Thursday Fulham Stuff (10/05/18)...

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Derby Mascot Competition

We are giving a number of lucky young Whites fans a chance to be mascots at Monday's Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg against Derby County.

If you know an avid young Fulham supporter between the ages of 6-12 that you feel deserves the chance to lead the boys out at Craven Cottage, you can enter them into the competition to win the opportunity of a lifetime.

To enter, simply tweet in a video on Twitter to @FulhamFC, or post a video on Instagram tagging @FulhamFC, describing your favourite moment of the season.

Send us your moment using the hashtag #FULFORCE, whilst wearing your Fulham shirt!

Please note the entrant must have a full home Fulham kit and they and their guardian must have a ticket to the match.

The competition will close at midday on Friday 11th May.

Social Media Competition T&Cs

1. The promoter is: Fulham Football Club Ltd (company no. 2114486) whose registered office is at Motspur Park, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 6PT.
2. The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom aged between 6-12 years except employees of Fulham Football Club and their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of the competition.
3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
4. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
5. Route to entry for the competition and details of how to enter can be found on Fulham Football Club's official Twitter and Instagram profiles.
5(a). The entrant must be following @fulhamfc in order to be eligible for the prize.
6. Only one entry will be accepted per person. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified.
7.  Closing date for entry will be Friday 11 May 2018 at midday. After this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
8. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
9. The rules of the competition and how to enter are as follows:
10. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter's control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
11. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.
12. The prize is as follows: The prize is as stated and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
13. Winners will be chosen at random by software, from all entries received and verified by the promoter and or its agents.
14. The winner will be notified by email and/or DM on Twitter/Instagram on Friday 11 May 2018. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
15. The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prize can be collected / is delivered.
16. The promoter's decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/may/09/mascot-competition

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Why West Ham's summer business could hinge on Fulham promotion

West Ham want no fewer than four players currently at Fulham, along with their manager Slavisa Jokanovic.

West Ham United are likely to be watching Fulham's two-legged Championship playoff semi-final with Derby County with keener interest than most.

The Cottagers missed out on automatic promotion to the Premier League on the final day of the season, when a 3-1 loss at Birmingham City not only ended their 23-game unbeaten run but also saw Cardiff City clinch second place by two points.

Now the Hammers will be waiting to see if their London rivals can still return to the top flight of English football for the first time since 2013/14 as much of their summer transfer business could hinge on what division Slavisa Jokanovic's men are in.

That is because West Ham are targeting no fewer than four players currently at Craven Cottage, with football.london reporting goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, right-back Ryan Fredericks, midfielder Tom Cairney and striker Aleksandar Mitrovic - who is on loan from Newcastle United - are all on their radar.

Add to that the fact that Jokanovic himself is also being considered as a replacement for David Moyes as manager - with the Scot out of contract at the end of this term - and suddenly there is a lot of crossover between the two clubs.

Of course if Fulham fail to get promoted then the chance of those five aforementioned names making the switch to the London Stadium and a division above probably becomes all the more likely.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/05/09/why-west-hams-summer-business-could-hinge-on-fulhams-promotion/

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Paris-Saint Germain join Manchester United, City and Spurs in chase for Fulham whizz-kid Ryan Sessegnon

EXCLUSIVE: French Treble winners target 17-year-old whose future will depend on the Championship playoffs

Paris Saint-Germain are providing the stiffest competition for Fulham wonder-kid Ryan Sessegnon's English admirers.

Sessegnon is a long-term target for Tottenham, and is also on the radars of champions Manchester City and neighbours United. But PSG are now pushing hard to try to land the starlet, who could cost up to £50million.

The French Treble winners want to strengthen their left-hand side and have identified versatile Sessegnon as the player they want.

He has underlined his reputation as one of Europe's best young talents with 15 goals for the Cottagers this season.


Sessegnon's goals helped Fulham finish third, two points off automatic promotion (Image: PA Wire)

Those goals and his all-round performances helped the 17-year-old clean up at the EFL awards, become the first Championship player to make the PFA Young Player of the Year short-list and get picked by England up at Under-21 level.

Sessegnon's future will hinge on whether Fulham are promoted to the Premier League.

They face Derby in the play-offs, with the first leg in the Midlands on Friday and the return on Monday, after narrowly missing out on automatic promotion.

Going up will significantly boost the chances of Sessegnon staying, but the race for his signature will hot up if Fulham fail to secure a return to the top flight after four seasons in the second tier.

