Thursday Fulham Stuff - 01/11/18...

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The Chalkboard: How Fulham can tighten up at the back

Fulham were promoted to the Premier League at the end of last season via the play-offs and sailed into the top flight on a wave of optimism. Having played some lovely football in the Championship and spent over £100 million in the summer, many were wondering just how high the Cottagers would climb.

10 games in, Fulham are in the relegation zone with five points and have conceded a huge 28 goals – five more than the second-worst defence in the division. If something doesn't change soon, manager Slavisa Jokanovic will be out of a job and the West London club will find themselves heading straight back to the second tier.

On the chalkboard

A huge problem for the club so far has been over-rotation. Alfie Mawson, Joe Bryan, Tim Ream, Cyrus Christie, Calum Chambers, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Maxime Le Marchand, Denis Odoi and Ryan Sessegnon have all featured in the Fulham rearguard this season.

Without continuity there is no opportunity for relationships to develop or any natural cohesion to occur. The first step to producing a solid backline at Craven Cottage is settling for a first-choice defence.

Picking and sticking with a back four

In the short term, this will likely lead to continued poor results as the players adapt and grow into their roles. However, in time, the defence ought to become accustomed to their jobs at Premier League level.

There is room for rotation, however, but it needs to be done sparingly and not in a blind panic searching for some magic formula to suddenly click into place.

On top of that, Fulham's midfield and wingers must become more diligent in serving their defensive duties. The likes of Andre Schurrle, Luciano Vietto and Aboubakar Kamara may have to curtail their attacking instincts somewhat in order to lend better protection to the full-backs behind them, especially during this difficult period of transition and adaptation.



https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/fulham/the-chalkboard-how-fulham-can-tighten-up-at-the-back

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Player said no to Fulham in summer, viewed Cottagers as 'less ambitious club'

Earlier in August, we relayed news from Italy that Joao Mario of Inter Milan was on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Leicester City in the summer.

The Premier League clubs were hoping to sign the midfielder on a loan deal with a view to buy, but the Nerazzurri were unwilling to sanction another loan.

FcInterNews in Italy has a story about the former West Ham United loanee and they claim Fulham and AS Monaco were also interested in the 25-year-old.

However, the player turned down the opportunity to join either of the clubs as he wanted to continue with his current employer rather than join a 'less ambitious club'.

Despite not being included in Luciano Spalletti's plans at the start of the season, Mario has regained his manager's faith and started his first match of the season with Inter against Lazio on Monday.

Fulham are struggling in the Premier League, while Inter have had a good start in the Serie A and the Champions League. Looking at the current situation, Mario would be delighted to have stayed at San Siro than joining the English side.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/player-said-no-fulham-summer-viewed-cottagers-less-ambitious-club/

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Tom Cairney & Alfie Mawson to start - Fulham predicted XI to take on Manchester City

We've had a look at who may take part in Thursday's Carabao Cup game between Fulham and Manchester City

Fulham travel to take on the champions and Carabao Cup holders on Thursday as they take on Manchester City once more this season.

Slavisa Jokanovic's side have already travelled there in the league and were beaten comfortably, losing 3-0 to Pep Guardiola's side without ever really threatening City.

Now they take them on in the cup, and it represents a chance to have a real go at the holders who will field a much-changed side having played Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Monday night.

Fulham are struggling at the moment and need to find some consistency, with the cup representing a good opportunity for Jokanovic to get players game time and also to progress to the quarter finals.

Tom Cairney played 30 minutes on Saturday but needs game time, while the likes of Alfie Mawson and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa need minutes in their legs as they look to get up to speed with the current season.

Here's who our reporter, Ryan O'Donovan, would pick for the trip to take on Manchester City.

"We've seen in the past two rounds that Jokanovic has gone for much changed sides, making 11 and ten changes against Exeter and Millwall, but Manchester City away is a different test altogether.

"I expect Guardiola will make a lot of changes for this, but that's no relief to Fulham, with the likes of Phil Foden and Oleksandr Zinchenko likely to play it will represent an extremely tough test.

"Fulham are struggling at the moment, and for me, this game represents a huge opportunity.

"Jokanovic won't be able to play the likes of Harvey Elliott in this game and will have to go for a mix of his first teamers in order to make sure they can play some part in the Premier League campaign, which is not going well by any stretch of the imagination.

"So, with that in mind, I'd go with Fabri in goal - he hasn't played since the Spurs defeat and as seems to be customary for Jokanovic, the first choice keeper plays in the Carabao Cup.

"In defence, I reckon we'll see Cyrus Christie at right back and Alfie Mawson and Calum Chambers at centre half together - I still think that this could be the centre back pairing come the end of the season and I think Jokanovic will want to see this again.

"At left back Fulham still have a problem of who to pick - Joe Bryan is still out injured while Maxime Le Marchand played 60 minutes against Bournemouth, and I can't see Ryan Sessegnon being risked in this game.


Ryan O'Donovan's starting XI vs Manchester City

"At a push, I'd probably go for Le Marchand at left back.

