Thursday Fulham Stuff - 03/10/19...

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Results

Wednesday
Barnsley	2-2	Derby
Brentford	1-1	Bristol City
Cardiff	3-0	QPR
Charlton	1-2	Swansea
Luton	1-1	Millwall

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Aleksandar Mitrovic offers personal thoughts following emphatic Fulham win

Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has shared his thoughts on the club's midweek hammering of Reading as they continue their Championship promotion push.

The Serbian took himself to the top of the second-tier scoring charts with two goals in the 4-1 win in a match that took the Sout-West Londoners back into the top-six.

Taking to Instagram after the match, the Serbian shared a photograph from the match, along with the caption: "Amazing night and amazing 3 points!"

Captain Tom Cairney opened the scoring with a trademark left-footed finish into the top-corner in the first-half before Reading were reduced to ten-men, with John Swift picking up a second yellow.

And Fulham punished their opponents, with two goals in as many minutes from the Serbian putting the visitors into a commanding position, taking himself to the top of scoring charts in the process.

Cairney added a fourth during the second half with a clever lobbed effort before Yakou Meite dragged a consolation back for the hosts but it was too little too late.

The verdict

Seeing Mitrovic back amongst the goals will be a huge relief for Fulham fans.

His contract extension in the summer was arguably the best deal struck by any club in the EFL but he needed to follow that up with the letahl performances that many know he is capable of.

So netting two against the Royals and returning to the top of the scoring charts will undoubtedly give him a lot of confidence and act as a relief to the fans.

You would not put it past him and the club now going on an emphatic winning run with some heavy victories among them.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/aleksandar-mitrovic-offers-personal-thoughts-following-emphatic-fulham-win/

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Mick McCarthy suggests Sheffield Wednesday's Keiren Westwood and Fulham's Harry Arter are now last resorts for Ireland

Mick McCarthy has suggested that the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood and Fulham midfielder Harry Arter will only be considered for international selection as last resorts.

McCarthy, the Republic of Ireland manager, has left both players out of his latest squad.

Both Westwood and Arter, who played against one another as Wednesday drew 1-1 with Fulham last month, were called up last time out.

But Westwood later withdrew himself from consideration over an injury concern – something Arter was no stranger to himself before he joined Fulham in the summer transfer window.

And McCarthy told The Irish Mirror: "Harry's not been playing and I had a conversation with him and Keiren the other day.

"If I rang them up and wanted them to play, they'd both be happy to come along.

"Both of them were carrying injuries and actually would prefer, I think, to make sure they're right for their clubs at this moment in time. It suits me.

"I said to Harry he wouldn't be in the squad anyway, with the six midfielders I've got.

"And Kieren's not going to start if Darren Randolph's there and the other two lads (Mark Travers and Kieran O'Hara) were brilliant in training.

"So I had that conversation with them. If I need them, they'll be ready but I think they're both happy enough with my decision.

"They can concentrate on the (club) football without having to tell me. I'm telling them."

Westwood, who turns 35 later this month, has won 21 caps for Ireland, but only four of those have been as a Sheffield Wednesday player.

In contrast, Arter – who was brought to Fulham by his brother-in-law boss, Scott Parker – has made all 15 of his international appearances during his colleague's Hillsborough career.

Meanwhile, another two of Sheffield Wednesday's more experienced regulars, Barry Bannan and Steven Fletcher, have again been overlooked by the Scotland manager, Steve Clarke.



https://www.sheffieldwednesday.news/news/mick-mccarthy-suggests-sheffield-wednesdays-keiren-westwood-and-fulhams-harry-arter-are-now-last-resorts-for-ireland/

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Key Fulham figure offers verdict on travelling fans after midweek display

Fulham co-owner Tony Khan has heaped praise on the club's fans following their emphatic midweek win against Reading on Tuesday night.

Over 2,000 Whites' fans made the trip to Berkshire and were rewarded with a brilliant display from their side, coming away with a 4-1 win, and Khan was quick to praise them.

Writing on Twitter, he said: "Thank you very much to all of you @FulhamFC supporters and a very special thank you to all of you who traveled to Madejski Stadium tonight and endured the bad weather, and thank you to the squad and staff for working so hard to make tonight's 4-1 win possible. Come on Fulham!"

Captain Tom Cairney opened the scoring with a trademark left-footed finish into the top-corner in the first-half before Reading were reduced to ten-men, with John Swift picking up a second yellow.

