Thursday Fulham Stuff (15/03/18)...

[WhiteJC]

 
QPR Limited

Fulham are back in action this weekend for the visit of Queens Park Rangers (17th March, 12:30pm), and tickets and matchday hospitality packages now limited in all areas!

Don't delay in securing your place at Craven Cottage for the lunchtime clash, as the Whites look to continue their unbeaten league run.

Match tickets start from just £15 for juniors and from £30 for adults, and are on General Sale now. Purchase your seats online, by telephone on 0203 871 0810 (opt 1) or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.

With Matchday Hospitality packages now extremely limited, fans are encouraged to find out more by contacting a member of the Hospitality team by phone on 020 8336 7555 or by email on [email protected]

COYW!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/14/qpr-limited

[WhiteJC]

 
Revealed: Derby County, Fulham and Norwich City men lead the way as the Championship's most effective attackers

How the Robins' forwards compare to others in the league too

Goals make the difference. It's the - cliched - currency of football. That's why we all love strikers more than defenders.

We've pulled out the goals scored and assist stats as well as each player's time on the pitch to find out who have been the most effective attackers for Bristol City this season.

We've also looked at the key attackers from elsewhere around the league.

One interesting stat that came up: Cauley Woodrow has the best goals-only per minute ratio in the Bristol City squad currently. Yep, even better than Bobby Reid.

Should the on-loan Fulham man be given more of a chance on the pitch?

There's a lot more to it than just goals and assists of, course, but at least this gives us one indication of the most potent players in the league according to their actual time on the pitch.

Below is a list of Bristol City's attackers outlining how often the players supply a goal or assist.

And below that is a list of the main men in the Championship.

Behold (player, goals, assists, minutes played in the Championship this season, minutes per goal or assist):

Bobby Reid – 17 goals, 5 assists – 3,234 minutes played – 147 minutes per goal or assist (just goals: 190 mins)

Famara Diedhiou – 10 goals, no assists – 1698 – 169.8 mins per goal or assist

Aden Flint – 7 goals, 2 assists – 2798 – 310.9 mins per goal or assist

Jamie Paterson – 5 goals, 8 assists – 2328 – 179 mins per goal or assist

Josh Brownhill – 4 goals, 5 assists – 2997 – 333 mins per goal or assist


Cauley Woodrow

Joe Bryan* – 3 goals, 2 assists – 3020 – 604 mins per goal or assist

Cauley Woodrow – 2 goals, no assists – 331 – 165 mins per goal or assist

Callum O'Dowda – 1 goal, 3 assists – 1096 – 274 mins per goal or assist

Milan Djuric – 1 goal, no assists – 326 mins per goal or assist

Lois Diony – no goals or assists - 200 mins played

Matty Taylor – 480 mins played

*Time spent at full-back and left-midfield

Across the league

Matej Vydra – 17 goals, 3 assists – 2142 – 107.1 mins per goal or assist

James Maddison – 12 goals, 6 assists – 2834 – 157.4 mins per goal or assist

Ryan Sessegnon – 14 goals, 4 assists – 3296 – 183.1 mins per goal or assist

Leon Clarke – 15 goals, 3 assists – 2612 – 145.1 mins per goal or assist

Albert Adomah – 14 goals, 5 assists – 2275 – 119.7 mins per goal or assist

Diogo Jota – 13 goals, five assists – 3077 – 170.9 mins per goal or assist

Billy Sharp – 12 goals, four assists – 1864 – 116.5 mins per goal or assist

Britt Assombalonga – 12 goals, no assists – 2,529 – 210.8 mins per goal or assist

Jarrod Bowen – 12 goals, 1 assist – 2803 – 215.6 mins per goal or assist

Robert Snodgrass – 7 goals, 12 assists – 2489 – 131 mins per goal or assist

Barry Douglas – 4 goals, 11 assists – 2493 – 166.2 mins per goal or assist

Ivan Cavaleiro – 8 goals, 10 assists – 2167 – 120.4 mins per goal or assist

Matt Smith – 8 goals, 6 assists – 1591 – 113.6 mins per goal or assist

Leo Bonatini – 12 goals, 5 assists – 2315 – 136.2 mins per goal or assist

Conclusions

Respect to former Robins Albert Adomah and Matt Smith who figure highly.

