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Saturday Fulham Stuff (12/08/17)...

Started by WhiteJC, August 12, 2017, 06:54:53 AM

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WhiteJC

 
Reading v Fulham preview

Reading will have defender Tiago Ilori available again following suspension for the visit of Fulham.

The Portuguese was sent off in the opening Championship defeat at QPR, so served out a one-match ban for the midweek Carabao Cup win over Gillingham.

Midfielder Liam Kelly staked a claim for another first-team chance with both goals against the Gills, while new winger Modou Barrow impressed after coming on at half-time.

Iceland forward Jon Dadi Bodvarsson has been carrying a knee problem and striker Yann Kermorgant continues to recover from hip and groin surgery. Midfielder Garath McCleary (groin), Joey van den Berg, Roy Beerens and Jordan Obita are also in rehabiliation.

Kevin McDonald returns to the Fulham squad for the short trip along the M4.

Midfielder McDonald has missed the first two matches of the season with a calf problem but is now fit and available.

Marcus Bettinelli is still out with a muscle problem so David Button continues in goal.

Ryan Fredericks, Tom Cairney and Sone Aluko will be among the players returning after they were rested in midweek.

Opta stats
Reading are unbeaten in their last four home league encounters with Fulham (W2 D2), their longest unbeaten run against the Cottagers.

Fulham have only lost one of their last five Championship contests against the Royals (W3 D1), although that loss came in their most recent encounter at the Madejski Stadium.

Reading haven't lost their opening two league games of a season since 1998-99 whilst in the third tier.

Fulham have failed to keep a clean sheet in nine of their last 10 meetings with Reading in all competitions.

Since the start of last season, no Championship side has scored more league goals (exc. play-offs) than Fulham (86).

Since August 2016, Reading have received six red cards in the Championship (inc. play-offs) - only Nottm Forest (9), Sheff Wed (7) and Norwich (7) have seen red more often.

Prutton's prediction
Fulham looked the better of these two sides on opening day but maybe haven't got the physicality of Reading, which came to the fore when these two sides met in the play-off semi-finals last season.

Still, though, the midfield pair of Oliver Norwood and Tom Cairney would cause anyone problems and I think they'll be key in helping Fulham nick a win. Jaap Stam sticks to his principles and has a very set way of playing, and it'll be interesting to see how they get on throughout the season.

The flatness of the league means either of these sides could be pushing the top two or end up out of the play-offs entirely.

Prutton predicts: 1-2 (15/2 with Sky Bet)



http://www.skysports.com/football/reading-vs-fulham/preview/374641

WhiteJC

 
Fulham Or Derby? – Which Is The Ideal Destination For This £675k Rated Englishman


Callum Robinson

A Wise Move? – Why Preston's Callum Robinson Should Choose Derby County Over Fulham
Long time Derby County target Callum Robinson is now a subject of serious interest from Championship rivals Fulham, as the Preston North End man's future seems to be in some doubt.

Rams manager Gary Rowett is known to have asked about the availability of the £675k rated 22-year-old and is obviously keen to add to his attack, as of yet failing to replace last season's top scorer Tom Ince, who has finally gone back to the Premier League with Huddersfield Town.

Derby have publicly had bids for Leicester City's Tom Lawrence, and Birmingham City's Che Adams turned down and are increasingly desperate to add to their front line, hence the need to take Robinson to Pride Park.

Fulham are also keen on a deal, given that boss Slavisa Jokanovic appears happy to keep Ryan Sessegnon at left-back. So he may need a new player to look after the left wing, a position Robinson is comfortable in.

For his part, Robinson has made all the right noises about being happy at Preston North End and has made moves to reassure the fans that his commitment remains solid. He is clearly genuinely enjoying his time at Deepdale and it would take a good deal and a big club to make him move.

