Friday Fulham Stuff (04/03/16)...

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Edwin van der Sar snubs Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney... but which players do make the former keeper's six-a-side team?
Edwin van der Sar was at Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United
The former Holland goalkeeper played alongside some icons of the game
Van der Sar has picked a six-a-side team from the legends he played with

From Ajax to Manchester United via Juventus and Fulham, Edwin van der Sar not only distinguished himself as one of the all-time great goalkeepers, he also played alongside some of the world's best players.

From Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf and the De Boer brothers in Holland, through to the likes of Alessandro del Piero and David Trezeguet at Juventus, and United legends like Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo, the 45-year-old's team-mates are some of the biggest names in the history of world football.

Yet the likes of Ronaldo, Del Piero and Wayne Rooney all missed out when the Dutchman was asked to name a six-a-side team of players he had played with.


Edwin van der Sar named Rio Ferdinand as his defender for a six-a-side team from those he played with


Van der Sar (No 1) also chose ex-Holland colleagues Patrick Kluivert (No 9) and Dennis Bergkamp (No 10)

After reluctantly accepting that he would have to be in goal – despite claiming to never have voted for himself in his life – Van der Sar named Rio Ferdinand as his sole defender, without much hesitation.

But it became more difficult when he began thinking about more attacking players when the question was put to him after a talk at the Oxford Union on Wednesday.

'Midfield is difficult,' he admitted. 'I've had the opportunities with (Zinedine) Zidane, Paul Scholes, Del Pierro, Frank Rijkaard.

'Lets go for Scholes. Scholes and Zidane. They could play together!'

Up front Rooney and Ronaldo were snubbed in place of a Dutch pairing of Patrick Kluivert and Dennis Bergkamp.

'Up front there's Patrick Kluivert, Rooney, Ronaldo – at my time was more playing like a right winger.

'He was good, you could still reach him. You could still make sure that he did whatever you wanted him to do. You'd clap him for running back.

'But I've got to pick a Dutch player so I'll have Patrick Kluivert. He did not get everything out of his career, but in essence he was a great striker.

'The there's Marco van Basten. But I only played against him so I'll go Dennis Bergkamp. I think he's very appreciated here, especially in London.'

Van der Sar, who won the Champions League with both Ajax and United during a stellar career, also won 130 caps for Holland, the most of any Dutch player.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3474282/Edwin-van-der-Sar-snubs-Cristiano-Ronaldo-Wayne-Rooney-players-make-former-keeper-s-six-team.html#ixzz41undsIIY
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Where Are They Now? Fulham's XI From Spurs Away 2013

Three years ago this month marks one of Fulham Football Club's best ever results. On a mild March day in 2013, the Cottagers went away to Champions League chasing Tottenham Hotspur and ground out a famous 1-0 win. It was their first victory in over 10 years at White Hart Lane, and will go down in history as one of their greatest ever away matches. On that brilliant Sunday afternoon the sturdy Whites backline subdued superstar Gareth Bale and led the perfect smash and grab away performance. Fullback Sascha Riether bombed down the right wing and produced a sumptuous cut back that Dimitar Berbatov cooly slotted home in the 52nd minute, sealing the match for Fulham. Yet much has changed since then. Here is a look at where the starting XI that day are now, three years after the superb victory.

Mark Schwarzer

The Australian goalkeeper was in inspired form that day, making crucial saves in the closing stages to keep out Jermain Defoe and to preserve the clean sheet. Schwarzer left Fulham for local rivals Chelsea at the end of the 2012/13 season after the arrival of Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg. Schwarzer went on to feature in key matches for the Blues in 2013/14, most notably in the Champions League semifinal against Atletico Madrid. He is now the back up goalkeeper to Kasper Schmeichel at Leicester City, and his career is still going strong at the age of 43.

John Arne Riise

The mercurial Norwegian left back departed Craven Cottage following the club's relegation in 2014, and moved to Cyprus to play for APOEL. Riise won the double in his first year there, but moved to Delhi Dynamos in India in 2015. His spell in India has come to an end, and he now is listed as a free agent at the age of 35.

