Wednesday Fulham Stuff (10/05/17)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Talking points in the build up to Fulham

After our victory at Burton on Sunday and as we look forward to the play-off game against Fulham on Saturday, we take a look at the few talking points among Royals fans at the moment.

We need to go into the play-offs with no fear - What an amazing season it has been, no one expected us to finish in third position, so why not go into the play-offs with the same attitude to defy the odds? We always seem to up our performances for the bigger games, i.e: Leeds at home, Sheffield Wednesday away, so if we apply the same mentality, we should fear no one. Don`t get me wrong, I`m not saying go all out with an underdog attitude, but let`s remember how far we`ve come in a short space of time.

Stam will have a headache for what system to use at Fulham - Stam has often chopped and changed his formation throughout the season - he usually prefers the conventional 4-3-3 shape, but has often reverted to a back five at times. With McShane now back and Illori back in contention, I imagine he will go with five at the back, considering the success we had at Villa and Burton, and considering Fulham`s attacking prowess. I imagine he`ll go 4-3-3 in the home leg, score dependant obviously, but expect a defensive side at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Mendes proves again why we don`t have to rely on Yann - Joseph Mendes got a goal just five minutes into his first Reading start at Villa and it took him just two minutes against Burton in his second start. The forgotten Frenchman has burst onto the scene and has given Stam a polite reminder that we may not have to rely on Kermorgant as much as we thought two months ago. Mendes could even be a dark horse to start at Craven Cottage given his good away record and his effectiveness with his style of play away from home, especially when Fulham will come onto us.

Was getting Fulham the best possible outcome? - There has been a lot of debate recently about whether we should have tried to avoid Fulham, but on paper we`re the best team in the play-offs, so what is there to fear? Don`t get me wrong, I understand why Fulham are favourites and they probably are the best bet at this stage. However, shouldn`t we have the mentality that if we do get past Fulham, that we can go all the way? Presuming Fulham will be the biggest challenge, would we rather get them out of the way early than heartbreak in the final? Or would we have rather fancied ourselves in a one-off game at Wembley?

Getting McShane minutes was crucial - Seeing skipper Paul McShane back out playing after nearly two months was a great sight, especially for the play-offs. I expect the skipper to start on Saturday and I always fancy us more defensively when he`s in the side alongside Moore, which I will add, we didn`t have in the disaster at Craven Cottage earlier in the season. Having Joey van den Berg was also good, but to have Macca back on the pitch could be the difference.



Read more: http://www.reading.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=491106#ixzz4gePz3XyZ

[WhiteJC]

 
Floyd Ayite reveals a Fulham promotion in his first season would be 'beautiful'

It is the 28-year-old's first season in England since signing from Bastia and he is looking forward to playing in the end of season showpiece

Floyd Ayite has revealed getting promoted in his first season with Fulham would be a "beautiful" thing.

The 28-year-old signed for the Cottagers from Bastia in July 2016 and has gone from strength to strength under the guidance of Slavisa Jokanovic and has scored nine goals so far.

The Togo international is under no illusions as to how big the play-offs are, calling them the "biggest game in England" but now his side are in them he wants to make a good impression and win them with Fulham.

He said: "It would be beautiful for my first season to get promoted.

"This is the biggest game in England, it's my first season and to make the play-offs is beautiful – it's a massive game yes and every player in the Championship wants to play in the play-offs.

"We are in a good place to make the play-offs and if we make them we want to win them.

"We want to make a good impression in this game and we want to win every game in front of us and why not get promoted?

"We are confident and it is good for the life of every player – every player in the Championship wants to do the play-offs and why not be promoted?"



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/floyd-ayite-reveals-fulham-promotion-13004532

[WhiteJC]

Ayite aims for 'beautiful' promotion
by Dan on May 9, 2017

Floyd Ayite says confidence is high in the Fulham camp heading into the Championship play-offs and the winger is aiming to cap his first season in English football with a 'beautiful' promotion.

The Togolese winger has emerged as one of the key performers in Slavisa Jokanovic's side as the Whites mounted an incredible second half of the season surge to finish in sixth place. Ayite, who quickly established himself as a first-team regular having moved to Craven Cottage from Bastia last July on the recommendation of Tony Khan's 'two-boxes ticked' statistical scouting methodology, was a key goal threat for Fulham, finding the net nine times in 31 league appearances.

The 28 year-old told GetWestLondon's Fulham reporter Ryan O'Donovan that he was really looking forward to the special challenge of the play-offs:

    It would be beautiful for my first season to get promoted. This is the biggest game in England, it's my first season and to make the play-offs is beautiful – it's a massive game, yes, and every player in the Championship wants to play in the play-offs.

    We are in a good place after making the play-offs and we want to win them. We want to make a good impression in this game and we want to win every game in front of us and why not get promoted? We are confident and it is good for the life of every player – ever player in the Championship wants to be in the play-offs and why not get promoted?



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/05/ayite-aims-for-beautiful-promotion/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Slavisa Jokanovic: 'I cannot stomp in like an elephant and break everything'

Slavisa Jokanovic on his coaching philosophy, which has taken Fulham into the Championship play-offs, growing up in former Yugoslavia and working in England, Spain and ... Thailand


Slavisa Jokanovic is hoping to steer Fulham to the Premier League via the play-offs after they finished sixth in the Championship. Photograph: Martin Godwin for the Guardian

A gaggle of boys from a local school attending a session at Fulham's training ground had a surprise as they snaked along the side of one of the pitches. The imposing presence of Slavisa Jokanovic was right there. One of the boys plucked up the courage to break out of the snake to shake the Fulham manager by the hand. Both man and boy looked genuinely pleased. Popularity is not a particular motivation for Jokanovic in itself, but he appreciates that it is a by-product of a far more important matter: delivering results.

