Saturday Fulham Stuff (04/03/17)...

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Team News

Slaviša Jokanović is ruing the loss of Lucas Piazon, but remains hopeful of having him available before the end of the season.

The Brazilian had scored in each of his previous two league outings prior to breaking his jaw in Cardiff, and his Head Coach admitted his absence will be a blow.

"He is a big loss for us," he stated. "Lucas has been important to us this season. He was an important man in terms of our offensive work.

"He is tactically a very clever man, he was generous in the game, and worked hard without the ball too.

"We are going to miss him but this is part of football. He will be ready in April to help us for some of the last games in the Championship.

"Lucas was an important part of my squad, I used him from the beginning and from the bench too. He will be out for six to eight weeks.

"It's part of the game and other people will try and do the job that he did for us. It's a big loss for us but the squad has enough quality to replace him and offer us something similar, or something different."

Floyd Ayité also left the field of play prematurely last week and is unlikely to be risked in Fulham's upcoming matches, while Thanos Petsos is also out.

"We expect Floyd is going to be with us in a few days," Jokanović explained. "It's probably 99.9 per cent that we're going to lose Floyd for the next two games, but the possibility exists that he could be ready for the Newcastle game.

"Thanos has a calf problem and we have assessed him, but he is still not ready to be working with us and is another player who is not available for our game against Preston."

Tickets are still available for supporters to buy for Saturday's game, with junior tickets available in all areas of the ground for just £1.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/march/03/team-news

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Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic insists Chris Martin situation is "normal" and gives injury update ahead of Preston tie
The 28-year-old was absent from the squad for Fulham's 2-2 draw with Cardiff last week but the boss is expecting him to play a big part in Fulham's season

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic has insisted the situation with on-loan man Chris Martin is "normal", despite the striker missing from the squad during the 2-2 draw with Cardiff.

The turn of the year has seen several complications between the Derby man and Fulham, starting when he made himself 'unavailable' for the abandoned tie with Reading.

He signed a new contract at Derby but Jokanovic has previously said he wouldn't be returning to his parent club during the January Transfer Window - with Martin returning to the Fulham line up.

However, the 28-year-old was absent from the Cottagers' squad for their trip to South Wales, but his manager insists everything is normal and he expects him to play a big part in his side.

He said: "The situation is completely normal, he is working hard to try and improve himself and very soon I believe he will be at the optimal level to be a big part of the team and help us.

"Thanos (Petsos) is injured and Lucas is too but everyone else is available for the game tomorrow, and that includes Chris Martin."

Meanwhile, Jokanovic expects all but two players of his squad to be fit for tomorrow's tie, including Floyd Ayite who was an injury concern after the draw in Cardiff.

He added: "Lucas Piazon will be out of the squad for between six-eight weeks while Thanos (Petsos) has a calf problem and we are assessing him but he still hasn't started working with us.

"All our other players are available for the game against Preston tomorrow."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-manager-slavisa-jokanovic-insists-12689086

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PNE opponents pushing for top six after Jok's revolution

Simon Grayson is impressed with how Slavisa Jokanovic has turned Fulham from a side threatened by relegation to one challenging for the top six.

The Cottagers finished last season in 20th place but will start Preston's visit to London in seventh.

Jokanovic took the reins at Craven Cottage at the end of 2015 and has really made his mark during this campaign.

Only a point separates PNE and Fulham, Grayson's men having also kicked on from last season.

This is the third season in the Championship for Fulham after 13 years as a Premier League side.

Grayson notes that making the adjustment to this level can be a difficult one for clubs dropping down, that the case with Saturday's opponents.

"Clubs don't always find it easy to go straight back up," said the North End boss.

"If you don't make it back at the first attempt, there tends to be a big turnover of players and that process can take a long period of time to get right.

"What you have seen with Slavisa's time down there is that he has progressed the club.

"Fulham are probably one of the best in this division in terms of keeping the ball, their possession stats are good.

"They are doing a lot of good things, hence why they are in the position they are.

"We know we are going to be for a tough game but they will be thinking that too as our form is very good."

Fulham were 2-1 winners at Deepdale in August, Sone Aluko and Matt Smith scoring for the visitors before Callum Robinson pulled a goal back with a diving header. That was Joe Garner's last game for Preston before his move to Rangers.

Assessing the London side, Grayson said: "They pass the ball really quickly, they have forward runners and their rotation is very good. "Players like Tom Cairney are attracting a lot of attention.

"They have got pace in their forward areas, their full-backs get up the pitch like wingers.

"We know what threats we have to be aware of but we have done a lot of work of where we think they have weaknesses."

Fulham are unbeaten in four Championship games, although among that run was a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham in the FA Cup.

Last week, they drew 2-2 at Cardiff, Stefan Johansen and Neeskens Kebano scoring.

Kebano was a first-half sub for Lucas Piazon, the on-loan Chelsea striker having been forced off with a broken jaw.

Chris Martin, on a season's loan from Derby, is their top scorer in the league with nine goals – however he has fallen out of favour of late.

Cairney has found the net seven times, as has Johansen who signed from Celtic late in the August deadline. Former Blackburn man Cairney says Jokanovic 
deserves praise for their 
current position.

"The manager and the staff have got to take a lot of credit,"said Cairney. " He has stabilised the club and transformed the way we play. The fans are enjoying our style of football."



Read more at: http://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football/preston-north-end/pne-opponents-pushing-for-top-six-after-jok-s-revolution-1-8417408

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Championship opinion: Fulham are the ones to watch in play-off race and will Newcastle United's luck continue?
Why the Cottagers could be the team making a late surge for the play-offs

Every Championship season produces a late charge from one of the pack chasing an end-of-term play-offs spot.

