Thursday Fulham Stuff (20/12/18)...

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Pedro Mendes can help Fulham stay in the Premier League



Fulham remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League following a 2-0 defeat to West Ham at the weekend.

The Cottagers squandered a number of chances in the first half and fell behind thanks to Robert Snodgrass curling past Sergio Rico after just 12 minutes. The Hammers doubled their lead shortly after through Michail Antonio, the Englishman was left unmarked for an easy finish. Claudio Ranieri's men rarely threatened after the interval and were condemned to yet another defeat in the Premier League.

Defensive issues continue to plague the London side – they are the only team in England's top four division who haven't kept a single clean sheet this season. Both goals conceded against Manuel Pellegrini's men were on the counter-attack – despite shipping 42 goals already this season – Fulham remain just three points from safety. A strong January transfer window could help Ranieri steady the ship and steer them away from danger.

One man who should be on his shortlist is Montpellier defender – Pedro Mendes. Valued at just £5.4m by Transfermarkt, the 28-year-old has developed into a crucial player for his side since joining from Rennes last summer for just £900k. The Portuguese excelled during his debut season with his new employers and has continued his fantastic form into the new campaign.

The centre-back would add some much-needed stability to the Fulham back four if Ranieri could lure him to England in January. Mendes loves to get stuck in, winning 2.2 tackles per game in Ligue 1 this season, highlighting the protection he would offer the Fulham goal. The defender also reads the game well, completing 1.2 interceptions per game on average (WhoScored). Thanks to his strength and jumping reach, the former Sporting Lisbon man should have no trouble adapting to the physicality of the Premier League.

Approaching the prime of his career, Mendes is a player Fulham must take a closer look at.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/pedro-mendes-can-help-fulham-stay-in-the-premier-league/

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Inside St James' Park

Newcastle United season ticket holder Richard Smith gives us the lowdown on his team's season, and explains why he thinks Saturday could go either way.

After a slow start, things have picked up since the start of November – what's your take on the season so far?

We've actually been quite consistent in terms of performances - we just can't score goals. Salomon Rondon missed all of pre-season and so is only just starting to get fully fit. It's no surprise that us going from narrowly losing games to narrowly winning them has coincided with his return to fitness as we otherwise have very little up front.

Who have been Newcastle's better performers?

Martin Dubravka continues to impress in goal, Federico Fernandez and Fabian Schar have shown commitment and class at the back, Rondon has the potential to be a worthy number 9, and Ki Sung-Yueng has been consistently good since replacing Jonjo Shelvey in the team.

Where do you think you will end up this season?

We could realistically finish anywhere from 12th to 20th, the bottom half of the table is that tight. We finished 10th with only 44 points last season, having lost 18 games! My only worry is that other teams may be more willing to invest in players to try and get away from the relegation dog fight.

How can we expect Rafa Benitez to set the team up on Saturday?

We've recently moved to a 3-5-2/5-4-1 and it seems to be working well for us. Benitez has the team very well organised and he seems to be eking a lot out of some limited players. We're more comfortable trying to grind out wins than taking the game to an opponent, so I'd expect more of the same on Saturday.

What sort of reception can Aleksandar Mitrović expect?

I expect he'll get a warm welcome back. Briefly. He was always fairly popular among the support, but he didn't play as many games as he probably should have. I think the general feeling is that it's disappointing that he wasn't able to fulfil his potential with us. No doubt he'll score at the weekend!

Which Fulham players do you think could cause some damage?

Ryan Sessegnon tore us apart a couple of seasons ago in the Championship, Tom Cairney has always looked a good player when we've played Fulham, and André Schürrle was someone I would have been happy to have at NUFC. Jamaal Lascelles vs Mitro should be a good battle.

What sort of match are you anticipating?

Cagey, scrappy, and low-scoring. It makes me wonder why I actually bother going! Haha.

Are there any Newcastle-Fulham fixtures from the past that stand out for you?