"In midfield, I'd give Cairney more minutes and put Anguissa in too, while Stefan Johansen will most likely get a run out too at the Etihad.

"Up top is an interesting one - Neeskens Kebano has only played 60 odd minutes of football this season so he could come back into the side, while I think we'll see Floyd Ayite too.

"Luca de la Torre did superbly in the last round and I'd like to see him start too, so I can see Ayite being used as a false nine again with de la Torre and Kebano supporting him on the wings.

"Fulham: Fabri; Christie, Mawson, Chambers, Le Marchand; Anguissa, Cairney, Johansen; Kebano, de la Torre & Ayite."

Do you agree, or would you change things up completely? Use our team selector below to pick your Fulham XI for the trip to the Etihad and let us know who you pick on social media.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/tom-cairney--alfie-mawson-15351724

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Arsenal news: Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney eyed for MONTHS... but there's a catch

ARSENAL have been tracking Fulham star Tom Cairney as a surprise target to bolster their homegrown quota.

But the midfielder could prove too costly for the Gunners, who are assessing their approach in the transfer market.

Unai Emery's recruitment team is led by Sven Mislintat, who joined the club last November.

Since then, Arsenal have broken their record transfer fee to bring in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for £56m from Borussia Dortmund.

And despite a limited budget in the summer following Arsene Wenger's departure, five first-team players were still signed.

More than £70m was spent collectively on Lucas Torreira, Bernd Leno, Sokratis Papastapopoulos and Matteo Guendouzi, while Stephan Lichsteiner joined on a free.

None are classed as homegrown players, though, and Arsenal are seemingly steering clear of expensive British-based talent.

Scotland international Cairney, 27, has emerged as a player of interest to the Gunners.

The Daily Mail say Arsenal have been monitoring the Fulham No.10 in recent months.


Arsenal news: Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney is of interest to the Gunners (Pic: GETTY)

Cairney's goal at Wembley in May clinched promotion to the Premier League for the Cottagers as they beat Aston Villa 1-0 in the Championship Play-Off final.

Injury has disrupted his start to life in the top flight, with Cairney making just five Premier League appearances and completing 90 minutes just once.

But Arsenal recognise the midfielder's quality and will need reinforcements when Aaron Ramsey leaves on a free at the end of the season as his contract is running down.

Cairney could be seen as a similar player to the Welshman, however, his cost may prove prohibitive.



https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/739727/Arsenal-news-Fulham-Tom-Cairney-MONTHS-Premier-League-Transfer-News-Gossip

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The stats that give Fulham hope of toppling Manchester City in the Carabao Cup

We've delved into the stats ahead of the Carabao Cup fourth round tie at the Etihad

Fulham's recent record against Manchester City is pretty miserable - there's no denying it.

The Whites have lost their last six games against the Etihad outfit, including that 3-0 loss they suffered when they were brushed aside in Manchester earlier on in the season.

They also lost the last time the two sides faced one another in the League Cup - Gareth Barry and Kolo Toure beat Fulham 2-1 in 2009 in extra time at the Etihad to secure passage through to the next round of the cup.

So ahead of Thursday night's clash between the two, there seems little reason for the 500 or so fans that are heading to Manchester to be cheerful.

However, the rest of statistics make for good reading and can give those that may have written this game off already some hope that Slavisa Jokanovic's side can come away with a win.

Under Pep Guardiola, City have failed to score in both of their League Cup fourth round ties, losing 1-0 to Manchester United in 2016/17 and then drawing 0-0 with Wolves last season, although they went through on penalties in that game.

There's also only been one fourth round meeting between City and Fulham in the past - that came in 1967 and Fulham were victorious, beating the blue side of Manchester 3-2 in a November tie.

Jokanovic may be under some pressure at the moment for Fulham's league form, but in the League Cup, he's won all three of his away ties, beating Leyton Orient, Wycombe Wanderers and most recently, Millwall in the last round this season.

Manchester City won the Carabao Cup last season, beating Arsenal 3-0 at Wembley in the final thanks to goals from Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva.

However, the holders of League Cup have been eliminated at the fourth round stage in three of the last four seasons – Man City in 2014-15, Chelsea in 2015-16 and Man City in 2016-17.

And there's more reasons to have hope from the stats - the last time Fulham faced the holders of the League Cup was in the 1999/2000 season.

They played Spurs, and they won 3-1 with goals from Barry Hayles, Wayne Collins and Geoff Horsfield.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/stats-give-fulham-hope-toppling-15352098

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Fulham kid Cody Drameh could earn first-team chance at just 16 years old after wonder goal for Under 23s

    Cody Drameh scored a 20-yard lob in a 4-0 win for Fulham U23s on Monday
    The talented 16-year-old is pushing to follow Ryan Sessegnon into the first team
    There is growing hope that Drameh will play for the Cottagers this season

Fulham teenager Cody Drameh is pushing to be the next academy product to make his first-team debut.

The Cottagers youth set-up is developing a reputation for being one of the most productive in the country - the likes of Ryan Sessegnon, his brother Steven and Harvey Elliott have all played first-team football this season.

