Tuesday Fulham Stuff (20/11/18)...

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By signing Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke on loan, could Fulham replicate this prolific England youth partnership?

Last week, the England U-21 side recorded a 2-1 away victory over Italy, propelled by a double from Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke.

The youngster linked up superbly with Fulham phenom Ryan Sessegnon for the Three Lions' first goal, and Fulham could replicate the fruitful international partnership by signing Solanke on loan in January.

Sessegnon received a measured through ball after a lovely run down the left wing, and after showing impressive pace to catch up to the pass, he delivered a succulent first-time lofted cross into the box.

The service found Solanke's head after the Liverpool man's purposeful jump, and the striker nodded home past the Italian goalkeeper.

In addition, Sessegnon also played a role in Solanke's second strike, combining with Tom Davies on the left wing before Jay Dasilva delivered another cross that the forward swept into the back of the net.

The promising England U-21 team is full of burgeoning stars at club level, yet Solanke is currently starved of playing time at Anfield.

A loan move to southwest London to gain more consistent first-team minutes, as well as to link up with international teammate Ryan Sessegnon, would be a prudent switch for Dominic Solanke.



https://tbrfootball.com/by-signing-liverpool-striker-dominic-solanke-on-loan-could-fulham-replicate-this-prolific-england-youth-partnership/

[WhiteJC]

 
Report: Ranieri wants to bring Watford striker Stefano Okaka back to Fulham

Watford outcast Stefano Okaka had a loan spell in the Premier League with Fulham in 2010, and could reportedly return to Craven Cottage.

With all the focus on Fulham's defensive deficiencies, it seems that no one has stopped to consider that they've looked slightly weak in attack over the last few weeks as well.

The Cottagers have scored just 11 times in 12 Premier League matches this season, an average of less than one goal a game, and their lack of striking options beyond Aleksandar Mitrovic looks particularly worrying.

And report in Italy are claiming that new manager Claudio Ranieri is eyeing up a January deal for a player familiar both to him and Fulham supporters.

Tuttomercatoweb is reporting that Ranieri wants to reunite with his one-time Roma youngster Stefano Okaka in the New Year. The powerhouse striker is currently at Watford, but well out of favour at Vicarage Road - playing just 13 minutes of Premier League football all season.

As a result, TMW reports that he is keen to leave The Hornets with a permanent deal, or even a short-term loan, on the cards.

Okaka knows Fulham, having played 11 games for The Cottagers during a temporary spell in the second half of the 2009/10 season, scoring twice.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/11/19/do-report-ranieri-wants-to-bring-watford-striker-stefano-okaka-b/

[WhiteJC]

 
Pride Can Carry Us Through At Fulham !

Saints travel to Craven Cottage needing to find that missing spark, if it is not coming from the manager can they find it in themselves !

Charlie Austin's rant after the draw against Watford gave us hope for the future in that it showed that the players or at least some of them do have pride in what they do, that it it is a little bit more than just a massive wage at the end of the week.

Over the past decade Premier League players have become detached from the very people who pay their wages and that is the supporters, whilst it is true that the big TV money enables clubs to pay silly money and indeed players agents to ask for it in the first place, the underlying fact is that the Premier League would not be able to sell that product without the passion and input from the fans.

Germany aside most European Leagues do not see packed stadiums every week and many are multi purpose meaning the crowd is even more removed from the game.

The Premier League's selling point is it is a vibrant league with passionate supporters, or at least that is how the countries buying the TV rights see it.

The reality is starting to become different, the fans are becoming disillusioned and walking away from the game, their place is being taken at the big clubs by tourists and although this is profitable in the short term it might not be so sustainable long term, the atmosphere will dilute and more and more the atmosphere will be replaced by the flashing of camera phones.

On Saturday we go to Fulham and it is hard to see how we will win unless something changes, Charlie Austin with his rant gave us hope that it can, he showed that for him at least when he crosses the white line to go on the pitch it is not his bank balance he is thinking about, but the professional pride in his team winning and he playing a part in that.

If we can see a bit more than at Fulham on Saturday then there is hope yet, but pride needs to be right down the line, the saddest thing at the moment is that so many so called Saints fans seem to revel in taking a cheap shot at the team on social media, that has to stop if we are to survive, all the jokes have been done, we have heard it all before, if we as supporters want the players to have pride then how can we ask them to do that if we seemingly have no pride in the team or club ourselves.

This is not happy clapping or pretending everything is all right, it is about being positive and trying to firstly get the job done and then looking at the issues.

Over 3,000 will officially travel up to Fulham on Saturday and there will be many more in the "neutral" area at Craven Cottage, indeed if you are quick there are still about 50 still on sale in this area.

The away support this season has been magnificent and i'm sure it will be at Craven Cottage, the roof and accoustics in the away end make it ideal to create an atmosphere and spur the team on and that is what is needed.

Pride starts with the supporters and hopefully that will help transform the players, the likes of Charlie Austin and Shane Long have been much maligned by some, but they have played with a pride that has been lacking in their team mates at times.

Back in the 1990's we had poor runs that were just as bad as the ones that we are on now, what carried us through was at the end of the season the players themselves stepped up to the plate and found that professional pride needed to win a few games at the end of the season and see s safe, they were spurred on by the crowd who seemed to sense when they had to step up a gear as well.

So this is a crucial game it is one we really have to win and it is one that we can win if both the supporters and the players, especially the players find that pride that we saw in Charlie Austin, the fans need to make it a virtual home game from the start and get behind and stay behind the team, hopefully then the players will respond.



https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/49009/

[WhiteJC]

 
Why Scott Parker's Tottenham departure may have contributed to Slavisa Jokanovic's Fulham sacking

When Fulham unveiled Scott Parker as the club's new first team coach on 4 July, many supporters had a bittersweet reaction.