The 1-4 defeat in 2004. We absolutely battered you for the full game but couldn't get past Mark Crossley. I think you scored with every shot you had! And our 1-0 win in 2013 when Hatem Ben Arfa got a late winner with a brilliant goal - what I'd give for a player of that quality in our team now.

Where's good for Fulham fans to get a pre-match pint?

There are some decent bars around the station - The Town Wall and Newcastle Tap – but generally there's something for everyone and plenty near the ground. It'll probably take longer to walk from the turnstile to their seat in the away end than it will for supporters to walk from the station to the ground!

What score prediction are you going for?

Fulham haven't won away all season and are rooted to the bottom of the table, but typically whenever anyone needs a win, we tend to be the next opponents and duly roll over for them. Narrow victory either way; 1-0 or 0-1.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/december/19/inside-st-james-park

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Report: Leeds United and Fulham sent scouts to watch Francesco Clemente

Championship leaders Leeds United and Premier League strugglers Fulham are both reportedly watching the Italian striker.

Leeds United and Fulham are reportedly interested in the same striking prospect.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, the Championship leaders and the Premier League's bottom club have both sent scouts to watch the highly-rated Italian striker Francesco Paolo Clemente in action this weekend and they would have been impressed.

Because Clemente turned on the style, scoring twice for Foggia against Roma to add to his growing reputation.

It remains to be seen if either Leeds or Fulham will press ahead with their initial interest having made the decision to watch Clemente in the flesh.

Leeds have signed a number of exciting young talents since Victor Orta took over as director of football in 2017. And Marcelo Bielsa's willingness to give youth a chance, such as Jack Clarke (below) and Jamie Shackelton, would bode well for Clemente's first-team prospects should he move to Elland Road.

Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri, meanwhile, is likely to be abreast of the most talented up-and-comers in Italian football given his connections on the continent.

The Cottagers are currently in 20th place in the top flight, having lost 2-0 at home to West Ham United on Saturday.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/12/19/do-report-leeds-united-and-fulham-sent-scouts-to-watch-francesco/

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Report: Fulham rivalling Championship duo for Everton defender Mason Holgate

Everton youngster Mason Holgate is reportedly in demand with Fulham and Championship duo Derby County and Sheffield United interested.

The availability of Mason Holgate has not gone unnoticed.

The 22-year-old centre-back is out of favour at Everton right now following the summer arrivals of Kurt Zouma and Yerry Mina, not to mention the dramatic return to form of £30 million man Michael Keane.

As a result, Holgate will be allowed to leave on loan in the January transfer window according to Sky Sports (18 December, 12:00pm) with a number of clubs understood to be interested.

One of those is a Fulham side who are crying out for defensive reinforcements. Claudio Ranieri's side are bottom of the Premier League, having conceded a shocking 42 goals in just 17 games including two in the home defeat against West Ham United on Saturday.

The report adds that Championship duo Derby County and Sheffield United are also interested in England U21 international Holgate.

Derby have already benefited from some intelligent loan signings this season, Harry Wilson starring during a spell from Liverpool while both Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount arrived from Chelsea.

Sheffield United, meanwhile, are fifth in the Championship table, just a point and a place behind Derby.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/12/19/do-report-fulham-rivalling-championship-duo-for-everton-defender/

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Will Mitrovic prove Benitez wrong against Newcastle?

Newcastle United face a struggling Fulham side on Saturday, marking the return of Aleksandar Mitrovic to St James' Park.

The former Magpie will be desperate to get on the score sheet for his new club, and to also prove Rafa Benitez wrong.

The promising young striker often flattered to deceive in his time on Tyneside and frustrated supporters with his lack of goals.

In 72 games with Newcastle he scored just 17 goals and there was consistent question marks over the Serbian's discipline.

Benitez eventually deemed the striker surplus to requirements this summer and he was sold to Fulham for a fee of £22m.

But it's been a different story for Mitrovic at Craven Cottage and the Serbian has finally found his goal scoring touch.

The 24-year old has already scored 19 goals in 36 games for The Cottagers and has seven Premier League goals this season.

But how much of a threat will he be against the Toon?

