Friday Fulham Stuff (16/03/18)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Newcastle United: Sell Mitrovic to make Kenedy deal permanent?

Newcastle United may have to sell one player to make another transfer happen this summer.

Newcastle United and manager Rafa Benitez are set for a trip to Spain this week, with a four-day training camp set and a Sunday friendly scheduled against Royal Antwerp. Confidence is high after their 3-0 victory over Southampton, and one player who had a massive influence on that result is major focus once again.

The Mirror reported this week that the Magpies are very interested in making the loan deal for Kenedy permanent, but that the price to make that happen would be £15 million. Just based off the Brazilian's recent showing against the Saints, it seems like a decently fair amount.

All aspects considered, this transfer fee is something that Newcastle and Benitez should be pursuing with a real sense of urgency.

When one examines the situation with one Magpie that is currently out on-loan, there is a simple way to see how Mike Ashley would be able to produce the funds needed for the talented winger.

Sell Mitrovic

Aleksandar Mitrovic is in fine goalscoring form at the moment for Fulham, and his asking price is only on the rise.

With the potential to bring in somewhere between £15 million and £20 million for the forward, selling Mitrovic to secure Kenedy's services is a smart piece of business.

The 22-year-old fits Benitez's system well, as a creative playmaker out wide. Along with either Christian Atsu or Matt Ritchie, Kenedy provides a spark in the attacking third in a variety of ways.

Mitrovic's time on Tyneside appears to be over, and it would be excellent to be able to add useful talent when he departs.

Newcastle United and Rafa Benitez are keen on Kenedy playing with the club for longer than just this season, and selling Aleksandar Mitrovic this summer can make that a reality.



https://newcastletoons.com/2018/03/15/newcastle-united-mitrovic-kenedy-permanent/

[WhiteJC]

 
Sess' Under-18s Call-Up

Fulham player Steven Sessegnon has been named in the England Under-18 squad for their upcoming friendly matches against the teams of Qatar, Argentina and Belarus.

The Young Lions will take on Qatar at St. George's Park on Wednesday 21st March. From there, the team will travel to face Argentina at the Manchester City Academy Stadium on Friday 23rd March before returning to St. George's Park to play Belarus on Monday 26th March.

In 2017 Sessegnon helped England win the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in India, playing 90 minutes in the final. He provided the first two assists for the Young Lions, dragging them back from a 2-0 deficit on their way to eventually running out as 5-2 winners against Spain.

Sessegnon made his Fulham first team debut in August 2017, when he started at right-back for the Whites during the 2-0 defeat of Wycombe Wanderers in the First Round of the Carabao Cup.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/15/steven-sessegnon-called-up

[WhiteJC]

 
The siege mentality driving 'unfashionable' Cardiff City to the Premier League and why they're eclipsing Aston Villa and Fulham

Bluebirds legend Nathan Blake believes Cardiff's success mirrors what happened with his written off Bolton side 20 years ago as they hunt down Wolves

It was just over 20 years ago that I was part of a Bolton team who took the Championship, then known as Division One, by storm.

We won the league with a record 98 points and scored 100 goals, having been written off by pretty much everybody outside of Lancashire.

Actually, we were even dismissed as promotion contenders from within Bolton. The journalist on the local paper dismissed us as no-hopers after we sold our Serbian midfielder Sasa Curcic.

Our manager Colin Todd used the criticism, and the fact we were being so heavily dismissed elsewhere, as motivation. In doing so he forged a fantastic team spirit inside that dressing room.

Outside of Bolton no-one liked us, it seemed, but we felt we were invincible. The proof came in the pudding in terms of results.

I bet exactly the same thing has been happening inside Cardiff City's dressing room this season.

Bookies, pundits and fans from other clubs have been scornful of the Bluebirds' promotion prospects from day one. Only after Tuesday night's win over Brentford did I finally detect that at last Cardiff are being viewed as credible Premier League contenders.

ven then it was damned by some who have started dubbing Cardiff 'anti-football'. What on earth is that? It's a nonsense phrase.

There is more than one way to skin a cat. Cardiff City play winning football and utilise their strengths.

Yes it can be direct at times, but why not? Just imagine if Cardiff were passing the ball about at the back, 10-12 passes, and suddenly Lee Peltier or Sean Morrision were caught in possession and the opposition score.

The fans would be on their case, confidence would dip, Cardiff would probably lose. Why on earth would you wish to take that risk?

I bet those people continuing to criticise or question Cardiff City would love to be in their position right at this moment in time. Second in the table, seven points clear of Aston Villa, hunting Wolves down for the title, with just nine games to go.

Neil Warnock will have forged an 'us against the world' type mentality this season, knowing his team haven't been as hotly fancied as Wolves, Villa or Fulham.

Am I surprised people have been so dismissive of Cardiff's promotion prospects? No. We're not a fashionable club on the other side of the Severn Bridge.

Don't play like Fulham, aren't a former European Cup winner like Villa, don't get the national media exposure of a Wolves.

This could dent confidence, but Warnock has handled it brilliantly, to the extent where it actually has the opposite effect.

He'll be treating it like pouring fuel on the fire. No-one gives us a chance, let's keep proving them wrong. Cardiff's players are so hungry to win.

I guarantee you if Cardiff do go up, and I've always said they will, Warnock and his players will savour that day. 'We told you so,' that kind of thing.

What happens in a situation like this, as I discovered first hand at Bolton, is you suddenly feel invincible, believe you can overcome anything and any odds.

When Bolton won the title, others were tipping Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Stoke, West Brom and Wolves that season, but Todd gave us utter belief in our own ability. Didn't matter what anybody else said.