While Parker was a hard-working, fan-favourite at Craven Cottage, he had no professional coaching experience, and his arrival raised questions over the role of Stuart Gray at the club.

Six days later, Fulham's worst fears were realised when Gray's departure was confirmed.

As Slavisa Jokanovic's top assistant and defensive coach was now absent, Parker's arrival may have contributed to the Serbian's sacking last week.

The coach of Tottenham Hotspur's U-18s before arriving to manage alongside Jokanovic at Fulham, Parker is extremely inexperienced at the senior coaching level.

Despite his unparalleled work ethic and extensive knowledge of the game, Parker had never coached in the Premier League level before.

In addition, Gray had been known as the mastermind of Fulham's back four, drilling the defence on organisation and solidity.

With an old hand gone and a new arrival in, Fulham appeared suspect at the back and leaked goals during their opening months back in the top flight.

Although other factors such as injuries and key player departures meant the Whites' rearguard was suspect, the absence of Stuart Gray is undoubtedly a factor in the demise of Fulham.

And Scott Parker's switch from Tottenham youth coach to Fulham assistant may have cost Fulham its defensive shape and played a role in the firing of Slavisa Jovanovic.



https://tbrfootball.com/why-scott-parkers-tottenham-departure-may-have-contributed-to-slavisa-jokanovics-fulham-sacking/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham must solve their goal-scoring woes by signing Jurgen Locadia

Fulham fans will be excited to see that Claudio Ranieri has taken over in the hope of steering them away from the relegation zone.

In what was a disappointing end to Slavisa Jokanovic's reign at Fulham, having done so well to get them up in the first place, it was a change very much needed as the Cottagers find themselves bottom of the Premier League.

Now, it's all about results improving and with a talented group of players, that is certainly possible under the guidance of Claudio Ranieri.

Goals have been hard to come by in recent weeks and conceding a load as well, it's easy to see why Fulham are struggling.

They would be sensible to recruit a striker like Brighton's Jurgen Locadia in January to accompany Mitrovic up-top, a move that could prove to be a great one.

Locadia, who is valued at £13.5 million on Transfermarkt, is a player that's well and truly fed up at Brighton after a lack of game-time this season.

Having started just the one Premier League match due to how good Glenn Murray has been, Locadia, formerly Brighton's record-signing, has been cast aside.

Fulham though would appreciate a striker of his quality and if they got him back in the swing of scoring frequently, like he did for PSV, there would be no trouble in escaping the drop.

Before moving to Brighton last January, he recorded nine goals and six assists in his last 15 appearances for the Dutch giants.

His form was great in Holland and there is no reason as to why he can't recapture that with a move to Fulham.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/fulham/fulham-must-solve-their-goal-scoring-woes-by-signing-jurgen-locadia/

[WhiteJC]

 
Stuart Pearce believes Fulham's home form is key for Claudio Ranieri

Claudio Ranieri will need to significantly improve Fulham's home form if he is to keep his new club in the Premier League, according to Stuart Pearce.

The Italian manager takes charge of his first game as the Cottagers' boss on Saturday at home to Southampton with his new club rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table.

Pearce believes teams were finding visits to Craven Cottage a little too straightforward this season and it is an area the new manager will need to urgently address.

He told Sky Sports News: "They've got to start winning at home, that's key, nicking results at home.

"At the moment, too many teams are going to Craven Cottage and coming away with points and they're failing to win.

"If you want to stay in the division, you've got to be strong at home."

Ranieri was brought in last Wednesday to replace Slavisa Jokanovic, who had guided Fulham back into the Premier League through the play-offs.

The Italian famously won the league with Leicester in 2015/16, but faces a battle at the other end of the table this time around.

Fulham were the third-biggest spenders in the summer, with a total outlay of £105.3m on players such as Andre Schurrle, Jean Seri and Alfie Mawson.

Pearce said: "Expectation went through the roof with the money they spent and the way they played last year.

"Cairney was outstanding, as were Sessegnon and Fredericks, but the new players have to settle in, which isn't easy."



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11558025/stuart-pearce-believes-fulhams-home-form-is-key-for-claudio-ranieri

[WhiteJC]

 
Matteo Darmian could be the answer Fulham are looking for

Claudio Ranieri has a mountain to climb if he is to guarantee Fulham's survival in the Premier League this season.

The Italian replaced fan favourite Slavisa Jokanovic last week with the Cottagers rooted to the bottom of the Premier League. A 2-0 defeat to Liverpool left Fulham bottom of the standings with the most goals conceded in the league so far. Ranieri, who lifted Premier League titles with both Chelsea and Leicester, knows that sorting out their defence will be his main priority to steer them away from the danger zone.

The January transfer window is less than two months away, and the former Inter Milan boss will have his first opportunity to bolster his ranks. One man who should be on his shortlist is fellow countryman – Matteo Darmian.

Valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, the Italian joined Manchester United back in 2015 and lifted the FA Cup in his first season with the Red Devils. Following the appointment of Jose Mourinho, the 28-year-old quickly slipped down the pecking order at Old Trafford and has been restricted to just one Premier League appearance so far this season. Should Fulham come calling in January, it's highly unlikely that United would block his departure.

