Tuesday Fulham Stuff (21/11/17)...

[WhiteJC]

 
SOLD OUT: This is how many Birmingham City supporters will be at Fulham

Three allocations for BCFC's trip to Craven Cottage have been snapped up

An increasingly large corner of West London will be Blue on December 9 following the confirmation Birmingham City supporters have snapped up their latest allocation of tickets for the Fulham game.

The original batch of 2,810 were hoovered up within 24 hours of going on general sale, then a further 941 were made available a couple of weeks ago.

Finally last week Fulham released another 324 tickets - which have also sold out meaning Blues will have 4,074 supporters backing them at Craven Cottage.

The trip to Fulham has traditionally been a popular one for Birmingham supporters, with some 3,500 making the journey last season to see Clayton Donaldson give the visitors a 1-0 victory.

Before that, though, Blues travel to Middlesbrough on Wednesday, for which tickets are still available, priced at £30 for an adult and available from the Riverside ticket office.



http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/sold-out-how-many-birmingham-13930674

[WhiteJC]

 
Pro Deal For Matt O'Riley

The Club is delighted to announce that Matt O'Riley has signed his first professional contract with Fulham.

On his 17th birthday, O'Riley has put pen to paper on a deal that keeps him at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2020.

A local lad, O'Riley joined the Club as an Under-9, and progressed through the age groups swiftly, making his First Team debut as a 16-year-old earlier this season in the 2-0 Carabao Cup victory over Wycombe Wanderers.

"Obviously this is one of the best birthdays I've ever had," he told fulhamfctv. "It's a great day for me and my family.

"I've been here since I was eight-years-old. This means a lot to me and I am just looking forward to kicking on now."

Academy Director Huw Jennings added: "We're really pleased that Matt has committed himself to Fulham with a three-year professional contract, and it builds on what has been excellent success for him already this season.

"He made his senior debut and had the opportunity to play in both of the League Cup games, while featuring in First Team training on a regular basis.

"Matt's been with us since the pre-Academy days, he's seen a well-trodden path now from the younger age groups right the way through to the First Team.

"That's absolutely an emblem for us, and we're delighted that there's another young man of his type who's come into the fold."

Keep an eye on fulhamfctv for a full interview with Matt O'Riley discussing his pro contract.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/november/21/pro-deal-for-matt-o-riley

[bobby01]

Pro Deal For Matt O'Riley

The Club is delighted to announce that Matt O'Riley has signed his first professional contract with Fulham.

On his 17th birthday, O'Riley has put pen to paper on a deal that keeps him at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2020.

A local lad, O'Riley joined the Club as an Under-9, and progressed through the age groups swiftly, making his First Team debut as a 16-year-old earlier this season in the 2-0 Carabao Cup victory over Wycombe Wanderers.

"Obviously this is one of the best birthdays I've ever had," he told fulhamfctv. "It's a great day for me and my family.

"I've been here since I was eight-years-old. This means a lot to me and I am just looking forward to kicking on now."

Academy Director Huw Jennings added: "We're really pleased that Matt has committed himself to Fulham with a three-year professional contract, and it builds on what has been excellent success for him already this season.

"He made his senior debut and had the opportunity to play in both of the League Cup games, while featuring in First Team training on a regular basis.

"Matt's been with us since the pre-Academy days, he's seen a well-trodden path now from the younger age groups right the way through to the First Team.

"That's absolutely an emblem for us, and we're delighted that there's another young man of his type who's come into the fold."

Keep an eye on fulhamfctv for a full interview with Matt O'Riley discussing his pro contract.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/november/21/pro-deal-for-matt-o-riley

Great news

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham wonderkid signs first professional deal with the club

The youngster signed the contract on his 17th birthday and described it as one of the 'best birthdays ever'

Fulham wonderkid Matt O'Riley has signed his first professional deal at Craven Cottage on his 17th birthday.

The 17-year-old has put pen-to-paper on a deal that will see him stay at the club until 2020, having joined the club at Under-nine level.

He made his debut for the first team in the 2-0 victory over Wycombe in the Carabao Cup and regularly trains with Slavisa Jokanovic's first team, as well as Tayo Edun and Luca de la Torre.

"Obviously this is one of the best birthdays I've ever had," he told fulhamfctv. "It's a great day for me and my family.

