Saturday Fulham Stuff (10/02/18)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Preview: Five talking points ahead of Bolton Wanderers v Fulham

After Friday night's victory over Bristol City, Wanderers are back at Macron Stadium as they host Fulham this Saturday. Looking to maintain their advantage over the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone, bwfc.co.uk highlights five talking points ahead of the Whites' clash with the Cottagers.

1. Home form

Having lost just once at home in the Sky Bet Championship since September, Friday night's victory over Bristol City sees Wanderers head into this weekend's fixtures three points clear of the relegation zone.

Boasting a game in hand over their rivals, the Whites know how important every last point will be come the end of the season.

Looking to make home advantage count once again after last week's victory over one of the division's promotion-hopefuls, Bolton will be hoping it's a case of same again against Fulham on Saturday.

There's no place like home. Back the boys this weekend! Tickets for tomorrow's game are open sale. Click HERE to buy online.

2. Sammy Ameobi

After selling Gary Madine to Cardiff City on Transfer Deadline Day, the Trotters turned to fellow-Geordie Sammy Ameobi to fill the striker's boots in attack last week, with the 25-year-old responding in memorable fashion.

A constant thorn in the Bristol City defence, Ameobi put in a man-of-the-match performance with his second half solo-efforts sealing all three points for Wanderers.

Utilised centrally, the forward initially supported loanee Tyler Walker in attack before pushing further forward following the introduction for Zach Clough.

Having shown his quality in both positions, and with one eye on a potential Nigeria call-up ahead of this summer's World Cup in Russia, Ameobi will once again be the Whites' one-to-watch when they take to the field against Fulham.

And having already scored once against the Cottagers this season, you would not bet against him proving another decisive contribution!

3. Fulham at February

A quirk of the Football League fixture list, Saturday's game sees Bolton face Fulham for the seventh time in February since 2005, with five of those previous six encounters coming at Macron Stadium.

Although the Trotters' recent form against the Cottagers does not make for pretty reading, it's a different story when it comes to Wanderer's February form against Fulham with the Whites unbeaten in those aforementioned six matches, winning five.

And with their last victory in this fixture coming three years ago to the day of Saturday's match, a game which saw Adam Le Fondre score his first Bolton goal in a 3-1 win, maybe fortune will favour the Trotters come 3pm on Saturday.

4. Club shop signing session

Before the game tomorrow, winger Will Buckley will be in attendance for a signing session from 2pm in Bolton Central.

He will be in the Trotters' retail outlet to meet supporters and sign autographs and memorabilia - a perfect pre-match treat for fans to take pictures with the Whites' number 11.

There will also be special offers available in Bolton Central including the opportunity to buy Wanderers Return and a 2018 calendar for a combined price of just £5 while there is also 20% off home and away shorts and socks.

To shop the full range of merchandise meanwhile, please visit www.bwfcdirect.co.uk.

The session will finish with plenty of time to get into the ground for the game, so come down and have your shirts signed by the midfielder!

5. Memories Match

Fans are being encouraged to wear retro shirts at Saturday's game in line with the fixture being Wanderers' official Memories Match in support of those suffering from dementia.

The special matchday is part of the Bolton Wanderers Community Trust's ongoing support of Bolton becoming a dementia friendly town, beginning in Horwich.

The BWCT are part of the Bolton Dementia Action Alliance, which has the aim of bringing local organisations, groups and businesses together to improve the lives of people living with dementia.

Bolton Wanderers are holding this special matchday meanwhile to raise the awareness of dementia, social isolation and loneliness, alongside promoting Bolton Wanderers Community Trust's Sporting Memories sessions that take place once a month at Macron Stadium.

A variety of fans' and former players' memories meanwhile will be published in the club's matchday programme.

For more information on how the club are supporting Bolton Dementia Action Alliance or on the Trust's Sporting Memories sessions, please visit www.bwct.org.uk or call 01204 673790.