Darmian can play on either side which would make him an extremely useful option for Ranieri to have at his disposal. The defender has been criticised during his spell at United for his attacking qualities, but Fulham need a no-nonsense defender to sort out their defence meaning Darmian would be the ideal signing. His experience of playing in Italy for a number of years could help him adapt quickly to the methods that Ranieri will bring to Craven Cottage.

Potentially available for a great fee, Ranieri should be looking to link up with the Italy international in the New Year.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/fulham/matteo-darmian-could-be-the-answer-fulham-are-looking-for/

[WhiteJC]

 
Everton have frozen season ticket prices for the fourth year running – they should be applauded
At a time when TV income dwarfs gate money in the Premier League, too many clubs are mistreating their most loyal fans

They call Everton 'The People's Club'. Though football may no longer be the people's game, the Goodison Park hierarchy seem to take their nickname seriously.

While the last few weeks have been one depressing story after another for the Premier League – from the hateful selfishness of a mooted superleague breakaway and self-seeking 'Premier League 2', to the shameless £5m golden handshake for outgoing chief executive Richard Scudamore – this weekend provided some respite from bitter disaffection with the news that Everton plan to freeze season ticket prices for 2019-20, their fourth campaign in a row without a price rise.

Though Everton are not the only Premier League club with a sense of social responsibility, they are certainly one of the most visible in the local community. Freezing ticket prices is in keeping with this ethos: there is no better way to strengthen the bonds between a football club and its fanbase than to make sure that supporters can reasonably afford to attend matchday.

This might seem self-evident to most of us, but it is clearly not obvious to every football club. While the majority of football fans see their clubs as community assets over which they, the people, have moral ownership, clubs are increasingly vehicles for maximum private profit in practice. The reality is that the grand old institutions of English football are now assets on the balance sheets of a select group of billionaires, many of them treated as little more than desirable real estate. That, for one, explains the insidious logic of ticket pricing in the Premier League which – with Everton as a notable exception – still widely prevails.

The rise of TV money
Economically speaking, selling tickets has never been less important in the Premier League. Where once gate receipts were the financial lifeblood of every football club, the top flight is currently in the process of sharing out a domestic television rights deal worth a record £5.14bn. With the current deal set to expire in 2019, its successor is thought to be worth roughly the same if not slightly less. Any shortfall is likely to be offset by an increase in the value of international rights, however, meaning Premier League clubs will continue to rake in hundreds of millions from broadcasting rights alone.

So, despite finishing bottom last season with 31 points and producing several performances under Alan Pardew which were unfit to be televised, West Brom received around £95m in prize money from the Premier League predominantly made up of broadcasting revenue. Manchester City, the champions, received just under £150m. These gargantuan sums do not take into account spiralling income from sponsorship deals, lucrative overseas partnerships, hospitality, advertising, retail and so on. Nonetheless, it is television money which has changed the economic landscape of football.

By comparison, gate receipts often just about break into the tens of millions for smaller Premier League clubs each financial year. While that ticks up towards a nine-figure sum for clubs in the top six, gate money is generally dwarfed by television income. With takings on the gate often an afterthought relative to income from broadcasting, it makes sense for clubs to freeze ticket prices. Fans have long made the case for tickets being too expensive. Back in 2011, it was reported that ticket prices at some top-flight clubs had increased 1,000 per cent over two decades, with the onset of the Premier League era in 1992 – the glossy corporate rebrand to end all glossy corporate rebrands – coinciding with massive inflation in the cost of matchday at the expense of fan satisfaction, experience and atmosphere.

False choice
Though some Premier League clubs seem to have heeded this argument, others have not. While 11 clubs decided to freeze season ticket prices going into the 2018-19 season, there were above-inflation increases at Tottenham, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Watford, Wolves, Fulham, Cardiff, West Ham and Manchester City. According to The Mirror, the cheapest adult season ticket at Wolves went up 32.5 per cent – the biggest increase compared to last season – while Fulham had the second biggest price hike at 17 per cent. Both clubs were promoted from the Championship last season and might have been expected to implement modest increases, but not such a blatant cash grab on the basis of an achievement which wouldn't have been possible without their fans.

While loyalty offers on renewals and 'early bird' deals mean that many season ticket holders avoid the steepest price rises, that doesn't take into account one-off matchday admissions. When asked about a rise in the cost of matchday tickets at a meeting with the Fulham Supporters' Trust, Fulham claimed this was all part of the club's aim to become "more commercial". This is a common argument when a club wants to raise ticket prices, whether season tickets or matchday admissions: commercial strategy dictates that tickets must become more expensive if the club wants to stay competitive. It only takes one look at enormous television revenues in comparison to the trifling extra income raised by admission fees to see that this is a false choice.

In this light, it's hard not to feel that a club becoming "more commercial" means they want a better class of customer. Lower-income fans being priced out of matchday may as well be an official Premier League brand value at this stage. When Fulham host West Ham at Craven Cottage in December a standard adult ticket will cost between £55 and £75, equivalent to well over half a day's work on the London Living Wage. From an economic perspective this is completely unnecessary, a drop in the ocean for the club's finances which makes fans feel like they are being wrung dry.

Freezes needed for the foreseeable
Football is, historically, a working-class game, fostered in local communities across Britain and made lucrative by their dedicated backing. The Premier League well knows that: much of their marketing has attempted to exploit working-class authenticity and sell that romance to a global audience. This is one of the reasons that a £5m bonus for Scudamore "for his exceptional contribution to the success of the [Premier] League" has gone down so badly: the Premier League is successful because of the loyalty and perseverance of its fans, not because someone negotiated a series of exorbitant deals for its broadcasting rights.

