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Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 31/10/18...

Started by WhiteJC, October 31, 2018, 07:38:55 AM

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WhiteJC

 
Foundation Matchday

Save the date: Saturday 24th November

The FFC Foundation Matchday will take place on 24th November versus Southampton.

In its second year, the dedicated fixture brings to the forefront the work of the Club's Official Charity Partner, and makes it easier than ever to support local projects.

Play your part by bringing £1 to the ground on the day of the game.

Follow @FulhamFCFound on Twitter and Instagram for updates, including ways to donate and exciting contests to be won!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/30/foundation-matchday

WhiteJC

 
Fulham prepared to spend big in January?

Fulham owner Shadid Khan has reportedly decided that he is prepared to provide the funds for more signings during the January transfer window.

The newly-promoted club spent over £100m on 12 first-team signings during the summer, but Slavisa Jokanovic's side have only recorded five points from their opening 10 games in the Premier League.

There are also doubts over the future of head coach Jokanovic who is yet to pen a new contract at Craven Cottage but, according to the Daily Mail, that will not change Khan's approach in the transfer market.

The report suggests that Khan is ready to give the green light for the club's recruitment team to make further additions in a bid to keep them out of a relegation battle.

Jokanovic does not have an influence on which players are signed for his first-team squad, leaving any transfer plans free to go ahead regardless of whether the Serbian remains with the West Londoners.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/transfer-talk/news/fulham-prepared-to-spend-big-in-january_340066.html

WhiteJC

 
Huddersfield Town need to send important message to fans with victory over Fulham

Former striker Dale Tempest of Sky Bet reckons Town not getting behind defences enough

As David Wagner said after the defeat by Watford, let's just put a line through the performance.

It wasn't great, and while Town had some opportunities, the truth is they were mostly long-range efforts which most goalkeepers should be saving.

We have discussed since early in the season the 'expected goals'.

That is the quality of chances you are creating, and Town simply aren't getting in behind defences, producing quality crosses and then, fundamentally, getting enough men in the box at the right times.

The enthusiasm is there and the energy is there, but just not the quality in the final third.

And yet, amazingly, you look at the Premier League table and, while Town are bottom, a couple of wins can put them almost into mid-table.

The gulf in the Premier League this year is even more pronounced than normal.

Next Monday, against Fulham at home, is basically a six-pointer.

It's probably even more important for what it means with regard to Town's season in terms of the message it sends to the fans, the message it sends about the players' confidence and also the message it sends to the teams around us in the table.

Beat the teams who are most likely to go down and suddenly you are in business.

The Cardiff City home game we could have won but probably didn't deserve to, but this really is a situation now against Fulham where it's a must-win.

I will be at the game next Monday and I'm really looking forward to it.

I am there as a guest of the club, with my old mate Graham Cooper, and we will be in the hospitality suite with Andy Booth and Peter Jackson, discussing everything in football and, of course, mainly Town.

It is always awkward when my two main clubs are playing against each other, but Town need this desperately so, therefore, I will be shouting for the Terriers on Monday night.
I have still got a lot of old friends at Fulham, including Les Strong, who I played alongside and who still works at the club.

And there is also a great friend of mine from Hong Kong, David Daly, who is a non-executive director of Fulham.

David used to run the Fulham Supporters Club in Hong Kong for four people.

They met once a month and I used to go along to their meetings. They were a great bunch of lads and I've been friends with David ever since.

Outside of this game, though, the Premier League is starting to take a bit of shape.

I do love watching Manchester City at the moment. They are just a class apart.
But it does look like Liverpool and Chelsea are going to keep them honest.

Finally, I have to mention the awful event at Leicester City.

Tragedies happen in all walks of life and we hear about them every day from our global news networks, beaming them to our newsfeeds and into our homes.

But when things happen on your doorstep it takes on a whole new meaning and the emotion and hurt is there for all to see.

Sincere condolences go to the colleagues, friends and families of those involved in the Leicester City helicopter tragedy, including those heartbroken by the loss of a wonderful man, the club chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

I have always said, though, that life is 10% what happens and 90% how you deal with it and the football family are once again pulling together to support the people of Leicester and fans of the club at this difficult time.

It reminds us all that life is for living. Enjoy every moment you can.



https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/huddersfield-town-need-send-important-15348051


WhiteJC

 
Loan Round-Up

It was a quiet week for our loanees across Europe, as we checked in to monitor their progress thus far.


Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson was heavily involved in Vendsyssel's crucial 1-0 away win against Aalborg. The winger was substituted after 85 minutes in a massive win in his side's push for survival in the Danish Superliga.

Marcelo Djalo played the full 90 minutes in Extremadura's 2-1 home loss to Albacete. The defender and his side sit in the relegation places in La Liga.2 following only their second defeat in four games.

Turning our attention to closer to home, Eljiah Adebayo made an impact on Swindon's win over Notts County. The Robins were a goal down when the forward entered the fray after an hour. Goals from Steven Alzate and an own goal completed the turnaround in Nottingham.

Marek Rodák was as busy as always in Rotherham's 1-1 draw against Preston. Tom Barkhuzien gave the hosts a slender lead late on in the first half, before Michael Smith responded for The Millers ten minutes into the second half, to ensure the points were shared at Deepdale.

Stephen Humphrys had a disappointing afternoon as Scunthorpe fell to a 4-1 defeat to Plymouth. The striker was substituted at half time as the Iron were comfortably beaten by Argyle.

Magnus Norman and Tayo Edun were left out of their squads for Rochdale's win over Charlton and Ipswich's defeat to Millwall respectively.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/30/loan-round-up

WhiteJC

 
Bournemouth Thoughts

I've waited a few days to try and articulate my post-Bournemouth thoughts in an attempt to come at things from a more balanced stand point. When the final whistle went on Saturday I just sat in the quickly emptying stadium for about 20 minutes trying to understand what is going wrong at the minute at the club. We looked to be in the game at 1-0 down, with Bournemouth rarely threatening, but when they scored the second it was obvious that we weren't coming back from that. A sending off and another goal conceded later and we were left with another result that pushes our relegation credentials upwards. There's nothing positive we can take from 28 goals conceded in 10 league games. It's diabolical.

On Saturday the only real issue I had going into the match was Aboubakar Kamara on instead of Luciano Vietto, but I can see what Slav was going for. He wanted pace in the forward line, and in AK we have that. However, at half time we could all tell that it wasn't working, so I can't understand why he wasn't withdrawn to allow for the system to be changed. It was also a shame that Cairney wasn't brought on earlier than he was, although this may have been injury related. We looked a better team with him on the pitch and he was trying passes that either others couldn't spot, or were too cautious to try and from that a few opportunities to get the ball into the box were created. I wholeheartedly believe that when we have Cairney back as a starter things will start to change for us.

I've already had a fair few non-Fulham fans asking me if Slav will be the next manager who gets sacked from a Premier League club and it's easy to see why people from outside the club reckon his P45 is on its way with the current run of results. The football 'hire and fire' culture is a dangerous one, with managers often not given the time to remedy mistakes, or to build a project. While I believe that Jokanovic has made some serious errors in selection so far this season, I still don't believe that sacking him would be productive. Yes, he needs to stop the constant chopping and changing, but I think removing him and bringing in someone new would just unsettle things even more. We also have to be aware of what a successful season should look like this year. We were never going to canter through easily, we were always going to have bumps along the way. While I think that it's critical to address our defensive frailties, we are still strong in attack. Our target this season is survival, and I still believe that when the defence is settled that Jokanovic will be able to achieve this. If we are still shipping goals left, right and centre by New Year then that's a different story, but sacking someone ten games into a season would be a mistake.

Stick with him for now.

#COYW



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/10/bournemouth-thoughts/

WhiteJC

 
2018-19 Carabao Cup, Manchester City v Fulham: Preview & Prediction

Thursday night is an unusual time for professional football in England to be played, but Manchester City and Fulham face each other in the EFL Cup on this day. The Citizens will be aiming for a repeat of the last time they met the Cottagers, the English champions running out 3-0 winners at the Etihad.

With squad rotation being a factor in Guardiola's team selection, though, could Fulham pull off a very unlikely upset?

Previous Matches

Tottenham 0-1 Manchester City (Premier League)

Manchester City returned to the summit of the Premier League with a victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. News of Spurs' new ground not being open until at least the new year, and a chewed up Wembley pitch perhaps made more news than the game, but Riyad Mahrez wasted no time in putting the visitors ahead.

It true City style, a move from goalkeeper to winger set up Mahrez, thanks to Raheem Sterling's excellent run and pass. The Algerian dedicated the goal to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the man who brought the forward to Leicester City before the Foxes sensationally won the title.

Chances were very limited for the Lilywhites, but Erik Lamela undoubtedly had the best of them, blazing over from 10 yards when he really should've scored. The Sky Blues are back on level points with Liverpool at the top of the league, in what's proving to be a fascinating title race already.