And talented 16-year-old Drameh is one of the latest off the Fulham production line who is pressing for a senior debut.

   
Cody Drameh is playing for Fulham U23s at 16 and could make his first-team debut this season

The teenager added to his growing reputation on Monday night with a brilliant 20-yard lob to score his first goal for the Under 23s in a 4-0 win over Norwich.

The sheer fact Drameh is playing for the Under 23s at 16 underlines how highly he is rated at Craven Cottage.

And there is growing hope Drameh will make his professional debut before the end of the season.


Drameh could follow in the footsteps of Ryan Sessegnon, his brother Steven and Harvey Elliott



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6337433/Fulham-kid-Cody-Drameh-earn-team-chance-just-16-years-old.html

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MATCH PREVIEW: FULHAM

Huddersfield Town will have its first taste of Premier League Monday Night Football at the John Smith's Stadium as the Terriers face Fulham.

The game, which kicks-off at 8pm on Bonfire Night (Monday 5 November 2018), pits David Wagner's side against the Cottagers.

Fulham got its first Premier League season since 2014 off to a good start picking up four points from the Club's opening four games. The Cottagers' first top-flight win of the season came in a 4-2 win against Burnley at Craven Cottage, which was followed up with an away point at Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, since that game Slaviša Jokanović's men have picked up one point in six games, coming into this match off the back of four straight defeats.

Away from home this season, Fulham has picked up one point in five games, scoring five goals.

The Cottagers average just over one goal per game and have the average possession of 52.2%.

Town's last victory against Fulham came on 25 September 1993 in the second tier of English football. Defender Stuart Hicks scored the only goal of the game.

Fulham's Starting XI vs AFC Bournemouth (4-2-3-1)

GK: Sergio Rico

LB: Maxime Le Marchand
CB: Denis Odoi
CB: Tim Ream
RB: Timothy Fosu-Mensah

CDM: Kevin McDonald
CDM: Jean Seri

LW: Ryan Sessegnon
CAM: André Schürrle
RW: Aboubakar Kamara

ST: Aleksandar Mitrović

Key Players – FPL Form

André Schürrle – 5.0

World Cup winner André Schürrle joined Fulham on loan from Borussia Dortmund in the summer and has made an instant impact. The attacking midfielder/winger has scored four goals this season and plays a big part for the Cottagers going forwards.

Ryan Sessegnon – 4.0

18-year-old Ryan Sessegnon has featured heavily for Fulham this season and scored his first Premier League goal in the 4-2 defeat away at Cardiff City. Now in more of an attacking role, the youngster also got his first assist in a defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

Aleksandar Mitrović – 2.7

The striker had an excellent start to the 2018/19 Premier League season scoring four goals in four games. He scored a brace in the win over Burnley as well as goals in the Club's draws against Brighton & Hove Albion and Watford. He also got an assist against Cardiff City.

Team News - FULHAM

FPL Injury News

Joe Bryan – Hamstring Injury – Expected back on Monday 5 November 2018
Kevin McDonald - Suspended

TEAM NEWS – TOWN

Huddersfield Town Head Coach David Wagner will provide the latest update on his team during Friday's Press Conference at PPG Canalside.

FPL Injury News

Terence Kongolo – Hamstring Injury – 75% chance of playing
Tommy Smith – Groin Injury – 75% chance of playing
Danny Williams – Knee Injury – Expected back 5 November 2018

TICKETS

Tickets are still available; CLICK HERE to buy yours!

KIT

Town will be wearing the famous blue and white stripes at the John Smith's Stadium.

#HTTV

If you can't make the game, why not listen to full commentary provided by BBC Radio Leeds via #HTTV? Click here to find out more.



https://www.htafc.com/news/2018/october/match-preview-for-huddersfield-town-vs-fulham-on-05-nov-18/

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Cody Drameh: Fulham looking to keep teenage sensation

Fulham are looking to extend their contract with Cody Drameh, the latest young talent to emerge from their academy, Sky Sports News understands.

The 16-year old defender has featured regularly in Mark Pembridge's U23 squad and has attracted interest from a number of other Premier League clubs, with his contract running out at the end of next season.

Born in Lambeth on December 8, 2001, Drameh is a naturally-gifted right-back who has been starting consistently for the Cottagers' development side despite his youth.

The teenager added to his growing reputation by scoring a wonder strike on Monday in a 4-0 victory over Norwich U23s.

If he manages to make his senior debut, Drameh will follow in the footsteps of numerous other Fulham academy graduates such as Stephen and Ryan Sessegnon, Marcus Bettinelli, Tayo Edun and Luca de la Torre.

However, he would not become the youngest player to ever feature for Fulham - as that record is held by Harvey Elliott, who made an appearance earlier this season in a Carabao Cup game against Millwall at 15 years, five months and 21 days of age.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11540916/cody-drameh-fulham-looking-to-keep-teenage-sensation

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Khan unhappy with Fulham's Premier League start, Jokanovic admits

Slavisa Jokanovic admits Fulham owner Shahid Khan is not happy with the club's start to the Premier League season.