Continuing price increases for season tickets and matchday admissions can only take the game further and further away from the communities upon which it relies, a commercial strategy which might eke out a little extra profit today but in the long term can only be self-defeating. That's why Everton have the right idea in freezing season ticket prices over multiple seasons, decreasing the burden on their supporters because it would be gratuitous to do anything else. Every club, promoted or otherwise, could freeze season tickets and matchday admissions for the foreseeable if they wanted to.

If there is one benefit of the television money which has flooded the Premier League, it is that there is less of an onus on fans to subsidise their football clubs on matchday. Clubs should recognise that, rather than continue to raise prices simply because they can.



Read more at: https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/everton-season-ticket-price-freeze-premier-league-richard-scudamore-bonus/

[WhiteJC]

 
Why Spurs, Wolves & Fulham can take Maurizio Sarri one step closer to Jose Mourinho at Chelsea

The Blues head coach has enjoyed an impressive start to life in England

Maurizio Sarri may have been left frustrated by Chelsea's 0-0 draw with Everton at Stamford Bridge last weekend but in the process he did break a 24-year-old record.

The Italian boss now has the most Premier League games unbeaten by a new manager at a club with 12, breaking the 11 that was achieved by Frank Clark at Nottingham Forest back in 1994.

"I'm really very proud about the record," Sarri said. "I know very well I have to say thank you to the club, and thank you to my players. Finally, I have to say thank you to my staff. But, of course, I'd prefer three points today."

The draw with the Toffees also means that the Blues are now 18 games unbeaten in all competitions, adding in the four Europa League victories and the Carabao Cup wins over Liverpool and Derby County.

Those unbeaten games mean that Sarri now has another Chelsea record in his sights, one that was set by former Blues manager and now Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.

Chelsea's longest unbeaten run to start a campaign is currently held by the Portuguese boss, with 21 games in total back in the 2014/15 campaign.

In that run, that lasted until December 6, 2014, The Blues won 11 Premier League games, with another three draws. They also added three Champions League wins and two draws in that competition, with another two Carabao Cup wins as well.

The run was eventually ended with a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United in the league, but Sarri now has the chance to beat that record and get one over the former boss if they win or draw their next four matches.

It won't be an easy task for the Blues as their next match after the international break is a trip to Wembley to take on Tottenham Hotspur, one of the biggest games in the calendar.

The following games see Fulham and PAOK head to Stamford Bridge, before Sarri could have the chance to break Mourinho's record away at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.

While it will be tough for Sarri to beat the record, he has certainly put himself into a great position to do so.



https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/fixtures-results/chelsea-sarri-record-mourinho-spurs-15403883

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Limited Southampton Tickets

Don't delay in securing your seat at Fulham's next home game when Southampton come to Craven Cottage this Saturday 24th November (kick-off 3pm).

Watch Claudio Ranieri's first game in charge of the Whites and get behind the boys following the International break.

Tickets are priced from £30 adults & £20 juniors and are available online, by phone on 0203 871 0810 (Opt 1) or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.

Come On You Whites!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/19/southampton-tickets

[WhiteJC]

 
Stefano Okaka link says a lot about Claudio Rainieri's approach with Fulham

A recent report suggested that Ranieri was looking to reunite with Watford's Italian striker, Stefano Okaka.

Claudio Ranieri's appointment as Fulham boss will inevitably draw comparisons with his title-winning Leicester City side form 2016 - but a recent report suggests he'll be taking a different approach than he did at the King Power.

A recent report from Tuttomercatoweb claims that the new boss is looking to bring in Watford's Stefano Okaka, a player he previously worked with at AS Roma.

While moving for a player who struggles to get a game for the Hornets seems a strange move, it does show that Ranieri will be taking a very different approach to the one he used with Leicester.

There is no Jamie Vardy at Fulham, and his pace, energy, and finishing was the key part of Ranieri's side - he'd offer a threat to the opposition defence at all times, often attacking all by himself.

Players like that are incredibly hard to come by, however, and instead, Ranieri appears to be doubling down on the style of Aleksander Mitrovic.

Both Okaka and Mitrovic are physical strikers, capable of holding the ball up and fighting for it - but neither offers the threat in behind of a Vardy.

The difference would be that Fulham are likely to hold onto the ball more than Ranieri's Leicester did, who won the league with remarkably little possession and relied on an ability to keep teams out, leaving Vardy to do it himself in attack with Riyad Mahrez.

Taking the pressure off of Fulham's leaky defence would be a very clever move from Ranieri, too, which a slower attack would certainly afford them.

It is only one link, of course, but a lot can be taken from the style of striker a manager moves for - and this one suggests Ranieri has a plan to fix Fulham fast.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/11/19/ac-okaka-links-says-a-lot-about-claudio-rainieris-approach-with/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham vs Southampton: Premier League 2018-19 prediction, betting tips, live stream, TV, tickets, head to head

Preview: Latest odds, date and kick-off time for Saturday's Craven Cottage clash


Ranieri takes charge of his first game as Fulham boss. ( AFP/Getty Images )

Fulham vs Southampton
Premier League 2018/19
Venue: Craven Cottage
Date: Sunday, 24 November, 2018
Kick-off: 3pm GMT

Claudio Ranieri takes charge of his first game as Fulham boss against fellow strugglers Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

Rock-bottom of the Premier League and having shipped 31 goals in 12 games this season, the Cottagers have sought to address their alarming slump by appointing the man behind one of the league's greatest every fairytales.

Ranieri replaced Slaviša Jokanović during the international break and will look to hit the ground running against Saints, who have managed just eight goals in their 12 league games this season.