Fulham 0-3 Bournemouth (Premier League)

Fulham's difficult return to the Premier League continued with another defeat at Craven Cottage. The Cottagers haven't won a league match since the opening day of the season, and have had no success at their own ground so far this campaign.

Callum Wilson won a penalty after a quarter of an hour and duly converted the spot kick to put the Cherries ahead in the capital. Fulham stayed in the game until the late stages, but David Brooks rounded off a Bournemouth move to make it 2-0.

It soon got worse for the home side, Kevin McDonald's desperate challenge on Brooks just a minute earned him a second yellow card and an early bath. The goals were finished Wilson got his second of the day, the away side making it look easy, as Eddie Howe's side continue their exceptional start to the season and remain in 6th place.

Predicted Lineups

Manchester City


Phil Foden is in line to start on Thursday, as fixtures begin to pile up for the defending champions. Also coming in are Danilo, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Vincent Kompany, Nicolas Otamendi, Fernandinho, Kevin de Bruyne, Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and a rare start for Brahim Diaz.

Don't rule out Ilkay Gundogan, Elaqium Mangala, Fabian Delph or Arijanet Muric making starts either, as this game provides an ideal opportunity to give them some match action.

Fulham


Joe Bryan is the sole player out with an injury, while Kevin McDonald is serving a one-match suspension following his sending off at the weekend. Elsewhere, Alfie Mawson, Marcus Bettinelli, Tom Cairney, Stefan Johansen, André-Frank Anguissa, Cyrus Christie and Floyd Ayite all come into the starting XI.

Aboubakar Kamara should start as a striker on Thursday night but could be dropped following his shameful dive at the weekend.

Key Player: Aboubakar Kamara
Aboubakar Kamara made headlines for all the wrong reasons last weekend, as the Frenchman was booked for simulation and should've been sent off for Fulham. However, with Mitrovic likely being rested it should be Kamara who is the Cottagers' sole striker on Thursday.

While Manchester City's threats will come from all over the pitch, Fulham's will have to be more focused, with the forward being the likely candidate. He won't get many chances but will have to be accurate with his efforts if he's to beat Ederson in goal.

Fulham Focussing on the League?
The Fulham board deserve to be praised for sticking with manager Slaviša Jokanović during the first half of last season, as the Cottagers struggled in the Championship. The second half of the campaign was an incredible revival for the Craven Cottage outfit, which culminated in a victory over Aston Villa in the play-off final at Wembley.

Since then, it's been largely tough going for the Lily whites, despite spending big in the summer. With the Whites currently sitting in 18th, Jokanovic has to focus all of his efforts on staying in the Premier League, so that will mean his side his heavily rotated from the weekend's match.

With the Fulham reserves being of considerably lower quality when compared to Manchester City's, this could be an ugly result for the capital side.

Prediction: Manchester City 4-0 Fulham

Nothing is impossible in football, but seeing Fulham winning this one is pretty much as close as it gets to it. Even if the Whites were to get an early goal, I just can't envisage a scenario where Man City get less than 2 in the remainder of the game.

Don't rule out a bigger margin than 4 goals by the finish either. There was a lot of talk about a City quadruple last season, and that still should potentially be possible come Friday.



https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/2018-19-carabao-cup-manchester-city-v-fulham-preview-prediction?key=newsnow


WhiteJC

 
Rico: Good Competition

Sergio Rico says the goalkeepers' union at Fulham is one of respect, after making his Premier League bow at the weekend.

The battle for the number one jersey has scarcely been fiercer, with Rico competing against Spanish compatriot Fabri and Academy graduate Marcus Bettinelli for the place between the sticks.

The Sevilla loanee was given the nod for Saturday's defeat by Bournemouth – a bittersweet afternoon for the 25-year-old.


"I was sad for the result but happy to make my debut and being able to play in a great league like the Premier League," Rico told fulhamfc.com.

"Craven Cottage is a great stadium and the atmosphere is unbelievable. It's very hard to describe with words what you feel when you are inside. It's a great place to be in.

"The team has three great goalkeepers and the daily work we do together is great. The competition between us just makes us grow more as professionals and perform even better.

"There is a lot of respect between us and we support each other a lot."

Born in Seville, the move to Fulham was a big change for the previously one-club man, but he's enjoying life in the UK almost three months on from agreeing a season-long loan deal.

"I feel really good and I am very happy to be here," he said. "I have managed to enjoy some sun and nice weather since I got here, which is a bonus as everybody spoke to me about the grey London weather!

