Friday Fulham Stuff - 29/11/19...

[WhiteJC]

Fulham Looking To Make It Four Wins On The Bounce Tonight With A Tough Trip To Take On Swansea

This evening Scott Parker will be hoping that his side can keep their recent momentum going and register their fourth consecutive league win.

However, with Fulham having, on the back of taking maximum points from their last three games, climbed into third place in the Championship table, Scott Parker knows that the trip to South Wales, to take on Swansea City, will be a tough assignment.

The Welsh club sits in sixth place in the Championship table with two points fewer than Fulham but know that a win will lift them into third.

Fulham, as the history books show, do not have a great record in away fixtures against Swansea, having won just 2 of their last 10 games, losing 5 and drawing 3.

But, with confidence high in the Cottagers camp and with Aleksander Mitrovic in fine scoring form, all Fulham supporters will be confident that their side can get a result, I reckon the long drive home will come on the back of a Fulham win, but is that a view you agree with?



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/fulham-looking-to-make-it-four-wins-on-the-bounce-tonight-with-a-tough-trip-to-take-on-swansea/

[WhiteJC]

Parker Sweating On Fitness Of Fulham Duo Ahead Of Swansea Clash

After overcoming the shock of relegation back into the Championship, recent results have shown that Fulham's latest spell as a club in the second tier of English football could be a short one, preferably just a single season.

Three wins on the bounce have seen Scott Parkers' side climb into third place in the table and, already, memories of that marvellous day at Wembley when Fulham beat Aston Villa to clinch a Premier League place, are returning to our thoughts.

Could a similar fate await us this coming May?

Tonight, Fulham are in South Wales, to take on Swansea City, another side who slipped out of the top-flight but who are looking to make a return.

Ahead of the fixture, we are able to bring you some early team news.

Starting with our hosts Swansea City, the Swans are definitely without Jordon Garrick and Joe Rodon whilst Mike van der Hoorn is rated as doubtful.

For Fulham, Scott Parker is sweating on the fitness of Aboudakar Kamara and Bobby Reid who are suffering from ankle and hamstring injuries respectively.

The game, for those unable to make the trip to South Wales, is being shown live on Sky Sports, the ideal opportunity for Scott's side to impress the watching nation and make it four wins on the bounce for the first time since April 2018.

COYW's



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/parker-sweating-on-fitness-of-fulham-duo-ahead-of-swansea-clash/

[WhiteJC]

He played for them? Famous player, forgotten spell – No.3: Jari Litmanen at Fulham



You don't remember Jari Litmanen playing for Fulham, because he didn't, thanks to a series of slapstick injuries and some askew priorities...

The idea of this semi-regular feature is to remind you of the spells great or very famous players spent playing for clubs you don't remember. So this entry is cheating slightly, because there's a very good reason you won't remember Jari Litmanen playing for Fulham in 2008: he didn't.

But he was technically a Fulham player, signing in the January of that year as Roy Hodgson desperately tried to revive a half-dead Cottagers side and steer them away from relegation, which eventually he did, implausibly, by winning the last three games of the season. Hodgson needed some familiar faces and having managed Litmanen with the Finnish national team, and despite injury having scuppered the end of his time with Malmo in 2007, he signed until the end of the season after a ten-day trial.

"I don't think there is a need to explain the qualities that Jari possesses as a player or the obvious reasons for wanting to bring him to Fulham," said Roy Hodgson at the time. "I am delighted that he has agreed to join us for the remaining months of the season."

And then, in a portentous statement rather akin to musing that a wet cardboard box is not entirely airworthy at the moment, Hodgson said: "Although he is not entirely match fit at the moment, I have no doubt that he will have a big part to play over the coming months and that we shall benefit as a team from his skill and experience.'

Litmanen signed on January 31, so you wouldn't reasonably expect him to play any part in the first-team until the middle of February at the earliest. However, while Premier League football wasn't on the cards, he did find the energy to play 79 minutes for Finland, scoring in a 2-1 friendly defeat to Greece held, slightly curiously, in Cyprus. 'Finland Captain Jari Litmanen proved age was no barrier with a stylish display against the current European Champions in Nicosia,' enthused the Fulham website, sounding like a kid who didn't know his brand new shiny PlayStation was actually made from tissue paper.

A few weeks later though, Litmanen was rumoured to have suffered a heart scare and collapsed during a training session, although Fulham at the time were keen to play the whole thing down. "He did have some minor palpitations and I suppose you can call that a heart scare," a club spokesman told the Guardian, "but he had everything checked out, there was nothing serious and he went back to Finland for a few days. He is back again now, out there training."