TV, online and live stream coverage

The match will not be televised live in the UK.

You can follow all the action with Standard Sport's LIVE scoreboard.

Tickets

For Fulham ticket information, click here for the club's official website.

For Southampton ticket information, click here for the club's official website.

Prediction

Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Subject to change

    Fulham to win 3-0: 2/1
    Southampton to win 1-0: 17.2
    Aleksandar Mitrovic first goal scorer: 9/2
    Charlie Austin to score anytime: 15/8

Click here to find the latest match odds and place a bet.

Head to head

This will be the 73rd meeting between the two sides. Southampton have won 27 of those past meetings, with Fulham getting the win 21 times.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-vs-southampton-premier-league-2018-prediction-betting-live-stream-tv-tickets-h2h-a3994331.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Why Fulham's revival under Claudio Ranieri could be off to a great start by signing this Arsenal target

Fulham should hijack Arsenal's move for Medhi Benatia

According to the Daily Star, Arsenal are considering a mid-season swoop for Juventus's Moroccan centre-back Medhi Benatia.

The same reports claim that the 31-year-old is unhappy at Turin after struggling to cement a regular first-team spot under Max Allegri.

The Moroccan international had stints with Serie A clubs Roma and Udinese before shifting bases to the German Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 2014. However, he did not get enough regular minutes as he would have liked and moved back to the Serie A with Juventus a couple of years back.

Benatia has started only five games for the Italian giants in the Serie A this season and has featured once in the UEFA Champions League. He has found himself in and out of the first team with the manager favouring the centre-back pairing of Leonardo Bonucci and Georgio Chellini.



To be honest, Benatia has all the attributes to excel in the Premier League. Standing at 6ft. 2 inches, the 31-year-old is capable of dominating the opposition with his physicality and aerial ability. He is also a good reader of the game at the back and tends to anticipate situations faster than his offensive counterparts.

Blessed with a sound technique, Benatia is capable of operating as a ball-playing centre-back and is immaculate with his passing. Not only is he very comfortable with the ball at his feet but he also likes to set up attacks from the back with accurate long passes. In fact, he has averaged 63.4 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 90.5 this season.

To go with his positional sense, ball-playing abilities, aerial prowess and physicality, Benatia is also a very good tackler. The 31-year-old Moroccan international is quite fast and agile for a centre-back of his age and does not hesitate to stick his foot out when needed.

Benatia averages 1.4 tackles, 3.2 interceptions and 3.4 clearances per game this season, figures which speak volumes of his calibre as a centre-back. Furthermore, he is someone who can make a difference to the team with his leadership qualities, organising and coordinating his defensive counterparts at the back.

To put things into perspective, Fulham should look to hijack Medhi Benatia amidst interest from the Gunners. Manager Slavisa Jokanovic lost the confidence of the board and was sacked after a series of unimpressive results. As things stand, Claudio Ranieri has been appointed as the steward of a sinking ship and the onus will be on the Italian to turn defeats into victories.

As much as Fulham have promised in terms of attack this season, the Cottagers have looked extremely vulnerable at the back. Having already shipped 31 goals so far, Fulham have the worst defensive record in the Premier League.

Quite clearly, they need a top-quality centre-back to bolster the backline in January and the Cottagers have been linked with centre-backs like Matteo Musacchio (Mirror) and Joel Matip (Bleacher report) in recent times. However, none of them ticks all the boxes as Medhi Benatia does.

Suffice to say, Benatia has the ability to change the whole complexion of Fulham's backline that has leaked goals at an alarming rate.

And the fact that he might be available for a cut-price deal in January should make it all the more interesting for the Cottagers. He might well prove to be the difference between survival and relegation.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2018/11/20/why-fulhams-revival-under-claudio-ranieri-could-be-off-to-a-great-start-by-singing-this-arsenal-target/

[WhiteJC]

 
Ranieri can fix Fulham's leaky defence by raiding his former team to sign this talented but out of favour starlet


Andreas Christensen

Why Fulham should definitely make a move for Andreas Christensen

Hopes will be high at Fulham after the club announced Claudio Ranieri as their manager for the season. Slavisa Jokanovic made a poor start to the season with the Cottagers which has seen them languish in the relegation zone and concede a whopping 31 goals this season.

Fulham are currently rock bottom in the league and the only way they can go up now is through Claudio Ranieri. The former Leicester City manager famously lifted the Premier League title with the Foxes a few seasons ago.

He can start making amends by bolstering the defence and one player Ranieri should take a look at is Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen. Jokanovic was always changing his backline and disrupting the momentum but Ranieri tends to stick to his backline.

Christensen will pose an ideal option for the Cottagers. He is yet to make an appearance in the Premier League under new manager Maurizio Sarri, who has preferred to go with David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger at the back this season.



The two have established themselves, which has seen the Dane fall down the pecking order. But he impressed under Antonio Conte last season and will definitely make a massive difference to Fulham's leaky backline that seems to concede goals for fun at the moment.

The 22-year-old came through the ranks at Chelsea and has made 28 league appearances for the Blues, 27 of which came last season. An intelligent and aware defender who rarely puts a foot wrong at the back is how you can describe Christensen.

He rarely commits himself and is very good at timing his tackles. Christensen is also very good with the ball at his feet and is also dominant in the air. He has an impressive 93.4% pass success rate in the Europa League this season, while also averaging 4 successful aerial duels per game. (Stats courtesy – Whoscored)

He would be an ideal partner for new signing Alfie Mawson, who should be the first choice under Claudio Ranieri given that Le Marchand hasn't looked great so far. Mawson is a slightly more offensive minded centre-back, which is why the Chelsea defender will be the perfect partner.

