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Sunday Fulham Stuff (12/05/19)...

Started by WhiteJC, May 12, 2019, 08:30:50 AM

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WhiteJC

Rafa Benitez hints at team changes ahead of Fulham clash but warns his players they're in for a tough game

The Newcastle boss feels that Fulham's struggles have been a big surprise this season

Rafa Benitez admits he will have to choose his options carefully when it comes to his final day selection against Fulham this weekend.

The Newcastle United boss has rejected claims that the fixture with the Cottagers is almost meaningless given the Londoners have already been relegated and his own side can finish no higher than 13th.

But Benitez has insisted he will pick a "capable" team at Craven Cottage, he told the Chronicle: "They have to realise that we are professionals and we want to do well for our fans.

"We have to go there and play a proper game and get three points.

"It'll be really good for everyone.

"The problem at the end of the day is that you have players coming to the end of their contracts or loans and will go back.

"Players also have little things going on and they don't want to take any risks.

"People have asked me if I play the younger players or those not playing.

"But we will try to put out a team that is capable of winning the game."

Whether Benitez was hinting that Kenedy or his other loanee Salomon Rondon will not start the game remains to be seen, but the Venezuela international does have the Copa America coming up next month so he needs to avoid any late season knocks.

One player that will definitely be out is Ki who has reported to Benitez with a knee injury meaning Jonjo Shelvey may get a chance in midfield.

Mo Diame could make his farewell appearance for the club with his contract due to expire.

When asked if he would make any major changes, Benitez said: "No, we have the problem with the injuries such as Longstaff, Almiron and Yedlin plus Lejeune and Ki.

"We have to protect Ki and not take any risks."

Benitez feels that Fulham will still be a tough game and says that he is surprised they have been relegated.

He went on: "The majority of the teams between 7th and 17th have spent around £100million or pay the big wages.

"Sometimes you don't spend money in the window but they pay big wages and convince to come with you.

"Fulham are a team that spent money and it's a surprise that they are at the bottom with the quality they had and the way they supported the team.

"But sometimes the confidence and togetherness of the other teams or the relationship with the fans.

"Maybe it is just that you lose a couple of results and you lose confidence.

"They have good players but it is a pity that a team that have the resources to progress will be in the Championship next season."



https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rafa-benitez-hints-team-changes-16258854

WhiteJC

Implementing A Culture

Scott Parker knows the hard work is just beginning as Fulham set about trying to win promotion from the Sky Bet Championship.

After falling short in the 2018/19 Premier League, Parker has already identified the philosophy he wants to become synonymous with the Club.


"Success comes from a culture, from a desire, from a passion, and ultimately that needs to be our foundation to be successful," he explained. "I believe that if we create that – which we will – I have no doubt that we will then have success.

"We've had initial discussions regarding this season, and I think ultimately we need to sit down to work out where improvements need to be made for next year, which will be a challenging division.

"It's a tough league which is hard to get out of, we understand that. Success and winning games next season, getting promotion or Play-Offs, whatever that may be, will only come from some core values.

"We've driven standards in a short space of time, and we'll drive a culture here that our fans will recognise, and ultimately I feel that if we do that we'll bring success."

Make sure you're there on Sunday for Scott's first game as our permanent Head Coach, with a limited number of tickets still available for supporters to buy.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/may/11/scott-parker-next-season-challenge

WhiteJC

Southampton to bid £30m for Fulham forward Aleksandar Mitrovic?

Fulham forward Aleksandar Mitrovic has reportedly emerged as a summer transfer target for Southampton.

Mitrovic has contributed 11 goals and three assists for Fulham in the Premier League this season, but the West Londoners may cash in on the Serbia international after relegation to the Championship.

Southampton have struggled for goals during the current campaign, and The Express claims that Ralph Hasenhuttl may turn his attention to Mitrovic.

The report claims that the Saints are prepared to pay £30m in order to sign the 24-year-old, who still has four years remaining on his contract at Craven Cottage.

Southampton could potentially offset some of that fee by selling Charlie Austin, with a number of clubs in the Premier League and Championship known to be interested in the 29-year-old.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/transfer-talk/news/southampton-to-bid-gbp30m-for-mitrovic_358915.html


WhiteJC

 Report: Hammers could take over Fulham loan

Andre Schurrle could have his two-year loan to Fulham ended early and risks being sent back to Borussia Dortmund a year early according to the Sun newspaper. Fulham claims a clause in the German World Cup winner's two-year loan deal enables them to cancel the agreement if relegated. The clause in Schurrle's deal means the club could save around £2.5million in wages.