Whites head coach Jokanovic met with Khan following Saturday's 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League.

The loss stretched their winless run to seven top-flight fixtures, including four successive defeats.

"After the game we were talking and he asked me about the situation, about which way we are looking for a solution," Jokanovic.

"He wasn't satisfied, like me and our supporters, but this is a long process and the situation is in our hands to reach our target in the end of the season.

"We cannot give up, this is completely absurd after a few games in the Premier League. We must accept the criticism because we need to be strong enough to understand that negative comments are part of football, we must be brave and push hard to find a solution."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/khan-unhappy-with-fulhams-premier-league-start-jokanovic-admits

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O'Riley's Award

Matt O'Riley has been named in the League Football Education 'The 11' for his work on and off the pitch.

The midfielder features in an XI of players who have not only excelled on the pitch, but are recognised for their merits off it. O'Riley joins Steven Sessegnon, who was included in the XI in previous seasons along with his brother, Ryan, who went on to be named Apprentice of the Year.

The 17-year-old has featured for the first team in the Carabao Cup this season, coming off the bench against Millwall in our 3-1 win. Alongside this, he took part in a recent visit to Christopher's Children Hospice where he helped run a family fun day and spent time with the children and their families.

The full XI is as follows:

    Luke Rowe (Coventry City)
    Matt O'Riley (Fulham)
    Hector Kyprianou (Leyton Orient)
    Max Culverwell (Notts County)
    Frazer Garner (Peterborough United)
    Tyrone Lewthwaite (Rotherham United)
    Isaac Rice (Sheffield Wednesday)
    Arthur Lontton (Stevenage)
    Sonny Haynes (Swindon Town)
    Nick Long (Tranmere Rovers)
    Gabriel Rogers (Yeovil Town)



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/31/orileys-lfe-place

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Head Coach press conference

Slaviša Jokanović is viewing Thursday's Carabao Cup meeting with Manchester City as a chance for Fulham to improve as a team.

The bookmakers have made the current holders overwhelming favourites for the Fourth Round tie, but rather than feel daunted by the task ahead, Jokanović is focusing on the positives.

"All the people know that for every club, Premier League games are more important," he admitted. "[But] this season [the Carabao Cup] is a great competition for us.

"We started well in this competition, and actually the toughest game at the moment in the world is to play against City.

"This game comes at a good time for us to keep going with our improving process to keep working and not having to wait for another challenge.

"We are going into this game in a positive mood with the intention of continuing our process to try and find an improvement in our team.

"It's another chance, a great chance, to play against one of the top European teams, and we must be ready for the fight.

"We are not so satisfied with our start in the Premier League, and this game can give us an opportunity to find a better mood and find a better way to play football."

The Carabao Cup is often seen as a chance for clubs to provide players with game time.

But Jokanović knows that even City's supposed second string will be chock full of international talent, while from his own point of view he also has an eye on Monday's crucial match at Huddersfield Town.

"Look, if they make 11 changes we're still going to find [Vincent] Kompany or [Leroy] Sane or a striker from the Brazilian national team [Gabriel Jesus]," he explained.

"Every cup game is an opportunity for young players, and from another side it's an opportunity for all the players to look for an improvement and continue our process.

"Ahead of us is two important challenges – we've tried to analyse everything and make the right decisions about both games."

Jokanović also offered his sympathies in his first media appearance since the tragic events in Leicester on Saturday night.

The helicopter carrying Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others crashed outside the King Power Stadium, leaving the footballing world in shock.

"It's true it's a tragic situation," Slaviša said. "It's a big loss for Leicester, for Leicester's supporters, and for English football too.

"This man was a really successful and generous man. When people lose their life it's a tragic situation.

"Many condolences from the football family all over the world have been given to his family. It's hard to find the right words for this kind of situation, and I give my condolences to the family.

"Sometimes in life you have so many priorities, thinking about different things. And when this sort of thing happens, it's great to see this kind of unity between people from different sides."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/31/head-coach-press conference

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Slavisa Jokanovic transcript: Every word on talks with Shahid Khan, Harvey Elliott & more

Read everything the head coach had to say ahead of Fulham's trip to Manchester City

Game against Manchester City, thoughts ahead of tough challenge?

"All the people know for every club the Premier League game are more important, but in this it's a great competition for us and we start well in it.

"For another side, when I was thinking about the City game before, I wasn't happy with the fixtures, but now this game is coming in good time for us, to keep going on our improvement process to work and not wait for another challenge on Monday night.

"We are taking this game in a positive mood with the intention to continue our improvement process and tryto find improvement in our team and to keep going and fight for working together.

"It's another chance, a great chance to play against a top European team and we must be ready for the fight."

Will you approach this game like the other two rounds?

"All the cup games are opportunities for young players, but it's opportunity for all the players to look for improvement and continue our process.

"Ahead of us it two important challenges and we try analyse everything and take the right decision thinking about both games."

Manchester City and their selection - hard to prepare for?