With Sessegnon's preference, if he does leave Fulham, being to stay in London, PSG would have to make an offer too good to turn down if they want to lure him to France.



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/paris-saint-germain-join-manchester-12509139

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Fulham ace should be banned for Championship play-offs, says Derby County boss Gary Rowett

The Rams manager wanted to see action taken against opposition midfielder following incident at Birmingham City

Derby County manager Gary Rowett believes Fulham midfielder Stefan Johansen should be banned for the Sky Bet Championship play-offs.

Rowett feels action should have been taken against Johansen after the Norwegian international appeared to elbow Birmingham City player Jota in the face during Fulham's final fixture of the regular league campaign on Sunday.

The 27-year-old escaped without being booked or sent off at the time and has avoided any retrospective action.

Johansen is set to face Derby in the play-off semi-final, the first leg of which takes place at Pride Park Stadium on Friday night (7.45pm).

But Rowett reckons that should not be the case.

"If I'm being really honest, I think if that was the Premier League, retrospectively, I think he'd be out the game, out the next leg and out the final, because it was not a great challenge," he said.

"I think the linesman was two yards away as well but that's something that happened in the game. It's nothing to do with me.

"That's just an observation having watched the game. But he'll be available, he'll play and it won't make a lot of difference once the game kicks off.

"But, yes, it was strange that the incident didn't get picked up."

The FA can take retrospective action over certain "not seen incidents" if they are brought to their attention.

In such cases, the match referee is asked whether they or any of the other officials saw the incident at the time it occurred.

If they confirm they did see the specific act of misconduct, then "in almost all cases" no further action is taken.

However, if it is confirmed that they did not see the incident, a panel of three former professional match officials is convened and asked to review all the available video footage.


Stefan Johansen (right) battles for the ball with Jota during Fulham's Championship clash with Birmingham City (Image: PA)

Each panel member reviews the footage independently of the other members and, if they all agree, a charge will be issued, with the player asked to admit or deny it.

If the incident occurred in a weekend match, as in this case, the FA would, where possible, issue a charge by Monday or Tuesday, with the player given until 6pm the following day to respond.

If the player admitted the charge, they would receive an automatic suspension to mirror the penalty that would have been imposed had it been spotted at the time.

If the charged is denied, the matter goes before an independent regulatory commission, usually on a Thursday, at which only video and/or written evidence can be submitted.

In this case, the officials did see the incident, as a free kick was awarded, thus all but ruling out the possibility of retrospective action.

Millwall's Tim Cahill was recently retrospectively handed a three-match ban after admitting a charge of violent conduct during a 3-0 defeat to Fulham.

Cahill's elbow on Ryan Fredericks initially went unpunished as it was not seen by the match officials.

Fulham's 3-1 defeat at Birmingham saw them just miss out on automatic promotion to the Premier League, as Cardiff City clinched second spot.

Slavisa Jokanovic's men finished third, which set up a two-legged semi-final showdown with Derby in the play-offs.

The second leg of the tie will be played at Craven Cottage on Monday evening (7.45pm).

Johansen has made 46 appearances for Fulham this season in all competitions, scoring eight goals.



https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-ace-should-banned-championsip-1550057

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Championship play-offs: Analysing the four contenders

After a gruelling 46-game league season, four Championship sides must now prepare themselves, mentally and physically, for the gruelling play-offs.



This year's semi-finals in England's second division see Fulham face Derby County and Aston Villa take on Middlesbrough over two legs. The sides who come out victorious go to Wembley for a one-off shoot-out to join Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cardiff City in the Premier League.

But what can you expect from each team? We've got the lowdown on the four sides in the playoffs, before they get underway on Friday.

Fulham
Form
Birmingham City 3-1 Fulham
Fulham 2-1 Sunderland
Fulham 3-0 Millwall
Fulham 1-1 Brentford
Fulham 1-0 Brentford

Strengths
Fulham are up there with the very best footballing teams in the Championship. They play a passing game influenced by the great Johan Cruyff, whose son, Jordi Cruyff, appointed Slaviša Jokanović at Maccabi Tel Aviv before the Serbian moved to Craven Cottage.

"Fulham knew what they were buying when they hired Jokanovic," Cruyff told the Daily Mail. "They knew they wanted a certain kind of profile and they're getting it.