The 28-year-old left winger is reported to be of interest to Manual Pellegrini who is said to be considering taking over the final year of loan on the same terms according to the West Ham way podcast on Phoenix FM.

However, the winger did tweet recently that he wants interim boss and former Hammer Scott Parker to be given the manager's job full time dropping a hint that he may be ready to stay put and help try to get Fulham back into the Premier League again. The challenge is whether Fulham can afford his £48,000 wages in the Championship and stay on the right side of Financial Fair Play.



https://www.claretandhugh.info/report-hammers-could-take-over-fulham-loan/

WhiteJC

Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon comments on future amid Tottenham Hotspur speculation

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Ryan Sessegnon of Fulham.

Fulham star Ryan Sessegnon has suggested to The Sun that he could be open to leaving in the summer transfer window, comments which will be of interest to Tottenham Hotspur.

According to The Daily Mail, Tottenham are interested in signing Sessegnon from Fulham this summer.

It has been reported that Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has been an admirer of the 18-year-old for over 18 months.

The report has also claimed that Fulham will demand as much as £35 million as transfer fee for Sessegnon.

The England Under-21 international is a very talented and promising young player who can operate as a left-winger or as a left-back.

Sessegnon has suggested that he would be open to leaving Fulham, with the Cottagers having been relegated from the Premier League to the Championship.

Sessegnon told The Sun when told that Manchester United and Tottenham are interested in him: "I have the European Under-21s with England and an opportunity to win a tournament with England. We've both won tournaments with England before and hopefully I can help out there.

"Personally, I am still a Fulham player until 2020 but, of course, my aim is to play at the highest level. I am not sure where the future will take me but I have always wanted to play regular Premier League football."

Sessegnon's aforementioned comments suggest that although he is committed to Fulham, a move to Tottenham will be of interest to him.

The youngster is very promising, and the 18-year-old need not rush into leaving, as he is getting regular playing time at Fulham.

If Spurs do make an offer for Sessegnon this summer, then the teenager has to make a decision after carefully evaluating all the options.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/05/11/fulhams-ryan-sessegnon-comments-on-future-amid-tottenham-hotspur/

WhiteJC

Parker pledges to deliver 'fully committed' Fulham team next season

Scott Parker has pledged to rebuild Fulham's identity to drag the Craven Cottage club back to the Premier League.

Former Cottagers captain Parker has been named as the club's permanent manager and will lead his side into their final top-flight game on Sunday before relegation.

Chairman Shahid Khan has challenged Parker to steer Fulham back to the top flight at the first attempt, via next year's Sky Bet Championship campaign.

The 38-year-old Parker understands the scale of the task, but insisted he can now build a team with a clear image.

"I want people to understand what they are going to get from us, and have clear words that come into their mind that they can identify us with," said Parker.

"We have that with the stadium, and the set-up, but now we need to do that with the team.

"What I want to bring at this football is something we can all relate to; a clear understanding and recognition of what we're about as a football club.

"The team that plays on a Saturday is the face for all of us, the staff, and the fans.

"In terms of a starting point we'll always start there and that will be our foundation to go from there.

"From there will come technical detail.

"But success comes from a foundation, that foundation comes from a culture and setting standards on a daily basis.

"I have no doubt that one thing our fans will see next season is a team that's fully committed, with desire and passion; that will be a given."

Fulham spent more than £100million last summer in a bid to hit the Premier League ground running.

That spending spree backfired spectacularly, however, with a raft of new players failing to gel and the team losing cohesion on the field.

Slavisa Jokanovic was sacked in November to be replaced by Claudio Ranieri, and he in turn was replaced by Parker in February.

Former England midfielder Parker took the reins on an interim basis, but has now won over Fulham's board to gain control full-time.

And the former Chelsea and West Ham star admitted he knows full well just how tough it will be to bounce straight back to the Premier League.

"We understand the task ahead, it is going to be a big task, it's going to be a difficult league to get out of," said Parker.

"At the same time we're looking forward to it. We can't wait for next year to come on. I'm absolutely relishing it now."



Read more at https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/parker-pledges-deliver-fully-committed-fulham-team-next-season#Lg8CHQRxXdpF8g5H.99


WhiteJC

5 Newcastle United players who have a real point to prove against Fulham - if given the chance

With Newcastle United's Premier League status already secured, manager Rafa Benitez has the opportunity to experiment at Craven Cottage

Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez has hinted that he may offer opportunities to a few of his fringe players at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

The Magpies travel down to west London to take on Fulham in their final game of the 2018/19 campaign, hoping to leapfrog AFC Bournemouth and secure a 13th-placed finish in the process.

