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Saturday Fulham Stuff (24/11/18)...

Started by WhiteJC, November 24, 2018, 07:18:18 AM

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WhiteJC

 
Hughes puts faith in Targett

Southampton manager Mark Hughes plans to replace the suspended Ryan Bertrand with Matt Targett at Fulham, and has backed the young left-back to excel against the side he helped reach the Premier League last season.

Targett was on loan at Craven Cottage for the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, helping Fulham to an incredible 23-match unbeaten run that propelled them into the play-offs, before playing a key role as they side saw off Derby and then Aston Villa to return to the top-flight.

    we're very fortunate we've got matt. he'll equip himself very, very well.
    mark hughes
    southampton manager

He will be back in west London on Saturday, but this time on the opposition side, with Bertrand's one-game ban, which has come about by virtue of him collecting five yellow cards, opening the door for the 23-year-old.

"We're fortunate we've got somebody of the quality of Matty Targett to come in, so it's an obvious choice and it's one that I'll make, as long as he comes through training," said Hughes, as 17th-placed Saints prepare to face the division's bottom-ranked side.

"We're very fortunate that we've got Matt. He knows the level and has played at this level many, many times.

"He'll come in and he'll equip himself very, very well. He's going up against a team that he knows and a place where he's played many times, so he'll have a good feeling going into the game.

"I just sense Matt, along with everybody else, is really looking forward to the game."



https://southamptonfc.com/news/2018-11-23/mark-hughes-pre-fulham-southampton-premier-league-1819

WhiteJC

 
Fulham fans can look to Parma's survival miracle for proof of Claudio Ranieri's restorative powers

The Serie A club were in dire straights when Craven Cottage's appointed hero arrived, but finished in mid-table

Before Leicester, there was Parma. For Claudio Ranieri, nothing will ever rival winning the Premier League in 2016, but it's the new Fulham manager's "other miracle", achieved nine years earlier, that has more relevance to his job now.

In February 2007, Parma were second from bottom of Serie A with just 15 points from 22 games. When Stefano Pioli was sacked after a 3-0 defeat to Roma, Ranieri – who had not managed in Italy for a decade and not at all since being sacked by Valencia nearly two years previously – was not at the top of president Tomasso Ghirardi's list for a replacement.

But it was in a state of mild desperation that Ghirardi called Ranieri (from an airport car park, according to Gabrielle Marcotti's book on Ranieri 'Hail Claudio!'), and his Hail Mary pass was thrown. "It was a bit of a shock for everybody, because he'd been out for a long time," Vince Grella, Parma captain that season, tells The Independent.

Just like now, Ranieri didn't need to work. But having been out of the game for so long, the fire in his belly was such that he signed his contract with the salary section blank. And at an early press conference, that fire appeared in the form of some uncharacteristic bombast.

"I told the president and I will be telling the players, we are either going to stay up or we will die trying," he said. "If we go down, there will be no survivors and nobody will be wounded. We will all be dead." He later apologised for the violent imagery, but it was perhaps an indication of his motivation after two years away.

Ranieri found a big squad with talent, but one that was unable to get results or keep things tight at the back, which sounds familiar. "I've seen Parma a few times recently," said Ranieri at the time. "They play well, but I want them to be less beautiful and more practical."


Ranieri arrived with Parma struggling near the foot of Serie A (Getty)

It's worth noting he said something similar about Fulham last week: "I was here for the first match of the season – Fulham played so well, but lost 2-0. I hope we can play well, but if we play well and lose, it's a big problem. I hope we play badly and win."

As Grella recalls, that's how things turned out. "The team was playing reasonably well [under Pioli], but just not getting the results. When Ranieri got his claws in – I reckon it was about a month – he got us just that little bit more organised, and installed in the players that confidence to be able to win, particularly away from home."

The first few weeks were fairly grim. His first three games ended in defeat – two to Braga in the Uefa Cup, the other in the league - then came four straight draws, including a madcap 3-3 against Udinese and a 2-2 with Reggina.

In both of those games the point was secured with late Giuseppe Rossi penalties and the young striker, who joined on loan from Manchester United in January, was one of the key factors in their survival. Rossi scored nine times and only two – in a 4-1 beating of Messina – were not key to Parma winning points.

By that stage Parma were flying, winning seven of their last 11 games and eventually finishing 12th. "We were battering teams," says Grella, who is now an agent for Base Soccer. "I mean really battering them. If we'd played like that from the start, we would have been in Europe, 100%. Everyone was disappointed we didn't hit those performances earlier."

With survival comfortably achieved, Ranieri was favourite to take the Manchester City job, recently vacated by Stuart Pearce. Instead, the call from Juventus came, but it is worth briefly considering this sliding doors moment: if he'd gone to City, maybe his path would never have taken him to Leicester, and who knows what would have been different.

The question Fulham fans might be asking is: what did Ranieri change at Parma? There was a tactical tweak, Rossi's arrival allowing them to play 4-4-2 rather than 4-3-3, but Grella doesn't think it was the system switch that was key. "It's his man management skills," he says. "It's the way he gets messages across, the way he creates relationships with players. He doesn't get too close to the players, but just close enough to know he's on your side."

All of which will be key at Craven Cottage. He probably finds himself in a slightly better position now than with Parma, because it's earlier in the season but also because he has a better collection of players to work with. "When I arrived in Parma, all my friends said I was mad, they told me, 'It's not possible to save this team,'" he said last week. And Fulham? "Everybody said 'Good choice. Fantastic club. Historical club. You can do it.'"

One of Slavisa Jokanovic's problems was that he probably had too many new players to work with and didn't have time to figure out the best combination, but Ranieri is an old hand at this sort of thing. "I am Tinkerman, but I have to tinker clever," he said.

