Sunday Fulham Stuff (24/04/16)...

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Friday Result
Preston NE	0-1	Burnley
Saturdays Results
Derby	1-1	Sheff Wed
Wolves	0-0	Rotherham
Cardiff	2-1	Bolton
Charlton	1-3	Brighton
Fulham	1-3	Nottm Forest
Blackburn	2-2	Bristol City
Hull	2-2	Leeds
Middlesbrough	0-0	Ipswich
MK Dons	1-4	Brentford
QPR	1-1	Reading
Huddersfield	1-1	Birmingham

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Derby Day Tickets

Fulham's final away game of the season sees us make the short trip to Brentford next Saturday (3pm).

Tickets are currently on sale to Season Ticket Holders and Members with 200 loyalty points or more, although this number will drop to 100 on Monday.

The Whites have taken seven points from their three London derbies to date this season, and Slaviša Jokanović will be hoping to get that tally to double figures when we travel to Griffin Park for the penultimate game of the campaign.

Tickets are priced at just £25 for adults, and from £8 for concessions.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/april/23/derby-day-tickets?

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Fulham heavily beaten by Nottingham Forest but MK Dons losing to Brentford secures Championship status

Whites have a bad day at the office against the Tricky Trees


Consolation: Matt Smith

Fulham were beaten by Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage but Brentford's win at MK Dons ensured any lingering relegation fears went away with the Buckinghamshire side being the third and final team to take the drop.

Henri Lansbury was in inspired form, scoring twice and setting up Robert Tesche's opener as the home side settled for a Matt Smith consolation.

The opening exchanges were that of a turgid end-of-season affair as if both sides knew MK Dons wouldn't pick up three wins in their final three games of the season.

Fulham's achilles heel all season has been defending set pieces and it was no surprise that the opener came from a free kick that was whipped across by Lansbury and turned home by Tesche.

The opening goalscorer turned provider as he was fouled in the penalty area by Emerson Hyndman.

Lansbury stepped up and his effort crept into the corner, past Marcus Bettinelli's despairing dive.

Fulham thought they had a penalty of their own when Ross McCormack went down on the edge of the area but the assistant referee deemed the infringement to be outside the box.

The Scottish striker was not deterred and his powerful effort struck the crossbar with Dorus De Vries stranded just before half-time.

Fulham did pull a goal back just after the hour mark as McCormack's corner was turned home by half-time substitute Smith.

However, Forest wrapped up the points with 20 minutes remaining after a well worked move from Eric Lichaj led to his cross being turned home by Lansbury.

Fulham felt they had another penalty but, once again, the officials deemed the offence outside the box.

With MK Dons losing heavily at home to Brentford it means the Whites' second season in the Championship ends with survival.

It was not what Shahid Khan would want to be celebrate and changes are needed in the summer to ensure that a bottom half finish doesn't happen again.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/fulham-heavily-beaten-nottingham-forest-11231523?

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Head Coach Reaction

Slaviša Jokanović was frustrated after Fulham conceded the types of goals that have been all too frequent this season.

Nottingham Forest led 2-0 at the break courtesy of a free-kick routine and a penalty, and although the Whites pulled one back through Matt Smith, Henri Lansbury's second of the game wrapped up a deserved win for the visitors at Craven Cottage.

"We didn't show quality with the ball today," he admitted. "We didn't show quality without the ball, and we didn't have the capacity to regain the ball.

"We made chances but generally we were a very, very soft team, and this is more or less a habit for us. It's not strange for us to give away a penalty, it's not strange conceding a goal after a set-piece. And these bad habits, we aren't stopping them at the moment.

"We need to find a way to stop these bad habits and eliminate these kind of situations. 35 goals after set-pieces, 12 penalties, we cannot accept these numbers.

"We are always working on this, but we need to find the balance between defence and attack, and we didn't find any balance in these few months."

Looking at the statistics from the game, Fulham actually edged proceedings, but that was scant consolation to Jokanović after the head-start his side had given Forest.

"All the goals that Forest scored, if you are a little bit more clever, a little bit more concentrated, if you have a little bit more quality to regain the ball, then you can stop it," he explained.

"After we gave them so many presents, in the second half we tried to play a little bit of a strange game to try and push them in a completely different way.

