Tuesday Fulham Stuff (02/01/18)...

[MikeW]

Liking what I read about all this youth coming thro the ranks.  Let's hope more than a few can make the step up.

Connor Goldson?  Could he be a bargain buy?

[WhiteJC]

Up next: Ipswich Town (h)
by Dan on January 2, 2018

Nobody could quibble with seven points from the final three games of 2017 – especially as there were signs of discontent with Slavisa Jokanovic during December. Fulham's problem has been consistency – and, even though yesterday's results make it far more plausible that the Whites could sneak into the play-offs for the second season in succession, they will need to string together a series of wins in order to pose a serious threat to the sides above them. Obtaining that ruthlessness is a work in progress if Saturday's trip to Hull is anything to go by. Jokanovic's side finished the game rampant and seeking a winner, which was nothing sort of miraculous after a first half display that saw a side who hadn't scored in four games gifted a two-goal lead.

Marcus Bettinelli was frank and forthright afterwards, insisting that Fulham could not afford such a sloppy start again. Ipswich might have had managed to maintain the high standards with which they started the season – indeed, Jokanovic's men ended their 100% start to the campaign with a flawless 2-0 win at Portman Road back in August. But Town still sit above Fulham in the Championship table on goal difference and Mick McCarthy, who was honest about the gulf in class between the sides earlier this term, has pledged to try and 'worry' the Whites this evening.

The visitors are hit hard by injuries at the moment. Centre back Adam Webster injured his achilles during the weekend's defeat by Derby and, should he not be fit enough to start, Tommy Smith – who hopes to put a frustrating year on the treatment table well and truly behind him – could come in to play alongside Luke Chambers at the heart of the visitors' defence. McCarthy is short on central midfielders, with the influential Cole Skuse set to miss his fourth consecutive game with an ankle injury. Four other midfielders – Emyr Huws, Teddy Bishop and Andre Dozzell – will not return to action before the end of the season, whilst Tom Adeyemi, Luke Hyam, Flynn Downes and Tristan Nydam are not fit enough to return from their own injury woes.

David McGoldrick played the final 20 minutes of the 2-1 defeat to Derby at Portman Road at the weekend and could be considered for a start. The most eye-catching inclusion in the visitors' squad could be 25 year-old Kieffer Moore. The 6ft 5in forward has been recalled from his loan spell with Rotherham United, for whom he has scored 13 goals in 25 appearances in League One this year, and there seem to be conflicting reports about whether the in-form striker will feature for McCarthy tonight. Millers manager Paul Warne seemed fairly confident that Ipswich would be selling Moore, although McCarthy was far less cast-iron in his own pre-match comments. The experienced boss will be hoping to end a dismal away run of one win in their last 26 games at Craven Cottage tonight.

Jokanovic has no new injury concerns as his side seek to push up the table by starting 2018 with a win this evening. His biggest conundrum will be whether to reward Saturday's super subs, Aboubakar Kamara and Neeskens Kebano, with starts after their heroics at Hull. Kamara looked unplayable at times at the KCOM Stadium and Fulham seemed much more threatening with a genuine striker leading the line. The French forward's confidence must have been boosted by his brilliant brace, which included demanding to take the penalty he won early in the second period, and a superb leveller five minutes from time. Plenty of Championship defenders have been confounded by Kamara's utterly unique combination of pace and power – and Jokanovic should offer him a chance to stake a claim for a starting place tonight.

Sheyi Ojo, who has been in excellent form for Fulham over the past month, could probably count himself unfortunate to have been withdrawn after 40 minutes on Humberside. His performance wasn't at the same level as the one he produced in south Wales four days earlier, but the Liverpool loanee was far from alone in that respect. His wing play was showing real signs of promise, although Kebano did deliver a virtuoso display to inflict Ipswich's first defeat way back in the summer so Jokanovic could have good reasons for going either way here.

The Whites will want to maintain a strong recent record against Ipswich, which has seen them beat McCarthy's men in all of their last three meetings, as well as continue an impressive recent record at home – with Bettinelli only letting in a single goal in his last three outings at the Cottage. Victory this evening would go a long way to convincing the sceptics that another play-off push could be on.

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



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/01/up-next-ipswich-town-h/

[WhiteJC]

Jokanovic craves poacher for Fulham
by Dan on January 2, 2018

Slavisa Jokanovic has revealed that he wants to sign a goal poacher for Fulham this month to boost the club's chances of featuring in the Championship promotion picture.

The Whites enter the new year in fine fettle after taking seven points from their three matches over the festive period but Jokanovic is adamant that his team could be in an even better position had they taken more of the chances that fell their way during the first half of the season. The Serbian head coach told Get West London that he wants to supplement his striking options with a proven goalscorer in the January window:

    Football is not only happy days and not always successful days like where we play against Cardiff. Fulham supporters know very well, my players know very well and I know very well.

    I miss some goals where we have not dominated, we haven't created many things, have not been brilliant, we miss these kind of victories, and you can find it with one player who can resolve that situation. This is what I mean, it's not about 20 goals, it's about one goal in the right moment, where it's difficult and we can't find the right solution.

Fulham have been linked with a host of forwards after their summer signings Rui Fonte, who has scored just once in 19 appearances since his August move from Braga, and Aboubakar Kamara failed to hit the ground running. The French forward now has four goals to his name for the Whites after his double at Hull on Saturday rescued a point for the Londoners.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/01/jokanovic-craves-poacher-for-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Former Fulham and Manchester United man sacked by Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters

The former Fulham boss was given his P45 by the Indian Super League side, leaving the team third from bottom

Former Fulham and Manchester United man Rene Meulensteen has been sacked by Indian Super League side Kerela Blasters after a woeful start to the 2017-18 season.

Co-owned by Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, Kerela have parted company with the former Fulham manager after picking up just seven points from seven games.

That's despite signing former Fulham hitman Dimitar Berbatov and Manchester United defender Wes Brown, with the decision coming after the side suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Bengaluru FC on New Year's Eve.

Meulensteen was given the head coach role at Fulham under Martin Jol in November 2013 and was then given the hot seat less than three weeks later after Jol was given his P45.

He lasted until February, overseeing a run of ten points from 13 fixtures.

Meulensteen now leaves Kerela third from bottom of the table, drawing four and losing two games.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-fulham-manchester-united-man-14104180

[WhiteJC]

 
Half of Fulham fans think buying a striker is the most important piece of January business

We took to Twitter to find out what you think the most important piece of business would be in January - here's what you said

Half of Fulham fans think signing a striker is the most important thing the club can do this month as the January transfer window opens.

In a poll on Twitter, we asked fans what the most important January signing would be, and 53% of you believe nothing is more important than the signing of a striker.

Out of a choice of four, a striker came out top with 53%, while a new centre back only got 28% of the vote - with 15% of you thinking a left back is the most important bit of business and 4% believing a new goalkeeper needs to be signed.

However, the head coach expects the club to sign three players in the January transfer window, with a striker, a centre back and a left back all high on the priority list for Fulham.

Early last week, Slavisa Jokanovic said: "I need three positions, I need three players, I expect we're going to find three. All our supporters and if you follow Fulham know what we need, I don't need to repeat what we need.

"I must respect my players too. It's so easy to find this information, I'm not going to tell you!"




http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/half-fulham-fans-think-buying-14104059

[MikeW]

If the Coach craves 'a poacher' I'm thinking Fonte is some way down the list.  Small, nippy, goalscorer - expensive.  Hmm.