Thursday Fulham Stuff - 26/12/19...

[WhiteJC]

Fulham and Brentford in the chase for Leeds United man – Elland Road departure likely

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Fulham and Brentford are among the sides in the chase for Spurs winger Jack Clarke, with his loan spell at Leeds United set to come to an end in the January transfer window.

Since returning to Leeds United on loan in the summer transfer window, winger Jack Clarke has hardly featured for the Whites this season. Now, with the January transfer window around the corner, it has been widely reported that Clarke is set to be recalled by parent club Spurs, with a host of Championship clubs interested in signing the youngster on loan for the remainder of the 2019/20 season.

And now, a report from the Daily Mail has claimed that both Fulham and Brentford could look to complete a deal for Clarke in the January transfer window. A host of Championship clubs have been linked with the winger, with the likes of Derby County and Middlesbrough reported to be keeping an eye on Clarke's situation ahead of the January transfer window.

For the majority of his second spell with Leeds United, Clarke has been playing for the club's Under-23s side. He has been involved in the matchday squad on 15 occasions in the Championship, but that has equated to just one appearance so far this season. He has also played twice in the EFL Cup, starting in the Whites' games against Salford City and Stoke City.

With Clarke set to leave Leeds in the January transfer window, it will be interesting to see who wins the battle for his signature.



https://the72.co.uk/152510/fulham-and-brentford-in-the-chase-for-leeds-united-man-elland-road-departure-likely/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham loanee informs club he's not happy, now likely to leave next month

According to Haberturk reporter Ayhan Sensoy, Fulham's Jean Michael Seri has informed the Championship club he's not happy at Galatasaray.

The Ivorian midfielder joined the Turkish side on a season-long loan deal during the last transfer window, but it's safe to say his move to the Super Lig has been far from a success.

He's now struggling to get regular games under his belt, and is widely seen as one of the reasons Galatasaray have struggled in their defence of their league title this season.

Sensoy adds it's very likely the Fulham loanee will leave the Turkish side once the January transfer window opens and it seems the 28 year old needs to find himself a new club once again.

With Fulham in the second tier it's unlikely he will return to London in January and he may need to find another club willing to take him on loan.

Seri has made 17 appearances in all competitions for Gala and scored one goal. His Fulham contract will expire at the end of June 2022.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-loanee-informs-club-hes-not-happy-now-likely-leave-next-month/

[WhiteJC]

Season's Greetings from the FST

This year can certainly be described as one of change for our club, with a change of manager ultimately unable to avert a change of division and now a very noticeable change to the Craven Cottage landscape as the new 'Fulham Pier' Riverside Stand development is in full swing.

Relegation in May was a far cry from the euphoria of Wembley 12 months earlier and summed up very well the extreme highs and lows of being a Fulham fan.  Amidst all this, your Trust has aimed to be a steadying influence and to represent all that is good about our club and our supporters, ensuring Fulham is accessible and welcoming to all.  We have done this through our regular meetings with the Club, the police and the football authorities and we will shortly take up a position on the local council's Safety Advisory Group.

Early in the year we put in a lot of work giving the Club a supporter's view of the arrangements for relocating Riversiders during the building project. This was never going to be easy but we do feel that disruption has been kept to an inevitable minimum.  After so many false starts over the years it's great to finally see activity by the Thames, even if it means us all needing an extra layer of clothing during the winter months.

We also devoted a lot of time to our very successful Fan Survey, which was completed by over 2,300 Fulham supporters.  Thank you to everyone who participated in helping us gain a lot of useful data around the key topics of attendance at matches, safe standing and ticket pricing.  We used this information throughout the year, most notably to support the work we did to analyse Fulham's ticket prices in the context of other Premier League and Championship clubs.  We're pleased to say that this season ticket prices have been in line with the recommendations we made and also benefits we lobbied for such as a season ticket exchange and upgradable concession season tickets have been introduced.

Looking forward, we'll continue to keep an eye on the challenges of playing in a three sided ground.  We're aware of the concourse congestion issues and are investigating ways to alleviate these with the Club, always recognising that there is limited space in our historic old ground and the laws of physics can't be changed!

As we look forward to our Boxing Day game at Luton and remember the unbeaten run two years ago that drove us to promotion, let's hope the win against Leeds signals a change in recent form and promotion is once again on the cards in 2020.

The games come thick and fast now and we will doubtless be on TV a few more times so do make sure you're not caught out by fixture changes by using the colour coded fixture list on our web site, where you can also read all the latest FST news.

