold in August after the club cited the 'current unfavourable investment climate' for the decision.

"Chelsea Football Club announces today that it has put its new stadium project on hold. No further pre-construction design and planning work will occur," the club statement read at the time. "The club does not have a time frame set for reconsideration of its decision.

"The decision was made due to the current unfavourable investment climate."

It was a massive blow to Roman Abramovich who had made building of a new stadium a main priority, but the decision to postpone building work coincided with the Russian owner's personal battle with the UK government over his denied working visa.

However, the plans have not been permanently scrapped and there is a chance building work could take place once again. By law, any planning permission granted expires after a certain period, which is generally three years.

Part of Stamford Bridge's redevelopment meant that the Blues could have to play away from their home for up to four seasons, should the plans get back under way.

The number one venue to play their home matches in had become Wembley, copying what Spurs had done last season and what they are doing this year with White Hart Lane's redevelopment overrunning.

However, playing at Wembley was made a little more difficult when Fulham's owner Shahid Khan attempted to buy the home of English football for a reported £600million, meaning a potential NFL franchise in the form of the Jacksonvill Jaguars as well.

Instead of going through the FA, the Blues would have had to persuade Khan to let them play there, however that may no longer seem to be an issue with the American businessman withdrawing his bid on Wednesday afternoon.

"Until a time when it is evident there is an unmistakable directive from the FA to explore and close a sale I am respectfully withdrawing my offer to purchase Wembley Stadium," Khan's statement read.

That's good news for Chelsea as should they restart their plans, there is a precedent set by the FA to allow a club to use Wembley as their temporary home.

The bad news is that investment in the potentially £1billion project is yet to have been found, so for now the plans stay on the desk rather than in motion. And while Khan's news is unlikely to bring new investors in, it could still play a big part in the long-term future of Chelsea.



https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/wembley-chelsea-stamford-bridge-redevelopment-15293731

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Fulham academy director Huw Jennings: Getting stars into first team is a complex jigsaw... they get frustrated


Academy director Huw Jennings lifts the lid on the joys — and challenges — of running Fulham's talent factory ( REUTERS )

They have run out of space on the board on the wall at Fulham's training ground that lists the academy players who have made their first-team debut.

Harvey Elliott is the latest name set to go up after he played against Millwall last month, but the club are waiting for a new panel to be fitted to make more room for the 15-year-old.

At a time of concern about the lack of opportunities for young talent, Fulham are earning a reputation as one of the best clubs at developing players. There have been 37 graduates from their academy to play for the first team in the 10 years since Huw Jennings was appointed academy director in 2008.

Jennings had a key role in the emergence of Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Adam Lallana at Southampton and he is attempting to replicate that success at Fulham. Ryan Sessegnon and Marcus Bettinelli are just two of the success stories of the youth programme he has put in place.

For Jennings, one of the biggest challenges facing clubs is creating enough first-team opportunities. "I have never been one who thinks we do not have talent," says Jennings when asked about the state of academy football in England. "People will argue that the demographic has changed and there is not the same commitment towards participation. I think the talent pool out there remains very strong and it is our job to harness it. We are as well set up as an academy movement than ever. It remains, then, how they make the breakthrough."

Jennings is joined at Fulham by two of his former Saints colleagues, Steve Wigley and Malcolm Elias. Wigley, the head of academy coaching, believes the problem for youth development is finding a way to challenge players when they reach 18. "We promote people young here, but it gives you a problem when they get to 18 because they have already played Under-23 football for two years," he says. "And if they are not ready to play in the first team, we have got to create something that challenges them.

"They are still at a young age, but sometimes they have met a ceiling. In this country, that is our biggest challenge now. A lot of clubs in Europe have that B team structure, like at Barcelona, where Sergio Busquets went into that first."


Success story: Ryan Sessegnon (Getty Images)

Jennings adds: "We have had decent success in the loan market: look at Marcus Bettinelli and Dan Burn. Those are the ideal pathways, but there are plenty of others who have three or four loans and struggle to make it work. And others you will never get a loan for because they do not fit the profile of what other clubs might want. So, it is a complex jigsaw and players can get frustrated."

Jennings believes the Premier League is following other European leagues by waiting until players are older before playing them. He uses the example of Phil Foden at Manchester City. "Typically in Europe you would not expect players to mature into first-team football until their early twenties," says Jennings. "We tend to be impetuous here, that you have to be in by 18. That is a little change we have needed to adjust to really because: a) players are having longer careers; and b) the competition is so intense you might just have to wait."

Fulham want to produce "proper people as well as proper players" and Wigley says the way academy players are handled is different to the past. Fulham used to insist players wore black boots, but they now allow the full spectrum as they adapt to modern ways. "We do not expect the kids to walk around the building with their headphones on and their phones in their hands," says Wigley. "But we are also trying to create an environment that is creative. Youth development has become like the Champions League and the Premier League now, the bigger clubs are just buying the players. The stakes are high, but if you are good enough you will deliver. We believe that and the kids have to believe that."

Fulham spent more than £100million on 12 players after promotion, but head coach Slavisa Jokanovic has shown he is willing to promote youngsters. Owner Shahid Khan is also committed.

"The club felt we had to invest in a team that was fit for the Premier League," says Jennings. "But if you are good enough, then you will find a way. Managers cannot afford to ignore the best players."

Elliott became the youngest player to appear for Fulham when he came on as a substitute against Millwall in the Carabao Cup, aged 15 years and 174 days.

"This is not a gimmick," says Jennings. "He earned the opportunity. He had permission from his school to attend a four-day international camp in Spain and he did well. The next logical step was a few minutes in the League Cup."

Fulham lost Patrick Roberts to Manchester City in 2015 after 22 first-team appearances, but Jennings hopes players like Elliot see there is a pathway at Craven Cottage and stay. "We would like to think, 'Stay here, have your development with us and, hopefully, the world is your oyster afterwards'," he says.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-academy-director-huw-jennings-getting-stars-into-first-team-is-a-complex-jigsaw-they-get-a3965126.html

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Team News

Slaviša Jokanović has had to deal with several injury concerns just eight games into the season, but the Fulham Head Coach is not one to sulk about such things.

