Thursday Fulham Stuff (14/12/17)...

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Slavisa Jokanovic challenges Fulham squad players to be ready to take their first team chance over Christmas

Fulham face seven games in the next month and the head coach has challenged his squad players to take any chances that may come to them

Slavisa Jokanovic has challenged the fringe players in his Fulham squad to be ready to take their chance of first team action as the side enter the busy Christmas period.

The Cottagers face seven games in the next month, starting with a trip to the Stadium of Light on Saturday to take on struggling Sunderland, in a period which will see Jokanovic have to use his squad in order to keep things fresh.

That means there may be chances for the squad players who have found playing time restricted so far this season, including the likes of Yohan Mollo, Jordan Graham, Marcelo Djalo, Ibrahima Cisse and Rafa Soares to name but a few.

It's been a pretty steady 11 that the head coach has put out in recent weeks as Fulham have gone from no win in six to just one loss in their past five, but Jokanovic has challenged his entire squad to be ready to take their chances during the chaotic Christmas period.

He said: "We are going step by step and are going to see how we will manage this situation.

"At the moment it's still quite quiet where we've had a seven day period between the two games, but we know at the end of December and beginning of January it's a very tough schedule with many tough games.


MIA: Ibrahima Cisse has made just eight appearances for Fulham (Image: Paul Burgman/Press-Photos.com)

"At the end, I am working with 20 odd players and I can only start with 11, and the other players that aren't starting one game must be available because we will arrive immediately at the next game.

"We must be professional in this business where we are, and where sometimes you have somebody waiting for the chance, one week, one month, half year, one year or two years but the players know this profession never stops and they must push harder and harder to fight for the space in the team.

"It's natural, I can play with same names in this schedule which is so busy, this is the same time where we must be professional, push hard and be ready for when they have the chance."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/slavisa-jokanovic-challenges-fulham-squad-14031818

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Fulham's future: We take a look at the future stars that could one day be gracing Craven Cottage

We've taken a look at the most promising youngsters at the club that could one day grace the turf at the Cottage

Fulham are well known for the young talent being produced at Motspur Park, with Ryan Sessegnon the latest academy product attracting big attention from the giants of English football.

With Slavisa Jokanovic at the helm, new blood have been given first team debuts over the past two years, with Jokanovic's thinking of "if they're good enough, they're old enough" seeing Ryan's twin, Steven, getting his first senior appearance in a Fulham shirt, as well as Matt O'Riley, Tayo Edun and Luca de la Torre.

The future is certainly bright for the Cottagers, and with the Academy being run so well by Academy Director Huw Jennings, the list of youngsters finding a pathway from the younger ages of Fulham all the way through to the first XI is only going to grow longer.

We've taken a look at some of the most promising youngsters at the club at the moment who have a chance of making the first team.

Matt O'Riley
The 17-year-old's name is starting to become a familiar one to Fulham fans after making his debut in the Carabao Cup against Wycombe in August, before signing his first professional deal that lasts until 2020.

A central midfielder with an eye for a killer pass, O'Riley may well be one of the most exciting youngsters in U23 set-up at the moment and already trains regularly with the first team while being part of the larger matchday squad.

Linked with moves to the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal by the national press in the last year, O'Riley, who has been at the club since U9 level, Jokanovic himself has said that he is pushing for a first team place.

And when you have a manager backing your talents like that, who's to say we won't see him in first team action by the end of the season?


Matt O'Riley in possession of the ball, pressured by Oliver Norwood (Image: Darren Pepe)

Steven Sessegnon
Another name that will be familiar to Fulham fans, Steven made his debut in the 2-0 win over Wycombe too, following in his twin brother Ryan's footsteps.

He signed his first pro deal alongside Ryan in the summer, and although he hasn't made the impact his brother has on the first team just yet, he has featured on the bench in the league this season and is showing why the Academy team believe fans will see both Sessegnon's in a Fulham first team eventually.

A right back and an U17 World Cup winner, Sessegnon also trains regularly with the first team and will be looking to break through and join Ryan in the first team.


First team debut: Steven Sessegnon

Tayo Edun
Edun travelled to Fulham's pre-season training camps in the summer and showed his promise with a strong performance against West Ham and got a first team start this season against Derby, coping well with the rigours of playing in central midfield.

The 19-year-old won the Euros with England over the summer and has gone from strength to strength since, even getting the chance to train with the England senior team in the last set of internationals whilst he was with the U20 squad at St George's Park.