An ankle injury and a groin strain delayed any appearance any further, and it was at some point in March when Hodgson's patience appeared to snap, sparked by a couple of trips back to Finland: one, to have some special insoles fitted for his boots (ostensibly to correct that groin issue), the other to once again play for the national team, this time appearing for a half and scoring a penalty against Bulgaria.

Fulham were set to face Derby, in the death throes of their calamitous record-breakingly awful season and theoretically a walking three points, and Hodgson seemingly concluded that Litmanen might in fact be taking the piss. "He won't be in contention because I have 25 other players out there training Monday to Friday with the team every week," said Hodgson.

"Jari has not completed more than 10 per cent of the training sessions we have done since I have been at the club. He has not played one game in the Fulham shirt yet has played twice for Finland. Strangely, his fitness periods seem to coincide with the Finland matches."

Ouch. However, a few weeks later Hodgson's attitude had seemingly softened, having realised that Litmanen was just football's answer to the Fast Show character Unlucky Alf. "Litmanen was training on Monday when Ricardo Batista [Fulham's reserve goalkeeper], who I must say is a very fearsome kicker of the ball, managed to smash it into the back of his head from about four yards," said Hodgson. "It was like a missile, knocking him over and putting him out for the week."

At this stage it seemed the next ailment would come about thanks to a banana skin on the pavement, or an errant worker carrying a large piece of wood on his shoulder. Hodgson offered a further anecdote to illustrate the point. "When I first went to the Finnish FA he was standing next to his sporting director at Malmo who opened a can of coke and the top popped into Jari's eye."

From that point, everyone seemed to accept that it wasn't happening and wrote the whole business off as a bad job. Litmanen did pull on a Fulham shirt once, playing for the reserves a few days before the penultimate Premier League game of the season against Birmingham, but didn't get anywhere near the first-team. Fulham survived, and Litmanen was quietly released at the end of the season.



https://www.thetotallyfootballshow.com/feature/he-played-for-them-famous-player-forgotten-spell-no-3-jari-litmanen-at-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Alzheimer's Society Cymru featured charity for Fulham game

Alzheimer's Society Cymru is Swansea City's featured charity for this evening's fixture against Fulham, with a bucket collection taking place at the Liberty Stadium.

There are over 45,000 people living with dementia in Wales. That's enough to fill the Liberty Stadium twice over, and still have a few thousand outside. In the 90 minutes played in tonight's match, 30 more people will have developed dementia, and with no cure the charity needs help now more than ever.

It is an issue that the stewards at the Liberty know all too well. Deputy chief steward Ruth Clayton's parents are both living with a diagnosis of dementia. Since Ruth's situation has become known, it has led to other stewards, and fans, approaching her who are also affected by dementia.

"It's important for people to talk. I had no idea how many lives dementia affects in my circle of friends and colleagues," she said.

Alzheimer's Society is the only UK charity that campaigns for change, funds research to find a cure and supports people living with dementia today.

As the most influential dementia charity in Wales and the UK the charity is calling on everyone to unite. Working together they believe they will achieve their vision - a world without dementia.

If you're affected by dementia and need any advice or support, call the charity's National Dementia free Helpline on 0300 222 11 22. Lines are open Monday to Wednesday (9am to 8pm), Thursday and Friday (9am  to 5pm) and over the weekend (10am – 4pm).

If you live in Wales, you can also call the new personalised advice and support service Dementia Connect on 0333 150 3456 (03300 947 400 for a Welsh speaking line).

If you live in the Swansea area and would like to be involved with any fundraising activities please get in touch with Emma Moore on 07725 600 595 or email [email protected].

The charity has its Elf Day on Friday, December 6 and it's not too late to sign up. For more information head to www.alzheimers.org.uk/elf.



https://www.swanseacity.com/news/alzheimers-society-cymru-featured-charity-fulham-game

[WhiteJC]

Freddie Woodman shares what he remembers about Aleksandar Mitrovic at Newcastle United

Newcastle United goalkeeper Freddie Woodman has been loaned out to Swansea City this season.

Newcastle United stopper Freddie Woodman has told Swansea City's official website that he remembers how hard Aleksandar Mitrovic worked from their time together at St. James' Park.

Newcastle have loaned out Woodman to Swansea for the season, and the goalkeeper is set to come up against Mitrovic this weekend.

The Serbian striker, who Newcastle sold to Fulham almost two years ago, is one of the most dangerous attackers in the Championship.

And Woodman admits that he thinks his former Magpies teammate is playing in a league ill-suited to his quality.