A glance at the squads would tell you it's a close call between Fulham and Derby, with perhaps even the West Londoners just edging it at the moment in terms of quality. However they have their foibles and it keeps letting them down, such as their home form and giving away half-time leads.

In terms of the size of the club too, Robinson would not necessarily feel he is at a bigger club in moving to Craven Cottage, though the same cannot be said should he go to Derby. The Rams are still a big deal and will probably have more time in the Premier League in the future seasons, which is something Robinson must take into account.

Should they manage to add to the signings of Tom Huddlestone, Curtis Davies and Andre Wisdom, they may begin to look like genuine title contenders and that's a position Robinson himself would love to be in. At Pride Park, as much as at Craven Cottage, Robinson could start games on the left of a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 and would be given licence to cut inside, something he loves to do and is very adept at.




http://soccersouls.com/2017/08/12/fulham-or-derby-which-is-the-ideal-destination-for-this-675k-rated-englishman/

WhiteJC

 
Tomas Kalas: I want to get to Chelsea level while I am with Fulham

Czech star believes he can get to the level required to play in the Premier League

Chelsea loan man Tomas Kalas believes he can get to the standard required to be a Chelsea first team regular at Fulham.

The Czech star signed a new four-year deal with the Premier League champions, then immediately renewed his season-long loan move to Craven Cottage.

The centre-back told ctsport.cz that he had only spoken "five or six words" to Blues boss Antonio Conte, but believes he can use his second spell with Fulham to prove he has what it takes to be a Premier League players.

He said: "I have to prove somewhere that I have Chelsea level. That I played two matches under Mourinho does not mean I have a Premier League [quality]. I have to get to that level and it certainly will not help me to be anywhere else every year.

"That is why I try to return to the same club where I would like to last for two, three years. It only moves me on and maybe it will help me once in Chelsea."

And Kalas says the minimum goal for the Whites this season is the Championship play-offs.

He added: "We want to play at least for the Premier League play-offs. A lot of teams have strengthened so the competition will be cracked by big names.

"But we have high ambition. Last year they were not, because no one expected it. In the end, it swung around and we all wanted to get there. Now it is expected and we will play under a little more pressure."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/tomas-kalas-want-chelsea-level-13466528


WhiteJC

 
Three Players to Watch: Matchday 2 vs. Reading
With Fulham once again coming to the Madejski to face Reading, it's time to look at three players to watch from their bitter promotion rivals.

After an entertaining 1-1 draw with Norwich to start the 17/18 season, Fulham travels to face their bitter rivals, Reading. It might as well have been yesterday when the Cottagers last set foot at the Madejski Stadium and were denied their chance of promotion via the playoffs. Surely, the fans, coaches, and players will be seeking revenge the likes of which we haven't seen in some time. It may not matter in the long run, considering how early we are in the Championship season, but because of all those reasons, this is a big game this Saturday.

That all being said, if there is a time to face Reading at their weakest, now might be it. Jaap Stam's side is coming off a 2-0 defeat to Queen's Park Rangers to start their campaign and you could almost pick a starting XI of Reading players that are injured in some capacity right now.

Still, Reading was a well-drilled team last season and was one penalty shootout away from playing in the Premier League. Whether or not you liked their style of play is of the eye of the beholder, but you can't argue that it was effective. Not only did no side come close to within 400 long ball passes in the championship than Reading's total last season (2,259), no one came within 3.3% of their completion percentage from those long ball passes either (52.8%).

Before Fulham's playoff run against Reading, I profiled five of their key men and most of them have stayed with the club. This time around, I'll present two mainstays and one newcomer that will be key for today's fixture wearing the blue and white this Saturday.

John Swift

The former Chelsea academy product hopes to continue to grow his game after a successful first season at Reading and being a member of England's Under-21 squad at the European Championships. His radar profiles him as a perfect attacking wide player, and a poor man's Floyd Ayite is the first that springs to mind when looking at his body of work. That being said, there are definitely areas for the 22-year old to improve on.

