Monday Fulham Stuff (22/04/19)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Beat Bournemouth Away Fielding The Same Team As Most Of The Season – Why?

Scott Parker has come in taking over the managerial reigns of Claudio Ranieri after the Italian failed to improve the results following the dismissal of Jokanovic. Parker had an impossible task to keep this Fulham squad in the Premier League, and as expected, failed. His first five games all ended in defeats, with the fifth being the poor away showing at Watford that sealed relegation back to the Championship.

Why all of a sudden has the tide turned and Fulham have now won two matches on the bounce and their first away victory of the season?

There are several reasons;

The players knew they were down and therefore the pressure was off. A defeat at each game was now expected. This led the team to go out and try to enjoy the games. Just a point would have been a vast improvement, yet they have managed six from the two matches.

Another important factor is the teams Fulham are now playing have all but secured Premier League football for at least another season and have little to play for. This has been evident in the displays by Everton and Bournemouth, both well below their season's best.

So, although it's always nice to see the fans smiling, the players and manager happy following a victory, we must not get too carried away. This IS virtually the same set of players both Jokanovic and Ranieri selected most of the season before their departures. The fact is that these same players lacked the strength, quality and commitment needed every week from the beginning of the season. This did not happen.

Today against Bournemouth, not much quality was needed to gain the three points. No player stood out as playing a wonderful game, however, for the first-time goalkeeper Rico was the hero. Luckily he had no aerial bombardment to deal with, but he did make some fine saves and was willing to put his body in dangerous situations, saving his team several times from conceding a goal.

Seri was a poor replacement for captain Tom Cairney who apparently was absent due to the imminent arrival of his partner's baby. I'm sure all fans will wish him and his family all good luck with that.........

As for the rest of the team, they had plenty of time and space to knock the ball around. This must have felt so different to them compared to rest of the season that has gone by. They looked the most likely to score, especially in the second half following Mitrovic's penalty strike.

There has been many news articles regarding a possible new manager coming in next season to try to bring Fulham straight back up. Whether the club should do this, or give Scott Parker a fresh chance of proving himself, is a difficult question. Personally, I would like to see Parker given that chance, although I am a bit disappointed that he hasn't used the matches since the Watford defeat to throw in more of the players that will probably be staying with the club, especially the youngsters. They could prove to be a much-needed asset in the long and tough season ahead.



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/fulham-beat-bournemouth-away-fielding-the-same-team-as-most-of-the-season-why/

[WhiteJC]

 
'The last two performances have given us a little bit of a stepping stone': Caretaker boss Scott Parker urges Fulham's players to carry recent form into next season to secure immediate Premier League return

    Scott Parker wants Fulham to harness recent form and carry it into next season
    The Cottagers relegation from the Premier League was secure three weeks ago
    Since then, Fulham have beaten Everton and Bournemouth to restore pride
    Caretaker boss Parker wants this form to act as a stepping stone for next year

Scott Parker believes back-to-back wins should give Fulham confidence in their quest for an immediate Premier League return.

The Cottagers' relegation to the Sky Bet Championship was confirmed three weeks ago but they have since restored some pride by beating Everton and Bournemouth.

Caretaker boss Parker, who replaced the sacked Claudio Ranieri seven games ago, has urged his players to focus on the future and not dwell on the pain of going down.


Scott Parker wants Fulham to take their end of season form into the Championship next year

'You get relegated and ultimately there's disappointment, but at football clubs as quick as you have a disappointment, you look onto the next thing,' said Parker.

'You can't hang around thinking what could have been, how things could be.

'The next thing is next season - performances, can we build?

'Winning is a habit and ultimately next year we're going to have to try and win as many games as we can because we've had a taste of this league and this is the league we want to be back in.


Aleksander Mitrovic scored the only goal of the game on Saturday as they beat Bournemouth


Parker is caretaker manager and will be hoping he can do enough to get the job permanently

'We need to build from there and the last two performances have probably given us a little bit of a stepping stone to that target.'

Aleksandar Mitrovic's second-half penalty earned Saturday's 1-0 success at Bournemouth.

Victory at the Vitality Stadium secured the west London club's first league away win in a year to ruin Eddie Howe's 500th game in management.

Cherries defender Nathan Ake thinks next weekend's trip to south-coast rivals Southampton provides an ideal opportunity to return to winnings ways.

'We just have to make sure we don't let this (defeat) affect us, it's the only thing you can do,' the Holland international told afcb.co.uk. 'You have to keep going, make sure we train well.

'I'm sure the fans want us to win over there at Southampton and we want that as well, so we have to make sure that we do. I think it's a perfect game to bounce back.'


Mitrovic struck from the penalty spot at the Vitality stadium to grab the only goal of the game


Parker was full of praise for his players and hopes recent wins can act as a stepping stone



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6944371/Caretaker-boss-Scott-Parker-urges-Fulhams-players-carry-recent-form-season.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Khan't Buy Me Love | Thirty-Three Degrees South

Twitter paints a fairly colourful picture of the Khans, Tony in particular. Deep shades of blame, with light brushstrokes of naivety, and a few holes where someone has stabbed the canvas with the paintbrush... Whatever the picture looks like, it's not flattering. But is it an accurate depiction of the family behind our football club? Blaming someone else is wildly enjoyable, but allow me to play devil's advocate for just a moment.