The club's Family Faith Football focus group will also be meeting this weekend, with this particular session entitled 'Memorabilia', with further details available HERE.



https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2018/february/preview-five-talking-points-ahead-of-bolton-wanderers-v-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Leeds United transfer decision described as 'just stupid', can be corrected in summer

At the end of the winter transfer window, Hamburg were reportedly one of the clubs who made an attempt to take Aleksandar Mitrovic on loan from Newcastle United.

It seemed an odd situation, given they were so eager to get rid of Pierre-Michel Lasogga in the summer. Mitrovic has similar qualities and would also have come with high wages, and yet Lasogga was sent off packing to Leeds with something of a 'good riddance' message, and HSV had to continue paying part of his salary.

This season Hamburg have struggled for goals, and it's all led to German newspaper Aichacher Nschrichten calling the decision to send Lasogga to Leeds 'just stupid'.

Pretty much forced out of Hamburg, Lasogga has this week spoken of being more comfortable at Leeds United because he feels there's more faith in him.

The 26 year old has 7 goals so far this season, Hamburg's top goalscorer is Filip Kostic, and he's found the back of the net just four times.

But all isn't lost, Lasogga's loan runs out with the end of the season, and he'll still have a year left on his Hamburg deal. The German report says he'd return with a 'renewed confidence', and that can be a good thing for the struggling Bundesliga club.

Yet Hamburg could be relegated by then, and Lasogga won't be able to forget all what happened at the club previously, and the comments following his exit. There's every chance the player wouldn't be so keen on a return, and instead look to a fresh move elsewhere.

Lasogga may be 'what Hamburg are missing', but is he really missing them?



http://sportwitness.co.uk/leeds-united-transfer-decision-described-just-stupid-can-correct-summer/

[WhiteJC]

 
Is Ryan Sessegnon Ready for England? Are England Ready for Him?

While the retort to anything in this article could be Theo Walcott, 2006, or quite simply no, the fact that "The best current left-sided English player is a seventeen-year-old in the Championship" doesn't sound like hyperbole means that the prospect of Ryan Sessegnon lining up for England in the near future is not as silly as it seems, writes Grant Jendo.

Amongst the claptrap, there was an element of truth: buzzwords took on a new weight, and the fruits of the ever-flawed FA's labour had started to ripen.

In 2017, England's youth teams prospered — they reached finals and, more often than not, they won their respective tournaments outright on the continental and global stage. It seemed a winning mentality might just be entwined into 'The England DNA' after all.

The questions that inevitably follow such success, especially when it comes to England, are whether it can be transposed to the senior team, and if not, why not?

Since Gareth Southgate's appointment as England manager – in the aftermath of you-know-what – the seniors have sleepwalked through yet another easy World Cup qualification stage, with nary a challenger in sight. As a result of this, he has deliberately set his team out against a series of elite opponents to test his players' mettle, with mixed success.

Germany's pass-the-ball-to-Podolski-so-he-can-score-on-his-final-cap plan worked to perfection in Dortmund, and Iago 'Corner' Aspas started Spain's comeback at Wembley as they came from 2-0 down to somewhat accidentally snatch a draw in added time.

While Southgate's most recent results in charge of England are a pair of semi-awkward nil-nils in 'glamour' friendlies at home against Germany (again) and Brazil, he does have a decent record, with 7 wins and only 2 defeats in his 14 games in charge. This follows on from his 33 games at the helm of England's under-21 side, where he won 27 and lost only 3.

Of course, results are not the order of the day when it comes to international friendlies, performances are, and while they've ranged from naive to impressive (often in the same 90 minutes), Southgate has a clear set of ideas: from favouring a back-three system, to giving games to the relatively untested Joe Gomez and Harry Maguire ahead of someone like Chris Smalling, purely because they suit bringing the ball out more than an established Manchester United defender with 31 caps to his name.

Such bravery and consistency should be commended, especially if he does the right thing and finally drops Joe Hart, but how far will this bravery go?

Left back – or, in England's case, left wing back – isn't exactly a 'problem position' for Gareth Southgate, but it's far from straight-forward as to who should wear the number 3.

