Tuesday Fulham Stuff (25/09/18)...

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Newcastle Still Struggling To Score Goals – Gayle And Mitrovic Aren't

We are struggling up front again this season, much like we did last season, and Newcastle have scored just 4 goals in our first 6 Premier League games.

Last season we scored one goal a game – 38 in the Premier League – and this was one area Rafa wanted to strengthen in the summer.

We brought in Salomon Rondon and Yoshimori Muto, but both are still settling into the Newcastle team.

Salomon has not been match-fit, and Muto has been struggling with the physicality of the Premier League.

To get Salomon to the club on loan, we had to send Dwight Gayle the other way on loan for the season.

And it's hardly a surprise that he has already scored 5 goals in 9 league games and is third top scorer in the Championship.

He has more goals than Newcastle have scored in the Premier League.

If Dwight can keep fit, we would fully expect him to be topping the goalscoring charts next May and help West Brom come straight back up.

Rafa Benitez hardly used Aleksandar Mitrovic at Newcastle because Mitro's style of play just didn't fit with the type of striker Rafa wanted in his 4-2-3-1 formation.

And subsequently, Mitro didn't score many goals for us – only 17 Newcastle goals in 72 appearances – a lot of them sub appearances.

But he's on fire at Fulham and while on loan last season he scored 12 goals in 17 Championship games and helped them get promoted.

And Fulham are off to a reasonable start and Mitrovic has 5 goals in six Premier League appearances so far this season – he has scored more than half of Fulham's 8 goals in the PL.

Mitrovic is  the second top scorer in the Premier League.

And he has more Premier League goals than Newcastle have scored this season.

So one question could be why didn't Rafa adapt and play to Mitro's strength, which Fulham have done and are getting the rewards.

With Mitro in excellent goalscoring form, one consolation for Newcastle is we should get the full £27M for him.

But Fulham will still think that's a bargain when strikers who can score goals regularly in the Premier league usually cost a lot more than £27M.

And to make things even worse, Newcastle currently cannot afford to pay £27M for any player with Mike Ashley as the owner.

There's something wrong somewhere.



http://www.nufcblog.com/2018/09/25/newcastle-still-struggling-to-score-goals-gayle-and-mitrovic-arent/

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Early team news emerges ahead of Millwall's League Cup clash with Fulham

Millwall will be looking to put their Championship struggles behind them as they look to progress in the League Cup this evening.

Neil Harris' men host Premier League side Fulham tonight at The Den in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic is set to make wholesale changes to his side for the short trip across London with midfielders Tom Cairney, and Neeskens Kebano both set to miss the game through injury.

Millwall, meanwhile, will be shuffling their pack with a clutch of players unavailable for this evening's cup tie.

New signings Ryan Leonard and Tom Bradshaw are both cup-tied having played in previous rounds for their both their former sides, respectively.

Ryan Tunnicliffe has been listed as doubtful as he continues his recovery from a broken toe.

That could mean a start for another new signing in Jem Karacan who could make his latest appearance for the club after signing last month on a free transfer.

Tom Elliott is also in contention to start having played in the previous two rounds of the club with Lee Gregory even in line for a return to the starting XI after starting the West Brom defeat on the bench.

Jordan Archer and David Martin will be vying for a starting place to start in goal with Ben Amos expected to be rested this evening.

Possible Millwall XI to face Fulham this evening: Martin; Romeo, M. Wallace, Cooper, Ferguson; J. Wallace, Williams, Karacan, Skalak;  Elliott, Gregory.

The Verdict

It could be a make-shift Millwall team this evening with a handful of players out for various reasons.

Neil Harris' men could pull off a shock with Fulham too set to make several changes from their weekend draw away at Watford.

It will still be a difficult task for Harris and his side to progress in the cup but tonight will provide a welcome distraction to their recent poor run of form in the League.

You would expect the Premier League side to triumph but with any cup tie – form and status go out of the window.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/early-team-news-emerges-ahead-of-millwalls-league-cup-clash-with-fulham/

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Fulham team news vs Millwall: Tim Ream returns to first team action as Jokanovic makes ten changes
The head coach has made ten changes for the game - with 15-year-old wonderkid Harvey Elliott on the bench

Slavisa Jokanovic has made ten changes for Fulham's visit to Millwall - with Tim Ream starting his first game of the season.

The American has missed the first eight weeks of the season after suffering a back injury in pre-season, but he returns to the starting XI in the Carabao Cup this evening.

Kevin McDonald is the only name from the 1-1 draw with Watford on Saturday in the Premier League to keep his place, although he was hooked off at half time as Jokanovic made changes to try and get his side back into the game, with the visitors 1-0 up at the time.

Sergio Rico starts his second game in a Fulham shirt since joining on loan in the summer, while there are also starts for Cyrus Christie, Joe Bryan and Maxime Le Marchand at the back.

Steven Sessegnon gets himself a starting place, his first since the second round defeat to Bristol Rovers last season, while Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa starts with McDonald in midfield.

Up top, Aboubakar Kamara, who scored both goals in the previous round against Exeter City, starts, along with Floyd Ayite and Luca de la Torre.

Meanwhile, 15-year-old wonderkid Harvey Elliott finds a place on the bench for Fulham, alongside 18-year-old Matt O'Riley - both products of the Fulham Academy, alongside starters Sessegnon and De La Torre.

Fulham: Rico; Bryan, Le Marchand, Ream, Christie; S Sessegnon, Anguissa, McDonald; De La Torre, Ayite and Kamara

Subs: Fabri, Chambers, Odoi, O'Riley, Elliott, Mitrovic and Cisse



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-team-news-vs-millwall-15200020