Speaking in Thursday's press conference, he said: "At the beginning of the season we've had some kind of problems, especially with the defensive players.

"We had a problem with Alfie [Mawson], with Denis [Odoi] who was suspended, with Tim Ream, with Timothy [Fosu-Mensah], with Joe Bryan.

"In the end, this sort of thing is normal for a professional football team, and you must work to find a solution."

When asked about the trio of players who missed the Arsenal fixture prior to the international break, Jokanović revealed that only one of them is in contention for the weekend.

"At the moment we cannot use Joe Bryan and Tom Cairney for the next game," he stated. "The other players are available for working with us.

"Timothy is working with us but he has a shoulder problem from the last game he played against Everton.

"Still he's not 100 per cent available to play football, but you don't need to be 100 per cent ready.

"You need to be strong, and with a clear mind you can help. He's helped himself on the training ground, and he can be available to help us in the competitive games too."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/18/team-news

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Labour urges government to fill Wembley-sized hole in FA's grassroots budget

Labour has called on the government to invest more money in grassroots football after Fulham owner Shahid Khan withdrew his £900million offer to buy Wembley.

The Football Association had hoped to use £600million of that sum to start an endowment fund to transform community facilities across the country over the next 20 years.

The idea divided English football from the moment it was first revealed in April and, with the FA Council set to vote on the matter next Tuesday, it had become clear it would not be possible for the FA to claim it had a strong mandate to sell the stadium.

News of Khan's decision was greeted with disappointment by the Football Foundation, the charity that would have channelled the money to community projects, Sport England and the sports minister Tracey Crouch, all of whom described it as a missed opportunity to address football's most important issue.

According to the FA, only one in three community grass pitches is of adequate quality, which meant one in six games were cancelled last season.

It is understood the FA is still optimistic Khan could be persuaded to return to the table, something the American billionaire himself said he would be willing to do "under the proper circumstances" in a statement on Wednesday.

The national governing body also hopes the debate about facilities, which has been sparked by Khan's offer, will continue and if selling Wembley is not the answer, other solutions will emerge.

Shadow sports minister Dr Rosena Allin-Khan was among those opposed to the sale, largely because she feels the government should be doing more to address the problems at community level.

The MP for Tooting told Press Association Sport: "With the Wembley sale being called off, the question regarding how we invest significantly in grassroots football remains unanswered.

"The government must step up with a programme that commits to providing the funding necessary to evolve our grassroots. It is a fantastic opportunity for the government to show they take this matter seriously as the long-term effects will be felt for decades to come."

Others, however, want to look elsewhere within the football industry for answers.

The Football Supporters' Federation conducted its own consultation process on the proposed sale and two thirds of the 2,000 fans who took part said they opposed selling Wembley "under any circumstances".

In a statement, the FSF chairman Malcolm Clarke, who is also an FA councillor, said: "While the majority of fans will be pleased the stadium will remain in the control of the FA, they recognise the need for much greater investment in grassroots pitches.

"It is a sobering thought that the Wembley sale would have yielded £590million (the cash part of Khan's offer, minus deal fees) and yet English football pays £250million each year to agents."

Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville is another critic of the deal who believes grassroots facilities should be funded by a levy on agents' fees.

But the legality of that could be problematic, particularly at a time when the football authorities are already exploring ways to cap the amounts that flow to agents and more tightly regulate how they operate.

For many in the game, including ex-FA chairman David Bernstein, the more obvious solution is to get Premier League clubs to share more of their wealth.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Bernstein said: "My view has consistently been that the Premier League should be levied, money should go to the FA, which would be distributed to the wider game and which would make the selling of Wembley unnecessary. A Premier League tax if you like."

A possible basis for this would be the commitment the Premier League gave the government's Football Task Force in 1999 that it would set aside five per cent of its income from 2001 for the grassroots game.

This promise was made in return for the government backing the league's right to sell its broadcast rights collectively.

The value of those rights has now reached £8.4billion for the current three-year cycle but the league has never hit that five per cent target.

That is not to say it has done nothing, though, as the Premier League, FA and government set up the Football Foundation in 2000 and the league has invested £302million – compared to the FA's £299million and government's £273million – via the charity over the last 18 years.

It is currently paying £24million a season to the Football Foundation as part of a wider £100million annual investment in community facilities, participation programmes and education projects, as well as the solidarity and parachute payments it gives to English Football League clubs.

Whether this is enough, though, is certain to be one of the biggest items in the in-tray for the new Premier League chief executive when they take over from Richard Scudamore, who is leaving at the end of the year after two decades in charge.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/news/labour-urges-government-to-fill-wembley-sized-hole-in-fas-grassroots-budget_338884.html

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Fulham's struggles give frustrated Khan more thinking to do

For American sports magnate Shad Khan, the collapse of ambitious plans to purchase Wembley Stadium won't have been his only source of frustration in recent days.

He might also be concerned about the plight of the English soccer club he owns, too.

Fulham's return to the Premier League is turning sour, with a five-match winless run exposing the deficiencies in its squad and the dangers of a promoted team failing to adapt to the challenges of life back in the big time.

The club from an affluent area of west London was lauded for its expansive style of play last season as it secured promotion to the Premier League — via the playoffs — after a four-year absence. At one stage, Fulham went 23 league games unbeaten.

Such is his commitment to attacking soccer that Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic is refusing to sacrifice his approach even though his team now is playing against much tougher opponents.

It's laudable, but possibly naive.

In its last game before the international break, Fulham lost to Arsenal 5-1 . That came on the back of a 3-0 loss at Everton. Fulham has conceded 21 goals in eight games, four more goals than any other top-flight team, and has yet to keep a clean sheet.

Fulham is carving out more chances than most teams — it had 21 shots against Arsenal alone — but continues to get picked off easily at the back, especially on the counter-attack. Put simply, the team is paying the price for being far too open.

There is no suggestion Jokanovic's job is at risk after 2 1/2 years in the role, but the results of Fulham's three upcoming league games — two of which come against Cardiff and Huddersfield, who are in the bottom three — might shape opinions on the first Serbian ever to manage in the Premier League. Khan, after all, can be ruthless: He fired three managers in his first 14 months as the club's owner.