"Everybody can see how much quality he has. It's fair to say he is probably a Premier League player," said Woodman.

"He's obviously a handful and a very good player. I'm looking forward to coming up against him because of his quality and it will be a good test for me in that regard.

"I remember from when he arrived at Newcastle, he was just a worker. He was always in the gym, always willing to improve, and always doing extra.

"I bounced off that and it made me want to work harder because I could see how much he was putting into it.

"As with any Championship player, we will be on guard, do our homework and try to find ways to stop him."

Woodman has done a brilliant job in Swansea's goal, which has suggested that he could have a future at Newcastle next term.

Although Martin Dubravka is reliable, Woodman could push him hard for a place next season.

Newcastle may also be regretting their decision to let go of Mitrovic.

The powerful forward has been a frequent scorer for Fulham and although he wasn't the finished article at Newcastle, he would arguably be a bigger threat in front of goal than any of their current forwards.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/11/29/freddie-woodman-shares-what-he-remembers-about-aleksandar-mitrov/

[WhiteJC]

Talking Tactics | Swansea City v Fulham

Swansea City return to league action on home turf as they seek to end a three-match winless run.

The Swans secured a creditable 1-1 draw at Huddersfield on Tuesday night, but the stalemate leaves them six points off the automatic promotion places.

Now up against a fellow promotion rival in Fulham, Steve Cooper is looking to mastermind victory against a side that has won their last three.

However, while the Cottagers come into the clash at the Liberty Stadium in good form, Scott Parker has only overseen three wins from eight away matches in 2019-20.

The west London side are among the lowest scoring teams on the road, too, having hit the back of the net just nine times on their travels and have drawn blanks in three of their away league games so far.

Swansea have the upper hand in the recent head-to-head clashes between the two sides having won five of the previous six league encounters, keeping a clean sheet in three of those games.

Another clean sheet attaining performance wouldn't go amiss in tonight's match up either as Freddie Woodman seeks another solid showing between the sticks.

The 22-year-old has been an astute loan signing having returned a WhoScored.com rating of 6.83 in the Championship this season. Only Bartosz Bialkowski (62) has made more saves than Woodman (56) in England's second tier this term to reinforce the latter's statistically-calculated WhoScored.com strength of 'shot stopping' and is part of the reason why he has achieved such a commendable rating.

What's more, his five clean sheets is the third best return in the Championship as he continues to live up to his potential for the Swans. He'll be out to maintain his impressive performances in order to keep a Fulham side that has developed a statistically-calculated WhoScored.com strength of 'finishing scoring chances' at bay.

Indeed, for all their away goalscoring woes, Fulham remain one of the most prolific sides in the Championship having netted 29 times this season and, when they kick things up a notch, are able to put any opponent to the sword.

And it's a familiar face, at least to Woodman, who'll be out to fire Fulham to a fourth successive league win tonight. Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored more goals (13) than any other Championship player this season to reinforce a statistically-calculated WhoScored.com strength of 'finishing'. The duo will be aware of one another's qualities having been on the books at the same time during their respective stints with Newcastle, which adds a unique sub-plot to this encounter in south Wales.

Mitrovic's goalscoring exploits means he has a better WhoScored.com rating (7.35) than any other Fulham player this season and if he can add to his 13 league goals already this term, then Swansea may find it tough to haul themselves back into this top-six meeting, particularly with Fulham boasting a strength of 'protecting the lead'.

That said, in Woodman, Cooper has a shotstopper at his disposal who is more than capable of keeping the Serb striker quiet and, in doing so, going some way to ensuring Swansea get back to winning ways.



https://www.swanseacity.com/news/talking-tactics-swansea-city-v-fulham

[WhiteJC]

What's happened to Alfie Mawson, the ex-Swansea City star once linked with Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs now left with a big point to prove

The defender left Swansea City for £20m last summer, but has struggled to live up to the promise shown at the Liberty Stadium


(Image: Getty Images)

"A lot of people are probably thinking how on earth has he got this call up?

"It was more of a shock to me than most. When you look at some of the players that missed out, it's crazy."

Alfie Mawson himself may well have been a little surprised to receive a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad back in 2018, but those familiar with his work in a Swansea City shirt will have surely felt it represented just reward for a string of sparkling performances.

The centre-back played a big part in Swansea's brief and, ultimately unsuccessful, revival under Carlos Carvalhal, with pundits and fans seemingly queuing up to lavish praise on the centre-back, whose career seemed to be going only one way.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton, and Spurs were all linked with making a move , before big-spending Fulham took advantage of Swansea's relegation from the Premier League to beef up their own options ahead of their assault on the top flight.

