Saturday Fulham Stuff (28/10/17)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Sess' Double Target

Ryan Sessegnon hopes his family are celebrating two important victories by the close of business on Saturday.

While the Fulham number three will be helping his club side fight for three points against Bolton Wanderers at Craven Cottage, his twin brother competes in a World Cup Final.

Steven Sessegnon has made the right-back slot his own for England Under-17s as they've romped their way to the Final, and Ryan is delighting in his twin's accomplishments out in India.

"It's a great achievement," he told fulhamfc.com. "Our mum, dad, the whole family, is very proud of him, and hopefully he can go one step further and win the trophy.

"It's crazy, it's been a great year for us, for English football. Hopefully managers in the Premier League and Championship can use that and bring these young English players into their first teams.

"Obviously I won't be able to watch the Final because of the Bolton game, but I'll make sure my mum records it!"

The meeting with Wanderers has its own importance, with Fulham looking to bounce back from last week's frustrations at Villa Park.

The Trotters sit bottom of the Sky Bet Championship but have turned a corner recently with four points won from their last two outings.

"No game in this league is an easy game, and we'll be taking Saturday very seriously," Sessegnon explained. "We'll be looking to bring the game to them, and hopefully creating a lot more than we did against Aston Villa.

"We've worked on Bolton, we know what they're about. We expect them to come out and press us, but we're used to that.

"We had that here when we played Preston recently, who came out flying, but as the Gaffer says, teams can't come and press for every minute of the game, so there will be times where there will be space for us to play."

Tickets for Saturday's game are still available to purchase on General Sale, priced from £25 adults and £15 juniors when bought in advance.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/october/27/ryan-sessegnon-double-target

[WhiteJC]

The Balancing Act
by Lydia on October 27, 2017

In 2014, I travelled to Brazil to work alongside a group of missionaries on a sports project. The aim was to have a group of us come out from the UK but in the end, it was just me and one other girl. I remember in the training for the trip we did a lot of team bonding activities but, much to my horror, I realised that me and my team mate were nothing alike- complete chalk and cheese. I had no idea how well we were going to work together as a team! But after the 4 weeks in Brazil, in the debrief with the people who we had been working with, it was put to me how well we worked together. Despite the fact that we were nothing alike and would probably never turn into best buds, we actually worked pretty much flawlessly. What I was good at, she wasn't and vice versa, which meant that most areas were covered. Yes, there were times when we did each other's heads in but when it came to the actual work that we were doing everything that needed to be done was done.

When reflecting on this experience, I realised what had made the team work so well. Firstly, we had the correct balance of skills and abilities and, secondly, we had a mutual respect for each other's role on the team. That doesn't mean to say that there weren't any friction points, but overall, we were able to get past these and the team was successful.

Why am I talking about this? Well, I've been trying to put my finger on exactly what is wrong with Fulham at the minute. We clearly have a strong team in terms of the quality of players and we have a manager who has experience in getting a team promoted from this division, so what is the problem? For me it comes down to the fact that we do not have the right balance at the minute, and we actually probably haven't had it since Roy Hodgson's team of 2009/10. Back then the balance in our team was the reason that it was so successful. Hodgson built a team around a defensive philosophy that ensured that we didn't need world beaters in every position to do well, we just needed players to completely take in what the manager wanted from them. The resoluteness of our defence was the foundation upon which we launched our attacks. We also had attacking players who would contribute defensively first, but who would take their chances when they did come their way. The ten outfield players would work together as a unit whether that was in attack or defence and because of this we punched well above our weight, and it was a joy to watch. In that particular 2009/10 season in the Premier League, we only scored 39 goals in 38 games, but we also conceded just 46, which was least of anyone outside the top 7 teams that year. While we weren't prolific, we were solid defensively so it balanced out in the end. We were like this throughout most of Hodgson's era but since then things have been different. OK, under Hughes we had one very good season, finishing ninth. But even that year we started to concede a lot more goals (51) which shows that the balance was beginning to disappear. Under Martin Jol in 2012/13 is when we can really start to see the lack of balance in the team, resulting in a significantly lower league position than in 2011/12 (9th to 12th in one season). That year we conceded 60 goals, scoring 50, showing that with the lack of balance, comes more goals conceded. We still had the players in attack who could hurt teams like Dimitar Berbatov and Bryan Ruiz, but defensively, our players weren't as effective as they had been three years before.

Ultimately, the lack of balance that started in the years after Hodgson left led to relegation from the Premier League and two seasons of just about surviving the same fate from the Championship. In 2015/16, despite finishing 20th, we scored more goals than most of the league, including Middlesbrough who won promotion after finishing second. But we also conceded a pathetic 79 goals, a figure beaten only by Charlton and Bolton who both got relegated. We had a lot of problems that year, but the complete and utter lack of balance in the team was a huge factor in how poor we were.