Disclaimer: I'm aware that we could have Shahid as owner without Tony as director of football. However, I'm working off the premise that he's probably not going to fire his own son, and for all intents and purposes, the Khans are a package deal.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing...
When the transfer window closed in the summer, Twitter was practically unanimous: 'This is the best transfer window in history' and countless Chris Pratt gifs with 'We Just signed Seri?' underneath. Commentators were predicting we would finish in the top half of the table, a la Wolves, and we were all relishing a Cardiff relegation (I still am, please God). Admittedly, some of the moves were met with scepticism, like Schurrle, or Anguissa. However the former was a World Cup winner and probably worth the gamble, and the latter has begun to show his worth in the back quarter of the season. By and large, it was hailed as a great window.

But, hindsight is a beautiful thing, isn't it? Suddenly, we all had Nostradamus-like insight, as though we had always known we were getting relegated. Insight into summer transfers is a wonderful thing, it's just that (for most of us) it emerged in mid-October.

Sometimes, some of the blame must lie with the players under-performing. Is this Fulham squad good enough on paper to stay up? Yes, most likely. 17th was not unrealistic, especially not for the pundits who had us potentially challenging for Europa League. Unless TK was scoring own goals or coughing up possession in the midfield, we might need to re-think casting him as the blithering idiot in this story.

On a side note: If the relegation clause rumour is as good as it sounds, and Cairney, Mitrovic and Anguissa are demolishing Luton next season, maybe he wasn't so naive after all...

Sit down, be humble
The fact that Tony owns his failures is unusual. Rich and successful people generally stay rich and successful by refusing to admit they have any shortcomings. Hell, you can even become the President of a world superpower by refusing to acknowledge your shortcomings. Tony, however, has not shown himself to be this kind of leader. "I am sorry that we let you down," he said on Instagram. "We hold ourselves accountable. We will reflect, plan thoroughly and respond accordingly."

People with fixed mindsets about how things should work cannot grow and improve like someone who can acknowledge their failures. He didn't force Mitro to handle the ball down at the Amex. Not even the Brighton defenders did that. And we lost plenty of games from ridiculous individual errors like that. But rather than blame everyone from the players, down to the cooks at Motspur Park, Tony owned the mistakes. And as every tacky poster in Australian high school rooms remind us: FAIL stands for First Attempt In Learning. Cringey, maybe, but the psychology behind it is sound. I don't think he will be making the same mistakes again.

In it for the long haul
Tony seems to cop a bit of flak in this area. He goes missing off his socials when we are haemorrhaging goals, and emerges from his bear-like hibernation when we win (Thanks for coming, Everton). Let's forget for a moment that most of the players do this as well; there is only so many times you can post 'gutted about the result, but we train hard and believe!' before it loses all meaning. I would love to see a more public front from TK after a loss, but I can also understand why he might not. Some of the abuse hurled his way because our defence doesn't know how to compact, or our midfield goes missing is hair raising. I went looking for some examples, but none of them could be printed by your ol' pals at Fulhamish. Not without a language warning, and a caution that this article may contain bestiality rumours. Moving on...

John-Paul Sartre once said that 'commitment is an act, not a word.' What this had to do with existentialism, I'm not sure, consider this in relation to the Khans.

    They have invested £80 million for the new Riverside Stand
    They have vastly improved the facilities at Motspur Park
    They made Fulham the first promoted club to spend a hundred million. In hindsight, yes, we can agree that it might have been poorly allocated, but there is no room to doubt their commitment.

Consider now Stan Kroenke, who despite being worth £7bn, hasn't invested any of his own money into the club. He has said he didn't buy Arsenal to win trophies, and set season tickets at the highest cost across Europe. Or perhaps you may want to consider Mike Ashley, who insisted on the lowest spend/biggest profit this summer, and is pretty much the worst guy out there. I may be a cheap date, but when Tony Khan says 'I'll die here,' I'm all about it. He's a far cry from the horror owners in this league alone, who are only there to make money. He's here for the long haul, and he's shown he has the ambition you want for your club.

My Kingdom for Perspective!
Hear me loud and clear: No one is saying Tony Khan has nailed it this year. I'm not going to launch into "Tony Khan! He wants to be a Brit, and QPR are poo" at the weekend, but is the sky really falling down? Probably not. Last October, the Khans were ranked 8th best owners in the Premier League. That means there are twelve worse options. Perspective! My kingdom for perspective! Much like I have grace on an underperforming Ryan Sessegnon because I believe that he could benefit the club massively in the future, I have grace on underperforming Khans. They could be instrumental in re-building the club into something respectable. And what's the alternative? Abuse them on all your socials? That isn't exactly conducive to them opening their wallets and building something back up. It probably breeds our own Kroenke or Ashley, who don't care for a fanbase who doesn't care for them.