I recall us being 3-0 down at Charlton. We came back to 3-3. Something like that gives you even greater belief.

So when Cardiff trail 1-0 at Brentford, yet still come back to win the game comfortably, I can't emphasise enough how that fires the dressing room even more.

Cardiff City are like an unstoppable force.

Before the signing of Gary Madine, Warnock had spent £5m on players and had his team in the top two. Even with Madine, Cardiff's spending pales in comparison to the other teams up at the top.

Hence no-one gave them a chance. But too many under-estimated the manager, just as they under-estimated Colin Todd back in 1996-97.

What he gave us, and what Warnock does with Cardiff's players, is utter belief in your philosophy. Everyone buys into it, when injuries happen others just step in and Cardiff play exactly the same way.

When you have that, it develops a special togetherness and camaraderie and you just build up a head of steam. You can stop a snowball, you can't stop an avalanche. And Cardiff are sweeping everything before them at the moment.

I see so many similarities with Bolton. We were celebrating a 3-1 win when Gerry Taggart came into our dressing room, threw his boots across the room and started having a stand up row. He hated the fact we had conceded a goal.

I see that kind of drive in Sol Bamba today. Neil Warnock is the key, then Bamba. They have this incredible desire to win and it rubs off on the rest of the team.

That fills me with hope going to Derby this weekend when I expect Cardiff to win again.

Then it'll be just eight matches to go. There will come a point when outsiders realise Cardiff City can't be caught.



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/cardiff-city-promotion-bolton-wanderers-14413778

[WhiteJC]

 
Why QPR's captain is still wary of being dragged into a relegation battle as they prepare for Fulham

The Hoops have picked up seven points from their last nine, but the Chief says he's been scarred by a horrific run of form at the end of last season; a spell which dragged the Hoops back into the mire.

Nedum Onuoha has praised QPR's recent form, but admits he's still wary of being dragged into a relegation battle.

The Hoops have picked up seven points from their last nine, but the Chief says he's been scarred by a horrific run of form at the end of last season; a spell which dragged the Hoops back into the mire.

Speaking to Get West London, Onuoha insisted that there's still plenty to keep the team focused.

He said: "We've still got a lot of points to play for. We've got two derbies coming up and we always want to finish the season as well as we can at home.

"It is tough, you'd always like to be in the mix for something come the end of the season but we can't take our eye off the ball in being near the bottom three.

We did have a horrendous run at the end of last season which really affected us, but we're playing well and getting results so we'll just try and get as many wins as we can between now and the end of the year."



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/nedum-onuoha-qpr-fulham-villa-14414618

[WhiteJC]

 
Former Spurs defender warns Fulham youngster against Spurs move

Former Spurs defender Pascal Chimbonda has warned Fulham defender against a move to his former club, according to BetStars.

The 17-year-old managed to reproduce his impressive performances from last season, scoring fourteen goals and getting four assists as the Cottagers target promotion to the Premier League.

The English starlet is a wanted target by many teams in the top-flight, including Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs, however the left-sided midfielder has been linked with a £40million summer move to Spurs.

Although former Spurs full-back Chimbonda believes that a move to Spurs would be too large a step up for Sessegnon, urging him to sign for a team "below Spurs."

"He's still young, he's good for the Championship but there's a difference between being good in the Championship and arriving in the Premier League." Chimbonda said.

"If he comes to Spurs he won't play regularly or may go out on loan, he will only come on sometimes and that's really hard for the player.

"I think he needs to go to a team below Spurs, where he will play football."

The interest from Spurs has increased in recent weeks following speculation that the North London side could lose Toby Alderweireld to Premier League rivals Manchester United.

However Chimbonda admitted that the defender's ambition will have the ultimate decision on whether he stays or moves.

"In football you have a lot of rumours, like last year [Jose] Mourhino wanted [Eric] Dier, but he stayed at Spurs, so you never know." Chimbonda said.

"He's a good defender so it will be hard to keep him, but it depends on the other team and what they give him.

"He has to choose the best one for him, if he stays at Spurs to play regular football or go to another team only to play some."



http://the72.co.uk/99405/former-spurs-icon-warns/

[WhiteJC]

 
Edun's Call-Up

Fulham Player Tayo Edun has been called up to the England Under-20 National Team for their upcoming international matches against Poland and Portugal.

The Young Lions are traveling to Bielska Biela to take on Poland in a friendly fixture at the Stadion Miejski on Thursday 22nd March before returning back to England to face Portugal in a friendly at the Manchester City Academy Stadium on Tuesday 27th March. 

This will be Edun's sixth cap for the U-20 National Team and he has previously appeared at the U-17, U-18 and U-19 levels as well.

Tayo was a crucial piece of the Under-19 Team's winning run at the 2017 European Championships in Georgia. He started every game for the Young Lions and shone alongside his Fulham teammate Ryan Sessegnon as England captured the trophy.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/15/eduns-call

[WhiteJC]

 
Who has toughest Championship run-in? Wolves, Aston Villa, Cardiff, Fulham, Middlesbrough and Bristol Citys fixtures assessed

We take a look at where the battle for promotion will be won and lost in the remaining weeks

With just nine games to go until the end of the season, the race for a place in the top six of the Championship is beginning to hot up.

A number of teams played on Tuesday evening resulting in further shifts towards the top of the table.

Sheffield United overcame Burton Albion at Bramall Lane which pushes them into seventh position overtaking Bristol City.

They are now just two points off Middlesbrough who currently claim the last play-off spot.