Mitrovic still inconsistent
At the start of the season it looked as if Benitez had made a huge mistake.

Newly promoted Fulham entered the Premier League with a bang, and Mitrovic looked to be the team's star player.

The Serbian scored five goals in the opening six matches of the season and topped the PL scoring charts.

But despite initially flourishing, goals have begun to dry up for The Serbian.

The Cottagers have been struggling defensively for months now, and Mitrovic has been struggling too.

With Fulham consistently on the back foot in matches, the striker has been provided with few opportunities.

Although Fulham's main man up top, he has scored just two goals in his last 11 matches.

The Newcastle squad will be pleased to face him during this spell of bad form, but must still be wary of his qualities.

Despite a six game drought a few months ago, The Serbian reminded everyone of his ability against Southampton in November.

The 24-year old managed to bag a brace against the Saints after just four efforts at goal, winning the match for The Cottagers.

Newcastle's defence will need to make sure they remain alert to avoid a similar situation.

Benitez being proved right on Mitro
While Mitrovic had his supporters at Newcastle, his work rate and finishing were never quite good enough.

The Serbian always looked promising, but never quite reached his potential in a black and white shirt.

For Benitez, he simply did not fit into the manager's tactical system.

The Spaniard asks a lot of his front men, and needs them to run the channels and hold the play up for teammates.

This is something Salomon Rondon has done consistently since November, and has seen his efforts rewarded with goals.

However Mitrovic is not that sort of player.

The physical forward relies on pinpoint service from his teammates and wont work as hard to create his own chances.

If Newcastle can stifle Fulham's midfield support, Mitrovic shouldn't be too much of a problem.



https://www.geordiebootboys.com/news/will-mitrovic-prove-benitez-wrong-newcastle

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Alan Pardew's old mate Tony Gale previews Newcastle v Fulham

A regular past annoyance to Newcastle fans, Pardew's mate Tony Gale has previewed Newcastle v Fulham.

Tony Gale is one of those very annoying people who gets regular work in the media despite no discernible talent, apparently his chief/only selling point(s) is having played for a number of London clubs and being based down south now.

He became particularly annoying during the Alan Pardew years, a big mate of the then NUFC manager, he would launch into the Newcastle fans when they were rightfully calling out Pardew.

Even after Pardew jumped ship at Newcastle himself, Tony Gale has still had moments.

In August 2016 after Newcastle had beaten Reading 4-1, the cockney oaf declared: 'I don't think they are going to go up automatically because they can't handle it when things go wrong. The crowd gets on their backs...'

Rafa Benitez of course took Newcastle up as champions despite having an average of over 51,000 fans at every home match 'on their backs...'

Earlier this season, Tony Gale was the 'expert' pundit (see below) on the overseas live TV coverage of Palace 0 Newcastle 0, Newcastle fans reacting to his ludicrously biased coverage. He use to play for Palace...

Newcastle now face Fulham, another of Tony Gale's old clubs....

Tony Gale speaking  to the official Fulham site:

"We're leading into three massive games (Newcastle away and then Wolves & Huddersfield at home)  now...you could find yourself cut adrift, or you can find yourself right in the pack.

"I've got faith that the latter is going to be the case.

"We've got Newcastle away next and although they had a good win at Huddersfield last time out, it looked like they nicked it.

"Rafa Benitez is playing the way he has to with the players he's got.

"He's keeping it tight and he's trying to nick results, and I think we might go similar up there against them.

"They're not the strongest side ever so it's a great chance for us to come away with a point or three, if we play the game correctly.

"But you can't give that crowd something to cheer because they can make a noise up there.

"We've got to stay in the match as long as we can and make it happen for ourselves."

So far, Fulham have one point from nine away games and have conceded a massive 24 goals in those nine PL away fixtures.

I will be very interested to hear Tony Gale's verdict after Newcastle hopefully add another defeat to that Fulham total.

Tony Gale speaking on Sky Sports after Newcastle 4 Reading 1 – 18 August 2016:

"They stood out in terms of result and played well to a point...but I still have reservations.