You Khan't buy me love. But your investment might rebuild Fulham into a proper Premier League team, and that's the next best thing.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2019-04-21-khant-buy-me-love-thirty-three-degrees-south/

[WhiteJC]

 
What do we do now?

When an interim coach in charge of first-team affairs is losing fixtures, it's understandably a lot easier to walk away than if results pick up, as does the atmosphere and performances around the football club. Even a club the size of Manchester United saw that impact as something that they could not reject after 'loaned' Ole Gunnar Solksjaer won over the board and was rewarded with the permanent position after winning losing just once in his first 13 fixtures and pushing what looked to be a lost season into Champions League contention. Following the permanent appointment of the Norwegian, United's form has swung back the other and as I type, the Red Devils have lost five of their last seven matches (including exiting the Champions League).

So what relevance does this have to Fulham? Well, Scott Parker too was put in charge of first-team affairs on a basis of seeing it out to the end of the season for the club to reassess their future. Whilst Ole's appointment sparked an immediate turn of dominant form, Fulham's fixture list and quality of personnel saw it unlikely for Fulham to go on a similar run but other than a thoroughly disappointing display at Watford which confirmed relegation, Fulham have looked happier, more competitive and stronger. With a 2-0 home win against Everton and a 1-0 at Bournemouth, Scott Parker's Fulham has now doubled their clean sheet tally and ensured that Parker will finish the season with more Premier League points than Slavisa Jokanovic, that man that took the Whites to the 'promised land.'

One could also compare the Parker project to Darren Moore's appointment at West Bromwich Albion the previous year. Moore was given the reigns after Tony Pulis and Alan Pardew were both let go in between a caretaker spell for Gary Megson. West Bromwich Albion was all but relegated with a 10 point gap and six matches. Wins over Manchester United and Tottenham including a point against Liverpool had West Brom hoping to keep their Premier League status alive until the final day but a Southampton win over Swansea saw the Baggies relegated whilst watching at home. Darren Moore was rewarded with the permanent job and took West Brom into a Championship campaign hoping for an immediate bounce back. Supported with the signings of Sam Johnstone and Kyle Bartley on permanent deals and the loan of Dwight Gayle (among others), Moore had the Baggies in the promotion chase all season but two losses against promotion rivals Sheffield United and Leeds United followed by a draw at home to the now relegated Ipswich Town saw Darren Moore bizarrely (from an outside perspective at least) sacked though it seems that West Bromwich Albion's finances may not quite enjoy another year in the Championship, the lottery of the playoffs on the face of it was not good enough.

Back to Fulham, the players are openly behind Scott Parker, a good chunk of the squad were teammates of the former club captain but I think you may struggle to find a situation where the players were against the interim coach, especially following a horrible appointment of dinosaur Claudio. It's hard not to harp back a few years and think of Kit Symons' appointment following Felix Magath's reign where the stands were desperate for the then under 23 coach to the first team role on a permanent basis following a strong run of form and very different feeling around the club. That experiment may be one that will worry the Khan's, the Welshman lasted a little over a year and although through the recruitment of Mike Rigg and Kit Symons improved the playing staff slightly (in came Ryan Fredericks, Tim Ream and Tom Cairney) as well as overseeing the development of Marcus Bettinelli and Moussa Dembele, Fulham remained a team around the bottom of the division.

It would be very difficult to argue against the permanent appointment of Scott Parker being a gamble. The 2019/20 season will see Scott Parker enter his third year of professional coaching after a year with Tottenham's under 18s and this rollercoaster at Fulham. Parker is currently supported by Matt Wells, a young but vastly experienced coach that was brought over from Tottenham where they worked together and also Stuart Gray, part of Jokanovic's promotion backroom staff who probably should never have been allowed to leave. Gray has volumes of Football League experience, his stint in charge of Sheffield Wednesday saw them reach their highest finish in the Championship for six years as well as equal their single-season clean sheet record. Where Parker may lack experience on the training pitch, he's being supported hugely in his backroom staff that he has been allowed to build up to this point.

Since Scott Parker has been placed in charge, we've some of the best individual performances from a few players this season. Franck Anguissa has strung together some impressive displays, Sergio Rico at Bournemouth made some impressive saves to ensure he kept a clean sheet and Ryan Sessegnon, playing off of the right, gave Nathan Ake nightmares. Even without Alfie Mawson, the eleven is playing more like a team making the back four feel as solid as it has all season. These last two victories have both been at 0-0 going into half time with an increase in performance once the sides came back out, that really displays a tactical nous and motivational aspect to the job that perhaps isn't clear to the eye.

The talk of a Steve Clarke won't go away and I do understand why the Khan's would want to go in that direction given their previous experience with the aforementioned emotional Kit Symons experiment. I think the last two weeks have shown that Scott Parker can set up and motivate a team in a situation where the players have nothing to play for but pride. If supported with key players staying and adding to the squad, I do believe that Scott and his backroom staff can push for promotion. It is easy to say this when I am not under the pressure of every decision being analysed and criticised, even more so after a disastrous season.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/04/what-do-we-do-now/

[WhiteJC]

 
Manager instructs director to snap up Fulham man, contact with agent, offer made

According to Haber Global's Fenerbahce journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Ersun Yanal has told Damien Comolli to sign Fulham attacker Ryan Babel.