Fitness permitting, Danny Rose seems to be the number one choice, with Ryan Bertrand a more-than-capable understudy, but the Tottenham man's comments in the summer and successive long-term injuries have fractured his relationship with Mauricio Pochettino, and he will have work to do to get back in at his club ahead of the impressive Welshman, Ben Davies.

Luke Shaw is still an obvious talent, but his inconsistent inclusion (verging on ostracism) under Jose Mourinho means he lacks the requisite minutes to be worthy of inclusion. Another option would be Ashley Young, but given that the converted winger will turn 33 in July, it would be far from a long-term solution, even if he has undergone something of a renaissance of late.

As a result of his own injury problems, Leighton Baines looks to have slowed down, and he no longer looks the player that once risked outgrowing Everton. Further down the pecking order, the likes of Charlie Daniels and Aaron Cresswell – solid Premier League players in their own right – are seen as being in the vaguest of accepted pigeonholes: below what's required at this level.

But perhaps below is exactly where England should look, at least in the more literal, football pyramid-based sense of the word, if only for the sake of this contrived segue.

In short, Ryan Sessegnon may only be 17, and while he may not play in England's top flight, he's played 2672 minutes in the Championship, scoring 11 goals and laying on another four in the process, all for a team that are challenging for promotion.

The Fulham prodigy, on the back of winning the UEFA European Under-19 Championship with England, has added coal to the hype train's furnace by justifying the interest shown in him in the summer with a number of man of the match displays.

Operating at left back or in an advanced left wing position, he has used a combination of skill, intelligence and outright pace to befuddle the opposition, all the while displaying the kind of defensive solidity the modern full back often lacks, no matter how far up the pitch he's deployed. If only a position existed where he could combine the best of both worlds.

"I'm enjoying my position on the left wing because I think I'm affecting the game more in terms of goals and assists. But I'm happy to play wherever I'm told."

There are a few contrived metrics – for which we probably have the Messi-or-Ronaldo era's fondness for measurements such as the calendar year to thank – that nonetheless show the absurdity of Sessegnon's achievements, such as the fact he has more goals than any under-21 player in any of the 13 leagues tracked by WhoScored, or that, since Christmas Day, he has been directly involved in more goals than any other Championship player.

For a player that looks destined to be snapped up for tens of millions of pounds by one of the top six teams in the Premier League in the summer, after which he will surely be seen as being ready for international football, why not accelerate the timeline a little and give him his first cap before the World Cup? In other words, what if he plays as well as it looks like he probably would?

Beyond the stats – here, have a nosey – there is what your eyes tell you: from a pure ability point of view, he looks ready for the step up, and he already seems mature beyond his years, as evidenced by the fact he was in no rush to leave Craven Cottage behind if it meant risking the minutes he would receive on the pitch. The hype existed long before this season got underway, and he's shown no signs of being unable to cope.

Of course, life is not a video game, and while picking a kid from the Championship for the full England squad is not as straight-forward in reality as it would be in Football Manager, it would still be a relatively risk-free endeavour, especially in light of the aforementioned uncertainty of England's other options down the left.

After all, Ryan Sessegnon is not Theo Walcott, and Gareth Southgate is not Sven-Goran Eriksson, so while the temptation to shield a youngster from scrutiny is understandable, the fact remains that everybody already knows how bloody brilliant he is, so why shouldn't a manager use what's at his disposal – a player with blinding talent that excels at a competitive level – instead of being bogged down by Yeah, but...?

Yeah, but... would he be as good at a higher level?

Yeah, but... the Championship is one thing, innit?

Yeah, but... what else are friendlies for?