Philippe Senderos

Senderos joined Fulham back in 2010, and has divided opinion over his worth at centreback. The Swiss international certainly lacked pace and had an awkward gait, and when Fulham were mired in a relegation battle in 2014, he was shipped out to Valencia. He played half a season in La Liga before returning to England with Aston Villa, where he made just 8 appearances over two years. Senderos now plies his trade in his native Switzerland with Grasshoppers.

Brede Hangeland

Club legend and longtime captain Brede Hangeland departed the club in regrettable circumstances in 2014, when he claimed he was informed of the termination of his contract by email. Hangeland was acquired by Premier League side Crystal Palace at the start of the 2014/15 season, and the Norwegian centreback has made 21 appearances and scored 2 goals for the Eagles since. At 34 years old, it is refreshing to see Hangeland still performing at the highest level.

Sascha Riether

A fan favourite during his spell in SW6, Riether joined from German side Koln on a season long loan in 2012, and made the move permanent in 2013. However, he also left the club after relegation in 2014, arriving at Bundesliga side Freiburg. Unfortunately for Riether, Freiburg went down in 2015, prompting a move to Schalke, where he now plays.

Steve Sidwell

The hardworking English midfielder also abandoned ship after the 2013/14 relegation campaign, heading to Stoke City to rejoin former manager Mark Hughes. However, Sidwell's opportunities were limited at the Britannia, and he looked to move on loan to a Championship club this winter. Fulham were reportedly linked, but Sidwell ended up joining Brighton on a half season loan.

Giorgos Karagounis

The elder statesmen of the Fulham side, Karagounis was well into his late thirties when he joined the Whites. Although he was quickly aging, Karagounis always gave his all on the pitch and would consistently turn in battling performances in the centre of the park. After having his contract terminated in May 2014, Karagounis retired at the age of 37 after a memorable career.

Damien Duff

The Ireland international spent 5 successful seasons at Fulham, steering them to the Europa League final and scoring 15 total goals. After departing Fulham at the end of 2014, Duff spent short spells in the A League with Melbourne Victory and then finally ended his career in December 2015 while with Shamrock Rovers in Ireland.

Dimitar Berbatov

The goalscorer on that fateful March day was a hit for Fulham in his debut season, bagging 15 goals in 2012/13. But the languid Bulgarian was not built for a grueling relegation dogfight, and he was shipped off to the luxuries of Monaco in January 2014. Berbatov stayed in the principality until the end of the the 2014/15 season, when he moved to PAOK in Greece. Berbatov has scored 4 goals in 14 appearances to date in Greece.

Bryan Ruiz

Yet another flair player who never seemed equipped to play in England, Ruiz jumped at the opportunity to join PSV Eindhoven on loan during Fulham's relegation campaign. But at the start of the next season, a bizarre transfer saga meant Ruiz stayed at Fulham. Then-manager Kit Symons brought him in from the cold to make 32 appearances in the Championship. Ruiz promptly departed at the start of this season and has joined the ranks of Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, where he plays to this day.

Ashkan Dejagah

The Iranian attacker was one of Fulham's few bright spots in the relegation season of 2013/14, and it was no surprise that he would elect to leave at the end of the year. But his decision to join Al-Arabi of the Qatari league was quite the shock. Dejagah has scored 8 goals in 40 appearances for Al-Arabi, and is certainly raking in the cash, earning a reported 100,000 pounds a week.

In all, the fact that not one of the starting XI that beat Spurs three years ago is at the club now is a depressing figure. In examining this squad, the reasons for Fulham's impending relegation were clear. A vastly aging team was always going to struggle, and the lack of investment in the summer of 2012 contributed to Fulham's freefall. Fulham were already in decline, and are now mired in the Championship, with promotion a distant concept. All FFC supporters can do now is reminisce on the good old days, and hope for a miraculous return to the top flight.


http://tbrfootball.com/where-are-they-now-fulhams-xi-from-spurs-away-2013/?

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London Football Awards

The London Football Awards take place on Thursday evening, and Moussa Dembélé and Ross McCormack have both received nominations.