Even last year we didn't have balance. We had a much better team in terms of attack, scoring a joint-top 85 goals, but we also conceded the same amount as Wigan who were relegated. Simply put, the balance wasn't right. And this season we can see the same problems. Too often we have conceded goals that we really shouldn't have conceded, down to our poor play rather than the brilliance of the opposition. How can this be fixed? How do we get true balance back in our team? What we had in 2009/10 that we haven't truly had since is simply a solid spine to the team. Back then we had a commanding goalkeeper (Mark Schwarzer), a water tight central defensive partnership (Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes), a leader in centre midfield (Danny Murphy) and a few players who could put the ball in the back of the net. The spine of the team was strong enough to maintain balance in the side. This year we have a few of the elements required, but not all of them. I am still confident that Kalas and Ream can improve in central defence, but I do think that we need a more commanding keeper than Button, although admittedly he has kept us in a few games this season. Tom Cairney, who was our Danny Murphy equivalent in terms of importance last year, has been injured so we have been missing our middle man, while still haven't replaced the goals of Moussa Dembele and Ross McCormack. The spine of our team isn't strong, so we don't have the right foundation to maintain balance.

It must be incredibly tough to be a football manager these days, and Jokanovic does seem to be having a tough time finding his best team this season. Injuries haven't helped, but at least our squad depth is much better than it was last season. I am confident that things will start to improve when Cairney is back 100% fit, but as to whether it will be enough to find the right balance in our team, that remains to be seen. Hopefully we can make some smart moves in the January transfer window because right now I still think that the balance is badly lacking.

#COYW



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/10/the-balancing-act/

[WhiteJC]

 
Preview: Five talking points ahead of Fulham v Bolton Wanderers

Wanderers travel to Fulham this weekend following a win and a draw on home soil. And ahead of our latest outing, bwfc.co.uk highlights five talking points ahead of the Whites' Sky Bet Championship clash with the Cottagers.

1. Back on the road

After almost a month without an away game - with the last coming on September 30 against Aston Villa - Wanderers are back on their travels this weekend as they head to the capital.

So far this term, the Whites have drawn two and lost four of their six Sky Bet Championship away fixtures with one of their stalemates coming in the capital back in August when they made the trip to Millwall.

Could Saturday yield our first league victory on our travels this season? Only time will tell.

2. Unbeaten run

Phil Parkinson's men head into this weekend's round of fixtures unbeaten in their last two games after picking up maximum points against Sheffield Wednesday before being denied all three late on against Queens Park Rangers last time out.

Fulham meanwhile have actually been more successful on their travels this term, with only one of their four wins so far coming at Craven Cottage coupled with four draws and one defeat on home soil.

And with the Cottagers having lost to Aston Villa last time out alongside drawing with Preston in their last home game a fortnight ago, Wanderers will be hoping that they can go one better than their local neighbours this Saturday.

3. Will Buckley?

Having seen his injury so far disrupted by a hamstring injury, this weekend could see Will Buckley come back into the fold.

The winger, who joined the club in the summer after leaving Sunderland, has figured on six occasions so far, the last of which came against Sheffield United back in early September.

And having given the Bolton faithful a taste of his abilities in his handful of appearances so far, this Saturday could be his time to shine as the Whites look to pick up their first away league victory on their travels in 2017/18.

4. Midfield duo

Arriving at Macron Stadium prior to our game against Bristol City last month, Karl Henry has been something of a revelation in midfield and has linked up well with skipper Darren Pratley.

The pair have formed a formidible partnership in the heart of the Trotters' midfield, with them earning plaudits galore from fans in recent weeks - something that both they and those associated with the club will be hoping to see once again this weekend.

5. Tim Ream

Saturday will also see Wanderers and a handful of our players come up against their former teammate and two-time BWFC Player of the Year, Tim Ream.

The American international made 126 appearances for the Whites in all competitions between January 2012 and August 2015 before moving to Craven Cottage where he has since gone on to become a permanent fixture for the London outfit.

Fast approaching his century for the Cottagers, those of a Bolton persuasian - although appreciative of his efforts whilst wearing the white of Wanderers - will be hoping to get one over on the defender this weekend.



https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2017/october/preview-five-talking-points-ahead-of-fulham-v-bolton-wanderers/

[WhiteJC]

 
Bolton Wanderers In Focus

Have a read of the key matchday details ahead of Fulham's meeting with Bolton Wanderers at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.
Possible opposition absentees

Reece Burke – hip injury
Tickets

Tickets for Saturday's game are still available to purchase on General Sale, priced from £25 adults and £15 juniors when bought in advance.
Weather

A dry and cloudy day in SW6, with temperatures around the 15 degree mark at kick-off.
Pre-match

Fans can pick up a pint of Carlsberg or Somersby for £3.50 (usually £4.80) up until 2pm in the Hammersmith, Riverside and Johnny Haynes Stands.
He said...

