Friday Fulham Stuff (23/11/18)...

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Accessibility Improvements

Fulham Football Club is pleased to announce that the first phase of important works to improve accessible facilities at Craven Cottage have been completed. These improvements both increase the number of wheelchair viewing positions available as well as improving the matchday experience for fans with access requirements.

The Club has completed the following:

    Installing a new wheelchair platform in Putney End, Block P2, with 13 new positions available for home fans to purchase on a match by match basis.
    Installing a new wheelchair position in the Putney End, Block P7, with 15 new positions available to be offered in the visiting fans' allocation.
    In-seat service for concessions to be offered to supporters on wheelchair platforms at designated concession kiosks.

Head of Operations and Facilities, Aimee McKenzie, said: "We are pleased to have completed these initial projects, increasing the number of wheelchair spaces available at Craven Cottage. This is part of our ongoing project to improve accessibility at the stadium and we are hopeful of announcing further updates in the coming months."

Supporters wishing to purchase accessible tickets should contact the Ticket Office* on 020 871 0810 (option 3). Further information on personal assistant tickets can be found at: http://www.fulhamfc.com/help/faq/booking-tickets#disabledfans

Club seeking fans to help form a Disabled Supporters Association

As part of the ongoing improvements to accessibility, the club is looking to set up an Accessibility Forum with a fans Disabled Supporters Association (DSA) to be formed.

The DSA would be a group of supporters and stakeholders which would run itself. The Club and the DSA will meet regularly to consult on the Club's ongoing mission to improve accessibility and to discuss matters of importance to DSA members. In the short term there are several projects on which the club would seek the views of the DSA, including the Riverside Stand development.

Anyone interested in taking part of the Accessibility Forum should contact the Club's Communications and Supporter Relations Team via email on [email protected] or via telephone on 020 8336 7477.

*The Ticket Office is open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday and from 9.30am on Saturday matchdays.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/23/accessibility-improvements

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Tactical Watch: The Ranieri effect

Southampton's trip to Fulham on Saturday will mark Claudio Ranieri's first game in charge of the hosts. Tactics writer Sam Tighe analyses the squad at the Italian's disposal, and the changes he is likely to implement when Saints visit Craven Cottage...

In what was a whirlwind simultaneous sacking and hiring statement, Fulham replaced Slaviša Jokanović with Claudio Ranieri just before this most recent international break, meaning Saints travel to west London this weekend to face a club under new leadership.

How much work the Italian will have managed to get done since taking his first training session seven days ago is unclear.

In theory, the international break is the perfect time to reload and spend additional time on the pitches, but in reality your best players depart to represent their countries, leaving you without the key tenets you're likely to rely on come Saturday.

That leaves us in a state of complete unknown as to what Ranieri's Fulham will produce at Craven Cottage this weekend.

How many of his ideas will have transferred through? How quickly can this squad adapt to a man who feels like the polar opposite of Jokanovic in many ways? Will it look like an amalgamation of two styles, a halfway house, as they continue to adjust?

The flat 4-4-2 blueprint Ranieri utilised at Leicester City doesn't feel like it can work at Fulham; they just don't have the squad for it.

Club captain Tom Cairney doesn't suit a box-to-box role in a midfield two and will likely have to be placed behind the striker, meaning the shape becomes more 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 than anything else.

Changes could materialise in wide areas too. Neeskens Kebano (zero Premier League minutes) and Floyd Ayité (four league substitute appearances) combined for just shy of 3,000 minutes last season but have barely been utilised this term. The speed they can provide from the flanks might just suit Ranieri's intended new look.

What we can expect is a certain percentage of shoring up. Ranieri's ability to coach defensive lines and structure is likely what made him such an attractive candidate to owner Shahid Kahn.

N'Golo Kanté present or not, the Italian won a Premier League title (and kept 15 clean sheets in the process) with Wes Morgan, Robert Huth, Danny Simpson and Christian Fuchs playing most games.