"Look if they make 11 changes, we're maybe going to find it's Kompany, De Bruyne or Sane or striker from the Brazilian national team [Jesus].

"They are a team made for the many competitions and even if they start with second team – if you can call these players part of the second team – it's difficult against us.

"From another side, we must observe and be thinking about this in an positive way, it's a great opportunity for us working altogether and try finding this improvement.

"It's obvious we are not so satisfied with our start in the Premier League and this game can (help us) find a better mood and way for playing football."

Fulham team news - will Harvey Elliott travel?

"He will come with us. He never travelled with the first team outside of London, we want to offer him some kind of the experience.

"During the day, we are going to see if he (will) have some opportunity in this kind of game or not.

"But we want to offer him some kind of new experience and we believe in the future this will be a normal situation for him."

Conceded 15 in four - look at defending?

"We are working, if you observe the situation we try change some things, we didn't find a good answer but we know it's not enough and we aren't doing a good enough job, we must push forward, adapt ourselves and be more solid.

"We must be available to find the solution - we try to find solution in different ways, with different shapes and players, we need to be more calm and understand what is best way for us to play football and understand our weaknesses and strengths and analyse everything and find out best solution.

"Without any depth, we are not satisfied and we can do a better job.

"Against Bournemouth, we didn't stop the problem, but for another side we weren't dangerous enough in the opposite side and we must find the benefit and balance.

"At the moment, this work that the team offer is not enough and we must take responsibility, I must push my team to be braver and and stronger with more ambition.

"I expect for my players to do similar things, they are on the pitch and must give us this final answer."

Meeting with the owner after the Bournemouth game?

"Yes. After the game we were talking for a quarter of an hour, or something like this.

"He asked me about the situation about where we are looking for a solution. He isn't satisfied, like me too, like our supporters.

"But for another side this is a long process and the situation at the end is in our hands to reach our targets in the end of the season.

"We cannot give up, this is completely absurd in this moment after a few games in the Premier League.

"We must accept all the criticism because we need to be strong to understand that negative comments are part of football and when you are in this kind of situation you must be brave and push hard to find the solution.

"I believe we are strong enough and we have enough quality to change our situation.

"Our situation, we cannot change it in three days or in two games, we must work for many months and I trust we have enough power to get out of it."

Good to have positive dialogue?

"It's good. We know we need some kind of push.

"My job is to push the players, he pushes myself. The players need to push themselves too. In football, you are always looking to find some kind of situation.

"The final answer is with my players, my job is push them, they cannot be waiting for something to happen and they start to work harder.

"They immediately must make some kind of direction. From another side, this kind of encouragement for the owners is a message for the players, this guy will stay between two days and ten years, don't want for something strange to happen.

"Switch on the machine and start to push harder because this level actually right now is not enough.

"For myself, I cannot stop and I am never going to stop pushing my players and teach them to be more prepared for the game. But in this situation, we must start to push from all sides."

Further team news?

"Joe Bryan is injured long term and Kevin McDonald is not available."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/slavisa-jokanovic-transcript-every-word-15354407

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Manchester City vs Fulham preview: Holders City targeting quarter-final spot

Carabao Cup holders Manchester City will be looking to book their place in the quarter-finals of the competition when they host Fulham on Thursday.

Pep Guardiola's side are currently top of the Premier League on goal difference - eight ahead of Liverpool's tally in second - and are yet to lose a domestic fixture this season.

They beat Oxford 3-0 in the third round of Carabao Cup, and Oleksandr Zinchenko is hoping the game can give the fringe players a chance to shine.

"Of course, we have a lot of players who didn't play last few weeks, and everyone wants to get the chance to show yourself, show your maximum," he told the club's official website.

"Of course it's going to be a tough game because Fulham play well. They are defensively organised very well, and always against them it is not so easy. We are Man City, that's why for us every competition is so important."

Fulham have the worst defensive record in the top flight, with 15 of the 28 goals they have conceded coming in the last four games and Jokanovic says his team are working on tightening up at the back.

"If you observe the situation, we try to change some things, we didn't find a good answer but we know it's not enough and we aren't doing a good job, we must push forward, adapt ourselves and be more solid," he said.

"We try to find a solution in different ways, we need to be more calm and understand what is the best way for us to play football. We are not satisfied and we can do a better job."

Team news

Ilkay Gundogan (hamstring) remains doubtful for City with Danilo (ankle) also likely to be absent, having sustained a knock on international duty. Claudio Bravo (Achilles) is a long-term absentee.

Fabian Delph could be back in contention after a knock while fringe players such as Phil Foden, Brahim Diaz and Zinchenko could be involved. Aro Muric could play in goal.

Fulham will be without suspended midfielder Kevin McDonald, who is serving a one-match ban after being sent off during the weekend defeat to Bournemouth.

Defender Joe Bryan (hamstring) remains unavailable, but 15-year-old midfielder Harvey Elliott, who became the youngest player in the club's history in the third round win at Millwall, will travel with the squad.