"Of course you go away from home and respect the point, which is never a bad result, but what an opportunity to go and put that statistic to bed like we did Bury last season." – Steve Parkin, Bolton assistant manager, on their 25-year winless run at Craven Cottage.
Live stream

Overseas subscribers to fulhamfctv will be able to watch a live stream of this game. Follow this link for all available packages, and head to www.fulhamfc.com/live from 2.45pm (BST) to view.
Grosvenor Casinos match odds

Fulham: 11/25

Draw: 19/5

Bolton: 21/4
Previous five results

Bolton 1-1 QPR (Sky Bet Championship)

Bolton 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday (Sky Bet Championship)

Aston Villa 1-0 Bolton (Sky Bet Championship)

Bristol City 2-0 Bolton (Sky Bet Championship)

Bolton 0-3 Brentford (Sky Bet Championship)



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/october/27/bolton-wanderers-in-focus

[WhiteJC]

 
Preview: Fulham v Bolton Wanderers
Wanderers head down to that London

On the back of four points from six, Bolton Wanderers head down to that London in search of more reasons to be cheerful.

Fulham are our gracious hosts, and this represents one of the more pleasant footballing experiences in our nation's capital. A small but homely ground on the banks of the Thames, with friendly supporters who welcome you with a smile rather than a smack.

Familiar names in the home squad include our old mate Tim Ream, former Blackburn Rovers schemer Tom Cairney, ex-Wanderers loan target Sheyi Ojo and Michael Norwood, once of Manchester United.

The home side have two wins in their last six games, and have drawn their last two games at Craven Cottage.

Sat in 10th spot, just four points from the Play Offs, Fulham have been there-and-thereabouts all season long. Under former Chelsea midfielder Slavisa Jokanovic's leadership, the team have bubbled under the surface over the last 18 months, pushing for promotion but never quite convincing anyone that they actually fancied it in the first place.

Obvious to all is that the main problem is playing at home, with just a single victory in six games. Encouragingly for Wanderers, they haven't kept a clean sheet at home to date.

Bolton will likely put out an unchanged side, with Karl Henry and Darren Pratley patrolling midfield behind Josh Vela and Gary Madine, our goal-shy main striker. Mark Beevers and David Wheater will be looking to continue their good form.

    Head to head

Fulham have the edge with five wins in our last ten meetings. Wanderers have just the two. Interestingly, each Fulham victory arrived with a clean sheet.

    Prediction

Fulham are the favourites and probably rightly so. Wanderers have struggled on the road, with just the one goal in our six away games thus far. One thing in our favour is that the home side have yet to keep a clean sheet in front of their own fans this season.

It's shaping up to be a good do.

COYWM.



https://lionofviennasuite.sbnation.com/2017/10/27/16444404/preview-fulham-v-bolton-wanderers

[WhiteJC]

 
Grant: The Right Things

Peter Grant spoke to fulhamfc.com about his Under-23's big 4-1 win over Wolves in the Midlands on Monday evening, and also Friday evening's match against Norwich City at Motspur Park.

"I thought it was a bit of a basketball match", he pondered. "It was end to end, a lot of ball changing over, probably too many times for our liking. For the last 25 minutes we controlled it and got the goals which is important.

"I think that in the past we have not been clinical enough, and I was thinking that in the first half. We were getting in very good areas but the final ball wasn't good enough in the final third.

"We know Wolves are a very strong side, they've a lot of pace and power, and they try and bombard you and put you under pressure, but I thought the boys handled that well.

"Marcelo Djalo was playing for us for the first time and I thought his attitude was excellent."

Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson scored a sensational hat-trick in the match to secure the win, with two from outside the area.

"Jon Dagur was excellent and scored a wonderful hat-trick, you go a long time to see a game where you see five goals where one is as good as each other.

"It was a very good victory in a very difficult game, we also expect to play better but we were pleased with our all round performance."

After a slow start to the season, the Whites have risen from 11th in the table to seventh with three wins out of the last four matches, and could jump into the play-off spots with a win over  Norwich on Friday evening.

"Some games we haven't been good enough", Grant said. "In others we have played well in and just not been clinical enough. Some games we have played well for a period of the game, lost a goal and the heads go down.

"Maybe that's because lack of experience, because it has been a young group, there's been a lot of circumstances for that.

"We know Wolves are a very strong side, they've a lot of pace and power, and they try and bombard you and put you under pressure, but I thought the boys handled that well.

"Marcelo Djalo was playing for us for the first time and I thought his attitude was excellent."

Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson scored a sensational hat-trick in the match to secure the win, with two from outside the area.

"Jon Dagur was excellent and scored a wonderful hat-trick, you go a long time to see a game where you see five goals where one is as good as each other.