Painting a picture of Ranieri from the outside is a tricky business: listening to him speak in public and listening to those who have worked with him will give you two very different impressions. In front of the media, he's the slightly eccentric, avuncular figure who promised to buy his Leicester players a pizza and chased them around the training pitch with a bell.

But behind the scenes, things are a little different. "He can be a p**** when he has to be, don't worry about that," says Grella. "I've seen him do it with some pretty big players. He's not really bothered about who the player is, it's just about the message. If he needs to rip a big player, he'll rip a big player. He can be very, very strong."

With his new team bottom of the Premier League, he'll need to be. But Fulham fans can at least take comfort in the knowledge their new manager has been here before.



https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/fulham-claudio-ranieri-premier-league-survival-parma-serie-a-vince-grella-video-a8647386.html

WhiteJC

 
Southampton boss Mark Hughes stays calm amidst the 'noise'

MARK Hughes is determined to shut out the 'noise' as he prepares to return to Fulham for the biggest game of Saints' season.

Lose and Saints will drop into the bottom three, level on points with a Fulham side that is bottom of the table after seven successive defeats.

But Hughes is shrugging off speculation that he will be sacked if Saints are beaten at Craven Cottage.

"There will always be speculation and I call it 'noise'," he said. "Once a manager departs after a lot of noise that noise switches to someone else and all the negative stats come out.

"A little bit of the noise is around me at the moment which is the nature of the role that I have. It will go away with a few good results.

"It becomes a little bit predictable and you understand how it works.

"After 20 years doing this job, it's nothing I haven't seen and dealt with before. It's part of the job and doesn't faze me.

"We're calm, that's the key. That's helped by my demeanour. I don't feel the need to get panicked because I'm confident in the ability of the group and the club.

"We know what we need to do and we will work hard to make sure they happen.

"We don't feel here that we are a million miles away from what we need to do."

Hughes is determined to retain his level-headed approach as he prepares to return to Fulham for only the third time since resigning in 2011, having led them to eighth in the Premier League in his only season at Craven Cottage.

"You don't get too giddy when you are doing well, and you don't get too down when things aren't going your way," he continued.

"If you are calm and consistent in your messages then the team gets confidence and support from that. We give the players the knowledge they need going into the games.

"They will never say they are lacking in what they need to approach a game."

Hughes insists Saints' ongoing internal review, following the departures of Les Reed and Martin Hunter, has not been a distraction.

"We are talking all the time - I'm fully informed," he continued.

"I think the players just get on with it.

"The club is looking to strengthen the areas that it feels it needs to but it's not a case of ripping the template up because there is no need to do that.

"A lot of the things they do here are spot on in terms of getting what they need from all elements of the club.

"All we (the leadership) are trying to do is to make us better which is everybody's aim here.

"That encapsulates the entire club.

"There isn't a lot that we are doing wrong here but the club felt that we maybe needed to be a little bit more open about things to see if that would help us."

Saints' clash at Fulham is the first of five matches in 14 days, four of which are away from home.

"The games are coming thick and fast and I'm actually pleased about it," continued Hughes.

"With all the international breaks, the first part of the season is very fragmented and it's difficult to get that continuity and rhythm in your play.

"Some have dealt with it better than us.

"But from our point of view, we have had new players to integrate into the group which has been hampered by the international break.

"What we have got now, thankfully, is a clear run and an opportunity to have a body of work with the group with nobody being away for any length of time.

"That continuity for the next three to four months will be invaluable to us."



https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/17243174.southampton-boss-mark-hughes-stays-calm-amidst-the-noise/?ref=rss


WhiteJC

 
Paul Merson says Aleksandar Mitrovic is Fulham's Achilles heel, despite being their best player

Fulham have made an incredibly poor start to their Premier League campaign.

Paul Merson spoke exclusively to Sky Sports about Fulham's poor start to the season, and explained why he believes their best player - Aleksandar Mitrovic, is actually their Achilles heel.

The Cottagers have made an extremely concerning start to life in the Premier League, and they currently sit rock bottom of the table, having taken just five points from their opening 12 league outings.

Claudio Ranieri has now been tasked with the job of keeping Fulham safe, and that will be an incredibly tough task, considering how open and vulnerable they have looked this season.

Merson spoke exclusively to Sky Sports, and highlighted how Aleksandar Mitrovic has been Fulham's Achilles heel this season, despite the fact that he is their best player:

"I have said all along that their Achilles heel is Aleksandar Mitrovic. He is their best player, he has been great for them and scored goals, but because he has no pace, they can't play counter-attacking football. So they have to then play higher up the pitch and because they play so open, that is where they struggle."

Fulham face a crucial five game spell over the next three weeks or so, with three home matches coming against Southampton, Leicester City and West Ham United, as well as away trips to Chelsea and Manchester United.

If the Cottagers are to survive this season, they must surely be targeting at least seven points from those three home games, and the way things have been going recently, that will be far easier said than done.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/11/23/paul-merson-says-aleksandar-mitrovic-is-fulhams-achilles-heel-de/

WhiteJC

 
Louis Saha on why players will want to sign for 'amazing Fulham' and Claudio Ranieri in January

The former striker spoke fondly of his former club and reckons Ranieri is the man to get them out of trouble

Louis Saha reckons players will want to sign for Fulham in January because his former club is 'amazing' and because of their new manager Claudio Ranieri.

The Italian replaced Slavisa Jokanovic as the club's manager after the Serbian lost seven games in a row, leaving the club bottom of the table with only one win to their name all season.

Ranieri has his first game in charge of the club on Saturday when fellow strugglers Southampton visit Craven Cottage in yet another crucial six pointer, but his influence over his new club is already being felt at Motspur Park.

