Monday Fulham Stuff (12/11/18)...

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Results

Sunday
Liverpool	2 - 0	Fulham
Chelsea	0 - 0	Everton
Arsenal	1 - 1	Wolves
Man City	3 - 1	Man Utd

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Liverpool 2-0 Fulham

Mohamed Salah's sixth Premier League goal of the season set Liverpool on their way to victory

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic said referee Paul Tierney showed "disrespect" to his team after disallowing a header from Aleksandar Mitrovic, which allowed Mohamed Salah to score 14 seconds later for Liverpool.

Replays showed the decision for Mitrovic's effort was a borderline call, with Liverpool left-back Andrew Robertson appearing to be in line with the Serbia forward.

The decision angered Jokanovic, whose team remain bottom of the Premier League after their sixth successive defeat.

"When I check the clips now it's Robertson (who) hasn't done a good enough job to squeeze up and my player is onside and scored the goal," he said.

"In one moment, a crucial moment, instead of 1-0 up we're 1-0 down.

"We can talk about this situation for hours, but the damage is done. It's a completely absurd situation to defend.

"In this country normally you cannot show disrespect to the referee and this is a problem because it's shown disrespect to my team, myself and Fulham supporters."

Salah's goal came after goalkeeper Alisson initiated a lightening counter attack, with the Egyptian running unopposed from the halfway line to open the scoring.

"We were a bit lucky and maybe because of Robbo it is not 100% offside because of his heel," said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

Xherdan Shaqiri's cushioned finish in the second half confirmed victory for the Reds who equalled their best start to a Premier League season, which came in 2002-03.

Liverpool and Salah approaching their best?

Klopp has maintained his Liverpool team are not yet at their free-flowing best - and that in itself should swell confidence around Anfield.

This victory ensured the Reds remain unbeaten after 12 league outings, eight points better off than at the same time last term and well placed to challenge for the league title.

Last season Liverpool toiled against the bottom three, drawing twice against West Brom, once against Stoke and losing at Swansea.

But Salah, who has now scored five goals and provided five assists in 633 minutes against newly promoted teams, helped to ensure the outcome of this fixture was not in question.

The Egyptian had scored nine times at the same stage last term but his performance against Fulham, where he registered his sixth goal of the campaign, suggested he is not far from replicating his best form.

The 26-year-old instigated a glorious early exchange with Roberto Firmino to carve the visitors' defence apart, only to see Rico react well to save at his feet.

And that was a precursor to what was to follow, with Rico again saving from the Egyptian before he broke clear to open the scoring.

"The most important thing is reacting quick in that situation and it was brilliant: Alisson, Trent (Alexander-Arnold), Mo and done," Klopp added.

Revised style sees Fulham improve


Aleksandar Mitrovic thought he had given Fulham the lead at Anfield, but Mohamed Salah scored 14 seconds later for Liverpool after the Serbia forward's header was ruled out

Fulham, whose expansive style of play proved so successful in the Championship last season, have yet to deliver results against clubs in the Premier League.

The Cottagers, who spent more than £100m on players in the summer, arrived at Anfield with the worst defensive record in the league, having conceded 29 goals from their opening 11 fixtures.

That prompted Jokanovic into a rethink as he deployed four central defenders in a revised system and fended off pre-match questions about his team selection.

And after early teething problems - with Sadio Mane firing wide from Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross - Fulham grew into the game.

Happy to concede possession and sit deep, the visitors could have delivered the perfect riposte of a goal when Ryan Sessegnon was sent clear by Mitrovic's flick-on.

The England under-21 winger, who covered more ground (12.22km) than any other player during the course of the afternoon, guided his shot wide of the right-hand post.

German forward Andre Schurrle then tested Alisson and Mitrovic failed to connect properly with a shot from 10 yards out.

When the Serbia forward powered a header past Alisson from Tom Cairney's cross it appeared as though Jokanovic's strategy might yield an unlikely dividend.

Instead the visitors, who managed the same number of shots on target as Liverpool in the first half, were undone by a moment of naivety with Denis Odoi's attempt to catch Salah offside.

Man of the match - Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Fulham close unwanted Barnsley record - the stats

    Liverpool have picked up 30 points from their opening 12 Premier League games (W9 D3 L0) - their joint-best total at this stage in the competition (level with 2002-03).
    Fulham have conceded 31 goals from their first 12 league games this season; only Barnsley in 1997-98 conceded more goals at this stage of a Premier League campaign (35).
    Fulham have taken one point from their past 19 Premier League games against the 'big six' sides (W0 D1 L18), losing all four games this season by an aggregate score of 2-13.
    Liverpool have won all nine home Premier League games under Jurgen Klopp against newly promoted teams, scoring 27 goals and conceding just three.
    Liverpool have kept 10 clean sheets in 14 Premier League games at Anfield in 2018; as many as they'd kept in the past calendar year (10 clean sheets in 21 home league games).
    Xherdan Shaqiri has either scored or assisted in five of his past six games for Liverpool in all competitions (two goals, three assists).

What's next?

Liverpool travel to Watford for their next Premier League fixture on Saturday, 24 November (15:00 GMT) while Fulham host Southampton on the same day (15:00).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46087587

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Head Coach Reaction

Slaviša Jokanović was left with mixed emotions after watching his Fulham side lose 2-0 at Liverpool in controversial circumstances.

The Whites thought they had taken the lead when Aleksandar Mitrović headed home a Tom Cairney cross, but the linesman's flag ruled it out.

Liverpool then went straight up the other end to open the scoring through Mohamed Salah. However, replays showed that Mitrović was being kept onside by Andy Robertson, and the ball was moving as goalkeeper Alisson went to take the subsequent free-kick.

"I watched the clips and Robertson definitely didn't squeeze up enough," Jokanović stated. "My players are onside and scored the goal. Is the ball rolling? Probably yes. It was a crucial moment and we went from being one goal up to one goal down.

"It's a complicated situation, but you must be sure before you make this kind of decision. We can talk about this situation for hours but the damage is done."