And Fulham punished their opponents, with two goals in as many minutes from Aleksandar Mitrovic, putting the visitors into a commanding position, taking himself to the top of scoring charts in the process.

Cairney added a fourth during the second half with a clever lobbed effort before Yakou Meite dragged a consolation back for the hosts but it was too little too late.

The win saw Fulham move back into the top-six ahead of their London derby against Charlton Athletic on Saturday lunch-time.

The verdict

Khan is right to heap praise on the fans although he must take some credit for the feel-good factor returning to the club.

Following their dismal season in the Premier League it would have been easy for the fans to fall into a slump but their excellent summer business coupled with Scott Parker's permanent appointment have helped good vibes return to Craven Cottage.

It is still early days, however, and they will need to maintain this form if they are to bounce straight back into the top flight.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/key-fulham-figure-offers-verdict-on-travelling-fans-after-midweek-display/

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3 things we clearly learned about Fulham in their 4-1 win over Reading

Last night, Fulham headed to The Madejski Stadium and won 1-4 against a Reading side that capitulated in front of their home supporters after going down to ten men.

Tom Cairney netted the opener from the edge of the area, before Reading midfielder John Swift was shown a second yellow midway through the first half.

Aleksandar Mitrovic then went on to net two goals from close range in free-flowing Fulham moves under the lights, before Cairney added his second in the second period from long range after a Reading mix-up, calmly lifting the ball into the open net.

Yakou Meite netted a late consolation goal from outside the area for Reading.

Fulham midfield is one of the best in Championship

The midfield trio of Harry Arter, Stefan Johansen and Tom Cairney dominated proceedings last night, helping their side maintain 73% of possession throughout the night.

Arter's industrious style of play in playing as the midfielder that protected the defence allowed Cairney and Johansen to go and join the Fulham attacks throughout the night, with both playing their part in goals and Fulham captain Cairney getting in on the act by netting two from his central midfield spot as the playmaker.

Give Mitrovic chances and he will score

Bullying striker Aleksandar Mitrovic led the line perfectly for Fulham last night, netting two from close range and his link-up play with the players around him giving Fulham the best chance of winning since the first whistle was blown.

Mitrovic was in the right place at the right time for Fulham to net his two goals, getting on the end of good team moves to slot into the back of the net for his seventh league goals of the campaign, taking him joint top of the goalscoring charts.

Joe Bryan coming into form

Fulham are coming into their own in the Championship this season, with some impressive performances so far during the season. One player that is coming into form, however, is left-back Joe Bryan.

The left-back's driving runs against Reading and arriving late in the box to help with team moves was one of Fulham's shining lights from last night, the 26-year-old being a productive outlet for the Cottagers.

Bryan signed for Fulham in 2018 upon their promotion to the Premier League and struggled to hit a consistent run of form as a top flight regular, but has now been one of their better players at the start of this season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/3-things-we-clearly-learned-about-fulham-in-their-4-1-win-over-reading/

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Talking Points: Reading

Three points, four goals, five talking points from Tuesday night's fruitful trip to Reading.

1. The Cairney trademark

Three of Tom Cairney's five goals – some return for a midfielder in 10 games – this season have been almost exact replicas. Taking aim from outside the box, he shapes his body and arcs the ball away from the goalkeeper and into the postage stamp of the goal. They start almost centrally until the curl kicks in and dispatches it top right. The opposition must know it's coming by now, but there's not a thing they can do about it.

2. Banishing Madejski memories

Prior to Tuesday night, it was 11-and-a-half years since Fulham's last win at the 'Mad Stad.' Some creditable draws have been attained in that time but it was also the venue for our 2017 Play-Off defeat, so you can forgive our fans for revelling in the manner of our most recent victory.

3. Cruel consolation

If you had offered any Fulham fan a 4-1 scoreline prior to kick-off, they would certainly have taken it. But with the way things panned out, it was a bit of a kick in the teeth to not leave Berkshire with a flawless night's work. Yakou Meite's effort was a stunner, but you could see from Marcus Bettinelli's reaction how frustrated he was to not take home a second consecutive clean sheet.

4. Chance for rest

With three matches in nine days before the next international break, Scott Parker opted to rest a trio of players on Tuesday who have featured heavily of late. Steven Sessegnon, Harrison Reed and Ivan Cavaleiro were all given a breather, and because of how the game went they weren't utilised from the bench, either. Furthermore, the hefty scoreline allowed Parker to withdraw key performers Anthony Knockaert, Tom Cairney and Joe Bryan with a London derby just around the corner.

