Saturday Fulham Stuff (05/05/18)...

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Cairney says he's happy at Fulham amid Newcastle, West Ham speculation

West Ham United and Newcastle United have been liked with Tom Cairney of Fulham in the summer transfer widow.

Tom Cairney is one of the best players in the Championship, and there is no surprise that West Ham United and Newcastle United are among the clubs linked with the Fulham midfielder.

According to The Sun, Newcastle and Leicester City are interested signing Cairney from Fulham in the summer transfer window, while The Mirror has credited West Ham and Watford with interest in the 27-year-old Scotland international.

The 27-year-old midfielder seems to be happy at Craven Cottage, as Fulham aim to win automatic promotion to the Premier League.

When asked about West Ham's £8 million bid for him in the January transfer window, Cairney told The Telegraph: "I don't know how close it was to happening. It was out of my hands.

"But last summer I signed a contract extension and that was me committing my future to Fulham. I live around here, I'm settled. I love it."

Cold water on Newcastle and West Ham United's chances?

Cairney seems to be happy at Fulham, and if the London club get promoted to the Premier League, then he may not be open to the idea of leaving at all.

After all, both Newcastle and West Ham could be struggling for survival in the Premier League next season, and that would not be any better than staying at Fulham, who would also have to fight for survival should they find themselves in the English top flight in 2018-19.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/05/04/cairney-says-hes-happy-at-fulham-amid-newcastle-west-ham-specula/

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Jokanovic would've taken situation Fulham find themselves in if offered a few months ago

A win, couple with Cardiff dropping points, will see Fulham promoted back to the Premier League

Slavisa Jokanovic insists he would've taken the position his Fulham team find themselves in now if you had offered it to him a few months ago.

The Whites need a victory on the final day of the season against Birmingham City, while hoping Reading can do a job against Cardiff City and take points off them, to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Neil Warnock's side are in the driving seat, but Fulham have done well to get into the position they find themselves in, having gone 23 games unbeaten, dragging themselves from 17th to third.

Despite all that, Fulham are confident ahead of the final game and will Jokanovic believes they will do their job at St Andrews on Sunday.

He said: "We will see what happens.

"I will repeat one time more, we are full of confidence, it depends on how we will finish Sunday afternoon and if somebody offered my self or team to be in the position we are today a few months ago, immediately I sign this offer.

"This is not possible and now we are here with option to be promoted.

"It's not under our control, it will depend on another team but we will do what we came to do, we will be ready to do our job and at the end, we will see what happens."

Fans will almost certainly have one eye on what is happening across the border in Wales as Cardiff host Reading, but the Fulham head coach won't be - not until the final minutes at least.


Image: Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

All the games kick off at the same time on the final day of the season, so both sides will won't be able to know exactly what they need to do, but will no doubt be aware of what is happening in both games from the fans.

However, Jokanovic has said he can't be nervous about what's happening in Cardiff because it isn't under his control, but will have a look in the final moments.

He added: "I must be worried about my game but definitely in the last moment I will try know what is happening in another pitch.

"Cardiff game is not under my control, I cannot be nervous and be thinking so much about them because I cannot do anything."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/jokanovic-woudve-taken-situation-fulham-14617179

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Fulham defender declared fit for huge final day fixture

English Premier League hopefuls Fulham will be able to call upon the services of left-back Matt Targett when they travel to St Andrews to take on Birmingham City on Sunday according to football.london.

The Whites must better promotion rivals Cardiff City's result to leapfrog the South Wales club to automatic promotion on the final day of the Sky Bet Championship season.

On loan Southampton defender Targett was initially a doubt for Fulham's season-defining fixture after picking up a foot injury in the 2-1 win over Sunderland at Craven Cottage last weekend but it has now been reported that the player will be available for selection for the fixture against Birmingham City.

Targett joined Fulham in January on a loan deal until the end of the season and the player has made a significant impact during his time in West London. The full-back has made 17 appearances for The Whites while he scored his only goal for the club in their 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers in February.

The 22-year-old came through the youth system at parent club Southampton and while he was initially given plenty of game time at St Mary's, Targett's first team involvement has dried up in the past two seasons.