"My girlfriend also loves it in London, so we hope to be here for a long time.


"A few of my teammates speak Spanish which really does help, but I am working hard to learn better English.

"It's great to have people that speak your own language around you and can support you when you don't know how to say something, but I don't want to rely on that so will keep improving my English."

Manchester City are next up for the Whites as we shift attentions to the Carabao Cup on Thursday evening.

It's a daunting proposition against the current competition holders, and Rico is keen to see more solidity from his team against a side full of players he knows well.

"I was with David Silva in the national team in the last European Championship and we are very good friends," he stated.

"It's a tough game and everyone will be choosing Manchester City as favourites, but we will focus on our game and on rectifying mistakes we have made, and make sure we deliver a good result in the Carabao Cup."

Tickets for Thursday's Carabao Cup tie are on sale until 3pm on the day of the game. Tickets WILL NOT be available to purchase on the gate.




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/october/30/sergio-rico-good-competition

WhiteJC

 
Is Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic on borrowed time?

Fulham Football Club spent big bucks over the summer, following an excellent Championship campaign that led to promotion via the play-offs.

Many thought that, like Wolverhampton Wanderers, The Cottagers would be sitting comfortably in mid-table. Signings like Jean Michael Seri and Aleksandar Mitrovic were supposed to guarantee that. However, spending big only works when you have the right man at the helm.

I want to preface my next point by claiming that Slavisa Jokanovic deserves immense credit for the work he has done. The 50-year-old has given Fulham fans some memories they'll never forget. The man born in Yugoslavia will always be remembered fondly, but perhaps he has taken the London side as far as he can...

They say that success at the highest level starts from the back. Defensively, Fulham have been nothing short of diabolical. They're yet to keep a clean sheet. We're almost in November. That's just not good enough if you're trying to survive in the most competitive league in world football. Sure, nobody is expecting them to keep the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool at bay, but shipping four to Cardiff City just isn't going to cut it.

Last time out, at home to AFC Bournemouth, Jokanovic's men were well beaten. The game finished 3-0, it could have been more. Sure, Kevin McDonald's late sending off didn't help matters, but even with eleven men, The Cherries were ripping Fulham to shreds at times, and it was happening all too easily.

Now, Fulham sits on five points from ten games. They're in the dreaded drop zone. It may be time for Shahid Khan to act before it's too late.

Arguably the most integral thing for promoted sides is to play for each other, work hard for the cause, rather than trying to shine as an individual. Fulham have looked like they're playing for themselves rather than as a unit. It's as though Jokanovic has built a team with top-class footballers without a real plan.

In this day and age, that's never going to work. They're sort of like Manchester United in that regard. Jokanovic, like Jose Mourinho, is seemingly content on buying a big name and worry about where he'll fit him in later. It should be the other way around. Perhaps the best example of this is Andre Zambo Anguissa. He wasn't cheap, we've seen him play a few times, but he's hardly set the world alight with his performances.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes there is a limit to ability. Jokanovic has done some great work for Fulham, but perhaps to move to that next step, they need to change things. It's not going to be easy moving on from someone who has delivered success, but this business is cut-throat. Sure, some portions of the Fulham faithful won't be happy with the decision that I think will inevitably have to be made, but I'd much rather see it done sooner rather than later. At least then, The Cottagers will have a chance at remaining in the Premier League, giving them an opportunity to build from that next season, rather than being set back a year or two...



https://www.itsroundanditswhite.co.uk/articles/is-fulham-manager-slavisa-jokanovic-on-borrowed-time

WhiteJC


Cottage Talk: The Player Ratings Show - Fulham vs. Bournemouth
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

This is a new feature on Cottage Talk that focuses on player ratings for the Fulham players. During the show, we discussed the ratings and commentary of Ryan O'Donovan from Football.London for Fulham against Bournemouth. Co-host Max Cohen from The Boot Room commented on his ratings, and also shared his own

This is a brand new feature, so please let us know what you thought of this episode?


You can also listen to the show by following this link
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2018/10/30/18043304/cottage-talk-the-player-ratings-show-fulham-vs-bournemouth


WhiteJC

 
Your full fitness run-down on Huddersfield Town squad ahead of Fulham test

Terence Kongolo ahead of schedule to make return

David Wagner has an encouraging roll call of players as Huddersfield Town begin preparations for the Monday Night Football clash against Fulham.

Town are looking for a first win of the season in the televised Premier League clash against Fulham and are keen to deliver after the sobering 3-0 defeat by Watford.