His Nantes team were masters of the 1-0 win before things fell apart, winning eight games by that scoreline in a four-month period at one stage.

A quick look at Fulham's position in the table (20th) and goals conceded tally (31, the worst in the league by a distance) tells you why the west London club might consider these statistics as particularly impressive reading.

Looking past the stats, Ranieri himself summed up his approach to football via a golden quote: "First, you need to lock the door of the house. If you don't, the robbers get in and they take everything. Once you have locked the door, then you can organise and decorate the house the way you want."

Should this Fulham team come to resemble Ranieri in totality over time, we can expect Leicester City-style low-block defensive football with a fierce counter-attacking threat – also known as the complete opposite of Jokanović's possession-hungry, rotation-based style.

We might have to wait a while for that transition to occur, though, and in the meantime? Not a soul on earth can be 100% confident in what the Whites will serve up this weekend.



https://southamptonfc.com/news/2018-11-22/tactical-watch-fulham-vs-saints-premier-league-1819

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Hughes confirms Targett is set to start at Fulham

Matt Targett is set to start for Southampton against Fulham this weekend, Mark Hughes has confirmed.

Speaking ahead of his side's trip to Craven Cottage, the Saints boss discussed how he would replace first-choice left-back Ryan Bertrand in the starting line-up.

The England international picked up his fifth booking of the season in Southampton's 1-1 draw against Watford prior to the international break, ruling him out of the team's visit to Fulham.

This means that Hughes has been forced to seek alternative options at left-back and, as reported by Saints' official club website, Targett is set to be handed a rare chance to shine. The Welshman said:

    We're fortunate that we have someone of the quality of Matt to come in. It's an obvious choice and one that I'll make as long as he comes through training unscathed. We're lucky to have Matt: he knows the level, he's played many times in the Premier League and he'll acquit himself very well I'm sure.

    He's coming up against a team that he knows and he'll have a good feeling going into the game. I sense Matt – along with everyone else – is really looking forward to the occasion.

The former England Under-21 international has made only two starts for Southampton this season, with both of these coming in the Carabao Cup.

However, Targett looks all but set to be given the nod for Saints' crunch clash with Fulham, as he bids to nail down a place in Hughes' plans for the rest of the season.



https://readsouthampton.com/2018/11/22/hughes-confirms-targett-is-set-to-start-at-fulham/

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20% Off All Fulham Fashion

Fulham's Black Friday offer is now here!

Fans can enjoy 20% off the Fulham Autumn | Winter Fashion Range!

Wear with pride Fulham's history with a number of Retro items available to choose from, or as the winter months draw closer, will you opt for a new coat or hoody?

Browse the latest collection with a choice of Fulham Fashion products available to suit all supporters.

Our Black Friday offer is available to purchase both online and at the Stadium Store. Don't delay with this limited time offer available until midnight on Friday 23rd November.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/22/black-friday

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Premier League predictions: Lawro v Mumford & Sons

Chelsea are yet to lose under Maurizio Sarri after 18 competitive games - but will that record survive Saturday's trip to play Tottenham at Wembley?

"I think we will see the Blues' first defeat of the season," BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson said.

"Chelsea were average against Everton last time out and if they play like that again, Spurs will turn them over."

Lawro is making predictions for all 380 top-flight matches this season, against a variety of guests.

This week's guests are Marcus Mumford and Winston Marshall from rock band Mumford & Sons.

Marcus supports AFC Wimbledon while Winston is a Manchester United fan, but they both enjoyed England's run to the semi-final of last summer's World Cup - although only Marcus was left wanting more after the Three Lions' defeat by Croatia.

Winston explained: "Marcus was very upset and I was upset, but I thought it was almost as good as winning.

"We had done way better than people expected and for me it brought the nation together in a way that winning would have done anyway, so I was delighted.

"I am glad we didn't get to the final - we would have been thrashed by France."