The pair beat off competition from players at all nine London clubs from the Sky Bet Championship to League Two to make the five-man shortlist, where they're joined by Brentford's Alan Judge, Matt Phillips of Queens Park Rangers, and Jay Simpson, whose goals for Leyton Orient make him the country's top scorer so far this season.

Furthermore, Dembélé is also in contention for the London Young Player of the Year Award, but he'll have to fight off stiff competition from some of the Premier League's brightest footballers.

Tottenham Hotspur's England internationals Dele Alli and Eric Dier are joined on the shortlist by fellow North London man Hector Bellerin of Arsenal, while Charlton Athletic's Ademola Lookman is also a contender.

The ceremony takes on Thursday evening in Battersea and will be independently judged by experts from the media, former players and representatives of London's 15 professional clubs.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/march/03/london-football-awards?

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McDermott looks ahead to Reading v Fulham

Speaking to Get Reading ahead of this weekend's home encounter with Fulham, Reading manager Brian McDermott has confirmed that Matej Vydra is unlikely to feature. The striker should return for their clash with Huddersfield Town next Tuesday.

Reflecting on last weekend's epic 4-3 away victory at struggling Charlton Athletic, McDermott said that it is important his team learn from the mistakes they made at The Valley.

Vydra, on loan at the Madejski Stadium from Premier League side Watford, is the Royals' top scorer but has sat out their last few games with a hamstring problem. McDermott confirmed that he will be back in training on Friday, but Saturday's match should come too soon for him,

"He hasn't trained yet. We're hopeful he will train on Friday but the Fulham game will be too early for Matty.

"He went back to Watford for a couple of days. The medical staff wanted to check him out but he's back here now.

"There's a couple of others who have knocks and won't train today, but come Friday we're hopeful everybody else will be fit."

Reading earned a rare away victory against the Addicks last week, scoring deep into added time after only conceding an equaliser moments before. He insists that his team must improve from a defensive aspect,

"We obviously made mistakes when we were 3-1 up.

"The game started to go against us when it was 3-2 – and that's something we'll talk about.

"We lost our way. We made mistakes and we'll learn from that."

Saturday's match is the first of three in six days for Reading. They quickly follow up that game with a trip to Huddersfield on Tuesday, before a key FA Cup Quarter-Final versus Crystal Palace the following Friday. McDermott says he will take things one game at a time,

"What you don't want to do is go into Crystal Palace under-cooked.

"You have to make sure you get the balance right.

"But my priority now is Fulham, then Huddersfield and then we'll go from there."

A win for Reading would consolidate their place in the top half of the Championship. A play off push is unlikely but anything but impossible. They also have a game in hand over some sides in and around them.


http://the72.co.uk/49192/mcdermott-looks-ahead-to-reading-v-fulham/?

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Fulham Hired Web Expert to Message Their Own Players Posing as a 16-Year-Old Girl

Fulham hired an internet expert to pose as a 16-year-old girl and message some of their players, it has been revealed.

According to The Times, via The Evening Standard, the bizarre test was designed and carried out to warn players at The Championship club of the perils of social media, and apparently not everyone passed with flying colours.

The expert pretended to be a 16-year-old girl, and messaged a series of players at the club whilst claiming to be a Fulham supporter.

And their ex-manager Kit Symons has admitted that some players were caught out and duped by the scheme, and shocked into taking more care when using the likes of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Emphasising the pitfalls of the modern technology for a high-profile sportsman in a position of responsibility, Symons said via The Standard: "Some of the young players fell for it as real. It was a short, sharp shock.
"You can tell lads about getting caught out and they'll think 'oh they won't catch me' and then that happens, they are caught.

"You strive to make the club a reflection on your own values and if a player did something against those values you'd feel let down.

"There are 30 lads you are father to.

"You hope when they are away from the working environment that their decision-making is sound."

Symons' comments come in the wake of former Sunderland winger Adam Johnson facing a lengthy jail sentence after being convicted on Wednesday of one count of sexual activity with a child.

He had previously admitted one count of grooming and another of sexual acivity with a child, as well as messaging the 15-year-old on Facebook and Snapchat.


http://talkingbaws.com/2016/03/fulham-hired-web-expert-to-message-their-own-players-posing-as-a-16-year-old-girl/?