An hour spent in Jokanovic's open‑minded company reveals just how driven he is, just how directly that desire to do well affects his daily life. Come the end of the day he headed home to an empty house. Often he has plenty of visitors, friends and family around, but one of the realities of a vocation that has taken him to six countries in the past eight years is that he tends to live away from his wife and three children, who remain based in Spain to give them a more stable upbringing and education. "I left Serbia in 1993 and my family is living in Madrid while I am working around the world," he explains. He feels compelled to follow the opportunities, the chances to improve and develop, as they come. It takes a certain inner determination for a family man to take that path.

Jokanovic's resolve is a tangible part of his personality. But if that gives the impression of a tough guy who believes in tough football, please don't get the wrong end of the stick. He is as approachable as he is authoritative, which is one of the reasons his team have blossomed this season with everyone at Craven Cottage inspired to follow his ideas.

The division's joint top-scorers have a penchant for playing with an attacking élan not normally associated with the gruelling task of wrestling a way out the Championship. Fulham's impressive run at the sharp end of the season has been based on free-wheeling offensive play which propelled them to the top six backed by far the most prolific record in front of goal of the four contenders in the play-off showdown. They host Reading in the first leg of their semi-final tie on Saturday.

His football style owes a lot to the traditions of the country of his birth. Jokanovic was born in Novi Sad, in the former Yugoslavia. "They wanted to put the ball on the floor and try to dominate the game and win the game with the ball. This is our tradition," he says. He was part of an exceptional generation whose football became caught up in the political climate that led to war and the break-up of their former country. Jokanovic was on the roster of players used in the qualification campaign for Euro 92, which included such luminaries as Zvonimir Boban, Robert Jarni, Predrag Mijatovic, Sinisa Mihajlovic, Darko Pancev, Robert Prosinecki, Dejan Savicevic, Dragan Stojkovic and Davor Suker, players who went on to have glittering careers.

"This generation was under-20 world champions in Chile," Jokanovic recalls. "I was runner-up with the under-21s. I have a silver medal for that competition. It was a very competitive generation and the mentality was all about one result – if we don't win we are not happy."

As a consequence of the war that broke out in the Balkans in 1991, the team were banned from participating in the 1992 European Championship in Sweden. They found out just a few days before the competition started. "Without this political problem, if we stayed all together I believe the possibility existed for this team – with its quality and competitive spirit – to win this competition," Jokanovic says. "I am not a political man. We are sportsmen and were thinking about other things. It's true it was a big damage for ourselves, but with time we started to understand that others endured bigger damage with these political problems."

During a traumatic period, this talented group spread out across Europe, moving away from their homeland to play football elsewhere. In 1993 Jokanovic joined Real Oviedo. They were managed at the time by the well-travelled Serbian coach, Radomir Antic – known as 'Raddy' to English fans following his spell at Luton Town in the early 1980s and his famous goal that saved them from relegation at Manchester City's expense and got David Pleat dancing on the Maine Road turf in 1983. Since his playing days Antic is also one of the few to manage both Real Madrid and Barcelona, among others. "He was a very important man for me. I learned many things from being next to him," Jokanovic says. "I was more times in the last 20 years in his home than in the home of my parents." They still have homes close to each other in Madrid.

Moving abroad for the first time was a challenge. "It was a complicated step," he explains. "I was really young and understood only one style of life. I needed to adapt but I never even knew what adaptation was as it was the first time I came across this idea. Some things were really strange but I began to understand. Professionally I didn't have any problem because football is a universal language."

Spain became the next major influence on his football thinking. He spent time at Tenerife before becoming part of the technical midfield that underpinned Deportivo La Coruña's first La Liga title in 2000. It was there he caught the eye of Claudio Ranieri, who recruited Jokanovic for Chelsea. By his own admission it was not the most productive part of his career but it was critical in terms of his future. Jokanovic is in no doubt he would not be attempting to guide Fulham into the Premier League today without the introduction to English football he absorbed at Stamford Bridge.

"I feel in my skin when I changed Yugoslavian football for Spanish football that there was not such a big change," he explains. "It was a similar style – passing is more important than shooting. Probably in England shooting is more important than passing. But when I changed Spain for England I could feel in my skin different about the style of football. If I didn't find a solution I would try to pass back, and then Ray Wilkins told me: 'Don't have so many touches on the ball. Push the ball forwards. In the first 20 minutes don't complicate things. Don't play two touches, or one touch – play half touch.'

"At the time I didn't have enough time to adapt to be satisfied with my level. But now I have enough experience, to respect the way I am working, to understand this culture of football and what people want to watch. I tried to change Fulham a little bit because we believe we needed to adapt our style to show our strength." The evidence of that has been clear on the pitch, with the confidence to succeed through progressive, attacking football.

Assessing how to make an impact quickly has been a hallmark of his managerial career so far. His first job took him home to Serbia and his former club Partizan Belgrade. He promptly won the double. The next post was an unexpected one, in Thailand, with Muangthong United. "I thought it was a big risk," he says. "It's so far and I don't know anything about this football. But one of the interesting things for myself was to find out Robbie Fowler was a player and coach of this team. I thought OK, if this guy can organise his life in this place, it's probably not so bad. I am going to try it. In the end it was a fantastic experience. I started to understand life is similar all over the world. What we want here in Europe is not so different to what they want in their part of the world. I learned that this world is not so huge.