Fulham is in fourth-to-last place, with one win so far.

A big challenge for Jokanovic has been integrating 12 players signed in the offseason at a cost of about 105 million pounds ($134 million), making Fulham the first promoted club to spend more than 100 million pounds in a single transfer window. Only Liverpool and Chelsea spent more in the Premier League. Five of the signings arrived on the final day of the transfer window, meaning that Jokanovic's preseason was turbulent.

He has played a different back four in each of Fulham's eight games, likely another reason for the team's defensive instability, with Ryan Sessegnon switching from playing in midfield to full back to sometimes not at all. The 18-year-old Sessegnon is widely regarded as among the most talented young players in the country but he has struggled to settle in his first season in the Premier League.

There are some reasons for optimism. Aleksandar Mitrovic has been Fulham's standout attacker and much of the team's offensive play goes through the physical Serbia striker, who has five goals. Jean-Michel Seri has been a robust presence in center midfield, while Germany winger Andre Schuerrle has netted three goals and looks to have secured a place in the starting lineup.

But at the end of a week when Khan gave up on buying English soccer's national stadium for 600 million pounds ($790 million), a loss to last-place and winless Cardiff on Saturday — in a match between two promoted clubs — would leave Fulham's larger-than-life owner with more thinking to do.

Not that Jokanovic appears concerned about his position.

"In some countries, you can be thinking about games and it's, 'Are you are going to die or survive the day?'" he said before the Arsenal game. "Here, it's more calm and the criticism is more logical, there's more sense."



https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/fulham-s-struggles-give-frustrated-khan-more-thinking-to-do-101818

[WhiteJC]

 
Team against Cardiff 20/10

Over on the forum we've been discussing who would be in our team to play against Cardiff...

whitejc

subs: Betts, Odoi, Bryan(if fit), Mawson, KMac, AK47, Vietto,

we obviously need to do something at the back and with Fosu out for a while we have to stick with Christie, I don't think he was as bad against Arsenal as some have made out.

Betts has had his chance but 8 goals in 2 games just isn't good enough, so I think its time for Rico to be given a go, otherwise why did we bring him in?

milo

If Anguissa struggles with pace of game like at the weekend then MacDonald comes on around 60 minutes.


come on over to the forum and join-in the discussion...
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?topic=67819.0



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=448

[WhiteJC]

 
Head Coach press conference

Slaviša Jokanović says his team will be ready for the clash of styles which is set to unfold in South Wales at the weekend.

Fulham's meetings with Cardiff City over the years have been intriguing ones, with the Whites trying to out-play their more direct opponents.

"They always play a strong, physical game," Jokanović explained. "These are the weapons they use when they compete.

"We know this team, they know how we play, and we have a plan for the game. It's important for us we stick to the plan, trust in ourselves, put the ball on the field and find a way to score the goals.

"We must be ready for the offensive way how they play football, be solid and focused for everything they can do with the ball.

"We know how they play, it's not easy to play against this kind of team. We are probably going to win possession of the ball because Cardiff are not so interested in these kind of the battles.

"But from another side, they have important weapons in their squad, and we must be really careful of set-pieces, second phases, long throw-ins, flick-ons and running in behind us."

He continued: "They use their weapons very well. We know them, they know us, and we are ready to fight for three points, like always.

"30 games, 90 points, are ahead of us to fight for. Saturday is the next chance to fight for three points and we are going to be ready.

"We need the points, they need the points too. They will make it a tough game for us, and we must be ready and brave and fight for the victory."

The Bluebirds' ascent to the Premier League in May marked a record eighth promotion for manager Neil Warnock, and Jokanović has nothing but respect for his counterpart.

"I always enjoy post-match with him, he's a great man," he said. "We have our challenge during the game, I always enjoy my conversations with him.

"He's an experienced man and you can always learn and listen to some important things from his interchanges with you."

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/18/head-coach-press conference

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Match Preview: Cardiff City vs. Fulham

Neil Warnock's men host the Whites at CCS on Saturday, 20th October 2018.

In the hot seat

Slaviša Jokanović's side arrive at CCS off the back of a 5-1 crushing defeat at the hands of Arsenal at Craven Cottage, leaving the Whites with one win this season.

Jokanović and his team joined Warnock's side in the Premier League after they won last season's Championship Play-Off Final, defeating Aston Villa, 1-0. The Whites were forced to take the Play-Off route after they were beaten to the second automatic promotion spot on the final day of the season by the Bluebirds.

The Serbian has managed in six different countries and made over 400 appearances as player, where he represented Partizan, Tenerife, Chelsea and helped Deportivo de La Coruña win their first Spanish league title in their 1999-2000 campaign. The defensive midfielder also netted sixty-six goals during his playing career, the most arriving at Partizan during a three-year spell where he scored twenty goals for the Serbian outfit.

The Serbian also guided the Hornets to England's top flight in 2015, after Watford finished in second spot.

Squad Info

Aleksandar Mitrović has undoubtedly been Fulham's brightest player this term, having found his feet at Craven Cottage in 2018. The Serbian striker netted 12 goals in 17 Championship matches during a loan spell last year and has continued his fine form since the move was made permanent in late July, with five Premier League strikes thus far. Fellow striker Luciano Vietto leads the way in terms of assists, with four this term.

Jokanović added seven players on a permanent basis during the summer, including midfield  duo Jean Michaël Seri and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, defensive pair Joe Bryan and Alfie Mawson, and goalkeeper Fabri. Arguably, even more impressive were the players brought in on loan; Premier League and World Cup winner André Schürrle has netted three times already, while Timothy Fosu-Mensah and the aforementioned Vietto have also signed temporary deals from Manchester United and Atlético Madrid respectively.

Despite pressure from Fabri, and another loanee Sergio Rico, goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli has managed to keep his place between the sticks at Craven Cottage. His impressive form has even seen him called up to the England squad in recent months.

Memorable Meeting

A memorable day for all Bluebirds supporters - that very nearly didn't happen as adverse weather conditions impacted South Wales. Emergency services were called to fix part of the Ninian Stand - damaged by the excessive winds.