No matter what the ballot box says, conservatism doesn't suit England, and nor should it. Sooner or later, they have to give in to the idea that the kids are more than alright — doing so would be the bravest course of action, and it would fall in line with everything Southgate and the FA have set out to achieve.



http://worldfootballindex.com/2018/02/ryan-sessegnon-england/

[WhiteJC]

Up next: Bolton Wanderers (a)
by Dan on February 10, 2018

Slavisa Jokanovic certainly struck the right note earlier this week when he stressed to his players the importance of not taking Bolton Wanderers lightly. Footballers are fallible humans after all – and relaxing a little bit after a six-game unbeaten run might come easily to a few members of the Fulham squad. But the Serbian head coach's mantra all week at Motspur Park has been about reminding his side not to rest on their laurels. As he said a few weeks ago, nothing is decided in January. Just ask loveable Leeds United.

The other aspect of what is an intriguing contest at the Macron Stadium this afternoon is Bolton's improving form as they battle against relegation. Like Jokanovic, Phil Parkinson won't tolerate anything less than 100 per cent commitment to the cause and, operating on a threadbare budget and having just lost the focal point of his attack towards the end of the transfer window, it is a testament to his underrated managerial ability that Wanderers are currently three points above the drop zone, with a game in hand on their relegation rivals. The Trotters have lost just one of their last five fixtures and proven incredibly tough to beat on their own turf, tasting defeat in the league at the Macron only once since September.

Last Friday night against Bristol City, a side who have displayed already this season that their aspirations of playing above the Championship are not at all misplaced, was another clear example of why that Bolton home record exists. Wanderers were defensively disciplined, diligent and very tough to break down. Parkinson also deserves credit for adapting in the aftermath of Madine's departure, switching from his favoured 4-2-3-1 to an innovative 3-5-1-1 formation that both smothered the visitors' attacking instincts and posed a real problem for them at the other end of the pitch – with Sammy Ameobi playing behind Nottingham Forest loanee Tyler Walker, the son of ex-England defender Des.

Parkinson has quietly assembled a squad full of real quality at this level. Zach Clough, who also arrived on loan from the City Ground just before the deadline, is back at Bolton and showed glimpses as a substitute against Lee Johnson's side of the sparkling ability that saw him talked about as the next big thing. Wanderers will likely be able to welcome back the highly-rated West Ham defender Reece Burke after a back injury and the England youth international should help bolster a back four seeking back-to-back clean sheets for only the second time this term.

Bolton are understandably high on confidence with Mark Beevers, who was brilliantly effective during the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage in October, swatting aside the suggestion that Fulham could pass their way around Parkinson's men this afternoon. Jokanovic's team found that proposition far too tricky in the reverse fixture – and had to be bailed out by Tom Cairney's last-gasp header. Parkinson suggested Ameobi could test Fulham's recent defensive improvement – and given how the Whites' defence has struggled against forwards of Ameobi's ilk, it can't be considered wide of the mark.

Fulham will probably start favourites by dint of their remarkable recent run that has lifted the Londoners into fifth place, but they can't afford to start believing their good press of late. Jokanovic has a few selection issues to settle, especially if Tom Cairney is fit enough to wear the captain's armband from the outset after the Scottish midfielder returned to full training on Thursday. With Sheyi Ojo also back following some time on the sidelines, Fulham's squad is as close to full strength as it has been all season and that makes Jokanovic's line-up an interesting one to pontificate over.

The most fevered debate will probably come in the forward areas. Aleksandar Mitrovic most be pushing for a start after his debut changed the direction of a game against Nottingham Forest that might have been drifting towards a draw before his introduction. That might be both harsh on Rui Fonte – and a potential mistake, if Jokanovic's intention is to try and move the ball quickly on the floor in the final third. Lucas Piazon, whose goal broke Forest's stubborn resilience, should continue from the right with Sessegnon operating on the left wing. The exclusions of the likes of Neeskens Kebano, Floyd Ayite and Aboubakar Kamara might leave Jokanovic with possibility the strongest substitutes' bench he's ever had during his Fulham tenure.