But Derby forward Matej Vydra is the league's most dangerous attacker so far this campaign.



https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/revealed-derby-county-fulham-norwich-1332720

[WhiteJC]

 
Championship odds: Fulham to finish above Aston Villa - Wolves 1/100 to reach Premier League

A look at the odds on the Robins making the Premier League

Following a highly successful first half of the season, Bristol City became the team everyone was talking about. With a solid start in the Championship, a giant killing against Manchester United and a valiant showing against European giants Manchester City in the Carabao Cup, everything seemed to be working out for Lee Johnson's side.

Sadly, for City fans, results have worsened of late seeing them drop from second to seventh. On Saturday City played out a torrid 0-0 draw away at Burton Albion.

In their last 13 matches, they have managed to pick up just 11 points from a possible 39 and it seems the Robins could now end up having to chase the promotion spots, rather than protect their place within them.

With the Championship teams still having nine or ten matches to play, and the pressure for a place in the top six increasing, there is still plenty of time for some shifts near the top of the table.

So what are the odds for promotion at this stage?

Thanks to Oddschecker, we can look at an average based on multiple major betting sites.

Bristol City's best odds currently stand at 17/1 with 188Bet.

Preston, who have been in great form lately under Alex Neil, beating the Robins 2-1 on Tuesday, sit just one point behind City now in eighth and their best odds are with the same betting company at 25/1.

Championship leaders Wolves, who have led the pack comfortably all season, are showing signs of buckling under the pressure but with the quality they have it's clear to see why their odds only go as high as 1/100 with Sky Bet.

Elsewhere, second place Cardiff are now 1/4 to gain promotion with Fulham now third favourites at evens.

Aston Villa were defeated 3-1 at home to QPR to fall further behind Cardiff and they are now 15/8 with Sky Bet.

Other promotion hopefuls Derby County, fifth and Middlesbrough, sixth, have odds of 9/2 and 5/1 respectively.



https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/championship-promotion-odds-aston-villa-1327673

[WhiteJC]

 
Ryan Sessegnon should resist Tottenham interest and remain at boyhood club Fulham

The 19-year-old has been linked with Spurs for some time.

The more Ryan Sessegnon excels, the more the tabloids run wild.

It seems that every coming week brings a new, outlandish rumour for the 17-year-old's future destination. The most consistent linked with Sessegnon has been Tottenham Hotspur, but the Fulham youngster has also attracted attention from the likes of Liverpool, both Manchester clubs, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.

Yet, despite all of the interest from mega-clubs, Ryan Sessegnon should remain at Fulham.

The precocious talent has taken the Championship by storm ever since he made his debut as a 16-year-old in August 2016.

Sessegnon began his career as a left-back but was used to great effect in a more advanced position during the end of the 2016/17 season. Midway through this campaign, he has established himself as a left-winger in Slavisa Jokanovic's 4-3-3 system.

The teenager has blossomed at Craven Cottage, leading Fulham in scoring with a remarkable 14 goals to date. Even more impressive, he has risen to the occasion in the high-profile matches, notching goals against Wolves, Aston Villa, Derby, and his first professional hat-trick against Sheffield United.

The reason Sessegnon has excelled at Fulham? The immense faith and trust the coaching staff have placed in his abilities. A stunning statistic is that at just 17 years of age, Ryan Sessegnon is the only player in the Fulham squad to start every single match this season.

If he were to leave Fulham, he would lose the crucial aspect that has let him flourish: constant game time. At his age, the most valuable thing a player can have is regular first-team experience.

A move to a so-called bigger club would undoubtedly result in reduced first-team appearances for Sessegnon, which would hamper his progression at a crucial moment in the Englishman's development.

If Fulham can achieve promotion to the Premier League this season, an event that is looking increasingly likely due to a 15-match unbeaten run, then there is no doubt Sessegnon should remain in SW6.