"I don't think they are going to go up automatically because they can't handle it when things go wrong.

"The crowd gets on their backs and things will go wrong in Championship, (it will be) an up and down season."



https://www.themag.co.uk/2018/12/alan-pardews-old-mate-tony-gale-previews-newcastle-v-fulham-newcastle-united/

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Southampton track Fulham keeper Marcus Bettinelli as they prepare for interest in No 1 Alex McCarthy

    Saints chiefs have a growing interest in England international Marcus Bettinelli 
    They believe Alex McCarthy is attracting interest from Premier League rivals
    Bettinelli has lost his place in the Fulham XI to Sergio Rico in recent weeks

Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli is being tracked by relegation threatened Southampton.

Despite having Alex McCarthy and Angus Gunn already on their books, Saints chiefs have a growing interest in England international Bettinelli.

Southampton believe McCarthy is attracting interest from a number of their Premier League rivals and have begun the process of identifying potential replacements.


Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli is being tracked by relegation threatened Southampton

The Fulham shot-stopper has lost his place in the starting XI to Sergio Rico in recent weeks and the uncertainty surrounding his future has alerted a number of Premier League clubs.

Southampton are showing a keen interest in the 26-year-old. The fact the keeper meets the Premier League's homegrown regulations makes Bettinelli an interesting proposition for potential suitors.

Bettinelli's excellent start to the season at Craven Cottage resulted in an England call-up in September and he kept his place in Gareth Southgate's party for the following November internationals.

However there is a realisation Bettinelli - who signed a contract extension earlier this season - may have to leave west London to ensure he stays in the international fold if he does not play in the near future.


Southampton believe Alex McCarthy is attracting interest from their Premier League rivals



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6511897/Southampton-track-Fulham-keeper-Marcus-Bettinelli-prepare-No-1-Alex-McCarthy.html

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Report: Fulham want £40m Boca Juniors forward Cristian Pavon

Arsenal reportedly want to bring Argentina forward Pavon to the Premier League but do not rule out Claudio Ranieri's Fulham just yet.

Cristian Pavon looks set to finally make the big move to Europe.

The 22-year-old forward has been one of the most exciting talents in South American football for a number of years now with his form at Boca Juniors earning rave reviews. Pavon scored nine goals and set up 19 more in all competitions last season, forcing his way into Argentina's ill-fated World Cup squad.

And, according to the Sun (18 December, page 59) a big-money switch to the Premier League could be on the cards. It is understood that Arsenal have already been in talks with Pavon's representatives with Unai Emery a fan of the versatile forward.

Interestingly, the report adds that Fulham have also made an enquiry, although Claudio Ranieri's side are well short of Boca's £40 million valuation as things stand.

But having spent over £100 million on new signings over the summer, the Cottagers clearly have money to spend.

The Sun adds that living in London would appeal to Pavon meaning he would give consideration to Fulham, despite the fact that they are bottom of the Premier League.

Although any move for the speedy forward, who has been called 'excellent' by compatriot Lionel Messi (AS), would likely see Fulham break their transfer record.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/12/19/do-report-fulham-want-40m-boca-juniors-forward-cristian-pavon/

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Fulham want to sign Bournemouth forward Mousset

Fulham want to sign Bournemouth striker Lys Mousset during next month's transfer window.

The 22-year-old has struggled to establish himself in the Cherries side since a £5.4m move from Le Havre in 2016.

He has made just seven Premier League starts in over two years – and the Whites want to offer him a chance to establish himself in the Premier at Craven Cottage.

New Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri is keen to bring in a striker as well as a centre-back and possibly a right-back.

West London Sport revealed last week that Fulham want to sign former England defender Gary Cahill from Chelsea.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-want-to-sign-bournemouth-forward

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Fulham 'keen on deal' for Bournemouth's Lys Mousset

Fulham are interested in a January deal for Bournemouth striker Lys Mousset, Sky Sports News understands.

New boss Claudio Ranieri is keen to bring in another striker in the New Year and Mousset has been out of favour on the South Coast.