He added: "I don't want to say Liverpool don't deserve the win. They created the chances and scored the goals, but we didn't defend this counter attack well, although this counter attack shouldn't exist.

"It's a completely absurd situation, but we needed to defend. This guy [Salah] is really fast and finished the action well, but the sensation is that we're frustrated, disappointed.

"From another side, my team played a decent game against a complicated opponent. Even before we scored the goal we had two very good chances. We showed we can play organised and be solid against a really complicated team.

"I can't leave satisfied with this defeat but while we might not have taken a step forward, we definitely made half a step forward. The team showed desire, organisation and a positive face in looking for a better performance.

"Calum Chambers played as a holding defensive midfielder and gave us a little bit of balance and power. He did a good job outside of his natural position and can be an option we can think about in the future."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/11/head-coach-liverpool

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Fans left seething as Mohamed Salah scores THIRTEEN seconds after Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has goal ruled out for offside at Anfield

    Mo Salah gave Liverpool the lead in dramatic fashion on Sunday afternoon
    Fulham thought they had made it 1-0 through an Aleksandar Mitrovic header
    But it was controversially ruled out for offside and 13 seconds later it was 1-0

Thirteen seconds after Fulham thought they had taken a shock lead at Anfield on Sunday, they found themselves 1-0 down.

Aleksandar Mitrovic headed in minutes before the break with the side bottom of the table having made a strong start to the game.

But the assistant referee controversially flagged the striker offside and after Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker played the ball out to Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian raced clear before slotting past Sergio Rico.


Mohamed Salah netted for Liverpool just 13 seconds after Fulham thought they had made it 1-0


Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic had his effort controversially ruled out for offside moments earlier


Mitrovic, second from the back, appears to be in line with Andrew Robertson's heel for the goal

Fulham defender Denis Odoi was beaten for pace by Salah and he showed composure to lift the ball over Rico in the Cottagers goal.

It was the big talking point of the first half with Fulham outraged to have had Mitrovic's header ruled out with the striker appearing to be in line with Liverpool's Andrew Robertson. 

'I think he is offside,' former Liverpool striker Michael Owen told BT Sport.

'(Aleksandar) Mitrovic is second from the back and I think a good half of his body is offside. It's 100 per cent a guess. If you want to be pedantic the ball is still moving (when Alisson kicks it).'


Fulham whipped in a cross and Mitrovic rose highest inside the area to head into the net


The Cottagers striker made solid contact alongside a team-mate and ran off in celebration


The under-performing Fulham players ran off in celebration before it was ruled to be offside


While the ball was moving, Alisson played the ball out to right back Trent Alexander-Arnold


The rising young full back lifted his head up as he wanted to set Liverpool away on the counter


The ball was fizzed across the surface down the right wing with Fulham attempting to get back


Salah found himself behind Fulham's back line and he surged forward towards the penalty area


Fulham's defenders worked hard to get back but Salah is quick and was not to be caught


Goalkeeper Sergio Rico tries to make himself big as Salah winds up his shot inside the area


But the ball was successfully lifted over Rico and into the net as Salah gave Liverpool the lead

Talk quickly turned to whether the league needs to see the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee and after Charlie Austin's rant after Southampton's draw with Watford on Saturday, Owen was quizzed on whether it would have cleared up the ambiguity over Mitrovic's goal.   

'It's going to try to clean up the game,' he added.

'Until we get it we are going to have these discussions every weekend. Referees are only human and you can forgive the linesman for that. I think he is just offside, Mark (Schwarzer) disagrees.'

The former Fulham goalkeeper was convinced the goal should have stood and believes the linesman guessed when making the decision. 

'It's such a difficult call,' Schwarzer, the BT Sport pundit, said. 

'It's so quick and the linesman is not in line. I think he's taken a guess at that. They have gone from a split second of celebrating. They have taken a quick free-kick and I think Denis Odoi has tried to play offside because he can't keep pace with Salah.

'VAR is going to eliminate a lot of controversial moments. It won't eliminate all of them. But it will majorly reduce mistakes.'

Social media reacted to the momentum swing in disbelief with fans bemoaning the bad luck Fulham continue to suffer.

One user wrote that he 'hates this game' while another was so upset he got his phrases muddled up, describing the lightning quick robbery, not as day light robbery, but 'broad day robbery'.

    Mitrovic wasn't offside. But the PL doesn't want VAR so it's all irrelevant



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6377081/Mohamed-Salah-scores-NINE-seconds-Fulham-goal-controversially-ruled-offside.html

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Lucky Liverpool? Was Aleksandar Mitrovic's Goal Ruled Out Correctly For Offside Before Mo Salah's Opener?

Liverpool rode their luck in the first half of their Premier League match with Fulham, and Jurgen Klopp's side should've gone into the half-time break 1-0 down instead of being a goal in front as Aleksandar Mitrovic's goal should have been allowed.

After the Fulham striker was adjudged offside by the officials, Liverpool rapidly restarted the match and within the blink of an eye Mohamed Salah had stroked the ball into the back of the visitors net and Liverpool headed into the break in the lead.

However, Mitrovic's goal should have stood as the screenshot above of the controversial moment Tom Cairney delivered the cross to the Fulham striker shows that Mitrovic is being played on side by Liverpool full-back Andy Robertson.

As the Liverpool defenders rush out after Fulham elected to play a short corner, it's the Scottish international Robertson that is a little slower to react than his teammates, and while the rest of the Liverpool players have left Mitrovic in an offside position, Robertson is playing the striker on side and having dispatched his header past Alisson Becker the Cottagers should have been a goal to the good.

The assistant referee who adjudged Mitrovic was offside is potentially having his vision blocked by Andre Schurlle, so that could've hindered his decision making, but Fulham can feel very aggrieved to not be leading.

To add insult to injury, Liverpool quickly responded with a rapid break up the pitch and some poor Fulham defending helped Salah go clean through and he coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net to give Liverpool the lead.