He'll have to figure out a way to find a settled team, something his predecessor failed to do after the club's recruitment department signed 12 new players in the summer transfer window.

As yet, Ranieri and the recruitment team have no players in mind for the January window, with the manager wanting to see what he has at the club at present, but owner Shahid Khan has said he will back the club once more in January.

And former striker Saha reckons players will be attracted to west London in the winter because of Ranieri and the amazing club.

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


Louis Saha of Fulham (Image: Gary M. Prior/ALLSPORT)

"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]."

"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.


(Image: BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

"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.football.london/fulham-fc/louis-saha-players-want-sign-15454138

WhiteJC

 
Fulham vs Southampton preview: Claudio Ranieri takes charge


Claudio Ranieri will be in charge for the first time this weekend

Claudio Ranieri has called on Fulham to "clean everything and restart" as he faces Southampton in his first match in charge on Saturday.

Ranieri has been appointed to replace Slavisa Jokanovic and try to turn things around after a six-match losing streak.

Ranieri won the title in his last spell in the Premier League with Leicester, but his primary aim now is to shore up Fulham's defence, which has conceded 31 goals this season.

"Forget the past. Today I said this, restart every time, we can win, lose, clean and restart tomorrow. I show them some videos from the previous game and I said what is right and what is wrong," he said.

"This week, I work hard and they (the players) follow me very well, but it's not possible in very few days to arrange everything. I hope to maintain the clean sheet and then if we can score, it's much better."

Southampton have only made a marginally better start to the season than Fulham.

They are three points above their weekend opponents and manager Mark Hughes is reportedly under pressure.

"There will always be speculation, I call it noise," he said. "At the moment the noise is around me, it's the nature of the role... the only way it goes away is by getting positive results and positive performances."

Team news

Kevin McDonald and Andre Anguissa are unavailable for Fulham.

However, left-back Joe Bryan could return after seven weeks out with a hamstring injury.

Southampton will assess Danny Ings' fitness, but Hughes said on Thursday that the striker is a big doubt.

Ings limped off the pitch with a suspected hamstring problem during Southampton's 1-1 league draw with Watford earlier this month and trained separately during the international break.

Southampton are without the suspended Ryan Betrand so Matt Targett is likely to start. Mohamed Elyounoussi (hamstring) and Mario Lemina (thigh) should be available.

Opta stats

    Fulham have lost just one of their last 14 home league games against Southampton (W7 D6), though it was in their last such meeting in February 2014 (0-3).
    In all competitions, Southampton are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Fulham (W3 D3), winning the last three without conceding.
    Southampton won their last away Premier League game in London vs Crystal Palace - they've not won consecutive league games in the capital since 2014-15 (vs Crystal Palace and QPR).
    Fulham have lost their last six Premier League games - they've not lost seven league games in a row since a run of 11 between December 1961 and February 1962.
    No side has failed to score in more Premier League games than Southampton this season (6), though Fulham are the only side yet to keep a clean sheet in the competition so far.
    Fulham have conceded 31 goals in their 12 Premier League games so far - only in the 1925-26 second tier campaign have they conceded more at this stage of a league season (34).

Merson's prediction

I can't do Fulham they are all over the place. Fulham have to win this game. To be fair to them, I always felt sorry for Slavisa Jokanovic as I have always said that, if a team comes out of the Championship who should not really, they should be given the whole season. They got you into the dreamland and you do not become a bad manager, you just come up against better teams week in, week out.

The problem I have with this game is, let's be honest, Fulham have to win this game, so nothing really changes for me as they are going to play open and defensively, they are just not good enough.

I have said all along that their Achilles heel is Aleksandar Mitrovic. He is their best player, he has been great for them and scored goals, but because he has no pace, they can't play counter-attacking football. So they have to then play higher up the pitch and because they play so open, that is where they struggle.

So this is a hard game for new manager Claudio Ranieri to come into because they have to win it...

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2 (17/2 with Sky Bet)



https://www.skysports.com/football/fulham-vs-soton/preview/390881


WhiteJC

 
on the brink Mark Hughes could be sacked if Southampton lose to Fulham – here's how his other managerial reigns ended

Southampton have struggled under Hughes this season, winning just one league game

Mark Hughes could be sacked if Southampton lose to Fulham on Saturday.

The Saints have not won in almost three months and are only out of the Premier League's relegation zone on goal difference.

Hughes signed a three-year deal in May having secured Southampton's top-flight status last season.

And Saturday's trip to relegation rivals Fulham is crucial with the Saints facing Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester City next month.

But the Daily Mail reports Hughes could be out of a job before those tough fixtures if his side lose at Craven Cottage this weekend.

Here, talkSPORT.com takes a look at how the Welshman's other managerial reigns ended.

Wales
Final game: Wales 2-3 Poland
Date: 13 October 2004


Hughes agreed to join Blackburn in September 2004 but would stay on for Wales' important World Cup qualifiers against England and Poland.

His players failed to give him a winning send-off as Poland came from a goal down to leave Wales' World Cup hopes all but over.

They managed just two points from their four qualifying games under Hughes. The defeat also marked a 10th successive competitive game without a win.

Blackburn
Final game: Birmingham 4-1 Blackburn
Date: May 11, 2008


Hughes led Blackburn to a respectable seventh-placed finish in the 2007/08 season. But in what would turn out to be his final game before joining Manchester City, Rovers were thrashed by already-relegated Birmingham.

Morten Gamst Pedersen cancelled out David Murphy's opener to bring Blackburn level before Cameron Jerome's brace and a Fabrice Muamba header made the result safe.

Manchester City
Final game:  Manchester City 4-3 Sunderland
Date: December 19, 2009


National newspapers were reporting that Hughes would be axed regardless of the Sunderland result. Roque Santa Cruz's 69th-minute winner saw City edge past 10-man Sunderland. But with the club 11 points behind league leaders Chelsea, the Etihad hierarchy relieved Hughes of his duties.