"I believe I am a brave man, I am a good observer, I am living in different places with people from different cultures and each time I arrive I need to change things but at the same time I cannot stomp in like an elephant in a crystal shop and break everything." He won the title during his season in Thailand.

After quickfire and more difficult spells in Bulgaria and Spain, Jokanovic was offered a short-term deal at Watford, where he worked enough magic to guide the team to promotion in 2015. But club and manager failed to agree a deal to step out together in the Premier League. In hindsight was he disappointed how that ended? "I was surprised, but in the end I was satisfied because this club and its owner gave me a chance to work in England. He took some kind of risk to give me this opportunity. I believe I gave him enough back with my work. I proved myself and proved this team at that moment. They took a position. I needed to respect it. But I don't look back, I push forward."

The next stop on this breathless managerial hop was Maccabi Tel Aviv, where his work caught the eye in the Champions League group stages, but after six months in Israel he headed back to London and Craven Cottage.

His current spell at Fulham is already quite long by his standards, and there are already noises of bigger and better things to tempt him into another move. His ambition is obvious, but after all his managerial switches he sounds keen to make this one stick for a while.

"Actually where I am right now I am very happy and my desire is to try to be a long time in this place," he says. "In realistic life I don't know what will happen and I have to be ready to continue my life. I am coaching in the Championship and on TV I watch Barcelona v Juventus. Different levels exist. There is more and more and more round the corner, the next training, the next challenge, and in this way I am never satisfied. I believe it is a good state of mind to be like that. If one day I think everything is done then it's probably time to go some place for fishing."




https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/may/09/slavisa-jokanovic-fulham-never-satisfied

[WhiteJC]

 
This Celtic title-winner would be an ideal replacement for star man at Fulham

Fulham attacking midfielder Tom Cairney has grabbed the headlines for all the right reasons this season, with the Scotland international potentially helping in returning Premier League football to Craven Cottage.

If the west London outfit do happen to fail in their play-off campaign then it's likely a top-flight club will come sniffing, and persuade the midfielder to pack his bags to leave the Cottagers.

In case that scenario does occur, then manager Slaviša Jokanović needs a replacement lined up and I can't think of anyone more perfect than youth graduate Patrick Roberts.

The £4.25 million-rated winger is one of the more recent youngsters to successfully fulfil their career from the renowned academy at Fulham, and he didn't last long in the capital before Manchester City snapped his services up two years ago.

Roberts hasn't had his way in the northern city which meant he was forced to move out on loan somewhere to develop further by getting more minutes on the pitch, subsequently agreeing an 18-month loan deal at Celtic in January 2016 – which expires this summer.

The England under-20 international has absolutely smashed the Premiership across the border with his twelve assists and seven goals, replicating the creative touch that earned him a move to the ex-Premier League champions.

Saying that, it seems unlikely Roberts will feature in the first-team at Man City on a regular occurrence next campaign.

That means he will need to search for a new club and I think Fulham should snatch him up if Tom Cairney leaves.

Whether the 2010 Europa League finalists be in the Championship or Premier League next year, Patrick Roberts will always give you the hope a goal will be scored if he's starting.

As well as that, he's a firm fan favourite at Fulham and he'll always be welcomed back to the team if Slaviša Jokanović went in for the swoop – the only off-putting attributes towards bringing Patrick Roberts back to Craven Cottage is his potential price tag.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/this-celtic-title-winner-would-be-an-ideal-replacement-for-star-man-at-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Burton and Charlton among clubs eyeing Fulham's George Williams

HITC Sport understands several English and Scottish sides are interested in the Fulham forward, with Burton, Charlton, Portsmouth and Plymouth chief among them.

A number of teams in England and Scotland are tracking Fulham forward George Williams, HITC Sport understands from sources close to the club.

Williams, who made his debut for Fulham in August 2014, is highly regarded at Craven Cottage, but he finds himself down the pecking order in Slavisa Jokanovic's first-team plans.

The 21-year-old spent the first half of this season out on loan at MK Dons, but his stint was cut short after finding his opportunities in the starting XI limited.

Williams returned to Fulham in January and the skilful attacker has impressed for the club's Under-23s with 17 goals upon his return

The Wales international is entering the final year of his contract at Fulham and his suitors are weighing up a move for Williams this summer.

The likes of Burton Albion, Charlton Athletic and recently promoted duo Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle are all keeping tabs on Williams' situation and are ready to offer him a move away from Fulham.

Williams, who was a member of Chris Coleman's Wales squad for last summer's Euro 2016 finals, could be tempted away from Fulham with the offer of regular first-team football next season.




http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/05/09/burton-and-charlton-among-clubs-eyeing-fulhams-george-williams/

[WhiteJC]

 
What do the stats say about Reading?
Since Fulham are now facing Reading in the Playoff Semifinals, it seemed like a good idea to take a closer look at them.

Reading FC finished the year in third place with 85 points. Their record was 26-7-13. On the surface, those look like great numbers. However, once you dive a little deeper, things start to get weird. Reading scored 68 goals this season. A respectable number that puts them 6th best. The conceded 64 goals however. Only 7 teams conceded more goals than that. You can usually estimate where a team will finish on points based on their goals scored and conceded. Doing this for Reading says they should have finished about 20 points worse than they did. To highlight just how unusual Reading's season is, no team in the last 20 years has been promoted with a GD of less than +9. No team that has ever given up more than 62 goals has ever been promoted. How exactly did they manage such success when metrics and history says they shouldn't?