We think Mitrovic is clearly on side, but have your say below on whether you think the Fulham man is on side.  He's second runner from the top of the picture on the shoulder of the Liverpool defenders.



https://www.thesportsman.com/articles/lucky-liverpool-was-aleksandar-mitrovics-goal-ruled-out-correctly-for-offside-before-mo-salahs-opener

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Liverpool cruise past flawed Fulham

Liverpool maintained their title challenge with a 2-0 win over struggling Fulham thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri.

It was not a particularly convincing opening from Jurgen Klopp's side, who took 41 minutes to break down the west London side, and while Fulham were sent spinning to their seventh consecutive defeat, they had their chances.

The Reds had the bulk of possession, yet a combination of wayward finishing and some decent stops from Fulham keeper Sergio Rico held back the Red tide until a lapse in concentration led to the hosts breaking the deadlock.

After huffing and puffing through the first 41 minutes at an unusually quiet Anfield, they eventually went in front thanks to a quick piece of thinking from Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose quick free-kick produced a stunning counter-attack. The full-back clipped a pass down the right wing and into the path of Salah, who sprinted into the box and punished the Cottagers, who had too many bodies forward.

It was a little harsh on the visitors, who created a couple of decent efforts midway through the first period, with Aleksander Mitrovic firing a tame shot at Alisson and Ryan Sessegnon drilling an effort wide when Mitrovic sent him clear. Andre Schurrle also got himself into a good position, and was allowed too much time to shoot before forcing Alisson into an unconvincing save.

Immediately after the opener, Fulham had the ball in the net, only for Mitrovic's header to be deemed offside, a decision the officials got spot-on.

In fairness, Liverpool squandered several chances themselves, with Mane dragging an early effort wide, Alexander-Arnold miss-hitting a cross-shot over the bar and Shaqiri thumping an effort just wide. When they did manage to hit the target, Rico was in exemplary form and he was forced into one of several fine saves when denying Salah with a magnificent stop at his near post.

But in the second half, Liverpool turned the screw. Just moments after Mane unleashed a superb shot from 25 yards which Rico did well to keep out, the hosts increased their lead on 53 minutes.

Virgil Van Dyke, who had another impressive game, did well to keep the ball in and rolled a neat pass to Andrew Robertson. The left-back sent a deep cross to the far past and an unmarked Shaqiri ghosted in unmarked and sent a cushioned left-foot volley past a stranded Rico.

For all Fulham's dogged defending, it was another soft goal to concede, if well-created.

Shaqiri was impressive throughout and his goal meant he has now either scored or assisted in five of his last six games in all competitions, with two goals and three assists. He was hauled off with nine minutes remaining, knowing the job was done.

The frustration of the Fulham fans, who took up all their allocation of tickets and travelled up for this noon kick-off, was palpable.

And the Cottagers should have been down to 10 men when Calum Chambers slid in on Salah, catching him on the bottom of his shin, with studs clearly up. Instead, he was lucky to receive a yellow card.



https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/liverpool-cruise-past-flawed-fulham-134959491.html?guccounter=1

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Fulham player ratings: Sergio Rico impresses in Liverpool defeat

Fulham lost 2-0 to Liverpool at Anfield but there were encouraging signs from the men in white

Fulham lost 2-0 to Liverpool, despite an encouraging performance, thanks to goals from Mo Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri, although they will feel aggrieved that Aleksandar Mitrovic's goal was ruled out for offside.

The game started off tentatively, with Liverpool having the lion's share of possession but not doing much with it until around the 15 minute mark.

Sadio Mane dragged an effort wide, but it was the duel between Mo Salah and Sergio Rico that was most interesting - the Spaniard was on hand to deny Liverpool's number 11 twice with two excellent saves.

Fulham were presented with their best chance of the game 23 minutes in when Ryan Sessegnon was clean through on goal, but he dragged his effort just wide of Alisson's goal.

But Liverpool took the lead in gut-wrenching circumstances - Mitrovic had the ball in the net from a Tom Cairney cross, but judged to be offside despite replays showing different, Liverpool broke up the pitch and Salah finished a brutal counter.

It didn't take the home side anywhere near as long in the second half - Shaqiri popped up at the back post and put away Andy Robertson's brilliant cross-field ball to make it 2-0.

The rest of the half fizzled out, with Fulham defending fairly well but not threatening going forward, while Liverpool had chances but struggled to take them.

Here's how we rated the side:

Sergio Rico - 7

Made a couple of very good saves to deny Salah and keep the scores level. Continued that in the second half in a game that has really cemented his place as number one.

Maxime Le Marchand - 6

Was allowing too much space on his side that Liverpool exploited early on but recovered and had a good first half. Looked much more sound defensively than he has in the past.

Denis Odoi - 6

Did well alongside Mawson for the most part and looked comfortable with the ball at feet, playing out from the back and into the midfield.

Alfie Mawson - 6

Looked a real asset in the heart of defence in the first half. Strong in the air and in the tackle, you feel that he has to continue at centre half from here on in.

Cyrus Christie - 5

Had a good game down the right and continued to show the fight he showed on Monday night. Got caught a couple of times in possession however.

Calum Chambers - 6

Played in a holding midfield role and did a pretty good job in the first half, putting himself about the pitch and putting in tackles. I think this was a really positive game for Chambers who did well.

Andre- Frank Zambo Anguissa - 5

Looked a lot better than on Monday night and looked far more comfortable having Chambers next to him in midfield. At times charged forward with power, which is something Jokanovic has claimed to be missing this season. Didn't do as well in the second half but still encouraging.

Tom Cairney - 5

Played some nice passes when he got on the ball in a more advanced role. Quietened as the game went on and didn't have much more of a say on proceedings before being taken off at the hour mark. Marking for the second goal left a lot to be desired.

Ryan Sessegnon - 5

Put himself in good positions but should've scored when he went through on goal with Alisson. Had a quiet second half but worked himself into some good positions.

Andre Schurrle - 4

Had a fairly quiet first half but had one shot of note that Alisson saved easily. Didn't do much at all in the second half, rarely getting the ball. In a team that needs to fight for points, I'm not sure Schurrle is the right fit for the the side.

Aleksandar Mitrovic - 6

His hold up play was a joy to watch it the first half - he won almost everything against Gomez and van Dijk. Was unlucky to have his header ruled out for offside but had a decent game by all accounts.