"I've been here since I was eight-years-old. This means a lot to me and I am just looking forward to kicking on now."

Academy Director Huw Jennings added: "We're really pleased that Matt has committed himself to Fulham with a three-year professional contract, and it builds on what has been excellent success for him already this season.

"He made his senior debut and had the opportunity to play in both of the League Cup games, while featuring in First Team training on a regular basis.

"Matt's been with us since the pre-Academy days, he's seen a well-trodden path now from the younger age groups right the way through to the First Team.

"That's absolutely an emblem for us, and we're delighted that there's another young man of his type who's come into the fold."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-wonderkid-signs-first-professional-13931650

[WhiteJC]

 
Inside Bramall Lane

We caught up with Sheffield United season ticket holder Chris Cowie to get an insider's look at the Blades' fantastic start to the season.
How did you come to be a Sheffield United fan?

My Dad took me to the Lane when I was five and I've never looked back.

Did you ever envisage that United would be doing as well as they are?

Yes and no. I didn't think we would struggle under Chris Wilder as he wouldn't let that happen and is too good for that to be the case. But to be second and playing the same style we did last season, just carrying on as we were, I didn't think it would be this good.
Chris Wilder must just be adored by the Blades fans?

Oh yes. He is known as Sir Christopher Wilder, or God.
Who have been your standout performers this season?

Everyone! Difficult to pick one. Paul Coutts was majestic until he tragically suffered a broken leg at Burton. Mark Duffy is the assist master and bounce slayer (SWFC reference), Billy Sharp can't stop scoring and is a hero, John Fleck is a magician, Jack O'Connell is a rock and a superb football playing centre-back, and David Brooks is a wonder kid coming through.

Do you think you can maintain your form?

Yes, the only thing that might derail us slightly is the loss of Couttsy, but Wilder will sort it. Either with Samir Carruthers or John Lundstram as his replacement, or getting someone in, in January.
What's the best and worst thing about a trip to Bramall Lane?

Best: it's the best ground in the world and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else every other Saturday. Worst: I live 160-odd miles away so having a season ticket and travelling to every game is a pain.
What can we expect from Sheffield United?

Fast flowing, attacking football. High pressing and pressure game. Win or bust. It's normally win though and it's never boring.

Which Fulham players do you expect could cause you problems?

Kevin McDonald. Loved him at the Lane when he was on it. A proper ball playing midfielder who could control the game when he wanted. I also like the look of Tom Cairney whenever I've seen him.
Where's a good place for away fans to get a pint before the game?

There's a lot of decent, proper pubs in Sheffield. Kelham Island is the home of real ale, and the ground is close to the city centre so there's plenty to choose from. Not many near the actual ground allow away fans in. The Tap outside the station is a good pub, plus the Howard opposite is normally the go-to pub for away fans, but the Tap is supposedly better.
What sort of match are you expecting?

The usual United game. High tempo, fast attacking football. It should be a good footballing game as I believe Fulham play it on the deck.
What score prediction are you going for?

3-1 United. With the way we are playing at the moment (it's still very strange being confident with United) it's hard to imagine us losing. There's a reason we are where we are and are playing with such confidence. Obviously the way we set up may bite us on the odd occasion, but we are very strong at the moment.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/november/21/inside-bramall-lane

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham to continue statistics-based transfer recruitment during the January transfer window

Tony Khan will continue in his role and will be assisted by James Lovell as the new interim co-director of football operations

Fulham will continue their statistics-based transfer recruitment policy during the January transfer window, despite the sacking of former assistant director of football operations Craig Kline.

Kline left the club last month and has been replaced by James Lovell, who is now the interim assistant director of football operations and will help prepare the club for the transfer window, alongside Tony Khan, Brian Talbot and Slavisa Jovanovic.

During the Fulham Supporters' Trust monthly meeting with senior members of Fulham Football Club, the club confirmed that the club regularly reviews its transfer policy and confirmed that Mr Khan would continue in his current role regarding transfers.

They also confirmed the two-boxes ticket method of signing a player, but insisted that both conventional scouting and data analysis play a part in drawing up a list of around 20 plus players per position that form the initial basis of the Club's recruitment strategy and that it is more like a four-boxes ticked system, taking into account financial inputs and Jokanovic's opinion.