He also signed a new three-year deal in July, with Fulham keen to tie down their young stars for as long as possible.


Tayo Edun on the ball (Image: Darren Pepe)

Luca de la Torre
The 19-year-old American has started to really break through at Fulham this season, with Jokanovic using him from the bench in three games so far, while regularly including him in the matchday 18.

De la Torre made his first team start last season in the 3-2 victory over Leyton Orient in the League Cup and suffered an injury in the early part of this season that kept him out of U23 action.

He looked very promising when coming on against Derby and looked like Fulham's biggest threat - he'll be looking to get more game time in the second half of the season.


Luca de la Torre and Floyd Ayite battle for the ball (Image: Darren Pepe)

Mattias Kait
Another 19-year-old who, at the moment, is finding more senior game time with his national side, Estonia, than with the Fulham first team.

The creative midfielder recently won Estonia's Young Player of the Year award for his exploits with the senior side, having played four World Cup qualifiers this season, scoring two goals - one against Cyprus in the 1-0 win and another four days later in the 6-0 win over Gibraltar.

He was included in the 18 for the 1-1 draw with Derby and there hopes that Kait will go on to cement himself in the Fulham first team.


Mattias Kait takes on his man (Image: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson
Another 19-year-old, the Icelandic youngster is yet to make a first team appearance for Fulham yet but has been busy making a name for himself with Peter Grant's U23s this season.

He's been in fine form so far this season and was the best player on the park in the U21 Checkatrade Trophy tie against Charlton.

Thorsteinsson is comfortable on the ball, has a bagful of tricks and loves a long range goal, if he continues how he's progressing this season a first team debut may well be on the cards in 2018.


Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson scores for Fulham U21s (Image: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Elijah Adebayo
Adebayo is grabbing the headlines in Fulham U23s' Premier League 2 campaign this season - scoring goal after goal as Grant's side look to go one step further than last season and get promoted to Division One.

The 19-year-old joined the club as an U9 and has played at both centre back and as a forward, although based on this season it looks like he'll be staying as a striker with his phenomenal goal rate.

A natural finisher, Adebayo has scored eight goals in Fulham's Premier League 2 campaign in just 11 games - a serious return for any league.


Elijah Adebayo has a go against Chalrton (Image: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Timmy Abraham
The younger brother of Chelsea star Tammy, Timmy signed for the club in the summer of 2017 from Charlton and has scored four goals for the U18 side so far this season.

The 16-year-old can either play as the out and out forward, like his older brother, or as a wide player.

Abraham is still a long way off from a first team start just yet, but there's ability there as he continues to enjoy his first season at Motspur Park.

Fabio Carvalho
A 15-year-old attacking midfielder, Carvalho was the only Fulham player selected to represent England U16s in the Nike Tournament in the US this year.

He played all three games for the Three Lions and scored against Brazil in their tie.

Carvalho is still very young, however, but the future is bright for the midfielder.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulhams-future-take-look-future-14032294

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Fulham must respect the FA Cup when Southampton visit, according to Slavisa Jokanovic

Fulham drew Southampton in the FA Cup and despite there being a number of games between now and then, Jokanovic wants to respect the competition

Slavisa Jokanovic insists Fulham must respect the FA Cup after learning that the Cottagers will face Southampton in the Third Round.

The draw was made last week and Fulham will host the Premier League side, who currently sit in 11th place in the top flight with 18 points, at the Cottage on January 6 in a 3pm kick off.

The Cottagers have already played the Saints twice this season in behind-closed-doors friendlies, losing 2-0 before being thrashed 5-1 at Staplewood, but Jokanovic is looking forward to showing the fans how his side team compares to a Premier League side next month.

He said: "It's good, it's nice and different competition.

"Okay, we have many games before this competition but we play some preparation games against them and it's a great chances for us and our supporters to see how we can fight against a Premier League team.

"We play at home and it's the best cup competition in the world and we must respect this competition and we will push hard and try to pass into the next round."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-must-respect-fa-cup-14033497

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Chelsea loanee Lucas Piazon back in Fulham training

Fulham have been handed a potential fitness boost ahead of their busy festive programme as Chelsea loanee Lucas Piazon has returned to training.

The 23-year-old has been absent since breaking his leg in the goalless draw with Leeds United in August, restricting him to just three appearances to date in his second season at Craven Cottage.