But, although Benitez has been fairly consistent with his team selections in recent months, with United already safe he is considering making a few left-field changes to the side.

That could hand opportunities to some players who are desperate for a chance to impress - and, here, NUFC Writer Chris Waugh identifies five players who will be keen to prove a point against the Cottagers if they are given the platform to do so...

Jonjo Shelvey

The 27-year-old has had a very disappointing season, and spoke of the "torture" of being forced to watch training from the sidelines as he struggled to recover from a persistent thigh problem during the early part of 2019.

Yet Shelvey has been fit since February, but his solitary Premier League start since then came against Brighton & Hove Albion a fortnight ago.

Curiously, Shelvey was also handed the captain's armband for that game - given that Jamaal Lascelles was absent due to illness - and the England midfielder delivered a mixed display before tiring.

However, Shelvey then found himself dropped for the 3-2 defeat against title-chasing Liverpool last weekend, with the suspicion being that Benitez did not quite trust the midfielder in such an important game.

With Ki Sung-yueng out of the Fulham game due to a knee injury, though, Shelvey is line to return to the starting XI at Craven Cottage.

Rumours persist that a move away from Tyneside - potentially to West Ham United - awaits Shelvey this summer, but the midfielder needs to deliver a performance on the final day of the season in order to either entice suitors to sign him, or to force his way back into Newcastle's long-term plans.

Mo Diame

The 31-year-old was not afforded a farewell appearance at St James' Park last weekend, but whether Benitez hands the Senegalese midfielder one last game as a Newcastle player at Craven Cottage remains to be seen.

Shelvey appears most likely to partner Isaac Hayden in midfield, meaning Diame will probably be among the substitutes against Fulham.

The former Hull City midfielder can no longer exercise the 25-start clause in his contract which would automatically hand him a 12-month extension, and this is actually the outcome Diame wanted, considering he was holding out for a minimum two-year deal instead.

Leeds United and a host of European clubs have expressed an interest in Diame, who is still receptive to speaking to the Newcastle hierarchy about a longer-term deal, although such an offer is unlikely to be forthcoming for a player of his advancing years.

Instead, Diame will hope to be given at least some gametime at Craven Cottage in order to show the experience and power he could bring to the engine room of potential suitors so that he can secure the best free transfer possible.

Yoshinori Muto

It has been a frustrating first campaign in English football for Muto, who has started just five Premier League games all term - the last of which came at Anfield on Boxing Day.

The £9.5million summer signing from Mainz initially struggled to learn the language - although his English is now improving - while he also took a while to adapt to Benitez's specific tactical demands.

Miguel Almiron's arrival in January also forced the Japan international further down the pecking order and, with Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez having established a potent partnership alongside the Paraguayan, Muto has found his opportunities as a centre-forward and as a second-striker limited.

A return of just one goal - and no assists - throughout the season is certainly not something the 26-year-old would have hoped for when he made the move to St James' Park last summer.

But, with three years still remaining on his Newcastle contract, Muto still has the opportunity to prove that his first campaign on Tyneside was merely a transitional one.

If Muto was able to put in an impressive performance at Craven Cottage - most likely as a substitute - then it would give him at least some positive momentum heading into the summer, which he can then use to ensure he begins pre-season well.

Kenedy

The 23-year-old's future may lie away from the North East, but Kenedy will be desperate for one final opportunity to impress this season.

His underwhelming season-loan long spell has been particularly disappointing because of the impact the Brazilian made last term, when he helped transform the Magpies' 2017/18 campaign.

But 2018/19 has been a year of stagnation for Kenedy, who will return to parent club Chelsea next week, with little-to-no chance of Newcastle making an offer to sign him permanently - given that United have been scouting alternative wingers from across Europe.

The Blues' transfer embargo means Kenedy could yet be needed at Stamford Bridge - but, even if he is to be sold, then the Brazilian could do with reminding clubs across Europe of his undoubted talents.

Again it appears unlikely Kenedy will start against Fulham but, if he is given a chance off the bench just a mile or so away from the home of his parent club, then he needs to show more determination and end product than he has mustered during his other 24 league appearances so far this term.

Salomon Rondon

Unlike the other four players on this list, Rondon has enjoyed an excellent campaign - yet the Venezuelan still has a point to prove in west London.