Fulham could look to make the loan deal permanent in the summer with the defender having been a hit at Craven Cottage.



http://the72.co.uk/101766/fulham-defender-declared-fit-huge-final-day-fixture/

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Advantage Cardiff but Fulham still hope Reading can lend a hand

Cardiff need only a home win against Reading for automatic promotion to the Premier League on Sunday but Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic is undaunted


Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored 14 league goals for Fulham since arriving on loan in January. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

Three weeks ago Slavisa Jokanovic joked that Cardiff City, his main rival for promotion, would drop points against Reading on the final day. As that fixture arrives, he is not about to change his mind. "Why am I not going to be positive?" the Fulham manager said before this crucial Championship weekend. "Why am I not going to believe Reading will win the game? From my side, it's a human thing to do."

Just in case he appeared too confident, Jokanovic also described Neil Warnock's side as having "one and a half feet in the Premier League". Cardiff are a point ahead of Fulham, with an inferior goal difference, and if they beat Reading at home on Sunday lunchtime they will secure automatic promotion behind Wolves. If Fulham achieve a better result at Birmingham than Cardiff manage, it will be a different story. For the Serb, everything is still in play.

"I was asked many months ago where we were going to finish in the Championship," Jokanovic said. "I still have the same answer: everything is going to be open until the end."

His original prediction was prompted by Warnock, who had offered the teasing thought that Fulham might drop points against Sunderland. In the end Fulham snatched a 2-1 win through Aleksandar Mitrovic last Friday, but Cardiff kept their noses in front thanks to a comfortable win at Hull.

"We knew many months ago Wolves would be promoted," Jokanovic said. "They are living a different dream. But I am surprised with Cardiff, if you want, because at the beginning of season I didn't see they would be the team with one foot and a half in the Premier League."

The Bluebirds went up as champions in 2012-13 with 87 points, one fewer than Fulham's total now. Jokanovic's team could end up in the play-offs, despite being unbeaten in the league in 2018. Jokanovic has the tricky task of trying to maintain confidence that events may turn in Fulham's favour while also making sure it does not drain away should his team need the play-off route instead.

His approach is to remain phlegmatic. "Sometimes 87 can be enough, sometimes it's not," he said. "Our unbeaten run is incredible but it's not important. It's an interesting statistical detail. We have improved greatly in these past months though; we have shown the character to go and win games. I don't know why we would change now. We have played many finals in the last few months, it's another final for us and there's a possibility we might have another two or three finals after this."

He puts the Cottagers' improvement down to a strong January window when they brought in the full-backs Cyrus Christie and Matt Targett alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic. The on-loan Newcastle forward has scored an invaluable 14 league goals, while borrowing Targett from Southampton has allowed Ryan Sessegnon to move up from defence and in the process become the division's player of the season.

"Playing Sess further forward was a nice thought earlier in the season but I didn't have the opportunity," Jokanovic said. "With Matt and Aleksandar they make the first team better but also push another part of the team. Since January we have been still more competitive, still more solid and more clinical. If you compare the first half of the season to the second, it's not hard to see the reasons for our improvement."

Fulham are "the Manchester City of the Championship", according to Warnock. "They have a lovely style but then you see they have gone 24 games unbeaten and that we are still above them. Nobody mentions our run but we have not had a bad one either. I'm sure they wish we were not here."

And so after 4,050 minutes of league football it comes down to the final 90. Jokanovic is confident regardless of the outcome. For Warnock, he happily admits to feeling the tension. He holds the joint record of seven promotions in English football along with Dave Bassett, Jim Smith and the late Graham Taylor. "I have had nerves since I was at Gainsborough Trinity," Warnock said. "I think the difference is the opportunity to create what I have always been looking for really – that eighth promotion."



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/04/cardiff-fulham-promotion-premier-league-championship

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Fulham are on the brink of promotion and club captain Tom Cairney says it would be a dream to lead his side to the riches of the Premier League

    Tom Cairney is getting promoted to the Premier League as Fulham captain
    Cairney has been heavily linked to a move elsewhere during this season
    But he feels a strong bond to Craven Cottage and also to his team-mates
    Fulham will gain promotion if Cardiff fail to match their result on Sunday

Tom Cairney was at home wondering what to have for dinner when he saw on TV that Fulham had turned down an offer for his services from West Ham.