"In the end about positive football philosophy. Look at the passing stats, you can say that Fulham is a football team that plays with great passing combinations."

They dominate games – no other Championship made more accurate passes than their 429.95 per game, while they averaged 57.6 per cent possession – also the highest in the league. They scored the most goals from open play too, 60 – ten more than champions Wolves.

Weaknesses
The Whites' defence is definitely weaker than their attack. Of the sides to finish in the top eight only Derby (48) conceded more than Fulham's 46.

However, the biggest issue may be a mental one rather than a footballing one. The Whites were favourites for the play-offs last season, but choked against Reading, losing 2-1 on aggregate.

The quality in the play-offs is arguably higher this season, and Fulham can't afford to freeze on the big stage again.

Given Cardiff's draw on Sunday, a win would have seen Jokanović's side promoted, but their 23-match unbeaten run came to an end at Birmingham City as they lost 3-1, again raising questions about their mentality in big games.

Defender Tim Ream was critical after that match, saying: "We got the result we needed in the other game but we s*** the bed. We could not do the business."

Player to watch: Tom Cairney
Teenage sensation Ryan Sessegnon may have been named the Championship Player of the Year, but Fulham's captain Tom Cairney makes them tick.

No-one in the league has averaged more than his 87.13 passes per 90, while he also makes the highest amount of accurate through balls per 90 (0.29).

He's got a wand of a left foot and if Fulham don't go up expect to see him in the Premier League next season.

From the Fulham camp...

Speaking after defeat to Birmingham on the final day, Jokanović said: "We are not disappointed because we are in the play-offs. We are disappointed because we lost a great chance to win the game. But we must be strong and ready for the next challenge.

"We are more experienced now. This is the second time we are in the play-offs, we are a good team and can perform better than today. We can find more pace and create more chances, and be more solid on the defensive side."

Aston Villa

Form
Milwall 1-0 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 1-1 Derby County
Ipswich Town 0-4 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 1-0 Leeds United
Aston Villa 1-0 Cardiff City

Strengths
If you want a squad full of leaders, you only have to look at Aston Villa. As well as Mile Jedinak and Glenn Whelan, they have John Terry – winner of five Premier League titles and five FA Cups at the heart of the defence. Play-offs are often about keeping your cool and performing on the big occasion. They will expect their No.26 to lead by example.

With Terry around, alongside James Chester, it's no shock they have the best defence out of the sides in the play-offs, conceding just 42 goals last season. That strong backline has made Villa Park a fortress – they have only lost twice at home in the league all season.

And Steve Bruce knows how to prepare a side for the play-offs, he's taken Birmingham City and Hull City up via that route in the past.

Weaknesses
With the squad they've got, you would have expected Villa to have made more of a serious challenge for automatic promotion.

But only Conor Hourihane and Albert Adomah have more than ten goals in the league this season, despite the Midlands' side's attacking prowess, with Scott Hogan and Jonathan Kodjia in their ranks.

They may not necessarily play the nicest brand of football – but as Cardiff going up shows, that doesn't matter.

Player to watch: Jack Grealish
Terry may be the captain but it's Jack Grealish who most excites the fans.

He's been fully fit and flying in recent weeks, and is undoubtedly Villa's most creative player.

No-one has made more key passes from open play than his 2.08 per 90 minutes in the Championship, while he comes third in accurate passes per 90 (48.87) and fifth in successful take-ons per 90 (3.37).

And while he only has three league goals this season, he can hit a stunner, as he showed against Cardiff last month.

From the Villa camp...

Conor Hourihane admits the play-offs are about mental toughness as well as just how they can play, telling the Express and Star: "It's about handling the occasion. Not getting caught up in the fact it is the play-offs. Ultimately, it is a game of football.

"We will have done our homework and we have experienced players, without a doubt. The names speak for themselves. We'll be ready. We are all looking forward to it."

Middlesbrough

Form
Ipswich Town 2-2 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough 2-0 Millwall
Derby County 1-2 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough 2-1 Bristol City
Sheffield United 2-1 Middlesbrough

Strengths
With Fulham and Aston Villa falling to final-day defeats, Tony Pulis' men are the side heading into the play-offs with the longest unbeaten run, albeit only one standing at four matches.

After a disappointing start to the season under Garry Monk, the former West Bromwich Albion boss has come in and breathed new life into Boro.