Billionaire Sheikh Mansour bought City in September 2008 and gave Hughes close to £200 million to spend on players, which included, at the time, a record-breaking British transfer fee of £32.4 million for Robinho.

Fulham
Final game: Fulham 2-2 Arsenal
Date: May 22, 2011


In his only season in charge, Hughes guided Fulham to a top-ten finish.

And they would have ended the season on a high if it wasn't for Theo Walcott's 90th-minute equaliser.

Hughes, who had been linked with the Aston Villa vacancy, resigned less than a month later. He revealed he left Fulham because "my ambition for where I wanted to take the club was not matched."

That comment did not go down well with Fulham owner Mohamed Fayed, who hit back, calling Hughes a "strange man" and a "flop".

Queens Park Rangers
Final game: QPR 1-3 Southampton
Date: November  17, 2012


After successfully keeping QPR up the season before, Hughes was given huge funds to spend on players for the 2012/13 season. Julio Cesar, Jose Bosingwa and Esteban Granero were some of the high-profile signings.

A heavy home defeat to newly-promoted Southampton extended QPR's winless start to the season to 12 games, which included eight defeats. As a result, Hughes' 10-month reign came to an end.

Hughes' successor, Harry Redknapp, could not stop a sinking ship as QPR were relegated at the end of the campaign.

Stoke
Final game: Coventry 2-1 Stoke
Date: January 6, 2018


Hughes achieved three successive ninth-placed finishes with Stoke during his five-and-a-half year spell.

But he was sacked just hours after Stoke's humiliating FA Cup exit to League Two Coventry. Five defeats from seven league games also contributed to his exit with the Potters just two points above the relegation zone.

Stoke would then suffer Premier League relegation with a game to spare.



https://talksport.com/football/449750/mark-hughes-sacked-southampton-fulham-reign/

WhiteJC

 
Crystal Palace and Fulham tracking same forward, Ranieri also remains interested in Watford man

According to a claim in the Italian media, Crystal Palace and Fulham are showing an interest in Bologna forward Mattia Destro ahead of the next transfer window.

With both Crystal Palace and Fulham in a relegation fight the two Premier League clubs could look to bring in reinforcements in January and it seems the Italian forward is an option.

TMW report Destro could leave Bologna in the January window after failing to meet the Serie A club's expectations.

The 27 year old has struggled for goals since joining the Italian club and there have been recent reports they could look to replace him with Southampton forward Manolo Gabbiadini.

It's claimed Crystal Palace were the first of the London clubs to track Destro but in the past few hours Fulham have also started to be linked with the player.

According to TMW, Fulham are still tracking Watford forward Stefano Okaka as Claudio Ranieri looks to bolster his attacking options in the new year. The Watford player was recently linked with a move to Craven Cottage.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/crystal-palace-fulham-tracking-serie-forward-ranieri-also-remains-interested-watford-man/

WhiteJC

 
Parker Promoted To Assist Ranieri In Preserving Fulham's Top-Flight Status


This Saturday, when Fulham welcome Southampton to Craven Cottage, for a Premier League fixture, we're hoping that there will be clear signs that the appointment of Claudio Ranieri will prove the impetus to turn around our dreadful run of recent form.

The 67-year-old Italian has been brought in to preserve our Premier League status and his first job will be to halt a run of form that has seen Fulham lose their last seven games, a run that has seen the side sink to the bottom of the Premier League.

As we await the fixture against Southampton, who are a lowly 17th in the table and who are managed by somebody who spent a spell as our manager, Mark Hughes, news has broken that Scott Parker has been promoted.

Parker, 38-years-of-age, moved across London, from Tottenham Hotspur, to join the Fulham coaching staff. Following Ranieri's appointment, the news source, Football London, are reporting that Parker has now been elevated to the position of assistant manager.

For Scott, it is a chance to bring to the Ranieri table the knowledge he has about the current squad and help Claudio to plot the way forward as survival, in the top-flight, becomes our main priority.

Hopefully Scott will be up for the challenge and we'd like to wish him well as Fulham Football Club, enters one of the most important phases in its history, after taking so long to climb out of the Championship and back into the Premier League, relegation would, in my opinion, be an absolute disaster for the club.



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/parker-promoted-to-assist-ranieri-in-preserving-fulhams-top-flight-status/


WhiteJC

 
Programme Peek

In Saturday's official matchday programme, Shahid Khan exclusively explains his decision to replace Slaviša Jokanović with Claudio Ranieri.

"Upon determining that a change was in order, I judged potential candidates against a demanding list of standards with two key criteria considered as absolute - past success in the Premier League or top-flight football and being ready to go to work immediately," Mr Khan wrote.

"I conducted the appropriate due diligence as to potential successors, and among many highly qualified candidates - some of whom were interviewed, others not - there was one man who clearly had done his research on our squad, wanted the challenge and was ready to go the instant his name was called. That's Claudio Ranieri.


"He revealed to me during our interview that he had attended nearly every Fulham home match this season and viewed the others in some other fashion. There were other strong candidates under consideration, but none who understands the Premier League, our club, our players and even our supporters like Claudio."

To read the full interview with Mr Khan, pick up a programme on Saturday.