League leaders Wolves responded positively to their 4-1 defeat at Aston Villa last weekend with a 3-0 win over Reading at the Molineux.

The win means they reclaim their three-point gap over second place Cardiff. They also have a higher goal difference, by seven goals, which could prove crucial come the end of the season.

Aston Villa however, responded very differently to their excellent victory. They were beaten 3-1 t home to Queens Park Rangers which could prove very costly in their bid to reach the top two. The midlands based side have to claw back a seven-point gap to reach Cardiff.

Neil Warnock's Cardiff side have continued their excellent form after beating Brentford 3-1 at Griffin Park, which sees them take a step closer to winning promotion back into the Premier league.

With every team down to 10th still in with a shout of a top six finish, let's check out their final fixture lists and which games could prove to be the most fundamental.

Wolves

Remaining fixtures: Burton (h), Boro (a), Hull (h), Cardiff (a), Derby (h), Birmingham (h), Bolton (a), Sheffield Wednesday (h), Sunderland (a)

Throughout the season Wolves have consistently impressed and have proven to be too strong for most teams in the division. With Champions League experienced players such as Diogo Jota and Rúben Neves, their attacking threat has seen them pick teams apart with ease all season.

It seemed the league was already won, but Wolves have slowed recently, picking up just two wins in their last six. Nevertheless, bookies are still predicting a title win for The Wanderers.

Of course, all fixtures are crucial at this stage of the season, but looking at the games they still need to play, it is clear to see that for Wolves, they could put any real chance of a Cardiff catch-up to bed with a win against the Bluebirds on April 6th. The pressure is certainly on for the leaders and their lead is in their own hands now.

Cardiff

Remaining fixtures: Derby (a), Burton (h), Sheffield United (a), Wolves (h), Aston Villa (a), Norwich (a), Nottm Forest (h), Hull (a), Reading (h)

Neil Warnock is viewed by many as the promotion king and it seems he's living up to his name this season. Cardiff have steadily improved as the games have gone by and they have nearly caught with Wolves due to a great run of form.

The Bluebirds have won their last seven games, with big wins over fellow promotion contenders Bristol City and Middlesbrough.

Despite being seven points ahead of third, Warnock's men face a difficult challenge, with a run of matches against top sides. If they can pick up a good number of points against those sides such as Aston Villa, Wolves, Derby and Sheffield United, they would end up in a strong automatic promotion position.

Aston Villa on April 10th will prove to be the biggest match for them because the last thing they need is pressure from below and the possibility of being sucked into the playoffs.

Aston Villa

Remaining fixtures: QPR (h), Bolton (a), Hull (a), Reading (h), Norwich (a), Cardiff (h), Leeds (h), Ipswich (a), Derby (h), Millwall (a)

Aston Villa are certainly contenders this year and their impressive display against Wolves proved it. However, yesterday's result against QPR would have had a knock-on effect on their confidence.

Similarly to Cardiff, they have got stronger as the season has progressed and were on a three game winning streak until last night.

One thing that will please Villa fans is the run of fixtures left.

Bar Cardiff, Derby and possibly Millwall (who hold an impressive home record), Steve Bruce will surely be thinking that the rest are pretty winnable.

With Villa safely in the playoffs, their only aim will be to catch Cardiff and so their match against them will be a great opportunity for Villa to gain some ground Warnock's side.

Fulham

Remaining fixtures: Preston (a), QPR (h), Norwich (a), Leeds (h), Sheff Wed (a), Reading (h), Brentford (h), Millwall (a), Sunderland (h), Birmingham (a)

Fulham's season under Slavisa Jokanović has almost been identical to last year, with a slow start and a late upsurge of form to force them into the playoffs.

Fulham have looked strong lately and most bookies have them as promotion favourites with Wolves and Cardiff.

Key wins against the likes of Villa, Wolves and Derby have been huge in helping them climb the table at a rapid speed.

Their fixture list looks good, with two very winnable games to end the season. However, London derbies can prove to be fiery affairs and Brentford and QPR both feature on the list.

For Fulham, there is no key game that particularly stands out as a season defining fixture. Instead, it is about the London side picking up as many wins as possible and who knows, if they can pick up three points against most of these teams they could be in with a shout of a top two finish.

Derby County

Remaining fixtures: Cardiff (h), Sunderland (h), Preston (a), Bolton (h), Wolves (a), Burton (a), Middlesbrough (h), Aston Villa (a), Barnsley (h)

After a strong first half of the season for Derby, they have been showing signs of slowing down recently.

Gary Rowett's side go into their next game without a win in their last six and the poor form puts them just three points off seventh place Sheffield Utd.

To make the challenge even harder, they face a number of strong teams between now and the end of the season.

Cardiff, Wolves, Preston, Boro and Aston Villa all feature and so for Derby to stay in the playoffs, they will definitely need to pull off some big wins. The matches against Preston and Boro will be the most important however, as they are the ones chasing Derby down.

The Rams will first travel to Deepdale to face Preston on April 2nd and their match against Boro at Pride Park is on April 21st.

Middlesbrough

Remaining fixtures: Brentford (a), Wolves (h), Burton (a), Nottm Forest (h), Sheffield United (a), Bristol City (h), Derby (a), Millwall (h), Ipswich (a)

Following a season of under-achievement for Boro, Tony Pulis has managed to get them firing again. They are unbeaten in their last five games with four wins and a draw.

Their success for the rest of the season will go down to how their players can handle the pressure. Sixth position is a hard place to be and they have Sheffield Utd, Bristol City and Preston all peering over their shoulder.