They are a big physical side who are solid at the back, as you would expect from Pulis. He usually has success with his style, even if it isn't always pretty on the eye.

Weaknesses
Individual errors have been hugely costly for Middlesbrough this season. They conceded six goals from the penalty spot – only Hull City (seven) let in more.

And if you're looking for a team to dominate the game, that isn't Boro under the Welshman. Since he came in, they average 43 per cent, compared to 53 per cent before his arrival.

Player to watch: Adam Traoré
Patrick Bamford may have been among the goals in recent months, scoring ten since January, but it is Adama Traoré, out of favour under Monk, who has become Boro's star man for Pulis.

Per 90 minutes, he averages an impressive 9.74 successful take-ons, unsurprisingly the highest number in the Championship.

He also tops the rankings for assists per 90 – at 0.4. The right winger won't give Neil Taylor and Terry an easy game at all, and will surely target the left-side of Villa's defence as he can easily outpace them.

From the Middlesbrough camp...
"If you had given me a play-off position when I took over the football club I wouldn't have cared who we were playing so I can't be judgmental or care or worry about who it is," said Pulis after the final game of the normal season.

"We have got Villa who most probably have the strongest squad in the Championship and it will be a real tough game. They will be big favourites, I'm sure."

Derby County

Form
Derby County 4-1 Barnsley
Aston Villa 1-1 Derby County
Derby County 3-1 Cardiff City
Derby County 1-2 Middlesbrough
Burton Albion 3-1 Derby County

Strengths
Derby were the only team of the play-off four who won on the final day of the Championship season and have bounced back after suffering three straight defeats in April.

They are dominant in the air – winning 52.8 per cent of their aerial duels this season – only Birmingham City, Millwall and Wolves have done better.

Gary Rowett's side also have a habit of finding the back of the net too; they've only been stopped once in their last nine league games, by champions Wolves.

Weaknesses
Like Fulham, there are questions about whether they choke at crucial moments – the Rams have been in the Championship since 2008/09 despite spending big money to return to the Premier League, and have often fallen away towards the end of the season.

In fact, that is what they did this term. After sitting comfortably in the play-offs at the turn of the year, they only secured their place in the top six on the final day of the campaign.

What's more, their away form isn't great – they only won eight times on the road in the league – the second worst of the top ten in the division.

Player to watch: Matej Vydra
The man behind 30 per cent of Derby's goals this season is Championship top scorer Matěj Vydra, who found the back of the net 21 times in the 46-game campaign.

The Czech forward is not all about shooting though, he can play a decent pass too – averaging 0.19 accurate through balls per 90 – the ninth highest in the Championship.

The 26-year-old has experience in winning promotion to the top flight with Watford, and Fulham will have to be wary of keeping him as quiet as possible – when he gets a chance, he'll cause real problems

From the Derby camp...
"We weren't too worried about where we finished going into the final game of the season; we just wanted to finish in the top six," captain Richard Keogh told RamsTV.

"We know we're in for two tough games and Fulham have had an excellent season, but we'll attack the game and see where it takes us."

"Anything can happen in the play-offs, as we know too well, and we'll look forward to what's to come."



https://www.footballwhispers.com/blog/championship-play-off-analysing-contenders?utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=news-now

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Gary Rowett on how Derby County will tackle play-off first leg tie against Fulham

'If you give them too much space, they will hurt you but if we are over respectful we won't hurt them' says Rams boss

Gary Rowett has been speaking about how Derby County will approach the first leg of their play-off semi-final.

The Rams meet Fulham at Pride Park Stadium tomorrow night (7.45pm) with the second leg at Craven Cottage on Monday.

Asked if his team will go all out for a win in the first game, Rowett said: "I don't think in any game you can go all out for the win.

"In an ideal world you want the perfect balance between attack and defence, between being adventurous and then cautious enough in the right areas.

"We are playing against a very good side. If you give them too much space, they will hurt you but if we are over respectful we won't hurt them.

"We will look to find the right balance, that is the key."

Derby go into the game unbeaten in three and on the back of two uplifting home victories over Cardiff City and Barnsley.

"We are at home against Fulham and we have got to attack, and we will attack in numbers and attack to score goals," said Rowett.

"But at the same time you have to be respectful of a team that has Mitrovic, Cairney and Sessegnon.

"As we found in the home game against them this season, we played really well but gave them two chances and they scored two goals."



https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gary-rowett-how-derby-county-1550484