Christensen is more of commander and a controller at the back. His arrival should automatically see the Cottagers improve.

Fulham should definitely make the move for Andreas Christensen given that they are in dire need of some defensive quality at the moment. The Dane will surely help shore things up at the back for the Cottagers.



https://soccersouls.com/2018/11/20/ranieri-can-fix-fulhams-leaky-defence-by-raiding-his-former-team-to-sign-this-talented-but-out-of-favour-starlet/

[WhiteJC]

 
Opinion: Claudio Ranieri's interest in this Watford outcast makes little sense for Fulham

Signing Stefano Okaka in January would make little sense for Fulham

According to Football London, Watford's out of favour centre-forward Stefano Okaka has attracted interest from Fulham's new manager Claudio Ranieri.

Ranieri was unveiled as the few face of Fulham following the sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic after the Serb managed to guide the Cottagers to only a solitary win from ten games in the Premier League.

And the veteran has made his intentions quite clear that he wants to bolster the squad with new faces in January. Joel Matip (Bleacher report) has emerged as a transfer target for the Cottagers, which is quite understandable given that Fulham are in dire need of centre-backs to add stability to the backline.

Despite signing players like Aleksandar Mitrovic (loan deal made permanent), Andre Schurrle (two-year loan deal from Dortmund), and Jean Michael Seri in the summer, Fulham have found it difficult to cope with the quality of the Premier League.

While Schurrle and Mitrovic have proven their worth with valuable strikes, much of Fulham's woes have been down to their porous backline which has leaked goals at an alarming rate.

In fact, the Cottagers have the worst defensive record in the Premier League, having already conceded 31 goals from their first 12 games. On many occasions, the Cottagers haven't been able to see off the games even after drawing first blood.

As things stand, Ranieri needs to bring in radical reinforcements to bolster his squad and give himself a chance of fighting the odds of a relegation battle that does not seem to be in Fulham's favour at the moment.

If these twelve games in the Premier League are anything to go by, Fulham need to add some quality players at the back. Jokanovic tried out several combinations in the heart of the defence but neither of them could provide that much-needed stability.

Tim Ream, Maxime Le Marchand, Denis Odoi and Calum Chambers have struggled to keep pace with the Premier League, leaving the goalkeeper virtually helpless on most occasions.

Pursuing a keen interest in a creative midfielder who is capable of operating as a No.10 would also make a lot of sense for Fulham, particularly because of the fact that the team has lacked someone who can establish a link between defence and attack. Tom Cairney has struggled with injuries and Seri's influence seems to have faded away as the season has progressed.

To put things into perspective, signing someone like Stefano Okaka could prove to be detrimental to Fulham's chances of survival in the Premier League. The 29-year-old has been frozen out of the first-team by Watford manager Javi Gracia and has managed only a solitary substitute appearance in the Premier League this term.

In Aleksandar Mitrovic, Luciano Vietto and Ander Schurrle, Fulham have one of the most impactful strike forces in the Premier League outside of the top six. Aboubakar Kamara is a good option to have on the bench who is capable of chipping in with important goals.

Going by the statistics, Okaka is not the most prolific striker in the Premier League. He didn't even cross the 10-goal mark during his time in the Serie A with Roma and Sampdoria and he has never been seen as a first-team option at Vicarage Road.

Having said that, Ranieri should shift his focus to other players to bolster his squad in January. Signing a creative midfielder and a centre-back should be the way forward for the club during the mid-season trading period.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2018/11/20/opinion-claudio-ranieris-interest-in-this-watford-outcast-makes-little-sense-for-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
FA ready to investigate Fulham and their billionaire owner Shahid Khan following allegations made by club's former assistant director of football

    The FA to investigate allegations against Fulham and their owner Shahid Khan
    Craig Kline, who worked for Fulham, claims to have witnessed racism at the club
    Kline was assistant director of football at the club between 2014 and 2017
    The American data analyst says his explosive claims are 'being investigated'

The FA are preparing to investigate explosive allegations made against Fulham and their billionaire owner Shahid Khan by the club's former assistant director of football.

On Monday night, Sportsmail saw recent correspondence between an FA board member and American data analyst Craig Kline, reassuring him that his claims were 'being investigated'.

Kleine worked at the club between 2014 and 2017, and alleged 'fraud, child endangerment and exploitation' in football, claiming to have witnessed racism during his time at Fulham.



He also took to Twitter when Khan's £600million bid for Wembley was at a crucial stage to claim that he had 'key evidence of systemic corruption relevant to the Wembley vote'.

Khan, who denies all the allegations, later withdrew his offer for Wembley, but insisted that Klin e's claims had nothing to do with his decision.

At the time, the FA said they were 'reviewing' Klin e's allegations, yet they appear to have now taken their efforts a significant step further.

'We are in the process of establishing an investigation into the issues raised by Craig Kline,' said an FA spokeswoman.
The FA to investigate allegations made against Fulham and their billionaire owner Shahid Khan


Craig Kline, who worked for Fulham previously, claims to have witnessed racism at the club



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6407499/FA-ready-investigate-Fulham-owner-Shahid-Khan-allegations.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Revealed: When the televised Premier League fixtures for February are announced

The fixtures to be broadcast on BT & Sky Sports will be announced very soon

Football fans won't have to wait too much longer before planning their travel for the Premier League games in February.

With an announcement over a month ago about who will be on television during December and January, the next announcement is due to be made in just over three weeks.