18-months before he became skipper, Sean Morrison, stepped up on that day, heading home an Aron Gunnarsson long throw to the delight of the 22,000+ in attendance at CCS.

Scott Malone and Alex Revell made debuts for Cardiff City against the Whites during that game.

Club Connections

The aforementioned Malone moved from City to Fulham in summer 2016 as part of the deal that brought former Academy player Jazz Richards back to Cardiff City FC. The English left-back has since gone on to play for both Huddersfield Town and now Derby County.

Another player who could face off this Saturday against familiar opposition is Neil Etheridge. The Filipino international joined our opponents in 2008, but never made an appearance for the Cottagers and encountered loan spells for Charlton Athletic, Bristol Rovers and Crewe Alexandra during his time in London, before he departed in 2014 to join Oldham Athletic.

Ross McCormack, Phil Stant and Mark Hudson are just a few of the players who have featured for both the Bluebirds and the Whites.

Former Cardiff City manager Alan Cork finished his playing career at Fulham during the 1994-95 season - scoring three times. He later joined the backroom staff at Craven Cottage.



https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/2018/october/match-preview-for-cardiff-city-vs-fulham-on-20-oct-18/

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Cardiff's Nemesis

Ryan Sessegnon will be hoping to continue his role as the scourge of Cardiff when Fulham head to Wales on Saturday.

The 18-year-old has never failed to score against the Bluebirds, netting in each of his previous four appearances versus them.

And while he's played down that 100 per cent record, Sessegnon admitted that it could be psychologically beneficial going into the weekend's encounter.

"I think it can [help]," he told fulhamfc.com. "I have a good record against them so it does give me confidence going into the game, and it will be no different on Saturday.

"As each game has come around, I've gone into it knowing that I can score, so I'd say they are one of my favourite teams to play against.

"I'd say it's probably a coincidence, though. Every time we play I do manage to score but I don't think it's anything specific to do with Cardiff, it's just coincidental."

Having faced them so many times already, Sessegnon knows what to expect at the Cardiff City Stadium, and has faith the Whites can come away with what could be a pivotal victory.

"They're a physical side," he stated. "We saw how they got promoted to the Premier League with a specific type of gameplan.

"We know how they play, they know how we play, and I think it should be a good game – one that we'll go into confident we can win.

"They'll be up for it with the home crowd. They haven't won a game so they'll be doing everything they can to get their first three points of the season.

"But we'll be doing the same, and hopefully this match can kickstart our season."

The two teams' battle for second spot last term must have been a fascinating watch from the outside, with Cardiff eventually claiming the final automatic place at the last.

One of the first fixtures of our 23-game unbeaten run which put us in promotion contention was a Christmas cracker in South Wales, where the hardy souls who braved the long journey and treacherous conditions were treated to a thrilling 4-2 win.

"Boxing Day was a good turnout from the Fulham fans," Sessegnon recalled. "They're going to be there in their numbers again and I'm sure they'll make as much noise as they can to help us.

"Towards the end of last season there was a battle [with Cardiff] for the second spot after Wolves. Obviously they managed to get it, so credit to them.

"When we lost to Birmingham in the last game of the season and had to watch them celebrate promotion it was quite hard for us, but in the end we came back in the strongest way, and everything worked out well for both teams."

You can still be there to watch Sess try and maintain his 100 per cent record against the Bluebirds, with tickets available to purchase on General Sale.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/18/ryan-sessegnon-cardiff-preview

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Fulham injury news: Tom Cairney and Joe Bryan out but Timothy Fosu-Mensah may return at Cardiff

Fulham injury news includes an update on Manchester United loanee Timothy Fosu-Mensah

Fulham will be without Joe Bryan and Tom Cairney for the trip to Cardiff City on Saturday, but Timothy Fosu-Mensah might make an appearance.

Bryan is still out with a hamstring injury while Fosu-Mensah is continuing his recovery from a dislocated shoulder that the pair both suffered in the 3-0 defeat to Everton in September, and although he is not 100% fit Slavisa Jokanovic has suggested he might play.

Cairney, meanwhile, suffered a set back in his recovery from an ankle injury he picked up against Burnley back in August, missing the 5-1 defeat to Arsenal despite playing for most of the second half of their defeat to Everton.

He is still out injured as he looks to recover from that injury, but Fosu-Mensah may start despite dislocating his shoulder last month, with the Manchester United loanee not requiring surgery on that injury.

He's been working in the gym after the injury and has since returned to working with the first team during the international break, but despite not being 100% fit Jokanovic has hinted that he does not need to be at 100% in order to make an appearance.

Speaking ahead of the game, Jokanovic said: "At the moment we cannot use Joe Bryan and Cairney, all other players are available for working with us.

"Normal international duty is moment where we can keep going with some process and try find improvement with players we have.

"At the start of the season we have the problem with the defence, with Alfie and Denis suspended, with Ream and Bryan and Fosu-Mensah, for another side it's a normal situation in football.

"He (Fosu-Mensah) is working with us but has a shoulder problem, he is still not 100% available, but you don't need to be 100% ready to play football.

"He picked himself ups and can be ready."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-injury-news-tom-cairney-15297529

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International Round Up

The October international break couldn't have come soon enough for Fulham, especially after the deflating Arsenal debacle, and as a select portion of Slavisa Jokanovic's faltering fold are indeed away on international duty, it gives us all a brief spell to follow their respective exploits in their national colours. Cameron Ramsey has the details.

Aside from the usual meaningless friendlies, the newly formed Nations League is an opportunity for players to stay sharp and motivated, and though nobody knows what the hell's going on or how it actually works for that matter, it makes that dull fortnight without club football vaguely compelling and bearable.

With Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town up next in the Premier League for the Whites, it's imperative the entire collective are prepared and determined to relinquish the Bluebirds and the Terriers once domestic matters take centre stage once more. But, that's enough babbling for one post – here's how the relevant first-team members fared.

André-Frank Zambo Anguissa – Cameroon
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa cut a daunted figure against the Gunners before the international intermission and a sturdy outing for Cameroon would almost certainly lift the midfield enforcer's shoulders and spirits. Les Lions Indomptables encountered Malawi in Friday evening, and Anguissa expertly patrolled his department for a full 90 minutes.