"We scored the goal and made some chances, but right now we're actually very far away from how I want my team to play football."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/april/23/head-coach-reaction

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham 1 - 3 Nottingham Forest: Five things we learned as the Whites suffer home mauling

Matt Smith's consolation strike insufficient as Fulham undone by defensive woes


Frustrated: Fulham

Fulham suffered a serious case of deja vu as they fell to a 3-1 home defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Slavisa Jokanovic's men fell behind to Robert Tesche's strike midway through the first half, before Henri Lansbury converted from the spot to give Forest a two goal lead.

Substitute Matt Smith scored to drag the hosts back into the match, before Lansbury converted his second goal to wrap up the points.

And here are five things we learnt from the match as Fulham slumped to another home defeat.

Fulham's defensive puzzle still unsolved

Puzzled: Slavisa Jokanovic

Jokanovic made four changes to the lineup which drew 1-1 at Ipswich in midweek - with three of those coming in defence.

Dan Burn, Richard Stearman and Shaun Hutchinson were dropped as the Whites sought a result which would keep them clear of the relegation zone for at least another year.

But it begs the question as to whether the Fulham boss is keen on any of his defensive options as he seeks to plan for next year, and to shore up the leakiest defence to remain in the league.

Decisions need to be made

Not now: Emerson Hyndman

The Fulham boss also has to consider the future of Emerson Hyndman, whose contract expires at the end of this season.

The young American international started once more at home as Jokanovic got a closer look at one of Fulham's impressive youngsters.

But with Hyndman eyeing up a possible move at season's end, the boss will need to make up his mind quickly as to whether he can realistically expect to rely on Hyndman's services next year.

Set-piece woes continue

Deja vu: Fulham players frustrated

Fulham gifted their visitors the lead after succumbing to yet another free-kick.

Tesche ran onto the drilled free kick to fire home and leave Cottagers fans infuriated that their side conceded once more from a dead ball.

Free-kicks and corners have been the Whites' Kryptonite all season and Jokanovic will have a large task on his hands to fix this problem.

More penalty problems

Paying the penalty: Fulham

It has been a bizarre season for the Cottagers - they are into double figures for penalties conceded, while it is nigh-on impossible to remember the last home penalty awarded for them.

Referee Lewis was not in any mood to end that run for the Whites either - gifting a penalty to the visitors and denying three strong home appeals, with two controversially awarded as free kicks.

But the Fulham defence has been sloppy for the most part in defence and the Whites simply cannot afford to concede so many spot-kicks next season.

Championship status is retained

Celebrations: Fulham can enjoy safety now

The Whites entered the Forest clash knowing that if MK Dons failed to pick up a win against rivals Brenford they would be condemned to League One.

And despite Fulham crashing to defeat at home, Dons were ultimately undone by Brentford and confirmed their spot in England's third tier.

With Fulham safe, the Whites manager can start to eye up next season - and any transfers which he will be interested in acquiring to bolster his side.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-1-3-nottingham-forest-11231540?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jokanovic determined to fix Fulham's defence

Slavisa Jokanovic has promised a summer rebuilding programme to end the glut of goals his Fulham side are conceding.

The Whites were beaten 3-1 at Craven Cottage by Nottingham Forest and have kept just one clean sheet in their last 34 matches in all competitions.

Jokanovic is particularly unhappy with the number of penalties his side have given away – Henri Lansbury's was the 12th scored against Fulham this season – and the lack of concentration at set pieces.

"This is habit for us. It's not strange for us conceding a penalty, it's not strange conceding a goal after set pieces and these bad habits we don't stop," the Fulham head coach said.

"All the goals Forest score, if you are more clever, if you are concentrating, if you have a little bit more quality, you can stop it – 35 goals after set pieces, 12 penalties, nobody can accept these numbers.

"I have my plans. I am going to fight for players to stay, I'm going to fight for some players to go out of the club, I'm going to fight to try and build a team that I believe will be more competitive."

Jokanovic admitted the half-time introduction of target man Matt Smith, with Fulham 2-0 down, was to ask different questions of the Forest defence.

But despite Smith scoring, Jokavovic was still unhappy with his side's overall performance.

He said: "We didn't show quality with the ball, we didn't show quality without the ball.

"We scored the goal, we made some chances but generally right now we are very far off the way I want my team to play football."


http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/football-wls-jokanovic-explains-how-he-plans-to-fix-fulhams-leaky-defence