Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/10/18)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Aleksandar Mitrovic: Fulham's saviour in West London?

Fulham's attacking style of play is refreshing for a newly-promoted side. In a period where many promoted teams come up to the Premier League with a very conservative way of playing in order to survive, the Cottagers instead have chosen a bolder approach.

For neutral fans, this is an exciting time in the Premier League as alongside Fulham are Wolves who also deploy an attacking approach. However, it is Fulham who have had more goalscoring success so far. Under Jokanivić, Fulham have scored eleven goals in their first nine league games, the highest of the bottom nine sides, and it makes sense with players including Andre Schurrle, Ryan Sessegnon, Jean Seri and Aleksandar Mitrović. Jokanović is clearly playing to their strengths, and integral to their attack over the past two seasons has been Aleksandar Mitrović.

Having watched him score a 90th minute header against Arsenal to earn a draw from 3-0 down when playing for Anderlecht, he has always impressed me. Not only did the goal cement the comeback, but it was very well taken header as he ran across the box and expertly glanced the ball near post past Szczęsny. That season (2014-2015) was his last for Anderlecht FC, where he finished with 22 goals as the top scorer of the Pro League in Belgium.

It was therefore not surprising that in the following summer transfer window he made a move for a bigger league. Newcastle United who paid around £13 million for the Serb, though it is difficult to sum up his time as a Magpie because Newcastle were in a period of big spending (over £80million that summer), and therefore the team had a heightened pressure to perform. Newcastle were also relegated this season. They were relegated after scoring 44 goals, which placed them 13th in goals scored in the Premier League that year. Clearly, there were defensive issues at play here rather than attacking ones, which ultimately led to their demotion from the top-flight.

Even though Mitrović's debut season was with a relegated team, he scored nine in 22 appearances. The Serbian started 22 times, yet was also regularly used as an impact substitute, 12 times, which is more then he would've liked, but perhaps this was a punishment from Steve McClaren/Rafael Benitez as Mitrović picked up several cards and bans in his first season in the Premier League.

In defence of the managers, you do not need to look any further than Mitrović's Newcastle debut to see his aggressive attitude on the pitch. He was booked just 22 seconds into his substitute appearance after a lunging slide tackle that sent Matt Targett flying into the air as he tried to clear the ball. He draws his feisty playing style from his time growing up and playing in the Serbian leagues, which he utilises to his advantage over defenders. Regardless of his aggressiveness, he was lucky enough to gain his fair share of appearances in his debut season for Newcastle.

Unfortunately for Mitrović, Benitez seemed to lose faith in his Serbian international as Dwight Gayle and Ayoze Perez took the majority of EFL Championship appearances away from Mitrović. There was a lot of pressure on Newcastle returning to the Premier League immediately, and therefore no expense was spared. Having spent over £80 million the previous season, Benitez was granted permission to sign 11 players for £57 million. This included Dwight Gayle who ended up as the joint second top goal scorer in the Championship. Determined to solidify his place in the Newcastle squad, Mitrović stayed on Tyneside the following season, but after an unsuccessful return to the Premier League, he was loaned out to Fulham.

The turn of events that led to Mitrović joining Fulham is a story in itself after he was initially poised to join Bordeaux FC, and after those talks broke down he was going to return to his old club Anderlecht. Once more talks broke down and it looked like he was not going to get his desired loan move until, in truly modern fashion, a conversation took place with a fellow Serb over Snapchat. This fellow Serb was the manager of Fulham, Slaviša Jokanović. Incredibly this moment became what seems the turning point in Mitrović's career.

This loan move reignited Mitrović's top flight career and proved that if utilised correctly, he can be a leading number nine. He was particularly fortunate to be among a group of like-minded attacking individuals including Sessegnon, Cairney and Johansen all in midfield. Of course, he was also fortunate to have a Serbian manager. It took him until his fourth game to find his feet at Fulham, where he scored an easy tap-in thanks to a well improvised, outside of the boot, threaded a ball from Cyrus Christie from the right corner of the box. This was the start of an excellent run of form for both Fulham and Mitrović as he went on to score 11 more in 14 games in the league.