Sabuncuoglu claims Fenerbahce sporting director Comolli recently made contact with Babel's agent and presented the Istanbul club's opening offer for the Dutchman.

Fenerbahce have reportedly offered Babel €2m a season plus a signing on fee and Sabuncuoglu says the club will look to get a deal done once the Yellow Canaries' president Ali Koc has given the green light.

with Fulham's relegation confirmed, it always seemed likely that Babel would leave the Premier League club this summer and according to recent reports Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are set to go head to head to sign 32-year old.

The Netherlands international joined the London side during the last transfer window after being released by Besiktas.

Babel will become a free agent at the end of the season and his agent recently stated he's had offers from the Premier League.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/manager-instructs-director-snap-fulham-man-contact-made-agent-offer-made/

[WhiteJC]

Cottage Talk Post Match Show: Bournemouth vs. Fulham
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

In this episode, co-hosts Max Cohen and Yannis Tjanetis shared their views on the 1-0 Fulham victory against Bournemouth. They also discussed what this victory could mean for the future of Scott Parker.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2019/4/21/18510050/cottage-talk-post-match-show-bournemouth-vs-fulham

[WhiteJC]

 
Five Thoughts: AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Fulham

Jazzy Hawaiian shirts, straw hats and an abundant array of novelty inflatables. Fulham were in town to soak up the sunshine and the Vitality Stadium, at least in the away zone, paralleled an all-inclusive sports bar in the heart of Benidorm. Regardless of what the result may be, the travelling faithful were going to unfold their deck chairs and lap up the Easter bank holiday's pleasant festivities.

Coming off the back of a 5-0 mauling of fellow seasiders Brighton & Hove Albion, a rout for Eddie Howe's AFC Bournemouth was duly predicted. Free flowing and potent, the Cherries harbour a substantial assortment of versed danger men, and if October's reverse fixture at Craven Cottage was perceived to be a telling barometer of how the corresponding meeting would pan out, you'd be sorely mistaken as a fool.

Blindsided by the sun's golden beams, presumably, Bournemouth couldn't scold Scott Parker's Whites. Slapping on factor 50, Fulham were keen to blockade and patch their vulnerabilities, and though the home set-up strained to penetrate our usually haphazard system, the already-relegated Cottagers bolted back to SW6 unscathed with a 1-0 victory in their bumbag. So, the party's is in full swing, hangovers aplenty, and we recorded our first away triumph in 365 days. Anyone fancy a top up?

Mitro the Marksman
Enterprising as ever, Aleksandar Mitrovic menaced Bournemouth's central defensive pairing of Steve Cook and Chris Mepham and netted his 11th goal of the season from the spot. A vital figurehead at the Vitality, the Serbia international hassled his direct opponents, interlinked with his teammates effectively, and roamed the final third freely and authoritatively, staple traits behind his demonstrative aptitude.

Mitro' was incidentally on a nine-game goal drought and against an in-form Cherries, a tough afternoon in the sunshine down on the south coast was fully expected. Though the 24-year-old's smashed a double figure return, his last away goal was registered at the Amex at the start of September 2018. However, his unrelenting dedication to his profession dictates that he's undoubtedly one, if not the best, striker outside of the Premier League's top six. Bournemouth's rearguard assembled to suppress Mitro' but the hardened attacker, shaking off the shackles, could not be restrained.

Contributing to a slick sequence on the edge of Bournemouth's 18-yard box, Mitro' wriggled into the confines of the hosts' danger area. A slightly heavy first touch tempted Jack Simpson to lunge into a last-ditch challenge, and the 22-year-old subsequently clattered the marksman with a flailing leg. From 12 yards, Mitro' had a prime opportunity to chalk the game's opener, and with a studied right boot, he rifled past an outwitted Artur Boruc into the bottom left-hand corner. Rightfully so, penalty duties returned to Mitro's discretion and our dependable hitman duly dispatched the pivotal strike that would gift the Cottagers their first away win of the campaign. Befitting and necessary. Latterly, Mitro' manoeuvred into a golden vantage point but his arcing effort sailed just wide of the upright. Oh well, he's on fire and he'll remain so until further notice.

Rico Conquers Consecutively
He may have hands like ping pong paddles, but Sergio Rico commanded his area expertly against Bournemouth and produced a string of world-class saves to deny the Cherries. Vocal from the off, the Spaniard rallied his defensive counterparts and administered possession in a timely, practical manner to relieve pressure and prolong our grip upon proceedings. We haven't seen back-to-back clean sheets since last season's Play-Off heroics, so an unblemished fortnight is extremely pleasing on the eye and soul.

Ryan Fraser, in the 18th minute, darted towards the Whites' penalty area from the centre of the park, brushing off Calum Chambers' ineffective attempt to dispossess. Surging into an imposing position, the pint-sized flanker unleashed a ferocious effort across the face of the target but, poised and prepared, Rico stunted the Scotsman's destined shot with a superb outstretched palm. Agility personified.