Former Brazil Under-23s international Piazon will soon be back in first-team contention, however, having stepped his recovery with a return to the training ground on Tuesday afternoon.

Piazon was in good form prior to suffering the injury, having scored against Wycombe Wanderers and former club Reading in two of his three outings.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/chelsea/injury-news/news/lucas-piazon-back-in-fulham-training_314021.html

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PREVIEW: TOWN'S U18s FACE FULHAM IN FA YOUTH CUP

Watch Town's Under-18s on Friday evening at the John Smith's Stadium

- Town's Under-18s face Fulham in the FA Youth Cup
- Supporters can cheer on the Young Terriers for just £4
- Match takes place on Friday 15 December; 7pm kick-off

Huddersfield Town's Under-18s will face Fulham in the Third Round of the FA Youth Cup on Friday 15 December 2017.

The match will take place at the John Smith's Stadium and kick-off at 7pm. Supporters can attend the cup tie for £4 for adults or £2 for concessions and will be able to watch the game in the North End of the Revell Ward Stand Lower Tier.

Leigh Bromby's Under-18s currently sit second in the Under-18s Professional Development League North table behind Bolton Wanderers on goal difference, however, the Young Terriers do have a game in hand.

Town's Under-18s will head into the game on the back of suffering one defeat in six matches; winning four of them.

In the last outing the youngsters beat Crewe Alexandra 3-2 and you can watch highlights below courtesy of #HTTV!

FA Youth Cup opponents Fulham currently sit fourth in the 12-team Under-18 Premier League South table – with 19 points from 11 matches.

Coached by Steve Wigley, the Young Cottagers come into the game without a win in their last four outings – drawing all four.

However, they have only been beaten twice this season – losing to Aston Villa and Chelsea 3-0 and 6-1 respectively.

Fulham's Under-18s squad boasts a number familiar names starting with Julian Schwarzer – the son of Mark Schwarzer – who is one of two young 'keepers on the books at the London-Club.

Twin brother of left-back Ryan Sessegnon, Steven, could also feature – he has made two First Team appearances this season in the Carabao Cup.

Not only this but the squad also includes Elias Frei - brother of former Fulham Academy product Kerim and Timmy Abraham – the brother of Tammy who is on loan at Swansea City from Chelsea.

The winner of the match will travel to either Swansea City or Chesterfield in the Fourth Round.

The prestigious FA Youth Cup competition was launched in 1952 and is the premier competition in Under-18 football.

There are no replays, ties are decided on the night with teams facing a penalty shoot-out should the scores remain level after normal and extra-time.

Every year the Youth Cup draws good crowds as spectators look to get a glimpse of the future stars at their club. Players such as Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham, Michael Owen and George Best have been involved in winning sides over the years with Chelsea being the most potent force having won five of the last seven Youth Cup titles.

Town's involvement in the competition last season ended in the Third Round as Tony Carss' side was defeated 2-1 by AFC Wimbledon. Cedwyn Scott, who is now an Under-23, was on the scoresheet.

The last time the two sides met in the FA Youth Cup was in 2014 when the Young Terriers were beaten 2-1.

Fulham's side that year included Celtic striker Moussa Dembélé and was beaten in the Final of the competition by Chelsea 8-5 over two-legs.

If you can't attend the match, then follow @htafcAcademy on Twitter for live updates.



https://www.htafc.com/news/2017/december/preview-towns-youngsters-face-fulham-in-fa-youth-cup/

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The Tony Gale Column

We deserved to get the three points against Birmingham on Saturday, and while it ended up being tenser than it needed to be, it was a win, and that's all that matters. It was very important that we recovered quickly from the Brentford match, and we managed to do that. Although the performance wasn't the most complete we'll ever see, we created a few chances and avoided a potential banana skin, so that was pleasing. Everyone was pretty down after Brentford, but when you look at our recent results and see that we've won three of the last four, that's pretty good going. Brentford just felt like more than a defeat because it was a local derby, and that irked our fans and players.

We do need to start putting teams away, though, because 1-0 is always a precarious result. Saying that, I think we would have been comfortable had it not been for the form of David Stockdale. We all know how good a goalkeeper he is and the saves he made from Neeskens Kebano and Stefan Johansen were excellent, and stopped us from putting the game to bed.