Substitutes

Jean-Michael Seri - 5

Didn't really get up to the pace of the game and had very little impact after coming on for Cairney in the 60th minute. Poor touch, poor passes and easily shrugged off the ball.

Luciano Vietto - 5

Made a few decent runs but didn't do anything of note after coming on late into the game.

Stefan Johansen - 5

Had no time to affect proceedings when he came on.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-player-ratings-sergio-rico-15400049

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More misery for Fulham as disallowed goal leads to Liverpool win

Fulham have lost six league matches in a row and are bottom of the league.

A marginal offside decision piled further pressure on Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic as Liverpool's mood was lifted by a 2-0 win at Anfield.

Aleksandar Mitrovic thought he had given the visitors a crucial breakthrough just before half-time only to be ruled out by the tightest of calls from assistant referee Adrian Holmes.

To add insult to injury, Liverpool scored 12 seconds later through Mohamed Salah's 34th goal in his last 36 home appearances with Xherdan Shaqiri justifying his return to the starting line-up with their second just after the break.

In his programme notes Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, sensing the deflation which accompanied their midweek Champions League defeat to Red Star Belgrade, called for a performance which was "joyful and spirited".

It was not quite that, but victory transformed a run of three wins in nine matches into four in six as they equalled their highest Premier League points tally (30) after 12 games, while also conceding their lowest number (five) at the same stage.

Despite these statistics they will still require rivals to take points off defending champions Manchester City, whom they briefly supplanted at the top of the table just a couple of hours before their derby encounter at the Etihad.

The stand-out number in this game was the 14 seconds between Mitrovic's header going in at the Kop end to Salah's strike at the other.

Mitrovic was flagged offside – though it was a tight call with Andy Robertson the deepest of the Liverpool defence – and goalkeeper Alisson Becker sprang into action.

Fulham may also have had cause to be aggrieved about a moving ball as the Brazil international took a quick free-kick but there was no argument about what happened next.

Trent Alexander-Arnold flipped a quick ball down the line and Salah was away, leaving three defenders trailing in his wake as he advanced into the penalty area before sliding a shot under goalkeeper Sergio Rico.

It proved to be the pivotal moment as, up to that point, the visitors had matched their opponents for shots on target and had arguably created the best opportunity when Ryan Sessegnon ran onto Mitrovic's flick-on to fire narrowly wide.

The Cottagers had three shots on target in the first half, more than some expected them to have considering the conservative formation they lined up in, but their hosts were mainly limited to half-chances.

Shaqiri was the catalyst for most of their best work, twice firing wide while also producing a clever chip for Salah to shoot straight at Rico, while Sadio Mane and Alexander-Arnold both wasted good openings.

Liverpool pounced when the Cottagers were at their most vulnerable, still celebrating a 'goal', and from that point controlled the game.

Eight minutes into the second half they doubled their lead when another counter-attack saw Mane's shot tipped over by Rico.

From the resulting corner Shaqiri cushioned home a side-foot volley from Robertson's deep cross.



http://sport.bt.com/news/more-misery-for-fulham-as-disallowed-goal-leads-to-liverpool-win-S11364309436944

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Liverpool make hard work of victory over struggling Fulham

(Reuters) - Goals by Mo Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri took Liverpool from third place to the top of the Premier League for a couple of hours at least with a 2-0 victory over bottom club Fulham at Anfield on Sunday.

They moved above the other two unbeaten teams, Manchester City and Chelsea, who were both playing home games later on Sunday.

Juergen Klopp's side made hard work of it for 40 minutes, however, and could easily have fallen behind.

Just before halftime the visitors' Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic had a headed goal disallowed for offside by the closest of margins.

Liverpool immediately counter-attacked and Salah went clear to open the scoring.

Shaqiri's side-footed volley after 53 minutes doubled the lead, pushing Fulham towards a sixth successive Premier League defeat, which equals a club record.

With only one win in their 12 matches, they remain two points behind the rest and have the worst defensive record in the league, having conceded 31 times.

Goalkeeper Sergio Rico, on loan from La Liga club Sevilla, kept Liverpool at bay for most of the first half, making two particularly good saves from Salah.

Ryan Sessegnon, the highly regarded midfielder, missed a good chance to give the Londoners a shock lead midway through the first half.

A flick by Mitrovic put him clear but the teenager pulled his shot wide.

Then came the double blow to Fulham, who felt not only that Mitrovic was just onside when he headed in after a short-corner routine but that the ball was moving when goalkeeper Alisson took the quick free kick that allowed Trent Alexander-Arnold to send Salah through.

Less than 15 seconds had elapsed between the ball being in one net and the other.

Fulham had tried to play offside in vain and their defending was poor again when the unmarked Shaqiri scored with a precise sidefooted volley from Andy Robertson's cross.

That seemed to knock the stuffing out of them and the only surprise was that Liverpool did not further improve their goal difference.

"We scored a lot of goals last season but this season we have been solid at the back as well," said left back Robertson.

His manager was philosophical about the key refereeing decisions, citing a wrong offside call that went against Liverpool in their previous league game.

"Against Arsenal we scored a clearer goal and didn't get it," said Klopp, who had made four changes after the disappointing 2-0 defeat by Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on Tuesday.

He also praised the quick reactions of his players to Fulham's disallowed goal.

"The most important thing is the reaction, that was brilliant.

"Apart from (not) scoring more goals it was a really good performance. We created, passed, had big chances, so I'm completely happy."

Understandably less happy was Fulham's beleaguered manager Slavisa Jokanovic, who said of the two crucial decisions: "It's shown disrespect to my team, myself and Fulham supporters."



https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-england-liv-ful/liverpool-make-hard-work-of-victory-over-struggling-fulham-idUKKCN1NG0J1?rpc=401&;

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Fulham great explains why Mitrovic was onside and Liverpool's goal should not have stood

The former Fulham goalkeeper believes the officials got both incidents wrongs

Former Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has lamented the decisions that saw a goal for Aleksandar Mitrovic ruled offside only for Mohamed Salah to run up the other end of the pitch to score for Liverpool.