There are definitely some make or break games for the north-east side however. They still have to face Bristol City and Sheffield Utd, which could either see them drop out of the top six or further increase the gap between themselves and the chasers.

They have four games until then though and by the time those crucial fixtures come along, the league table could look very different.

Bristol City

Remaining fixtures: Ipswich (h), Barnsley (a), Brentford (h), Millwall (a), Birmingham (h), Middlesbrough (a), Hull City (h), Nottm Forest (a), Sheffield United (h)

What a season of two halves it has been for Bristol City.

With major successes in the Carabao Cup and a brilliant start in the league, which saw them just three points off Wolves in first not too long ago, it seems to have all gone downhill since.

They have collected just two wins in their last 13 matches and following a very poor showing against Burton Albion on Saturday, it seems their form could see them finish outside the top six.

City are currently in eighth but only three points off sixth. They are also battling with Sheffield United, Preston and Millwall for the two play-off spots still up for grabs.

If they stand any chance of making it, their form drastically needs to change and they need to pick up some wins, starting with Ipswich on Saturday. If they can manage this, then later games against Boro and Sheffield United will prove vital.

Brentford and Millwall will also prove to be tough games, as they are close behind City and also doing their best to close in on Middlesbrough.

They will travel to the Riverside Stadium on April 14th and their final game of the season against Sheffield United is on May 6th.

Preston North End

Remaining fixtures: Sunderland (a), Sheff Wed (a), Derby (h), Reading (a), Leeds (h), QPR (a), Norwich (h), Sheff Utd (a), Burton (h)

Preston boss Alex Neil will feel his side have a good chance of catching a playoff place, with a run of relatively winnable fixtures.

They have grown to become a very strong side but their recent form has been inconsistent and their loss to Fulham last weekend, which came courtesy of a 91st minute winner would have been a knock-back.

On April 28th they will travel to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United who are in a similar position to themselves, chasing down Middlesbrough.

More importantly, for Preston, they need to try and pick up some consistency and string a few wins together.

This will provide the players with the confidence they need to mount a real promotion push.

Sheffield United

Remaining fixtures: Burton (h), Nottm Forest (h), Brentford (a), Cardiff (h), Barnsley (a), Middlesbrough (h), Millwall (h), Birmingham (a), Preston (h), Bristol City (a)

Sheffield United made a fantastic start to the season under Chris Wilder and back to back promotions have been the aim for a number of months now.

Unfortunately for United, performances have weakened and consistency has been missing from their game.

The Blades are now among a group of clubs on the chase and if key player Leon Clarke can rediscover his goal-scoring form then they might just be able to push their way back into the top six.

It will be no easy challenge, with the likes of Cardiff, Boro, Millwall, Preston and Bristol city still to play them. They can see view this in a negative light as it makes their aim harder to achieve with the quality those teams bring, or they can see it as a way of gaining points over teams directly above and below them.

If the league stays the way it is now, Middlesbrough will prove to be the most season-defining game. They will face Pulis' side on April 10th.

Millwall

Remaining fixtures: Barnsley (a), Nottm Forest (h), Ipswich (a), Bristol City (h), Bolton (a), Sheff Utd (a), Fulham (h), Middlesbrough (a), Aston Villa (h)

Millwall, similarly to the likes of Sheffield Utd, Bristol City and Preston, have surprised this year with their performances.

The Lions have been on terrific form of late and are unbeaten in their last 11 in the league with seven wins. They have bean unbeaten at the Den for five months.

Neil Harris' side threw away a number of points earlier in the season away from home, which is why, despite the recent results, they still sit six points off the playoffs.

They will need to continue their form if they stand any chance of reaching sixth, and if they can pick up points against Bristol city (April 7th), Sheffield United (April 14th) and Boro (April 28th) they could find themselves with a real shout of a top six finish.



https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/championship-promotion-race-villa-wolves-1340146

[WhiteJC]

 
Sessegnon's U21 Call-Up

Ryan Sessegnon has earned his first call-up to the England Under-21 National Team for their upcoming matches against Romania and The Ukraine.

The Young Lions are playing Romania in a friendly fixture at Molineux on Saturday 24th March before traveling to Bramall Lane to take on The Ukraine in a qualifier for the 2019 UEFA Under-21 Championship on Tuesday 27th March.

Aidy Boothroyd's side currently sit top of their qualifying group on 13 points and the Young Lions are looking to qualify for next summer's tournament in Italy and San Marino after missing out in 2017.

This will be Sessegnon's first appearance for the U-21 team, after impressing at the U-16, U-17 and U-19 levels. Sessegnon's 14 goals and four assists must have caught the eye of Boothroyd, who is looking to secure England's perch on top of their group heading into 2019.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/15/sessegnons-u21-call-up

[WhiteJC]

 
A first England U21s place for Fulham sensation Ryan Sessegnon

Fulham youngster had been tipped for the senior side

Ryan Sessegnon has been called into the England U21 squad.

There were suggestions that the 17-year-old could earn his first call-up to Gareth Southgate's senior squad, especially with assistant manager Steve Holland being at Craven Cottage to watch him on a number of occasions.

And after he was not named in the U17 or U19 squads earlier today, it was a case of either the U21s or the senior side for the Fulham teenager who has scored 14 goals in the Championship this season.

Gareth Southgate will name his senior squad at 2pm today, but Aidy Boothroyd has just announced his U21 squad for the games with Romania and Ukraine and Sessegnon has been handed his first call up.