The 22-year-old's intimidating presence stifled The Flames' combinations and Cameroon ultimately snatched a 1-0 victory thanks to Paris Saint-Germain's Maxim Choupo-Moting. Coincidentally, the former Olympique de Marseille anchor's country now lead their Africa Cup of Nations qualification group, and Anguissa's integral, trusted contributions ultimately reinforced their table-topping status.

In their second meeting of the break, Cameroon faced Malawi once again but this time away at the Kamuzi Stadium, and in a similar narrative to the first fixture, the game was close, cagey and ended with a 0-0 draw. Anguissa replaced Olivier Boumal in the 63rd minute from the dugout, but couldn't make a noticeable impact.

Jean-Michael Seri – Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast moved withing 3 points of Guinea in their Africa Cup of Nations qualification group after pummelling Central African Republic 4-0, a rampant occasion where Jean-Micheal Seri also competed in the engine room for the entirety of the tie.

An inexhaustible distributor, Seri held an unyielding grip upon proceedings and habitually tampered with the tempo, whilst altering opposition's shape to Les Éléphants' superior advantage at the Stade Bouake. The ingenious 27-year-old playmaker's an unwavering mainstay for both club and country, it seems.

Despite annihilating Les Fauves previously, Ivory Coast and Seri couldn't condemn their adversaries to another damning defeat, and whilst the Cottagers' craftsman fought to carve Central African Republic open, the spoils were shared with a tame 0-0 draw.

Ibrahima Cisse – Guinea
In order to keep Ivory Coast tailing in their shadow, Guinea needed to keep Rwanda at bay at the Stade du 28 Septembre, Conkary, and with a fragile 1 goal cushion between them and Amavubi, an unlikely saviour emerged for Syli nationale in the discarded shape of Ibrahima Cisse.

Introduced in the 55th minute, Cisse collected the ball on the parameter of the 18-yard box in the 73rd minute, pinpointed a destination, and hammered a viperous projectile into the bottom right corner of the target with his left peg. 2-0, and that's how it stayed for the hosts. He is still capable of playing ball, you know.

Cisse did not feature for Guinea in their alternate meeting with Rwanda, an encounter that ended 1-1. Kante – of Legia Warsaw, not Chelsea – fired Guinea into a 1-0 lead before half-time but couldn't hang on to their slender lead in the second 45.

Floyd Ayite – Togo
A sporadic substitute for Slav, Claude Le Roy deployed Floyd Ayite on the left channel for Togo against Gambia and the diminutive winger lasted the duration of the match, although the 29-year-old simply couldn't customarily jink his way into an impending position to punish The Scorpions.

Togo haven't been in the best vain of form recently and the spoils were shared with a drab 1-1 draw, a result that ensured Les Éperviers remained rooted to their Africa Cup of Nations qualification table with just 2 points to their name.

A trend amongst the African set-ups, Togo locked horns again just days later with their previous opponent, Gambia, and it seemed as though a 10-man Togo were destined for another humdrum draw. However a very late twist, courtesy of our very own Ayite, would markedly adjust the fabric of the tie in his country's favour.

With 90 minutes on the referee's stopwatch, Ayite gathered possession on the edge of the box, and with a wall of Gambian defenders to contend with, the nimble attacker cunningly shifted his weight to deceive his adversaries and swiftly unleashed a pinpoint effort past the 'keeper's flailing gloves. Togo's first 3 points, take a prolonged bow, Ayite.

Stefan Johansen – Norway
Stefan Johansen donned the captain's armband for Norway, as usual, against Slovenia and shepherded his outfit towards a hard-fought 1-0 victory. StefJo policed the centre of the park for 80 minutes, with a cultured swagger that we don't see so much down the Cottage any more, and everything was simply bliss for the Nordic distributor.

An unmovable protagonist in Norway's staring line-up, Johansen was named in Lars Lagerback's matchday selection that confronted Bulgaria in the corresponding fixture, an eventful skirmish at the Ullevaal Stadion that harboured 7 yellow cards between the two nations – six of which fell on Bulgarian heads, however.

Mohamed Elyounoussi, assisted by Omar Elabdellaoui, snatched the game's defining goal in the 31st minute and Johansen, 27, wrangled until the 78th minute before being replaced by Iver Fossum. The animated midfielder even escaped without being scrawled into the ref's notebook. Is this a fantasy, or is Johansen genuinely a changed man?

Cyrus Christie – Republic of Ireland
How anyone could have thought that Cyrus Christie could have played in the centre of the park is beyond us all as Fulham fans, but as he was voted man of the match as a result of his defensive expertise in an extremely unfamiliar role against a usually overbearing Denmark, we'll applaud his exemplary efforts, naturally.

The Republic of Ireland representative, usually a bustling full-back, of course, was distributed in the of heart The Green Army's midfield collective to shore-up Martin O'Neill's structure and he performed valiantly, even if he didn't have to keep tabs on Christian Eriksen. It ended 0-0 in Dublin, by the way, but what's more important is that Christie was the undisputed MVP in an alien environment.

A trusted auxiliary midfielder, Christie featured in the middle of the park for Ireland in Dublin against Ryan Giggs' Wales, and for the majority of the evenly poised tussle, the 26-year-old effortlessly flaunted his customary defensive attributes in perfect harmony with his steely desire to drive further up the field with the ball.

Christie spanned the length and breadth of the turf at the Aviva Stadium and was an irrepressibly disruptive component. Willing to combine with Harry Arter and company, the robust full-back was once again noticeably comfortable in the spine of the formation as The Boys in Green's protective shield, and if it wasn't for Harry Wilson's jaw-dropping masterstroke, O'Neill and his men would have strode off with a much needed point.

Neeskens Kebano – DR Congo
DR Congo fell victim to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe at the Stade des Martyrs and the Whites' direct attacking midfielder Neeskens Kebano was an unused substitute. Everton's Yannick Bolasie netted a shallow consolation for the Leopards at the death, but if Kebano had been on the turf, however, The Democratic Republic of the Congo would have undoubtedly claimed a 10-2 victory.