Marcus responded: "We would have been beaten but to get to a World Cup final in our lifetime would have been unbelievable and we would have been there.

"I have seen a semi-final before, it is my first memory, of Gazza crying in 1990. My brother cried, and I cried - that is not my first football memory, it is my first actual memory.

"So, being at England's next World Cup semi-final since then, that was a big deal, but imagine getting to the final. How can you say it is almost as good as winning it? You are fine with it, but I am still upset."

Winston is optimistic that England will make amends at Euro 2020, however.

He added: "One thing is clear - it's coming home.

"The final will be hosted at Wembley, the home of football and I think we are in with a shout. Why not?"

LAWRO'S PREDICTIONS
Fulham v Southampton

You nearly always get a bounce when you bring in a new manager, because players who have been in and out of the team feel they have got a chance to persuade him they should be starting.

Claudio Ranieri is a bit of a feel-good appointment for the fans as well, and I am expecting him to have an instant impact at Craven Cottage after replacing Slavisa Jovanovic.

Saints manager Mark Hughes is already under pressure and a defeat would obviously increase speculation about his own future.

His side were robbed in their last home game against Watford, in terms of a bad decision costing them, because there is no argument against the fact that Charlie Austin's goal should have stood.

But you could also argue that Watford were probably good value for a draw in that game anyway - and it is Saints' performances, as well as their results, that have left Hughes' job under scrutiny.

Southampton's next two games after this one are at home to Manchester United and away to Tottenham, so things are not going to get any easier for him anytime soon.

Lawro's prediction: 2-1

Mumford & Sons' prediction: 2-1



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46306591

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Will Claudio Ranieri give Fulham winger Neeskens Kebano a chance in the Premier League?

A fan-favourite and a crucial member of Fulham's promotion winning-squad, winger Neeskens Kebano is yet to play a minute in the Premier League this season.

Yet under the new management of Claudio Ranieri, Kebano could be handed a chance by the Italian manager in a bid to improve the Whites' wide play.

Ranieri has expressed his desire to play a 4-4-2 formation that utilises out-and-out wingers.

In this system, the wingers need to be pacey, direct, and deliver quality delivery to central striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Serbian striker thrives off of balls into the box, and Kebano possesses the ability to beat his man with speed and swing in lovely crosses.

In addition, Kebano's ingenuity and eye for the audacious can revitalise a Fulham attack that has been surprisingly aimless in recent weeks.

The Congolese international's lone appearance came against Exeter City in the League Cup back in August, yet an injury suffered in that match derailed his progress.

But under new boss Claudio Ranieri, Neeskens Kebano could be granted a new lease of life in the Premier League.



https://tbrfootball.com/will-claudio-ranieri-give-fulham-winger-neeskens-kebano-a-chance-in-the-premier-league/

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Claudio Ranieri will attract players to 'amazing' Fulham, says Louis Saha

Claudio Ranieri will easily attract players to Fulham during the January transfer window because they are an "amazing" club, says Louis Saha.

The experienced Italian boss will take charge of his first game as Fulham boss when his new side face fellow strugglers Southampton at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Fulham spent more than £100m in the summer, including five Deadline Day signings, but Ranieri, who replaced Slavisa Jokanovic, has been assured by chairman Shahid Khan he can bring in more players when the January window opens.

"It's difficult because maybe the manager in place [Jokanovic] wanted to have that opportunity to change things around," Saha, speaking at a Football for Peace event, said.

"The transfer market is a difficult one in the summer. There is a lot of competition around so the manager had his ways and maybe it didn't start the way he wanted but it happens.

"But I think Ranieri will attract a lot of players easily because the football club is amazing. I can't wish them more than to [stay up]."

Ranieri urged for patience as he looks to lead Fulham to an upturn in form and Saha admits the departure of Joaknovic will not have come as an easy decision for the club's hierarchy, but it has provided the new manager with the time to address their fortunes.