A guaranteed starting role in the world's top league will provide the youngster with the perfect chance to fulfill his sky-high potential, an opportunity he would be remiss to pass up.



https://tbrfootball.com/why-this-promising-english-youngster-should-resist-big-name-interest-and-remain-at-his-boyhood-club/

[WhiteJC]

 
Brentford and Sunderland Tickets

Tickets for Fulham's final two home league matches this season against Brentford and Sunderland are now available to Season Ticket Holders and Members.

Season Ticket Holders can now purchase additional tickets, while Members can secure their seats at Craven Cottage for the two fixtures.

Brentford

The Whites welcome West London neighbours Brentford to SW6 on Saturday 14th April (5:30pm). The last time we met at Craven Cottage, a Tom Cairney goal secured a 1-1 draw and all but seal the Club's place in the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs.

Tickets for this match start from £35 adults and £15 juniors.

Sunderland

Two weeks later we return to Craven Cottage for our final home league game of the season as we take on Sunderland on Saturday 28th April (3pm).

Tickets for this fixture start from £35 for adults whilst Junior tickets are just £5 for juniors in all areas of the ground.

Tickets for both fixtures will then go on sale to supporters with a previous Booking History from 10am Wednesday 21st March.

Get behind the boys and secure your seats online today, by phone on 0203 871 0810 (opt. 1) or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/14/brentford-and-sunderland-tickets

[WhiteJC]

 
Games of interest for weekend 17-18/03
This weekends game sees the whites welcome back "old boy" Matt Smith and QPR for a local derby

If you can't make it to the game you'll be able to watch it on Sky TV (12:30 kick-off)

other games of interest this weekend include with Derby v Cardiff another top of the table "six pointer"...

SATURDAY 17TH MARCH

Brentford v Middlesborough

Bristol City v Ipswich

Wolves v Burton

Bolton v Aston Villa

Sheffield Utd v Nottingham, Forest

SUNDAY 18TH MARCH

Derby v Cardiff



COYWs



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=116

[WhiteJC]

 
Cardiff and second place might be too far for Fulham, but going unbeaten for the rest of the season should be the goal

Second place may be a step too far - but if Fulham turn the goal into going unbeaten for the rest of the season, who knows where they might end up

Tuesday night's results were a mixed bag for Fulham .

Their neighbours from Shepherd's Bush did them a huge favour, and one probably no one expected, as they beat third-placed Aston Villa 3-0 in their own backyard to wipe out Villa's game in hand.

But back in west London, Brentford couldn't hold onto their fifth minute lead against Cardiff City, eventually losing 3-1 at Griffin Park and giving the Bluebirds a huge eight point gap over Fulham.

With just nine games left, making up those seven points on Neil Warnock's side, who are in stunning form, might just be a step too far for the side this season.

Despite the last 15 games, or 22 if you want to go even further back, where Fulham have lost just two games, the start they suffered has come back to bite them, giving them a handicap in the race for second when their form and the team they have should mean they were well amongst those top two places at this stage in the season.

But they aren't - eight points is huge with nine games left.

Personally, I think second place is too far for the side to get now, and for me the aim has to be ending the season unbeaten.

If they switch targets from second place to just making sure they don't lose again, who knows where the side could end up come the end of the season.


(Image: Paul Burgman)

Fulham can only affect their results from now until the end of the season, and by making sure they go the next nine games unbeaten means they give themselves the best chance of being in the automatic spots should Cardiff slip up somewhere along the lines.

If Cardiff get through their run of games in the same form and clinch second, then fair play to them, they deserve it, but Fulham have to make sure they're plugging away to take advantage should the Welsh side drop points.

QPR, Norwich City, Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Brentford, Millwall, Sunderland and Birmingham City are all left for Fulham this season - and looking at the run there's only a few games there where you think the side will be in for a tough test.

QPR, on the back of their win over Villa, will be difficult, as will Brentford and Millwall, but you look at the rest of them and see Fulham picking up three points from those games with the way they've been playing.