Zimbabwe stood in DR Congo's path following the Warriors' 2-1 win and Kebano was placed on his nation's bench once more. Zim' grabbed the lead virtually from kick-off, however the visitors were level in the 24th minute, thanks to a miscued own goal from Teenage Hadebe.

Kebano has struggled to make an impact in SW6 this season and has only claimed a meagre handful of appearances, although he was shoved into the fray with 20 minutes to go at Benik Afobe's expense. Unable to sink his teeth into the encounter, Kebano and his compatriots embarked northwards towards their homeland with an advantageous point, as they're still hot on Zimbabwe's heels in the qualification standings.

Kevin McDonald – Scotland
Kevin McDonald's a hardened stalwart, although not even he could stunt Israel in the second-half after Charlie Mulgrew slammed home a penalty in the 25th minute. KMac battled for the entire confrontation and appeared determined in his responsibilities.

Dor Peretz levelled the score in the 52nd minute and Israel slipped into a higher gear. Scotland stood firm but were ultimately beaten 2-1 in the 74th minute – Kieran Tierney connected with a searching Israeli cross, and though he intended to banish the threat, he unfortunately crashed his erratic clearance into his own net.

A ragtag Portugal then visited Hampden Park and McDonald was a second-half inclusion for Alex McLeish's set-up. Cristiano Ronaldo, amongst others, was not in the European Champions' matchday fold but Portugal's imposing structure and approach bludgeoned Scotland, and pivotal strikes from Helder Costa, Eder and Bruma handed Fernando Santos' side an assailable 3 goal lead.

A late goal from Steven Naismith did ensure that Scotland registered on the score sheet themselves, although it was all too late to salvage anything. A tepid performance from all in blue, including Fulham's 30-year-old linchpin – McLeish's "very good" summary of his team's pitiful outing was amusingly farcical.

Aleksandar Mitrovic – Serbia
Though Aleksandar Mitrovic has five goals to his name in the Premier League to date, the bullish striker has recently been muzzled against Everton and Arsenal, although in his proud national attire, he's an ever-present danger  in-front of the target.

Mitro' tallied both of Serbia's goals against Montenegro – from the penalty spot and within the 6-yard box with an instinctive prod – to bestow his nation with a consummate 2-0 triumph over the their close geographical rivals, undeniable evidence that the lethal 23-year-old is still very much on fire.

The Serbs then squared up to Romania at the Arena Nationala, Bucharest, and Mitrovic had another opportunity to expand his goal scoring record, although the privilege of etching a fresh notch was wistfully non-existent.

The brawny hit-man did come within a whisker's breadth of recording a goal, however. Buffeting his was into a compromising area, Mitro' couldn't direct his rasping effort into the goal frame, however it was a foreboding warning for the visitors. Dusan Tadic also spurned a penalty, and a ten-man Romania remarkably ambled away with a 0-0 draw.

Ryan Sessegnon – England U21
Now, it's far too early to include Ryan Sessegnon in England's senior set-up – even if he's destined for it – alongside our very own Marcus Bettinelli, but a call-up to Aidy Boothroyd's U21's is becoming a regular reward for the 18-year-old wunderkind, who's gradually acclimatising  to life in the Premier League.

Deservedly a starter against Andorra's U21's, Sess' partnered Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ademola Lookman in the 'Young Lions' offensive trident, and the aspiring homegrown starlets proceeded to stampede their lesser-equipped opponents into the deck with a ferocious 7-0 mauling. The efficient teenager explored and dictated the left channel for the duration of the game Proact Stadium and was a relentlessly menacing force. As you were, then.

Boothroyd's developing squad then travelled across the border to Hearts' Tynecastle to clash with Scotland's equivalent fold. Sess', being a weekly element in Slav's Fulham squad, initially manned the dugout for the fiery encounter but made a fleeting cameo appearance in the 73rd minute.

Scotland pressed for an equaliser to cancel out Reiss Nelson's superbly weighted free-kick, but as England were proficient and vastly superior in all areas of the pitch, Sessegnon and his teammates incisively probed and unearthed their second of the night through Kieran Dowell's stunning left-footed sledgehammer.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2018-10-18-international-round-up/

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Cardiff City vs Fulham: Why two clubs with identical journeys have taken such different paths

The two familiar foes meet again in a vital Premier League game on Saturday

Cardiff City fans would be forgiven for not remembering the last time their team won at home in the Premier League. It was a while back.

A Steven Caulker brace either side of Lewis Holtby's strike for Fulham, coupled with an own goal by Sascha Riether, secured a rare 3-1 victory for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side on 8th March 2014, briefly igniting hopes that the Bluebirds could survive.

Cardiff supporters have endured eight unsuccessful attempts to win a top flight home match since then, with a four-year absence from English football's top table skewering that poor run.

Fulham, of course, went down alongside the beleaguered Bluebirds in 2014.

Using three different managers over the course of that campaign and earning just two points more, it's fair to say the west Londoners went down amid disarray that was comparable to Cardiff's.

Four years later, having established a coherent playing style under a charismatic manager, both teams have been reinvigorated, now back in the big time. Together again, you might say.

Yet they have taken very different paths to arrive at the same destination.

The owners' approach
Cardiff's desire to bounce back to the Premier League following relegation is a well told tale. The big money paid for Bruno Manga, Sean Morrison and Adam Le Fondre, while the (short-lived) faith from the hierarchy in Solskjaer to bring them back said a lot about where Vincent Tan wanted his club to be.

But as it became clear Cardiff weren't ready for an immediate return to the Premier League, cutting costs became a necessity.

Even though Neil Warnock's genius has helped bring the Bluebirds back from the doldrums, Tan has maintained a much more frugal approach as he did when Russell Slade was manager — wary of a repeat of 2013/14's lavish spending.

Fulham too had their financial struggles after relegation, but more recently owner Shahid Khan hasn't been shy of signing some cheques.

"This has been a hard journey over the last four years but regrettably necessary to rebuild the team the right way," Khan said last season when promotion was beginning to look possible.

"We have committed to our style that is winning football but also pleasing for the fans. We've done that part and now we have ambition to move forward.

"The Premier League is where Fulham belongs, the supporters and the players. Getting back there (is) mission one accomplished. But we are an ambitious club. We want to get to the Premier League and then our goal is not to skate by, our goal is to win.