5. Bob of all trades

We've now seen Bobby Decordova-Reid deployed in three positions in the Fulham team, after Scott Parker started him on the left flank against Reading. The 26-year-old looked totally comfortable in the wide role, and helped create the opening goal by picking out his good pal Joe Bryan who had made the overlapping run.

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/october/02/talking-points-reading

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Scott Parker gives key reason behind Fulham victory

Scott Parker has stated that Fulham's attacking threat was 'devastating' in the first 30 minutes against Reading.

Fulham found themselves three goals ahead at half-time last night as their forwards ran riot against a disjointed Royals side.

Tom Cairney and Aleksander Mitrovic both got on the scoresheet twice before Yakou Meite netted a fine consolation goal for Reading.

Parker was delighted with his sides threat that they posed throughout the game and was full of praise for the attackers in the first-half of the match.

Speaking to FourFourTwo, Parker said: "In the first 30 minutes, we were devastating – even though they had a man sent off.

"But, prior to that, I felt that we had really stamped our authority on the game and showed our quality.

"We're going to be a team very hard team to deal with in the first 20 or 30 minutes. Even when Reading had 11 men, it was still difficult for them.

"We moved the ball very quickly and with an intensity. And we were really clinical in the final third.

"Over the past few weeks, we've worked a lot on getting that cutting edge about us."

The Verdict

Scott Parker has now found a formula that works when setting up his midfield and attacking trio and they caused Reading a tonne of problems last night.

Fulham are one of the favourites for promotion and you can see why, as there's never a game where you think that they won't score.

It'll be interesting to see how they get on this year, and if they do go up, whether they switch up the approach that had seen them relegated last season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/scott-parker-gives-key-reason-behind-fulham-victory/

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Ryan Sessegnon reacts to Fulham ace's emphatic midweek display

Former Fulham star Ryan Sessegnon has reacted to Aleksandar Mitrovic's midweek performance after the Serbian scored twice in a 4-1 win against Reading on Tuesday night.

Sessegnon was sold to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer but clearly still has an affinity with his boyhood club and was particularly complimentary of his former attacking couterpart.

After Mitrovic had shared his thoughts on Instagram, Sessegnon responded simply with a little goat emoji, implying that the striker is the Greatest Of All Time.

Captain Tom Cairney opened the scoring with a trademark left-footed finish into the top-corner in the first-half before Reading were reduced to ten-men, with John Swift picking up a second yellow.

And Fulham punished their opponents, with two goals in as many minutes from the Serbian putting the visitors into a commanding position, taking himself to the top of scoring charts in the process.

Cairney added a fourth during the second half with a clever lobbed effort before Yakou Meite dragged a consolation back for the hosts but it was too little too late.

The verdict

This simple comment will undoubtedly be a very welcome sight to many Fulham fans.

During the 2017/18 season, Sessegnon and Mitrovic were part of a brilliant attacking unit that saw them promoted to the Premier League, playing some thrilling football along the way.

With the Whites attack now in a very good place once again, they will likely be able to look at Sessegnon's current escapades with admiration rather than any sort of envy.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/ryan-sessegnon-reacts-to-fulham-aces-emphatic-midweek-display/

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'Championship's best player' – Plenty of Fulham fans react to individual's unbelievable display

Fulham thrashed Reading at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday night, with Aleksandar Mitrovic and Tom Cairney both scoring twice in a 4-1 victory.

The Cottagers' win means that they move up to fourth in the table and continue to push for their place back in the Premier League.

Scott Parker's side were terrific from the outset, and three of the four goals came in the first half an hour of the fixture.

It was another game where Fulham proved they could score a large number of goals and look dangerous throughout.

Midfielder Cairney has been in fine form this season and his goals last night meant that he has now scored five in the first ten games of the campaign, he'll be targeting a few more before the season's out after a poor campaign in front of goal last year.

The 28-year-old will be hoping that he can get another opportunity to play in the top division with Fulham, but he'll have to ensure he keeps up his excellent run of form to do so.


https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/championships-best-player-plenty-of-fulham-fans-react-to-individuals-unbelievable-display/

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Lee Bowyer explains why Fulham have an advantage over Charlton ahead of Saturday's match

Charlton Athletic boss Lee Bowyer has criticised the Championship fixture scheduling which means his side have less time than Fulham to prepare for Saturday's meeting in West London.