To go 24 games unbeaten would be a feat in itself, and something that not many teams have done.

Doing that and not getting promoted is unheard of, but if that is to be the case this season then at least they can go into the Play-offs on the back of the mother of all form and really give it a go this time, unlike last season.

If they do finish the season unbeaten and it's the play-off calling rather than automatic, who on earth would want to face a side like Fulham?

I think it would be fair to say that people will bill them as favourites and for good reason, ending the season going unbeaten for half of it would usually mean you go up as champions, and with the way Fulham are playing not a single team will want them.

Yeah, if the side do end the season unbeaten and miss out on second it will be a blow, but they've got time to prepare themselves for all eventualities now - they know second looks unlikely so why not focus on themselves and go into the end of season lottery fully focused, knowing they can beat any of those sides.

How many teams can say they've gone unbeaten for over half a season? Achieve it, and who knows where Fulham may end up.



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cardiff-second-place-might-far-14408801

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Path to Promotion - 9 Matches to Go

A Miracle Needed for Automatic Promotion
A few weeks ago the first edition of this series looked at Fulham's Promotion chances with 15 matches to go. At that time, as we entered a tough stretch of six straight matches against the top teams, I said:

"If Fulham comes through with five wins then they will be an automatic promotion contender."

Although I didn't think it was possible, Fulham did it. The team secured five wins and one draw. This announced to everyone that Fulham is the best team in the league right now. Unfortunately, I also didn't think it was possible for Cardiff to continue their run. In fact, Cardiff managed to win all of their matches over the past six giving them two more points than Fulham and stretching their lead back to eight points.

Fulham and Cardiff Continue to Move In Tandem Up the Table

This means that Fulham's only realistic scenario to promotion is through the playoffs. Automatic promotion will require a miracle, most likely in the matches after Easter.

Promotion Scenario #1: Miracle for Automatic Promotion
If Fulham is to earn automatic promotion they'll have to gain at least eight points on Cardiff in nine matches. This isn't impossible, just highly unlikely. In the past nine matches Fulham has gained this kind of ground on two playoff contenders. The Whites have gotten nine points on Sheffield United and 14 points on Derby. In the past nine matches the Blades went 4W, 1D, 4L and the Rams went 1W, 6D, 2L.

In Nine Matches Fulham Outperforms Sheffield United and Derby

In order get to second place, Fulham needs Cardiff to have a miserable series of matches like Sheffield United and Derby experienced. While unlikely, an optimist can find legitimate reasons to expect a Cardiff downturn. By any measure Cardiff has the toughest remaining schedule of teams in playoff contention. When adjusted for home and away records, Cardiff's remaining competition gets an average of 1.51 Points Per Match (PPM) while Fulham's opponents only have 1.18 PPM. Over the last nine Cardiff will also face good competition on the road that includes three teams in the playoff mix. Cardiff has been much better at home than on the road and their current seven game win streak included five matches at home. They won't have that kind of home advantage over the remainder of the season.

The most likely time for Cardiff to drop points will be just after Easter. On the Monday following Easter Cardiff goes to Sheffield United, then hosts Wolverhampton four days later, and four days after that heads to Aston Villa. Cardiff lost four in a row over the Christmas and New Year's matches so Fulham will have to hope that Easter and some tough competition throws them into a similar downturn.

And even if all that happens – if Cardiff has nine games equal to their bad spell in December and January – Fulham will still need to win almost all of their remaining matches and hope that Aston Villa doesn't do something similar. It will be a miracle for everything to fall into place for automatic promotion, so in all likelihood Fulham will control their promotion destiny in the playoffs.

Promotion Scenario #2: Winning the Playoffs
Typically 75 points is enough to get into the playoffs and the trends this year are aligning to that rule. Fulham are just seven points shy of 75, so it would take huge collapse at this point for Fulham to miss the playoffs. While automatic promotion would require a miracle, missing the playoffs would require and even more ridiculous finish to the season.

