Friday Fulham Stuff (25/03/16)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Ream: Absolute Intensity.

Tim Ream looks ahead to the biggest game of the year against MK Dons and wants to match the intensity shown against Birmingham.

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/march/24/ream-mk-dons-preview?

[WhiteJC]

 
Pringle Loan Extended

Ben Pringle's loan spell at Ipswich Town has been extended until the end of the season.

The wide midfielder has made seven appearances for the Tractor Boys so far, and scored consecutive winners against Huddersfield Town and Nottingham Forest.

Town currently sit eighth in the Sky Bet Championship, four points off the Play-Off places.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/march/24/pringle-loan-extended?

[WhiteJC]

 
Pringle Loan Extension Confirmed

Town have confirmed that Ben Pringle's loan has been extended into its third month.

Speaking at the start of the Fulham midfielder's second month with the Blues, manager Mick McCarthy explained the situation.

"It was always taken that we're taking him to the end of the season but that we can have a break in an emergency loan," he said.

We understand that the breaks have allowed the 93-day loan to stretch to allow the 26-year-old to play for the Blues in the play-off semi-finals if they make them but not the final on Saturday 28th May.


http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/29334/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham face 'biggest game of the year' – Ream

Tim Ream has labelled Fulham's next league match, at fellow strugglers MK Dons, the club's "biggest game of the year".

Slavisa Jokanovic's side are only one point and one place above the Dons, who sit just inside the Championship's relegation zone.

The two sides meet at Craven Cottage on 2 April, after the international break.

Whites defender Ream told Fulham's website: "I think the key over the last eight games is coming in with absolute intensity from the first minute and hopefully that puts us in a good position come the final game.

"You have to come out and play with that intensity in every match from here until the end because every team is doing it."

Fulham have only four first-team players – Ross McCormack, Moussa Dembele, Ashley Richards and Emerson Hyndman – away on international duty and Ream believes this will benefit their preparation for the Dons game.

He said: "We're already focusing on different aspects of our style, the game we want to play and the tactics we want to come in with. We'll continue to do that throughout the next 10 days.

"I think it's good that the majority of the guys are still here and we can really focus on what is going to turn out to be probably the biggest game of the year."


http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-face-biggest-game-of-the-year-wls-football

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham player on course for Championship play-off medal – while his mates hope to avoid the drop

The sliver lining behind lack of games for Whites has found midfielder in with a chance of Wembley glory in May


In luck: Ben Pringle (C)

Ben Pringle seems to have found the crock of goal at the end of the rainbow.

The Fuham l eft-sided midfielder has had loan at Ipswich Town extended until the end of the season, after hitting the ground running at Portman Road.

Signed in the summer on a free from Rotherham United but frozen out of boss Slavisa Jokanovic's current plans, the Geordie has made seven appearances for the Tractor Boys, and scored consecutive winners against Huddersfield Town and Nottingham Forest.

Town currently sit eighth in the Sky Bet Championship, four points off the Play-Off places.

At the other end of the scale, Pringle's pals back at Craven Cottage have an underlined six pointer when they entertain MK Dons at home on Saturday week, with the Bucks side just one point behind Whites in fourth-bottom place.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-player-course-championship-play-11091226?

[WhiteJC]

 
How could Fulham go down with Ross McCormack and Moussa Dembele in the team? Slavisa Jokanovic responds to the number one question

Whites head coach reacts to notion Whites are too good to go down with two of the hottest scoring talents in football  - never mind the Championship


Hitmen: Moussa Dembele (L) and Ross McCormack

The hottest debate among Fulham fans is how can the club be in with a shout of relegation - make that wail of anguish - when two of their finest have scored 35 out of 57 goals?

Only Burnley at the top of the Championship tree have scored more this season – and even then just four more.

Ross McCormack (21) and Moussa Dembele (14) comfortably make the top 11 on the Championship scoring charts, with Mac the Attack just behind Burnley's Andre Gray in top spot.

But next Saturday, they could be in the bottom three if Fulham lose a six-pointer to MK Dons in the last drop spot.

None of that cuts any ice with Whites boss Slavisa Jokanovic.

He says he would be happy to swap fewer goals from the prodigious pair for a brick wall in defence.

"Fulham have two important players, but it's a team sport," he said.

"It would be a problem for them too if we started with nine players – and two short at the back.