The 22-year-old has struggled to establish himself since joining in 2016, making just seven Premier League starts in over two years.

But he could be given a fresh chance at Craven Cottage, albeit in a relegation dog-fight.

As the league's bottom club look to improve their squad and stay up, they are hoping to sign a new striker, a centre-back and possibly a right-back.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12691/11585976/fulham-keen-on-deal-for-bournemouths-lys-mousset

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Armsworth: Dominant For Large Parts

Scott Armsworth reflected on his side's dominance in the first half, but was slightly disappointed they couldn't follow it up in the second to secure all three points.

Swansea managed to take the lead against the run of play when Rushesha converted from the spot. The goal didn't seem to faze the Young Whites as Fabio Carvalho struck a composed shot just before the break.

However, the result means that is seven games without a win in all competitions as we enter the Christmas break.

"I think we did well in the first half by controlling it really well." He told fulhamfc.com. "We were unlucky to go 1-0 down. We kept it moving well and good switches led to good opportunities. In the second half, we weren't quite as assured in getting our midfielders on the ball – it was more turnover football which didn't suit us.

"I think we did well and were organised at the back limiting them to very few chances. We were well drilled in our game plan so we won the ball back very quickly. In the second half, we weren't quite as compact and let them get into a rhythm. We still defended well and coped with set plays. However, if we had controlled the game from start to finish the result wouldn't have been an issue."

The centre back is grateful for the two-week break as a chance for the group to recharge in a more favourable batch of fixtures going into the New Year.

"I think the past few weeks have been difficult for a lot of us, so in the New Year we will be looking at solidifying what we have learnt in the last few weeks to make them into wins. It will be a good opportunity to rest up for the lads along with the Germany Tournament where we can get away.

"With the individuals we have, we can beat any team. It's how we perform as a unit, there are times where we do very well together and times where we forget our roles. Especially over this period we will be fresh and focus on getting the results we deserve."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/december/19/armsworth-post-swansea

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Cottage Talk Podcast: View Of The Opposition - Alex Hurst From The True Faith NUFC Podcast
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

This episode is an interview with Alex Hurst, who is a host of the True Fatih NUFC Podcast, and he was on to preview the upcoming match for Fulham against Newcastle United.

During the intervew, he shared his views on Newcastle United so far this season. We ended the show with Alex sharing his thoughts on this upcoming the match, and he gave a prediction. This is our preview show for this match.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2018/12/19/18148699/cottage-talk-podcast-view-of-the-opposition-alex-hurst-from-the-true-faith-nufc-podcast

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Why 'smart striker' Aleksandar Mitrovic is a 'nightmare' to defend against, reveals Jamaal Lascelles

Former Newcastle United striker Aleksandar Mitrovic returns to St James' Park on Saturday for the first time since he departed in the summer


Aleksandar Mitrovic of Fulham celebrates after scoring (Image: Getty Images Europe)

Aleksandar Mitrovic is a "nightmare" for defenders to deal with - and captain Jamaal Lascelles admits Newcastle United must be at their best to keep the former Magpie quiet on Saturday.

The 24-year-old striker will return to St James' Park for the first time since departing for Fulham permanently during the summer in an initial £22million deal.

Serbia international Mitrovic has scored seven Premier League goals this season - three more than United's top marksman Salomon Rondon - but the Cottagers forward has netted just twice since September.

During three years on Tyneside, Mitrovic scored 14 goals in 65 league games, but struggled to convince manager Rafa Benitez that he could work effectively within the Magpies' system.

Mitrovic himself admitted earlier this year that Benitez's style "did not suit" him, and feels more at home playing in Fulham's attacking style.

And, even though the Cottagers are bottom of the table, Lascelles is way of the threat Mitrovic will bring on a ground he knows well this Saturday.

"Mitro is a good striker; he's smart, he's physical, and he can be a nightmare for centre-halves," Lascelles told nufcTV.

"But we're paid to do our job, and they're coming to St James' Park, so we'll be full of confidence.