"It was a very good victory in a very difficult game, we also expect to play better but we were pleased with our all round performance."

After a slow start to the season, the Whites have risen from 11th in the table to seventh with three wins out of the last four matches, and could jump into the play-off spots with a win over  Norwich on Friday evening.

"Some games we haven't been good enough", Grant said. "In others we have played well in and just not been clinical enough. Some games we have played well for a period of the game, lost a goal and the heads go down.

"Maybe that's because lack of experience, because it has been a young group, there's been a lot of circumstances for that.

Asked what his team can expect on Friday evening, Grant replied: "I've been very impressed with what I've seen in Norwich, I've seen them on video in two games. They beat Southampton the other evening when they played, they played very well.

"They knock the ball about well, but they do it with a purpose. They play through the lines, they get early crosses in, so they've a good mixture. They've got a few foreign lads in there now, who maybe change the emphasis on the way they play.

"They've got a few experienced players like Russell Martin and McGovern, their goalkeeper has played in the Euros and they play a lot of games for them. That's something we don't have, is a lot of experience about us.

"They seem to be helping the Norwich boys because they are good professionals, I know that for a fact.

They go bout their business well and all in all I have been impressed with their performances. They try to put you under pressure, they cross the ball very quickly but they are good technical players so I know it will be a tough game.

"The games for us are tough because most teams are more experience than we are. It is one to look forward to, hopefully we can get a double victory in one week and that would be fantastic."

Keep up to date with the match on our Twitter feed, @FulhamFC.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/october/27/grant-the-right-things

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham v Bolton Wanderers
SAT, 28 Oct 2017 Championship
Venue: Craven Cottage

Tom Cairney's last start for Fulham came in the 2-0 win at Ipswich on 26 August

Fulham will assess midfielder Stefan Johansen (groin) while captain Tom Cairney is pushing to make his first start since August after knee trouble.

Forwards Sheyi Ojo (shoulder) and Lucas Piazon (broken leg) remain sidelined.

Will Buckley could feature for Bolton after recovering from a calf injury, but Chris Taylor and Reece Burke remain unavailable because of injury.

There are no other injury concerns for the Trotters, who will remain bottom of the Championship even if they win.

SAM's prediction
Home win 73%   Draw 15%   Away win 12%

SAM, the Sports Analytics Machine, is a super-computer built by @ProfIanMcHale of the University of Liverpool.

Match facts
    Fulham have lost just once in their last 14 league clashes with Bolton (W8 D5) - losing 3-1 at the Macron Stadium in February 2015.
    Indeed, Bolton haven't beaten Fulham at Craven Cottage in the league since November 1992, losing 11 of their 15 trips there since then (D4), failing to score more than a single goal in any of those matches (nine goals total).
    Bolton have failed to score in seven of their last nine league games against Fulham.
    Fulham midfielder Stefan Johansen has been involved in five goals in his last seven league games (four goals, one assist).
    Bolton, who've lost their last four away league games without scoring a goal, haven't lost five away games in a row without scoring since March 1989 (a run of six).
    Fulham have only kept one home Championship clean sheet in 2017, a joint-low of teams to play in the second tier in both last season and 2017-18, along with Burton.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41703331

[WhiteJC]

 
Sheyi Ojo and Lucas Piazon only absentees for Fulham

Fulham have an almost fully-fit squad for the visit of Bolton.

Only long-term absentees Sheyi Ojo and Lucas Piazon are unavailable to manager Slavisa Jokanovic.

On-loan Liverpool winger Ojo is still out following a dislocated shoulder and Chelsea loanee Piazon is recovering from a broken leg.

Jokanovic hopes to have the pair back in training by December.

Bolton have a worry over Reece Burke.

The on-loan West Ham man has a hip injury and will face a late test.

Bolton boss Phil Parkinson has no other fresh injury concerns and is boosted by the return to fitness of Will Buckley, who has recovered from a calf complaint.

Wanderers have taken four points from their last two games but have taken just two points on the road so far this season.



https://www.clubcall.com/fulham/sheyi-ojo-and-lucas-piazon-only-absentees-for-fulham-1867074.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic insists he knows his best XI but must manage the squad carefully ahead of Bolton

Injuries have meant the Fulham manager has had to swap and change his side and with three games in six days he will have the manage the squad once again

Slavisa Jokanovic has insisted he knows his best Fulham XI but admits he will have to manage his squad carefully as they face three games in six days, starting with Bolton.

Injuries has meant that the boss has had to swap and change his side throughout the season and hasn't been able to select a consistent XI yet, and it looks unlikely he will be able to do so in the coming week as Fulham face Bolton, Bristol City and Wolves in the space of six days.

It's a tough period for the Whites, and although Jokanovic is only focusing on Bolton on Saturday he admits he will have to manage his squad carefully on the coming week.

He said: "We must be thinking about the more important game, and that is always the one immediately in front of us.