MY FULHAM XI (4-3-3): Bettinelli; Fredericks, Targett, Kalas, Ream; McDonald, Norwood, Johansen; Piazon, R. Sessegnon, Mitrovic. Subs: Button, S. Sessegnon, Cairney, Kebano, Ayite, Fonte, Kamara.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/02/up-next-bolton-wanderers-a-3/

[WhiteJC]

 
Slavisa Jokanovic has told his Fulham players they cannot be overconfident ahead of Bolton game

The Whites are on a run of five wins in a row but the head coach has said his side have the experience to know there are no easy games in this league

Fulham head coach Slavisa Jokanovic has told his players that they cannot be overconfident heading into the Bolton game, but can be satisfied with how they've done.

The Whites have won their past five games in a row, form that has seen them rise to 5th in the Championship table at a time where Fulham look to be one of the best sides in the league.

Bolton took a point off the Cottagers when they last met in a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage and Jokanovic believes his side have the experience now to know that there aren't any easy games in the Championship.

He said: "We must be satisfied but we cannot be overconfident.

"The right direction for us is to be calm, show solidarity and humility, respect the opposition team, respect ourselves, work hard, be confident and brave, and trust we can win the game.

"We didn't win at home against Bolton. We must trust in our possibilities and push to try and get the points. We have enough experience now to know easy games don't exist.

Bolton lost striker Gary Madine to Cardiff City on Deadline Day and Jokanovic has ensured that his coaching staff have observed the side with and without the striker.

He added: "They lost their target man and they changed their shape a little bit against Bristol City.

"They played a quality game. We know very well it's not easy against Bristol City, one of the top Championship teams, and we expect a tough game [on Saturday] like always.

"Bolton are not affected so much, they've probably tried to find a different solution. In the end they chose to play a little bit different with two strikers, and the plan worked perfectly for them.

"We observed the team with Madine and without Madine, and we know more or less what could happen, but we must be ready for any shape that we could find."



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/slavisa-jokanovic-told-fulham-players-14268142

[WhiteJC]

 
Team News: Bolton Wanderers v Fulham

Bolton can have their say in the Championship promotion picture yet again on Saturday, when they play host to Fulham at Macron Stadium.

Having beaten both Cardiff City and Bristol City on home soil in recent weeks, Wanderers will look to continue their fine form by picking up a rare victory over the Cottagers.

After being on the wrong end of a stoppage-time goal in a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage last October, the Trotters have picked up maximum points in just one of the last 15 league meetings between the sides - coincidentally coming three years ago to the day, courtesy of goals from Eidur Gudjohnsen, Saidy Janko and Adam Le Fondre's first for the club during his initial loan spell.

Following the transfer deadline day sale of Gary Madine, Phil Parkinson fielded a new-look Bolton side last time out, with Sammy Ameobi joining Tyler Walker in attack, while a back-three of Mark Beevers, David Wheater and Dorian Dervite excelled in their individual performances.

The majority of those who took to the field against Bristol City are expected to retain their places, although Zach Clough could come in for Walker as Parkinson looks to integrate the two on-loan Nottingham Forest forwards slowly into his plans.

Fellow deadline day arrival Jon Flanagan may have to wait for his debut due to the superb form of both Antonee Robinson and Mark Little, while Reece Burke is a doubt because of a back injury.

Will Buckley (hamstring), Stephen Darby (head) and Aaron Wilbraham (calf) are all considered doubts, and there remains no place for Darren Pratley as he continues his recovery from a broken leg.

Bolton Wanderers: from: Alnwick, Howard, Turner, Little, A Taylor, Dervite, Beevers, Flanagan, Robinson, Osede, Darby, Wheater, Burke, Brockbank, Lonsdale, Vela, C Taylor, Karacan, Ameobi, Buckley, Noone, Charsley, Pratley, Morais, Henry, King, Perry, Earing, White, Le Fondre, Wilbraham, Walker, Hall, Clough



https://www.burndenaces.co.uk/2018/02/10/team-news-bolton-wanderers-v-fulham.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Match Preview: Bolton Wanderers vs Fulham
Wanderers face The Cottagers at The Macron

Following on from last week's 1-0 win against Bristol City, Bolton Wanderers are back at The Macron to face in-form Fulham FC.