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Jokanović's Reading Preview

Slaviša Jokanović wants his players to take their hard work on the training ground into competitive games.

The Whites have improved considerably under Jokanović but are still lacking consistency and were beaten 2-0 by promotion-chasing Middlesbrough last weekend.

Ahead of Saturday's clash with Reading, the Head Coach said: "I cannot complain about training, it's going very well. Now they need to implement it into games; make less mistakes, concentrate more and be more competitive."

The Whites found themselves facing an uphill battle against Boro after falling 2-0 down inside the opening 20 minutes and Jokanović conceded: "Middlesbrough were better than us, they were physically stronger and more solid. Tactically they played a better team and technically they played with more passion. They punished us at the beginning of the game and we didn't have enough power to get back in the match. It's not acceptable the game was over after half an hour."

The defeat saw the Whites slip down to 20th in the table, but Jokanović is confident his side will be safe before the season is out.

"I try thinking step by step, I'm sure we're going to avoid relegation," he stated. "I haven't made any calculations, I'm only thinking about what's in front of us and that's the Reading game.

"My focus is completely short-term. Of course, we're thinking about the future but at the moment it's more important to concentrate on the now. Next season starts in August. We've had three depressing years which isn't good enough for the Club and the supporters, but I'm excited about the job and the future."

Saturday's opponents Reading have won their last three league and cup games and are yet to lose at the Madejski Stadium in 2016. Jokanović is, therefore, expecting a tough test of his side's credentials.

"They're playing good football, they're very organised and very fast," said Jokanović. "In the last month they played better football than before. They had a great result last week [at Charlton Athletic] and are in the FA Cup Quarter-Finals."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/march/03/jokanovics-reading-preview?

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Slavisa Jokanovic 'sure' Fulham will not be relegated from the Championship


Slavisa Jokanovic led Watford to promotion last season

Manager Slavisa Jokanovic is convinced struggling Fulham will stay up.

The west London side, who face Reading on Saturday, are two places above the Championship drop zone after winning just three of their last 20 matches.

But Jokanovic, who took over in December, told BBC Radio London: "I am sure we are not going to be relegated.

"I am not making any calculation about points needed to stay up. I am only thinking about what is in front of us and in front of us is Reading."

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli is close to returning to the squad after a long-term knee injury.

The 23-year-old, sidelined since August, has played in two recent matches for Fulham's Under-21 side.

And striker Cauley Woodrow is also back in training following a foot injury he suffered against Sheffield Wednesday in January.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35720457

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Reading FC v Fulham: The key battles which could decide Saturday's game

Royals writer Charles Watts takes a closer look at this weekend's Championship clash at Madejski Stadium


Michael Hector will be up against Ross McCormack.

Reading host Fulham on Saturday looking to make it four successive wins in all competitions.

And they will be out to avenge the 4-2 defeat they suffered at Craven Cottage earlier in the season which saw them surrender a two-goal lead.

Ahead of the game our Royals writer Charles Watts has picked out three contests which he thinks will be key to deciding who comes out on top.

Hector v McCormack
As we all saw at Craven Cottage back in October, Ross McCormack is Fulham's most potent attacking threat.

Moussa Dembele may have scored two goals as the Whites came back to stun Reading 4-2, but it was McCormack who was the catalyst for the turnaround.

Having scored his side's first goal, moments after Orlando Sa had given Royals a 2-0 lead, he then continued to terrorise the visitors' defence.

McCormack loves to drop into the No.10 position, he always looks to get on the ball in space and make things happen with his clever play.

So it's vital that Reading don't allow him to do that on Saturday which is why Michael Hector will be key.

Sitting just in front of the back four in recent weeks Hector has been very impressive, particularly against West Brom in the FA Cup win.

And he will need to repeat that sort of performance against Fulham. He must ensure that McCormack, who has scored 16 league goals this season, does not find those pockets of space in the final third from where he can be such a threat.

If Hector does that, Royals will take a major step towards securing all three points.

John v Fredericks

Ola John is in excellent form for Reading.