"We must manage this game on Tuesday, for different reasons I have some players who haven't been working as much in the last few weeks and I know what is my preference for which players I would prefer to use during the game but in this moment I must manage this situation well.

"First of all we must finish the Bolton game and then look to the Bristol game - it's not time to talk about Bristol and we must be fully focused on Bolton.

"At the same time, I'm only thinking of Bolton but I must also care about the next game too."

Bolton lie bottom of the Championship but have picked up four points from their last two games, including a win against Sheffield Wednesday and a draw with QPR, and Jokanovic is expecting a physical test is awaiting his side on Saturday.

He added: "They started winning some points in the last two games.

"They're a tall, strong, physical team who will probably try and catch us at some set-pieces or in some offensive transitions without so many players.

"They compete very well with many tall people. I expect they're not going to fight for possession of the ball, they're going to try and be organised in defence and try to make fast attacks.

"They're probably going to decide to press our build-up with many people, and we have prepared the team for this kind of situation.

"We know a tough game is in front of us but it's a great chance for us to be available and motivated and aggressive enough to win three points."




http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-boss-slavisa-jokanovic-insists-13821656

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham striker Rui Fonte has the quality to be used in all offensive positions, according to Slavisa Jokanovic

The striker hasn't scored since August and is being used in a variety of different positions, and his boss believes he has enough quality to do a job in any of those

Rui Fonte has the quality to play in all the offensive positions in the Fulham side, according to boss Slavisa Jokanovic .

The 27-year-old former Braga man has scored just the one goal for the Whites this season, in the 2-0 win over Ipswich, and has found himself being used in three different positions so far this season - the wing, the number ten role and as the front man.

It's currently up for debate on where his best position is, with fans believing he should be used as a central striker instead of being played out on the wing, but Jokanovic believes that Fonte has the quality needed to play in any role in his frontline.

He said: "He plays in the number nine or in the position of number ten and both wings, in all the offensive positions he can play good.

"For now, it is simple, if I take decision to play with Aboubakar Kamara I will probably use him in some different position to number nine, but if I make the decision to not start with him I will probably use Rui there.

"If I cannot use these players I can use Ayite or Kebano or some different players, in general I believe that Rui can play in all the offensive positions with enough quality.

"In the past, people before myself used him as a number nine or number ten and on both wings too."




http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-striker-rui-fonte-quality-13821995

[WhiteJC]

 
Potential Aston Villa deal could reportedly become very problematic

Aston Villa supporters have been in fine voice in the Transfer Tavern this week after seeing their side get back to winning ways in the Championship on Saturday courtesy of a 2-1 victory over Slavisa Jokanovic's Fulham.

Steve Bruce's men went into their clash with the Cottagers off the back of a 2-0 defeat to table-toppers Wolves at Molineux, but prior to that had won four games on the spin and conceded just one goal in the process. And they got back to that form at Villa Park on Saturday thanks to goals from John Terry and Albert Adomah, and although Stefan Johansen had equalised for the visitors, Bruce's men were good value for all three points, and subsequently moved into the Championship play-off places after a sixth win of the campaign.

Thus, several of our resident Villans fans have been in high spirits this week and are eagerly anticipating the Second City derby on Sunday, and they are also likely to be intrigued by a recent report from ClubCall which details some intriguing information regarding goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The 24-year-old moved to Villa Park on loan from Manchester United back in January of this year and performed well for the Championship side, so much so that they secured another temporary deal for him at the start of this campaign.

And the Englishman has gone from strength to strength with five clean sheets and just 13 goals against in 13 games for the Villans this term, and his excellent form has had manager Bruce recently speak out about a permanent move for Johnstone.

However, recent reports suggest that United will trigger a 12-month extension in the 24-year-old's contract, which is due to expire at the end of the current campaign, thus meaning that Villa will have to pay a fee for the shot-stopper's services.

This news is surely going to come as a blow to Bruce and the Villa hierarchy, who found money hard to come by during the summer, but with Johnstone reportedly seeking a permanent move to Villa Park, it remains to be seen exactly where his future lies.

Landlord's verdict: While Sam Johnstone is clearly a very talented goalkeeper, he's not going to get regular football at Manchester United anytime soon.

The 24-year-old is behind David de Gea and Sergio Romero, and arguably Joel Pereira, in the shot-stopping ranks at Old Trafford, but his time at Aston Villa has opened everyone's eyes to how good a goalkeeper he is, and how good he could become.

And United seem to be ready for a possible permanent transfer away by reportedly inserting a 12-month renewal clause in Johnstone's contract, so instead of him leaving for nothing next summer, Villa will have to make an offer to prize him away from the North West.