The retired shot-stopper was sympathetic to officials who had to make the calls in the moment without the benefit of video replays but did point out that they were not well positioned to see the reasons why the visitors should have gone 1-0 up, or that the goal that was allowed to stand should have been called back.

Speaking as a pundit on BT Sport, the Australian gave his view on the moments that led up to Fulham going a goal behind at Anfield, and the offside call that denied Mitrovic his goal.

The job of the referee and his team was not helped by the number of players in the way of their view.

"I don't think he's offside but it's such a difficult call," said Schwarzer. "It's so quick. The linesman is not in line and [Andre] Schurrle is blocking his view. I think he's having a guess at that."

Coming back to the incident in his post-match analysis, he added: "There's no part [of Mitrovic] that goes beyond the line that's a goalscoring part of his body.

"The line looks like it's behind him. I don't see it going through him. Even with technology it's so difficult to see. The assistant doesn't get a proper view. He's not in a line with it. He's making an assumption as Andre Schurrle runs across him."

However, Schwarzer also saw issues with the quick freekick that was taken by Liverpool to play Mohamed Salah in on goal against Sergio Rico, and not only the problems with Fulham and their attempts at defending.

"They've gone in a split second from thinking they've scored to Liverpool taking a quick freekick," he said. "The only reason I think [Denis] Odoi is trying to play offside is that he thinks he can't keep up with Salah. He's going to hope to get him offside."

He later added: "The referee doesn't see that the ball's still moving, and if he's unsure he's got to call it back. He's close enough to make that call. Unfortunately for Fulham it's a case of players being in the way."

In order for a team to take a quick freekick, the ball has to be stopped and played. Liverpool sent the ball forward before it had come to a stop, with many Fulham players still reacting to the offside call.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-great-explains-mitrovic-onside-15401108

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Fulham's Chambers should have been sent off vs Liverpool

A red card?

Fulham may have felt they were hard done by against Liverpool, but things weren't all Jurgen Klopp's way.

In fact, Calum Chambers could actually count himself very lucky to stay on the field.

His tackle on Mo Salah left a fair bit to be desired, and there were certainly questions asked as to why he remained on the field.

Chambers' tackle was bad, but in general, the game showed just why VAR cannot come soon enough in the Premier League.

There were enough mistakes to have impacted  the outcome of the game, and plenty of people picked up on that.


Aleksandar Mitrovic's offside goal for Fulham vs Liverpool

Liverpool are flying

Not only are Liverpool flying, but Mo Salah is certainly on fire at Anfield.

People have questioned his form this season, but yet again he produced the goods.

Not only that, but the Reds looked far better with Xherdan Shaqiri on the field.

He missed the midweek game due to concerns over his safety, and after the Liverpool defeat, it was almost certain Klopp would include him against Fulham.

Liverpool played before Manchester City and Chelsea, and returned to the top of the table.

With the top three doing so well, each of them know it's key to keep on winning.

Regardless of other results, it's always good to go into the international break on a win.



https://www.101greatgoals.com/news/chambers-red-liverpool-fulham/

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'It was disrespect to my team' - Slavisa Jokanovic has his say on disallowed goal at Liverpool

Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic's goal was ruled out for offside before Liverpool scored nine seconds later and the boss wasn't happy

"Its shown disrespect to my team, myself and Fulham supporters."

That's how Slavisa Jokanovic described the referee's decision to rule out Aleksandar Mitrovic's goal at Anfield in Fulham's 2-0 defeat, which was followed nine seconds later by Mo Salah's opener.

Mitrovic had the ball in the back of the net after winning a header in the box following a well worked routine by the side, but the linesman put his flag up in what was an extremely tight call, and one that looks like it could be the wrong one.

To make matters worse, Alisson took the free kick quickly and nine seconds later Salah had the ball in the back of the net, with Fulham's resolute defence broken.

After the game, Jokanovic wasn't happy with the call but admitted they could talk about the call for hours and it'd make no difference - the damage is done.

He said: "When I check the clips now it's Robertson hasn't done a good enough job to squeeze up and my player is onside and scored the goal.

"If the ball is rolling or not rolling after, it's probably yes and in one moment, a crucial moment, instead of 1-0 up we're 1-0 down.

"I don't know, in this country normally you cannot show disrespect to the referee and this is a problem because it's shown disrespect to my team, myself and Fulham supporters.

"What will we do? This is my sensation.

"Okay, it's a bit complicated but you must be sure to take this decision.

"Listen we can talk about this situation for hours, but the damage is done.

"we play against Liverpool, I don't want to say they don't deserve the win, we know they will create chances and score the goals but we didn't defend well on the counter attack, but this counter shouldn't exist.

"It's a completely absurd situation to defend. Yes they catch us in counter, this guy is really fast and finish the action well, but the sensation is we are frustrated, disappointed.

"My team play one decent game against decent opponent, even before we score we have two good chances, we show we can play organised and be solid against one really complicated team.

"I got outside of this place dissatisfied with result and the defeat, but with some positive sensation.

"We make half step forward and if team is showing desire and organisation and positive way to find better performance, we can find better solution.

"This is so dangerous for me, I need to change the speech and say they make fantastic job and didn't make any influence during the game, but what are we going to do?

"This is part of the profession and it's better we don't talk so much about my situation, when I start complaining about this situation, if it's foul before Huddersfield scored the goal against us, people are going to say come on, this is not speech what we expect for yourself."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/it-disrespect-team-slavisa-jokanovic-15401235

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Liverpool deepen Fulham's gloom

This turned out to be the routine Liverpool victory that almost everybody expected, but a tight and cagey contest turned on fourteen pivotal seconds just before half-time. Slavisa Jokanovic's rejigged defensive unit had battled bravely before the interval, spurning a couple of chances on the counter-attack, and looked to have taken the lead when Aleksandar Mitrovic powered home Tom Cairney's cross. As the visitors celebrated what they thought was the opening goal, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson reacted to the offside flag and sent a quick free-kick out to Trent Alexander-Arnold. The full back's forward ball released Mohamed Salah, and with Denis Odoi attempting to play offside on the half-way line, the Egytian sauntered in to slot the ball beyond Sergio Rico. Television replays suggested assistant referee Adrian Holmes might have been wrong to rule out Mitrovic's goal and that Alisson's quick bit of thinking had seen him strike a moving ball. When your luck is out, it's well and truly out.

