Saturday Fulham Stuff (03/10/15)...

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Fulham boss reveals future for ex-Charlton hero Scott Parker

Like Faurlin at QPR - Whites will be careful with captain


Fitness: Scott Parker

Scott Parker will be used sparingly when he finally returns to the Fulham first team, says his boss.

In the same way Alejandro Faurlin at neighbours QPR is being wrapped in cotton wool after three serious ligament injuries, the former England player will see out his contract at the Cottage by coming in and out of the team.

Parker, 35 on Tuesday week, has struggled to shake off ankle concerns dating back to April, and recently needed an injection to speed the healing process.

The club's biggest wage earner at close to £75k-a-week found that not even the use of a state-of-the-art weight bearing treadmill got him over the line.

He played 55 minutes in the 3-0 U21 defeat at Derby on Monday night, but it's touch and go whether he plays any part at Charlton on Sunday where he started his career in 1997.

Manager Kit Symons explained: "I'm very conscious of where Scotty is in his career (see gallery), his fitness levels and his age - there's no getting away from it.

"I've had several lengthy discussions with Scot about this, and we'll work on his own programme and what's right for him.


"When he's fit and available he's a very influential player, but we need to be realistic in acknowledging he won't play every game in what is a tough Championship season."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-boss-reveals-future-ex-10178813?

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Alou Diarra returns from ban for Charlton against Fulham

Charlton can welcome back centre-back Alou Diarra after suspension when they host Fulham.

The former France international served a one-match ban following his red card in the Capital One Cup defeat at Crystal Palace last week.

Goalkeeper Stephen Henderson, midfielders Christian Ceballos and Johnnie Jackson and forwards Igor Vetokele, Simon Makienok and Reza Ghoochannejhad are all set to miss out again through injury.

Teenager Karlan Ahearne-Grant could earn a start in attack after climbing off the bench to score his first league goal in the 2-1 defeat at Cardiff last weekend.

Tom Cairney starts a three-match ban when Fulham travel to The Valley.

The summer signing from Blackburn was given a straight red card in the first half of Tuesday's 3-0 home defeat against Wolves for a two-footed lunge.

Former Addick Scott Parker, Luke Garbutt and George Williams will be hoping to feature after stepping up their return to fitness in Monday's under-21s defeat to Derby.

James Husband is available for Kit Symons' men after the full-back's loan from Middlesbrough was extended.


http://www.espnfc.co.uk/english-league-championship/match/422838/charlton-athletic-fulham/preview?

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Kit's Charlton Preview

Kit Symons is pleased that Fulham have another game coming up so quickly after the defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

A below-par showing saw the 10-man Whites slip to a 3-0 defeat on Tuesday, but attentions now turn solely to the weekend's trip across South London to face Charlton Athletic.

"You've got the high of Friday night with the QPR performance and result, and then the low of Tuesday, which was very disappointing for everyone," Symons said in his pre-match press conference. "But we move on from that and go into a great game for us now, Charlton away, live on the telly on Sunday, so we're looking forward to that.

"The great thing about the Championship is the games come thick and fast, so we had the disappointment of Tuesday and straight away we're into a big game, a London derby, on Sunday.

"So it's a fantastic opportunity for us as a football club to bounce straight back. All the players and everyone at the Club, all my staff, are fully focused on getting the right result on Sunday.

"We were in the next day [after Wolves], we went through the video of the game and put it to bed really. Going into it obviously everyone was very buoyant after recent performances and the QPR result, so I've not let Tuesday night detract too much from that.

"It's a very positive place, training's been excellent subsequently and will remain to be so. We'll write that one off as a blip, as a one-off, and move on from there."

The loss at home to Wolves came as something of a surprise after the blistering display against Queens Park Rangers, and Symons admitted he is keen for Fulham to start putting together some winning runs.

"It's just about getting a bit of consistency," he explained. "Anyone can beat anyone in the Championship, it's such a tight league, so it is just getting a bit of consistency, getting on a bit of a run.

"We spoke after Wolves about how there was a euphoria about the place after the QPR win, and how I didn't really want that. It's a win, brilliant, but it's three points and we move on.

"That's what we do and it needs to become almost second habit getting those three points. Sometimes we'll play really well and get three points, other times it might be a scrappy game and we nick it, but whatever, it's three points and we need to make sure that becomes the norm.

"We have to grind out results when we need to. If we're able to play fluid silky soccer, fantastic, but that won't always be the case in this league and we need to find a way of getting the results when it's not always going our way necessarily.

"This group of players are brilliant, they're really good characters and I'm very happy with what we've got in the building and the people I've got around me, and we'll get there."

The summer saw a heavy turnover of players at the Club, but Symons insists that the group he has at his disposal now have the capabilities to turn Fulham into a real force.