"They're bottom of the league, but they've got some good players in their team. Obviously Mitro's a good striker and they've got a good midfield; they try to play good football, too.

"Every game in the Premier League is a difficult game, and there's not one game where you think: 'Yeah, we'll easily beat them.'

"So we just need to make sure we prepare in the right way and with the same attitude we did at the weekend."

Newcastle moved up to 14th place, four point clear of the drop zone, following a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town last weekend.

Fulham, meanwhile, are seven points behind the Magpies but will be buoyed by Newcastle's disappointing home record, given that United have lost seven of their nine matches at St James' Park in 2018/19.

Lascelles is confident Newcastle can correct their disappointing form on Tyneside, however, and continue their momentum into a period in which they play Fulham, Liverpool and Watford inside the space of a week.

"Every game is massive for us. The Huddersfield win was huge, especially at this time of the year, and there's a little gap to the bottom three forming now," the 25-year-old Newcastle skipper added.

"But it's just about keeping our heads down, keep trying to do the same things, keep trying to get as many points as we can, and if we carry on how we're playing and training, then I'm pretty sure we will [pull away from the bottom three].

"Yeah it can be [a defining point of the season]. Last year we turned it around in January or February time because we were really far down the bottom before then. But we turned it around really quickly.

"We're not in that situation we were in last year. It's just about making that gap [to the bottom three] even bigger and building momentum."



https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aleksandar-mitrovic-newcastle-united-fulham-15574015

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Fulham should dismiss Southampton bid for Bettinelli and make him number one

Marcus Bettinelli is attracting interest from Southampton but Fulham should issue a hands-off warning before reinstating him as number one.

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Struggling Southampton have a growing interest in goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, of relegation rivals Fulham, according to the Daily Mail.

Sergio Rico has taken up the number one spot at Craven Cottage in Claudio Ranieri's struggling side and that has reportedly made the Saints think that they can engineer a January swoop.

Bettinelli only signed a new Cottagers contract earlier this season but his current first team situation has apparently raised the prospect of him leaving.

He is reportedly of interest to a host of top flight clubs because he meets the homegrown quota, but Ranieri should put the blockers on any potential move next month.

The Italian has installed Rico as his number one goalkeeper but is has done nothing to spark a defensive improvement at the Cottage.

Fulham's intense summer spending has ripped apart pretty much everything that got them out of the Championship; intricate football, huge togetherness and willingness to fight.

Bettinelli embodies what got them out of the second tier and Ranieri could do with a slice of that as he seeks to engineer something to build a survival bid on.

Offloading Bettinelli would not go down well with the fans either and the glovesman's presence in Gareth Southgate's England squads only underline the scale of his potential.

Instead of selling him to a relegation rival, Ranieri should make Bettinelli his number one goalkeeper.



https://tbrfootball.com/fulham-should-dismiss-southampton-bid-for-bettinelli-and-make-him-number-one/

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Ranieri: "Football Needs A Person Like Mourinho, He Still Has A Lot To Give"

In today's edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, there is a long letter from Claudio Ranieri to José Mourinho. In a bitter time like this, after the relationship between the Portuguese and Manchester United ended, the current Fulham manager wanted to show how close to "The Special One" he is. What before was a bitter enemy, now seems to be an old friend.

"Sorry. One word is enough to summarize my feelings after the sacking of José Mourinho. I am always sorry when a colleague gets fired, but in this case that word needs to be underlined because nowadays I consider José a close friend. He was the first one to write to me after I got sacked by Fulham and I will never forget him putting on a shirt at a press conference with my initials on it after I got sacked by Leicester, asking the club to name its stadium after me. We managers always live in an uncertain situation, in between heaven and hell and where the results are our thermometer of our life. But the overall judgement of a manager can not be based on a single season or be marked by an unfortunate adventure. The judgment must be a general one and in the case of José we talk about a winning coach, a man who has won trophies all over the world: Portugal, Italy, Spain and England. Mou is a winner with a capital w and to him, like to our Antonio Conte, I wish a quick return to the pitch. It may seem trivial to say, but football needs a man like Mourinho, a man with an enormous intelligence, exceptional charisma, splendid irony and a huge experience. I am convinced that José still have a lot to give to football and those who think otherwise are making a big mistake."



https://sempreinter.com/2018/12/19/ranieri-football-needs-a-person-like-mourinho-he-still-has-a-lot-to-give/

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Fernandez pictured back in training

Newcastle United defender Federico Fernandez has been pictured back in training following his absence for the Magpies' 1-0 win over Huddersfield.