In recent weeks we've seen the best of Ola John.

It may have taken him some time to cement a starting spot in the side, but the Dutch winger is clearly enjoying his football right now.

At Charlton last weekend he was electric during a first half which saw Royals cruise into a 3-1 lead.

He set up the first goal for Yann Kermorgant, scored the third himself and was a constant handful down the left hand side.

The 23-year-old is full of confidence and has the ability to pick teams apart with his pace and trickery, in his current form Reading should look to get him on the ball as much as possible.

On Saturday he will be up against Ryan Fredericks, who will head to Madejski Stadium expecting a busy afternoon.

If John can get the better of the former Tottenham academy product then he should be able to provide the service Brian McDermott's side need to get three points.

Kermorgant v Dan Burn

Yann Kermorgant scores his second goal at Charlton.

It took him five games, but Yann Kermorgant is now up and running at Reading.

The French striker was exceptional against Charlton last weekend - producing a striking masterclass during the 4-3 win.

He scored his first two goals for his new club, as well as producing a wonderful through ball to set Ola John up for Royals' third goal of the afternoon.

At the Valley on Saturday Kermorgant looked like the player who helped fire Bournemouth to the Premier League last season.

So he will be in confident mood against Fulham and will be keen to grab his first goal at Madejski Stadium.

With Richard Stearman suspended, the Cottagers will be light at the back so Dan Burn will be key to the visitors' hopes of snatching something from their trip to Berkshire.

The 6ft 7ins centre-back has been in impressive form this season and is believed to be attracting interest from Premier League clubs such as Stoke City.

He will be the man tasked with stopping Kermorgant and their battle in the air - in both boxes - could be what decides the outcome of this match.


http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/reading-fc-v-fulham-key-10980645?

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Fulham boss on George Cohen statue and what England must do for second World Cup win

Joka pays tribute to 1966 hero as well as looking to the country where he played most of his club football as a beacon for a future Three Lions triumph


Honour: England captain Bobby Moore kissing the Jules Rimet trophy with George Cohen, far left

George Cohen is to get a statue raised in his honour at Craven Cottage – and the Fulham's boss reckons the 1966 World Cup hero deserves it.

But Slavisa Jokanovic believes if the national side wants another triumph, they need to look no further than Spain, where he spent most of his playing career.

The head coach was still two years off being born when Fulham hero Cohen and co ran round the old Wembley with the Jules Rimet Trophy after beating West Germany 4-2 in extra time.

The manager couldn't resist a friendly jibe about the controversial third England goal that July day 50 years ago, but was deadly serious about the way forward to a second triumph.

He said: "I was playing in Spain for many years and saw what happened there.

"In the last 10 years, Spanish football is the best in the world. "Here in England, clubs have spent money. But it's about organisation and things like that if you want more success.

"But you need not be depressed when you see what happened in Spain and also to sides like Belgium more recently.

"George is one of the more important players in football history and he deserves something like this.

"Everyone knows this game (the 1966 final), and if you ask me about referees (and controversy) you should ask about that (third) goal."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-boss-george-cohen-statue-10986997?

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Jokanović: Reading Video Preview

Head Coach Slaviša Jokanović wants his side to compete from the first minute to the last against Reading on Saturday.

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/march/03/head-coach-video?

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Southbanker: Reading FC versus Fulham brings back some great memories of Elm Park

Royals fan Anthony Fenn on his first Reading v Fulham fixture ahead of this weekend's game


Royals lost 4-2 at Fulham in October

I always associate Fulham at home with fireworks.

My first 'unofficial' firework display at Elm Park took place in late October 1970.

Fulham were the visitors for a Division 3 game and over 14,000 fans turned up for this midweek fixture which was more-or-less double the average gate at that time.

The southbank was heaving and the atmosphere prior to kick-off was volatile and crackling with anticipation underneath the Elm Park floodlights.

This was in the days before proper crowd segregation and the southbank was divided down the middle with Reading and Fulham fans either side of the central steps and the thin blue line of the Thames Valley constabulary.