Fulham's formation might have been conservative, designed to try and remove some of the truly awful defensive mistakes that have characterised their calamitous start to life back in the top flight, but they did pose Liverpool a few problems in a low-key first half. Teenage winger Ryan Sessegnon will feel he should have done much better than merely shoot wide of the far post when a clever flick from Mitrovic sent him clear through the middle of the Liverpool defence, whilst Alisson was almost embarrassed when he nearly parried a Schurrle shot straight back to the Serbian striker.

In between times, Fulham were indebted to Rico for keeping them in the contest. The Spaniard produced a smothering save to keep out Salah as he sought to link up with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino on the edge of the Fulham box and spread himself well to prevent the Egyptian from opening the scoring. The recalled Xherdan Shaqiri proved the most likely source of Liverpool inspiration for much of the first period, twice firing wide from promising positions, whilst also sending a steady supply of chances to Jurgen Klopp's three forwards. Alexander-Arnold might have done better than waste good positions when he pushed forward on the right – but the turning point on the cusp of half-time put an entirely different complexion on proceedings.

Calum Chambers had enjoyed an encouraging outing as an additional holding midfielder alongside Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who still looks to be getting to grips with the demands of Premier League football. But the concession of that goal to Salah necessitated more urgency in Fulham's play after the break, especially with Mitrovic horribly isolated up front for much of a fruitless afternoon. The visitors were penned back almost from the start of the second half and were grateful to another splendid save from Rico, who somehow turned Mane's shot, that looked destined for the top corner, over the bar.

The relief was merely, temporary, however. Fulham seemed to have survived the danger when Alexander-Arnold's corner was overhit but as the ball broke to Robertson in a crossing position down the left, Tom Cairney made the critical decision to leave Shaqiri unattended at the back post, and the Swiss international handsomely volleyed home his second league goal of the season from eight yards out. From the point on, the result was an inevitably – it was a surprise that Liverpool couldn't plunder further goals as the belief drained from their opponents.

Fulham were limited, but spirited. There was far more fight soon here than in the spineless surrender at Huddersfield last Monday night. A seventh consecutive defeat could spell the end for Jokanovic, but on this performance that would be particularly harsh. The Serbian should get the international break and the opportunity to prepare his side for another crucial six-pointer at Craven Cottage against Southampton at the very least.

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Gomez, van Dijk; Fabinho (Keita 90+2), Wijnaldum (Henderson 69), Shaqiri (Milner 82); Mane, Salah, Firminio. Subs (not used): Mignolet, Lovren, Moreno, Sturridge.

BOOKED: Gomez.

GOALS: Salah (41), Shaqiri (53).

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Rico; Christie, Le Marchand, Mawson, Odoi; Chambers, Anguissa (Johansen 84); Schurrle (Vietto 78), R. Sessegnon, Cairney (Seri 63). Subs (not used): Bettinelli, Ream, Fosu-Mensah, Kebano.

BOOKED: Chambers.

REFEREE: Paul Tierney (Wigan).

ATTENDANCE: 53,128



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/11/liverpool-deepen-fulhams-gloom/

[WhiteJC]

 
Mark Clattenburg: Aleksandar Mitrovic was marginally offside but the ball was moving when Alisson started quick counter for Mo Salah's goal

    Aleksandar Mitrovic had goal disallowed for Fulham just before Liverpool scored
    He was narrowly offside and in this instance officials made the right call 
    As Alisson restarted, the ball was moving and should have been brought back

Liverpool broke the deadlock in controversial circumstances in their 2-0 victory over Fulham.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's headed goal was ruled out for offside and Alisson took the resulting free-kick quickly, launching the counter attack that Mo Salah scored from.

Here, Mark Clattenburg assesses the decisions made by referee Paul Tierney and his team.


Aleksandar Mitrovic was correctly ruled offside after he thought he'd scored the opener

A part of the body that can score a goal only needs to be in an offside position and in this case, Aleksandar Mitrovic is marginally off.

His side and shoulder are behind the last defender, so that was the right call from the assistant.

However, when Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson takes the free-kick, the ball is moving and therefore it is illegal.


Part of his body that could be scored with was in front of the defender so he was off

A retake should have been given by referee Paul Tierney. Instead, play was allowed to carry on and Fulham were punished.

After his header, Mitrovic started his celebration too.

In situations when a tight offside has been given and a team is celebrating, usually the referee will delay the match to make sure all players are ready for the retake.

On this occasion, Tierney didn't and Liverpool capitalised.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6377315/Mark-Clattenburg-Aleksander-Mitrovic-offside-ball-moving-Alisson-started-counter.html

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Klopp unsympathetic for Fulham but admits Liverpool were 'lucky'

Jurgen Klopp has no sympathy for Fulham over their disallowed goal in Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Slavisa Jokanovic's men on Sunday.

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring for the Reds on 41 minutes, immediately after Fulham had a goal disallowed for offside, before Xherdan Shaqiri grabbed another after the break with a sweet finish.
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"In a few moments it was tough," Klopp told reporters. "We were surprised by their line-up. It was clear their approach. Mitrovic was outstanding but we played really well.

"I'm completely happy. Apart from scoring more goals. It was really good from us. We had to work hard.

On Aleksandar Mitrovic's goal that was ruled out for offside, Klopp added: "I saw the Fulham goal once. Was it offside? Against Arsenal we scored a clearer goal and didn't get it. We cannot change it. The reaction was brilliant from us.

    JK: I saw the Fulham goal once. Was it offside? Against Arsenal we scored a clearer goal and didn't get it. We cannot change it. The reaction was brilliant from us.