Both sides are in the middle of a busy week as Charlton prepare to face Swansea City at The Valley tonight, but Fulham are now already looking ahead to their clash with the Addicks after playing their midweek match on Tuesday night.

Scott Parker's side ran out 4-1 winners against Reading at the Madejski Stadium in a result which has moved the Cottagers up to fourth in the Championship table following back-to-back successes over the last four days.

Charlton will be aiming to enter Saturday's match in a similar vein of form as they look to build on last Saturday's 1-0 success over Leeds United with a positive result against Steve Cooper's Swansea side tonight.

Bowyer has claimed his side will be ready to face the Swans despite missing the likes of Lyle Taylor and Tomer Hemed, but he then admitted his concern that Saturday's match against Fulham might come too soon for his side.

"We had a couple come off with cramp on Saturday but they have got an extra day to recover," Bowyer told London News Online.

"My worry is going to be Saturday against Fulham and how we are going to be. We have got to try and get through this game [against Swansea]  – patch them up and get them back out there – and then see how we go.

"We'll be ready for Wednesday, for sure, but Saturday is going to be even harder."

The Addicks boss was then asked whether he feels Fulham have an advantage heading into Saturday's match as a result of the fixture scheduling, and he issued a clear response.

"For sure, I don't get it," he said. "I understand TV scheduling but I don't know why it was changed. Everyone should play on a Tuesday and then everyone plays on a Saturday. To be going into a game where one team has had 24 hours more recovery time than the other one – that's massive.

"If we'd have both played Wednesday then I'd say that is fine, because then we've both got the same recovery time. But that's not the case."

The Verdict

Bowyer is definitely correct in that the fixture scheduling means Fulham have a clear advantage over his side, particularly seeing as Charlton will be entering Saturday's match following a very tough week.

The Addicks are preparing to face Swansea just four days after playing at Leeds with both these matches against possession-based sides being tough physical tests for Bowyer's men.

The fact they then need to face Fulham on the weekend could prove to be too much for Charlton in the space of seven days, and Bowyer has every right to feel hard done by with the match scheduling.

He will need to fully utilise his tactical awareness during both of his sides' upcoming games in order to help combat the effects of a demanding week on Charlton's fitness levels.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/lee-bowyer-explains-why-fulham-have-an-advantage-of-charlton-ahead-of-saturdays-match/

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Win Riverside Memorabilia!

FFC supporters now have a chance to get their hands on Riverside Stand memorabilia, amongst other unique prizes via our online auction.

When you win, so too does the Foundation, with all funds raised going directly to the Club's official charity partner, who support more than 11,000 people each season across South West London and Surrey.

Secure a chance for your child to walk the team onto the pitch as mascot, or stake your claim for a piece of Riverside Stand history, by placing your bids via: givergy.uk/fulhamfcauction19.

Good luck!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/october/02/win-riverside-memorabilia

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Fulham midfielder impresses with incredible stats against Reading

Central midfielder Harry Arter played a pivotal role in Fulham's 4-1 win away at Reading last night, impressing in the defensive midfield role in a 4-3-3 formation.

Fulham's Twitter account released Arter's stats to the public this afternoon, revealing that Arter took 157 touches, made 137 accurate passes to his team-mates across the 90 minutes, 96% of his passes reaching its intended target and making seven tackles to break up the Reading attacks, as well as releasing a picture of his heatmap.

Arter has played a pivotal role in the holding midfielder spot for brother-in-law Scott Parker's Fulham side this season and has proven to be a key cog in the system as Fulham have risen to fourth in the EFL Championship.

Arter is on a season-long loan at Fulham from AFC Bournemouth, having spent last season on loan with Premier League side Fulham.

The Verdict:

Arter's stats from last night's victory show that the midfielder is vital in the Fulham system as Fulham attempt to retain possession and tire their opponents out, as well as Arter being key in breaking up any sniff of opponent attacks like he did last season. If Arter continues with his early season form, then he could be one of the main reasons why Fulham are pushing for an immediate Premier League promotion this season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-midfielder-impresses-with-incredible-stats-against-reading/

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Fulham: Fans pick their Man of the Match after 4-1 Reading win

Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney followed up his strike against Wigan Athletic on Friday evening with a double against Reading – but that wasn't enough to take all the plaudits from the Whites faithful last night.