In terms of not having enough data to sign a player, the club used the example of Stefan Johansen, for whom comprehensive SPL analytical data was not available last summer, to illustrate how the process worked in practice.


New team: Slavisa Jokanovic with Tony Khan (Image: Fulham FC)

The club confirmed that the system was flexible enough to allow for the Club to request scouting reports and further analysis on a player, which happened in the case of signing Johansen from Celtic.

Representatives of Fulham also confirmed that the club have implemented a policy not to sign anyone over the age of 28, except at Tony Khan's discretion, which was the case with the signing of Ragnar Sigurdsson last summer.

There was also confirmation that Danny Talbot joined the club from Chesham United as one of a number of several senior club scouts reporting to his father, Brian Talbot, but he is not Fulham's new head of European Scouting as some reports claimed.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-continue-statistics-based-transfer-13930736

[WhiteJC]

 
Opposition Camp

Speaking to iFollowBlades, Chris Wilder says Sheffield United will have to be at their best against a "very talented" Fulham outfit on Tuesday night.

"We're preparing for a team that not so long ago were in the Premier League. It is an excellent club and last season they came very close to getting out of the division, losing a tight Play-Off semi-final against Reading. So they went very, very close to getting out of the division.

"They've kept their best players, kept [Tom] Cairney, kept [Ryan] Sessegnon, Kevin McDonald is obviously well known to the people around here. This is another proper Championship game against a very, very talented group of players and manager. We'll be prepared for them turning up with their A-game, and it'll be up to us to drive the game forward.

"It's a massive game for us psychologically, we've got to recover from what happened at Burton and go again. And that is everybody getting behind this group of players to lift them and hopefully give them an opportunity to win the game against what is a very talented team."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/november/21/opposition-camp

[WhiteJC]

 
Jokanović: Take The Game

Slaviša Jokanović says Sheffield United are second in the table on merit, and knows Fulham face a big test on Tuesday night.

The Blades have enjoying a storming 2017/18 to date, with 12 league victories meaning they sit just two points off the Sky Bet Championship summit.

"The way they've played in the first 17 games, we cannot be surprised that they are up there," Jokanović told fulhamfc.com. "They've shown great spirit, they are fighting all together, they are clinical in the box.

"They have two strikers, or three with [Clayton] Donaldson who played a little bit less, who have in total scored 19 goals, and this is a great benefit for them. They're a very aggressive, offensive team who always want to win the game.

"Some people might be surprised, but they deserve to be where they are right now, and a great challenge is in front of us."

United have proven to be one of the most prolific sides in the division, but Jokanović is hoping to cause them plenty of problems when his side get on the ball.

"We want to win the game, we are not a team who is going to wait in our shape to see what happens," he explained. "They are going to try and attack us, and we are going to attack them.

"They are fighting for all the second balls with desire and with ambition to win. They are a team who put crosses in many times with their full-backs, and their centre-backs, too.

"On the offensive side, they are really organised, and in the defensive side they are working really hard, pressing everything all over the pitch.

"They are in a good moment, they're playing with confidence, and we're going to try and improve our own moment, and we must always play with confidence. We're going there to do everything we can to win the game."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/november/21/slavisa-jokanovic-take-the-game

[WhiteJC]

 
Sky Sports pundit predicts glum result for Fulham as they take on Sheffield United

The former Sheffield Wednesday man reckons it will be seven without a win after tonight's result at Sheffield United

Sky Sports pundit David Prutton is predicting a drab night for Fulham at Bramall Lane, backing Sheffield United to win tonight's tie 2-0.

Slavisa Jokanovic's side are currently on a six-match winless run and the former Sheffield Wednesday man doesn't think that streak will end with tonight's trip to Yorkshire, despite having Stefan Johansen and Neeskens Kebano back in contention.

Sheffield United are currently second in the Championship and are aiming for back-to-back promotions after getting promoted from League One last season.

he side are on a two-match winning run but their last defeat came against Fulham's west London rivals QPR in October, but the pundit can't see past a Sheffield win for this evening.

He said: "Sheffield United just keep on going don't they. Every time you think they might slip up they just get another result and they're turning into real contenders this season.