It was a move that arguably softened the blow of his World Cup dream being ended by injury , but life in the English capital has been anything other straightforward.

Ahead of his potential return to the Liberty Stadium on Friday night, Mawson may now feel as though there's a point to prove, not just to his former employers but also to the critics now casting doubt on whether he will ever fulfill the potential shown during his spell with the Swans.

As Football London's  Scott Trotter explains: "I think there was a decent amount of excitement at the signing but given the season both he and Fulham had it perhaps waned.

"From what I saw last season - particularly when he first started to feature he looked pretty sluggish as if he hadn't go to full speed after the operation he had that summer.

"He was authoritative and commanding but not necessarily the agility to back it up - though it was difficult to tell because Fulham weren't exactly known for their ability in defence.

"That obviously improved over the Christmas period slightly under Ranieri but then he picked up another injury which pretty much kept him out of the rest of the season."

Injuries have certainly been a big part of his struggles to hit the heights at Craven Cottage, but after some shaky performances in the Premier League last season, there are definite signs that he's starting to win the fans over.

"If you were to rate his time so far out of 10, it would be a 6," says Cam Ramsey of the Fulhamish Podcast.

"Injury blighted the start of his career in SW6 last term and it took a little while for him to get up to speed. There's certainly more to come from him and, this season especially, he's been a trusted mainstay."

Being a mainstay in the Championship is one thing, but it arguably doesn't back up the fanfare made earlier in his career - a reputation that convinced Fulham to splash out some £20 million on him last summer.

"At the back end of the 2017-18 campaign for the Swans, Mawson was a phenomenal presence and was held in high regard," he continues.

"Last season in the top-flight for the Whites, though, his vulnerabilities were exposed and at times he appeared out of his depth. In the Championship, he's definitely in his element but as he's also relatively young for a centre-half, the 25-year-old could still make the grade in the Premier League.

"He's gradually returning to his best and I think that has a lot to do with Tim Ream. The American veteran keeps Mawson in check and has definitely elevated his game."It remains to be seen what sort of reception Mawson would receive should he get a run out in SA1. Few can really blame him for moving on from a club whose relegation from the Premier League was accompanied by a financial mess behind the scenes.

Now, with the pair both vying for a place back at the top table of English football, and there's unlikely to be any room for sentimentality, although Ramsey admits there are still some concerns over the 25-year old.

"I expect him to relish the occasion and the chance to stifle a former employer," he adds. "He'll definitely be hungry to register another solid performance within Fulham's spine."

"He's positionally sound, but his trampoline-like first touch often let's him down. Sometimes he's also culprit to wasting simple passes with wild swipes at the ball and if he's pressed, he's only a danger to himself with that in mind."

With that in mind, many will be hoping it's an unhappy return to SA1.



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/whats-happened-alfie-mawson-ex-17335644

[WhiteJC]

Anthony Knockaert: A Passion Merchant?

Anthony Knockaert has hugely divided opinion since his arrival at SW6. Passion merchant? The right winger we have been crying out for for years? Hugo Lloyd takes a look at both sides of the argument.

One thing we can all agree on is we expected more from the former Championship Player of the Year. Aged 27 he should be coming into his prime, but he looks a shell of his former self, with his return this season a disappointing 2 goals and 2 assists in 16 appearances. I am going to look deeper into the enigma that is Knockaert; ultimately, I feel he is being restricted in Parker's possession-based style.

One of the things Knockaert is most maligned for is his crossing, with many jokes being made that they often end up in the Thames. This is not wrong. His crossing is woeful, reflected by his 15% cross completion rate, compared to 24% of Cavaleiro and Kamara's 29% , two fellow wingers in the squad. Put simply, Knockaert is wasting many dangerous opportunities when it comes to crossing. This is particularly frustrating, as this used to be one of his strengths. In 2016/17 he completed 2 crosses per game, compared to 1.3 this season. This is a staggering decline, especially as Knockaert has found himself in dangerous positions time and time again, only to badly overhit the cross.

Another heavily criticised aspect of his game is his wasteful shooting. I do not believe that this is a fair criticism – his shot accuracy is 54%, the best of our attacking trident. While his goal count (2) is not the highest, his xG is only 2.74, so again, while not being at his clinical best, this is not a woeful return considering the chances he has had. However, he can easily improve on these figures and perform as well as other wingers in the squad. Cavaleiro is showing a very clinical edge this season, scoring 4 goals despite having an xG of just 1.43. Perhaps this lack of xG is a worrying sign for Parker's side, leaning towards the fact that his use of inverted wingers may be limiting the havoc they can wreak. It also points towards the over reliance on the main man Mitrovic who has 12 goals this season (11.01 xG). It will be interesting to see if Cavaleiro and Knockaert can step up for Friday night's clash against QPR, with Mitrovic out.

