Good feature

[MikeW]

Fulham are the feature team in the whole page 'Journeyman' article in The Times today.

[Tabby]

Link to the story here:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gregor-robertson-visits-fulham-where-jokanovics-threat-to-leave-has-sparked-a-resurgence-cv3ftgqsf

[jelmo]

Can you please paste the article here as I dont want to sign up to the Times in order to view it in its entirety. Cheers!

[CincyFulham1]

Gregor Robertson visits Fulham, where Jokanovic's threat to leave has sparked a resurgence

The Journeyman







Behind the bi-annual box-office blockbuster of the transfer window, a southwest London soap opera has unfurled at Craven Cottage during much of the past two years. Last season's play-off tilt was set against a backdrop of discomfort behind the scenes as Craig Kline, Fulham's assistant director of football communications, whose statistical data model wielded great influence over the club's recruitment policy, frequently clashed with Slavisa Jokanovic, the manager, and other senior figures at the club.

Kline is a university friend of Tony Khan, the vice-chairman and son of Fulham's owner, Shahid, the 67-year-old Pakistani-American billionaire who bought the club from Mohamed Al Fayed in 2013. He was dismissed in late October, which prompted an unedifying slew of accusations of malpractice towards the club, and a phone call to the police.


As the dust settled, however, Fulham's 2-0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux at the start of November — their third in four games — left them languishing in 17th place in the Sky Bet Championship. What has followed has been a remarkable upturn in fortunes in the league, with ten wins, two draws and only two defeats in the past three months. The 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest on Saturday was Fulham's fifth in succession and lifted them up to fifth.

Jokanovic, the 49-year-old from Serbia, has never been afraid to air his views publicly, however, and despite the positive results, midway through January the apparent equilibrium appeared fragile when he challenged the club to dismiss him if they did not share his view that his squad required re-enforcements. "Probably if the coach doesn't trust that we are strong enough [but the club do] then probably an option that the club must be thinking about is sacking the coach, and this can be a good option," he said.

Matt Targett, the Southampton left back, was duly signed on loan, Cyrus Christie, a player most Championship clubs would welcome unless managed by Tony Pulis, arrived from Middlesbrough, and Aleksandar Mitrovic, the Newcastle United striker, joined on loan after a deadline day move to Anderlecht fell through.




The strikers Rui Fonte and Aboubakar Kamara joined for a combined £13.6 million in the summer but have managed only ten goals between them. It is hoped that Mitrovic, despite his fiery temperament, will add another dimension to Fulham's attack. "He showed he's a strong man," Jokanovic said after seeing his compatriot's header cleared off the line in a late cameo. "He brings physical presence on the pitch."

Another sub-plot, however, has been the fate of Fulham's shimmering talent, chiefly Ryan Sessegnon, the 17-year-old homegrown wonderkid, who has been linked with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, among others. Tom Cairney, the captain, was the subject of a £15 million bid from West Ham United and Ryan Fredericks, the pacey right back, is also thought to have piqued the interest of Stoke City and Swansea City.

But when the window closed all three remained and before Saturday's game Jokanovic struck a more conciliatory tone. "I believe we had a great transfer window. Tony Khan showed great thought and did a very good job for the team and for the club," he said. A degree of political manoeuvring from Jokanovic is perhaps understandable given the team's present form and the feeling that holding on to Sessegnon and Cairney, two of the Championship's most coveted players, will be an ever more arduous task should Fulham fail to make a return to the Premier League. Indeed, they could prove to be the difference between getting there and not.



Jokanovic fell out with the club hierarchy over the need for new players

Jokanovic fell out with the club hierarchy over the need for new players
Adam Holt /Action Images

"There was no way any of those players were going anywhere," Tim Ream, Fulham's American defender, said. "There's always media speculation but we knew within our changing room that no one was going. We're obviously pleased that the team has stayed together and we've brought in three good players to help us push on. We have a lot of good players and teams are going to be sniffing around but our board and Tony Khan don't need to sell at this point in time and they know we have something good going on right now. There's no point in disrupting that and they've done a great job in telling other teams that.

"I don't think anyone is looking too far ahead. We're so focused on the here and now, this run, and staying in the play-offs, trying to push for that second spot."

Suddenly that does not seem implausible, Saturday's win having taken Fulham to within six points of second-placed Derby County.

After finishing last season as the Championship's joint-highest scorers, this term only the league leaders Wolves have scored more than their 51 goals. Like last season, too, they are finding form at the right time.

On Saturday, despite the familiar slick build-up play and dominance in possession, they struggled to break down an obdurate Forest defence. The breakthrough came in the 67th minute, aided by Costel Pantilimon, the Forest goalkeeper signed on loan from Watford on deadline day, who ought to have kept out Lucas Piazon's strike. Forest rallied, though, and Marcus Bettinelli, the Fulham goalkeeper, produced a double stop from Apostolos Vellios, the Forest substitute, three minutes from time. Stefan Johansen secured the points for Fulham in the 90th minute with a cool finish, punishing a loose touch from Joe Worrall, the Forest defender.

The belief at Craven Cottage is growing. "Now we are more confident," Jokanovic said. "We believe in ourselves and everything is going in a positive direction. But we are thinking only about the next game."







Scouting report: Ryan Sessegnon, left wing/left back
Age 17
Club Fulham
Attributes Quick, skilful, athletic, direct
Has there been any interest? There have been reports of scouts from every big club in Europe casting their eye over Sessegnon

Report
This was by no means Sessegnon's most eye-catching display of the season, but he posed a threat with his pace and movement. Exactly what position the teenager will settle upon is a matter of some debate. He played on the left wing on Saturday, as he has for much of this season, and regularly drifted infield, acting at times like a second striker.

He perhaps should have added to his 11 goals with a second-half header which he failed to keep down after ghosting inside Eric Lichaj, the Nottingham Forest right back, to meet a Ryan Fredericks cross.

He often took up positions inside Lichaj, allowing Matt Targett, the Fulham left back, to receive the ball out wide, before darting in behind the Forest back line to receive possession and deliver a cross.

His link-up play was good and he drove infield with the ball to good effect. But it is the sight of Sessegnon charging down the wing in full flow which gets the crowd off their seats and, on Saturday, he would almost certainly have been afforded more opportunity to do that from full back against a deep and compact Forest side.

He produced a moment of magic in the fourth minute with a delicious left-foot flip-flop before racing away from Lichaj. He looks to have all the attributes and the temperament required for a career at the very top.

[Carborundum]

Thanks.

Favourite line: "Cyrus Christie, a player most Championship clubs would welcome, unless managed by Tony Pulis"