Cairney says: 'You get texts off your family, off your mates. "What's happening?" I replied, "You know about as much as me". It says £18million turned down. So... great. Move on. I'll have chicken kievs.'

Those on television explained his club were not interested in losing their captain amid their push for the Premier League. Fair enough, Cairney thought, and it was the right call, too.


Fulham captain Tom Cairney is dreaming of winning promotion to the Premier League


Cairney and Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic work very close during breaks in play

Fulham have now gone 23 league games without losing for the first time in their history. Of the top 10 players for passes in the Championship, four are from Craven Cottage, with none completing more than midfielder Cairney.

As far as Fulham are concerned, Barcelona can keep their tiki-taka. According to Cairney, they are thriving with their own brand of precise, passing football under Serbian boss Slavisa Jokanovic.

'I'll leave the tiki-taka to Barcelona,' 27-year-old Cairney says. 'There's only one team who can do tiki-taka. But we are a footballing side. We're all footballers, throughout the back four, the midfield. Even the keeper has to play it out.


Fulham manager Jokanovic celebrates after the recent crucial victory over Sunderland

'We play Premier League football in the Championship. It's rare to see teams play the way we do. Everything is on the floor, dominating possession, creating a lot of chances.

'I don't think there's a right or wrong way to win matches. Cardiff win matches differently to the way we win, and Wolves are different as well. But we're heading in the right direction.

'My dream is to take this team up and be a captain in the Premier League. If I can do that, it would be one hell of an achievement.'

Cairney travels to Birmingham for Sunday's final game. His team are a point behind second-placed Cardiff - who play Reading at home - but have a better goal difference.

They may need to battle through the play-offs to make the top flight, but Fulham are not short of characters. A few would need no introduction in the Premier League.

There is striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has scored 12 goals since joining from Newcastle on loan in January.

CHAMPIONSHIP PERMUTATIONS

WOLVES are up as champions. CARDIFF will join them if they match FULHAM'S result.

Either CARDIFF or FULHAM will enter the play-offs alongside ASTON VILLA, MIDDLESBROUGH and one other side. DERBY, PRESTON and MILLWALL are vying for the last play-off place.

SUNDERLAND are relegated with two others joining them in League One next season. Five other clubs could still go down Sunday with just three points separate Bolton, Burton, Barnsley, Birmingham and Reading.


Cairney has been a big admirer of 17-year-old Ryan Sessegnon since he made his debut in 2016

A revelation, a bit scary at times, those crazy eyes, he's intense... but he's passionate,' says Cairney.

Then there is Ryan Sessegnon, the left back-cum-winger who is Championship Player of the Season at the age of 17.

Cairney was a teenager when he made his debut in the Premier League for Hull against Wolves in 2010 - his mum still has the shirt hanging in a frame. So is he mentoring Sessegnon now?

'I don't think he needs an arm around him,' the Scotland international explains. 'He has the same mindset every day, no matter if he scored a hat-trick or not.

'He's the same day in, day out. He must hear so many rumours. He's just left school. He's done his GCSEs. I've seen things written about him going to the World Cup but he doesn't mention it. He has been sensational this season.'

There is a feelgood factor at Fulham and this is Jokanovic's doing. He comes across as intense on the TV screen but that is a misconception.


Aleksandar Mitrovic with Ryan Sessegnon (left) after scoring against Sunderland last week

'He's got a bit of a fear factor about him,' Cairney says. 'As for dressing-downs or going crazy, that's not his style.

'He's calm, even when things are going wrong. He tells us to stay composed and stick to the way we play because then we have the best chance of winning. He will manage in the Premier League.'

Fulham hope that will be with them. They have been out of the top flight since 2014 and know they risk losing players if they do not escape the Championship. That includes Cairney.

Missing out on that move in January is not something Cairney regrets, however.

The way Fulham are playing, he is confident his dream of becoming a Premier League captain is about to come true.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5692313/Fulham-brink-promotion-club-captain-Tom-Cairney-dream-come-true.html#ixzz5EboEN45Y
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