Bobby Reid didn't get on the scoresheet himself, nor did he record an assist as Fulham sauntered to a 4-1 victory over the 10-man Royals, but it seems the supporters were full of praise for the on-loan Cardiff City man.

The 26-year-old was not even the team's best passer on Tuesday night – with Harry Arter and Tim Ream both surpassing Reid's 96.1% success rate – as the midfielder clocked his highest match rating of the season (7.38), according to WhoScored.

However, on Twitter it was Reid who earned much of the praise from supporters when asked for their Man of the Match by the club's official Twitter account.

Captain Cairney may have got the lion's share of the calls for the gong, while defender Joe Bryan was given some honourable mentions as fans discussed who should take the award, but there were plenty of shouts for Reid's performance to be recognised as Fulham recorded a second win of the week ahead of Charlton Athletic's visit to Craven Cottage this weekend:



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/fulham/fulham-fans-pick-their-man-of-the-match-after-4-1-reading-win/

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Fulham ace calls out fan favourite with jovial dig

Fulham have started the season brilliantly under rookie boss Scott Parker with the west Londoners currently sitting in fourth place after 10 games played as they head into their match against Charlton Athletic this coming Saturday.

Parker will no doubt have been delighted with the performances in last night's game away at Reading, with the Craven Cottage outfit recording a resounding 4-1 victory at the Madejski Stadium, in a match which saw Tom Cairney and Aleksandar Mitrovic net two goals each as they trounced the Royals.

Although it is usually Mitrovic who tends to get all the plaudits for his goal scoring, he has now be joined in the spotlight this season by his teammate Cairney, who took his goal scoring tally to an impressive five goals in 10 outings this season, with the Scotland international having now scored in each of his last three games for the Whites.

His form has not gone unnoticed to those outside of the Fulham equation, with Soccer AM's official Twitter account today dubbing Cairney as 'Tom Bin Cairney' after he once again found the top corner of the goal with his strike against Reading, thus repeating the feat he had accomplished against Wigan in the club's previous game.

And the Scotsman was quick to respond to the post, by simply saying the following:

A good show of sense of humour from Cairney there, as he poked fun at ex-Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard, who now works as a pundit for Soccer AM, after being forced to retire from football back in 2012 because of a serious knee injury.

The Verdict

Cairney will no doubt be pleased to see that his goal scoring efforts are not going unnoticed in the wider footballing world, with the Fulham captain intent on securing the club's immediate return to the Premier League, he will surely be relishing the prospect of adding to his tally in the games to come.

If his early season form is anything to go by, Fulham will be once again reliant on the creativity of their skipper, with the 28-year-old having played a pivotal role in their 2017/2018 promotion campaign, in which he scored an impressive six goals in 37 Championship games, whilst also contributing five assists.

It is clear from these statistics that the attacking midfielder's form this season will no doubt prove crucial to Fulham repeating that feat this time around.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-ace-calls-out-fan-favourite-with-jovial-dig/

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Goals Worth Talking About

The English Football League (EFL) and their charity partner, Mind, have today launched an awareness campaign for World Mental Health Day 2019, Goals Worth Talking About.

Football fans at a number of EFL Clubs across the country have voted for their club's most iconic EFL moment; each of which is set to be immortalised as street art in their respective cities.

The murals will appear around the country with the aim of highlighting how football is often a conversation starter, and the importance of talking when it comes to mental health support.

The campaign is the latest activity by the EFL and Mind, who are currently in Year Two of their ground-breaking charity partnership which aims to improve the nation's mental health and wellbeing and the approach to mental health in football.

Fans from Sunderland, Leeds United, Preston North End, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Cardiff City, West Bromwich Albion and Leyton Orient have voted for their favourite EFL goals via their club's social channels and can look forward to seeing the goals brought to life through live street art in key city centre locations.

Running from the 3 October until World Mental Health Day on the 10 October, a new piece of artwork will be created in a different city each day, before photography of the murals will be displayed at special gallery exhibition in London.

Debbie Jevans, EFL Executive Chair, said, "The EFL is proud to be associated with Mind as our charity partner and we are pleased to be able to work together to highlight the challenges around mental health on World Mental Health Day.

"The power of football and the Club badge provides a platform like no other and through the Goals Worth Talking About campaign and the EFL's wider partnership with Mind, we aim to continue to encourage conversations and improve the approach to mental health in both football and in the wider society."