While carrying a career 14.7% shooting percentage in league games at Premier League and Championship level, Swift has never had a season where he has shot over 2.3 shots per 90 minutes. That's a bit of a shame when also considering that 45.5% of those league shots go on target. To put things in perspective, Harry Kane's shot on target ratio since 2012/13 under those same leagues is 46.7%. Context surely is everything, but that also doesn't mean we should discount how much potential Swift can unleash.

Along with that, only Garath McClearly had a better total of dribbles than Swift's 79 in 2016/17. If he can find a way to get into the penalty area more often, as evidenced by his team leading 44 shots from outside the box, Swift can develop even further as an above average threat at Championship level.

Vito Manonne
While Reading fans are happy that Swift can be counted upon as a long term asset at the club, it surely must have been a surprise to see Ali Al-Habsi leave to play club football in Saudi Arabia. Sure, at 35 and being so far away from his native Oman must be understandable reasons for such an experienced veteran to leave England, but there's no denying Al-Habsi has left such a massive void in Reading's net.

In comes in Vito Manonne: a man who also knows what it takes to play at a Premier League level. Unlike Al-Habsi, Manonne doesn't have that much experience being a full-fledged number one goalkeeper, despite already being 29 years old.

While Al-Habsi has spent six of his last seven seasons in England playing the majority of the season's games for his respective clubs, Manonne has one been able to do that twice in the last six years. Starting his professional career at Arsenal will do that to his numbers, but he has had the chance to make a name for himself at Hull City and Sunderland to no avail.

That being said, Manonne had to be solid in net during Reading's capitulation against QPR. More will be counted upon him if Reading's attack and team-wide health do not get better.

Tyler Blackett

We finish this week's post with another academy product from one of the most successful clubs in England. While Swift unsurprisingly couldn't get any form of playing time at Chelsea, Blackett did have a chance while at Manchester United. However, the standards are that club are titles or bust and Louis Van Gaal and Blackett were just not good enough to deliver such promises; even if he was 20 at the time.

Now at 23, Blackett is establishing himself to the Reading faithful and can only get better. He has only played one season where he has been considered a full-fledged starter at his position at any club, so even he'll need more seasons to prove his worth. But so far, Blackett has shone some solid defensive attributes in a Jaap Stam coached team. Last season, he was above the 50th percentile in all defensive categories except aerial wins and no one else on Reading came close to his 78 interceptions.

As evidenced by his crossing success rate, it will be fascinating to see what comes of Blackett's attacking game if he were to ever bomb forward, but who knows if that will be possible while playing for such a defensive-minded manager. One thing to observe from that is Stam's new 3-4-3 formation that he trotted out in the first game of the season. If the manager continues to use it, will we keep seeing Blackett utilized as a wingback or moved more towards the back three, especially with Tiago Llori suspended for this game. It's still early days this Championship season, but I'm sure plenty of those questipns will be answered by the time May comes around.



https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2017/8/12/16119306/three-players-to-watch-matchday-2-vs-reading

WhiteJC

 
Reading v Fulham - Fascinating Facts

A trip to Royal Berkshire beckons for the Cottagers today.

A short trip out of West London and onto the M4 makes the Reading fixture one of the more accessible.

But, delving through the history and form books, what can we expect?

Here are a few facts and figures for your dissection:

• Fulham haven`t fared well in recent away clashes with Reading, the last 4 games have seen Fulham, lose 2 and draw 2.

• The above run of 4 games is reading`s longest unbeaten run against Fulham.

• When it comes to keeping clean sheets, Fulham have managed that on just 1/b> occasion in the past 10 games, in all competitions, with Reading.

• When it comes to goals scored, since the opening day of last season, no side in the Championship can better Fulham`s record of 86 goals.

• Reading lost their opening day fixture of the new season, the Royals have not lost their opening 2 league games of a season since 1998 / 1999, on that occasion they were in the third tier.