"I don't expect one or two players are going to fix the situation. It needs everybody.

"Everybody knows Moussa and Ross are quality players, but the goals they scored haven't made an easier situation for us.

"We need a nice balance. Maybe if we score fewer, we can concede fewer."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-could-fulham-go-down-11092065?

[WhiteJC]

 
International Round-Up

Ross McCormack claimed an assist on an impressive return to the international stage as Scotland beat the Czech Republic 1-0 at the Generali Arena.

Two years after his last cap, McCormack was named in the starting XI and set up the only goal after 10 minutes, turning his marker and threading a superb throughball to Watford's Ikechi Anya who raced clear and slotted home.

Scotland were indebted to Allan McGregor for a number of fine saves, before McCormack left the action in the 78th minute for Tony Watt.

Elsewhere, George Williams, currently on loan with Gillingham, played for just over an hour and looked sharp as Wales drew 1-1 with Northern Ireland in Cardiff. Jazz Richards was an unused substitute.

Williams came close to putting Wales in front in the 36th minute but Craig Cathcart got his head in the way of the winger's fierce drive to put it behind for a corner.

Cathcart then put Northern Ireland in front on the hour mark after Wales failed to clear their lines at a corner. But substitute Simon Church levelled matters with a minute left from the penalty spot after he had been fouled by Gareth McAuley.

Kostas Mitroglou was subbed in the dying seconds of Greece's 2-1 win over Montenegro.

Giorgos Tzavellas put Greece in front with a brilliant free-kick that he bent over the wall and into the top-right corner in the 54th minute, but Montenegro were soon on level terms when Zarko Tomasevic met a corner to head home from close range.

Nikolaos Karelis put Greece back in front just after the hour mark when he raced clear and fired in and that was how it stayed.

At Under-20 level, Moussa Dembélé featured as France beat the Czech Republic 2-0. Dembélé went close early on, before Abdou Diallo broke the deadlock on 62 minutes. Sehrou Guirassy grabbed the second 10 minutes later.

Ryan Sessegnon won a penalty and Dennis Adeniran was a late substitute as England Under-17s defeated Turkey 3-1 at Chesterfield in the first of a triple header of Elite Round qualifiers.

Sessegnon headed an early chance wide, but Reiss Nelson put the Young Lions in the lead in the 38th minute with a cool finish.

It was 2-0 shortly after half-time when Jonathan Leko rounded the keeper to score and Nelson added another five minutes later from the spot after Sessegnon was sent sprawling in the box.

Adeniran was introduced with five minutes left and Turkey pulled one back in the dying seconds after a mistake by England keeper Adam Parkes saw Furkan Korkut roll the ball into an empty net.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/march/24/international-round-up?

[WhiteJC]

 
Wales boss Chris Coleman praises 'fearless' George Williams after winger stakes Euro claim

The young winger looked lively in throughout the first half and was causing plenty of problems in the wider channels

Chris Coleman lumped praise on youngster George Williams after his lively performance against Northern Ireland.

The Fulham winger - on loan at Gillingham - was a real outlet for Coleman's men, particularly in the first half, when he got some joy in the wider channels.

He was winning corners, whipping in dangerous crosses and got a dangerous shot away when he popped up on the left near the end of the first half.

The 20-year-old is highly thought of in the Wales camp and Coleman was quick to praise his 'fearless' attitude.

"He's a good player, George," said Coleman.


George Williams holds off Oliver Norwood and Patrick McNair

"He's fearless, he's not worried about what defender he's up against and I've seen him up against some real good defenders.

"I like George. I think, when he's at his best, his most fittest and his most confident, he's got a lot of questions to ask defenders and I like that in players, especially young players."

Last March, Williams suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury that required surgery whilst on loan at MK Dons.

It would keep him sidelined until November, when he came off the bench for the last half hour during Wales' 3-2 defeat to the Netherlands.

Whilst it was clear the Wales boss recognises Williams' potential, Coleman highlighted the need for him to play regularly and welcomed his loan move to Gillingham.

"He's very courageous when he's got the ball," Coleman explained.

"But he needs more games because he was out for a long time with a nasty injury, so it's not going to happen overnight for George.

"He needs to be playing week in, week out and he's done the right thing by going out on loan and dropping down a division because players at that age need games.

"That's when we'll see the best of George Williams."


http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/wales-boss-chris-coleman-praises-11094935?