Paul Farmer Chief Executive of Mind said, "We know that football and emotion go hand in hand. That's why we're delighted to be marking World Mental Health Day this year with Goals Worth Talking About, as part of our charity partnership with the EFL.

"Football has the power to bring about real change. We hope that by harnessing the passion and emotion fans have about their clubs' most significant goal through these fantastic pieces of street art, we can encourage more people to start up conversations about their emotions and ultimately their mental health too.

"Together, Mind and the EFL hope that Goals Worth Talking About can be the inspiration to people to make their first step to getting support."

To find out more about the campaign, please visit: www.efl.com/onyourside

For advice and support please visit: www.mind.org.uk



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/october/02/goals-worth-talking-about

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'They need to be treasured' – Fulham fan pundit reveals fears of losing exciting young players

This article is part of Football League World's 'Regular Punter' series, where we gather original opinions from select, passionate fans of the clubs concerned on matters surrounding their team and share them with a wider audience...

Football League World's Fulham fan pundit David Gadd has expressed concern that the club could see some of their exciting young stars poached in the coming windows.

It comes after young centre-back Riley Warland left the club for a move to Australia this week and Gadd has now singled out three more stars he believes could be tempted away in the not too distant future.

"I think the obvious one is Steven seesngon," the regular punter told Football League World.

"However he's kind of out of the mould of young talent as he's playing regularly in the first team.

"However the other two that spring to mind are (Winger) Luca de la Torre and (Midfielder) Matt O'Riley as they are exceptional talents and need to be treasured by the club."

17-year-old Warland rose through the ranks in South West London but never came close to breaking into the first-team, with nine under-18 caps the best he could manage.

De La Torre, 21, has already made 11 first-team appearances, scoring once and assisting two more whilst O'Riley has turned out four times for them.

As Gadd says, Sessegnon has also become a regular in the first-team, with the 19-year-old playing in seven of their ten Championship fixtures so far this season.

He saw his twin brother Ryan sold to Tottenham Hotspur during the summer transfer window after impressing for two seasons in the first-team so it would certainly not be a surprise to see more youngsters follow that path.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/they-need-to-be-treasured-fulham-fan-pundit-reveals-fears-of-losing-exciting-young-players/

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84.8% passing accuracy: The Fulham player who proved his worth Reading victory

Fulham have extended their unbeaten run in the Championship to five matches following an emphatic 4-1 victory over a struggling Reading side at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday night.

Tom Cairney and Aleksandar Mitrovic both scored braces for Scott Parker's side as they followed up Friday evening's 2-0 victory over Wigan with an impressive success on the road to take them up to fourth in the Championship table.

The resounding nature of the victory would have been particularly pleasing for Parker, but he can also take plenty of other positives from the match including the strong performance of leading frontman Mitrovic.

The Serbia international quickly capitalised on Fulham's advantage over the 10-men Royals as it took him less than 10 minutes to score a double following John Swift's first-half dismissal for a second bookable offence.

Mitrovic has now scored a total of seven goals in the Championship this season as he continues to repay the Craven Cottage outfit for renewing his contract in the summer following their relegation from the Premier League.

The Reading defence seriously struggled to cope with Mitrovic's attacking threat, and this was indicated by his match statistics as as well as the fact he added two goals to his season tally.

Here, we take a closer look at Mitrovic's numbers from the match...

Mitrovic played the full 90 minutes at the Madejski Stadium as he led the line on his own during a match where Fulham boasted a much stronger attacking threat than their bottom-half opponents. Mitrovic created problems for the backline all match but his presence was particularly felt directly following Swift's dismissal when he netted his two goals. The first strike saw him turn home Anthony Knockaert's cross, before he guided home Joe Bryan's delivery just three minutes later before the game had even reached the half-hour mark.

The 25-year-old looked to test Reading goalkeeper Rafael Cabral on more than just these two occasions, as he almost scored a hat-trick in the second period but failed to direct home Stefan Johansen's cross from close range. He finished the match having registered a total of five attempts on goal as Reading struggled to contain his threat, with this suggesting the hosts could even consider themselves somewhat lucky that he wasn't in an even more clinical mood on Tuesday night.

Mitrovic also showcased other aspects to his game during the Madejski Stadium meeting as he also recorded 84.8% passing accuracy over the course of the match. This reveals Mitrovic's ability to make a strong contribution to the Cottagers' build-up play as his physicality means he can hold the ball up before accurately offloading it to his teammates. This aspect to his game play is also manifested in the fact he won three aerial duels during the match, with this being a solid number for a forward who the defence were desperately trying to contain.