"Fulham, meanwhile, just can't get any kind of run of form going, and they look bereft of confidence at the moment. I can't see much past a home win here."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/sky-sports-pundit-predicts-glum-13931774

[WhiteJC]

 
An In-depth Analysis of Fulham's Goal Scoring
by Lydia on November 21, 2017

The aim of football is very simple; score more goals than your opponent within the time given to win the game. It is not particularly surprising, therefore, to link Fulham's poor goal scoring record this season with our league position. Out of 24 teams, we are joint 17th in terms of goals scored with 19 in 17 matches. Last year we scored 85 overall (before the play-offs) and to achieve this tally again we would have to score on average 2.3 goals a game in the 29 games we have left. How have we managed to get so poor in front of goal this year? What needs to be done for Fulham to get the goal scoring mojo back?

First things first, we need to look at who scored last year and how they scored. How many headers, tap-ins, individual moments of brilliance, team goals and own goals went for us in a season where we seemed to score for fun? We had 15 goal scorers in the league last year and these are shown in the table below. The table also shows the assists and I've added Ryan Fredericks in because, although he didn't score last season, his assist tally was one of our highest-

Out of the 85 goals scored last season, 28 of them came from players who are no longer at the club. We also have to account for the 16 assists lost from those players, 10 from Sone Aluko alone. The other factor that we have to consider is the way we scored last year and this is shown in the next table-

A considerable amount of our goals came our feet and inside the main body of the box while only 9 of our goals came from headers from anywhere inside the box. This tells me that our desire to play the ball on the ground into the box or across the face of goal was what helped us score so many goals last year. The fact that we only scored 9 headers tells us that we aren't particularly clinical from set-pieces (no surprise there) and that we rarely use a floated ball into the box to create chances. If we think back to the game on Saturday evening v Derby, we can see that we are trying to play the same way as we did last year but aren't having the same successes. Everyone could see Fonte jumping up and down trying to get both Odoi's and Fredericks' attention every time they came charging forward on the wings, but we didn't start looking for the high cross until after he had been replaced with Kamara. I can only imagine how frustrating that was for the striker.

When I think back to the summer when Fulham were seemingly buying enough wingers for them to have their own team, I realised that it is because Slavisa Jokanovic wants them to be a key component in our game. With the vast majority of our goals coming from feet inside the box, he knows that when you have the right personnel, moving the ball fast and having wingers put the ball into the box on the ground is a brilliant way to beat teams. The trouble is that Sone Aluko and Scott Malone between them were brilliant at driving the by-line and pulling the ball across the box low for someone to drive home, but both of those players have gone, Shey Ojo hasn't quite been able to replicate their work while Jordan Graham and Yohan Mollo have been side-lined a bit. At the same time Lucas Piazon has been out injured and Fredericks and Odoi don't seem to be able to hit the same areas. Our wing backs are both good players, there is no denying that, but their final ball hasn't quite been as good.

However, we can't just blame the wingers or wingbacks for a lack of service, as whenever they do manage to put a good ball into the box our strikers and midfielders aren't charging in where they should be to get on the end of it. In order for those tactics to work you need to-

    Move the ball with pace so that the defence struggle to get into position.
    Have players moving into the box at pace to make it harder for defenders to mark.

I don't think we have been very good at either of these things so far this season which has resulted in us scoring far less despite all of the possession. Either we aren't getting into the box at all, or we are getting there too early, standing still and becoming a defender's dream instead of a nightmare. It is easy to mark some who is standing still. Movement is key.

What I learned from the Derby game is that we are beginning to play like we did last year, moving the ball a bit faster and having a bit more joy from the wide areas, but I still think that we need to keep the bar high and keep improving. I don't think the tactics are the problem at the minute, it's that we aren't fully committing to those tactics.  If we get the ball to Fonte and Kamara in the box I fully expect them to start hitting the back of the net alongside goals from our midfielders if they start making those key runs into the box. Hopefully we can start tonight against Sheffield United and kick start our season from here.

COYW



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/11/an-in-depth-analysis-of-fulhams-goal-scoring/

[WhiteJC]

 
Three Players to Watch: Matchday 18 vs. Sheffield United
Against an unfamiliar foe, who will Fulham need to watch out for as they travel to Bramall Lane

Despite another failed clean sheet and a few dodgy penalty calls that should have gone their way, Fulham were not only able to pick up a draw against Derby County. That being said, the manner in which they played was so much better than in any other game this season in the past two months. Not only did Fulham score the first goal, they also dominated the proceedings when it came to attacking output throughout the whole 90 minutes. When fulltime was reached, they outshot Derby County 12-5 and easily won the expected goal count 1.0-0.5 according to Experimental 361.