Critics have pointed to Knockaert's lack of creativity for a winger, and again, this is demonstrated by the stats; he has 1.6 key passes per game compared to 2.1 key passes for Cavaleiro. Even Johansen produces 1.5 key passes, thereby underlining the lack of creativity from Knockaert. More of a creative edge is needed. To explain this, I would point towards the fact that he is rarely offered the help of an overlapping full back, meaning he is forced to try and do it himself, often having two men on him. Compare this to Cavaleiro, who has Bryan bombing on beyond him constantly, which draws defenders' attention. A prime example is Cavaleiro's goal at Huddersfield – Bryan diverted the attention of the defending full-back affording Cavaleiro some space for him to unleash his brilliant strike. You could see the impact Christie had for Knockaert a fortnight ago at Birmingham. As a winger he is someone who likes to drive inside while having the option of playing a marauding full back through. He looked more dangerous with Christie overlapping beyond him, and indeed it was Knockaert himself who created the space for Christie's cross which led to the goal. Therefore, if we see more of Christie, this should help bring out the best of Knockaert as well.

When Knockaert was at his creative best for Brighton, he was flying at defenders, committing them and drawing fouls. His stats when he was allowed to do this tell a completely different story to the Knockaert we have seen, away from the obvious goal and assist difference (15 and 8 respectively). He was completing 2.7 dribbles a game, compared to a measly 1.1 dribbles this season, as well as getting fouled 1.8 times a game compared to 0.6 now. It is clear that Parker's emphasis on possession has handicapped Knockaert's most powerful asset: being allowed to take risks. This is summed up by the fact that this season is the least he has ever been dispossessed per game (0.9), clearly showing that he has taken the risk out of his game to compensate for what Parker wants. I believe Parker needs to show faith in Knockaert and let him play in the manner that has allowed him such success in previous seasons as it could be the perfect injection of risk needed in our style of play, rather than taking this out and keeping the ball for the sake of it. If not, we need to give Knockaert time to settle, as he clearly has ability but has had to completely change his style of play which cannot be easy. Given time, Knockaert's magic could be exactly what we need to rise up the table, whereas at the moment it seems a case of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2019-11-29-anthony-knockaert-a-passion-merchant/

[FFC1987]

That knockaert article is a bit harsh

[WhiteJC]

Preview | Swansea City v Fulham

Two of the Championship's top six lock horns at the Liberty Stadium tonight as Swansea City host Fulham (7.45pm).

The sixth-placed Swans and third-placed Cottagers currently each occupy a play-off spot as the season closes in on its halfway point.

Steve Cooper's side will be looking for a return home to provide some comfort after a difficult sequence of results in SA1.

Having gone 14 Championship games without defeat on home turf, the Swans have won just one of their last six and will be keen to end that run against opponents who are in good form.

Fulham took a little time to adjust to life back in the second tier following relegation from the Premier League, but they have started to find form and consistency of late.

Indeed, Scott Parker's men have won their last three games in a row and boast the talents of Championship topscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic and playmaker Tom Cairney among their ranks.

It promises to be an entertaining contest under the lights, with head coach Cooper insisting the task of improving home results is one his side must attack head on.

Team news

Swansea City are waiting on the fitness of Nathan Dyer, Wayne Routledge and Mike van der Hoorn ahead of the clash with the Cottagers.

Wingers Dyer and Routledge picked up knocks in defeat to Millwall, while van der Hoorn was forced off in the midweek draw at Huddersfield.

Should the Dutchman miss out, youngsters Ben Cabango and Ben Wilmot are likely to continue in defence after impressing against the Terriers.

Joe Rodon and Jordon Garrick remain sidelined, while Aldo Kalulu will feature for the under-23s this weekend as he nears a return to action.

Pre-match views

Steve Cooper: "They play good football. they are highest for percentage of possession in the division.

"They are a Premier League squad. They could compete week in, week out in the Premier League, there's no doubt about that.

"They have massive resource put into their squad compared to others, so I am not surprised they are winning games and playing good football.

"I think it's expected of them.

"I think they will come here and try to play the way they play so it has got the makings of a really good game."

Scott Parker: "We know they're a very good side and we know the problems they can cause us. Steve's done a very good job there in a short space of time, so I'm looking forward to the challenge.