We've got some familiar faces up next now that Chris Coleman and Kit Symons are at Sunderland. I know Chris well, and I really like both him and Kit. I was slightly surprised to see them go there as I thought they may end up at a Premier League side, but Sunderland is a massive club so I can see the attraction. Nevertheless, Chris has got a big undertaking in turning their fortunes around. He's already got a couple of results under his belt and has got them back within touching distance, but they really need to kick on.

It doesn't really surprise me that Chris has had an impact already, because he's always been a good man-manager. We saw at Fulham how good he was at motivating his players. His challenge now is to keep Sunderland going for the rest of the season to ensure they don't suffer consecutive relegations. That would be a disaster for them, and my gut feeling is that they will stay up. Cookie and Kit are both good men, and I expect them to do a good job.

When I was finishing my career, I left Blackburn and came back to London with Crystal Palace and spent a pre-season with Cookie – that's when I first met him. And then low and behold, he moved from Palace to Blackburn, taking my place in effect! But we've stayed in touch, and every time I see him we have a chuckle. From what I've heard from guys I know up there, people have really taken to him.

As for Kit, I've got all the time in the world for him. He took over at Fulham at a time when there was a lot of unrest, and he deserves huge credit for steadying the ship. It needed someone like Kit to take the job at that time, someone who knew the Club well and was liked by everyone. I hope he's remembered for the good work he did at the Club, as our manager and as a terrific player.

Sunderland's troubles at home have been well documented, and if they don't beat us then they've gone a whole year without winning on their own patch. Whatever you do, you don't want to be the ones they get that first win against. But it is a dangerous game because they've still got players that can hurt you, so we've got to be on our guard. It's not the Stadium of Light that it was, nowhere near the intimidating place that it used to be. It's the perfect example of a game where if we start well then their fans could get on the players' backs.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/december/13/the-tony-gale-column

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Confidence and encouragement in supporter involvement increases further in Fulham

The Fulham Supporters' Trust have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fulham Football Club to formalise their structured dialogue on behalf of Fulham fans, which has existed since 2014.

The MoU is the first such document signed between an English professional club and their Supporters Trust and commits both parties to share relevant information and discuss issues of mutual concern during regular meetings. It builds on the progress made since the Trust's monthly meetings with senior Club officials were set up by Fulham FC chief executive officer Alistair Mackintosh three years ago.

Tom Greatrex, chair of the Fulham Supporters' Trust, said: "Structured dialogue between Clubs and recognised Supporters Trusts is something Supporters' Direct have been integral in securing in league regulations. Fortunately for the Fulham Supporters' Trust, Fulham FC have been open to detailed, extensive, searching and sometimes challenging dialogue on a regular basis over the last three years. Signing an MoU doesn't change that - it emphasises the value that independent, democratic and representative supporters' organisations can bring in helping Clubs not only develop good relationships with their fans, but make decisions that take into account the supporter perspective."

Alistair Mackintosh, chief executive of Fulham FC, added: 'We were keen to formalise an increase in the frequency of meetings with the Fulham Supporters' Trust as their robust questioning continually makes us think and they provide a representative, educated soundboard for our own initiatives. As custodians of Craven Cottage and our remarkable football Club, we share goals of sustainability and success.'

Ashley Brown, chief executive of Supporters Direct, commented: 'Having formal structured dialogue between supporters and clubs is critical as it allows challenging issues to be met head on, not avoided or advanced without proper consultation. That builds trust and sets the tone for supporter engagement. Supporters Direct have followed the progress of structured dialogue at Fulham with keen interest for some time and this memorandum of understanding takes this a step further and we praise Fulham Football Club and the Fulham Supporters' Trust for their pioneering approach'.




https://supporters-direct.org/articles/confidence-in-supporter-involvement-increases-in-fulham

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30 years on, the story of how QPR and Fulham nearly became 'Fulham Park Rangers'

In 2017, the thought of such a suggestion would be laughed straight out of west London, but in 1987, the outlandish plan almost became a reality.

It's been 30 years since the proposal to merge Queens Park Rangers FC and Fulham FC, an idea which in this day and age seems frankly absurd.

In 2017, the thought of such a suggestion would be laughed straight out of west London, but in 1987, the outlandish plan almost became a reality.

But what is the story behind the proposed 'Fulham Park Rangers FC'?

It was February 24th 1987 when The Times first published news of the proposed merger.