An upturn in form undoubtedly facilitated his time with the Serbian national side, as he scored a hat-trick against Bolivia in the final friendly before the World Cup. He then went on to score in the opening World Cup fixture against Switzerland and almost earned a penalty when, after pausing, referee Felix Brych decided to turn down the appeal.

Many Newcastle fans wanted Mitrović back after proving himself in the Championship with Fulham and the Serbian national side. His loan spell ended with 12 goals in 20 appearances after joining them in the January transfer window. Many thought this would prompt Newcastle to regain a much needed prolific striker, however, clearly, Mitrović was thinking otherwise. Shortly after his £22 million move to newly proved Fulham, he stated: "in England, this [at Fulham] is the first time that I really feel comfortable in the system and in the way we play".

Clearly aiming shots at Benitez's more conservative playing style, it will be interesting to see if Fulham survive this year. It is evident that Benitez utilised this style to avoid relegation and Fulham are completely contrasting in style, much to the appreciation of the neutral fan.

Yet, their attacking style comes at a price. Fast forward from Mitrović's impressive display with Anderlecht, scoring to complete the comeback against Arsenal to now playing for the Cottagers at home to Arsenal, it is a very different story. Many would have thought Fulham could put up a goalscoring fight against Arsenal who have generally struggled so far under newly appointed Unai Emery. However, it finished 5-1 to the Gunners, and although Fulham can score goals, they now have conceded 25 goals in nine games. They have conceded on average over 2.5 goals a game, which is appalling for any Premier League side, let alone a newly promoted one. On top of this, they are the only Premier League outfit who have not recorded a clean sheet yet.

Fulham finished the first half with promise as it ended 1-1. But the floodgates opened in the second, and Mitrović's only genuine chance came in the 73rd minute when Bernd Leno saved his header. These are not the games Mitrović can flourish in and mirrored his performances for Newcastle; nonetheless, Mitrović's first Premier League season with Fulham so far has been promising. He has scored five and assisted two in nine games. It took him until the 6th of February to record the same goal haul for Newcastle back in the 2015/2016 season.

It is a necessity for Fulham to pick up points in the upcoming games, starting with Bournemouth on Saturday, and no doubt Mitrović will have his part to play. For now, it is time for the Serbian to truly make his mark on the English top-flight, and his fellow Serb Jokanovic will be hoping, if not praying, that the result is Fulham's retaining their place in the Premier League.



https://90maat.com/2018/10/26/aleksandar-mitrovic-fulhams-saviour-in-west-london/

[WhiteJC]

 
Three Players to Watch: Matchday 10 vs. Bournemouth
How will a struggling Fulham fare against a surging Bournemouth

Somewhere along the line, Fulham will have to get through this adversity, figure out their best starting XI and system, and come up with a signature win this Premier League season. They had an opportunity when they bounced back to claim a draw against Watford. They almost had Tottenham on the ropes early this season, so it's not like the club haven't put any effort into this season. But it just seems like this past month has been a landmine full of errors and lack of confidence.

If Fulham are to get a win, it might as well happen at home in front of a raucous support that will have their backs the whole way through. In spite of calls for Slavisa Jokanovic to be fired by the mainstream media, owner Shahid Kahn posted on the club website to dispell any rumor left, right, and center. Vice versa, the sentiment from the supporters have been the same. As much as it would be a good idea to remove someone who has shown inept qualities in being able to make adjustments and to find the correct starting XI in an instant, we only need to look back to the years before Jokanovic to remind us why it is a bad idea to chuck and change managers for the sake of it.

Are we really sure Roger Schmidt or Leonardo Jardim would want to come to a club whose goal is simply to avoid relegation? Also, do you reeeeeeeeeally want Sam Allardyce to manage Fulham? As if Jean-Michael Seri hasn't been underachieving enough.

In the meantime, Bournemouth come to town and have performed brilliantly in these first nine games of the Premier League season. They currently sit sixth in the league, but their underlying numbers indicate that they shouldn't be too far off a Champions League place.

That's right, tiny little Bournemouth are a few underachieving performances from Tottenham and Arsenal regressing to the mean away from playing the best Europe has to offer in 2019/20!