The Argentine picked up a calf injury during the last minute 2-1 defeat to Wolves in the Toon Army's last outing at St. James' Park, but has returned to training as they prepare to host Fulham on Saturday afternoon.

Pictures of the session were posted to the club's official Twitter account.
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Whether or not the 29-year-old will be available to feature in that game is unclear at this stage, but his return to action will be well-received by fans and manager Rafa Benitez.

The Spaniard should also be able to call upon French defender Florian Lejeune, who is nearing a return to first team action following a ruptured cruciate ligament, in the near future.

OPINION

The return of Fernandez will be a real boost to Newcastle United, whose defending this season has often left a lot to be desired. Granted, the Argentine has been involved in many of those performances, but in recent weeks, he and Jamaal Lascelles seem to have formed a decent partnership, and he has settled well into the side. He is a calming influence with a wealth of experience, at both club and international level, and he will be a welcome re-addition Benitez's ranks. The only issue that the 29-year-old's availability creates is the uncertainty over the Magpie's best centre-half pairing. Fernandez and Lascelles have looked promising, but Fabian Schar did well to keep a vital clean sheet alongside the skipper last week. Add to that the imminent and long-awaited return of Florian Lejeune, and the Spanish manager might have a selection headache on his hands. There are, of course, worse problems to have, but when a settled and solid backline could be key to survival, fierce competition might not be the best thing.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2018/12/blogs/premier-league/fernandez-pictured-back-in-training/

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Aleksandar Mitrovic to give Newcastle United pals a "nightmare" before Christmas

Newcastle defender Jamaal Lascelles knows what's coming his way when old team-mate Mitrovic and Fulham visit


Mitrovic is a physical handful for every defence he faces (Image: Reuters)

Aleksandar Mitrovic has been branded a "nightmare" by the defender tasked with marking him on his return to Newcastle this weekend.

Magpies skipper Jamaal Lascelles has paid tribute to his former team-mate, saying the Serb is "smart and physical" and a tough opponent.

Mitrovic was sold to promoted Fulham by Rafa Benitez for £20million in the summer, with the Spaniard not convinced he fitted his tactics.

Benitez rated the popular 24-year-old as "a good lad", but did not trust him fully after red-card incidents and issues with his work-rate while defending.

Mitro has been a hit at Fulham, helping them to promotion last season to earn that permanent move.

On Tyneside, he scored just 14 goals in 65 league games. In contrast, Fulham's attacking style has helped him net 13 times for club and country in only 22 appearances this season.

Lascelles said: "Mitro is a good striker; he's smart, he's physical, and he can be a nightmare for centre-halves. And they've got a good midfield; they try to play good football, too. But we're paid to do our job, and they're coming to St James' Park, so we'll be full of confidence.

"They're bottom of the league, but they've got some good players in their team.

"Every game in the Premier League is a difficult game. There's not one game where you think, 'Yeah, we'll easily beat them.' So we just need to make sure we prepare in the right way and with the same attitude we did at the weekend."

Newcastle have climbed to 14th and face a tough Christmas fixture list including Liverpool and Manchester United.

Lascelles added: "Every game is massive for us.

"The Huddersfield win [on Saturday] was huge, especially at this time of the year, and there's a little gap to the bottom three forming now.

"But it's just about keeping our heads down, keep trying to do the same things, keep trying to get as many points as we can, and if we carry on how we're playing and training, then I'm pretty sure we will pull clear."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/aleksandar-mitrovic-give-newcastle-united-13757444