Other highlights from the publication include:

    Claudio Ranieri and Tom Cairney pen their respective Manager and Captain columns
    Denis Odoi takes stock of recent events
    Ryan Sessegnon takes our random question challenge
    Joe Bryan picks his personal playlist
    Fred Callaghan talks us through a Fulham-related photo of himself
    Micky Adams recalls his days at Fulham and Southampton
    We catch up with George Williams as he prepares to make his mark at Forest Green Rovers
    And Gordon Davies looks ahead to being inducted into the Forever Fulham club

Priced £3.50, the 100-page publication is available from various sellers on Stevenage Road from two hours before kick-off. Or order it online from ProgrammeMaster where you can also purchase past editions. The Club will donate 50p per programme sold, matching donations made by ProgrammeMaster, totalling £1 donation to the Fulham Foundation at no extra cost to supporters.
For just £1.99, the programme is also available as a digital download on your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, PC or Mac via Pocketmags from 9am on Saturday.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/23/programme-peek

WhiteJC


Targett could easily have been on other side of relegation six-pointer

Targett helped Fulham get promoted last season, was a target in the summer and the Whites are reportedly eyeing a January swoop as well but Mark Hughes has confirmed he will start for Southampton in the crunch relegation clash this weekend.

Mark Hughes has confirmed that Matt Targett will replace the suspended Ryan Bertrand when his Southampton side travel to face Fulham for their relegation six-pointer tomorrow.

It will be a big afternoon for the Englishman; he was part of the Whites side who gained promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs last season.

He was also reportedly a £10m summer target for the Cottagers in a summer that saw them expensively overhaul their previously threadbare defence.

After that swoop was thwarted, there have also been reports this month that Fulham are ready to return with another bid to get Targett back to Craven Cottage in January.

So Targett could very easily have been on the other side of Saturday's crunch clash and Bertrand's ill-discipline has thrust him into a vital role in the match that could have a huge impact on Hughes' future.

During the international break, Southampton chose to stick while Fulham chose to twist by appointing Claudio Ranieri.

If the Whites use that new manager bounce to see off the Saints, perhaps that will be the final straw for Hughes' St Mary's reign; at the home at one of his former managerial posts.

Could the game also dictate where Targett wishes to spend his future?



https://tbrfootball.com/targett-could-easily-have-been-on-other-side-of-relegation-six-pointer/

WhiteJC

 
Shahid Khan gives his reasoning on why he sacked Slavisa Jokanovic and hired Claudio Ranieri

The Fulham owner explained in his programme notes why he took the decision to change managers

Shahid Khan has explained his reasoning behind the sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic after the Liverpool game and the hiring of Claudio Ranieri.

The Fulham owner had previously used his programme notes to express his support for the former head coach, despite reports stating that he was to be sacked if he lost to Bournemouth and Huddersfield, with Khan stating those reports were false.

However, after the 1-0 defeat to Huddersfield, the club started to look and interview new candidates for the role, with Ranieri being the man they chose to go with after an impressive interview.

Jokanovic was then sacked at the start of the international break with the Italian being installed as the new manager immediately, with his first game coming against Southampton tomorrow.

And speaking ahead of that game, Khan has revealed the thinking behind his sacking of Jokanovic and why he chose to hire Ranieri as the club's next manager.

In his programme notes, Khan wrote: "Upon determining that a change was in order, I judged potential candidates against a demanding list of standards with two key criteria considered as absolute - past success in the Premier League or top-flight football and being ready to go to work immediately," Mr Khan wrote.

"I conducted the appropriate due diligence as to potential successors, and among many highly qualified candidates - some of whom were interviewed, others not - there was one man who clearly had done his research on our squad, wanted the challenge and was ready to go the instant his name was called. That's Claudio Ranieri.


(Image: John Walton/PA Wire)

He revealed to me during our interview that he had attended nearly every Fulham home match this season and viewed the others in some other fashion. There were other strong candidates under consideration, but none who understands the Premier League, our club, our players and even our supporters like Claudio."

Fans can read the entire programme notes from Mr Khan in the official matchday programme for the game with Southampton, available for £3.50, with £1 of each sale going towards the Fulham FC Foundation.

The game with Southampton marks the second annual Fulham FC Foundation matchday to raise funds for the foundation, with the Whites donning the FFC foundation's logo on their shirts for the match.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/shahid-khan-gives-reasoning-sacked-15455802


WhiteJC

 
Football Business Awards

Fulham Football Club were successful in taking prizes at the Football Business Awards, which took place at City Central at the HAC, Moorgate, on Thursday 22nd November.

Overall success came in the Best Club & Supporters Group relationship, with the Club and the Fulham Supporters Trust (FST) delighted to receive first place in a category filled with strong nominations from all levels of the professional game.

On receiving the award, Fulham Football Club CEO Alistair Mackintosh said: "We are thrilled to receive this award, as it is a testament to our ongoing structured dialogue with the FST. Whilst we were nominated for three awards on the night, this is the one we really wanted to win."

Tom Greatrex, Chairman of FST, added: "We are pleased that the effort both the Trust and Club have put into our structured dialogue has been recognised by the judges. A good relationship helps clubs understand and better respond to supporter concerns. We will always be independent of the Club, and we won't always agree, but we commend the Club for their open, progressive approach to building a relationship we aim to develop further in the interests of all Fulham supporters."

Any supporter interested in finding out more about the FST and the structured dialogue in place with the Club can find further information at: http://fulhamsupporterstrust.com/au2/

The Club also received the Bronze Award for Best Fan Engagement by a Club, with Alistair Mackintosh receiving the award for Championship CEO of the Year for the 2017/18 season.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/23/football-business-awards

WhiteJC

 
Report: Crystal Palace and Fulham interested in Mattia Destro

Bologna's Serie A striker Destro has been linked with three Premier League clubs, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Claudio Ranieri's Fulham

Newcastle United are not the only Premier League team in need of a centre-forward to save their skin. So it is little surprise to learn that Rafa Benitez faces competition in his pursuit of Bologna striker Mattia Destro.