As the meeting trundled onward, Fulham's stranglehold grew stronger but the Cherries were still capable of tarnishing the visitors' outing by the beach. Rico impeded Fraser once more in the 64th minute with an instinctive save and in the 73rd minute, after Callum Wilson was supplied by Dan Gosling, the Sevilla loanee frustrated the home side again. From a central position within the 18-yard box, Wilson could and should have restored parity, although Rico was alert to the immediate threat the 27-year-old England attacker posed. The 25-year-old's form has been markedly inconsistent in recent weeks, although within spates of dire adversity, the supple stopper exhibits his underlying quality with jaw-dropping, crucial goal mouth exploits.

Praising Bryan's Application
Favoured and recognised as our starting left-back, Joe Bryan's developed and evolved in the top-flight, against a host of Europe's most lethal wingers. Acclimatised to the strains and expectations of the Premier League, the buccaneering fullback's been a stand-out component of Parker's camp. Though at times he's effortlessly outfought and compromised, he always aspires to disrupt and construct along his respective flank.

The burdensome task of muzzling David Brooks befell Bryan, a taxing conundrum indeed. However, the 26-year-old stepped up to the challenge of shadowing the illusive Welshman, whilst operating as a supportive tool for his offensive colleagues to utilise. Ryan Babel and Bryan explored the touchline with a productive ethic and understanding, and though Bryan's primary function is to nullify an opposition's advancements, he aided those ahead of him on the overlap, rotating possession adequately.

Venturing the left channel, Bryan probed Bournemouth's penalty area with searching crosses, and whilst Mitro' and company failed to connect, the intrepid defender was determined to load the Cherries' box with hazardous balls. Ultimately, if they weren't met by his teammates, this would win corners for his squad. Bryan is our strongest fullback, by far, and though this season hasn't gone according to plan on many fronts, the former Bristol City favourite will continue to flourish into a valued, trusted asset.

Right-Back to Odoi
There's a trend surfacing within this article, but I just want to pay tribute to our fullbacks following Saturday's victory, because as we know, our wings have been cripplingly brittle throughout the course of the current campaign. Equalling Bryan's daunting assignment, Denis Odoi had Fraser to contend with. The diminutive flanker is a renowned live wire that wreaks havoc on a weekly basis – need I say more? Before kick-off, once the matchday collectives had been released, many were anticipating a systematic onslaught.

A utility man by trade, Odoi has deputised in a range of differing roles this season and has often been targeted as a weak link due to his stature and indecision. Timothy Fosu-Mensah has returned to Manchester United, Cyrus Christie was benched and Havard Nordtveit, who's played at right-back before at West Ham United, is nowhere to be seen. Odoi had to remain vigilant and disciplined, and though Fraser occasionally left the Belgian for dead, the 30-year-old swiftly regrouped with his fellow defenders to relinquish Bournemouth's offensive phases.

Covered by Maxime Le Marchand and Tim Ream, Odoi was comfortable with the ball at his feet and charged out of his occupational quarters in a typically enthused manner. Greeting Babel's corner in the 38th minute, the adaptable regular tested Boruc's composure with a glancing header, although the veteran 'keeper's seasoned reflexes were readily applied. Now, there may have been worthier candidates, Ryan Sessegnon, perhaps, but as our right-backs alternate as often as the weather, I believe that a raised glass is in order for Odoi, who survived a full 90 minutes without any major hiccups or discrepancies.

Recognising Revitalised Resilience
We have nothing solid to fight for this season. It makes no difference to our league standings, these spirited victories, although Parker's stated himself that a positive run of results will benefit the club's preparations for the imminent 2019-20 campaign. Building foundations for the Championship slog is compulsory because we'll be shoved to the wire by virtually every opponent we face, and resilience will have to be a predominant factor – against the Cherries, the Whites sank their teeth into proceedings and were dogged in their crusade on the coast.

Bournemouth set the pace in the early stages and could have located the back of the net on a number of occasions, if not for their wasteful tendencies in front of the target, but Fulham weathered the storm and prevailed as a vibrant, cohesive set-up. Each department was pressed and stretched but the hosts couldn't drastically alter the Cottagers' composition to their benefit. Where we'd be dragged apart like a dead, rotting carcass in games gone by, Fulham stuck to their guns and adroitly executed their fundamental objective: don't get pumped.

Again, it was vastly positive to see Fulham combat for the entirety of the game, like they did against Everton, and it's clear that the players are genuinely buying into Parker's fledgling philosophy. On the turf himself, Parker would never surrender and that do-or-die demeanour, now he's drawing up blueprints of his own at Motspur Park, came to prominence against Howe's measured Bournemouth. With the same group of players Slavisa Jokanovic and Claudio Ranieri had at their disposal, the former England anchorman has transformed the lads into a relatively formidable platoon, even if it's far too late in the day for anything that vaguely resembles a survival push.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2019-04-21-five-thoughts-afc-bournemouth-0-1-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
With clubs outside the big six competing for less and less, the vague concept of identity reigns supreme


Fulham were relegated this season, despite spending £100m after promotion to the Premier League Credit: Action Images 

Let us start with a question. What do Middlesbrough, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City have in common?