And transfer funds were an issue for manager Steve Bruce during the summer, completing a deal for Johnstone at the end of the campaign could prove very problematic indeed.




https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premiership/potential-aston-villa-deal-could-reportedly-become-very-problematic/

[WhiteJC]

Sessegnon hoping for double celebration
by Dan on October 27, 2017

Ryan Sessegnon is hoping he and twin brother Steven will give his proud family a double celebration on Saturday night.

The Fulham full-back has admired his brother's starring role as the England under-17s surged to tomorrow's World Cup final in India and hopes to do his bit by winning a crucial three points for his club against Bolton Wanderers in their Championship clash at Craven Cottage. Sessegnon, who tasted European glory with the Under-17s in the summer, told Fulham's website just how special Steven's success has been, especially as he had to fight his way into the England starting line-up at the start of the tournament:

    It's a great achievement. Our mum, dad, the whole family is very proud of him, and hopefully he can go one step further and win the trophy. It's crazy, it's been a great year for us, for English football. Hopefully managers in the Premier League and Championship can use that and bring these young English players into their first teams. Obviously I won't be able to watch the final because of the Bolton game, but I'll make sure my mum records it!

If any club manager needs guidance as to the value of trusting their young starlets with a place in the first team, they only need to call Slavisa Jokanovic. The Serbian head coach gave Sessegnon his senior debut against Leyton Orient last season and the teenager went on to become an integral part of the side that got so close to winning promotion to the Premier League through the players. He is now one of the first names on Jokanovic's teamsheet, which is why he isn't in India on international duty with his brother.

Sessegnon's attention will be firmly on returning to winning ways after a disappointing defeat at Villa Park last weekend. He certainly won't be taking bottom of the table Bolton Wanderers lightly after they beat Sheffield Wednesday and drew with QPR and has dismissed talk of this being an easy three points for the home side.

    No game in this league is an easy game, and we'll be taking Saturday very seriously. We'll be looking to bring the game to them, and hopefully creating a lot more than we did against Aston Villa.

    We've worked on Bolton, we know what they're about. We expect them to come out and press us, but we're used to that. We had that here when we played Preston recently, who came out flying, but as the Gaffer says, teams can't come and press for every minute of the game, so there will be times where there will be space for us to play.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/10/sessegnon-hoping-for-double-celebration/

[WhiteJC]

Johansen: Fulham must make home comforts count
by Dan on October 27, 2017

Stefan Johansen has urged his Fulham team-mates to put right their wretched home record with a commanding performance against bottom of the table Bolton Wanderers tomorrow afternoon.

The Norwegian midfielder scored in Fulham's only home league win of the season – against Hull City back in September – and admitted that the Whites' displays in front of their own fans have not been good enough this term. Following last weekend's demoralising defeat to Aston Villa, Johansen – a regular source of goals from midfield so far this season – wants to return Craven Cottage to the kind of fortress that helped Fulham sustain thirteen years in the top flight not so long ago.

The former Celtic midfielder told FulhamFCTV:

    It's important, now we have two home games in a row and there are three games before the international break and we did well before the last one and we're aiming to do the same. I think we're always going to be favourites at home against anyone in this league so that's the pressure we have to deal with but we need to start performing better at the Cottage because it's not been good enough, but we know what we're capable of.

Johansen is aware that sides now have the benefit of having studied the tapes of the way Fulham finished last season, but isn't willing to make excuses for a poor start at the Cottage this term:

    Teams know us better now – they try to make it very hard for us and I think most teams, when they come here, are happy with a point so it's hard when they defend with ten players behind the ball but it's up to us to put the tempo on the ball to break that down, which we haven't done well with this year but it's time to start.

    The club has been struggling over the past three or four years, we had a good year last year and they know we can play good football now and we just need to focus on ourselves and what we're going to do, because we're confident if we do what we can do good enough we'll win the game.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/10/johansen-fulham-must-make-home-comforts-count/

[WhiteJC]

Jokanovic ready for 'tough' Bolton test
by Dan on October 27, 2017

Slavisa Jokanovic knows Fulham will face 'a tough test' when Bolton Wanderers visit Craven Cottage tomorrow afternoon, despite the Trotters currently sitting at the bottom of the Championship table.

Phil Parkinson's men will travel south in good spirits having beaten Sheffield Wednesday and drawn with QPR in their last two league outings and the Fulham head coach told his pre-match press conference this afternoon that there's absolutely no chance of the Whites taking their challenge lightly.

    They started winning some points in the last two games. They're a tall, strong, physical team who will probably try and catch us at some set-pieces or in some offensive transitions without so many players.

    They compete very well with many tall people. I expect they're not going to fight for possession of the ball, they're going to try and be organised in defence and try to make fast attacks. They're probably going to decide to press our build-up with many people, and we have prepared the team for this kind of situation.

    We know a tough game is in front of us but it's a great chance for us to be available and motivated and aggressive enough to win three points. Right now they are at the bottom of the table, but especially in the last two games they have shown the ambition and desire to change their situation, and we must be ready for the game.