Opta stats

City have won their last six matches against Fulham (all in the Premier League), including a 3-0 win earlier this season at the Etihad

The last League Cup meeting between Man City and Fulham was in September 2009 - City won 2-1 at the Etihad in extra-time with goals from Gareth Barry and Kolo Toure

City have failed to score in both of their League Cup fourth round matches under Pep Guardiola, losing 0-1 to Man Utd in 2016/17 and drawing 0-0 with Wolves last season, before going through on penalties

This is Fulham's first League Cup fourth-round match since 2014-15, when they were beaten 5-2 by Derby; they last reached the quarter-finals in 2004/05

Man City and Fulham have met in the League Cup fourth round once previously - the Cottagers won 3-2 in a November 1967 clash

Charlie's prediction

Fulham can't keep a clean sheet no matter who they play so I don't think making changes does them any favours at all. They need to take lessons in how to park the bus sometimes but they really do look incapable of doing so.

Everywhere you look around the Manchester City squad there's quality and Pep Guardiola doesn't know how to take it easy. He demands they win every game and I think they'll do that here quite easily.

CHARLIE PREDICTS: 4-0 (13/2 with Sky Bet)



https://www.skysports.com/football/man-city-vs-fulham/preview/402319

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Manchester City v Fulham
THU 01 Nov 2018   EFL Cup - Fourth Round
Venue: Etihad Stadium

Ilkay Gundogan (right) resumed training this week after nearly a month out with a hamstring injury

BBC coverage

How to follow:
    Listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website

TEAM NEWS

Ilkay Gundogan could return for Manchester City against Fulham in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Thursday.

Gundogan has been out for nearly a month with a hamstring injury but resumed training this week.

Fulham are without the injured Joe Bryan and suspended Kevin McDonald but 15-year-old Harvey Elliott is in the squad.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola is expected to rotate his side for what will be the second of five games in 13 days.

Ben Foden, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Brahim Diaz all started for the holders against Oxford United in the last round and could feature again at Etihad Stadium.

Fulham have lost four successive matches since their second-round win over Millwall in September to drop into the Premier League relegation zone.

Head coach Slavisa Jokanovic hopes Thursday's game can kick-start their season ahead of their match against Huddersfield in the Premier League on Monday.

"This game has arrived at a good time for us," said Jokanovic. "We can improve our process, ahead of an important challenge on Monday night. We're approaching this in a positive mood. We must be ready for the fight.

"We are not so satisfied with our start in the Premier League, and this game can give us an opportunity to find a better mood and find a better way to play football."

MATCH FACTS

    Man City have won their last six matches against Fulham (all in the Premier League), including a 3-0 win earlier this season at the Etihad.
    The last League Cup meeting between Man City and Fulham was in September 2009 - City won 2-1 at the Etihad in extra-time with goals from Gareth Barry and Kolo Toure.
    Man City have failed to score in both of their League Cup fourth-round matches under Pep Guardiola, losing 1-0 to Man Utd in 2016-17 and drawing 0-0 with Wolves last season.
    This is Fulham's first League Cup fourth-round match since 2014-15, when they were beaten 5-2 by Derby County. They last reached the quarter-final in 2004-05.
    Man City and Fulham have met in the League Cup fourth round once previously - the Cottagers won 3-2 in a November 1967 clash.
    Under Slavisa Jokanovic, Fulham have won all three of their away League Cup matches, winning against Leyton Orient, Wycombe Wanderers and Millwall.
    The holders of the League Cup have been eliminated at the fourth-round stage in three of the last four seasons - Man City in 2014-15, Chelsea in 2015-16 and Man City in 2016-17.
    Fulham last faced the holders of the League Cup in the 1999-2000 season, when they played Spurs - they won 3-1 with goals from Barry Hayles, Wayne Collins and Geoff Horsfield



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45973796

[WhiteJC]

 
Aleksandar Mitrovic chatter abruptly ends

It isn't Aleksandar Mitrovic coming back to haunt NUFC/Rafa Benitez, instead it is something far more damaging...

The eventual departure from Newcastle United of Aleksandar Mitrovic was never going to be the end of it.

Even if he had ended up in Turkey or  China, we would still have seen countless social media mentions whenever he scored a goal.

To go to another Premier League club though, ensured we were going to hear plenty about him, especially if things went pear-shaped (for Newcastle).

With four goals in four PL games for Fulham, the media were loving it.

The media experts/pundits couldn't get enough of it, why on earth did Rafa let him go etc etc.

The last nine weeks though have seen silence descend, only one goal in the last nine weeks for Aleksandar Mitrovic.

It isn't that I think he is rubbish, it is just I think the media coverage of Mitro and Newcastle United was/is rubbish.

Most strikers, unless they are exceptional, need decent service and Mitrovic is definitely a forward who needs service.

Fulham spent over £100m in the summer on Mitro and players to give him that service, as well as having the likes of Cairney and Sessegnon already at Craven Cottage.

Newcastle could overtake Aleksandar Mitrovic and Fulham on Saturday if results go the right way.