Shots and Luck
First, lets look at their luck. Since goal scoring is rare, getting a few lucky or unlucky breaks on shots can have a huge effect on your goal scoring numbers. One way to examine this in greater detail is by shots. Total Shots Ratio (TSR) compares the number of shots taken, with the number conceded to give an estimate of team quality. A great team will have a TSR over .60, a poor team will be well below .50. For illustration, Newcastle had a TSR of .612 this season. Fulham's TSR was .576. What was Reading? A very poor .443.

So, far we aren't finding any answers. One of the flaws in TSR is that it can't factor in the quality of the shot. For example, if you have three shots from inside the six yard box on an empty net; you are likely to score more often than the team that is taking 20 shots from 30 yards away. Expected Goals (xG) is the best way to deal with this fact. Every shot is assigned a value based on how likely it is to score. Sum up those values, and you get the number of expected goals. Was Reading taking more great chances and conceding more bad chances? Not according to expected goals. Reading had an xG of 58 and were expected to concede 76. Somehow in trying to figure out how Reading succeeded with such a poor goal differential we've only made them look worse.

Team Style
Like Fulham, Reading is a possession oriented team. They were second in the amount of possession in the Championship and second in pass completion. Only Fulham beat them in those two categories. Unlike Fulham though, this possession doesn't lead to a lot of chance creation. Where Fulham led the league in shots per game, Reading were tied for 19th. This tells us that Reading is very adept at holding the ball, but aren't that dangerous when they have it. This style can be very good for killing off games. It just so turns out that Reading were the masters of killing off games this year.

It's been said many times that goals change games. It may be a cliche, but it's very true. And no goal is more important than the first goal. On average, the team that scores first has a winning percentage of 76.7%. Now, it's a little higher for a team at home versus a road team. And a better team will win more often than a poor team after scoring first, but that gives us a good baseline of what to look for. Fulham this season scored the first goal 24 times. In those 24 games they were 17-5-2, good for a 81.3% winning percentage. Reading scored first 27 times. Amazingly they went 25-1-1 in those games. That's a 94.4% winning percentage. That rate is probably not sustainable, but their style does suggest they do have an advantage to killing off games.

This is a double edged sword however. In games where they conceded the first goal, they only managed 2 wins and 3 draws across 17 games (they also had three 0-0 draws). This winning percentage of 20.6% is actually worse than you would expect on average, though to be fair twelve of those games were on the road where it is harder to come back. Fulham managed to go 5-8-8 in games where they conceded first. While that's not great, a 42.9% winning percentage is better than most teams.

These numbers do a bit to explain why Reading looked so bad by TSR and xG. A team that's trailing almost always shoots more than one who is winning. They might not be high quality chances, but even enough low quality chances can add up to a big xG number. Reading didn't underperform their xG scored by very much, but they did vastly overperform their xG allowed. Perhaps playing with a lead so often allowed teams to generate a lot of low quality shots that added up to make things look closer than they really were.

Blowouts
Reading was the third best team in the league at winning one goal games. Their win percentage in goals decided by one goal or that ended in a draw was 71.7%. Only Huddersfield Town (73.5%) and Brighton Hove Albion (74%) were ahead of them. Reading only played in one more one goal game than Fulham. They were just much better at winning or drawing those games. They had 10 more wins, and 7 fewer draws. Where Reading struggled was in games decided by more than one goal. They went 8-8 with a -9 GD. Fulham on the other hand went 14-3 with a +27 GD in games decided by at least two goals. Readings style doesn't make it very easy for them to come back when down by multiple goals, and some of their results suggest they weren't that interested in trying when the deficit got too big. Those blowouts may have impacted their shot number and xG numbers quite a bit and could be making them look worse than they really are.

What does this all mean?
By a lot of metrics Reading looks like the outlier in the playoffs. They have the worst defense, they give up the most shots, they shoot the least, their GD is second worst, and their xG difference is off the charts bad. Digging a little deeper though, we do see some reasons for their success. They are good at scoring first, and they are just about perfect once they get a lead. If Fulham can score first in these matches, it's going to make it hard for Reading to come out on top. It's tempting to look at Reading's xG numbers, TSR, goals conceded, and xGD, and think Fulham should be the big favorite. But some of the underlying data suggests that Reading is a little bit more than smoke and mirrors and won't be the easy out that Fulham fans are hoping for.



http://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2017/5/9/15583276/stats-reading-fulham-championship-playoff-semi-final

[WhiteJC]

 
Regular Prices Extended

There's still time to secure your seat at Craven Cottage next season, with regular prices now extended!

Supporters now have until 5pm Friday 26th May to take advantage of 2017/18 Season Tickets at our regular prices.

Offering great value, you can guarantee your seat to watch the Whites next season from as little as £299 adults and £47 juniors! A complete list of prices and benefits can be found here.

What's more, should the Whites reach the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final, any supporter who purchases a 17/18 Season Ticket prior to 5pm on Friday 12th May will be included as part of a priority window for match tickets!*

Season Tickets can be purchased today online, by phone on 0843 208 1234 or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.

There's never been a better time to commit your future to Fulham – be sure to join us on our journey!

*In the event of Fulham reaching the Play-Off Final, a full selling schedule would be confirmed which will incorporate 17/18 Season Ticket Holders into a priority window. Season Tickets will come off-sale at 5pm Friday 26th May 2017.




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/may/09/regular-prices-extended

[WhiteJC]

 
Burton, Charlton, Portsmouth and Plymouth plot summer move for Williams
by Dan on May 9, 2017

A surfeit of potential suitors are plotting summer moves for Fulham winger George Williams, according to a report on Here Is The City this afternoon. Burton Albion, Charlton Athletic, Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle are believed to among the leading contenders to sign the Welsh international winger.