The shot quality was not won by Fulham, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that Derby County are an overrated in attack from last weekend's preview. But if anything, Slavisa Jokanovic had his team not give the Rams the satisfaction of living in their own attacking third. That being said, supporters will still argue that Fulham's finishing is not good enough if they ever want to compete for promotion.

Since Preston North End, Fulham have generated 9.1 exptected goals through the shots that they have accumulated. During that same six-game span, the Cottagers have only put five of those shots in the back of the net. Most of it was due to just simply throwing shots towards goal, accuracy be damned, because of how long they were trailing in each of those six games.

Once you expand the reach of that bad luck to the course of the season, however, Fulham now have generated the equivalent of 22.9 goals when they have only scored 19 in real life. That 3.9 goal difference may not look massive, but when you consider the league-leading eight draws they have had, those goals left in the table really could have saved their season. At most, that's another eight points that could have been added to their 20-point total in the league table. Instead, Fulham are tied for 16th in the Championship and Jokanovic will have to continue to push the right buttons when they take on Sheffield United tonight.

Despite playing in their first season back in the Championship since 2010/11, the Blades are not only worth our attention because of how dominant they performed in 2016/17 in League one and where they are now. This is a squad that has underlying numbers suggesting that they are not a fluke. What stands out the most about Chris Wilder's side is how well the defense has translated from one league to the next in such quick order. While Sheffield have only conceded 15 goals in 17 games, their expected goals against tally of 15.6 is almost perfectly in line with their actual output. That is due to only conceding 10.8 shots per 90 minutes that is only bettered by Middlesbrough, Cardiff City and Preston North End. Along with that, no other side constrict said shots that force goalkeeper Jamal Blackman to save them more thanks to a 2.53 per 90 minutes rate.

With Wilder's 3-5-2 formation, they love to compact their wing backs and the majority of their central midfield so that there is no chance of generating any form of attack. When they do commit numbers, there can be times where that can be a rarity due to their seventh-worst shot output of 11.4 shots per 90 minutes. That being said, 4.18 of those 11.4 shots per 90 minutes are on target: good for ninth-best in the Championship. As a result, it makes more sense to see a side so feeble in attack generate a third best 27 goals. Yes, regression is due thanks to just a 22.9 expected goal output of their own, but the formula in which they have generated that offense is not broken just yet.

Sheffield do a much better job than Derby in possession at 51.6% for the campaign, but like last Saturday, Fulham have to stay patient take advantage of the chances that they create. I wouldn't be surprised if Fulham perform better than most expect, but Sheffield are a quality outfit and will prove why they are promotion candidates in the Premier League. Here are three players from this squad that have contributed the most.

Enda Stevens

Coming from left wingback, Stevens is taking advantage of 2017/18 to prove his worth at the second tier of English Football. After rising through the ranks of Irish football, Stevens moved to Aston Villa in the summer of 2011 where he only made nine appearances for the club. He would go on loan in four different occasions with Doncaster being his most successful spell. Otherwise, Stevens was mostly playing in either League One or League Two football before signing for Portsmouth permanently in 2015. Still, the former Irish Under-21 International needed to establish himself with the League Two club before catching the eye of Wilder to make his move up to the Championship.

And with that, Stevens has proven his worth at this level and has contributed well with four assists and solid contributions in defense as well. His passing can be better, but his twelve crosses and 21 key passes suggest that he can deliver dangerous balls from anywhere off the left flank.

Mark Duffy

As mentioned, Sheffield don't have that many players coming in on the attack en masse. But with a team-leading 25 successful dribbles and five assists, Duffy will certainly play a major role in such proceedings.

At 32, the Liverpool winger turned central midfielder has seen it all. After not making it through Liverpool's and Wrexham's youth academies, Duffy had to start his career with Southport; playing in the fifth and sixth tier of English football in the process. He would work his way up with Morecambe and Scunthorpe United before becoming a regular in the Championship with Doncaster and Birmingham starting in 2013. However, Duffy's tenure at St. Andrew's was a miserable one with only seven appearances for the club to show for it. At 30, all seemed lost for him when he was on loan with League One clubs Chesterfield and Burton Albion. But after guiding the Brewers to promotion in 2016, Duffy signed permanently with United and hasn't looked back. Now he hopes his rich vein of form can continue and to see how far his extensive career can go.