Of course I wouldn't rather have Joselu or Perez than Mitrovic but reality is that Rafa Benitez didn't want to play the Serbian and more importantly, with this Newcastle squad Mitro would have struggled to have had five shots by now, never mind five goals like he has got for Fulham so far.

The media pundits blow with the wind, Mitro scores a goal and it is a massive blunder by Rafa Benitez, he scores one in the last nine weeks and they conveniently ignore it.

The same with Dwight Gayle as well, to an extent.

He has scored eight goals so far for West Brom and media pundits are questioning why he was allowed to leave on loan (a condition of West Brom allowing Rondon to come the other way)...well we all know Gayle can score goals in the Championship but last season he only scored six goals in a full Premier League season.

The ironic thing is, if Newcastle/Rafa had stuck with Dwight Gayle, the media would be questioning why on earth NUFC had once again gone with somebody who had failed last season?

It isn't Aleksandar Mitrovic, or Dwight Gayle, coming back to haunt NUFC/Rafa Benitez.

Instead it is a crippling lack of backing from Mike Ashley in his manager that has left Newcastle United hoping for a miracle.



https://www.themag.co.uk/2018/10/aleksandar-mitrovic-chatter-abruptly-ends-newcastle-united/

[WhiteJC]

 
Jokanovic confident of Fulham turnaround after poor start

(Reuters) - Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic has admitted that club owner Shahid Khan is disappointed with their dismal start to the Premier League campaign but the Serbian is confident he can reverse their fortunes.

American Khan invested more than 100 million pounds ($128.52 million) on players after the side earned promotion last season but Fulham have failed to deliver on the pitch, losing seven of 10 games to sit 18th in the standings.

"After the game (Saturday's 3-0 loss to Bournemouth), he (Khan) asked me about the situation, about which way we're looking for a solution," Jokanovic said ahead of Thursday's League Cup clash against Manchester City.

"He wasn't satisfied, like me and our supporters, but this is a long process and the situation is in our hands to reach our target in the end of the season.

"We can't give up, this is completely absurd after a few games... we must accept the criticism because we need to be strong enough to understand that negative comments are part of football, we must be brave and push hard to find a solution."

After Thursday's fourth round clash against City, Fulham return to league action on Monday, hoping to secure their second victory of the season at fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town.



https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-england-ful-jokanovic/jokanovic-confident-of-fulham-turnaround-after-poor-start-idUKKCN1N63O5?rpc=401&;

[WhiteJC]

 
Matchday Preview

Manchester City v Fulham - Etihad Stadium - Thursday 1st November 2018 - 7.45pm

Man City doubts

Ilkay Gundogan, Claudio Bravo, Danilo, Fabian Delph, Eliaquim Mangala, Philippe Sandler
Fulham suspension

Kevin McDonald
Fulham doubt

Joe Bryan
Tickets

Tickets for this match will go off sale at 3pm on Thursday afternoon, with City not selling any on the night. Visit the Fulham Ticket Office or call 0203 871 0810 (option 3) before 3pm to secure your seat. Tickets are priced at just £10 adults and £5 concessions.
Match details

VAR will be in use for the fixture, which will go straight to a penalty shoot-out if the scores are level after 90 minutes.
Weather

There is a 50-50 chance of rain midway through the match, with temperatures around the six degree mark.
Getting there

The Etihad is only a 10 minute taxi ride from Manchester Piccadilly train station, traffic permitting. Alternatively, fans can walk it in around half an hour or take the Metrolink, alighting at the Etihad Campus stop. Due to external segregation after the match, you will not be able to turn left towards the Etihad Campus Metrolink stop. You will be directed around the stadium. Both Holt Town and Velopark stops - the Metrolink stations on either side of the Etihad Campus - will not be operational for at least an hour after each the match.
Dafabet match odds

Man City: 1/12

Draw: 10/1

Fulham: 22/1

*Odds correct at the time of writing
Live commentary

Tune into the App or the Match Centre for full live commentary of the game from Gentleman Jim and Jamie Reid.
He said...

"Of course it's going to be a tough game because Fulham play well. Always against them it's not so easy. We had a lot of players who didn't play last few weeks and everyone wants to get the chance to show themselves. We are Man City and every competition is so important." – Man City midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Man City last five

W: Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Man City

W: Shakhtar Donetsk 0-3 Man City

W: Man City 5-0 Burnley

D: Liverpool 0-0 Man City

W: Hoffenheim 1-2 Man City




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/01/matchday-preview

[WhiteJC]

 
The Brede Hangeland Column

Since my last piece we are still looking for that next win, and there is no point hiding from the facts. Fulham have conceded 28 goals in 10 Premier League matches, and anyone with a basic understanding of maths and football will see you cannot win many football matches if you need to score a minimum of three goals in every game. However, we must not forget that we still have the better part of three-quarters of the season still to play, and there is no doubt Slaviša and his staff will be working relentlessly to cut out the errors we're making.