"I think the most important thing is getting the right personalities, the right players, in," he stated. "And I'm delighted we've done that.

"But then to get the cohesion that I think you need to become a top team, it does take a little bit of time for that process to work. But the most important thing is getting the right people in.

"If the dynamic's not right, you can give it all the time in the world but the cohesion will never come. But I think getting the personnel right, like we have done, it'll come.

"I love the process, the way we actually work, the build-up to games, the rest and recovery we give the players afterwards. The way they're treated I think is fantastic, so if you've got the right people and the right process, ultimately it leads to the right outcome."

With the loan window still open, Symons was asked if he's close to adding any new faces to his squad, to which he replied: "Not particularly, no. There's a few people we're speaking to but I wouldn't say anything's imminent.

"We're still looking at the loan market and who we can bring in, who's available, and who would be additive to the squad, and that's the key to it.

"We've got a decent sized squad now; people are coming back to full fitness, and I wouldn't want to just add a number by any stretch. But if we can get the right person in, brilliant."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/october/02/kits-charlton-preview?

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Under-18s Host Villa

Fulham Under-18s will be keen to rediscover their winning touch when they welcome Aston Villa to Motspur Park on Saturday (12pm).

The Young Whites' inconsistent season continued last weekend as they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Norwich City in Norfolk, meaning they've now won four and lost three of their seven matches played so far this season.

A win at the weekend would see Steve Wigley's boys leapfrog their opponents, though, with Villa sitting a point and two places above the Whites in fourth.

Their previous outing saw them dispatch Swansea City 4-2 on home soil, with Callum O'Hare (2), Rushian Hepburn Murphy and Easah Suliman all on target.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/october/02/under-18s-host-villa?

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Live on Sky Sports: Charlton Athletic v Fulham

Sunday's Sky Bet Championship fixture sees a London rivalry between Charlton Athletic and Fulham at the Valley, in the conclusion of the weekend's Sky Sports coverage.
Just three points separate the sides in the table at the quater-way stage this season, with Fulham sitting 14th on 11 points, and Charlton 17th on nine.

The Addicks are without a win in any of their last four League games, and, more notably, they've lost in each of their last three.

The visiting Cottagers have endured mixed form of lately, and their last four results read win, loss, win, loss.

A decade's wait

Charlton haven't overturned Fulham in more than 10 years, stretching back to December 2004, when Jerome Thomas and Talal El Karkouri were on the scoresheet in a 2-1 win.

In the eight games since, Fulham have triumphed four times, while there have been the same number of draws.

Most recently, in 2014/15, Fulham recorded a 3-0 victory at Craven Cottage, while a 1-1 stalemate was played out in the return fixture.

In the media

Charlton boss Guy Luzon says there will be no excuses come matchday, and that his side must get back to winning ways.

"In this kind of situation, everything I say will sound like an excuse," he told cafc.co.uk.

"I don't want to be a person who says 'we have slipped up because of that, because of that and because of that'.

"I can only blame myself and my team. It's our responsibility to perform better. We are working hard to show our quality because we know it's not enough at the moment.

"We are disappointed with our recent performances. We are not happy. The only way to overcome and come back is to work hard, like we did this week.

"It's a challenge and, of course, when you have a great challenge you also have a great opportunity to show your quality. I really believe in my team.

"I know that we have the quality. I know that we have to show it; to show the football that we played in the first four or five games to get our good results back. We are working hard to do it.

"We will come with all that we have against Fulham to try and win the points."

Fulham boss Kit Symons says he is happy his team are back in action so soon, following a 3-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers in midweek.

"You've got the high of Friday night with the QPR performance and result, and then the low of Tuesday, which was very disappointing for everyone," he said to fulhamfc.com.

"The great thing about the Championship is the games come thick and fast, so we had the disappointment of Tuesday and straight away we're into a big game, a London derby, on Sunday.

"So it's a fantastic opportunity for us as a football club to bounce straight back. All the players and everyone at the Club, all my staff, are fully focused on getting the right result on Sunday."

You can follow all the action between Charlton and Fulham on Sky Sports, as well as on our live Twitter feed, @SkyBetChamp.



Read more at http://www.football-league.co.uk/news/article/2015/live-on-sky-sports-charlton-athletic-v-fulham-2723783.aspx#4rRZJVuQXsSfBuJF.99

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O'Hara In Top Three

Jamie O'Hara has made it to the final three in the voting for the PFA Fans' Championship Player of the Month Award.

He's now only up against Reading's Nick Blackman and Sheffield Wednesday's Ross Wallace for the accolade.

Voting is open until Monday, and you can show your support for Jamie by following the below link.