Jokanovic insists his side need to raise their level in order to feature in the promotion picture, especially at Craven Cottage, where Fulham have only one game this season. The Serbian was adamant that his players are keen to put right the wrongs of last weekend when they appeared flat and surrendered the initiative to a hungrier Aston Villa side at Villa Park.

    The team is motivated. We know we haven't shown enough, especially in front of our own supporters. We are going to arrive with the intention and desire to try and find our best performance in front of our supporters. We know we're not at our best level, we know we can do a better job, and a chance to do that is immediately in front of us.

Jokanovic can almost choose from a full first-team squad for Saturday's fixture, with only loan duo Lucas Piazon and Sheyi Ojo ruled out with long-term injuries. Fulham expect the pair to return to full training at Motspur Park at the beginning of December.

    Only Ojo and Piazon are unavailable for tomorrow's game. They are recovering well in general and we expect that both of them will start working with us again in the beginning of December.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/10/jokanovic-ready-for-tough-bolton-test/

[WhiteJC]

Up next: Bolton Wanderers (h)
by Dan on October 28, 2017

The message coming out of the Fulham camp this week has been consistent. Slavisa Jokanovic, who was bitterly disappointed with the manner of the Whites' defeat at Aston Villa last weekend, Stefan Johansen and Ryan Sessegnon have all spoken about how performances at Craven Cottage so far this season have fallen well short of the standard required – hammering home the point that, if the Cottagers have genuine ambitions to mount another promotion push, they will need to start picking up more points at home.

On the face of it, the visit of Bolton Wanderers looks like an ideal opportunity to put things right. Phil Parkinson's side are marooned at the bottom of the Championship after finding life tough following their promotion from League One last season and haven't won a league game at Craven Cottage since November 1992. That 25 year hoodoo has included eleven defeats in fifteen visits and Wanderers have failed to score more than a single goal in any of those games. With Parkinson's men having amassed only six points from their first thirteen games to sit below Sunderland and Burton Albion at the foot of the table and the club still afflicted by off-the-field uncertainty, you might be forgiven for considering this the definition of a home banker.

But Bolton are in the midst of something of a resurgence. They battled their way to a fine victory over Sheffield Wednesday a fortnight ago and followed that by having the better of a 1-1 draw with Queens Park Rangers – and the visitors will be fired up by the likes of David Wheater, who has painful memories of his last trip to Fulham. Parkinson's side, which also includes former Fulham trainee Darren Pratley and Newcastle loanee Adam Armstrong, will be determined to deliver further proof that they are more than capable of competing at this level as they search for their first away win of the season.

Parkinson could welcome back winger Will Buckley, who has yet something of an injury-ravaged start to his Bolton career after signing from Sunderland in June, to the starting line-up after the former Brighton wide man recovered from a hamstring injury that has kept him on the sidelines since the start of September. Buckley could return to bolster a midfielder that should see the combative Karl Henry continue his impressive partnership with Pratley, who scored last weekend against QPR, and Wanders certainly won't want for commitment.

Jokanovic told yesterday's press conference that he's prepared Fulham thoroughly for the challenge posed by Bolton and won't be taking them lightly. The Serbian head coach must be tempted to shake things up after his side folded rather meekly in the second half at Villa Park and he'd have plenty of options with only long-term absentees Lucas Piazon and Sheyi Ojo ruled out of action. Whether Tom Cairney is fit enough to start after getting another half an hour under his belt last weekend remains to be seen, but the likes of Neeskens Kebano and Yohan Mollo will be desperate for a start after some below-par wing play in the Midlands on Saturday. Jokanovic would also have the option of pushing Sessegnon – who has spoken of his desire to seal a unique family double this afternoon – further forward and giving a Fulham debut to the on-loan Rafa Soares at left back.

It will be interesting to see what he decides to do up front. Jokanovic insisted yesterday that Rui Fonte has the ability to play in a number of forward positions, but the Portuguese forward was frankly wasted in a wide role at Villa. Whilst Aboubakar Kamara's formidable physical presence can pose problems for English defences, playing Fonte from the wing sacrifices both his finishing ability and those intelligent runs that stretch centre backs – and his acclimatisation to the Championship would run far smoother were he deployed in the same position from where he looked devastating against Ipswich at Portman Road back in August.

Fulham badly need to pass two tests this afternoon. Jokanovic's side must begin to present more of a threat to teams who sit deep and defend in numbers against their patient passing football and pick up points at home. Establishing Craven Cottage as a less generous place for opponents to visit is vital if the Whites still hold hopes of making the top six (or better) in the Championship this season – and they will need to be more clinical against the Championship's strugglers to make that happen.