Despite being named Newcastle's player of the season this week, the 29-year-old remains a West Bromwich Albion employee, and no agreement is in place for United to sign him permanently.

Rondon has made it clear that he wants to remain on Tyneside, while Benitez has also stated that he hopes the striker stays at St James' Park if he is to continue as manager.

But, with West Brom's divisional status still uncertain as they take part in the Championship play-offs, and Dwight Gayle's future at the Hawthorns also unclear, Rondon does not yet know where he will be plying his trade next season.

With 11 goals and seven assists in all competitions this season, Rondon has already proven his worth to Newcastle.

Yet the Magpies' preferred recruitment model of signing players under the age of 26 means that a deal for Rondon, particularly at the likely price of £16.5million, remains questionable.

If Rondon can once again demonstrate that he is vital to the success of this team at Craven Cottage - he shouldn't need to, considering how excellent he has been over the past six months, but another positive display would merely confirm this - then it may yet convince the Newcastle hierarchy that they do need to do everything within their power in order to secure the forward's signature on a permanent basis.




https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-newcastle-shelvey-diame-rondon-16259416

WhiteJC

Fulham's relegation woes should not stop them from signing this £40,000-a-week PL powerhouse – Here is why



Fulham Opinion: Cottagers should go all out to sign Harry Arter this summer

According to the Irish Independent, Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter is likely to complete a move to newly-relegated club Fulham in the summer transfer window after spending the 2018-19 season on loan at Cardiff City.

The Irish Independent believes Fulham are tracking the 29-year-old Republic of Ireland international after the Cottagers announced Scott Parker as their new permanent manager.

Arter, who earns £40,000-a-week, still has two years remaining on his contract at Bournemouth but it looks unlikely that Cherries manager Eddie Howe has a role for him in the midfield at the Vitality Stadium next season.

The 29-year-old was a regular for the Cherries back in their Championship days and featured prominently in their first two seasons in the Premier League before slipping down the pecking order since the start of the last season.

The Irishman started only 11 games in the Premier League for Bournemouth in the 2017-18 season before being shipped out on loan to Cardiff City last summer.

Arter made a total of 25 appearances for the Bluebirds in the Premier League this season before confirming his exit upon the club's relegation to the Championship.

Meanwhile, Fulham are preparing for a massive clear-out of several of their first-team stars, as the Cottagers set their sights on securing promotion back to the Premier League in the first time of asking.

Fulham clearly cannot afford to have such high-earning players on their books in the Championship and they are seemingly under pressure to trim their wage bill.

To put things into perspective, Fulham have every reason to look at Harry Arter as someone who could add a lot of steel and stability to their midfield. Jean Michael Seri is unlikely to stick around in the second division while Calum Chambers is set to return to his parent club Arsenal.

At 29, Arter's influence is on the wane but he is still good enough to play a big role for any promotion-chasing side in the Championship.

Cardiff have struggled as a unit in the Premier League but Arter's performances haven't been all that bad. In fact, he has often added a lot of energy to the Bluebirds' rather pedestrian-looking midfield.

It's true that he hasn't made much of an impact with goals and assists this season but a return to the Championship should see him get back to his best.

Having been an integral part of Bournemouth's journey from League One to the Championship and then to the Premier League, Arter has racked up a mammoth of 254 appearances for the Cherries in all competitions.

He is well aware of the long and hard slog that the teams have to go through in the Championship and knows what it takes to secure promotion to the top-flight.

Noted for his strength, tenacity, drive, determination and tough-tackling nature, Arter can be the perfect choice for Fulham to play the role of a destroyer in the midfield.

He always keeps things ticking with his dogged work-rate and impressive distribution, while also possessing the intelligence and the quality on the ball to chip in with valuable goals and assists.

The fans at Craven Cottage are likely to see more of Kevin McDonald and Stefan Johansen in the Championship next season. McDonald has hardly played a part in the Premier League while Johansen has found his rhythm on loan at West Brom after struggling for regular minutes in the first half of the ongoing campaign.

They also have the services of Ibrahima Cisse in central midfield as a useful back-up option but Arter would still be a wonderful addition to their ranks, owing to his experience and quality.