So that's it then, Fulham are doomed in this occasion, right? Well not exactly. Every Premier League side is unbeatable and positivity has to be found from the data available. According to whoscored, Bournemouth are generally out-shot 12.0-12.7 in any given Premier League contest. Along with that, only Manchester City are worse in accruing successful tackles and only Chelsea are worse in generating interceptions. Now that might mean that Bournemouth are a high possession team just like all of the big six clubs in England, so their opportunities to make defensive actions happen are don't exist. But the Cherries' 49.6% time on the ball this season will tell you otherwise.

If anything, manager Eddie Howe has his side sitting deep in defense and hoping to capitalize on opposition mistakes and spring board their attack with killer passes. Add in a touch of strong shot selection and finishing and you could see why Bournemouth are pulling off what you would expect a well functioning Everton to do.

So in short, the opportunities will come Fulham, but they have to be smart with the ball at their feet. As has been the case since Tom Cairney's injury, all will depend on how the midfield will get set up and how they are able to springboard the attack. If that cannot take place, expect another defeat in the manner Kit Symons teams were too accustomed to. But until proven otherwise, Bournemouth are not a 100% guarantee of victory, so Fulham need to find their chance and take it.

On that note, are are the three players to watch that are coming from the south coast.

Callum Wilson

First up has been Bournemouth's star man all season with three goals and four assists into his account. It is really nice to see the 26-year old Wilson on full display because his injury record is one you don't wish on even your worst enemies. Now that he back in full force, he's been able to display his speed and a very underrated passing ability that hasn't come out at any time since his club entered into the Premier League. Now Wilson's 2.94 expected assists is far enough from his actual total that we expected regression to the mean to occur. But if anything else, it is a sign that Bournemouth's attacking players do a very good job at linking up play well with each other to set up shots most likely to go in for goals. Wilson's play will surely test a backline and goalkeeper that are already lacking in stability and confidence, so Fulham will have to be at their most sharp in limiting his influence in the game.

David Brooks

Next up is one of the hidden gems of the Championship last season that has now become the find of the Premier League. Only 21, David Brooks has made a name for himself in such a short period of time but has really come alive as a multidimensional wide forward who can join in on the press. Along with that, his two goals are already a sign for things to come for the Welsh International and only Wilson has a higher xGChain among Bournemouth players that have played over a quarter of the season. Other elements of his game can be enhanced in comparison to what he showed at Sheffield United last season, but once that comes alive, it will only be a matter of time before bigger named clubs come looking for him.

Steve Cook

All data from whoscored.com

Lastly, we take a look at one of the long-standing veterans on this Bournemouth side that have been through the trials and tribulations that this club has endured since being promoted to the top flight of English football. At 21, Steve Cook went out on loan to the Vitality Stadium from Brighton and Hove Albion and the rest has been history for him. Now at 27, the center back has garnered 266 appearances for the Cherries and his partnership with captain Simon Francis has been the bedrock for the club during their time together.

While Cook may not join in that much in the buildup play when Bournemouth have the ball, he has been solid in defense this season by leading all Cherries players with 14 interceptions and 35 aerial duels won. There will be no denying who will try to snuff Aleksander Mitrovic out of the game and I expect a good contest between the two stalwarts in that area of the pitch.



https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2018/10/26/18021716/three-players-to-watch-matchday-10-vs-bournemouth

[WhiteJC]

 
Bournemouth Hospitality Sold Out

All Matchday Hospitality packages for Fulham's match against AFC Bournemouth have now SOLD OUT.

Supporters who have missed out on this occasion can browse Matchday Hospitality packages available for future Premier League fixtures at Craven Cottage online today.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/26/bournemouth-hospitality-sold-out

[WhiteJC]

 
Transfer Battle: Aleksandar Mitrovic vs Callum Wilson

Fulham will be desperate to gain all three points from their next Premier League fixture versus Bournemouth at Craven Cottage on Saturday having dropped into the relegation zone after their 4-2 defeat to Cardiff City last weekend.