According to the Premier League website , the next batch of games to shown on the box will be revealed on Wednesday, December 12.

As the FA Cup fifth round will be taking place in the middle of February, one round of Premier League fixtures will take place in midweek at the end of the month.

Arsenal's trip to Man City at the start of February will almost certainly be shown on either Sky Sports or BT Sport, with Chelsea's trip to the Etihad Stadium a week later another game to be broadcast on television.

Fulham's home game against Manchester United will also be another contender to be shown live, while one of Spurs' home games against Newcastle and Leicester City may also be moved for television.

The Lilywhites finish the month at Chelsea and you can guarantee that the midweek game will be on the box with both side's looking to secure a place in the top four.

Approximate dates for televised fixtures

February - December 12

March - January 25

April - February 22

May - April 5



https://www.football.london/premier-league/premier-league-tv-fixtures-announcement-15434712

[WhiteJC]

 
Scouting Fulham's FPL Fallout

After spending over 100 million on new signings, Fulham enters November sitting bottom of the Premier League table on pace for the worst defensive showing in league history, it was time for a change before things couldn't be turned around. The board deemed that the players weren't the issue and decided that it was time to part ways with manager Slavisa Jokanovic who won them promotion to the Premier League only six months ago. If it wasn't clear before that Fulham is a club with ambition, it should be now especially since they brought in Premier League winning manager Claudio Ranieri to replace Jokanovic.

The Tinkerman (a nickname that should probably be left in the past) pulled off one of the most impressive feats in world football by winning the Premier League with Leicester City. But the year after, he was let go due to lackluster results with the Foxes. Ranieri's counter-attacking 4-4-2 took the league by storm and Fulham will hope that there is some magic left in the tank to turn things around. Between Leicester and now, Ranieri spent a spell in charge of Nantes in Ligue 1 which came to an awkward end with reports of a rift between he and the chairman.

Coming into Fulham, Ranieri seems like a good choice as he is a manager who is well liked by his players and will bring much-needed structure to a team in need of it. With Leicester, Ranieri settled on a pretty consistent formation in a 4-4-2 but with Fulham, we'll likely see a version of the 4-4-2 of a 4-4-1-1 depending on how Ranieri feels about the personnel. I'll be taking a look at how his appointment may impact things moving forward at Craven Cottage.

For the most part, Fulham has lined up in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 formation under Joanovic meaning that the players should be well prepared for the shift. The main question will be what personnel will use the international break as an opportunity to impress their new boss.

How will Fulham line up under Ranieri?

Ranieri's success at Leicester City was based on the back of a counter-attacking 4-4-2 with two defensive-minded sixes in the middle of the park. Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy may have been the finishers for the Foxes but it was Danny Drinkwater and N'Golo Kante who made the machine work. Looking at the current side, Fulham won't be able to perfectly replicate this setup because there is no proper partner for Jean Michael-Seri to make things tick. But if Ranieri is okay with sacrificing defensive cover, Tom Cairney is capable of sitting deep as is Stefan Johansen. I'm leaving out Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa here because he hasn't been effective while playing and I'm not sure that he's up to snuff for Premier League action.

Here's a look at how I think Fulham will line up:

The attacking players pick themselves, but that's also not the chief problem facing Fulham right now. It's the defense. A defense that is giving up 2.58 goals per game, by far the worst in the Premier League. Ranieri likes his players to build out of the back and also likes his fullbacks to bomb forward which is not in Maxime le Marchlands game. This is why I'm penciling in Joe Bryan as the starter while healthy. Interchanging with Ryan Sessegnon on the left can be an electric partnership for the cottagers. At center back, I'm putting Alfie Mawson and Tim Ream because Ranieri likes to build out of the back to advance play. In order to properly do that, his center backs need to be comfortable receiving the ball at their feet in pressure. Mawson is the best defensive center back on the roster and while he's not the greatest with the ball at his feet, he is competent.

This is where Ream comes in. With experience at right back and as a central defensive midfielder he's very adept with the ball at his feet and while Ream may not be the most stout defensively, there is a reason that he was player of the year each of the previous two years for Fulham. To play a possession-based game, having Ream at the back is necessary. Along the backline, Fulham doesn't have to be good defensively to avoid relegation they only need to stop hemorrhaging goals at the back which isn't a high bar to clear.

Now that we've gone through the fit for the squad, let's take a look at who has the most to gain and lose from an FPL perspective.

Stock Up

Luciano Vietto: Being stuck out wide to accommodate a three-man front line hasn't been the greatest for Vietto's FPL value and he has still racked up four assists on the year. Under Ranieri, Vietto would be expected to play as support striker while Andre Schurrle does more of the wide work. This will hopefully lead to him finally scoring some goals on the season but will definitely lead to a bigger fantasy output especially in draft leagues. Owned in 38 percent of Fantrax leagues, Vietto is the guy with the most to gain from this move in the fantasy sports world.

Joe Bryan: The only thing that stopped him from becoming the regular left back at Fulham was a hamstring injury so this is a bit of a cop-out but looking at left-backs who have thrived under Ranieri, there's a lot to like about Bryan. Christian Fuchs and Ben Chilwell had Ranieri spoiled for choice at the position and he'll have the same issue here with Sessegnon and Bryan. Bryan has more to gain due to being listed as a defender, however. Earlier in the season, Bryan was on pace with Marcos Alonso in terms of key passes and he should slot right back in as an ultra-attacking left back. While he'll still be hit when Fulham concedes, he'll swing more than a few matchups like Patrick van Aanholt.