If Fulham are to make an immediate return to the Premier League, Harry Arter is exactly the kind of player that the Cottagers should be looking at.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2019/05/11/fulhams-relegation-woes-should-not-stop-them-from-signing-this-40000-a-week-pl-powerhouse-here-is-why/

WhiteJC


Cottage Talk Spotlight: Robert Wilson Shares His View On Scott Parker's Appointment
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

Former Fulham player Robert Wilson is back on Cottage Talk, and in this episode, he shares why he is very happy that Scott Parker has been named the head coach of Fulham.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2019/5/11/18615989/cottage-talk-spotlight-robert-wilson-shares-his-view-on-scott-parkers-appointment


WhiteJC

Fulham boss Scott Parker has a warning for Spurs and Southampton over interest in key men

The Saints and Tottenham are among the clubs to have been linked with moves for some of Fulham's key players this summer

Scott Parker insists that Fulham's owners will be doing all they can to keep the club's best assets this summer, despite the Whites' relegation to the Championship.

Fulham will be playing in the second tier next season after a campaign to forget in the Premier League, with the Cottagers' relegation confirmed back at the beginning of April when they lost 4-1 against Watford.

Since then, some of Fulham's key players have been linked with potential moves away this summer, with Ryan Sessegnon a reported target for Tottenham and Aleksandar Mitrovic said to be attracting attention from Southampton.


Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ryan Sessegnon are reported targets for Southampton and Spurs respectively. Photo: Marc Atkins/Getty Images (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

But Parker, who has now been handed the manager's position on a full-time basis after guiding the Whites to some positive results during his time in caretaker charge, insists that the club will be in no rush to sell any of their star men this summer.

"With relegation comes uncertainty. Teams will maybe want to come in and get certain players, and we understand that," he told BBC programme Football Focus.

"But the owners, I don't think they will be in a rush to sell anyone, they will want to keep the best assets, the best players, and make sure this club has every opportunity to get back to the best league in the world."

Fulham will look to finish the season on a positive note when they host Newcastle United tomorrow (Sunday), and Parker said that he is looking forward to a short break before a busy summer as the Cottagers look to try and bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

"I am looking forward to a nice holiday and we are all looking forward to a recharge of the batteries, myself and the players, and hopefully we can come back next year to give it a good old go," he added.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-boss-warning-spurs-southampton-16261332

WhiteJC


Three Players to Watch: Matchday 38 vs. Newcastle
More Good News As Premier League Football Closes On Fulham

So Scott Parker is now the head honcho at Fulham. But really, the title is "head coach" and not "manager", so that changes the narrative a tiny bit. Still, with three wins in his last four games in charge, Parker has done enough to show that he's not a terrible coach and he can get a squad playing a cohesive. That alone deserves him a chance. It just so happens that Fulham's board have decided to keep him rather than potentially be proven wrong by letting him succeed somewhere else.

At the end of the day, the Khans and Co. decided to go the simple route by picking continuity rather than go for a bigger name to guide them towards a quick retool back to England's top flight. The concerns, though, come from multiple angles.

First, do we truly know if Parker's own brand of football that can last 46 games in the Championship? Yes, ""togetherness" and "playing with passion" go a long way, but tactical nous and knowing how to break down an opposition will reign supreme in the long run. We just haven't seen Parker tested in that regard since Fulham have little to play for since his caretaker appointment.

Next, what happens to Parker once the chips are down? How will he handle the pressures of getting his team back to their best after some underachievement, or a rash of injuries, or even worse, a significant lack of confidence in the stands and dressing room? We knew Kit Symons and Claudio Ranieri folded like a beach chair when those doubts were presented to them. As for Salvisa Jokanovic, he eventually handled adversity, but this was without a lot of kicking and screaming along the way. Scott Parker seems like a mild-mannered person that knows how to instill that calmness and confidence into his side, but the hair-pulling will happen and it's up to him to make sure that demeanor doesn't change and keep everything in order in the process.

Speaking of Kit Symons, how much evidence is there really of first-time managers completely working out? Gary Monk might be the best case scenario, but we have seen even recently with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Darren Moore that there is not plenty of success in 2019 or in the future. If anything, an experienced head would have been much better off coaching this lot, but we only need to look at this season to find out that that isn't a guarantee either. At the end of the day, Fulham got the best man for the time being. The club became a poisoned chalice once again, as it did five years ago the last time the club were relegated. However, don't be crying back home if Scott Parker's charm wears out and we are crying for something different again.

Lastly, we go full circle and talk about the "head coach" position. When a title like that gets presented to the man who is supposed to be deemed the "manager", one has to wonder how the structure of the club is going to be. The obvious fact is going to be that Tony Khan is just not going to give up his de-facto director of football role anytime soon. As a result, does Scott Parker even have the proper voice at the club? Or is he a proverbial puppet in Khan's constant failed transfer experiments.