So what is the state of play regarding Wagner's squad at PPG Canalside?

Firstly, no fresh injury problems were reported after the trip down the M1 to Vicarage Road.

The head coach made just one change to his starting line-up, with Isaac Mbenza given a first top-flight start.

He took the place of Flo Hadergjonaj in a switch of formation to a back four, along the lines of the set-up which performed so encouragingly in the 1-1 draw at Burnley.

Swiss international Hadergjonaj dropped to the bench, where he featured without a call alongside goalkeeper Ben Hamer, Jon Gorenc Stankovic and Collin Quaner.

The subs Wagner used were Steve Mounie, Ramadan Sobhi and Juninho Bacuna.

For 21-year-old Egypt international Ramadan, it was a welcome return to action after knee problems which had restricted him to just six minutes of action all season.

And for midfielder Bacuna, also 21, it marked a first ever Premier League appearance after previously playing only in the Carabao Cup defeat at Stoke City.

Ramadan had been back in training without problem for three weeks before the Watford game and will be keen to underline his fitness in training for the Fulham assignment.

Wagner reports the former Stoke City man has been sharp in training and was close to making the squad in the previous match against Liverpool, so all is looking good.

Also back in training are midfielder Danny Williams and defenders Tommy Smith and Terence Kongolo, with a view to pressing their claims to face Fulham.

Kongolo hasn't figured since suffering a hamstring injury in the defeat by Tottenham on September 29, when he left the field on a stretcher, but he is ahead of schedule in his return.

Smith is on schedule while Williams' involvement will depend on how his knee has responded to further treatment.

Players left out of the squad at Watford included Elias Kachunga, who last figured at Leicester on September 22, Rajiv van La Parra (who had been ill and missed the Thursday training session), Abdelhamid Sabiri and Adama Diakhaby.

All appear to be available to train to increase competition for the Fulham encounter.



https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/your-full-fitness-run-down-15348594

WhiteJC

 
Fulham Looking To Produce A Massive Cup Shock

When the draw was made for the latest round of the Carabao Cup, Fulham couldn't have been given a harder task.

Numerous jaws must have hit the ground when Fulham were given not only an away draw but a fixture against the best team in the Premier League, Manchester City.

As the game, scheduled for Thursday evening approaches, not many pundits are giving Fulham much hope of returning south with a place in the next round to brag about.

I guess you couldn't argue with their logic when you take a glance at our recent Premier League form.

But, as Jimmy Greaves was famous for saying:

    "Football can be a funny old game."

Manchester City could have an off night and Fulham could, finally, put together the perfect performance, one devoid of defensive mistakes and littered with sweeping attacking moves.



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/fulham-looking-to-produce-a-massive-cup-shock/

WhiteJC

 
Huddersfield Town focus only on hitting top performance against Fulham says David Wagner

Head coach not looking back in anger or questioning attitude of squad

David Wagner won't look back in anger as he puts Huddersfield Town into preparation mode for the Fulham clash.

The head coach hasn't seen his players since Sunday's regular post-match session at the PPG Canalside training ground.

The boss was disappointed with Town's defending in the 3-0 defeat by Watford at Vicarage Road, which leaves them without a win in 10 Premier League outings and bottom of the table.

But as he looks for a first Town win over the Cottagers in 25 years, he insists the focus will be solely on the test ahead against Slavisa Jokanovic's side and not the uncharacteristic defensive slips which cost so dearly in Hertfordshire.

"I have seen that they tried and they worked, so it is not about attitude or commitment in my group of players," said Wagner, who hopes to have Terence Kongolo, Tommy Smith and Danny Williams back in the selection pool for next Monday night's assignment.

"They were not on their level which they are normally able to produce, and this is what I have to accept, even if I don't like it.

"I have said this before, I won't judge them on this game even if I am anything but happy about the performance we showed.

"They trained on Sunday, had a couple of days off and now we have a long week until Monday.

"We will prepare to be on the performance level we have shown in recent weeks (before Watford), and this is what we are focused on."



https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/huddersfield-town-focus-only-hitting-15349198


WhiteJC

 
Return of Tom Cairney is vital to Fulham's survival hopes


As Fulham slumped to a demoralising 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth at the weekend, the introduction of Tom Cairney provided a momentary shift in fortune during the match.

The return of the central midfielder is vital to Fulham's survival hopes, as Cairney facilitates Fulham's possession-based style and allows Jean-Michael Seri to flourish.