Furthermore, he managed to make one key pass during the match and while this number has been higher in recent weeks, it still indicates his ability to create chances as well as finish them. Mitrovic's biggest strength must be his goalscoring ability but the fact he can also post impressive statistics such as these allows him to function as such an effective attacker in the Championship.

Mitrovic's showing against Reading was just the latest example of his ability to cause serious problems for Championship defences this season. His potency in front of goal means Fulham should be expecting him to score freely this season, with this particularly being the case against lower-placed opponents such as Reading. He will undoubtedly be a vital cog if Fulham are to challenge for promotion this term.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/84-8-passing-accuracy-the-fulham-player-who-proved-his-worth-reading-victory/

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Fulham ace will know pressure is on to impress more than one manager at the moment

Defensive midfielder Harry Arter hasn't made an appearance for AFC Bournemouth since the 2017-2018 season, instead spending time out on loan with Cardiff City and currently with Fulham.

Arter still has a place to fight for with Eddie Howe's side but was deemed surplus to requirements at The Vitality Stadium for the second summer in a row and has now found himself playing for brother-in-law Scott Parker's Fulham side in the EFL Championship.

Since arriving at Craven Cottage in the summer, Arter has put in some strong performances, Arter's display against Reading last night probably being the strongest of the lot in which he made 137 accurate passes, and the 29-year-old midfielder has dropped down a level with the mindset that there's still a chance of him adding to his 255 Bournemouth appearances so far.

Arter's clearly out with a point to prove to the likes of Eddie Howe that there's still life in the experienced midfielder yet despite not having turned 30, and he'll be looking to stamp his mark on the Championship this season as long as he can keep himself free from injury and suspension for the majority of it.

In the back of Arter's mind, he'll know that he has a chance of fighting for a place within Eddie Howe's Bournemouth setup come the summer as long as he continues to put in the fine performances and playing the percentages game that he has been so far this season. Arter knows what it takes to be a Premier League footballer having made close to 100 appearances since being promoted to the Premier League with Bournemouth in 2015 and playing out on loan at the relegated Cardiff last season.

For Arter, his season will definitely be make or break for whether he has a chance of making it back into a Premier League spot and Bournemouth aren't likely to turn their back on a midfielder who has been there and done in the Premier League consistently over a few years, while Arter will be under scrutiny from Eddie Howe with every performance that the former Charlton Athletic prospect puts in between now and next May.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-ace-will-know-pressure-is-on-to-impress-more-than-one-manager-at-the-moment/

[WhiteJC]

Games for the Weekend 05/10...
Another derby game, this time we welcome Charlton to the Cottage

Yet another early Saturday kick off, 12:30, is it me or do we hardly ever kick off at 3 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon anymore?

Charlton have had a good start to the season, beating Leeds last weekend and narrow loss against Swansea, should show that they've become a very competent side who will be full of confidence and looking for a derby victory.
Having said that our unbeaten run continues, two consecutive wins home and away, and it looks as if Mitro's back on fire he could have had a hat-trick against Reading, Tom is showing why he's the best midfielder in this division.

COYW's

Games of Interest...
Saturday 5th
Fulham v Charlton
Derby v Luton
Millwall v Leeds
Nottm Forest v Brentford
QPR v Blackburn
Swansea v Stoke


come on over to the forum and join in the discussion...
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0




https://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=939

[WhiteJC]

Charlton Athletic suffer fresh injury setback – with defender set to miss Fulham match

Lee Bowyer revealed that Ben Purrington is likely to miss Charlton's derby at Fulham on Saturday after coming off in tonight's 2-1 loss to Swansea City with a groin complaint.

The right-back has been playing on with a calf issue but it was a different muscle niggle that forced him off at The Valley on Wednesday night.

Purrington's exit saw the Addicks switch their formation to a 3-5-2 with Sam Field dropping into the defence to play on the left of a back three.

Bowyer said: "We all know he has been playing with a bit of a dodgy calf. He came off feeling his groin a bit. He is carrying an injury. I think he is definitely going to struggle [for the Fulham match], he hasn't got any time to get better, has he? I think he'll be out for Saturday."



https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/charlton-athletic-suffer-fresh-injury-setback-with-defender-set-to-miss-fulham-match/