We won't know every question until the end 2020, at the earliest. But for now, there is some stability being brought in to the club via coach and captain. That isn't nothing to celebrate for while a meaningless game of football of football will play out. Will we see more minutes from 16-year old record breaking debutant Harvey Elliott? Will we see more than one Sessegnon on the pitch? Will this be the last time we say good bye to some of Fulham's better players like Aleksander Mitrovic and Ryan Sessegnon as they look to stay at the highest level of the game? All will be answered in due time.

But for now, let's enjoy one last contest before the summer shines through. Here are three players to watch from Newcastle.

Ayoze Perez
Considering how horrifyingly yet necessarily conservative Rafa Benitez has set up his team over these last two seasons, you wonder how Ayoze Perez was able to get to 11 Premier League goals. Welp, converting close to 21% of his shots into goals would surely do the trick. Even if the 25-year old has found a way to convert at a solid 14.5% over his five-year stay at St. James' Park, this season seems to be quite extreme. Add in the fact that his shot rate has plummeted to 1.68 per 90 minutes and you can see the fears of Perez's regression coming into 2019/20.

Now the Spaniard has played more as a wide midfielder more so than a secondary striker this season. However, when an attacker plays further back, you expect dribbling, defensive or passing numbers to increase. That hasn't happened at all and one has to wonder how Perez and Solomon Rondon can gel at their most cohesive for the betterment of the team.

Isaac Hayden
Next, there really hasn't been anyone in Newcastle's midfield that has been a consistent presence all season. Tom Cairney's former rival, aka Jonjo Shelvey, has only played 854 league minutes due to a thigh injury and both Mohamad Diame and Ki Sung-Yeung are beginning to show their age. That leaves us with Isaac Hayden cleaning up the mess and for the most part, he's been okay.

That's not a lot of praise considering Newcastle don't keep the ball at all, but they do know how to fly around with a challenge or ten. That's where Hayden has started to leap frog Diame in Benitez's eyes thanks to his 112 defensive actions in just 1,795 league minutes. He proved his worth in the Championship back when he was a holding midfielder at Hull and in his first year at Tyneside. But now he's finally delivering at Premier League level at age 23 and only the best is yet to come for him.

Matt Ritchie
Lastly, you may think that Hayden was the leading defensive contributor in midfield. But those defensive stalwarts all season have actually been newcomer Fabian Schar at center back and this former winger turned fullback. That's right, Matt Ritchie has come from being a goal poacher at Bournemouth to being a Trent Alexander-Arnold copycat at Newcastle.

Okay, that was truly an exaggeration, but you'll be hard pressed to find someone that consistently delivers one successful cross for every four attempts throughout his measured career. Add in 119 defensive actions to his account and you can see how Benitez moved him over to a wing-back/reserved fullback role this season. Who knows if this experiment will continue, but it has given a new lease on life for the 29-year old Scotsman.



https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2019/5/12/18564480/three-players-to-watch-matchday-38-vs-newcastle

WhiteJC

Scott Parker delivers brutally honest assessment of Fulham's season - and what they need now

The Fulham boss has outlined what he aims to do after being appointed as manager on a full-time basis

Scott Parker says he is determined to put his own identity on the Fulham team after being given the manager's job on a full-time basis.

The former Fulham midfielder was named as the club's permanent manager on Friday, having impressed during his time in caretaker charge, with three wins in the last four games since relegation was confirmed.

But Parker has admitted that the season as a whole has not been good enough from the Cottagers , who will be back in the second tier next season, having won promotion in May last year via the play-offs.

And he says that he wants to try and get the feel good factor back at the club as he pinpointed what has gone wrong in a difficult season.

"I have got an affiliation here in a sense that I was a player here for four years, and then have come back as a coach," he said in an interview with BBC programme Football Focus.

"There are certain things about this football club that give it charm and a clear identity, and we probably went away from that, certainly over the past few months.

"I think that came from the fact that it has not been a good season and trying to bring that back has been a massive part for me, and to put my identity on this team is massively important.

"When three managers sit in this position I am currently sitting in, there is a reason for that, and we have underachieved this year, and the person who pays for that is often the manager.

"I think we all understand it has been a pretty poor season for us after a great year last year getting to this league. All top clubs and those who have success have some sort of continuity."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/parker-brutally-honest-assessment-fulham-16261384