"Our main aim and our main focus, like always, is to go to Swansea and try and get a positive result.

"We realise this is a tough match, they've shown that this year with the way they've started this season, they've got positive results and they're right up there.

"This is going to be a tough place for us, but it's one which my team will be fully prepared for and we look to go there and get a positive result."

Remember the last time?

Goals from Jonjo Shelvey and Chico Flores saw the Swans end a run of eight Premier League games without victory at the Liberty in January 2014.

After a goalless first half, the Swans started the second half slowly but the introduction of Nathan Dyer proved a key moment.

The winger wasted no time to tee up Shelvey for the opening goal on the hour mark. The Englishman's effort striking Steve Sidwell and Brede Hangeland before nestling in the net.

Just 15 minutes later, Fulham's keeper Maarten Stekelenburg was beaten once again when Flores flicked on Jonathan de Guzman's free-kick, which resulted in the effort being deflected into the net by Dimitar Berbatov.

Prime numbers

3 – Swansea City have scored three 90th minute goals so far this season, more than any other Championship club.

5 – Swansea have won five of their last six league meeting against Fulham, the sole defeat coming at the Liberty in May 2013.



https://www.swanseacity.com/news/preview-swansea-city-v-fulham

[WhiteJC]

Steve Cooper | Let's attack home challenge

Steve Cooper admits Swansea City are frustrated by their recent run of results at home, and are determined to meet the challenge of turning around their Liberty Stadium fortunes against Fulham tonight (7.45pm).

The Swans are the only unbeaten team away from home in the EFL, and went from January to September without losing a Championship fixture at the Liberty.

However, they have now lost four of their last six on home turf, taking just four points from a possible 18 in SA1.

But they remain in the top six heading into the meeting with the Cottagers under the Friday night lights.

And, with the visitors on a run of form that has seen them climb to third in the standings, Cooper feels there is no better time to hit top form on home turf.

"It's annoying to be fair. I think teams have set up against us at the Liberty to not get beaten and that does pose us a problem," said Cooper.

"It's been frustrating that we've not been able to score enough goals and we have given away goals that have cost us.

"We are aware of it. The only way to put it right is to deal with the next one. We are really looking forward to playing Fulham.

"We want to attack putting the home form right – we certainly don't want to shy away from it – and there's no better time than the next game so let's go for it."

Fulham have won their last three games, and have started to find the sort of consistency that eluded them earlier in the campaign under Scott Parker.

And with the likes of Championship top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic and playmaker Tom Cairney in the visiting line-up, Cooper knows the size of the test facing the Swans.

"They play good football. they are highest for percentage of possession in the division," added Cooper.

"They are a Premier League squad. They could compete week in, week out in the Premier League, there's no doubt about that.

"They have massive resource put into their squad compared to others, so I am not surprised they are winning games and playing good football.

"I think it's expected of them.

"I think they will come here and try to play the way they play so it has got the makings of a really good game."



https://www.swanseacity.com/news/steve-cooper-lets-attack-home-challenge

[WhiteJC]

The likely Fulham XI Parker is going to field v Swansea City

Fulham travel to Swansea City in the Championship tonight, as Scott Parker's side look for a fourth-straight win.

A month ago, Parker was a man under pressure. His Fulham side dropped out of the top-six and after their 3-0 defeat at home to Hull, it seemed that his short managerial career would soon be coming to an end.

But three games and three wins later, Fulham are back up to 3rd-place in the Championship and Parker is being hailed by fans. Tonight they head into South Wales to face 6th-place Swansea, and here we take a look at the likely XI that Parker will field:

Marek Rodak has become a fan favourite since coming into the squad, and he'll surely keep his spot in goal tonight.

The back-four for Fulham has been relatively unchanged all season, and for the last two games has been Joe Bryan on the left and Dennis Odoi on the right, with Alfie Mawson and Tim Ream in the middle – expect to see an unchanged defence for the game at the Liberty Stadium.

Parker opted for a slightly different formation for the 3-0 win over Derby, lining-up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Tom Cairney and Stefan Johansen started as the deeper of the midfield two, with Bobby Reid in behind the striker – the Jamaican international scored his first goal for the club against Derby and Parker said that number ten role is his best position, so expect to see him keep his spot tonight.

Who to play either side of Reid is probably the most contended decision in the squad tonight. Ivan Cavaleiro will no doubt keep his spot on the left but with Aboubakar Kamara picking up a slight injury against Derby, Anthony Knockaert could return to the starting line-up.