No prizes for getting the easy answer, which is that they have all been relegated from the Premier League in the past six seasons.

More interesting than that, and much more instructive for the Championship clubs scrapping it out for promotion, is that each of those doomed campaigns shared a common theme: lavish summer spending.

Fulham's relegation this season marks the fourth time in the past six seasons that the promoted club which spent the most money in the summer transfer window has subsequently been relegated.

They follow Middlesbrough (2016-17), QPR (2014-15) and Cardiff (2013-14) in derailing a winning team by trying too hard to spruce up their squad with new faces.

Clearly, too much change can cause irreparable damage. And in Fulham's case, the tremors that followed their £100 million post-promotion outlay have been felt beyond the players and the three managers who have sat in their dugout this season. The common consensus is that the overhaul of the squad, and then the playing style, had caused the club to lose its "identity".

It is a vague concept, "identity", but this sort of thing matters more than ever these days. Just look at Scott Parker, whose sole mission since taking over from the destructive Claudio Ranieri has been to "bring an identity back".

Simply put, Parker wants Fulham to feel like Fulham again after Ranieri had dismayed the fan base by abandoning the style and players that carried them to promotion.

Fulham are of course a dramatic example of this identity crisis, but they are by no means alone. It said plenty about the primacy of the "Southampton Way" on the south coast that Claude Puel was sacked after leading them to the League Cup final and eighth place in the Premier League. Puel then took his identity vacuum to Leicester City, where he was again sacked despite posting a set of results that were far from disastrous.

We can go on. Who, for example, can forget Sam Allardyce's unpopularity at West Ham United? "The fans are brainwashed into thinking that, historically, the club had a particular style of play which was akin to Barcelona, which was potty," Allardyce has said of his time there.

"I once called the supporters deluded and I stand by that. I don't know who invented the 'West Ham Way' phrase, but it's a millstone around the club's neck."

The concept of identity extends beyond playing style, though. Loosely speaking, it has become the modern catch-all term for a sense of purpose and direction at a club, whether that is a commitment to youth, a certain approach to the transfer market or the overarching on-field philosophy.

A cynic might suggest it is in a club's interest to drum up their "identity". It is far easier to sell yourself to a global audience – and let us face it, that is what most of them are trying to do – when you can paint the institution as somehow special or unique.

But this applies to the supporters as well as the money men, and it is tempting to wonder whether the modern balance of the Premier League is the reason for the significance of these concepts of individuality and philosophy.



With the "Big Six" becoming bigger and better, the other 14 teams in the Premier League know that they are almost certainly not going to win the title, or even push for the top four. In short, the mid-table teams have less to play for. Avoiding relegation is the primary goal for many of them, while the height of ambition for the others is generally a seventh-placed finish. In this context, results do not mean quite so much, so the "feel" of a club and a fan's affinity with it takes on greater importance.

It is also a consequence, surely, of there being so few home-grown players at Premier League clubs. Mercenaries from central Europe do not carry quite the same appeal as local lads, so fans have to find other ways to relate to their team.

It all means that clubs with ambition can no longer be focused entirely on results. If they were, David Moyes and Sam Allardyce would not still be out of work. In modern football, there must instead be a wider purpose if the fans are to be kept onside. As the Fulham fans at Bournemouth on Saturday will testify, even the pain of relegation can be softened by a sense of defined identity.



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/04/21/clubs-outside-big-six-competing-less-less-vague-concept-identity/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham appointing Celtic's temporary boss as manager next season would be a great step towards their future

Fulham opinion: Cottagers should appoint Neil Lennon as their manager

According to the Scottish Sun, Celtic manager Neil Lennon has been shortlisted by Fulham to take up the permanent job at Craven Cottage at the end of the season.

Scott Parker is currently in charge of Fulham on an interim basis, following the dismissal of Claudio Ranieri but the club hierarchy has apparently deemed him unfit for the permanent job, as they continue looking at other options.

Fulham have already been relegated from the Premier League after a calamitous season in the top-flight and the Cottagers are set for a long and hard slog in the Championship next term.

Parker's men, though, have put in some exceptional performances after relegation was confirmed, beating Everton and Bournemouth in back-to-back Premier League games.

Meanwhile, Neil Lennon has done his reputation no harm on his return to Celtic, as a caretaker manager, following the departure of Brendan Rodgers to Leicester City.

The 47-year-old former Northern Ireland international has done a good job in holding things together at Parkhead, making sure that the Hoops cruise to the Scottish Premiership title.

The Scottish Sun further adds that Lennon is in a pole position to land the permanent job at Celtic and he would consider a position at another club, only if the Hoops entrust someone else with the job in the summer.

Lennon enjoyed a successful spell at Celtic as a player and won 5 Scottish Premiership titles, before returning to serve as a manager from 2010 to 2014.

His first spell as a manager at Parkhead was a trophy-laden one, where he guided the Hoops to three consecutive domestic league titles, including 2 Scottish Cup triumphs as well.