With Bonfire Night only a few days away it was inevitable that several bangers and jumping jacks were let off in the southbank and chucked around between the rival fans. How nobody sustained a serious injury was more down to luck than judgement.

If I remember correctly the game lived up to expectations and finished 1-1 with Dick Habbin scoring for Reading.

I recall Jack Mansell, the Reading manager, saying that if Habbin was only three or four inches taller he would have become the new Martin Peters – 1966 and all that.

In the pre-Messi era, midgets were not given much game time.

Consequently, I always look forward to Fulham games and am rarely disappointed although I still haven't got over this season's trip to Craven Cottage.

Hopefully the Royals can exact revenge for that turnaround humiliation that resulted in a 4-2 defeat last October.

Such is the lot of football managers that both Steve Clarke and Kit Symons were both relieved of their commands shortly afterwards.

Aside from creating a reputation as FA Cup quarter-final specialists, Royals have flattered to deceive in the league and have drastically fallen off the pace since their last meeting.

Mind you, Fulham have had an even worse season and currently sit two places and seven points above the drop zone.

Reading have at least stopped the rot with two consecutive league wins on the back of the cup heroics against West Brom and go into this Saturday's game with the confidence of an unbeaten five-match run.

Hopefully there will be plenty of fireworks on the pitch, preferably of a blue and white variety.


http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/southbanker-reading-fc-versus-fulham-10987691?

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Moussa Lands London Football Award

Fulham striker Moussa Dembélé has been named Football League Player of the Year at the London Football Awards on Thursday evening.

Presented the award by Sir Trevor Brooking, the young Frenchman beat Whites teammate Ross McCormack to the gong, as well as Brentford's Alan Judge, Matt Phillips of Queens Park Rangers and Jay Simpson of Leyton Orient.

Dembélé missed out on the London Young Player of the Year Award to Tottenham Hotspur's Dele Alli.

The ceremony took place on Thursday evening in Battersea and was independently judged by experts from the media, former players and representatives of London's 15 professional clubs.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/march/03/moussa-award?

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Fulham catfished players to prevent future teenage flirting

Fulham brass put together an unusual scheme to warn players about flirting with teenage fans.

Earlier in the season, Fulham hired an internet expert to pose as a 16-year-old female fan and send flirtatious messages to the players on Facebook, reports the Evening Standard. The age of consent in England is 16.

The news of Fulham's plan comes in the wake of former Sunderland winger Adam Johnson's conviction for sexual activity with a 15-year-old.

Former Fulham manager Kit Symons says some players were caught by the test, designed to teach them a lesson.

"Some of the young players fell for it as real. It was a short, sharp shock," he said. "You can tell lads about getting caught out and they'll think 'oh they won't catch me' and then that happens, they are caught."

Johnson, 28 and a former English national player, was convicted on three criminal charges this week.


http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2016/03/03/fulham-catfished-players-adam-johnson-underage?

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Fulham striker Moussa Dembele wins Football League Player of the Year title at London football awards

Fulham's Moussa Dembele has been crowned Football League Player of the Year' at the London Football Awards.

The 19-year-old beat off competition from Fulham teammate Ross McCormack, Brentford's Alan Judge, Leyton Orient striker Jay Simpson and QPR midfielder Matt Phillips to win the accolade.

Dembele, who is a product of Paris Saint Germain's youth academy, joined Slaviaa Jokanovic's side in 2012 and has successfully made the step up to first-team level.

The west Londoners' are languishing in 20th place in the second tier of English football and are just seven points above the relegation zone, but Dembele's individual reputation continues to soar.

The striker has scored 10 goals in 31 Championship appearances this season and came close to signing for Tottenham in the January transfer window.

A deal eventually collapsed due to the north Londoners' reluctance to loan Dembele back to Fulham but, with the forward's deal at Craven Cottage set to expire this summer, he could be on the move soon.


http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-striker-moussa-dembele-wins-football-league-player-of-the-year-title-at-london-football-a3195176.html?

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Fulham Fan On Clarke, Jokanovic, THAT 4-2 Win & Prospects Of A Madejski Win

Our latest View From The Town End sees us get the thoughts of Fulham fan Andrew on his team's chances of a win at the Madejski Stadium & whether he wanted Steve Clarke as their manager.