The two sides drew 1-1 at Craven Cottage back in October, after Fulham grabbed an equaliser with the last kick of the game.

Fulham, who have risen up into the play-off places due to a run of five successive wins, have a pretty decent at The Macron.

The Cottagers have lost just once in their last seven visits, and have also kept seven clean sheets against Wanderers in their last ten meetings in all competitions.

But, Wanderers have only lost once at home since September.

Fulham's last visit to The Macron was a 2-2 draw back in December 2015, when a Zach Clough brace was cancelled out by a late equaliser from Ross McCormack.

A win for Wanderers today could see them go six points clear of the relegation places.
Team News

Wanderers will probably be without Reece Burke and Aaron Wilbraham, whilst Darren Pratley and Will Buckley will definitely be missing.

Fulham captain Tom Cairney is in contention to play after missing the last two games through injury.
Form

Bolton Wanderers - WWLDW

Fulham - WWWWW
Odds

Fulham are odds on favourites at 10/11. A Wanderers win is 29/10, whilst a draw is 13/5.
Match Prediction

I'll say 1-1.
Last Meeting at The Macron

https://lionofviennasuite.sbnation.com/2018/2/10/16998086/match-preview-bolton-wanderers-vs-fulham-efl

[WhiteJC]

Three Players to Watch: Matchday 31 vs. Bolton
Fulham's fixture list of death is coming up, but can they collect three points against Bolton beforehand?


Photo by Alan Martin/Action Plus via Getty Images

Another weekend, another three points were awarded to Fulham as they strolled past Nottingham Forest. Now every supporter knows that the hardest is yet to come for this football club that has overcome so much. It was over two and a half months ago that Fulham looked like they could be facing relegation after constantly getting outplayed by the Championship's elite. Now, they sit fifth in the league and hope to maintain their good form.

Aston Villa, Bristol City, Wolverhampton, Derby County, Sheffield United and Preston North End await Fulham, but now is not the time to dwell on that right now. Instead, let's embrace the present and most importantly, respect the opposition in front of us in Bolton.

After all, the Wanderers have won three of their previous five games and have collected 10 points during that span. That tally has been enough to prop them out of the relegation spots and into 20th in the league. Now with all that being said, Bolton have only outscored their opponents 4-3 and have faced an expected goals deficit of 5.7 to 9 during that span.

To top it all off, their best-attacking player Gary Madine left for Cardiff City during the January transfer window. At 27 goals, only Birmingham City and Burton Albion have scored fewer all campaign. With Madine's 10 goals and five assists removed from the starting XI, it's quite difficult to see how they'll recover from such a devastating loss.

Still, Bolton has been proven to be a tough team to unlock and their back four will be so crucial in protecting their own goal from the first minute onto the 90th. Take if from Fulham's previous fixture with them how hard it was to score against them. Fulham must stay persistent and mentally sharp in order for them to come away with all three points once again.

On that note, here are the three players to look out for in today's fixture at the Macron Stadium.

Sammy Ameobi

With Madine gone, somebody in this football club has to score all the goals. Once Bolton gets back on their feet and becomes successful again, it will be more talented players that can come in and do that job. Until they will have to settle for the 25-year old Ameobi. While Ameobi was the goal scorer in the previous fixture against Fulham this season, his season-long tally of four is not one to write home about, especially for an attacking player at the peak of his prime hoping for bigger and better things in the future. But that's where Ameobi is as that his career high for any season.

Sadly, this is easily his best season and it is a bit of a struggle to see him in anything better than a lower tier Championship player at this stage of his career. Ameobi has developed into a fantastic dribbler at this level and he has the work rate to be a part of a strong pressing midfield when counted upon. However, everything else about his game is considered mediocre at best. Simply put, a career 19.5% of his shots going on target is not going to cut it at all. Along with that, his passing ability will have to skyrocket for him to become a long-term solution as an attacking midfielder to build around.