"Money is not a limitation but a number of other things are just as important and we want to go about it wisely and the right way. We have great players, who work hard, you want to see them accomplish and be rewarded.

Then you want have a sustainability programme to invest and supplement (the team) with whatever helps us be more successful."

The managers and playing style
Last season's race for second place in the Championship saw a clash of footballing philosophies with Warnock's more direct football winning out against Fulham's 'tiki-taka'.

That's not to say one style is better than the other, just that the rivalry between Cardiff and Fulham was made more intriguing by their contrasting approaches.

"I can't say I felt confident throughout the promotion season, not when you've got the likes of Fulham and Wolves spending ," said Warnock on the tussle, Cardiff forever playing the role of underdog.

Both games between the pair last season — particularly Fulham's 4-2 win at Cardiff City Stadium on Boxing Day — saw the Cottagers dominate possession. Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon were recognised with nominations and awards at the end of the season for their individual flair, while the Bluebirds' success was categorised as collective.

How those styles would fare in the Premier League was a talking point over the summer, with questions over whether Cardiff could adapt to become more attacking — and conversely could Fulham be more solid — dominating the agenda.

"We are not going to change the style," Slavisa Jokanovic told Marca in the summer.

"We are not going to hit balls or park the bus. It would not be a good plan. The Premier League is very demanding, we need to change things. But we're not going to give up our style."

Warnock on the other hand, has tried to adapt.

He made the progressive signings of Josh Murphy, Bobby Reid and Victor Camarasa to change the Bluebirds' style. As yet, of course, it hasn't worked.

Whether the Cardiff boss goes back to basics this weekend remains to be seen.

Money talks, or does it?
Of course Fulham have hardly pulled up trees this season either, despite an outrageous spending spree in the summer that rivalled any club in Europe.

Their £110million summer outlay was more than Barcelona and more than every other Premier League club bar Chelsea and Liverpool as André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Jean Michael Seri, Alfie Mawson, Andre Schurrle and Aleksandr Mitrovic, among others.

It was also considerably higher than Cardiff's £28.5m outlay: on Murphy, Reid, Greg Cunningham and Alex Smithies.

After all that, Fulham have won just once in eight attempts this term, conceding 21 goals which is a Premier League high right now.

For all Cardiff's struggles, they could go level on points with Fulham by winning on Saturday, bringing the clubs back to where they've been accustomed to be — on level terms.

The Premier League reality and the big game

So what happens now?

Will the two clubs' futures be entwined the same way their recent pasts are?

Most pundits have predicted a rosy future for Fulham, while a sense of doom and gloom surrounds Cardiff following their winless start to the season.

With the ambitious Khan at the helm, Fulham have plans to expand their stadium and already boast a squad that appears — on paper at least — Premier League ready. Cardiff's is a work in progress but with the charismatic Warnock in charge, the fans believe they can be top flight long term.

This weekend's clash will be vital. Cardiff have already passed up golden opportunities to lift themselves up the table this season and cannot afford to do so again in front of their own fans.



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cardiff-city-vs-fulham-two-15285485

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Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic plays down relegation clash with Cardiff despite threat of falling into Premier League bottom three

    Struggling Fulham play rock bottom Cardiff City in Premier League on Saturday
    Slavisa Jokanovic's side could drop into the bottom three if they lose in Wales
    But Fulham manager has played down the significance of Saturday's fixture
    'There are 90 points ahead of us to fight for,' said Jokanovic ahead of the game

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic has played down the significance of Saturday's fixture at relegation rivals Cardiff.

A defeat would represent struggling Cardiff's first victory of the Premier League season and drag Fulham into the bottom three.

Even if Jokanovic's inconsistent team have a chance to build some momentum amid the speculation surrounding his future, he said: 'After this is 29 games more. The end of the game is not the end of the Premier League.


Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic remains unfazed by their position at the wrong end of the table


Fulham were thrashed 5-1 by Arsenal in their last Premier League fixture two weeks ago

'If we win, (there is a) long period ahead of us and we will find more tough afternoons after this game. If we lose, it's the same, there are 29 more games.

'It's not the last game for us or Cardiff; we must focused and ready.

'All the games are important, it's not close to the end, this season we will finish in middle of May.

'There are 90 points ahead of us to fight for; next chance is chance to fight for three points and we will be ready.

'We need the points, they need the points; it will make a tough game and we must be ready.'

Saturday's fixture between Jokanovic's team and Neil Warnock's will also test their vastly different approaches.


Fulham could drop into the Premier League bottom three if they lose to Cardiff on Saturday


Andre Schurrle and Jean Michael Seri pictured during Fulham's heavy home loss to Arsenal

Fulham spent more than £100million on new players after their promotion while Cardiff's investment was minimal; both have also so far struggled to adapt to the Premier League with their respective expansive and direct styles of play.

The 50-year-old Jokanovic, who also remains without the injured Joe Bryan and Tom Cairney, said: 'Probably we will have possession because Cardiff are not so interested about this.

'But they have important weapons in this squad and we must take care about set-pieces, second phases, long throws.

'They always play a strong, physical game. They are strong and this is the weapons they use.

'We have the plan for the game; it's important to stick with it and trust ourselves.'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6291285/Fulham-boss-Slavisa-Jokanovic-plays-relegation-clash-Cardiff.html

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MUST-LISTEN Simon Jordan rants at the FA over Wembley Stadium sale and says bosses Greg Clarke and Martin Glenn MUST go

Former Crystal Palace owner joined talkSPORT to offer his verdict on Shahid Khan pulling out of his £600million bid for the national stadium

Simon Jordan has blasted the Football Association, saying they 'reside over debacle over debacle' after their plans to sell Wembley Stadium to Fulham owner Shahid Khan fell through.

American billionaire Khan had offered £600million to purchase the national stadium, a deal FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn were said to be strongly in favour of.

The bosses had wanted to use the money to invest in grassroots and community football and boost public facilities up and down the country.

However, Khan announced on Wednesday that he had withdrawn his offer on the grounds that only a minority of the FA Council were behind his takeover.

Jordan was also strongly against the idea of selling the Home of Football to foreign ownership.