And one man manager Slavisa Jokanovic will be looking to is Aleksandar Mitrovic with the striker comfortably sitting near the top of the Premier League goal-scoring charts after registering fives goals in nine appearances so far this season.

Meanwhile, in the Bournemouth corner, Callum Wilson is just one attacking option Eddie Howe can turn to for goals when his side travel to west London.

So how do the two No.9s match up ahead of Saturday's clash?

Aleksandar Mitrovic
After making a bright start to the campaign, the goals have dried up for Mitrovic over Fulham's last couple of matches.

However, the 24-year-old still makes massive contributions to games with his ability to hold up the ball and bring other team-mates into play.

Mitrovic is great with his back towards goal, dangerous in the air and is an overall powerful striker who offers so much more than just numbers.

His presence up front is something both his former side Newcastle United and Fulham's west London rivals Chelsea could do with.

All in all, Fulham's decision to sign Mitrovic on a permanent deal is proving to be a great one and could be the difference between Premier League survival and relegation for the club.
TT Grade: B+

Callum Wilson
Wilson has not had the easiest of times with Bournemouth in the Premier League since the Cherries' promotion to English football's top flight back in 2015.

The 26-year-old has had some serious injuries in that time and has missed a lot of games, as a result.

However, when he has played, more often than not, Wilson has been able to make an impact.

The former Coventry City man, understandably, has not shown the same kind of goal-scoring proficiency as the likes of Joshua King and Jermain Defoe during his previous stints with Sunderland and Tottenham.

But he still remains a threat with his pace and ability to run in behind, giving Howe a dangerous weapon up front.
TT Grade: C+

TT Verdict:
With the ability he possesses, Wilson definitely could have offered Bournemouth so much more if it were not for injuries.

On his day, he is a very capable striker and a good finisher. Compared to Mitrovic, though, the Englishman's all-round game is not quite there.

Mitrovic is so much more effective at holding up the ball and is the better outlet for defence to attack transitions. Therefore, the Serbian centre-forward wins this battle.




https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/features/transfer-battles/transfer-battle-aleksandar-mitrovic-vs-callum-wilson/

[WhiteJC]

 
Weak defence and instability behind Fulham's autumn of discontent

With goals being conceded at an alarming rate and new signings struggling to integrate, Slavisa Jokanovic is under pressure

Autumn is not a great time to be a Premier League manager. As the leaves turn, so the optimism of summer begins to fade and chairmen of struggling clubs start getting twitchy. November is the most dangerous month of the season for sackings, and Slavisa Jokanovic heads into it facing two crucial games.

Fulham host Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, before travelling to Huddersfield on 5 November. Jokanovic, who did so well to get the club promoted last season, could do with his team having caught fire by Guy Fawkes night.
Fulham v Bournemouth: match preview
Read more

So far, Fulham's numbers make for troubling reading: 18th in the table with five points from nine games, they have won just once, against Burnley. In losing their last three matches, the Cottagers have given up 12 goals in the process. The total conceded to date is 25, the worst in the Premier League this season and the second-worst ever.

Jokanovic is not prone to getting emotional but with each passing match his expression has become more crestfallen as he repeats the message that his squad can work things out given time. "I'm happy with all the pressure," he insisted this week. "This is part of my job and what I need is to give some kind of freedom to my players to clear their minds and understand what we must do in the next game."

First item on the list is obvious: defend better. The numbers do not improve if you break them down: 22 goals conceded from inside their own box, 21 from open play; third in the league for shots conceded and 15th for tackles made; Fulham have been robbed of possession 106 times.

There are differing explanations as to why it is going wrong. The first is a lack of continuity. Jokanovic has yet to play the same defensive line-up twice, but those around the club argue it is not out of choice. Tim Ream, Joe Bryan, Alfie Mawson, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Calum Chambers have all been injured at various points while Denis Odoi has missed matches through suspension. The three Fulham defenders with Premier League experience, Chambers, Mawson and Fosu-Mensah, have played just 934 minutes so far. Contrast that with Bournemouth's centre-half pairing of Steve Cook and Nathan Aké, ever present with 1620 minutes between them.