In my column before the start of the season I explained how Fulham's main challenge in the Premier League would be to find the balance between being open and having courage on the ball, and being solid and competitive off the ball. With this level of quality, pace and efficiency in the opposition, you simply can't get away with anything less than a near perfect defensive setup. In football, there is no point in sugar-coating the truth, and so I will just go ahead and say it: in the first part of the season, Fulham's defensive organisation has not been at the required level. Individual players and units are often out of position on turnovers, leading to desperate defensive actions. The team becomes reactive rather than proactive, trying to mask errors and fill gaps a few seconds too late. This must be addressed straight away, or opposition teams will continue to exploit this weakness every matchday.

Watching back goals conceded can be a painful experience, but it is also a very useful tool for improving. If you were to ask my personal opinion, I believe increased focus on a few defensive principles would improve our fortunes at the back. It's important to have real organisation between the centre-backs and defensive midfielders, so teams can't break and score through the middle of our defensive third. If you don't have that link, it means the centre-backs have to worry about the space in behind and the space in front. Another point is that we have conceded too many goals on runs in behind and crosses. This has to do with starting positions, smelling danger and attacking the ball. I'd also like to see us stopping things at source. The opposition counter-attack must be avoided at all cost. Sometimes it's a cheap foul in the middle of the park, sometimes it's a 50-50 tackle as if your life depended on it. Break the rhythm of the counter-attack, or pay the price a few seconds later.

Enough of the bad news. The good news is that all of these issues can be dealt with on the training ground, and with 28 games remaining there is every chance to improve the situation. Sleepwalking will not do it, but focus, work and the ability to recognise different situations will do wonders.

It is worth remembering that Fulham have very good players, but so does everyone else, and so the style of play is the deciding factor in the end. The attacking side of things might have to suffer for a while, but it is necessary to strengthen the foundations first.

On this note, the Carabao Cup fixture at Manchester City on Thursday night is not a nightmare. On the contrary, any Manchester City team will serve up a list of questions for the Fulham defensive unit to answer. A chance to improve. A chance to move in the right direction.

But of course, Huddersfield away on Monday is the biggest game of the season. Huddersfield have stayed in this league not because of quality but because they do all the simple things well, masking their faults rather than exposing them. And so this game will be tight, hard-fought and won by the team that is able to avoid mistakes.

During my time at Fulham I played many games like Huddersfield away. You need all the factors discussed in the above, but most of all you need guys who are ready to suffer for the team. This is the individual challenge in times like these. When the preparation is done, it comes down to the quality of character.

The tragic incident outside the King Power Stadium on Saturday brought the whole of the football community together. Seeing everyone come together to support Leicester City is a reminder of all the things we love about football. It is about recognising how lucky you are to be part of something bigger than yourself. Whatever your role in football, appreciate another chance to be the best you can be. It's time to show it.

Come on Fulham!

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/31/the-brede-hangeland-column

[WhiteJC]

 
TT Introduces: Fulham's glimmer of hope

Fulham suffered another poor result in the Premier League over the weekend following their 3-0 loss at home to Bournemouth in a game where the team's defence was once again badly exposed.

Slavisa Jokanovic's men have the worst defensive record in the division having conceded 28 goals in 10 games and currently sit in the relegation zone.

Fulham are also the only club in English football's top flight yet to keep a clean sheet, putting into perspective how frail they have been at the back this campaign. As far as Premier League survival goes, though, all is not lost.

While it is clear that Jokanovic's men have not been good enough defensively, going forward, they look a much better outfit than most of the teams around them.

Largely thanks to Aleksandar Mitrovic and Andre Schurrle, the Whites have been able to outscore bottom of the table Huddersfield Town, Newcastle United and Cardiff City among others.

Ultimately, should Mitrovic and Schurrle be able to maintain their early-season form, Fulham will easily have enough firepower to take their fight for survival all the way to the end, something which cannot be said about a lot of newly-promoted sides.

Together, the Serbian and German have netted nine league goals in total and both are well on course to reaching double figures.

There is no doubt that defensively Fulham will have to improve if they are to have any chance of survival, but Mitrovic and Schurrle's goals can keep Jokanovic's side alive once the Premier League table starts to take real shape.

Around them, the likes of Huddersfield and Cardiff are not blessed with the same kind of forward options.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/introducing/tt-introduces-fulhams-glimmer-of-hope/

[WhiteJC]

 
Team News

Slaviša Jokanović has confirmed that Harvey Elliott will be part of his travelling party for Thursday's Carabao Cup meeting with Manchester City.

Elliott became the Club's youngest ever player when he came off the bench in the previous round, and when asked if the Academy product was going to be involved again, Jokanović replied: "He is coming with us.

"He never travelled with the senior team outside of London, and we want to offer him this kind of experience.

"During the day we're going to see if it's still the moment for a young player, a 15-year-old, to have an opportunity in this kind of game or not, but we want to offer him some kind of new experience.

"We believe in the future this is going to be a normal situation for him."

Fulham will be without two First Teamers at the Etihad Stadium, though, as Joe Bryan continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, and Kevin McDonald serves a one-match ban following his dismissal against AFC Bournemouth.




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/31/team-news