As fifth-placed Reading FC look nervously over their shoulders, who is most likely to up the tempo and surge into the top six?

Every Championship season produces a late charge from one of the pack chasing an end-of-term play-offs spot.

As fifth-placed Reading FC look nervously over their shoulders, who is most likely to up the tempo and surge into the top six?

Since losing 1-0 a tad unluckily at Madejski Stadium in January – Chris Martin had a 90th-minute penalty saved by Royals keeper Ali Al-Habsi – Fulham have won four and drawn one their six outings.

Their only defeat was 1-0 at Birmingham City, when they were reduced to 10 men in the 68th minute after defender Ryan Fredericks had been sent off.

Fulham – currently seven points behind Royals - also have a game in hand over most of their play-offs rivals so the gap could close considerably in the next few weeks.

A blot on the landscape is the broken jaw sustained by forward Lucas Piazon in the 2-2 draw at Cardiff City last weekend, which will keep him out for much of the remaining campaign.

Piazon did little of note for Reading last term - in fact, he was not far short of hopeless - but he has fared better with the West London club, also while on loan from Chelsea, with six goals in 25 matches in all competitions.

Still, I reckon Fulham will cope just fine without him. Royals should beware!


http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/sport-opinion/championship-opinion-fulham-ones-watch-12685583

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Preston tie will be aggressive but Fulham will continue to play their usual game, according to Slavisa Jokanovic
Preston are only a point off Fulham in the race for the play-off places and Jokanovic is expecting an aggressive style of play from the visitors tomorrow

Fulham go head-to-head with one of the sides breathing down their neck tomorrow when Simon Grayson brings his Preston side to the Cottage, and Slavisa Jokanovic is expecting the visitors to bring an aggressive style of play.

Preston are only a point behind the Cottagers and have only lost one league game in the whole of 2017 and come to west London on a fine run of form.

Their only defeat of the calendar year came against Cardiff in a 2-0 defeat at the end of January, although Grayson believes they head to the Cottage tomorrow as underdogs.

But Jokanovic isn't buying that and he reckons that Preston will try to be aggressive and will aim to stop his side from building possession and by putting them under pressure all game.

He said: "They are an aggressive team and have one point less than us - they've done a great job and I'm sure they will be aggressive and try and press us in our half of the pitch.

"They will try and press our build up and try to send long balls and be ready for the second phase so they can play in our half.

"If we dominate that part of the game they will try be in a shape to catch us in the defensive transition.

"All of this they do very well and we must be ready for everything and must take the ball into possession and try to dominate and mark the territory and put them under stress.

"I believe they are very competitive and will try to be aggressive and put us under pressure and try to win the game in the way they do normally."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/preston-tie-aggressive-fulham-continue-12689196

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Eddie Gray: This is the only team that can catch Leeds in the promotion race

Eddie Gray believes only Fulham can "realistically" catch Leeds in their race to secure a top six spot at the end of the season.

Garry Monk's side currently sit in fourth place, eight points ahead of the London-based club, who sit one place outside of the play-offs with a game in hand.

The Yorkshire club can extend that gap when they take on Birmingham City at St Andrew's on Friday evening.

Three points against the struggling Blues will see Monk's side open up an 11 point gap on Fulham.

Here is Gray offering his thoughts on the club's chances of securing a top six finish and what could cause them to miss out.

"Looking at the league, realistically there is only Fulham who you think that can catch us now," Gray told LUTV. "It would have to be a major slip up for us."

Fulham take on Preston North End on home soil at the weekend, but they will meet Monk's side next Tuesday in a crucial promotional clash.

Dropped points from the Yorkshire team could see them slip down the table and possibly miss out on a promotion spot.

This would be hugely disappointing for the club considering they have shown promotion form and have sat in the top six for large parts of the season.

Over the course of the campaign, the Cottagers have secured 14 wins from their 33 games, scoring an impressive 56 goals, while Leeds have won 19 matches, netting on 46 occasions.


http://www.footballinsider247.com/eddie-gray-this-is-the-only-team-that-can-catch-leeds-in-the-promotion-race/

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Slavisa Jokanovic believes Tom Cairney has "grown up" with Fulham after winning EFL Player of the Year gong
The 26-year-old picked up the accolade at the London Football Awards and his manager was full of praise for the midfielder ahead of the Preston tie

Tom Cairney is enjoying a fine season and is starting to reap the rewards of his hard work, and now his manager has challenged him to go even further next season.

The 26-year-old picked up the EFL player of the year award at the London Football Awards on Thursday night, pipping team mate Sone Aluko to the gong.

Slavisa Jokanovic was present at the awards too, and he is of the belief that Cairney has "grown up" with Fulham this season and that the team have grown with him too.

He's bagged himself seven goals this season, with nine assists in what has been a tremendous season, and Jokanovic has been full of praise for the midfielder.

He said: "I was satisfied to be part of this fantastic charity event and it's also very good news for Fulham and for Tom Cairney to win this award.

"He's improved and grown up with us and this Fulham team have grown up with him too - he helped myself and my staff to develop this style we play football with.

"It's a nice evening for himself, now we need to forget the awards and try to be in the same or a better position next year.

"He brings many things, he's an important part of our team in terms of dominating the game and he connects many successful passes.

"He's a player who has some fantastic confidence in himself and can score goals and make assists in the position,.

"He offers us many things and he's made many positive steps here.

"Generally, I want to keep my best players and I want him to stay with us."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/slavisa-jokanovic-believes-tom-cairney-12689391