Josh Vela

Next up, we have a 24-year old that has been with Bolton since he was nine years old. Vela has really turned himself into a solid midfielder with him mostly playing in the center of an attacking three. However, that is not the position that he started in his footballing career. When he broke out onto the senior team in 2014/15, Vela was actually playing right back before then-manager Neil Lennon decided to have him playing in the center of midfield. Over time, he has gradually improved on the attacking side of football while still maintaining his well-rounded passing ability from previous campaigns. With Madine gone, one of Bolton's many keys to long-term success will be down to whether Vela becomes their answer to Tom Cairney. With him at such a young age, the possibility is still there.

Antonee Robinson

All data from whoscored.com

For Bolton being such a back line that plays so close to their own goal, you genuinely wonder if there is any mobility over there to bring defense into attack. Enter Robinson, who is on loan from Everton. The 20-year old has had a solid first full season in professional football with his all-around defensive game and passing. Only Mark Beevers has more interceptions for Bolton than Robinson's 36 and only Craig Noone and Vela have been more dependable in accurate crossing percentage (26.7%). Along with that, Robinson's 33 successful dribbles is quite a total and is only bettered by Ameobi's 71 among Bolton teammates. Whether this leads to future Everton appearance is anyone's guess but his options are open with one more year left on the contract for his parent club. If anything, this season has been a solid marker for Robinson and he has proven that he has what it takes to play in the second tier of English football.



https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2018/2/10/16997418/three-players-to-watch-matchday-31-vs-bolton

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham ace Sessegnon highlights three areas he must improve

Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon is widely regarded as one of the best talents outside the Premier League.

Fulham youngster Ryan Sessegnon has admitted he needs to work on his finishing, crossing ability and his right foot as he looks to continue his development, the Sun reports.

The 17-year-old has taken the Championship by storm this season, scoring 11 goals and grabbing a further four assists in 30 appearances.

Most players at that age are looking to consolidate themselves in the club's youth team, yet Sessegnon's progress has been much more remarkable and he is considered a key member of the first-team.

Starting out as a left-back, boss Slavisa Jokanovic has recognised his ability further up the field and now playing as an attacking left winger, the England U19 international is drawing comparisons with Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale.

Sessegnon, however, is not allowing widespread praise to cause any slackness as he bids to get better by highlighting areas in his game which need improvement.

"It's great to be compared to someone of the stature of Gareth Bale. But I'm happy to be Ryan Sessegnon," he said, quoted by the Sun.

"I'm liking my role as left-wing is my preferred position, [but] I still need to improve my finishing, my right foot and my crossing."

Gareth Bale also started out as a left-back before transforming into one of the world's best attackers at Tottenham Hotspur, gaining a move to La Liga giants Real Madrid.

Sessegnon has enormous potential, and right now he is at the perfect club to continue his development.

Fulham are one of the best footballing sides in the Championship, as Jokanovic likes his team to get the ball down and play, and such a style will see Sessegnon work on his movement and the tactical side of the game.

Staying at Fulham will no doubt aid his development in the short-term, but failure to earn promotion this season will surely see a number of Premier League clubs come sniffing in the summer.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/02/09/tt-fulham-ace-sessegnon-highlights-three-areas-he-must-improve/

[WhiteJC]

 
Midfielder predicts further success following O'Neill decision

Northern Ireland midfielder Oliver Norwood admits he is cock-a-hoop at Michael O'Neill's decision to sign a contract extension.

He said: "It's fantastic news for everybody that he has decided to stay with us."

However, the midfielder, who is currently on loan at Fulham from Brighton, revealed he was not all that surprised by the move.

"After the Switzerland game (in Basel) we had dinner together as a group. Michael thanked everyone for their efforts but the general feeling was that we haven't finished our journey yet," he explained.

"The manner in which the World Cup play-off tie was decided was devastating but as a group we believe there is much more to come.

"We believe we can reach the heights again, that we can get to another major finals in 2020 (Euros)."

Norwood pointed out the manager had brought the whole country together during Euro 2016 and he had also brought the squad together.

"The way things are now is polar opposite to what it was. Michael deserves great credit for that. We know he gets credit from the IFA and the fans but it should go far beyond that," he said.