Billy Sharp

All data from whoscored.com

Lastly, we go to the the more established player of the three observed today. That being said, Billy Sharp's career hasn't been any less boring. If anything, the 31-year old started his career with Sheffield United, but was only able to make two appearances in his first stint that lasted two years.

Sharp would establish himself as a professional footballer when he signed for League One side Scunthorpe United by banging in 56 goals in 95 appearances. When he returned back to Sheffield United in 2007 at the Championship, his production did not translate with just 13 tallies in 64 appearances. However, his career reached his peak when he moved to Doncaster and then helped guide Southampton towards Premier League promotion in 2011/12.

Sadly, Sharp was no longer needed for his services once the South Coast club was in the top flight as he was shipped out to three different Championship clubs on loan before signing permanently for Leeds United. These were dark times for the center forward as he was only able to collect 23 goals in 106 appearances in that three year span. Sharp returned back to Sheffield for a third time, expected to live the rest of his footballing days towards lower level leagues. Instead, he was reborn and was the club's leading scorer every season since returning in 2015. Now with eight goals in 16 starts this campaign, Sharp hopes to make the most of the rest of his career. Seeing him give it one more crack at Premier League football will truly be a story worth watching.



https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2017/11/21/16684120/three-players-to-watch-matchday-18-vs-sheffield-united

[WhiteJC]

Up next: Sheffield United (a)
by Dan on November 21, 2017

The size of Fulham's task in the steel city tonight is illustrated by the starkest of statistics. The Whites haven't triumphed at Bramall Lane since Leroy Rosenior's winner secured the narrowest of wins in April 1984 and have managed just two goals in their last seven visits to S2. Factor in the sensational job that Chris Wilder has done to take last season's League One champions to within two points of Wolves at the top of the Championship and there will be very few people backing Slavisa Jokanovic's side to end their six game winning streak this evening.

The Blades have surprised all bar themselves by picking up from where they left off after cantering to the League One title last term. Wilder, a boyhood United fan, has reenergised one of England's sleeping giants, with a brand of passion and pragmatism that has centred around giving the club's young stars the freedom to express themselves in an attacking, high-tempo game. Pre-season fears about the potency of their attack at this level have proven remarkably unfounded, with Leon Clarke finding the net nine times in thirteen league stats and the evergreen Billy Sharp adding eight goals already.

There's a buoyancy about the Blades that can't just be explained by the fact that long suffering United fans are enjoying some time at the right end of the table. Wilder spoke instructively earlier this week about the club having restored a very genuine bond between his squad and the supporters as he called on the home fans to create the kind of atmosphere that has already helped the Blades to record some notable wins this term. The confidence is infectious and could be seen in the exceptional displays from Paul Coutts, who will miss the rest of the season after a horrific leg break at Burton last weekend, creative midfielder Mark Duffy – who famously unlocked the Owls defence with ease in the recent Sheffiel derby – and precocious youngster David Brooks.

Wilder's insistence on energy and a high pressing game will put the visitors under pressure from the first whistle. The Blades might be without the likes of Ched Evans and Kieron Freeman but will probably be able to call upon the returning George Baldock, who has been sidelined with a hamstring complaint, and the mercurial John Fleck. The hosts have been careful not to underestimate their underperforming visitors but have their sights set on overhauling Wolves to reach the Championship summit. Fulham might have shown the merest hint of some green shoots of recovery against Derby on Saturday, but just how long lasting that encouraging display proves to be will be severely tested this evening.

Jokanovic is hopeful that will be able to include Stefan Johansen, who missed the weekend encounter through illness, as well as Neeskens Kebano after the winger reported back from international duty with a hip problem. Sheyi Ojo could be in contention for a return to action after recovering quicker than expected from the injury that saw him leave the west London derby against QPR earlier than had been planned – although the Liverpool loanee's significant lack of match shaprness might count against his claims for an immediate recall.