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/first-england-u21s-place-fulham-14415191

[WhiteJC]

 
England Under 21s call up Fulham star Ryan Sessegnon for the first time and also include Tottenham's Harry Winks

    Ryan Sessegnon has scored 14 goals in 40 appearances for Fulham this season
    Tammy Abraham and Angus Gunn have also been included in the squad
    Manager Aidy Boothroyd is positive about England's start to Euro campaign

Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon has been called up to the England Under-21 squad for the first time.

The 17-year-old has scored 14 goals in 40 appearances for the Cottagers this season.

He helped the England Under-19 side win Euro 2017 last summer and has made 14 appearances for the Young Lions but will now be involved in Aidy Boothroyd's squad.


Fulham star Ryan Sessegnon has been called up by England Under 21s for the first time


Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks has also been included in the squad for upcoming games

The Under-21s host Romania in a friendly at Wolves on March 24 before their Euro 2019 qualifier against Ukraine at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on March 27.

Tammy Abraham, Angus Gunn and Harry Winks are all included in the squad, with Liverpool's Ovie Ejaria - on loan at Sunderland - handed his first call-up.

'It's been a good start to our new Euro campaign,' said Boothroyd, ahead of his squad meeting up at St George's Park next week.

'We've got 13 points from the five games, a five-point lead at the top of our group and after analysing all of those games from different areas, we still think we could be better, so that's a real positive.

'We'll now be working hard to make sure we keep improving on our games so far and we've got two matches this month against Romania and Ukraine to try and do that.'



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5505191/England-21s-call-Fulham-star-Ryan-Sessegnon-time.html#ixzz59tYjR0Lu
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[WhiteJC]

 
Hamburg had deal agreed with Mitrovic

HITC are reporting that Bundesliga side Hamburg had agreed on a deal with Newcastle for Aleksandar Mitrovic on deadline day only for the player to then make a move to West London to Championship club Fulham.

The striker signed for Fulham on the final day of the transfer window as the player completed his medical in Belgium in order to complete the move.



Mitrovic was set to join Hamburg on the final day of the window but the board blocked the move right at the last minute.

The two had agreed a fee but there was a problem with the manager at the time. Bernd Hollerbach who made a proposal on the deal which led to it falling through at the last minute.

Mitrovic has made a flying start to life at Fulham scoring 7 times in 8 matches which will clearly come as a frustration to those at the Bundesliga club.



http://readbundesliga.com/2018/03/15/hamburg-deal-agreed-mitrovic/

[WhiteJC]

The Race for Second
by Lydia on March 15, 2018

After Tuesday night's fixtures that saw Cardiff edge another 3points ahead of ourselves and Villa, a lot of fans have conceded that the race for that second automatic promotion spot is over, and who would blame them? The gap is now 8 points between Fulham and Cardiff and with only nine games remaining it would take a considerable swing in our favour for us to clinch second. It is most likely gone, but who knows what could happen if we keep winning? The truth is that we can't do anything about Cardiff or Aston Villa. We have already played them both twice so the only thing that is in our hands is our own performances. To give ourselves the best possible chance we have to keep winning and if the others slip up, it will be within our grasp to capitalise.

We have come through the 'big six' with five wins and one draw which is remarkable, but our remaining nine fixtures include three London derbies and a few games against teams desperate for the points that will see them stay in the Championship. There is really no let off in terms of difficulty, they are just difficult in a different way. Cardiff and Villa have arguably the more difficult games, and with games against each other, points will have to be dropped somewhere along the line, it just depends on who drops what. See below for a list of the remaining nine for ourselves, Villa and Cardiff.

It's all about percentages

If you have read my articles before, you will know that I love to look at the numbers behind the game. This time I thought that I would have a look at our winning ratio in comparison to other teams alongside what teams have had to achieve in the past five seasons for the automatic promotion spot.

As you can see, the win percentage required to achieve second spot in the league is generally on the raise. Although, you can also see that it isn't just about the win percentage as Middlesbrough and Watford had the same amount of points in 2015/16 and 2014/15 respectively but had slightly different win percentages which comes down to draws. What we can see very clearly, however, is that Fulham will need to up the win percentage by a fair it if we are to overtake Cardiff. Even if they do drop points, it's what we do with that that will count come the final day of the season. Cardiff don't play the most attractive form of football, but it is working. A 62.1%-win rate would have won them the league in three of the past five seasons so credit must be given where it's due.

For Fulham attention must just continue to focus directly on our own game. The QPR game is the first after the 'big six' but we can expect a ferocious atmosphere, especially considering they humbled Villa on Tuesday night. If it was the other way around and it was QPR who was battling for promotion, we would be determined to make them slip up, so that's what we can expect on Saturday. They are pretty much clear of the relegation zone so aren't exactly fighting for their lives, but they are certainly battling for West London bragging rights. We come into this one knowing that a win puts a lot of pressure on Villa and perhaps a little bit on Cardiff, so let's keep the run going.

#COYW



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/03/the-race-for-second/

[WhiteJC]

 
Ryan Sessegnon called up to England U21 squad for first time

Ryan Sessegnon has been called into England's U21 squad for the first time after claims from his Fulham manager the 17-year-old could go to the World Cup.

Slavisa Jokanovic insisted Sessegnon, who has scored 14 goals for his Sky Bet Championship club, is "not a kid, he is a man" earlier this month - tipping the player for a place in Gareth Southgate's senior squad to go to Russia this summer.

Sessegnon has drawn comparisons with Gareth Bale following a shift from left back to left wing for Fulham, which has borne a run of 10 goals in 12 games between Christmas and March.