COYW`s



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=500394#ixzz4pWpSbaHl

WhiteJC

 
Reading v Fulham - Match Officials

As Fulham prepare to go head-to-head with Reading, we are now able to confirm who the match officials will be for the game.

Referee - Simon Hooper

Assistant Referee - Robert Hyde

Assistant Referee - Daniel Robathan

Fourth Official - Lee Swabey

With regards to the referee, Simon Hooper, last season, officiated in 43 games during which he handed out 149 yellow cards and 3 red cards.

Last season, Hooper took charge of the following Fulham fixtures:

Championship:

• August 5 - Fulham 1 Newcastle 0
• March 4 - Fulham 3 Preston 1

In one fixture Hooper refereed last season, a Championship clash between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, he issued 9 yellow cards and 1 red card.

This season, Hooper has taken charge of 2 fixtures and issued 2 yellow cards.

Let`s hope Simon Hooper has a game where he isn`t noticeable and he lets the action flow.

COYW`s



http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=500395


WhiteJC

 
The Tilehurst End Prediction League 17/18: Matchday 2 - Fulham (H)

After an opening day defeat, do you think the Royals can get their first league win of the campaign at home to Fulham?

Well, that didn't go quite as planned/hoped/expected. A 2-0 defeat at QPR was exactly how Reading didn't want to begin the 2017-18 season, and hardly any people saw it coming. Just three punters predicted that the fake hoops would take all three points, and out of those only Osborns scoop correctly went for a scoreline of 2-0. Additionally, only three people rightly said Conor Washington would get the game's first goal, including Osborns scoop, meaning he/she makes a superb start to the new Prediction League campaign by getting three points on the board. The leaderboard is below.

Now it's time for the first home league game of the Championship season, with Fulham - pre-season promotion favourites and last season's beaten play-off semi-finalists - the visitors for the fourth time in the space of less than eight months. All you have to do is guess the score of the game and say who you think will score the first goal in the comments below. A correct score earns two points, a correct result earns one point as does a correct first goalscorer.

I think the score will be 2-1 to Fulham, with Aboubakar Kamara being the first goalscorer. This series is of course done alongside Reading FC Away Days, and by watching James' video on YouTube, you can find out what he thinks will happen.

Good luck!



https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2017/8/12/16135432/prediction-league-17-18-matchday-2-reading-fc-vs-fulham-madejski-stadium-efl-championship

WhiteJC

 
Odoi In Team Of The Round (12/8/17)

Fulham are represented in the latest League Cup team of the round that has been selected after this week's action.

The performance by Denis Odoi in the first round tie between Wycombe Wanderers and Fulham was enough to earn them a place in the side alongside the other most impressive performers in the League Cup competition.

I think we'll already know ourselves, and not just based on the latest performance, why Odoi was selected as part of the team but explaining the choice - the EFL Cup blurb read.

'Wycombe Wanderers have proved their Cup credentials over the years, but Fulham refused to be the latest giants to fall, with Odoi helping the Cottagers to a clean sheet and adding a goal in the 2-0 victory.'

It's always good to see the club represented in this way, and well played to Odoi for his recognition, but the most important thing was of course the win.

Full Team:

Jed Steer (Aston Villa), Nathan Baker (Bristol City), Mark Ellis (Carlisle United), Denis Odoi (Fulham), Mauro Vilhete (Barnet), Samu Saiz (Leeds United), James Maddison (Norwich City), Billy Bodin (Bristol Rovers), Mohamed Eisa (Cheltenham Town), Che Adams (Birmingham City), Shawn McCoulsky (Newport County).

Manager - John Coleman (Accrington Stanley).