Fulham will be boosted by the return to the starting line-up of former Sheffield United schemer Kevin McDonald, who makes such a difference to the Whites midfielder. I wrote a while ago about how pivotal that central axis of McDonald-Johansen-Cairney could prove to be in the club's season – and the inability to play those same three players together has acutely affected Fulham's rather paltry points total. The head coach still also has to take a decision about which of his strikers is his main front man – with Rui Fonte looked rather bewildered at times on Saturday, the possibility of starting with Aboubakar Kamara seems strong.

Jokanovic has shown a willingness to offer young talent their head in the first team since his appointment to succeed Kit Symons in December 2016 and plenty of academy graduates have followed in Ryan Sessegnon's explosive footsteps. The latest two, Tayo Edun and Luca de la Torre, acquitted themselves convincingly against the Rams at Craven Cottage on Saturday and another huge talent, Matt O'Riley, was rewarded with his first professional contract. With the likes of Steven Sessegnon and Estonian international Mattias Kait making the bench, there is evidently a much clearer pathway into the first team than before – and plenty of burgeoning talents are bidding to take advantage.

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



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/11/up-next-sheffield-united-a/

[WhiteJC]

 
Sheffield United In Focus

Have a read of the key matchday details ahead of Fulham's trip to Bramall Lane on Tuesday evening.

Possible opposition absentees

George Baldock - hamstring injury

Ched Evans - ankle injury
Paul Coutts - broken leg
Tickets

Fans can buy tickets from the Away Ticket Office at the ground, cash only, with a £2 increase on pre-matchday prices.
Weather

Although it will rain in Sheffield throughout the day, it should clear by kick-off, with temperatures at a fairly mild 13 degrees.
Pre-match

The Howard and the Tap, both in close proximity to Sheffield train station, are away fan friendly.
He said...

"This is another proper Championship game against a very, very talented group of players and manager. We'll be prepared for them turning up with their A-game, and it'll be up to us to drive the game forward." – Chris Wilder, Sheffield United manager.
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 7.30pm (GMT) to view.
Grosvenor Casinos match odds

Sheffield United: Evens

Draw: 13/5

Fulham: 12/5
Previous five results

Burton Albion 1-3 Sheffield United (Sky Bet Championship)

Sheffield United 4-1 Hull City (Sky Bet Championship)

QPR 1-0 Sheffield United (Sky Bet Championship)

Leeds United 1-2 Sheffield United (Sky Bet Championship)

Sheffield United 2-1 Reading (Sky Bet Championship)



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/november/21/sheffield-united-in-focus

[WhiteJC]

Fulham starlet O'Riley signs professional contract
by Dan on November 21, 2017

Matt O'Riley celebrated his seventeenth birthday by signing his first professional contract with Fulham this morning.

The England youth international, who has made two senior appearances for Slavisa Jokanovic's side since making his first-team debut in the 2-0 win at Wycombe in the League Cup first round back in August, put pen to paper on a three-year deal at Motspur Park. The Hounslow-born midfielder, who has been with Fulham since the age of eight and has been tracked by Arsenal and Manchester City since starring in the Whites academy set-up, told the club's official website of his delight at cementing his future at Craven Cottage.

    Obviously this is one of the best birthdays I've ever had. It's a great day for me and my family. I've been here since I was eight-years-old. This means a lot to me and I am just looking forward to kicking on now.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/11/fulham-starlet-oriley-signs-professional-contract/

[WhiteJC]

 
PSG starlet wants to leave, chased by Fulham and QPR

PSG starlet Christopher N'Kunku has told PSG that he wants to leave in January.

This comes after Unai Emery stated that N'Kunku was the defensive midfielder of the Parisians' immediate future.

For the Parisians, on the other hand, the priority would be to develop the youngster

Fulham and QPR are known to like the player, who was talked up as an alternative to Blaise Matuidi during the summer, but has only ended up totalling 22 minutes.

He came on at the weekend as his side beat Nantes 4-1, and made another eight Ligue 1 appearances last season.

The trouble is that the likes of Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta, Blaise Matuidi and Adrien Rabiot are ahead of him in the pecking order, and monopolizing whatever playing time there is.

The 20-year-old, who comes from just outside Paris, is known to favour a move to the Premier League, but lacks the first-team action necessary to make it that far.




http://www.calciomercato.com/en/news/psg-starlet-wants-to-leave-chased-by-fulham-and-qpr-13283