Wednesday Fulham Stuff (09/11/16)...

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Fulham must now prove that past fortnight has not been a flash in the pan, says keeper David Button
Stopper had a successful return to his former club on Friday night


Warning: David Button (Photo: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)

David Button has warned his Fulham team-mates that they need to put in performances like those of the past fortnight every week if they are serious about challenging this season.

The Whites followed their 5-0 thrashing of Huddersfield with a dominant derby win over Brentford on Friday night, recording back-to-back Championship wins for the first time since the opening week of the season.

Those results have seen Fulham, not so long ago nervously eyeing the other end of the table, rocket up to within two points of the play-off places, but Button is not getting too carried away.

He said: "We started the season on fire but didn't come back so great after the first international break, so we need to make sure we do this time. Consistency is vital in this league, and we now have back to back wins and clean sheets.


Clincher: Tom Cairney nets the second at Brentford

"We can now go into this break, work hard and make sure we're ready for another run. On paper we know we're a quality side and a match for anyone in this league, it's just a case of application and making sure we're consistent in every game.

"The results haven't always reflected performances, as there's been a lot of games in which we've created chances and just not been able to finish, then got sucker-punched up the other end.

"But our luck's turning. Chris Martin is getting fitting fit and is a real handful, and we're a little bit more of a settled side. Things have been coming together the last couple of games, but we're not getting carried away and will try to keep improving.

"We've got a lot of talented players, the bench is very good, and people not even getting in the squad who would be playing week in week out in any other Championship side, so competition very strong."


Former Bee: Button on his Brentford days

The win over Brentford saw Button enjoy the best possible return to his former club, who he left in the summer, and cock a snook at warnings that he would be a target for the home fans from the off.

He added: "I don't really do social media and didn't look at any articles, I was completely focused on the game. It was never going to be a warm welcome, but I was expecting worse and it wasn't as bad as I thought. Some fans even clapped me, which was a nice touch.

"I've got no regrets over leaving, these things happen in football. Decisions were made, and I'm very happy with where I am now.

"As long as it doesn't hamper Fulham's chances, I would like to see them do well, but I'm fully focused on Fulham now, so what Brentford do doesn't concern me."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-must-prove-past-fortnight-12142851?

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Aluko: Looking Up

Sone Aluko believes taking consecutive wins into the international break bodes well for the remainder of the season.

Victories against Huddersfield Town and Brentford sees Fulham sitting two points off the Play-Off spots, and Aluko is pleased to see his side moving in the right direction.

"We're a team that's looking up now at who we can catch, who we can chase," he told fulhamfc.com. "Wins breed confidence and we're very confident going into the next game.

"Our home form is hopefully improving, our away form has always been good, so things are looking up for the Club and, like I said, the team's very confident.

"We've changed our style a little bit and that's helped us. We're very much a front foot team now, our energy's showing, we're very good on the break. So there's little things we're adjusting, and it's paying dividends."

The 27-year-old continued his good form at Griffin Park, bundling home the opener after his initial shot was saved.

"I remember Stef [Johansen] cutting it back behind the defenders," he recalled. "I came onto it and I just wanted to keep it down.

"My thought process was keep it on target, keep it down, and then I followed it in. Luckily it came back to me and when that happened I knew I'd score from that distance, and I just rolled it in again.

"It's good to get back to back wins. It was an evening game, a derby, Friday night on Sky, these are the games that you enjoy as a player. But you only enjoy it if you win the game, so we're all very pleased."

The Fulham Faithful packed out the away end at Griffin Park, and out-sang their hosts from start to finish to give their side that extra push.

"It helps create that atmosphere," Aluko said of their input. "We're happy we sent them back home with something to cheer about.

"All through the game they were good and thoroughly behind us, and as players that's what you want, that's what you enjoy. I enjoyed that game, I enjoy derbies, and I'm keen for more of the same."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/november/08/sone-aluko-looking-up?

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Martin Set for Wembley Appearance?

The international break, the third of the season, is with us.

After producing two great displays that have seen Fulham pick up six points from two games whilst scoring seven goals and not conceding any, we now have to sit back and wait until a week Saturday to, hopefully, continue our good form.