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=500311#ixzz4pWqr4iDE

WhiteJC


Up next: Reading (a)
by Dan on August 12, 2017


Slavisa Jokanovic was absolutely right to insist on Thursday that Fulham's focus can't be on revenge at the Madjeski Stadium this afternoon. However much the play-off semi-final defeat still irks (and I still catch myself reliving that frenzied last minute when it looked for an instant like Marcus Bettinelli might head home a famous equaliser), seeking absolution or justice in Berkshire today won't end well. This is just another opportunity to take points off a promotion rival – and Fulham need to be far more ruthless than they were against Norwich last weekend.

Fans are far more emotionally invested in this afternoon that even the streetwise Serbian, whose meticulous professionalism demands that he focus solely on trying to outwit Jaap Stam, who managed to stop Fulham's flowing football from flourishing last May. But even supporters still irked by the classness Reading pitch invasion that soon turned into outright goading of the away end should take their lead from the ten Fulham fans who have walked the forty miles from Craven Cottage to the Madjeski overnight to raise money for the men's mental health support group, the Campaign Against Living Miserably. The lads are due to finish their phenomenal effort shortly – and every donation counts. The fact that their efforts have been fully embraced by both football clubs should go some way to ensuring that atmosphere inside the ground is a little less poisonous this afternoon.

Jokanovic's side looked very good in patches on the opening weekend but weren't clinical enough to kill off the Canaries. The second string, supplemented by a number of promising debutantes, eventually saw off plucky Wycombe on Tuesday but there is still a question mark over whether the head coach's possession-based philosophy can grind out the results necessary to leave Fulham at the Championship summit after a gruelling 46-game season. The best way to eliminate any doubt would be to record impressive performances early in the campaign against sides like Reading, Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday, who are likely to feature heavily in the battle for promotion.

Fulham's side should pick itself this afternoon, especially with Kevin McDonald now ready to play a part after recovering from a calf strain. Ibrahima Cisse bestrode the Adams Park pitch like a colossus at teams in midweek – and now has a song befitting a cult hero – but he will probably have to wait for another chance to impose himself on English football. Tom Cairney has shaken off a series of knocks following some heavy Norwich challenges last weekend and the peerless playmaker should expect more sides to follow the Reading example and seek to kick out of contests. The restoration of the McDonald-Johansen-Cairney axis that so transformed Fulham's prospects last term is key to the team's chances this year as well.

Lucas Piazon might consider himself unlucky to have make do with a spot on the pitch after scoring a sensational opener against the Chairboys, but the only debate is likely to be over whether to field Aboubakar Kamara, who showed some more promising signs over the course of his first 90 minutes in a Fulham shirt in the League Cup, from the start. The temptation to allow a genuine striker to lead the line – and try and impose himself on a Royals' defence that has started the season in somewhat shaky fashion is obvious, but Jokanovic hinted in his press conference that he will remain an option to be introduced from the bench for now.

The laughable short-termism that afflicts modern football management means that Stam, whose achievements in taking Reading to the cusp of promotion last season amongst boadroom uncertainty should not be discounted, is under pressure following an underwhelming summer and a first day defeat to QPR. The Dutchman also has to contend with a number of absences including defender Omar Richards, midfielders Joey van der Berg and Roy Beerens as well as Garath McCleary and Yann Kermogant. Centre backs Paul McShane, sent off at Craven Cottage last season after a disgraceful lunge at McDonald, and Tiago Illori are available again and Stam is hopeful that superb wing-back Jordan Obita and forward Jon Bodvarsson will pass fitness tests.

Whatever side Stam is able to put out this will be another serious test of Fulham's promotion credentials. Whilst expectation might have risen on the back of last season's sensational surge into the top six, repeating the feat is far easier said than done – as Jokanovic has been alluding to lately.

MY FULHAM XI (4-3-3): Button; Fredericks, R. Sessegnon, Kalas, Ream; McDonald, Johansen, Cairney; Ayite, Aluko, Kamara. Subs: Rodak, Odoi, Madl, Cisse, Norwood, Piazon, Kebano.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/08/up-next-reading-a-2/