HITC cites sources close to Fulham as suggesting that Williams, who enjoyed a promising initial run in the Fulham first team under Kit Symons back in 2014, may move on loan again next season as, despite being highly rated by the Motspur Park coaching staff, he has fallen quite a way down Slavisa Jokanovic's pecking order as the Serbian head coach plans the club's play-off bid. The 21 year-old will hope that any further loan will be more successful than this season's experience at one of his former clubs – with his deal at MK Dons terminated early due to a lack of first team football.

Williams, who has been in startling form for Fulham's under 23s since returning to Craven Cottage in January, might well consider a permanent exit from west London as he begins the final year of his contract with the Championship club. The left winger, who has won seven caps for Wales, has made 15 league appearances for the Whites and started very impressively in Fulham colours when he was promoted to the first team squad once Kit Symons had taken over from Felix Magath. Williams has found his first-team opportunities limited since Jokanovic began to revamp the squad last January and will likely conclude that he will need to move on soon if he wishes to prolong a burgeoning international career that has already seen him be part of the Welsh Euro 2016 squad.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/05/burton-charlton-portsmouth-and-plymouth-plot-summer-move-for-williams/

[WhiteJC]

 
Second Leg On Sale

Tickets for Fulham's Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Semi-Final second leg against Reading are now on sale to Season Ticket Holders (one per person) with 700 or more Loyalty Points.

Owing to extremely limited availability, with an allocation of 2,000 tickets for Fulham fans, tickets for the tie at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday 16th May (7:45pm) will be sold to supporters on a Loyalty Points basis.

Season Ticket Holders with 700 or more Loyalty Points now have an exclusive window to purchase their seat, before Season Ticket Holders and Members with 565 or more Loyalty Points will have the opportunity to purchase from 9am Wednesday 10th May.

The full on-sale dates can be found below:

Date    Who
2pm, Tuesday 9th May
   Season Ticket Holders with 700 or more Loyalty Points
9am, Wednesday 10th May
   Season Ticket Holders & Members with 565 or more Loyalty Points
9am, Thursday 11th May
   Season Ticket Holders & Members with 525 or more Loyalty Points
9am, Friday 12th May
   Season Ticket Holders & Members with 500 or more Loyalty Points
9:30am, Saturday 13th May
   Season Ticket Holders & Members with 250 or more Loyalty Points

Tickets for the match are priced at £20 adults, £10 for concessions and £5 for junior fans aged 17 and under.

To secure your seat, fans can buy online at fulhamfc.com/tickets, by phone on 0843 208 1234 or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/may/09/away-semi-final-tickets

[WhiteJC]

 
Charlton Athletic linked with Fulham striker

Karl Robinson is expected to be a busy man this summer, as he aims to build a squad capable of helping Charlton Athletic return to the Championship.

Charlton have already been linked with several different players, but the latest rumour would see Robinson link up with Fulham striker George Williams again.

The pair worked together at the start of the season, when Robinson was in charge of MK Dons and Williams was on loan at the Sky Bet League One club.

According to KentLive, Charlton are one of a number of clubs who are chasing the young Welshman.

Other clubs said to be interested are: Burton Albion, Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle.

Since returning to his parent club in January, Williams has caught the eye at the West London club.

He's scored an impressive 23 goals for the U23 side at Craven Cottage. He was also included in Chris Coleman's Wales squad that reached the semi finals of the European Championships in France last summer.

The 21-year-old striker is out of contract at Fulham at the end of next season, and it is believed that the club may cash in on him, rather than offering him a new deal, especially if they succeed in winning the Play-Offs, and earn promotion to the Premier League

Fulham face Reading in the Semi-Finals of the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs, with the winner playing either Huddersfield or Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley for a place in the top flight.



http://the72.co.uk/80598/charlton-athletic-linked-fulham-striker/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Ryan Fredericks says reaching play-offs was best scenario after nightmare start to the season

The fullback endured a horrendous start to the season but believes the way the season has finished is the best scenario for him

Ryan Fredericks believes reaching the play-offs with Fulham has been the best scenario he could've asked for after enduring a nightmare start to the season.

The 24-year-old suffered an ankle injury in the pre-season game against Brighton back in July and missed the first few months of the season after undergoing surgery in early August.

He made his first appearance of the season in the 2-2 draw with Norwich in October, and since then he has gone on to be an ever present in Slavisa Jokanovic's side, making 32 appearances in all competitions so far.

The road to recovery was hard for Fredericks, and getting promoted at Wembley in a way that people say is the best way to go up would be a great feeling for the right back.

He said: "This has been the best scenario to the season you could ask for - I was out for the first couple of months and think it was ten or twelve games I missed.


Perfect scenario: Ryan Fredericks (Photo: Lewis Darling)

"At the start of the season I thought it was going to be slow season but since I've been back I've played most of the games and have been a big part of the team so it has been great.

"It was hard and I worked hard, but we have good physio coaches here and had a couple of weeks in America where it was hot and really humid so when I came back I was pretty much there or there about.

"A couple of weeks sharp training and a couple of 30 minutes here and there in games and I was raring to go.

"If we played at Wembley and lost it wouldn't mean anything, but to play there and win would be great.

"Everyone says it's the best way to get promoted and hopefully we find that out in a couple of weeks."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulhams-ryan-fredericks-says-reaching-13009247

[WhiteJC]

 
Fredericks raring to go ahead of play-offs
by Dan on May 9, 2017

Ryan Fredericks says that Fulham's fine end to the season – which helped the Whites secured a Championship play-off spot – was the perfect way to make up for his injury-ravaged start to the campaign.