But, thankfully, at least this international break is one that has the majority of football supporters in the United Kingdom more than just a little excited, what with England and Scotland going head-to-head at Wembley Stadium, in a World Cup qualifier.

It`s been a long time since Fulham had anyone in the England squad, Jimmy Bullard and Bobby Zamora are the last two to spring to mind, but for the forthcoming clash there is every chance that Fulham will have a player in the Scotland team.

Gordon Strachan has called up Chris Martin to the Scotland squad and with Martin being the in-form striker in the Scotland squad, Martin could well be leading the Scottish front-line.

Martin, who last played for Scotland in the 1-1 draw with Lithuania is on a run whereby he has scored 4 times in his last 5 games for Fulham.

His biggest rivals for the strikers role at Wembley are Leigh Griffiths, who got back to scoring ways for Celtic after being on the bench for a while and the Sheffield Wednesday striker Steven Fletcher who has gone 5 games without scoring and has picked up a knock whilst playing for the Owls.

Could Chris Martin be the man to derail England`s World Cup qualifying campaign?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=467302#ixzz4PUjPspR2

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Gary Neville: I wanted Manchester United to sign Louis Saha after he destroyed me

Gary Neville admits he wanted Manchester United to sign Louis Saha after he was 'destroyed' by the striker three seasons running.

United clinched a £12.8 million deal with Fulham for Saha in January 2004 but the Frenchman struggled with injuries throughout his five years at Old Trafford.

Neville compares the impact Saha had on him to Cristiano Ronaldo's performance for Sporting in pre-season friendly against United which sealed the Portuguese's move to Old Trafford in 2003.

'What a player, I thought. After the match I remember sending a text to my brother, saying 'we need to sign him' and apparently there was a lot of talk about him on the coach after the game,' Neville told Sky Sports about Ronaldo.

'Obviously players should never be involved in signings, but he certainly made everyone sit up and take notice. I'd never heard of him and I'd never seen him before that night, but there was a huge excitement among the players afterwards.'

But Neville admits he was as equally impressed by Saha's performances against him.

'The only other opposition player I've felt like that about was Louis Saha,' said the former United defender.


Neville admits he hated playing against Saha. (Getty Images)

'I remember playing against him as a centre-back when he was at Fulham and he destroyed me three seasons on the bounce. I was devastated when I had to play against him and I thought 'we've got to sign him'.

'He was clearly a different type of player to Cristiano, but we spoke about him in the dressing room in the same way.

'After that game against Sporting Lisbon, there was a great admiration and there was no doubt the players were all talking about Cristiano.'


Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2016/11/08/gary-neville-i-wanted-manchester-united-to-sign-louis-saha-after-he-destroyed-me-6243536/#ixzz4PUk1GKvz

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Button wants Fulham to find consistency
by DAN on NOVEMBER 8, 2016

David Button has challenged his team-mates to prove that the west London derby victory over Brentford wasn't a one-off by discovering the kind of consistency that could sustain a genuine promotion push.

The former Brentford keeper, who was braced for a hostile reception at Griffin Park on Friday night, wants the Whites to build on their first pair of consecutive league wins since the start of the season and replicate the level of performances that have seen high-flying Huddersfield and his old club put the sword in convincing displays. Button insists that nobody is getting carried away, however, and the players are guarding against a drop-off in form after the international break.

We started the season on fire but didn't come back so great after the first international break, so we need to make sure we do this time. Consistency is vital in this league, and we now have back to back wins and clean sheets.

We can now go into this break, work hard and make sure we're ready for another run. On paper we know we're a quality side and a match for anyone in this league, it's just a case of application and making sure we're consistent in every game.

The results haven't always reflected performances, as there's been a lot of games in which we've created chances and just not been able to finish, then got sucker-punched up the other end. But our luck's turning. Chris Martin is getting fitting fit and is a real handful, and we're a little bit more of a settled side. Things have been coming together the last couple of games, but we're not getting carried away and will try to keep improving.