The Whites captain entered the fray on the hour mark, replacing Maxime Le Marchand and slotting into midfield along with Seri.

His substitution immediately shifted the dynamic of the match, with the Cottagers stroking the ball around with more confidence and purpose due to Cairney's influence. In addition, Fulham finally started to pen Bournemouth inside their own half, threatening the Cherries with sustained, attacking possession.

Cairney was at the heart of everything Fulham did, spreading the ball wide to find the fullbacks in attack, setting a positive tempo, and easing the pressure on the Fulham backline.

Yet despite the improvement in play, Bournemouth became more compact and emphasised their counterattack, eventually hitting Fulham on the break to kill off the match and double their advantage.

In all, despite the 3-0 loss, Fulham showed glimpses of their familiar, passing style with Cairney returning to the pitch for the first time since the Everton match.

With their club captain back in the starting lineup, Fulham will receive a massive boost in their bid to retain their Premier League status this season.



https://tbrfootball.com/return-of-tom-cairney-is-vital-to-fulhams-survival-hopes/

WhiteJC

 
Carabao Cup: Fulham Preview

How Many Players Will be Rested?
Games against Fulham at the Etihad are like buses. None for a while and then 2 seem to come along at once. So City find themselves playing Fulham just a few weeks after beating them 3:0 in the Premier League. On that day back in September City were clicking into gear and Sane scored within the first 2 minutes to start off what could have been a torrid time for Fulham.

David Silva scored after 20 minutes and Raheem Sterling completed the rout after 47 minutes. It was difficult to believe the final score ended up as 3:0, because City had so many chances and simply didn't take many of them.

Playing Fulham again so soon after the last time and on a Thursday evening has led to some apathy amongst Manchester City fans about the match. Probably not assisted by the fact most believe many of the stalwart first teamers for Manchester City are likely to be rested for this game, so the club have accordingly tried to offset the impact by announcing some very keen ticket prices for the match.

Whether a combination of cheap ticket prices and half term serve to create a larger crowd for this Cup tie is difficult to predict. Its clear there are a number of seats still available for this game so its a great opportunity to get out and see some players who we may not get to see too often.

Playing a number of the fringe players in the first team squad always makes the game result hard to try and predict. Whilst it is easy to bring a couple of these players into the side and for it to have little impact on the momentum and intensity of the team, wholesale changes tend to have a detrimental effect.

Hopefully the fringe players will fully accept the opportunity they have to force their way into the plans of Guardiola and will seize their moment. Fulham are on a bad run of form and I believe they will view this game as an opportunity to buck that unwelcome trend. I expect Fulham to field many of their first team 11 in stark contrast to the approach we are likely to take. This may make the result much closer than we may anticipate.

I like the League Cup and would really like City to go all out to retain it. I know City may well view it as the least important of the competitions they compete for but I find its a good competition for fans – with many tickets actually available for us should we be lucky enough to reach the final.

So, get down to the Etihad on Thursday night and I expect you will get to see a different looking Manchester City team. I suspect City will line up in a usual 4-3-3 formation as follows:

Goalkeeper: Muric

Defence: Kyle Walker, Vincent Kompany, Nicolas Otamendi, Zinchenko

Midfield: Fabian Delph, Phil Foden, David Silva

Attack: Brahim Diaz, Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez



https://mancitysquare.com/2018/10/31/carabao-cup-fulham-preview/

WhiteJC

 
Inter outcast turned down summer move to Fulham

After making an unexpected return to Inter's line-up on Monday, it appears Joao Mario's decision to shun a summer exit is paying off for the Portuguese midfielder.

To the surprise of fans and pundits, the 25-year-old was fielded for the first time this season in the Nerazzurri's dominant 3-0 victory over Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico.

With Radja Nainggolan unavailable, Joao Mario filled in admirably for the Belgian ace, with many now suggesting he could turn into yet another reclamation project for Luciano Spalletti after Marcelo Brozovic and former Roma full-back Emerson Palmieri – who is currently at Chelsea.

It all could have been different however, with FCInterNews.it reporting the midfielder turned down moves to Fulham and Monaco over the summer.

With Inter back in the Champions League, Joao Mario opted to try and turn around his career in Milan rather than join a club with lesser ambitions.

More performances like the one against Lazio will be needed to truly turn things around for the €45 million signing, but it certainly is a starting point after years of disappointment since his 2016 move to Italy.



https://forzaitalianfootball.com/2018/10/inter-outcast-turned-down-summer-move-to-fulham/