According to Calciomercato, Newcastle are hoping to sign the 27-year-old Serie A striker in the January transfer window, having previously been linked with Destro back in the summer before Salomon Rondon arrived on loan from West Brom.

It is understood that the former Inter, Milan and Roma forward is available for around £9 million.

But, in claims provided by Tuttomercatoweb, Newcastle are not alone. Fellow Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace and Fulham are both understood to be targeting Destro as well, with Bologna ready to cash in.

Palace haven't scored a home goal from open play all season while Fulham have tallied just 11 times from 12 matches with a lack of genuine competition for Aleksandar Mitrovic in attack - so it is no surprise where Roy Hodgson and Claudio Ranieri want to strengthen.

Destro, however, has been far from prolific himself in 2018/19.

In truth, he has been a big disappointment for Bologna, failing to score in six Serie A appearances this season. Since joining from Roma in 2015, the former Italy international has only hit the net 26 times in 89 matches.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/11/23/do-crystal-palace-and-fulham-reportedly-join-benitez-in-targetin/

WhiteJC

 
Fulham Supporters' Trust win at Football Business Awards

The Fulham Supporters' Trust were honoured to win an award at last night's Football Business Awards for the best relationship between a football club and a supporters group.

The Football Business Awards established this category, which was sponsored by national fans' group Supporters Direct, to recognise the importance of dialogue between clubs and their supporters. The Trust were proud to be nominated among such a strong field of entrants which included Cambridge United and Cambridge Fans United, Portsmouth and the Pompey Supporters' Trust, Rochdale and the Rochdale Supporters' Trust, West Bromwich Albion and the Proud Baggies and Southend United and the Shrimpers' Trust.

This award celebrated the strong working relationship that has developed between Fulham Football Club and the Fulham Supporters' Trust during four years of monthly meetings between the parties that culminated in the signing of English football's first memorandum of understanding between a club and their Trust last December.

Fulham Supporters' Trust chair, Tom Greatrex, said:

"We are pleased that the effort both the Trust and Club have put into our structured dialogue has been recognised by the judges. A good relationship helps clubs understand and better respond to supporter concerns. We will always be independent of the Club, and we won't always agree, but we commend the Club for their open, progressive approach to building a relationship we aim to develop further in the interests of all Fulham supporters."

Fulham chief executive officer, Alistair Mackintosh, added:

"We are thrilled to receive this award, as it is a testament to our ongoing structured dialogue with the FST. Whilst we were nominated for three awards on the night, this is the one we really wanted to win."



http://fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2018/11/23/fulham-supporters-trust-win-at-football-business-awards.html


WhiteJC

 
Fulham and Tottenham emissaries to travel to Basque region, €50m Spain international on agenda

Having been at the club since 2002, Diego Llorente left Real Madrid in 2017 on a permanent transfer.

Having had loan spells with Rayo Vallecano and Malaga, the footballer cut ties with his youth club and signed a five year Real Sociedad contract.

He's only played two La Liga matches since August, an ankle injury keeping the 25 year old out of La Real's side.

Despite that, Luis Enrique called the player up for the latest international break and he played 90 minutes against Bosnia.

That was Llorente's second appearance for Spain, the first coming in 2016 under Vicente del Bosque... also in a friendly against Bosnia.

The 25 year old central defender is attracting interest from other clubs, and Mundo Deportivo Basque edition reports Tottenham and Fulham will send club emissaries to watch Real Sociedad's match against Celta Vigo on Monday.

Mundo state as fact that the two Premier League clubs are going watch the central defender specifically.

But Tottenham and Fulham aren't the first, with it being stated Liverpool and West Ham watched the player against Levante on November 9th.

No offer has been made, by anyone, and Mundo say La Real aren't worried because Llorente is protected by a €50m buyout clause, which they don't think will be triggered in January.

Real Madrid are increasingly good at getting all kinds of clauses in their player sales, and it's explained Los Blancos can buy the defender back for €25m.

Tottenham are clearly searching Europe for central defensive options, and Llorente is an interesting option, and it would be assumed they'd stand a better chance of a deal than Fulham.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-tottenham-emissaries-travel-basque-region-e50m-spain-international-agenda/

WhiteJC

 
Dilly ding and dilly bleeding dong

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Strong scarf game. Photograph: Javier García/BPI/Rex Shutterstock

DOING THE KHAN CAN
Fulham FC's official match programme, according to Fulham FC's official website, really is the "essential matchday accessory". If that suggests it's going after Tin's market share, then the price of £3.50 indicates it's aimed at an altogether different demographic, and that its contents are supposed to be more wholesome. If you forked out for the most recent issue, you may have been heartened to read Shahid Khan's contribution to it. The club's chief suit used his column to pooh-pooh media reports that he would sack manager Slavisa Jokanovic in the event of Fulham losing to Bournemouth and Huddersfield. When Fulham lost to Bournemouth, Huddersfield and Liverpool, Khan sacked Jokanovic. That led at least one addled Tin-quaffer to slur that Khan's articles are worth exactly the same as The Fiver's.

"As I reflect upon my comments of four weeks ago, I don't regret a word I said," Khan has ventured anew. "My belief in Slav and our ability to restart our campaign was staunch. Reports of Slav's future being in peril, at the time, were truly baseless." So staunch was Khan's faith in his manager that it had crumbled to nothing within two matches. "I was troubled, subsequently, by our poor response and performances in the matches that followed. It became evident to me after our defeat at Huddersfield Town that patience and confidence were no longer a remedy to correct our course."