And up-front, there's absolutely no doubting that Parker will start Aleksandar Mitrovic – the Serbian is the top-scorer in the Championship with 13 for the season, and has 22 for club and country this campaign.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-likely-fulham-xi-parker-is-going-to-field-v-swansea-city/

[WhiteJC]

The latest Swansea City injury news all here

Swansea City will be targeting a return to winning ways when they welcome Fulham to the Liberty Stadium this evening after failing to win any of their last three matches.

Steve Cooper's side sealed a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield during their last match on Tuesday night, but the Swansea boss now has a selection of injury concerns he will need to overcome ahead of the clash with the Cottagers tonight.

Swansea already have young duo Joe Rodon and Jordon Garrick unavailable as a result of injuries they suffered earlier this season, with Cooper confirming to WalesOnline on Thursday that the pair will be absent for the Fulham clash.

However, the Swans saw another key player added to the injury list following Tuesday's clash with the Terriers, as Mike van der Hoorn was forced off at half-time with an injury he suffered following an aggressive challenge from Frazier Campbell.

Cooper has claimed the centre-back is "touch and go" to feature against the Cottagers, with it seeming possible that academy graduate Ben Cabango could step into the side following his assured debut in midweek as van der Hoorn's replacement.

It appears Swansea wingers Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge are in a similar position after suffering small knocks of late, with Cooper also revealing that the experienced duo could miss out the Fulham encounter.

Swansea's final injury concern is Aldo Kalulu who has been out of action since suffering an ankle injury in August, but Cooper has confirmed that the Basel loanee is making progress with his recovery as he is almost available for selection.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-latest-swansea-city-injury-news-all-here/

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The latest Fulham injury news all here

Fulham face Swansea City in the Championship tonight, as Scott Parker's side look to close down on the automatic promotion spots.

A third-straight wins saw Parker's side go 3rd midweek, after a fine 3-0 win over Derby County on Tuesday night.

Goals from Bobby Reid, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Tom Cairney gave them the win and next they face a top-six competitor in Steve Cooper's Swansea.

The Swans have had a mixed season – starting off so strongly before winning one of their next seven in the league. They looked to be recapturing their early form with back-to-back wins but they're now without a win in three, and lost their last home game 1-0 against Millwall.

For Fulham tonight, both of Harry Arter and Maxime Le Marchand are expected to miss the game. Arter hasn't featured in over a month for Fulham and Le Marchand has both games since he limped off in the first-half against Birmingham earlier in the month.

Also a doubt for tonight's game is Aboubakar Kamara. The Frenchman made his first start since the opening day in the 2-1 win against QPR and after bagging both goals that game, started in the win against Derby.

Unfortunately for him he was forced off shortly after the restart through injury and replaced by fellow Frenchman Anthony Knockaert – if Kamara remains unfit for tonight then expect Knockaert to start ahead of him.

There are no suspensions for Fulham tonight.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-latest-fulham-injury-news-all-here/

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Jose Mourinho heaps praise on 'fantastic' Ryan Sessegnon and admits Tottenham starlet can become as good as Premier League icon Ashley Cole

    Jose Mourinho has talked up the abilities of young full-back Ryan Sessegnon
    Sessegnon rejected Manchester United and others when signing for Tottenham
    Mourinho wanted to bring the youngster to Old Trafford during his United reign
    Sessegnon has been compared to Ashley Cole and shares similar characteristics

Jose Mourinho believes Ryan Sessegnon has the natural talent to develop into the next Ashley Cole but claims it is too soon to consider the teenager among his options at full-back for Tottenham.

Mourinho plans to use Sessegnon as a winger and is not tempted to change his mind despite a serious ankle injury which is expected to rule Ben Davies out for several weeks.

'Ryan is absolutely fantastic and I have known him since a kid in Fulham,' said the Spurs boss who tried to sign Sessegnon when he was in charge at Manchester United.


Ryan Sessegnon has been backed for big things by new Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho


Mourinho feels Sessegnon (left) has the skills and talent to become the next Ashley Cole

'I think in this moment he is a winger on the left, who can also play on the right, who can learn progressively and even develop physically, which he is doing.

'Even from the last time I saw him and the first time I met him when I came here he is already different physically.'

Sessegnon, 19, rejected United and signed for Tottenham in the summer in a deal worth up £25million.

'Ryan can play as a left-back,' said Mourinho, who was Chelsea manager when they signed Cole from Arsenal. 'Probably the best left-back in the last decade was Ashley Cole, in spite of him being from two enemy clubs.