Getting promoted through the playoffs is certainly not the ideal route. Consider for a moment that this season Fulham and Aston Villa could finish in the third and fourth spots with more points than most second place teams in past seasons. Although both teams seem deserving of promotion only one can earn it.

Fulham Well Positioned for Playoffs
Fulham does have the best potential heading into the playoffs. When looking at the head-to-head matchups from earlier this season, Fulham comes out ahead versus almost all of the playoff contenders. This chart shows who would win a first-round playoff matchup based on the previous matches this season:

The only team that has defeated Fulham on aggregate this season is Bristol City. Fulham can clearly beat any opponent they will face in the first round of the playoffs.

Fulham's home form also gives them an advantage going into the playoffs. Last year Fulham was slightly better on the road than at home. Fulham's inability to win at home became particularly important in the playoff with Reading. By only coming away with a draw in Fulham's home leg, Reading had just enough of an advantage to make it to Wembley. This season has been entirely different. Fulham has dominated at home and has not allowed an opponent to earn a point at Craven Cottage since November 18. Fulham's strength at home could be the difference this season that will allow Fulham to make it to the playoff final.



http://fulhamusa.com/threads/fulhams-path-to-promotion-9-matches-to-go.9729/

[WhiteJC]

 
Jokanovic to make 1 change – Predicted 4-3-3 Fulham lineup to face Queens Park Rangers

Predicted Fulham Lineup To Face Queens Park Rangers In The EFL Championship

Fulham will look to extend their 15-game unbeaten run in the EFL Championship when they face off against QPR at the Craven Cottage on Saturday. 

The Cottagers have been on a fine run of form that has seen them move to 4th place in the league table and with less than 10 games left in the season, a playoff finish looks like a very strong possibility. And manager Slavisa Jokanovic will be hoping that his team carries the momentum from the 2-1 weekend win over Preston North End to this game against the Hoops. 
Team News

Tomas Kalas is close to a return to the side after having participated in training towards the end of last week. Apart from one player, Jokanovic has a clean bill of health and no suspended players to worry about for Saturday's encounter. 

Here's how the Cottagers might take the field against QPR.
Manager: Slavisa Jokanovic
Formation: 4-3-3
Marcus Bettinelli (GK)

Despite the return to fitness of David Button, Jokanovic is likely to continue with Marcus Bettinelli between the sticks on Saturday. 
Ryan Fredericks (RB)

The 25-year old Englishman has been brilliant this term and has registered 9 assists from right-back. A definite starter against QPR.
Denis Odoi (CB) 

The versatile Belgian defender will once again find a starting berth in the heart of the defence for the London outfit.
Tim Ream (CB)

The 30-year-old American centre-half should partner up with Odoi at the back, for the Cottagers on Saturday. 
Matt Targett (LB)

The on-loan Southampton man has made 9 appearances so far since arriving in the winter window. All set to play his 10th game this weekend.
Tom Cairney (CM)

The 27-year old Scotland international is a permanent fixture in the middle of the park for Jokanovic's side and will once again start on Saturday. 
Kevin McDonald (CM)

Alongside Cairney, it will be his fellow Scotsman Kevin McDonald who will take the pitch against QPR to make his 34th Championship appearance of the season. 
Stefan Johansen (CM)

Completing the midfield trio for the Cottagers against QPR should be 27-year-old Norwegian midfielder, Stefan Johansen. Has scored 6 and registered 5 assists and will be looking to boost his tally. 
Sheyi Ojo (RW)

The on-loan Liverpool winger did not start the last game against Preston North End and could start on the right flank.
Aleksandar Mitrovic (ST)

The Serbian international has been on blazing form since his temporary move to Fulham in January. Has netted 7 goals in his last 5 appearances for the club and is a definite starter on Saturday. 
Ryan Sessegnon (LW)

The teenage sensation has made the left-wing position his own, with 14 goals and 4 assists in all competitions this term. An undisputed starter.



https://soccersouls.com/2018/03/15/jokanovic-to-make-1-change-predicted-4-3-3-fulham-lineup-to-face-queens-park-rangers/