The news came as Marler Estates, a property company that already owned Fulham's Craven Cottage and Chelsea's Stamford Bridge, acquired Loftus Road for a sum of £5,865,510, with new Chairman David Bulstrode intending to have QPR and the Cottagers playing under one banner, Fulham Park Rangers FC.

At the time, Fulham were playing in the third division, while the Hoops were in the top flight, meaning the plan was to play matches at QPR's stadium while selling off Craven Cottage for housing due to it's prime location by the River Thames being ideal for luxury housing.

The intention was also to put QPR manager Jim Smith in charge of on-the-field affairs, effectively disbanding Fulham as a footballing entity.

The previous R's owner Jim Gregory had previously tried to link up Chelsea, Fulham and the Hoops into one footballing side who would play at Wembley, but this didn't materialise.

As you can imagine, Fulham's fans were furious about the plans, especially when chairman Bulstrode, addressed 'their small number of fans' saying: "they will appreciate it is not economical in the long run for the club to continue on it's own'.

Clearly unhappy with the proposal, Jimmy Hill headed a public outcry, and ultimately bought Fulham Football Club with the help of his backers.


(Image: UGC)

The only thing they didn't get back was the ownership of Craven Cottage.

Fulham remained at the Cottage as tenants, while the owners drew up their plans to develop the Stadium into housing.

The Stadium's owners, Marler Estates were then purchased by John Duggan's Cabra Estates, but the company soon went under meaning the Royal Bank of Scotland emerged as the Club's new landlords.

Fulham held the lease to to Cottage until 31st May 1993, and with the help of their 'Fulham 2000' scheme, fans joined forces to contribute towards the cost of a high-profile campaign to win back the Cottage, something they did with the help of Mohamed Al Fayed in 1997, as they bought the Stadium back for a price of £7.5m.

Meanwhile, the proposal to merge the two footballing entities of Fulham FC and QPR FC was rejected, before the death of David Bulstrode saw Richard Thompson become QPR's new Chairman in the 1988-89 season.

It was a naturally turbulent time for both clubs, and certainly goes a long way to explaining the long-standing connection between both Fulham and QPR.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/30-years-on-story-how-14033884

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What Does The Return Of On-loan Attacker Chelsea Attacker Mean To Fulham's Starting Lineup?


Lucas Piazon (on the ball)

What Does The Return Of Lucas Piazon Mean For Ojo, Kamara and Fonte?
Chelsea loanee Lucas Piazon has now returned to first-team training with Fulham, after having recovered from his broken leg. But what will that mean for Fulham's other attackers? For Ryan Sessegnon, probably not very much since he keeps having to play at left-back anyway, but for others, the increased competition means someone will get less game time but a lot depends on which system Slavisa Jokanovic decides to use.

The Brazilian forward suffered the injury during the 0-0 draw with Leeds back in August, just after re-signing for the club from their near neighbours on another loan deal.

Piazon was looking good too; scoring against both Reading in the league and against Wycombe Wanderers in the league cup during a very good period as he looked to be heading in the right way towards playing Premier League football.

The 23-year-old seemed to be very much one of the manager's main men for this season and no doubt Jokanovic will be over the moon to have him back as an option, although it will still take a little while to complete the recovery from the leg break.

Piazon likes to start on the left of the attack, taking on defenders and cutting inside on to his right foot. With that in mind, Sheyi Ojo may not worry too much and frankly, Rui Fonte should only be used as a central striker. So in theory, he and Piazon could always play together.


Rui Fonte

The issues lie with Jokanovic not playing Sessegnon in his rightful position, and also with giving game time to Floyd Ayite, Neeskens Kebano, Aboubakar Kamara and Yohan Mollo.

In all honesty, Kamara wants to play up front anyway so he shouldn't really be affected by Piazon's return, other than positively, though the other three have all played out on the left in one role or another. They are definitely vulnerable to the Brazilian's talents.

Mollo would be the weakest of the three and is likely to end up with extended periods of time in the reserves or playing no appreciable football whatsoever. So he may be one who could exit soon enough.

Ayite and Kebano have been trusted by the boss so will want to stick around, though some bench time or a switch in position to the right when Ojo is not available may be on the cards in order to accommodate them and Piazon. It'll be interesting to see what the boss does over the next few weeks.

http://soccersouls.com/2017/12/14/what-does-the-return-of-on-loan-attacker-chelsea-attacker-mean-to-fulhams-starting-lineup/