Saha added: "It is a club that has a lot of history for me. I feel really honoured to be part of that history. I see a great manager, who has done really well for Leicester and other clubs, want to get them out of that situation.

"The Premier League is very tough so whatever decision the chairman has to do we have to do it well and maybe sharp.

"Sometimes against the philosophy or the moral because someone brought you up and have done tremendously well. But the league is so tough and you have to make some really difficult decisions."



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11560585/claudio-ranieri-will-attract-players-to-amazing-fulham-says-louis-saha

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Ranieri says he will 'tinker clever' at Fulham

New Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri intends to "tinker clever" in the quest to find a winning formula at Craven Cottage.

The 67-year-old replaced Slavisa Jokanovic earlier this month with the Whites struggling at the foot of the Premier League table and having lost their last seven games in all competitions.

It is Ranieri's first job in England since his title-winning spell in charge of Leicester ended with the sack in February 2017.

During his four years as Chelsea manager, the Italian earned the moniker 'Tinkerman' due to the number of changes he made to his team on a regular basis.

Fulham have yet to name the same defensive unit for any of their 12 games back in the top flight, but Ranieri insists he will be looking to make astute adjustments as he aims to steer the club clear of relegation.

Asked how important it is to have a consistent back-line, he replied: "It's important, I am Tinkerman but I tinker clever.

"It's important to maintain the same line-up for some matches but you never know, I want everybody available and then I can choose."

Ranieri inherits a squad which saw no fewer than 12 new faces, either permanently or on loan, signed in the summer.

But he is planning to wipe the slate clean and has been analysing videos of Fulham's earlier matches following their poor start to the campaign.

"Clean everything and restart," he said when the current losing streak was mentioned ahead of Saturday's visit of fellow strugglers Southampton.

"Today I said this, restart every time, we can win, lose, clean and restart tomorrow. Forget the past.

"I show to them some videos from the previous game and I said what is right and what is wrong.

"One thing is to watch, but after we have been on the pitch to repeat the movement and slowly, slowly they get better.

"It's not possible for everything we do on the pitch to repeat, there will be some mistakes and I hope these mistakes there isn't a goal."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/ranieri-says-he-will-tinker-clever-at-fulham

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Claudio Ranieri reveals Fulham have gained a new fan — his 99-year-old mother

Manager Ranieri says mum Renata will be cheering Fulham on from Rome as he makes debut in Southampton six-pointer

Fulham have picked up a new supporter since making Claudio Ranieri their manager — his 99-year-old mum, Renata.

But Renata will not be ­telling him who to pick for the rock-bottom Cottagers like she once did when he was in charge of ­neigbours Chelsea.

Ranieri is preparing for his first game as Fulham boss, at home to fellow ­strugglers Southampton, on Saturday after being named Slavisa Jokanovic's successor last week.

He said: "My mum, when Damien Duff didn't play (for Chelsea), she would say, 'Why? Why don't you put Damien Duff on the pitch?'

"She loves football. Roma are her team, but now it's Fulham. Now it's Fulham. She wants to see the games. If Sky don't show Fulham on the television, she will say, 'Why? Tell them!'

"She doesn't come to the games. A long time ago she would. She turned 99 on November 1.

"I have to call her ­because on Wednesday she called me and I was so busy. Thank you for reminding me."

That will just be a catch-up, though.

When it comes to ­picking his team, Ranieri will instead lean heavily on the advice of Scott Parker.

He signed Parker in 2004 during his time at Stamford Bridge but the former ­England midfielder is now the ­Italian's ­assistant having served as first-team coach under ­Jokanovic.

Ranieri said: "He's very important because when I think about ­something I say, 'Hey, Scotty, what do you think about it?' And I believe him. He knows the club but for me it is important he knows very well the ­players."

Finding the right ­combination defensively will certainly be key to Ranieri's hopes of ­steering rock-bottom ­Fulham clear of danger.