But the former Crystal Palace owner sees the collapsed deal as just another failure under the tutelage of Clarke and Glenn and has called for both bosses to step down from their roles.

He told talkSPORT host Jim White on Thursday: "The FA reside over debacle over debacle.

"I think it's difficult to make a case for Martin Glenn and Greg Clarke not to go.

"Khan is stepping away because it's a mess, because he doesn't want to be party to a mess, because Glenn and Clarke can't sell it. They can't get it across the line. They can't take the easy route of selling an asset under value to fund a situation which, in part, has been created by the FA itself.

"Khan knows this is toxic right now, so he's putting it back on the FA and saying, 'get this mess sorted out and maybe I will come back and buy your stadium off you and do you a favour'."



https://talksport.com/football/435017/simon-jordan-the-fa-wembley-stadium-sale-greg-clarke-martin-glenn/

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Wembley decision unrelated to allegations against Fulham, says Khan
• Craig Kline's allegations being reviewed by the FA
• Former Fulham employee lodges employment tribunal claim

The Fulham and Jacksonville Jaguars owner, Shahid Khan, has said the withdrawal of his £600m offer to buy Wembley stadium had nothing to do with the allegations being made against Fulham by Craig Kline, the club's former assistant director of football. Kline went public when he left the club last year with allegations, including racism, made in tweets which he deleted, and he timed his renewed intervention this year to coincide with key Football Association votes on whether to sell Wembley to Khan.

Kline, a US university friend of Shahid Khan's son Tony, has now made a series of allegations against Fulham and named individuals at the club in an employment tribunal claim that he lodged on Wednesday. He claims wrongful dismissal in the circumstances of his departure from the club, victimisation and that a financial settlement he agreed with a duty of confidentiality is not enforceable against him. Kline left Fulham after a troubled few years at the club in which he repeatedly found himself in conflict with colleagues, then made a series of complaints internally and was periodically suspended.

Days before the FA council held its meeting on 11 October in which vocal opposition was expressed to the Wembley sale, leading to Khan withdrawing his offer, the FA had said it was reviewing the allegations made by Kline after he had met a senior FA investigator. When Kline went public again on 8 October in a tweet, he made it clear he believed his allegations should raise questions over the sale of Wembley to Khan, saying he had "key evidence of systemic corruption relevant to the Wembley vote". In subsequent tweets Kline alleged "fraud, child endangerment and exploitation" in football, and he has again claimed to have witnessed instances of alleged racism while at Fulham.

Khan himself dismissed the allegations, saying via a spokesperson, Jim Woodcock: "This is nothing more than the same ongoing nonsense and bogus claims made by a former employee who left the club in 2017. Nothing here merits a further response."

Asked whether Kline's allegations had been a factor in Khan withdrawing the offer for Wembley on Wednesday, Woodcock said they were not and repeated that Khan believes the claims are bogus. Woodcock pointed to Khan's statement regarding Wembley, in which the Fulham owner said he could consider making a new offer if a clear FA majority approved it, as proof that Kline's intervention has been irrelevant.

Kline was appointed by Khan to work at Fulham in October 2014 after the club had been relegated from the Premier League. He had developed a statistics-based method of assessing players for recruitment but his approach brought him into conflict with other members of the football and recruitment staff. He began to complain internally, alleging racism and other improper practices, and raised formal grievances which led to him being intermittently suspended before agreeing a financial settlement to leave last year. Kline claims his allegations were never properly investigated by Fulham; the club's position is that they were.

Within the FA executive and at the Football Foundation, the organisation responsible for investing Premier League, FA and government contributions to grassroots facilities - £64m in total this year - there was great disappointment at the collapse of the proposed sale. The Football Foundation explained that matched funding from local and education authorities could have doubled the £600m Wembley proceeds, for a total £1.2bn which would have made a huge difference.

It said grassroots players were having to "put up with a stock of community football facilities that is in a shameful state. This would have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make considerable inroads into probably the most pressing issue facing football in this country."

The Premier League defended its contribution to the Foundation, of £24m this year, and of £100m in total to grassroots facilities and community projects, which amounts to 3.6% of the top 20 clubs' annual £2.8bn income from the 2016-19 TV deals. That proportion remains less than the 5% of income the Premier League originally pledged in a landmark 1999 Football Task Force report. The outgoing executive chairman, Richard Scudamore, has begun discussing the contributions which will be made from the league's next round of TV deals beginning next season, from 2019-22. Those involved in grassroots football, where facilities are declining further caused by government budget cuts to local authorities, are hoping the Premier League responds to pressure and increases its investment.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/oct/18/wembley-fulham-allegations-shahid-khan-craig-kline-fa-employment-tribunal

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Fulham boss plays down significance of Cardiff clash

Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic has played down the significance of Saturday's game at relegation rivals Cardiff.

A Whites defeat would represent struggling Cardiff's first victory of the Premier League season and drag Fulham into the bottom three.

Even if Jokanovic's inconsistent team have a chance to build some momentum amid the speculation surrounding his future, he said: "After this is 29 games more. The end of the game is not the end of the Premier League.

"If we win, (there is a) long period ahead of us and we will find more tough afternoons after this game. If we lose, it's the same, there are 29 more games.

"It's not the last game for us or Cardiff; we must focused and ready.

"All the games are important, it's not close to the end, this season we will finish in middle of May.

"There are 90 points ahead of us to fight for; next chance is chance to fight for three points and we will be ready.

"We need the points, they need the points; it will make a tough game and we must be ready."

Saturday's fixture between Jokanovic's team and Neil Warnock's will also test their vastly different approaches.

Fulham spent more than £100million on new players after their promotion while Cardiff's investment was minimal; both have also so far struggled to adapt to the Premier League with their respective expansive and direct styles of play.

Jokanovic, who remains without the injured Joe Bryan and Tom Cairney, said: "Probably we will have possession because Cardiff are not so interested about this. But they have important weapons in this squad and we must take care about set-pieces, second phases, long throws.

"They always play a strong, physical game. They are strong and this is the weapons they use.

"We have the plan for the game; it's important to stick with it and trust ourselves."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-boss-plays-down-significance-of-cardiff-clash