The Fulham full back had to start the season with a watching brief after suffering an ankle injury when he was the subject of a shocking tackle during a pre-season friendly with Brighton and Hove Albion. Fredericks trained on his own at Motspur Park as he sought a return to full fitness and even jetted off to Jacksonville to continue his rehabilitation, before returning to the first-team squad as if he'd never been away.

The right back, who quickly displaced the impressive Denis Odoi as Slavisa Jokanovic's first choice, told GetWestLondon's Ryan O'Donovan:

    This has been the best scenario to the season you could ask for – I was out for the first couple of months and think it was ten or twelve games I missed. At the start of the season I thought it was going to be slow season but since I've been back I've played most of the games and have been a big part of the team so it has been great.

    It was hard and I worked hard, but we have good physio coaches here and had a couple of weeks in America where it was hot and really humid so when I came back I was pretty much there or thereabouts. A couple of weeks sharp training and a couple of 30 minutes here and there in games and I was raring to go.

All thoughts turn to the play-offs and, whilst Fulham are firmly focused on facing third-placed Reading in the first leg of a tough semi-final on Saturday, Fredericks was asked the obligatory question about what performing in a showcase final at the national stadium would mean.

    If we played at Wembley and lost it wouldn't mean anything, but to play there and win would be great. Everyone says it's the best way to get promoted and hopefully we find that out in a couple of weeks.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/05/fredericks-raring-to-go-ahead-of-play-offs/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham away tickets SOLD OUT!

Allocation taken for trip to Craven Cottage

Our full and final allocation of 2,000 tickets for our trip to Fulham for the first leg of the play-off semi-final has now SOLD OUT.

Away tickets to Craven Cottage went on sale at 9am on Tuesday morning to current Season Ticket holders with 3500+ Royalty Points and then to 3000+ from 2.30pm... and they were quickly snapped up by the Reading support!

We will be operating a short waiting list for tickets, should we have any tickets returned.  If you are eligible to buy tickets according to the criteria listed on the selling page (click here), then you can be added to the waiting list by ringing the Ticket Office in 0118 968 1313.  A small number of wheelchair bays are still remaining, which will continue to be sold on the selling criteria in place.  Click here for full information.

After Saturday's visit to Craven Cottage, we return to Madejski Stadium on Tuesday 16th May (7.45pm) for the second leg of the play-off against the Cottagers... with the opportunity of booking our place at Wembley!

Tickets are still on sale for the home leg.  Throughout the selling period, subject to availability tickets can be bought by Season Ticket & Half Season Ticket holders (2 per ST/HST holder) and Members with 25+ Points (1 per Member).

Season Ticket holders are reminded that their seats are only reserved for them until 9am on Wednesday 10th May, after which time their seats will be available to buy for all eligible supporters.

For full information about tickets for the game at Madejski Stadium, click here.



Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/fulham-away-play-off-tickets-sold-out-3711787.aspx#Y1Vxw07keImMVLe5.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham vs Reading: Prediction, team news, line-ups, start time, live, TV, head to head, odds - Championship Play-Offs preview

Jokanovic and Stam go head to head

Fulham's reward for a superb Championship run-in is a shot at returning to the Premier League, with Slavisa Jokanovic's men facing Reading in the Play-Off semi-finals.

The Cottagers won five of their last six games of the season to beat Leeds to sixth place, and will take on Jaap Stam's Reading at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

The first leg of the semi-final is expected to be a tough affair for Fulham given that Reading finished 10 points above them in the table, but Stam's side have their weaknesses.

The Royals finished third with a goal difference of just +2 after conceding 64 goals in 46 games - more than any of the top seven - and Jokanovic's entertaining side will fancy their chances of testing that leaky defence in front of a packed Cottage.

Scroll down for our comprehensive preview...
START TIME

Fulham host Reading at Craven Cottage with kick-off scheduled for 5.30pm on Saturday, May 13. The second leg takes place at the Madejski Stadium at 7:45pm on Tuesday, May 16.
TV AND LIVE ONLINE COVERAGE

The match will be televised live on Sky Sports 2, with coverage starting from 4:30pm. Alternatively, you can follow all the build-up and action from 4pm with Standard Sport's London Football live blog.

TEAM NEWS

Fulham boss Jokanovic appears to have a fully-fit squad to choose from for the Play-Offs, meaning tough decisions across the board.

Reading were handed a boost as Paul McShane and Joey van den Berg got a run-out in the Royals' 4-2 win at Burton.

However, star winger Garath McCleary may miss the Play-Offs after struggling with a groin injury through much of the season.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS

Fulham starting XI: Bettinelli, Odoi, Kalas, Ream, Malone, McDonald, Cairney, Aluko, Piazon, Kebano, Martin

Reading starting XI: Al Habsi, Gunter, McShane, Moore, Blackett, Obita, Evans, Beerens, Van den Berg, Mendes, Kermorgant
HEAD-TO-HEAD

BETTING ODDS (via 888 Sport)

    Fulham to win: 5/8
    Reading to win: 22/5
    Draw: 14/5

Click here to place a bet. Odds correct as of May 9 at 4pm.



http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-vs-reading-championship-play-offs-prediction-preview-live-team-news-start-time-tv-head-to-a3534656.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Ticket Postal Update

The Club would like to remind supporters that all fans will receive a paper ticket for this weekend's Play-Off Semi-Final against Reading at Craven Cottage.

The Ticket Office began posting tickets from Monday afternoon (8th May), and we would like to reassure fans that any tickets purchased will begin to arrive over the coming days.

Should supporters have not received their tickets by the end of the week, feel free to contact the Ticket Office.