Vote


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/october/02/ohara-in-top-three?

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Charlton v Fulham

SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP
Venue: The Valley Date: Sunday 4 October Kick-off: 12:00 BST
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website


TEAM NEWS
Charlton can welcome back defender Alou Diarra after suspension when they host Fulham.

Karlan Ahearne-Grant could earn a start in attack after climbing off the bench to score his first league goal in the 2-1 defeat at Cardiff last weekend.

Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney starts a three-match ban after a straight red card against Wolves in midweek.

James Husband is available for Kit Symons' men after the full-back's loan from Middlesbrough was extended.

MATCH FACTS
Charlton have lost just one of their last nine league meetings with Fulham at the Valley (W4 D4), scoring 13 and conceding just eight in that time.
Fulham have kept only one clean sheet in their last 13 trips to the Valley in league competition.
Fulham have faced more opposition shots on target than any other Championship team this season (50).
The Addicks have lost four of their last five games in the league, including each of the last three.
Ross McCormack has netted six goals in his last seven games (all comps).


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34372455

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Kit: Positive Reaction

Manager Kit Symons reveals the squad is brimming with positivity ahead of the trip to Charlton and keen put the Wolves result behind them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOb0TBB3b8U

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/october/02/manager-video?

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'James Husband is one of the best players currently out on loan from a Championship club - he's also the most unfortunate.'

Dominic Shaw, in his latest Boro Notebook, looks at the challenge facing James Husband - but says the defender has a bright future


James Husband

Remember last season when Chelsea had about three and half teams worth of players dotted around Europe on loan?

We weren't complaining, mind, given the fact a fair few of them were here.

You can judge the depth and quality of a squad by the players who the managers allow to leave on temporary deals.

So the fact Aitor Karanka let both Adam Reach and Yanic Wildschut move on - players who were battling for the same position - is an indicator of the sheer talent that duo were trying to budge from the team, or even squad.

Reach has had more opportunities to impress than Wildschut. Both have had more opportunities to impress than another Boro player currently enjoying the chance of first team action elsewhere.

James Husband has featured in just three Championship games for Boro since he signed from Doncaster.

You could name a dozen flops of the past who have enjoyed far more opportunities to prove their worth to Boro.

Husband, though, hasn't been a flop. Anything but. His problem comes in the form of a full-back who swapped Donny for Teesside a couple of seasons earlier.

With game-time Husband could well develop into one of the best left-backs in the league but with Friend above him in the pecking-order, that game-time will be extremely hard to come by.

Apart from Sheffield Wednesday away last season - a day to forget for most in Boro colours - Husband has impressed every time he's played.

Solid at the back, quick off the mark, sharp into a tackle and always keen to pelt past the winger in front of him to join an attack. He comes armed with a final ball as well.

No surprise, then, that Fulham were keen to take him back to the Cottage this season after a loan spell there at the end of last term.

He's slotted straight in as well, making five appearances and, as expected, extending his loan stay.

The local press who cover the inconsistent Cottagers have been impressed with Husband, as they were at the end of last season.

Yet the 21-year-old could very soon find himself trying to force his way back into the side from the bench.

James Husband is one of the best players currently out on loan from a Championship club - he's also one of the most unfortunate.

Having spent the last year as George Friend's understudy, he now has promising Luke Garbutt for company.

Garbutt, if you need any reminding, was the classy left-back who played for Gareth Southgate's Under-21 side at the Riverside against Germany. He was one of the best players on the park that night and was a young player in demand in the summer.

Fulham won the race but they had to fork out to do so, coughing up a loan fee to take Garbutt off Everton's hands for a year.

There was genuine surprise from Evertonians when Garbutt joined Fulham. After appearing in the Premier League and Europa League last year, he was tipped as genuine competition for Leighton Baines and, if he was allowed on loan, it was expected to be to a Premier League club.

One Everton writer described the drop down to the Championship as "curious". Safe to say, then, that Everton will expect Garbutt to be playing week in, week out when fit and available at Fulham.

Since Husband joined Fulham on loan, Garbutt has been ruled out through injury, but he's expected to make his return immediately after the international break if not for Sunday's game at Charlton.

So where will that leave Husband?

He's done more than enough to stay in the side, says Paul Warburton, who covers Fulham's fortunes for GetWestLondon, but Garbutt arrived with hype and the Cottagers didn't sign him to sit on the bench.

After watching Husband bust a gut to join Boro's attacks in the pre-season friendly at York in July, I wondered whether there was any possibility of Husband nudging up on to the left side of midfield and playing ahead of Friend - even if it was just to test it out in a summer warm-up match.

The options available to Karanka on the flanks meant, in all likelihood, that was always going to be a non-starter.