A defence in flux has been undermined further by a number of individual errors. Both Chambers and Ream had a torrid time against Cardiff City last Saturday, with the latter's botched clearance leading to Cardiff's third goal, before he slipped on to his posterior in the build up to the fourth. Ream is Fulham's current player of the year and in recent weeks Jokanovic has turned to him, alongside last season's partner Odoi, to restore some stability. It has not worked. They are not alone. Ryan Sessegnon and Marcus Bettinelli have also struggled to translate their Championship form to the Premier League.

The manager's tactics have come under scrutiny too, with Jokanovic's commitment to possession football coming up against the higher technical demands of the top flight. Fulham have lost the ball too easily, too often this season, and when they do they are open. Again absences are cited in mitigation: club captain Tom Cairney, the team's passing fulcrum, has made only three starts so far.

Every team has injuries and Fulham spent £100m in the summer, a record for a promoted side, to cover themselves for such eventualities. Recruitment is led by the owner's son and sporting director Tony Khan, but several signings have yet to make an impact. The £30m defensive midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa has barely featured, amid concern he is struggling to adapt to the Premier League. Jean-Michaël Seri, who nearly joined Barcelona a year ago, was also signed to toughen up the midfield but while he has contributed assists to the team, defensively he has made only 17 tackles and nine interceptions (over half of both totals coming in his first match against Crystal Palace).

With five goals to his name, Aleksandar Mitrovic is the one signing to hit the ground running and, also, the only name Jokanovic himself pushed for. But the Serb will not get much sympathy if he fails to integrate the other parts of an expensively assembled squad.

Right now Fulham look uncertain, both during crucial moments in matches and in their identity as a team. The owner, Shahid Khan, released his programme notes early this weekend, declaring rumours Jokanovic was out if he failed to win these next two games as "sensational and fictional". But in giving a vote of confidence Khan appeared also to set a deadline for his coach that was only marginally longer.

"We have a head coach who understands and appreciates the honour of representing Fulham," Khan wrote. "In the past two seasons he has found the right formula with his personnel to hit our stride in time for the holidays and a strong run in the second half of the campaign."

As autumn moves towards winter, there are only 58 coaching days left till Christmas.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/oct/26/weak-defence-instability-fulham-autumn-discontent-slavisa-jokanovic

[WhiteJC]

 
Slavisa Jokanovic speaks out on Tim Ream's comments about his Fulham team mates' fight and grit

The 31-year-old seemed to question his team mates' fight, but his head coach has no problems with what his defender said

Slavisa Jokanovic has no problems with the comments Tim Ream made about Fulham during the week - believing they were intended as a positive message to his team.

After defeat to Cardiff City last Saturday, the Cottagers slumped to 18th in the Premier League, with the four goals they conceded in the 4-2 defeat meaning the 25 goals they let in puts them as the league's worst defence so far this season.

Ream played the entire game and struggled, like the rest of his team mates, to not make unforced errors, with Cardiff's fourth goal coming after the American slipped on halfway, allowing the home side to break and eventually put the ball into Marcus Bettinelli's net.

The 31-year-old was Fulham's Player of the Season last year and, when put in front of the press, is one of the most engaging and thoughtful players at the club, but he wasn't happy at how his answers were portrayed during a TV interview.

Ream seemed to question whether some of his team mates have the fight required to get themselves out of the situation they find themselves in at the moment, saying that 'not enough guys want it'.

During the interview, he said: "Amongst ourselves, and those on the outside, the question is, do we really have the fight? Do we have the grit? Do we have the determination?

"And at this moment in time, I would say, 'No.'

"There are not enough guys who want it. Who want to fight for each other, for themselves, for the club."

And while Ream is unhappy with the way his answers were delivered, Jokanovic has no concerns about them, saying that he made an 'honest analysis' about Fulham's situation and that he was trying to encourage his team mates to find an improvement.

Speaking ahead of the AFC Bournemouth game, Jokanovic said: "I'm not sure this is exactly what he wanted to say. I understand he wanted to push, encourage the team to push harder and look for more determination.

"I didn't interpret them as negative words; he wanted to say 'Lads, it's not enough, you must do more and be better'.