As always, we thank you for your understanding and support.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/may/09/ticket-postal-update

[WhiteJC]

 
Why you should want Fulham back in the Premier League
Maybe you're a neutral. Maybe you are a fan of another club. Whoever you are, unless you hate Fulham, you should want them back in the Premier League.

On Saturday May 13th, Fulham enter their first promotion playoff since 1997/98, and their first playoff to win promotion to the top flight. Fulham were last promoted to the Premier League in the 2000/01 season after winning the Football League First Division. They spent over a decade in the Premier League before being relegated in the 2012/13 season.

Unless you are a fan of one of the other three clubs in the playoffs, you should be cheering for Fulham, and here's why:

Fulhamerica
Fulham has a long history of American players. Eddie Lewis, Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra, Marcus Hahnemann, Clint Dempsey, Kasey Keller, Eddie Johnson, and Emerson Hyndman have all been with the club. Luca de la Torre is another American Fulham academy product on the verge of joining the first team and Tim Ream has been a solid contributor to the team after solidifying his place as one of the first-choice center backs this year. Fulham have long been one of the clubs not scared to give Americans a chance and with an American owner, you can expect this to continue. If you want to see more Americans in the Premier League, Fulham going back up is almost guaranteed to make that happen.

Ryan Sessegnon
Would you be interested in a left back who had 7 goals and 4 assists in less than 2,000 minutes this year? What if I told you his first goal came when he was still just 15 years old. The best prospect in England might very well be Fulham's 16-year-old left back. It would be a shame if Fulham had to sell him and he ended up in the loan army of one of the bigger clubs. If Fulham goes up, he'll stay a little while longer and everyone will get to see him on a big stage.

Craven Cottage
The only stadiums older than Craven Cottage in the Premier League are Ainfield, Goodison Park, Turf Moor, and St. James' Park. Ainfield and Goodison Park might not be around that much longer, as the top sides in the league are all trying to maximize game day revenue. St. James' Park has been expanded and renovated so much you'd be hard pressed to tell it's not a modern stadium. Turf Moor is in Burnley, no offense to Burnley but has anyone ever really looked to them as a destination? Craven Cottage is old, and still looks it. They didn't get rid of their terraces until 2004. It's a fun place to watch a game and you basically sit on top of the players. Oh, and it's basically right on the River Thames in London. Unfortunately, the Michael Jackson statue isn't there anymore.

London's Oldest Club
Fulham were founded in 1879, making them the oldest club in London. While being old doesn't really mean much, being in London does. Are you a West Ham, Spurs, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, or Arsenal fan? Craven Cottage is a nice easy away trip. Are you a fan of a team and live overseas? You can see your team when they play Fulham with some mostly friendly fans and with tickets that are far cheaper and easier to get than at the other big clubs.

Slavisa Jokanovic
Perhaps you remember him as a Chelsea player. Maybe you remember him being the fourth Watford coach in five weeks in the 2014/15 season. Somehow he managed to get Watford promoted that year, yet was not given the job of managing the team as they joined the Premier League. After that he took Maccabi Tel Aviv to the UEFA Champions League group stage before accepting the head coaching role at Fulham in the middle of the 2015/16 season. After keeping the team up in that campaign he's installed the kind of attacking, free-flowing football at Fulham that neutrals should love. Under his leadership the Cottagers led the league in possession, pass completion, shots, goals, expected goals, and had 7 of the top 10 successful passers. He turned a dumpster fire of a defense into one that gave up zero counter-attacking goals and the fewest goals on set pieces in the league. If there's a coach that deserves a shot in a top league, it's him.

Tom Cairney
It's a shame Tom Cairney doesn't get more recognition. One of the few holdovers from last season, he led the league in passes and pass completion. He was tied for second in assists and third in key passes. He also chipped in 12 goals. It's a shame he only has one international appearance for Scotland. Especially when he can score goals like this.

Hopefully you're ready to jump on the bandwagon. Fulham fans are by and large wonderful people who are happy to be everyone's second favourite club



http://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2017/5/9/15586694/why-you-should-want-fulham-back-in-the-premier-league-championship-playoffs

[WhiteJC]

 
When is the Championship play-off final? Tickets, TV channel, live stream details and odds

One of four candidates will join champions Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion in the top flight next season.

Reading , Huddersfield , Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham are all in with a chance of reaching the Premier League .

One of those four will join champions Newcastle and Brighton in the top flight next season.

Fulham take on Reading, while Huddersfield face Sheffield Wednesday in the two-legged semi finals.

The Cottagers are the leagues' in-form team, having chased down Leeds United to claim sixth spot.

Reading ended the regular season in third place, four points ahead of Sheffield Wednesday.

Wednesday and Huddersfield finished level on 81 points. Sheffield made the play-offs last year, losing to Hull City in the final.

Huddersfield were this season's surprise packages. Head coach David Wagner has earned plenty of plaudits for his attacking football. They are bidding to play Premier League football for the very first time.

When is the Championship play-off final?

The Championship Play-Off Final will take place on Monday 29th May.

It is a 3pm kick off at Wembley.

The League 1 final takes place on Saturday 20th May (3pm).

The League 2 final will be played on Sunday 28th May (3pm).


Fulham are among the favourites to go up (Photo: Rex Features)

Where can I follow it?

The game will be screened live on Sky Sports.

Or follow our live blog @MirrorFootball.

Where can I get tickets?

Tickets for the match at Wembley will be released once the final lineup is confirmed.

Betting Odds (For Outright Promotion)

Fulham 7/4

Sheffield Wednesday 9/4

Huddersfield 3/1

Reading 5/1

(Courtesy of SkyBet)



http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/championship-play-final-tickets-tv-10388468

[WhiteJC]

 
I'm relieved Newcastle avoided the play-offs - I wouldn't want to face Fulham in this sort of form

Columnist and former Newcastle United forward Mick Quinn has run the rule over the Championship play-off contenders - and who he sees winning it

Newcastle United proved they are the best team in the Championship by winning the title in dramatic fashion.