We've got a lot of talented players, the bench is very good, and people not even getting in the squad who would be playing week in week out in any other Championship side, so competition very strong.

Button enjoyed the best possible return to Griffin Park – keeping a clean sheet as he was only a spectator for much of the first half, but the goalkeeper admitted he paid little attention to his central role in the pre-match build up.

I don't really do social media and didn't look at any articles, I was completely focused on the game. It was never going to be a warm welcome, but I was expecting worse and it wasn't as bad as I thought. Some fans even clapped me, which was a nice touch.

I've got no regrets over leaving, these things happen in football. Decisions were made, and I'm very happy with where I am now. As long as it doesn't hamper Fulham's chances, I would like to see them do well, but I'm fully focused on Fulham now, so what Brentford do doesn't concern me.


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2016/11/button-wants-fulham-to-find-consistency/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham are aiming high, says Aluko
by DAN on NOVEMBER 8, 2016

Fulham's man of the moment, Sone Aluko, says the side are aiming high after two consecutive wins put the Whites right back in the Championship promotion picture.

Slavisa Jokanovic's side sit just two points off the play-off places going into the international break after back-to-back victories over Huddersfield and Brentford and Aluko believes that the confidence generated by two convincing wins will carry Fulham into another tough set of fixtures in good heart.

We're a team that's looking up now at who we can catch, who we can chase. Wins breed confidence and we're very confident going into the next game. Our home form is hopefully improving, our away form has always been good, so things are looking up for the club and, like I said, the team's very confident.

Aluko eluded to a slight tweak of Jokanovic's favoured system, which has seen him star in the eye-catching victories over Huddersfield and the Bees, that has allowed Fulham to place greater emphasis on their talents in the final third after shoring up defensive weaknesses that had plagued their previous attempts at progression in the Championship.

We've changed our style a little bit and that's helped us. We're very much a front foot team now, our energy's showing, we're very good on the break. So there's little things we're adjusting, and it's paying dividends.

The Nigerian forward got the goal his energetic display against Huddersfield deserved at Griffin Park on Friday night – although he freely acknowledged afterwards that he might well have added to his tally.

I remember Stef[an Johansen] cutting it back behind the defenders. I came onto it and I just wanted to keep it down. My thought process was keep it on target, keep it down, and then I followed it in. Luckily it came back to me and when that happened I knew I'd score from that distance, and I just rolled it in again.

It's good to get back to back wins. It was an evening game, a derby, Friday night on Sky, these are the games that you enjoy as a player. But you only enjoy it if you win the game, so we're all very pleased.

Aluko was delighted to send Fulham's travelling fans home with the local bragging rights that were secured with Tom Cairney's stoppage-time clincher.

It helps create that atmosphere. All through the game they were good and thoroughly behind us, and as players that's what you want, that's what you enjoy. I enjoyed that game, I enjoy derbies, and I'm keen for more of the same.


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2016/11/fulham-are-aiming-high-says-aluko/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Owls Captain Lees - 'We Must Improve, Starting At Fulham!'

Feelings after a home defeat to Ipswich are very different to a home defeat to high flyers Brighton! And that's not just the fans but the players as well. Owls on field captain this season in Loovens absence has been Tom Lees. He says the Owls now have to work hard during the international break to put right the wrongs from Saturday`s defeat to Ipswich. First up will be the award task of an away day at Fulham. The Craven Cottage side are far from the relegation fighters they were last season and sit mid table with the Owls this season.

Speaking to swfc.co.uk, Lees said:

"It`s the international break now, we`ll get on the training pitch, we`ve got two weeks to improve and obviously we`ve got a very big game now when we get back against Fulham.

"When you lose, you just want your next game to come around as quickly as possible but we`ll have to wait now which isn`t ideal."

During 2015/16th Owls beat Fulham three time in the league and FA Cup and Lees wants that run to continue, adding:

"The only way we can respond to the disappointment on Saturday is by getting back out on the pitch.

"You`ve got two choices; let it affect you or come out and fight and turn it around. That`s what we have to do."


Read more: http://www.sheffwed.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=467321#ixzz4PUkyqtby