    — Paul Gorst (@ptgorst) November 11, 2018

"We were a bit lucky but we cannot change it. The reaction was brilliant from my players."



https://www.football365.com/news/klopp-has-no-sympathy-for-fulham-over-disallowed-goal

[WhiteJC]

 
Aleksandar Mitrovic's disallowed goal was a 'disrespectful' decision, says Slavisa Jokanovic

Slavisa Jokanovic believes he, the players and fans were disrespected by the decision to disallow Aleksandar Mitrovic's goal in Fulham's 2-0 defeat at Anfield.

In a pivotal 14 seconds the Serbia international's header was chalked off due to a marginal offside decision and Liverpool went straight down the other end to take the lead through Mohamed Salah.

Television replays suggested Maxime Le Marchand was the most advanced man, but he made no attempt to challenge for Andre Schurrle's cross while Mitrovic may have been played fractionally onside by Reds defender Andy Robertson.

To compound Fulham's grievance, Alisson Becker's free-kick appeared to be still rolling when the Liverpool goalkeeper launched the counter-attack for Salah's goal. Xherdan Shaqiri made sure of the points just after the break but it was the opening goal which proved to be crucial.

"In this country normally you cannot show disrespect to the referee and this is a problem because it's shown disrespect to my team, myself and Fulham supporters," said Jokanovic, who is under scrutiny after seven successive defeats left the Cottagers bottom of the table.

"When I check the clips now it's Robertson (who) hasn't done a good enough job to squeeze up and my player is onside and scored the goal.

"If the ball is rolling or not rolling after, it's probably yes and in one moment, a crucial moment, instead of 1-0 up we're 1-0 down.

"We can talk about this situation for hours, but the damage is done. It's a completely absurd situation to defend. Yes they catch us on the counter, this guy (Salah) is really fast and finished the action well, but the sensation is we are frustrated, disappointed.

"It's better we don't talk so much about my situation."



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11551614/aleksandar-mitrovics-disallowed-goal-was-a-disrespectful-decision-says-slavisa-jokanovic

[WhiteJC]

 
Klopp's classy message for Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic

Jurgen Klopp has expressed his sympathies for opposite number Slavisa Jokanovic, the Fulham manager, who is under severe scrutiny at the bottom end of the Premier League.

Klopp told LiverpoolFC.com: "I am wishing them all the best for the rest of the season. I watched them last year a lot in the Championship and it was brilliant.

"I wished him good luck – that's what I think makes sense and what we always do. It was not a long talk, but I have absolute sympathy for him in his situation.

"For us [the result] was good and for them not that good; that's part of the job."

The only important thing for the Reds was that Mo Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri's goals earned the three points. It means Liverpool are top, and Fulham bottom, with a 25-point gap between the two teams.

After Everton took a point from Stamford Bridge, the Reds are now two points ahead of Chelsea with almost a third of the campaign gone.



https://www.empireofthekop.com/2018/11/11/klopps-classy-message-for-fulham-boss-slavisa-jokanovic/

[WhiteJC]

 
honest Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool were 'lucky' and says Fulham's disallowed goal was maybe 'not 100 per cent offside'

Liverpool's first goal was scored 14 seconds after Slavisa Jokanovic's side had a strike of their own ruled out

Jurgen Klopp has admitted Liverpool had Lady Luck on their side in their 2-0 defeat of Fulham that sent the Reds to the top of the Premier League.

A goal in each half from Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri secured Liverpool all three points against a Fulham side much improved upon their recent performances.

In the first half especially Fulham put in a showing that belied their placing at the foot of the Premier League table, and they thought they had taken the lead with five minutes of the opening 45 remaining.

Aleksandar Mitrovic headed Tom Cairney's cross home, but he was adjudged to have been in an offside position when the delivery was made so the goal was ruled out.

Alisson, the Liverpool goalkeeper, got play under way straight away, and a counter attack led to Salah finishing past Sergio Rico in the Fulham goal to put the hosts in control of proceedings.

There were just 14 seconds between Fulham having a goal ruled out and Liverpool scoring legally, though on review questions were raised about the disallowed strike.

The offside decision against Mitrovic was remarkably tight, while the ball appeared to still be moving when Alisson took the resultant free-kick – something that goes against the letter of the law.


Mitrovic (second from top) is neither clearly onside nor offside

Klopp's men eased to victory in the second half, with Shaqiri adding their second, and the manager said after the game that his side were lucky with the circumstances of the opening goal.

"I don't want to compare it but we scored a clearer goal against Arsenal which we didn't get," Klopp said.

"You cannot change it, the most important thing is reacting that quick in that situation and it was brilliant: Alisson, Trent (Alexander-Arnold), Mo and done.

"It is very important you have these situations in your locker that you can use it.

"In the end we were a bit lucky and maybe because of Robbo it is not 100 per cent offside because of his heel. We cannot change it, Fulham cannot change it.

"Apart from scoring more goals it was a really good performance. Fulham always have the quality to cause problems. We had to work hard, we won it. All good."



https://talksport.com/football/444730/klopp-liverpool-vs-fulham-offside-goal-disallowed/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham were shown 'disrespect', says Jokanovic

Under-pressure Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic believes he, the players and fans were disrespected by the decision to disallow Aleksandar Mitrovic's goal in the 2-0 defeat at Anfield.

In a pivotal 14 seconds the Serbia international's header was chalked off because of a marginal offside decision and Liverpool went straight down the other end to take the lead through Mohamed Salah.

Television replays suggested Maxime Le Marchand was the most advanced man, but he made no attempt to challenge for Andre Schurrle's cross while Mitrovic may have been played fractionally onside by Reds defender Andy Robertson.

To compound Fulham's grievance, Alisson Becker's free-kick appeared to be still rolling when the Liverpool goalkeeper launched the counter-attack for Salah's goal.

Xherdan Shaqiri made sure of the points just after the break but it was the opening goal which proved to be crucial.

"In this country normally you cannot show disrespect to the referee and this is a problem because it's shown disrespect to my team, myself and Fulham supporters," said Jokanovic, who is under scrutiny after seven successive defeats left the Cottagers bottom of the table.

"When I check the clips now it's Robertson (who) hasn't done a good enough job to squeeze up and my player is onside and scored the goal.