Jean Michael Seri: Seri has been a revelation and by far the most useful Fulham asset on the season but with consistent structure around him, things will only get better. We already know that Seri can stuff a stat sheet with one goal and two assists to go along with 1.8 tackles per game and 2.3 key passes per game. This shows that his numbers should only go up with a consistent formation around him. Seri will likely end the season around where we expected Naby Keita to be with 5-7 goals and assists which makes him usable in any format.

Stock down

Aleksandar Mitrovic: Alright, a new manager comes in, great for the top option up top right? Well... not always. Mitrovic profited because he was the only option scoring for Fulham and that the entire attack funneled to him. But in a (likely) 4-4-2 he'll have to share the wealth with Vietto up top. Mitrovic is only putting 1.2 of his 3.6 shots per game on target and both of these numbers will fall without him being the most central player. A striker needs chances to score and fewer chances is never a good thing. This isn't to say that Mitrovic will be useless during the duration of the season but more that 10-12 goals are likely his ceiling.

Ryan Sessegnon: The English hype machine got Sessegnon picked much earlier in leagues than he should have been and now with him not being part of a front three in the move to a 4-4-2, it means that there will be less of an opportunity for goals and assists as Sessegnon looks to fill the Marc Albrighton workhorse role. While this is a vital role on the pitch, for fantasy owners, it's not too important.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa: It was a head scratcher when he was purchased for 30 million from Marseille and nothing that Anguissa has done on the pitch has helped his case. He seems like more of a liability than anything as he has been unable to deal with the pace of the Premier League. Likely being relegated to bench duty under Ranieri, it will be a while before he ever makes an impact with Fulham.

Can Ranieri save Fulham?

While it's good that Ranieri had the international break with some of his players, it will be tough to implement his system overnight. It will take time and the beginning will likely be rough but this is a Fulham team that is too good to go down. On paper, there are at least 3-5 teams in the Premier League who are worse than the Cottagers including Crystal Palace and Southampton.

I'm anticipating that Fulham will finish 14th in the league. The players are good enough to stave off the drop, they just needed a man with a plan at the helm. In Ranieri, they got that man.



http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/bpl/84109/376/scouting-fulhams-fpl-fallout

[WhiteJC]

 
Joel Matip could help Fulham survive in the Premier League

Premier League winner, Claudio Ranieri, replaced Slavisa Jokanovic as Fulham manager last week.

Jokanovic had guided Fulham to safety in his first season as manager before earning promotion to the Premier League after defeating Aston Villa in the playoffs. He had gained plenty of praise for his style of football at Craven Cottage but was unable to produce results in England's top division. With Fulham rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, a change was ultimately necessary.

The Fulham board have decided that Ranieri was the best option to steer the club away from the danger zone. Ranieri is no stranger to England following spells with Chelsea and, of course, the amazing Leicester City. However, the Italian faces his biggest challenge yet with the Cottagers.

The January transfer window is the first opportunity that the former Inter Milan boss will have to bolster his ranks. With conceding goals being a significant issue, defensive reinforcements should be a priority.

Therefore, Ranieri must make a move for Liverpool outcast – Joel Matip. Valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, the Cameroon international was signed on a free transfer by Jurgen Klopp after his contract at Schalke expired. Matip became a key player upon joining the club but has since slipped down the pecking order following the arrival of Virgil van Dijk and the emergence of Joe Gomez at centre-half. He has been restricted to just one Premier League start so far this season and could seek a move in January.

Matip remains a top defender who would add some much-needed stability to the Fulham defence. Standing at 6' 5", the 26-year-old would bring some power to Ranieri's defence and also add a significant goal threat from set-pieces. Strong in the tackle and excellent at reading the game, Matip also excels with the ball at his feet, making him ideal for Ranieri's counter attacking style.

Should he become available in January – this should be a no-brainer.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/fulham/joel-matip-could-help-fulham-survive-in-the-premier-league/

[sunburywhite]

Fulham vs Southampton: Premier League 2018-19 prediction, betting tips, live stream, TV, tickets, head to head

Preview: Latest odds, date and kick-off time for Saturday's Craven Cottage clash


Ranieri takes charge of his first game as Fulham boss. ( AFP/Getty Images )

Fulham vs Southampton
Premier League 2018/19
Venue: Craven Cottage
Date: Sunday, 24 November, 2018
Kick-off: 3pm GMT

Claudio Ranieri takes charge of his first game as Fulham boss against fellow strugglers Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

Rock-bottom of the Premier League and having shipped 31 goals in 12 games this season, the Cottagers have sought to address their alarming slump by appointing the man behind one of the league's greatest every fairytales.

Ranieri replaced Slaviša Jokanović during the international break and will look to hit the ground running against Saints, who have managed just eight goals in their 12 league games this season.

TV, online and live stream coverage

The match will not be televised live in the UK.

You can follow all the action with Standard Sport's LIVE scoreboard.

Tickets

For Fulham ticket information, click here for the club's official website.

For Southampton ticket information, click here for the club's official website.

Prediction

Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Subject to change

    Fulham to win 3-0: 2/1
    Southampton to win 1-0: 17.2
    Aleksandar Mitrovic first goal scorer: 9/2
    Charlie Austin to score anytime: 15/8

Click here to find the latest match odds and place a bet.

Head to head

This will be the 73rd meeting between the two sides. Southampton have won 27 of those past meetings, with Fulham getting the win 21 times.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-vs-southampton-premier-league-2018-prediction-betting-live-stream-tv-tickets-h2h-a3994331.html

Can someone please let them know the game is on Saturday not Sunday

Sh1t Journo