Having taken Celtic to great heights, both as a player and manager, Lennon is held in very high regard at Parkhead and is a firm fan-favourite in Scotland for his charisma and managerial acumen.

However, the 47-year-old's only managerial experience in England was an ill-fated spell at Bolton Wanderers in the Championship.

Having taken charge at the Reebok Stadium in 2014, he barely managed to survive relegation in the Championship in his first season and endured an equally unimpressive run in his second season, with controversies off the field adding to his woes.

He eventually terminated his contract on mutual consent in 2016 and returned to Scotland with Hibernian, where he helped the club to a promotion-winning season in the 2016-17 Scottish Championship.

To put things into perspective, Fulham should not drop their interest in Lennon, just because he had a lackluster spell at Bolton. The 47-year-old Celtic legend is still a very good manager, who has all the qualities to help the club in their rebuilding job in the summer.

Lennon is a brave manager, who is not afraid to make tough decisions in the transfer window, often bringing in little-known, talented young players from other leagues on the cheap and transforming them into first-team stars.

He is someone who looks for bargain deals in the market and believes in getting value for money, while also having the ability to extract the best out of the existing players at the club.

The Northern Irishman's amiable demeanour and his understanding of the game might play a crucial role in Fulham's campaign in the Championship next season.

The Cottagers should look to get themselves back to the Premier League and Neil Lennon is certainly a good option for the permanent manager role at Craven Cottage.



https://soccersouls.com/fulham-appointing-celtics-temporary-boss-as-manager-next-season-would-be-a-great-step-towards-their-future/

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Fulham caretaker boss Parker expects club to do their best to keep Mitrovic

Scott Parker expects Fulham to do "everything they can" to keep hold of top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic but admits it will be difficult following Premier League relegation.

Striker Mitrovic underlined his importance to the west London club by claiming his 11th league goal of a difficult season to earn Saturday's 1-0 win at Bournemouth.

The Serbia international joined the Cottagers last term when they were playing in the Sky Bet Championship and fired them to promotion via the play-offs with 12 goals in 20 appearances.

Caretaker manager Parker believes it is crucial to retain the services of the 24-year-old as they prepare for an immediate return to the second tier.

"It will be vitally important really, he's a top-class centre forward and I think you've seen that evident in the last two games," said Parker.

"I know what the owners think, I know their ambition and certainly it is going to be a challenge.

"He's a top-draw centre forward but at the same time I think that this football club we'll be doing everything they can to keep a player like Alek.

"We've spoken about next year and the plans ahead and I think the main focus for Mitro is finishing the season like he has (on Saturday), a performance, the winning goal."

Parker's own Craven Cottage future remains unclear.

The former England midfielder, whose temporary tenure began with five defeats in a row, has boosted his prospects of landing the role on a permanent basis after Saturday's victory at the Vitality Stadium followed last weekend's home win over Everton.

He is keen to remain at the helm and anticipates an imminent decision.

"I think it's probably fair to say over the coming weeks now we're coming towards the back end of the season," he replied after being asked when he will learn his fate.

"There are going to be conversations to be had and we'll see where we go from there.

"Next year's going to be a massive year and I said at the start of it that I'll treat it as a long-term project for me, and I know for sure whether I'm here or not I'll leave the club in a better place than what it was."

Bournemouth's defeat means they have not won on home soil since thumping Chelsea 4-0 in January.

The mid-table Cherries received positive news ahead of the loss with 21-year-old winger David Brooks named on the shortlist for the Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year award.

Manager Eddie Howe believes there is plenty more to come from the Wales international and is unconcerned about potential interest from other clubs.

"I think he's done brilliant things this season. I think he's taken to the Premier League so well," Howe said of Brooks.

"Technically he's produced some excellent performances for us. I think the best is yet to come – he's got a really good future if he continues to work hard and stay level-headed."

Speaking about possible transfer bids for the former Sheffield United player, Howe said: "It's not something that we've really thought about, to be honest.

"The transfer widow and losing players has not really been at the forefront of our thoughts.

"David recently signed a new contract so he's fully pledged to the football club."



https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/fulham-caretaker-boss-parker-expects-club-do-their-best-keep-mitrovic

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Fulham interim manager Scott Parker keen to find out his future in the next few weeks


Scott Parker saw his side win away for the first time this season against Bournemouth on Saturday Credit: Reuters

Scott Parker is hoping to learn of his chances of being named as Fulham's permanent manager over the next few weeks.

Interim-boss Parker presided over Fulham's first away win of the season at Bournemouth on Saturday, following on from their defeat of Everton at Craven Cottage.

It is of course too little, too late for the relegated West London side but former England midfielder Parker is hopeful that the results will increase his chances of a permanent role.

"I have enjoyed every minute of it and I include the difficult times when we didn't have a win for five games. This is a club I have an affiliation with, I have been here for some time.

"It will be a massive year next year and as I said at the start I will treat it as a long term project. For me I know for sure whether I am here or not I will leave the club in a better place than it was," he said.