"Tim's really professional, and always positive, and tried to encourage the team, our club, our supporters, to trust in ourselves, be brave, and believe we can offer different afternoons in Craven Cottage.

"We're going to fight to offer something different, like what we offered last season many times – this is our target, and this is our desire, and we are working in this direction.

"I interpreted it, and understand, because I am talking with Tim Ream – he made some honest analysis about our situation, and he's a great example of a professional player.

"He's always professional, always working well, honest, and my interpretation is he's not happy with himself, and not happy with everything that's happening around him.

"The message he wanted to send was 'Come on, lads, we must do better, we must push harder, on the players' side, on the staff's side, for all the sides, for finding improvement'. I'm not interpreting his words as negative; I understand.

"I don't have any problem because, as I explained, I interpreted it and understood his words as a positive message.

"For another side, I don't know if he made an interview of only 10 seconds – there can be some words before and after these – because what I see is few words, and something that [jokes, smiles] is a great [journalists'] trick.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/slavisa-jokanovic-speaks-out-tim-15331201

[WhiteJC]

Fulham v AFC Bournemouth
SAT 27 Oct 2018   Premier League
Venue: Craven Cottage

Callum Wilson has impressed for Bournemouth this season with three goals and four assists

TEAM NEWS

Fulham captain Tom Cairney is in contention to return, having only played 26 minutes as a substitute since August because of an ankle injury.

Left-back Joe Bryan is definitely out with a hamstring injury, but fellow defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah is hoping to be fit after a shoulder problem.

Bournemouth full-back Charlie Daniels is nearing a return from a knee injury but will not be involved this weekend.

Forward Joshua King could make his 200th English league appearance.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Jonathan Pearce: Forwards can win a match with a moment of individual brilliance. Clean sheets only come through bonded mutual defensive reliance.

Slavisa Jokanovic unglued the bond that had tied his team together through the grinding promotion campaign in the first game of this season, fielding six new players against Palace.

Half of the promotion team had been discarded. Dressing room division! Twenty five goals conceded.

Bournemouth got it right. They stuck by their promoted team, strengthening gradually into a hardened unit capable of winning four of its last six games.

If Fulham don't defend soon with an 11-man bond, they'll go down.

VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT

Fulham head coach Slavisa Jokanovic: "We started more or less the same way last season and found a way to find confidence and start playing better football. We can't compare one season with another.

"Seasons are full of good and less good afternoons. We are still looking for a way to adapt ourselves. When we find a way our mood will be better."

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: "I have respect for Jokanovic, but not sympathy. I know he's an outstanding coach and you can see his work on the pitch with how his team plays.

"The style of play is one that draws a lot of praise, a lot of plaudits last year for the way they did it. They haven't changed and they haven't adapted that, they're trying to enhance that this season and I've got a lot of respect for that way of working."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

I know people are looking at Fulham and thinking they are in trouble but I am still confident they will get a positive result soon.

This will be an open game, because Bournemouth are an attacking team too, and I think that will suit Slavisa Jokanovic's side - I am expecting a little bit of a revival at Craven Cottage.

Prediction: 2-0

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

    This is the first top-flight meeting.
    Fulham have won just two of the last 16 encounters in all competitions, drawing five and losing nine.

Fulham

    Fulham have conceded a league-high 25 goals this season - the second highest tally at this stage of a Premier League season, after Southampton's 26 in 2012-13.
    The Premier League record after 10 matches is 28, set by Barnsley in 1997-98 and Saints in 2012-13.
    Fulham could equal their Premier League club record of 14 consecutive matches without a clean sheet on Saturday.
    They are one win shy of 300 in the top flight.
    Aleksandar Mitrovic is without a goal in three Premier League games, having scored five in his first six appearances in the division.

Bournemouth

    Bournemouth have taken 23 points from the last 33 available (W7, D2, L2).
    They have won four of their past six games in all competitions, drawing one and losing one.
    The Cherries have won three of their last five league away games, as many as in their previous 19 attempts.
    However, they have only won one of their eight Premier League away games against promoted opposition.
    With three goals and four assists, Callum Wilson has been directly involved in more Premier League goals this season than any other Englishman.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45924057