So what can Reading expect from Fulham tomorrow? We spoke to Andrew from fellow SB Nation blog and Fulham hotspot Cottagers Confidential.

How would you sum up Fulham's season so far?

The season has been disappointing. There was the hope at the beginning of the year that this squad could at least contend for a playoff spot. Unfortunately that wasn't to be. And to make matters worse, the coaching search took so long that the team actually feel back way to close to the relegation spots for comfort.

What's the early verdict on Slavisa Jokanovic? Wish you'd ended up with Steve Clarke?

I catch a lot of flak for this opinion, but I don't believe managers make that much difference. The truly great managers can get a little more performance out of a squad. The truly bad managers can cause a squad to underperform their true talent. But as long as the players haven't tuned out the manager and are still playing for him, the results are really based on the players and not the managers.

Slavisa seems to be saying the right things. Fulham have had a long list of managers who would say that we deserved a point, or we just go unlucky. When the team loses, he isn't afraid to say things like, "We surrendered against them (boro). This situation is not acceptable." That's a breath of fresh air for most Fulham fans. He also isn't afraid to change things up. If his game plan isn't working, he'll change it quickly. He'll substitute at the half or earlier if he feels it's necessary. So far, I like what I see. I don't think I'm ready to say he's a great manager. But I'm confident he isn't a bad one. As long as the players are playing for him, I think they'll do as well as their talent allows. The talent on Fulham is the real problem.

To be honest, I've never been a fan of Steve Clarke. I'm not sure what he's accomplished that makes him desirable. He probably would have been fine, as I don't think he's actively bad. But Jokanovic is much more fun (based on his personality) to the supporters.

The game between us at Craven Cottage proved a massive turning point in our season. What did you make of Reading that day and from what you've seen and read since?

It appeared that it might be a turning point for Fulham. The squad had a habit of just capitulating when they fell behind. To score four goals and come back from being down 2-0 was quite surprising. That result and the result against Bristol City a week later made it seem as if Kit Symons had things figured out. We wouldn't be Fulham if that were the case however.

As for Reading, I'm not sure what to make of them. Once Sa scored your second goal, I figured you would pack it in, and Fulham would struggle to break you down. I'm still not sure exactly what happened. I definitely never expected Fulham to score three goals in six minutes.

That game was so flukey, I'm not sure we can take anything from it. Fulham have scored a lot of goals this season (second in goals scored), and have scored 3+ goals eight times. So, a 4-2 game wasn't out of the question. The defence has been just as atrocious as the offense has been good, giving up 1.6 goals a game. Slavisa has made a few changes and the defence has improved a bit. Over his 10 games, the goals against have only been 1.4/game versus 1.75 before him. The shot data shows that Fulham are giving up less shots and less dangerous shots as well. The offense has fallen a bit (from 1.5 to 1.4 goals a game), and the shot data supports this change as well. I expect a much less wild affair this time. Fulham will probably keep the ball a lot, with many short passes. I expect them to score. But some of our biggest weaknesses are also your biggest strengths (defending set pieces).

Who should Reading fans watch out for on Saturday?

Ross McCormack. Honestly, if you said he was the best player in the Championship, I'd have a hard time arguing against you. He's scored 111 goals in the Championship. He has a chance to be the top scorer in the division this year. But he's not just a scorer. He's also fourth in the Championship in assists. He's either scored or assisted on 23 of Fulham's 51 goals this year.

Any Royals player you're not looking forward to facing?

Matej Vydra is always a player I've liked, and I'm quite surprised he's still playing in the the division, so I'm glad he's reportedly set to miss the game. I also don't like facing Danny Williams, but only because I'm always afraid someone is going to be horribly injured by one of his tackles.

And what's your score prediction?

Fulham have been kind of a yo-yo team. Their last performance was pretty bad, so I'm expecting this one to be much better. I'm thinking Fulham win this one 2-1.


http://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2016/3/4/11158276/reading-fc-fulham-fc-championship-march-5-steve-clarke-danny-williams-ross-mccormack