Along with Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, he was touted as a possible selection for England's warm-up friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy this month, but has instead been selected in the U21 squad for March's Cyrille Regis International with Romania and a Euro qualifier against Ukraine.

"It's been a good start to our new Euro campaign," said U21s manager Aidy Boothroyd.

"We've got 13 points from the five games, a five-point lead at the top of our group and after analysing all of those games from different areas, we still think we could be better, so that's a real positive."

The duo will be joined by Dominic Solanke and Tammy Abraham, who have dropped into Boothroyd's set-up after being part of Southgate's last senior squad.

Manchester City goalkeeper Angus Gunn, who was on the bench for England senior side's game against Brazil in November, is also in the U21 squad this time around.

Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks is included despite fears over an ankle injury.

Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook, though, has moved up to the senior ranks as part of Southgate's squad.

Full England U21 squad:

Goalkeepers: Angus Gunn (Norwich City - on loan from Manchester City), Dean Henderson (Shrewsbury Town - on loan from Manchester United), Freddie Woodman (Aberdeen - on loan from Newcastle United)

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Leicester City), Jake Clarke-Salter (Sunderland - on loan from Chelsea), Dael Fry (Middlesbrough), Mason Holgate (Everton), Jonjoe Kenny (Everton), Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham), Fikayo Tomori (Hull City - on loan from Chelsea), Kyle Walker-Peters (Tottenham Hotspur), Joe Worrall (Nottingham Forest)

Midfielders: Tom Davies (Everton), Kieran Dowell (Nottingham Forest - on loan from Everton), Ovie Ejaria (Sunderland - on loan from Liverpool), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Josh Onomah (Aston Villa - on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Harry Winks (Tottenham Hotspur)

Forwards: Tammy Abraham (Swansea City - on loan from Chelsea), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Demarai Gray (Leicester City), Jack Harrison (Middlesbrough - on loan from Manchester City), Ademola Lookman (RB Leipzig - on loan from Everton), James Maddison (Norwich City), Dominic Solanke (Liverpool)



http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12016/11290879/ryan-sessegnon-called-up-to-england-u21-squad-for-first-time

[WhiteJC]

 
Ryan Sessegnon named in England Under-21 squad

The Fulham youngster has scored 14 times for the Cottagers this term.

Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon has been handed his first call-up to the England Under-21 squad.

The 17-year-old, who has scored 14 goals in 40 appearances for the Cottagers this season, is included for the games against Romania and Ukraine this month.

Left-sided Sessegnon helped the Under-19s to European Championship glory last summer and he is joined by new call-up Ovie Ejaria, who won the Under-20 World Cup last year and is on loan at Sunderland from Liverpool.

Boss Aidy Boothroyd said: "It's been a good start to our new Euro campaign.

"We've got 13 points from the five games, a five-point lead at the top of our group and after analysing all of those games from different areas, we still think we could be better, so that's a real positive.

"We'll now be working hard to make sure we keep improving on our games so far and we've got two matches this month against Romania and Ukraine to try and do that."

Tammy Abraham and Dominic Solanke return to the set-up after their senior debuts last November, while Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks is included despite fears over an ankle injury.

England are unbeaten and five points clear at the top of Group 4 as they look to qualify for Euro 2019 in Italy and San Marino.

They host Ukraine in Sheffield on March 27 looking to tighten their grip on the qualifying spot.

The Young Lions will first host Romania in a friendly at Molineux on March 24 which has been called the Cyrille Regis International.

Regis died suddenly in January aged 59 and Boothroyd is pleased his team can pay their own tribute to the former West Brom and Wolves striker, who is seen as a pioneer for black players.

"My first memory of Cyrille was buying the '101 Great Goals' video on Betamax and watching this brilliant, powerful player hand-off defenders before smashing the ball from 30 yards into the top corner," he said.

"He was a fantastic footballer and he broke ground for a lot of other black players to come through and play in the English leagues."

England Under-21 squad:

Gunn (Norwich, on loan from Manchester City), Henderson (Shrewsbury, on loan from Manchester United), Woodman (Aberdeen, on loan from Newcastle), Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Chilwell (Leicester), Clarke-Salter (Sunderland, on loan from Chelsea), Fry (Middlesbrough), Holgate (Everton), Kenny (Everton), Sessegnon (Fulham), Tomori (Hull, on loan from Chelsea), Walker-Peters (Tottenham), Worrall (Nottingham Forest), Davies (Everton), Dowell (Nottingham Forest, on loan from Everton), Ejaria (Sunderland, on loan from Liverpool), Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Onomah (Aston Villa, on loan from Tottenham), Winks (Tottenham), Abraham (Swansea, on loan from Chelsea), Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Gray (Leicester), Harrison (Middlesbrough, on loan from Manchester City), Lookman (RB Leipzig, on loan from Everton), Maddison (Norwich), Solanke (Liverpool)



http://sport.bt.com/football/ryan-sessegnon-named-in-england-under-21-squad-S11364258237842

[WhiteJC]

 
Why Newcastle must move on from their 23-year-old Serbian even after his brilliant form for Fulham

Why Newcastle United must move on from Aleksandar Mitrovic even after his brilliant form for Fulham

Newcastle United let out-of-favour striker Aleksandar Mitrovic join Championship outfit Fulham on a loan in the recently concluded January window.

The deal proved to be an eye-opener for a lot of fans since the Serbian has worked wonders for Slavisa Jokanovic's men, despite struggling throughout the season for the Magpies. Now, with the upcoming summer window, there have been questions as to whether or not Newcastle should bring him back or just sell him permanently.