"If the ball is rolling or not rolling after, it's probably yes and in one moment, a crucial moment, instead of 1-0 up we're 1-0 down.

"We can talk about this situation for hours, but the damage is done.

"It's a completely absurd situation to defend. Yes they catch us on the counter, this guy (Salah) is really fast and finished the action well, but the sensation is we are frustrated, disappointed."

Another defeat will no doubt increase speculation that Jokanovic could be sacked.

"It's better we don't talk so much about my situation," he said.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/jokanovic-says-fulham-were-shown-disrespect-at-liverpool

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Every word from Mark Schwarzer on why Fulham must sack Slavisia Jokanovic after Liverpool loss

The former Fulham goalkeeper believes he has seen enough and with the international break looming now is the time to look for a new manager

Mark Schwarzer has told the Fulham hierarchy that "changes have to be made" in the dugout after their 2-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.

While the Whites were not expected to beat the Reds up in Merseyside it was a result that followed an abject display against Huddersfield Town on Monday night and was their seventh straight defeat in all competitions.

That is not the sort of record that keeps football managers in their jobs and Slavisia Jokanovic is a coach under pressure despite backing from owner Shahid Khan. He has called upon his players to show more fight and raise their games in his press conferences while defending his own record.

Speaking as a pundit on BT Sport for the loss to Liverpool, Schwarzer didn't pull his punches when asked for assessement on Fulham and their manager's performance this season.

"They seriously have to be considering it," he said when asked about the prospect of Jokanovic being sacked. "There's no doubt whatsover.

"After you've invested over £100million in a side once you've been promoted, and results don't go your way, but it's not just about the results. It's more about the performances. Today was a better performance, particularly in the first half, but I don't think it was enough.

"Changes have to be made."

Following on from the drab performance at Huddersfield on Monday night, Fulham did show some imporvement in the first half against Liverpool, at least in a defensive sense.

Bringing Alfie Mawson into the heart of the defence added some solidity and the back line was aided by the presence of Calum Chambers in a defensive midfield role.

They looked compact and organised. Going forward they had chances to hurt Liverpool – especially with the goal that was ruled out for offside.

If they had scored that, or the chance that saw Ryan Sessegnon race through to try and test Alisson, then they could have gone in 1-0 up. Then who knows?

Following on from the drab performance at Huddersfield on Monday night, Fulham did show some imporvement in the first half against Liverpool, at least in a defensive sense.

Bringing Alfie Mawson into the heart of the defence added some solidity and the back line was aided by the presence of Calum Chambers in a defensive midfield role.

They looked compact and organised. Going forward they had chances to hurt Liverpool – especially with the goal that was ruled out for offside.

If they had scored that, or the chance that saw Ryan Sessegnon race through to try and test Alisson, then they could have gone in 1-0 up. Then who knows?

"He's looking at Shaqiri over his right shoulder and what he should be doing at this stage is telling Cyrus Christie 'right, he's yours!' But he doesn't say anything.

"Sergio Rico is watching the ball. Part of the goalkeeper's job is to organise the defence in front of you. There's a number of players who are all ball watching.

"Cairney is a creative midfield player so he's not used to picking up a player in the box. He's looking across at Christie, Mitrovic and thinking there's enough bodies in the box to deal with it so he's heading to the edge of the box to try and hit them on the counter."

According to Schwarzer, these mistakes cannot only be blamed on the players, especially given the decisions by the manager over the last few weeks that failed to get his side playing to a regular rhythm with his team selections.

"This constant changing of players," he said. "No communication or very little communication. We obviously can't hear what is going on down on the pitch but if you look at the pictures there they're all looking towards the ball, no one is directing anyone, Cairney is in the best position to pass him on, tell Christie he's yours.

"Cairney makes the run but Fulham don't even have the ball, Liverpool have the ball! It's even worse. He's just thinking he'll get out. He's not even worried about Shari."

Schwarzer did point out the positives from the first half but for the Fulham goalkeeper the problems now run so deep that even the team's captain is failing to take responsibility to lead and direct his players.

"It was a better Fulham side [in the first half]," he continied. "It was more organised. It's clear they've been doing the work on the training field. But even in the first half it was clear that the communication wasn't great.

"It's defining moments. Little key moments that change the game. Fulham at the moment, this season, haven't lived up to it and haven't been able to see those moments or take advantage of them.

"The positive is that there has been an improvement today but I don't think the improvement has been significant enough and I think that having the two week break leading up to the next game against Southampton at home, if you're going to make change now it's the ideal time to do it with the new manager coming in and implementing any changes he wants to make."

Roy Hodgson lifted Crystal Palace to safety from a similar position in the Premier League last season but for Schwarzer that is not an example of why Fulham should stick with Jokanovic.

"It's different circumstances," he said. "Roy [Hodgson] came into [Crystal Palace] with a distinctive plan. He knew how he wanted to play, he knew how he wanted to set him team up. They were working day in, day out on the training field working towards it.

"Steve Parish would have been there, he would have seen it, he knew he would have brought him in a specific reason, everyone knows how he likes to play and that he knows how to get teams out out trouble.

"With Jokanovic at the moment, I don't know if he knows what his best team is, the best system to play, and that's been very evident in the last 12 games.

"There's no doubting he's done a remarkable job at the club. What he's done for them, the style of football they played last season in the Championship, but in football time moves on very quickly.

"You can't live in the past. You have to move forward. It's vital with the investment they've made that they stay in the Premier League.

"You're running out of games. You've still got 26 games to go however if a manager comes in with a new way of playing that takes time to adjust to.

"It's all about whether the confidence is still there in the manager at the club - the hierarchy, the people in charge making those decisions. I'd be surprised if they still think he's the right man."

"They look resigned to the fact. It's like Groundhog Day every game. It's happening again. They don't see a way out of it. The second half performance was disappointing. It was like the game against Huddersfield."

When asked by Jake Humphrey, host of BT Sport, if he thought that Jokanovic was still the right man to manage Fulham, Schwarzer answered: "No."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/every-word-mark-schwarzer-fulham-15402078