And so, on Saturday, Claudio Ranieri returns to a Premier League dugout with a mission to save Fulham from relegation and keep media outlets afloat with still vital quotes about tinkering and pizzas and dilly ding and dilly bleeding dong. And if Ranieri gets off to a victorious start, then his Southampton counterpart, Ailsa from Home and Away, may find that his backside becomes the target of a very large boot. Hughes, mind you, is taking an almost Khan-esque approach to such reports. "There will always be speculation and I call it noise," parped the Welshman, adding that he almost expected attention to turn to him after Jokanovic's dismissal. "Once a manager departs after a lot of noise, that noise switches to someone else and all the negative stats come out," drawled the manager who has won three of 20 Premier League matches in charge of Southampton, whom he hopes do not become the fourth Premier League club to sack him and the third since he voluntarily departed as Fulham manager in 2011 because he fancied he could hack it higher up.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I spoke of facts and I heard people saying I was looking for excuses. There were players who weren't here for reasons you know [knack]. I'm not going to mention those reasons again. I'm not going to give content that will enable people to say I'm looking for excuses. So I'm going to stop stating facts ... I take responsibility. It's my fault. No problem" – Thierry Henry's adjustment to life as a manager continues apace at Monaco.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/nov/23/dilly-ding-and-dilly-bleeding-dong

WhiteJC

 
Why Fulham were unable to sign Matt Targett in the summer after impressive loan spell

The Southampton man returns to Craven Cottage for the first time when the two sides meet on Saturday

Matt Targett will return to Craven Cottage on Saturday as Fulham take on Southampton in the Premier League, but it could've been different had a summer move gone through.

The 23-year-old was signed on loan by the Cottagers in January last season and enjoyed a very successful spell at Craven Cottage, playing 21 games under Slavisa Jokanovic, losing just twice.

He helped the side gain promotion at Wembley in the Championship play-off final, beating Aston Villa 1-0 but returned to Southampton at the end of his loan spell.

The summer saw Targett head away with the Saints in pre-season, while Fulham worked to try and make his loan permanent throughout the course of the summer transfer window, but it's a move that never came to fruition.

Fulham made an early move for the left back at the start of the transfer window, but saw that rejected by Southampton who were holding out for more money.

They went back for Targett the day before Deadline Day with a huge £15million bid, but this was rejected by Southampton once more who wanted £20million to part with their left back.

It was at this stage that Fulham decided to press ahead with a deal for Joe Bryan, who was nearing a move to Aston Villa having completed his medical there, with a move for the Bristol City man being completed on Deadline Day.


(Image: Clive Mason/Getty Images))

However, Southampton then came back to Fulham on Deadline Day saying that a £15million bid would now be accepted for Targett but the Cottagers would not do business having been presented with no reasonable negotiations on a move for him during their pursuit, while Bryan's move was also close to completion.

Targett now looks set to start for Southampton at Craven Cottage on Saturday despite only playing four games all season, with two of those coming in the Carabao Cup, but a suspension to Ryan Bertrand forcing Mark Hughes' hand.

"We're fortunate that we have someone of the quality of Matt [Targett] to come in," said Hughes.

"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."

Targett is sure to get a warm reception from the Craven Cottage faithful for his role in getting the side promoted to the Premier League, although his return will take a backseat to Claudio Ranieri's first game in charge of Fulham.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-were-unable-sign-matt-15454635


WhiteJC

 
How Ranieri can engineer the great Fulham revival

Based on the thought-process behind Shahid Khan's appointment of Claudio Ranieri to replace Slaviša Jokanović, the Italian has had ample time to dream up solutions to Fulham's myriad problems in the Premier League.

In his programme notes for Ranieri's first match in charge against Southampton, Khan writes: "I conducted the appropriate due diligence as to potential successors, and among many highly qualified candidates – some of whom were interviewed, others not – there was one man who clearly had done his research on our squad, wanted the challenge and was ready to go the instant his name was called. That's Claudio Ranieri.

"He revealed to me during our interview that he had attended nearly every Fulham home match this season and viewed the others in some other fashion. There were other strong candidates under consideration, but none who understands the Premier League, our club, our players and even our supporters like Claudio."

Now, Ranieri may have been slightly economical with the truth – after all, we all lie a tiny bit in job applications – but he does seem the honest type plus Craven Cottage is a lovely place to watch football on a Saturday afternoon, so it has to be taken at face value.

If that is the case Ranieri will be fully aware he inherits a team whose confidence has been slowly eroded after a string of poor results and whose strengths at the start of the season, as they arrived in the division under a degree of hype, soon became their weakness.

Fulham were, just like Wolves and different to Cardiff City of the promoted teams, seen as Premier League-ready; full of technically-sound individuals with a significant investment made in the some to add an extra layer of quality to their squad.

Except after the initial buzz of watching a neat and tidy side pass the ball comfortably and claim the odd positive result at home to Burnley and Watford and away to Brighton, it soon became crystal clear they, to simplify their predicament, cannot defend and possess one of the league's weakest attacking units.

You can compensate for one if you are strong in the other department but being able to get the ball down and play can't mask either deficiency, which means Ranieri has to initially focus on one and, given his heritage, that should be the defence.

The Cottagers have conceded an alarming 31 goals in 12 games, six more than the next two worst teams Cardiff and Burnley, if they maintain that ratio they'll finish the season having shipped 98 – that's only two less than the league record of 100 by Swindon Town in the 1993/94 campaign, although that was over 42, not 38 matches.

The flow of goals simply has to stop, however, Ranieri may be able to revolutionise their attack. Fulham only rank third worst for shots conceded with 16.3 – Burnley well out in front on 21.1 – while they've let in nearly six more than their expected goals conceded of 25.23.

That means one of two things, or probably both, that the opposition are receiving a worrying amount of high-quality chances and that Ranieri has a goalkeeper issue.

Jokanović clearly thought this as he worked his way through three No 1s this season: his first-choice last season Marcus Bettinelli (seven starts), Fabri (two) and the current incumbent, Sergio Rico (three). Presumably, Ranieri will have a preference already, if not he needs to find one quickly.