Could it be Kit Symons who now puts that to the test and tries Husband in front of Garbutt?

Husband's only 21 but has already made more than 65 league starts.

Aitor Karanka was quizzed about him at his press conference this week.

"He's playing for Fulham, he's improving, he's becoming more mature," said the Boro boss.

"He's getting to know the league, he's playing every single game so Fulham are winning, James is winning and we are winning because he is our player.

He added: "Hubby was the kind of player who makes it difficult for a manager because he was always training really well."

He praised Husband's attitude and his willingness to improve.

The head coach finished with: "Hopefully one day he can play with us."

Husband might have to embrace a couple of other loan moves before that happens but all he can do is continue to impress when he gets the chance.

He's been the victim of George Friend's excellence at Boro but he has time on his hands and a bright future ahead of him.


http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/james-husband-one-best-players-10184385?

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Fulham boss reveals why ex-Manchester United midfielder is thriving at Craven Cottage

RYAN TUNNICLIFFE is thriving at Craven Cottage because he is being shown some TLC, according to Kit Symons.

Tunnicliffe was sent out on loan to league rivals Blackburn last season by former boss Felix Magath before returning to aid Fulham's battle against the drop.

The 22-year-old midfielder then picked up a suspension over the summer after being charged with aggravated misconduct by the FA for a Twitter post.

But after missing the opening two games of the season, he won his place back in the Fulham team and has been one of their most impressive performers so far.

"He's been given an opportunity, first and foremost to do that," Symons said. "Without getting an opportunity you don't get a chance to prove people wrong.

"Ryan's someone who I've always liked, I had him in the Under-21s with me when he turned up at the club and things didn't always go as he would have hoped initially.

"If he's dealt with in the right way, he's a very good player. You can see his athleticism, he covers every blade of grass on the pitch.

"He's a good character and a good lad. I think, like most people, he just needs to be treated in the right way."

Stringing together a run of results has been a problem for Fulham in the early weeks of the campaign and Symons called on Tunncliffe, who signed from Manchester United in 2014, to keep up his good form.

The Whites boss said: "What we want is consistency, we don't want people playing a few good games and then dropping off. I want it to become a level where we can churn out high-level performances week-in, week-out."

Tunnicliffe has experienced midfielder Scott Parker to call on for advice.

The former Charlton, Chelsea and Newcastle man has been sidelined following surgery in the summer but his know-how has been crucial for younger team-mates.

Symons said: "I think Scott, in and around the changing room, is without doubt the one person that all the players look up to and hold in high esteem and rightly so because of what he's achieved in the game.

"Just Scotty being around the changing room is a big influence on, especially, the people in his position like Tunners.

"He's come back into training, I know he's a bit of a way off match fitness but he still drives the sessions and he's great to have around."


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/468049/Fulham-boss-ex-Manchester-United-midfielder-Ryan-Tunnicliffe-thriving-Craven-Cottage

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Fernando Amorebieta's outstanding form for Boro no surprise to Aitor Karanka

Boro boss quick to praise defender Amorebieta, but says he expected this level of performance from a player he knows well

Fernando Amorebieta's outstanding form has come as no surprise to Aitor Karanka.

The Venezuela international defender was, in the eyes of many observers, the man of the match as Boro thumped Leeds last weekend.

And, on current form, could make one of the two centre-back slots his own for the foreseeable future.

That scenario didn't look likely at the end of last season when Amorebieta returned to Fulham following a relatively quiet loan spell with Boro.

But Karanka was quick to re-sign the 30-year-old on a season-long deal when the opportunity arose in August.

Asked if he was delighted with Amorebieta's form, the Boro boss said: "I am not delighted because I expected that (level of) performance from him.

"I said (this week) Adam Clayton is a Premier League player but he has never played in the Premier League.

"Fernando played in the Premier League, played for his national team, played Europa League finals, played I don't know how many games in Spain in La Liga so I didn't have any doubts about him.

"He has experience, he has quality and my surprise is that he was able to come in because it is difficult to find players like him, a good defender, a left-footer, left-back, and for me it's a pleasure."

Karanka first met Amorebieta at the end of his playing career when he returned to Athletic Bilbao 10 years ago.

At the time, the future Boro boss was a senior pro while the young defender was establishing himself as a player of huge potential promise.

"He came through the Athletic Bilbao academy, I met him when he was 18, 19-years-old so I know him really, really well," said Karanka.

"I knew from the first moment when he arrived here he would settle into the changing room really well.

"Now everybody is looking at him on the pitch and seeing what a good player he is."

Amorebieta is expected to feature for Venezuela in the forthcoming internationals against Paraguay (October 8) and Brazil (October 14).


http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fernando-amorebietas-outstanding-form-boro-10183389?