The starlet made his name at Fulham and snubbed Mourinho's former club Manchester United

'He was fantastic and Ryan has lots of similarities with Ashley, and he can learn how to defend. In the future I think he can, but in this moment he is not ready to play as a left-back.'

Davies was selected at left-back in Mourinho's first Tottenham team, at West Ham on Saturday, but damaged ankle ligaments and could require surgery to repair the damage.

'That's a blow,' said the Spurs boss. 'Especially for a boy that was feeling my trust to be chosen to start my first game is always something that the players obviously enjoy.

'He was playing well, he adapted to our way of playing, would be good to have him as an option but it's not possible so sad news for us, sad news for him. But he will be back and we will survive without him.'


Mourinho brought Cole to Chelsea and helped him become the finest full-back in the league

Mourinho will choose between Danny Rose and Jan Vertonghen for the role against Bournemouth on Saturday, and name-checked 17-year-old Dennis Cirkin, having been impressed by him playing for the youth team in the Champions League.

'I look forward to bringing him to train with us and help his development,' said Mourinho. 'We have a good squad. We have options. Danny Rose is the natural left-back, Jan Vertonghen can do it, he did it already for the club and for the national team.

'In extra emergency, I think even Serge Aurier could give us a hand playing there, and we have options at right back. So the squad can deal with one or two injuries, so we are fine.'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7739175/Jose-Mourinho-believes-Tottenham-starlet-Ryan-Sessegnon-good-Ashley-Cole.html

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The definitive situation with Bobby Reid at Fulham and the two clauses in his contract Cardiff City fans should know about

The playmaker signed a season-long loan deal with the Cottagers in the summer

The appointment of a new manager at Cardiff City prompted many fans to question whether the door was still ajar for Bobby Reid's return.

After all, the playmaker left Cardiff City Stadium this summer after he believed his style of football conflicted too much with Neil Warnock's philosophy.

He penned a season-long loan to West London on deadline day, but it was understood at the time that his deal would become a permanent one at the end of the season.

While many accepted that would be the case, some wondered if new boss Neil Harris had any say over whether he could put the kibosh on that move becoming final next summer.

However, WalesOnline has learned that there were two conditional clauses in Reid's contract at Fulham which, if met, would see his move become permanent.

The first clause is that he would have to make five appearances for Fulham and that box has certainly been ticked.

The second was that if Fulham were relegated from the Championship then he could return to the Bluebirds. With Fulham tipped by many to be promoted this season and currently sitting in third place, the chances of that happening are slim to none.

So it means, then, to all intents and purposes, both of the conditional clauses in Reid's contract are due to be met and he will become a Fulham player permanently in the summer.

It is also understood that City are set to make money on the deal.

The Bluebirds forked out £8.5m to sign the player from Bristol City in a bid to beef up their forward line for the Premier League campaign.

However, it is thought that the deal will eventually net Cardiff £10m, which will represent a £1.5m profit.



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/cardiff-city-bobby-reid-fulham-17338408

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Swansea boss Cooper addresses worrying team statistic

Swansea City manager Steve Cooper has been speaking about his Swansea side's worrying home form, as the Swans host play-off rivals Fulham at The Liberty Stadium.

The Swans are currently the only side unbeaten away from home this season in the Championship, but have lost four of their six in front of their own fans – they have only won one and drawn one inside that run.

Swansea's form at home has come as a bit of a shock, having gone unbeaten at The Liberty Stadium from January through to September, and their fans are now rightly frustrated after their form at home has taken a slight dip.

Cooper said: "It's annoying to be fair. I think teams have set up against us at the Liberty to not get beaten and that does pose us a problem.

"It's been frustrating that we've not been able to score enough goals and we have given away goals that have cost us.

"We are aware of it. The only way to put it right is to deal with the next one. We are really looking forward to playing Fulham.

"We want to attack putting the home form right – we certainly don't want to shy away from it – and there's no better time than the next game so let's go for it."

Swansea host Fulham tonight at The Liberty Stadium, with Fulham coming into the game in good form after lifting themselves up to third in the table.

Steve Cooper's men are currently going through a slight dip in form having not won in their past three games, drawing against Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday away from home while losing to Gary Rowett's Millwall in front of their own fans.

The Verdict

Every club at every level wants their home ground to be classed as a fortress where teams fear of travelling to, and Swansea will be dreaming of getting their home form back that they have lost in the past couple of months.

Cooper will be demanding that his Swansea players go out onto the pitch tonight and show off their real talent in front of their fans, taking the game to Fulham and causing a few shocks early on in the game.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/swansea-boss-cooper-addresses-worrying-team-statistic/