In the opposite dugout at the weekend was Eddie Howe who, in contrast to Parker's fledgling experience, was presiding over his 500th game as a manager, despite being only 41 years-old.

"Eddie Howe is someone you look up to. As a young player you look up to people and it is the same now I am starting out as a manager. You have people you strive to emulate and people who you want to see how you are doing it. Eddie is a guy I look at. He is English, he has been given an unbelievable opportunity and he has worked extremely hard. Given time we are seeing what a good manager he is. He is someone I look up to for sure," said Parker.

It has undoubtedly been another successful season for Howe and Bournemouth, though the campaign is ending rather disappointingly as the Cherries' home form continues to dip.  Howe's squad has been savaged by 47 injuries this season, many of them currently in defence, which saw the Cherries eventually deploying four central defenders against Fulham.

With Adam Smith injured in the warm-up and his replacement Junior Stanislas suffering a similar fate after only 20 minutes, Howe's side struggled to recover from the disruption.  "I have never had it quite like this before. You have to be strong and get through it. In our early days if you had one injury or two in a position you were in big trouble. We have had to be adaptable before and we will have to find a way again," said Howe.

One big plus for the Bournemouth manager has been the form of 21 year-old David Brooks since his £10 million arrival from Sheffield United last summer.  Brooks joined Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva on the shortlist for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, testament to his performances in the early part of the season particularly.

"He has done brilliant things this season. He has taken to the Premier League so well. He is a very level headed lad and he has produced some excellent performances for us. I think the best is still to come. He has a good future if he continues to work hard and stay level headed," said Howe.



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/04/21/fulham-interim-manager-scott-parker-keen-find-future-next-weeks/

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Eddie Howe nuggets of wisdom are pure gold for Fulham caretaker boss Scott Parker

    Scott Parker admits Eddie Howe is someone he looks up to as a young manager
    Parker led an already-relegated Fulham to a 1-0 win over Howe's Bournemouth
    Howe believes Parker has a 'bright future' in management despite a difficult start

It was quite notable that when the Fulham bus was being loaded with players and kit on Saturday evening, Scott Parker was in no rush to get aboard. Instead he was chasing down Eddie Howe for a quick chat about how a young English manager might best survive.

'I want to see him to get those little nuggets of information,' he had said a moment earlier.

'As a young player you look up to people and it is the same now I am starting out as a manager - Eddie is a guy I look at. He is English, he has been given an opportunity and given time we are seeing what a good manager he is.' 


Scott Parker was keen to obtain 'nuggets of information' from Eddie Howe on Saturday

Not a bad call, that, to pick the mind of a 41-year-old who had just managed his 500th game. Time will tell where Parker, now 38, might stand in three years, and how many games he might have to his name. Indeed there is no guarantee yet that his management career will even extend beyond his tenure as Fulham's caretaker.

But at least on that latter front it is looking promising. After the rigours of opening with five defeats, the rate of Parker's progress has been deeply impressive.

That is not to over-praise late-season wins over Everton and Bournemouth, but it is a reflection that he has succeeded in three key areas where Slavisa Jokanovic and Claudio Ranieri, with all their experience, did not this season.

Namely he has managed to secure back-to-back wins, back-to-back clean sheets, and restored some bounce to the crowd. With the full squad backing Parker, publicly and privately, it would now feel distinctly odd if the club's owner Shahid Khan took an alternative route.

Howe ranks as a fan. Speaking after Aleksandar Mitrovic's penalty gave Fulham a 1-0 win, the Bournemouth manager said: 'I think Scott will do a great job.

'They had an incredibly tough fixture list when he came in and it seems he has really good ideas and I think the players are playing for him, so he has a bright future ahead of him.'


Aleksandar Mitrovic scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot at Vitality Stadium



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6945351/Eddie-Howe-nuggets-wisdom-pure-gold-Scott-Parker-caretaker-targets-Fulham-job.html

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Aleksandar Mitrovic central to Fulham's plans for future, says Scott Parker


Aleksandar Mitrovic has a contract with Fulham until 2023

Scott Parker expects Fulham to do "everything they can" to keep hold of top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic but admits it will be difficult following Premier League relegation.

Mitrovic underlined his importance to the west London club by claiming his 11th league goal of a difficult season to earn a 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Saturday.

The Serbia international joined the Cottagers last term when they were playing in the Sky Bet Championship and fired them to promotion via the play-offs with 12 goals in 20 appearances.

Caretaker manager Parker believes it is crucial to retain the services of the 24-year-old as they prepare for an immediate return to the second tier.

"It will be vitally important really, he's a top-class centre-forward and I think you've seen that evident in the last two games," said Parker.

"I know what the owners think, I know their ambition and certainly it is going to be to challenge.

"He's a top-drawer centre-forward but at the same time I think that this football club we'll be doing everything they can to keep a player like Alek.

"We've spoken about next year and the plans ahead and I think the main focus for Mitro is finishing the season like he has (on Saturday), a performance, the winning goal."



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11700417/aleksandar-mitrovic-central-to-fulhams-plans-for-future-says-scott-parker