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/claudio-ranieri-reveals-fulham-gained-13630311

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I must tinker intelligently to avoid a rollicking from my 99-year-old mum! New Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri says he must change his side carefully

    Claudio Ranieri had his first meeting with his new Fulham squad on Thursday 
    The former Leicester manager is prioritising finding his best starting line-up
    Slavisa Jokanovic made 33 changes to his starting XI when he was in charge
    Ranieri revealed that his mother often tells him who should play for his side

Claudio Ranieri insists he must 'tinker clever' if Fulham are to avoid relegation, with the fear of a rollicking from his 99-year-old mother also a motivating factor.

Ranieri held a first meeting with his full squad following the international break on Thursday and faces a crucial first test against fellow Premier League strugglers Southampton on Saturday.

The Italian leaned on assistant Scott Parker over the break in a bid to get up to speed and has prioritised finding his first XI — something which eluded his predecessor. Under Slavisa Jokanovic, Fulham made 33 changes to their starting line-up — by far the most in the top flight this season.


Claudio Ranieri held his first meeting with his full squad following the international break

'It is important I am 'The Tinkerman', but I must tinker clever,' said Ranieri, whose side sit bottom and have lost their last six league games.

'My mum, Renata, she turned 99 on November 1. When Damien Duff didn't play (for Chelsea), she would say "Why! Why don't you put Damien Duff on the pitch?"

'I have to choose the first XI and then it is very important not to make big mistakes. For this reason, I asked my players to follow me 100 per cent.


Slavisa Jokanovic made 33 changes to his starting line-up before being sacked by Fulham

'A long time ago, journalists called me "Tinkerman" because I changed a lot, but I changed a lot because it was the last year at Chelsea, we bought players at the start of the season and we continued to buy players. Of course, I had to change something.

Then for this reason you say, "Oh, he changes a lot, changes a lot, changes a lot". I changed it with intelligence, not just to change.

'It's important to maintain our mentality. Never, ever give up, not in the match or the season. My message is the team is a good one, but now we must show fighting spirit. Saturday is important. I want to see the right mentality and strong body language. At the end, we will be safe. I am sure.'

On Parker, who was considered as interim manager, the Italian said: 'Ah, he's very important. When I think about something, I say, 'Hey, Scotty, what do you think about it?' He knows the club, but it is important that he knows the players very well.'





https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6419489/New-Fulham-boss-Claudio-Ranieri-says-change-carefully.html

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Scott Parker to be Claudio Ranieri's assistant manager at Fulham

The 38-year-old will be relied upon heavily by the new Fulham boss as they try to guide the club to safety

Scott Parker will be Claudio Ranieri's assistant manager at Fulham.

The 38-year-old returned to Craven Cottage and joined Slavisa Jokanovic's backroom staff in the summer having spent a season as Tottenham Hotspur's U18s head coach after hanging up his boots.

He remained at the club after Jokanovic's sacking and has now been named as Ranieri's assistant manager after the Italian was appointed as the new manager last week.

Parker spent three seasons at Fulham as a player and played 128 times for the club, but during that time he completed his UEFA coaching badges and spent time coaching the Academy sides.

The former midfielder is a popular member of the coaching staff at Motspur Park and Ranieri is now looking to use his knowledge of the squad as he tries to guide Fulham to safety in the Premier League.

Parker has been Ranieri's go-to man in his first week as manager and the Italian has revealed that he will be using his assistant to bounce ideas off and get a second opinion on ahead of a crucial six months.

He said: "Ahhh, he [Parker] is very important. Very important. Because when I think about something I say 'hey, Scotty, what do you think about it?'

"His role is as an assistant. He is my assistant. He knows the club but for me it is important that he knows very well the players.

"And then sometimes I have an idea and say 'Scotty, what do you think about this and this and this?' And I believe him."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/scott-parker-claudio-ranieris-assistant-15452052