Solely based on the contrasting performances he has put up, it might be safe to say that Newcastle are better off without him. For whatever reason, his stint with the club has not worked out and it is not just this season that he has failed to do well.

Be it the tactics or the general work ethic of the club, Mitrovic seems to be enjoying life at Fulham and the results are quite evident on the field. He has scored 7 goals in just 8 games for the Cottagers and there is no doubt that they will be eyeing a permanent deal for him.

Now, the only stumbling block for Fulham would be the price. They could attempt to sign him on a long-term basis if they can somehow manage to seal a spot in the top-flight. But if they continue in the Championship next season as well, they might not be able to match the Serbian's transfer fee.

Be that as it may, in my opinion, there is absolutely no doubt that Newcastle would be looking to offload him this summer – either to Fulham or to another club.

After his stellar displays at Craven Cottage, it has become evident that the player does not lack potential and if Fulham fail to sign him this summer, other clubs are likely to be interested in him. In that case, Newcastle must definitely sanction the sale and cash in on the 23-year-old.

Despite spending quite a lot of time with the Magpies, Mitrovic just failed to get things going and considering the tough spot they find themselves in, a player like that is simply not enough.

Currently gracing the 13th spot in the league standings, Rafa Benitez's men stand a pretty good chance of ensuring they survive the drop and if they do that, next season will prove to be all the more crucial for the manager as well as the club. Hence, in a situation like that, they will need an attacker they can rely on and from what we have seen, Mitrovic is just not the right player for them.



https://soccersouls.com/2018/03/16/why-newcastle-must-move-on-from-their-23-year-old-serbian-even-after-his-brilliant-form-for-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Who will be relegated from the Premier League and promoted from the Championship? The Soccer Saturday pundits give their verdicts

There may be a depleted Premier League programme this weekend, but it still looks a crucial one in deciding who will be in the top flight next season.

Five of the bottom eight sides are in action on Saturday, while there's a full fixture list in the Sky Bet Championship, including Sunday's crucial clash between Derby County and Cardiff City, live on Sky Sports Football.

So with the battle to be in the Premier League hotting up, we challenged the Soccer Saturday pundits to predict who be on their way up and who will be on their way down come the end of the season...

Paul Merson
Three up: Wolves, Cardiff, Fulham (6/4 with Sky Bet)

Wolves are going to do it, they're coming up. Their victory over Reading, coupled with Aston Villa's shock defeat, means they are all but certain of going up.

Cardiff are not going away. People underestimate how good they are, they don't get the credit they deserve. Their result at Brentford in midweek was massive and moved them seven clear of Villa in third.

After those two, it's an absolute lottery between Villa, Fulham and Middlesbrough. Villa probably have to concentrate on the play-offs, so knowing that could give them time to rest a few players, while it would take a brave man to back against Boro and Tony Pulis, especially as they seem to be finding their form.

Derby have had a nightmare, but if they get into the play-offs it's a free swing because they haven't looked like going up for five weeks or so. But if I had to commit to one club, it would be Fulham. They have all of the momentum and I don't see them losing their home game in the play-offs, given their current form.

Three down: West Brom, Huddersfield, Southampton (16/1 with Sky Bet)

West Brom are down. I still think Huddersfield will go down, their league position - just four points above the drop zone - is deceiving. I watched them play against 10 men last week and they couldn't break them down, so that doesn't bode well.

It's impossible to say who will go for sure, because a lot depends on the timing of the fixtures and whether the big clubs play them ahead of Champions League or FA Cup ties. It's all about timing.

For Southampton to lose 3-0 at Newcastle was worrying. Five of their last eight games are away from home against teams around them, so I think they will go too.

Charlie Nicholas
Three up: Wolves, Cardiff, Middlesbrough (9/2 with Sky Bet)

I can't see Wolves throwing it away. I know Cardiff have got Wolves to come and Derby away on Sunday, which is a toughie and they could drop points there, but I do think they'll go up though after seeing Villa still have issues with their QPR defeat.

I'm not sure there's an outsider to sneak into the play-offs so, while I know Fulham are the form team, you've got to time your run well. I'm going for Middlesbrough to do that with Tony Pulis starting to get the best out of Adama Traore and showing the required trust to get the best out of Patrick Bamford, while he's sorted out the defence as you'd expect.

Three down: West Brom, Huddersfield, West Ham (16/1 with Sky Bet)

I agree that West Brom have gone, not many would argue with that right now. Then, given I'm going for Crystal Palace to beat them this weekend, my next team is Huddersfield.

Finally, after the embarrassing scenes last weekend, West Ham are my third side to face the drop. The atmosphere at that club is toxic right now and it is going to be very difficult to turn that around before the end of the season.

Phil Thompson
Three up: Wolves, Cardiff and Aston Villa (11/5 with Sky Bet)

It's a huge game on Sunday, but I do think that Cardiff will hold on to their place in the automatic promotion places alongside Wolves.

Then anything can happen in the play-offs and I know it was a bad result against QPR, but I think Aston Villa have too much quality for the others when it comes to delivering when it really matters.

Three down: West Brom, Southampton, Huddersfield (16/1 with Sky Bet)

It will probably be different next week, but these three are based on the form we've seen over the last weeks.

I covered Southampton last week and they were absolutely dreadful. They didn't look threatening, they didn't look like they could defend, they were all over the place and I think they are six games too late in appointing Mark Hughes to have a real chance of turning this around.

Matt Le Tissier
Three up: Wolves, Cardiff, Fulham (6/4 with Sky Bet)

Can't see Warnock blowing that advantage, he's such a wily character. Fulham by the play-offs. They're a really decent run, Target has done well, Sessengon is a great talent, Cairney has the quality in the middle and Mitrovic is on fire.