Limiting the number of quality chances they're allowing the opposition is also of paramount importance and clearly, a change in approach is required as the sheer volume of shots they've allowed in their own 18-yard box is worrying.

Ranieri isn't big on pressing but then neither was Jokanović as Fulham rank 19th for possession won in the attacking third and 15th in the midfield area plus only six teams make fewer tackles than them (15.4). Those numbers simply have to increase as it's clear it's just too easy to play through them.

As per Understat.com, Fulham have allowed 114 passes to be played within 20 yards of their goal, that may be three less than Cardiff and Burnley, but when fellow strugglers Huddersfield have permitted just 57, it shows the level of pressure being placed on their defence and goal.

That 23 of their 31 goals conceded – 75 per cent – have been from open play only reinforces this.

Ranieri has tenacity in attack with Aleksandar Mitrović, energy and physicality through the centre of midfield with Jean-Michaël Seri, Tom Cairney and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa. The requisite pressure on the ball is achievable with the right mindset.



The sheer volume of goals they've conceded has almost masked their deficiencies in the final third: 15th for shots on target (3.75), 13th for big chances created (1.25) while only three teams have a worse xG than their 11.68.

Granted, they haven't been as bad in attack but if you're going to leave yourself so exposed defensively, you have to at least double your efforts going forward and in only two games have they bettered the opposition's xG – Burnley and Watford at home – and just five times did they breach the 1.00 mark.

Ranieri knows he will inherit a group of players exceptionally comfortable on the ball, Fulham rank seventh for accurate passes (389.58), seventh for touches (675.25), eighth for average possession (50.8 per cent) and seventh for pass completion (80.7 per cent), but that isn't translating into consistent shooting opportunities.

And although Ranieri's somewhat throwback direct, 4-4-2 style may not seem an obvious fit for this group of players it could be precisely what they need to inject some purpose into their attacking play.

Will Tinkerman habits die hard?
Ranieri has André Schürrle to perhaps adopt the Riyad Mahrez role, but maybe Ryan Sessegnon could be moved into midfield to balance out the team and also help his defensive integration into the top-flight.

There is also the role of Mitrović, unquestionably Fulham's best striker and his five goals in 12 games is a solid return in such a sub-standard attacking side but Ranieri's methods could get even more out of the Serbian.

Mitrović is an excellent player in the air, yet Fulham rank just 19th for total crosses (14.16) and accurate crosses (3.25) per game. Ranieri's quicker, more intensive offensive methods, bringing more width into their play could increase these numbers, theoretically providing the 24-year-old with more aerial opportunities to score.

But Mitrović also needs support and of the regular starters, only Schürrle is averaging more than 2.0 shots per game. That impressive midfield unit has to provide more of a goal threat, beyond long-range shooting.

In raw numbers, Mitrović (43) and Schürrle (37) have accounted for 55 per cent of all their attempts. The next two after that duo are Sessegnon and Luciano Vietto on just 11 each.

Life is hard in the Premier League but Seri was averaging 1.2 shots per 90 last season for Nice, in England it's been just 0.5, while Cairney was at 1.7 in the Championship but is 0.6 this term. Fulham's attacking threat is not only meek, it's predictable.

They've also scored just once from a set-piece situation this season – Mitrović in the 4-2 win over Burnley in August – and, as is becoming increasingly apparent, corners and free-kicks represent under-valued opportunities to find the target. Just ask England manager Gareth Southgate or Eddie Howe at Bournemouth.

For a struggling team like Fulham, it would be remiss for them not to work on honing that craft although, that said, in the season Leicester won the Premier League, set-pieces accounted for just 11 of the Foxes' 68 goals (16 per cent) so maybe don't expect a marked improvement.

Ranieri has plenty of work to do but Fulham are only three points from safety and with plenty of quality in their squad in a Premier League where at least seven teams can be considered justifiably bad. Having watched so much football already this season, the Italian will know this more than most.



https://www.footballwhispers.com/blog/ranieri-fulham-fulham?utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=news-now

WhiteJC

 
Fulham v Southampton: Whites duo out, Saints striker a doubt

New Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri has two injury doubts ahead of his first game in charge at home to fellow Premier League strugglers Southampton.

Kevin McDonald (hamstring) remains sidelined with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa also ruled out by Ranieri with an unspecified issue, although Joe Bryan should be fit enough to return to the squad following his own hamstring problem.

Fulham have lost their last six league games and have yet to name the same defensive line in consecutive matches this season, with Ranieri set to shuffle his pack in search of a winning formula.

Provisional squad: Bettinelli, Rico, Fabri, Fosu-Mensah, Christie, Odoi, Chambers, Mawson, Ream, Le Marchand, Bryan, Ayite, R Sessegnon, Seri, Johansen, De La Torre, Kebano, S Sessegnon, Schurrle, Vietto, Mitrovic, Fonte, Kamara.

Southampton are without the suspended Ryan Bertrand for their visit to Craven Cottage.

The England left-back serves a one-match ban for collecting five bookings and will be replaced by Matt Targett, who helped Fulham into the top flight while on loan at Craven Cottage last season.

Danny Ings is a major doubt after picking up a knock in the home draw with Watford before the international break, but Moi Elyounoussi (hamstring) and Mario Lemina (thigh) should be available.

Provisional squad: McCarthy, Gunn, Forster, Soares, Stephens, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Hoedt, Bednarek, Targett, Hojbjerg, Davis, Romeu, Lemina, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Elyounoussi, Redmond, Gallagher, Long, Gabbiadini, Austin, Ings.



http://londonfootballnews.co.uk/fulham/fulham-v-southampton-whites-duo-out-saints-striker-a-doubt/