The midfielder also predicted O'Neill's decision to stay on will lead to further success for Northern Ireland. "Hopefully we will have many more occasions at which we can celebrate success," he said.



https://www.irishfa.com/news/2018/february/norwood-applauds-northern-ireland-boss-s-contract-extension

[WhiteJC]

 
Collins Column: Finish the Job

Fulham's seemingly relentless march carried on last weekend, with a win over Nottingham Forest at the Cottage making it 5 Championship wins in a row and 6 on the spin at home. Jack J Collins breaks it down ahead of the trip to Lancashire this weekend.

Not perfect, but good enough—the verdict from last weekend's win over a resolute Forest side who appear rejuvenated under Aitor Karanka. Credit must be given to the former Middlesbrough manager in that his team appeared far trickier to break down than they had been under Warburton.

The defensive unit of Fox, Worrall, Mancienne and Lichaj is by no means the most solid in the league but the added protection of Jack Colback and Adlène Guedioura as a screen in front of the back four added some much needed solidity in the middle, and the workrate of Matty Cash and Joe Dowell down the flanks helped nullify the threats of Ryan Sessegnon and Lucas Piazon, especially in the first half.

Quality won out in the end, although it was the dirty work from Aleksandar Mitrovic that helped to facilitate it. Rui Fonte didnt have a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but Forest's doubling back on the two wingers left him somewhat isolated at times, and the lack of a pure 10 behind him meant that the scraps weren't picked up on by Fulham.

Mitrovic's introduction heralded a different type of game. Scrappy, physical and hulking, the Serbian was an immediate handful for the two centre-backs from the second he stepped on the pitch. Piazon's goal comes courtesy of a sweeping ball from Ollie Norwood, but it would be foolish to ignore the passage of play that leads to the Northern Irishman getting the ball in the first place.

Mitrovic's pure physicality in the middle leads to the ball falling loose, and Worrall's desire to not let go of the on-loan hitman is what ultimately renders him useless in the following passage of play, meaning that Danny Fox has to tuck in and let Piazon go on the outside, where he ultimately thunders home.

It will be interesting to see today how Mitrovic fares against a team who are comfortable with the physical side of the game, and if Jokanovic chooses to start him. Much has been made of Bolton's brutish nature, and the gaffer has a decision to make as to whether he chooses to fight fire with fire or to try and bypass it with the guile of Piazon and Fonte.

The return of Tom Cairney is another talking point, with the midfielder coming back into the training fold yesterday. It remains to be seen whether Fulham's captain is fit to start, but I wouldn't bet against him making at least a cameo appearance today.

Personally, I would rather he was fit and rested to play against Villa, but Slavisa does as Slavisa will—and in the current run of form, it would be unfair to criticise the manager for pretty much any of the tactical decisions he has made.

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In other news, Ryan Sessegnon continued his unassailable rise to superstardom with two Player of the Month awards in one week, as well as an appearance in a Nike advert and a prominent spot in the new England kit launch. His interviews still give off that candid sense of having his feet on the floor, and being lucky enough to watch him being interviewed live on Wednesday evening, his demeanour was refreshingly open and warm in a tough media environment.

We are blessed to be privy to the earliest days of what will be a career at the very top of the game—we should enjoy them whilst they last. The starlet's love for this club is not a falsehood in any sense of the word, but he is simply too good to be playing at this level for much longer.
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In the whole clamour of The Sun using a picture of Neeskens Kebano in a double page spread about Ryan, I did feel sorry for Tom Barclay. As one of the only Football League journalists in the mainstream media, Barclay does a good job covering a lot of ground on a weekly basis, and he would have had no say in the picture that was chosen to accompany his piece. The picture editors supporting him, however, have questions to answer.
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For now though, the immediate task is to finish the four-game runway I talked about three games ago with another win and line ourselves up for the big stretch ahead, which will define this season. The Macron has been a tough place to go in recent weeks, but Fulham are a different prospect right now, and hopefully quality will out.

COYW.



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