Three down: West Brom, Stoke, Huddersfield ( 6/1with Sky Bet)

I'll complete the full house with West Brom, then I'm going for Stoke and Huddersfield. I'm expecting a bit of a new manager bounce from Mark Hughes and the next league game is absolutely massive for us against West Ham, which will hopefully drop them further in it. Stoke are difficult to beat, but they're simply struggling to win games and you wonder where the goals are going to come from. Whereas we've got Charlie Austin to come back and save us!



http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11699/11291125/who-will-be-relegated-from-the-premier-league-and-promoted-from-the-championship-the-soccer-saturday-pundits-give-their-verdicts

[WhiteJC]

 
Millwall winger: It's going to be hard to make play-offs – Fulham and Middlesbrough aces have stepped up to the plate

Millwall winger Jed Wallace cannot see any of the sides in the Championship play-offs dropping out of the top six – pointing out that expensive signings are beginning to deliver.

In-form Millwall – unbeaten in 11 league matches and bidding for a sixth straight away win at Barnsley tomorrow – are hoping to take advantage if any club does start sliding.

But Wallace said: "I think it's hard – I don't think anyone is going to drop out of it.

"I think Middlesbrough will be nailed on now, they have just got going. What you see with top players like Bamford and Mitrovic, the boys earning the big money, when it comes around to them being judged they start showing that quality. Those two must have got six or seven goals between them in the last three games.

"The one you'd probably look at is Derby. They have had a bit of a wobble, and that is not meant as any criticism. They are just the one most likely to drop out at the moment.

"We are talking about Middlesbrough and Derby – we should never be getting near those clubs this season. It's a credit to everyone, where we are. We've still got some massively winnable games and can put the pressure on. But the top-six looks strong. It is going to be massively difficult for anyone to get into it."




https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/millwall-winger-its-going-to-be-hard-to-make-play-offs/

[cookieg]

Former Spurs defender warns Fulham youngster against Spurs move

Former Spurs defender Pascal Chimbonda has warned Fulham defender against a move to his former club, according to BetStars.

The 17-year-old managed to reproduce his impressive performances from last season, scoring fourteen goals and getting four assists as the Cottagers target promotion to the Premier League.

The English starlet is a wanted target by many teams in the top-flight, including Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs, however the left-sided midfielder has been linked with a £40million summer move to Spurs.

Although former Spurs full-back Chimbonda believes that a move to Spurs would be too large a step up for Sessegnon, urging him to sign for a team "below Spurs."

"He's still young, he's good for the Championship but there's a difference between being good in the Championship and arriving in the Premier League." Chimbonda said.

"If he comes to Spurs he won't play regularly or may go out on loan, he will only come on sometimes and that's really hard for the player.

"I think he needs to go to a team below Spurs, where he will play football."

The interest from Spurs has increased in recent weeks following speculation that the North London side could lose Toby Alderweireld to Premier League rivals Manchester United.

However Chimbonda admitted that the defender's ambition will have the ultimate decision on whether he stays or moves.

"In football you have a lot of rumours, like last year [Jose] Mourhino wanted [Eric] Dier, but he stayed at Spurs, so you never know." Chimbonda said.

"He's a good defender so it will be hard to keep him, but it depends on the other team and what they give him.

"He has to choose the best one for him, if he stays at Spurs to play regular football or go to another team only to play some."



http://the72.co.uk/99405/former-spurs-icon-warns/

So why can't he just stay at Fulham and continue his development? Why are so many people trying to get him way from us!

[ToodlesMcToot]

Former Spurs defender warns Fulham youngster against Spurs move

Former Spurs defender Pascal Chimbonda has warned Fulham defender against a move to his former club, according to BetStars.

The 17-year-old managed to reproduce his impressive performances from last season, scoring fourteen goals and getting four assists as the Cottagers target promotion to the Premier League.

The English starlet is a wanted target by many teams in the top-flight, including Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs, however the left-sided midfielder has been linked with a £40million summer move to Spurs.

Although former Spurs full-back Chimbonda believes that a move to Spurs would be too large a step up for Sessegnon, urging him to sign for a team "below Spurs."

"He's still young, he's good for the Championship but there's a difference between being good in the Championship and arriving in the Premier League." Chimbonda said.

"If he comes to Spurs he won't play regularly or may go out on loan, he will only come on sometimes and that's really hard for the player.

"I think he needs to go to a team below Spurs, where he will play football."

The interest from Spurs has increased in recent weeks following speculation that the North London side could lose Toby Alderweireld to Premier League rivals Manchester United.

However Chimbonda admitted that the defender's ambition will have the ultimate decision on whether he stays or moves.

"In football you have a lot of rumours, like last year [Jose] Mourhino wanted [Eric] Dier, but he stayed at Spurs, so you never know." Chimbonda said.

"He's a good defender so it will be hard to keep him, but it depends on the other team and what they give him.

"He has to choose the best one for him, if he stays at Spurs to play regular football or go to another team only to play some."



http://the72.co.uk/99405/former-spurs-icon-warns/

So why can't he just stay at Fulham and continue his development? Why are so many people trying to get him way from us!

If things work in our favor and we are promoted, I think that's just what Chimbonda is implying....stay with Fulham. It's his best chance at playing time at a higher level. But, if we aren't promoted, then he's proven all he really needs to in this league and needs a new challenge to continue his development.

He's due a step up after proving he is already more than competitive in this league.