MY FULHAM XI (4-3-3): Button; Fredericks, Soares, Kalas, Ream; McDonald, Johansen, Cairney; Kebano, R. Sessegnon, Fonte. Subs: Bettinelli, Madl, Cisse, Norwood, Ayite, Mollo, Kamara.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/10/up-next-bolton-wanderers-h-2/

[WhiteJC]

 
Q&A With Fulham

Bolton's two most recent outings prove they have the quality required to compete at Championship level and avoid an immediate return to League One.

Those are the views of Fulham supporter Dan Crawford, editor at HammyEnd.com, who spoke to us ahead of Saturday's Sky Bet Championship fixture between the two sides at Craven Cottage.

In the following Q&A interview, Dan shares his views on the task that lies ahead for Phil Parkinson's side between now and May, how Tim Ream overcame a poor start to become a fans' favourite at Fulham, as well as memories of Wanderers' last league win at the Cottage - back in 1992.

Q: Last season, Fulham were agonisingly close to a return to the Premier League, losing narrowly to Reading in the semi-finals of the Play-Offs. Bearing that in mind, can you see Fulham replicating something similar to last year's campaign and go one further this time around?

A: The run at the end of last season to reach the Play-Offs was absolutely sensational. Fulham made up 11 points on Leeds and played some flawless football to make the top-six, but were ultimately nullified by a cynical Reading side at the Madjeski Stadium.

Whereas opponents last year had little answer to the patient passing football that prised open defences, sides now have have a greater idea of how Fulham will play - and Slavisa Jokanovic hasn't come up with a convincing Plan B.

The Championship is a notoriously unforgiving league, so just reaching the Play-Offs will be a tough task, especially as Fulham's start to the season can only be described as stuttering.

Q: Slavisa Jokanovic has been at Craven Cottage since 2015. What have you made of the job he has done and do you believe he is the right person to take Fulham forward?

A: Jokanovic's achievement in totally transforming a side that, at one point, looked in serious danger of relegation, to one of the divsion's most attractive teams shouldn't be understated.

He's loved by the Fulham fans for the fact that he's both a hard taskmaster and fiercely ambitious, and has his side playing easy-on-the-eye football, competing at the right end of the table.

He already has one Championship promotion - with Watford - on his CV and I think you would struggle to get a better manager at this level.

The last Fulham side to play such sublime football was Jean Tigana's Division One title-winning side at the turn of the millennium. Jokanovic's team aren't at that level - and there are question marks about whether a team that values possession and passing so highly can succeed in the Championship - but it is great to watch.

Q: A familiar name to Wanderers fans is Tim Ream, who left in 2015 to join Fulham. How has he performed over the past two years?

A: Tim Ream has overcome a tough start to firmly establish himself as one of the most popular members of this Fulham side.

He was brought in alongside Richard Stearman to bring some experience to a defence that was far too generous, but it wasn't until Jokanovic paired him with Tomas Kalas for the American's outdoubted class to shine through.

Bolton fans won't need me to tell them that Ream always gives his all and his ball distribution from the back is a fundamental part of the way Fulham play. He's also far more thoughtful than most modern footballers and has formed a genuine bond with the fans.

Q: Turning our reflection to Bolton - can you see any sort of hope for Wanderers fans this season and, more importantly, will we survive the drop?

A: I think the last two results have shown what quality there is in the Wanderers squad and that the team definitely has the ability to survive in the Championship.

The fantastic victory against Sheffield Wednesday and the point against QPR show that, when Wanderers are able to put their best players on the park, they have the quality to match anyone in the division.

It was good to see former Fulham midfielder Darren Pratley make his mark against Rangers and we look forward to welcoming him back to Craven Cottage this weekend.

Q: Looking forward to Saturday, who would you pick out as Fulham's biggest threat to Wanderers?

A: It's no coincidence that Fulham's rather indifferent start to the new season has coincided with Tom Cairney's struggles with a knee injury.

The captain has played a part in Fulham's last two fixtures from the bench, but a fully-fit Cairney alongside Kevin McDonald and Stefan Johansen at the heart of the midfield makes such a difference.

It remains to be seen whether the Scottish international will be able to start this game, but Wanderers will need to watch teenager Ryan Sessegnon's penetrating runs down the left flank carefully as well.

Q: It's been 25 years since Wanderers picked up three points at Craven Cottage. Do you see Bolton ending this miserable run or will the slump continue?

A: Fulham have been fairly accommodating hosts so far this season - and it seems like the Craven Cottage fortress built up during the Premier League years is a thing of the past - so I can certainly see Bolton making a game of it.

I remember reacting with fury when Alan Stubbs scored the fourth goal on that November afternoon back in 1992 - and I'm sure Wanderers will travel with a bit more confidence now after those last two results.

Whatever happens in the game, I'd like to wish Wanderers the very best for the rest of the season.




https://www.burndenaces.co.uk/2017/10/28/qa-with-fulham.html