And I hope it's the last the club sees of that division in a long time, because it's one heck of a slog to get out of it.

I'm so relieved the Magpies aren't going into the lottery that are the play-offs either.

The two-legged semi-finals instead see Reading take on Fulham and Sheffield Wednesday against Huddersfield.

I think Fulham will beat Reading over two legs and I actually fancy Huddersfield to get to Wembley too.

David Wagner has rotated his side in recent games and their form has dipped, but I still think they will have enough to get to the final.

The third team I expect to join Newcastle and Brighton in the Premier League next season?

Fulham.

I know a lot of people have tipped them and that's because they have serious momentum.

The Cottagers finished the season like a freight train.

They just scored goals for fun. Of all the teams I've seen Newcastle play this season, they've impressed me the most.

I certainly wouldn't want to be playing against them, that's for sure.

I'm just glad Newcastle don't need to. A trip to Wembley may have been nice, but it's better that Rafa Benitez secured promotion automatically!



http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/im-relieved-newcastle-avoided-play-13009071

[WhiteJC]

 
20170509 FEAT MNT Five Things to Know About English Promotion Playoffs Tim Ream Fulham

While the English Football League Championship regular season ended this past weekend, there are still a few appetizing contests that remain. The four clubs that finished between third and sixth place will take part in the league's Promotion Playoffs beginning May 13 and two U.S. MNT players are involved.

Here are five things you should know:

Season Format

As MNT defender Tim Ream described in this piece, the English Football League Championship season is a slog. With 24 teams in the second tier of the English setup, the schedule requires 46 league matches, which when combined with the FA Cup and League Cup require many teams to play a minimum of 50 competitive fixtures in a season.

eams begin their preseason towards the end of June or early July, kickoff the league schedule the first week of August and end the regular season the first week of May.

The top two teams in the Championship gain automatic promotion to the English Premier League. In 2017, U.S. defender DeAndre Yedlin helped Newcastle United win the league title, and Brighton & Hove Albion finished second to guarantee their first season in the Premiership.

Playoff Format

While the top two teams in the Championship gain automatic promotion, the sides that finish in third through sixth place go into the league's promotion playoffs. Here's a look at the way the four teams entering this year's playoff finished the campaign:

2016-17 EFL Championship Promotion Playoff Table

Rank
   

Team
   

GP
   

W
   

L
   

D
   

Pts.
   

GD

3
   

Reading
   

46
   

26
   

13
   

7
   

85
   

+4

4
   

Sheffield Wednesday
   

46
   

24
   

13
   

9
   

81
   

+15

5
   

Huddersfield Town
   

46
   

25
   

15
   

6
   

81
   

-2

6
   

Fulham
   

46
   

22
   

10
   

14
   

80
   

+28

The playoff format is simple, with No. 3 side Reading facing No. 6 Fulham, while No. 4 Sheffield Wednesday takes on No. 5 Huddersfield Town. The two series are home-and-away aggregate contests, with the winners set to meet in the Championship Final on May 29 in front of 90,000 spectators at famed Wembley Stadium in London.

That game is often deemed as the richest match in club football, with the winner not only gaining a place in the Premier League the next season, but also the minimum £170 million payout that comes with it.

MNT Involvement
So why should you care?

Well, two U.S. Men's National Team players are involved in this year's promotion playoffs and will actually face each other in the semifinals as Danny Williams and Reading are set to take on Ream and Fulham for a berth in the final. 

U.S. Players That Have Been Promoted
A long list of U.S. players has helped sides to automatic promotion to the English top-flight through the years. John Harkes first did it by aiding Sheffield Wednesday to a third-place finish in the old Second Division during the 1990-91 season.

In 2000-01, Eddie Lewis and Fulham finished atop the Championship, while Brad Friedel and Blackburn Rovers were runners-up. Five years later, Bobby Convey, Marcus Hahnemann and Reading moved to the Premiership by virtue of their first-place finish, and this past season Yedlin played a role in getting Newcastle United an instant return to the Premier League.

While those players all gained automatic promotion, former MNT defender Jay DeMerit did it through the playoffs. Already with an incredible story, during the 2005-06 season DeMerit helped Watford to a third-place league finish before a 3-0 aggregate win against Crystal Palace in the semifinal.

Facing Lewis and Leeds United in the final, DeMerit scored what would stand as the game-winner as Watford earned a 3-0 victory at Wembley to earn promotion.

The Schedule

The playoffs begin with the semifinal first legs on May 13-14, before the return fixtures on May 16-17. From there, the finalists will then have nearly two weeks to prepare for their trip to Wembley for the final on May 29.

Find the full schedule below:

Date
   

Match
   

Time (ET)
   

TV

Saturday, May 13
   

Fulham vs. Reading
   

12:30 p.m
   

beIN Sports

Sunday, May 14
   

Huddersfield vs. Sheffield Wednesday
   

7 a.m.
   

beIN Sports

Tuesday, May 16
   

Reading vs. Fulham
   

2:45 p.m.
   

beIN Sports

Wednesday, May 17
   

Sheffield Wednesday vs. Huddersfield
   

2:45 p.m.
   

beIN Sports

Monday, May 29
   

Championship Final
   

10 a.m.
   

beIN Sports




http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2017/05/09/16/29/20170509-feat-mnt-five-things-to-know-about-english-promotion-playoffs-tim-ream-fulham