Thank you for supporting your volunteer board during 2019 and please do encourage your Fulham supporting friends to join us too in 2020 to help make our collective voice even louder.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

COYW

Tom, Ian, Gerry, Owen, Jerry, Sue, Dan, Hayley, Chris, Farrell
FST Board



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2019/12/seasons-greetings-from-the-fst-2/

[WhiteJC]

MATCH PREVIEW | LUTON TOWN V FULHAM

The Hatters welcome Fulham to Kenilworth Road on Boxing Day hoping to get back to winning ways.

After suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Swansea a matter of days ago, Town will look to rekindle their strong home form in-front of a sold-out crowd.

Fulham will have plenty of confidence coming into the game after beating Leeds United 2-1 on Saturday as they continue pushing for promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

International supporters can follow and stream the Boxing Day action live on iFollow Hatters, while domestic subscribers can tune into Simon Pitts' full match commentary.

GRAEME JONES SAID:

(Please note these quotes are taken from Graeme's press conference after Saturday's game against Swansea)

On Simon Sluga returning to the side: "It was a solid performance, I've never doubted his ability, his mentality was right for it, it tells me he's learned his lessons while he's been out. I thought his individual preparation was different today, in terms of where he is mentally, compared to two months ago and overall solid.

"I thought he deserved a clean sheet, but the game's not romantic. He's a Croatian international, now I know early in the season he's maybe struggled to adapt, but I was really satisfied with his performance today, as you just want people to learn their lessons in life.

"I think the Championship caught him out. English football caught him out. He's had to sit back and watch James play. I thought he gave a very, very acquired, controlled display. I was really happy for him.
"He seems to be a crowd favourite here, I thought the crowd were brilliant, even coming off. You can't fool Luton Town supporters. They know when everyone's giving everything they've got, that's what's going on."

On his time in charge so far at Kenilworth Road: "Apart from Brentford, which was a freak, we've been competitive in every game. I have seen huge improvements, but there have been improvements in other teams, it's been a tough challenge. I think we were one win away today from 23 points from 23 games, which would have been fantastic.

"We're still fourth from bottom, so if the season finished today, we'd be where we want to be. But we know we have got to pick up, we know we have got to find a different way with the players we have got and then hopefully with some help in January, because that's the industry we're in."
On facing Fulham: "Fulham is a new start again for everybody. We'll have to get back to the drawing board and assess what's coming and make sure we get a team out that's competitive, and hopefully we'll turn a close game into a winning game on Boxing Day.

"We'll have to dust ourselves down because we know how potent they can be, but we gave them a right game in the second half down at Craven Cottage last time. We are now, sitting on 23 games, all the information on every single team, so at least now there are no surprises for the players. They know what's coming. You should be better for your experiences."

On responding to Saturday's defeat: "You need to be able to respond and I certainly won't be lying down. I don't think my players will be lying down because it's not in their nature. It's a tough one and we've got a tough challenge coming up on Boxing Day, but in football you never know. What we have to do is give everything we've got."



WHO?

Former FA Cup and Europa League finalists, Fulham suffered relegation from the Premier League last season but look in good shape to try and get back to the top flight first time around, arriving at Kenilworth Road in fourth place.



WHEN & WHERE?

Kick-off is 3pm at Kenilworth Road on Thursday 26th December.



MAN IN THE MIDDLE

In 15 games so far this campaign, Dean Whitestone has dished out 45 yellow cards and two red cards - both of those coming in his last outing in Swansea's 3-1 victory against Middlesbrough ten days ago.



TICKET INFORMATION

A handful of tickets for this fixture are available as part of the season ticket buy-back scheme. These will remain available from the ticket office until 1pm on Christmas Eve, and online - subject to availability - over Christmas.



PLAYED BEFORE?

The two sides met in October and Fulham stole the bragging rights that day, winning 3-2 courtesy of an Aleksandar Mitrovic hat-trick.

In terms of overall record, the Cottagers claimed their 29th victory against Luton two months ago, while the Hatters still have 22 wins, as well as seven draws.



FOLLOW THE ACTION

The main blow-by-blow account of the action from Kenilworth Road will be provided via the Match Centre on the club website, which you can access by clicking here.

The main moments from the game will appear on the Hatters' social media feeds:

Twitter – @LutonTown

Facebook – www.facebook.com/LutonTown/

Instagram – www.instagram.com/ltfc_official/



WATCH LIVE ON IFOLLOW HATTERS

As ever, Simon 'Statto' Pitts will be on hand to provide commentary for iFollow Hatters which you can subscribe to by clicking here.

As the match is a Bank Holiday, supporters in the UK and Ireland who can't make it to Kenilworth Road or haven't been able to get a ticket can watch the live stream along with overseas viewers.

To do so, click here to purchase a £10 match pass so you don't miss a kick!

As a Boxing Day special, Simon will be joined on co-commentary duties by Hatters fan and English middleweight boxing champion Linus Udofia!



https://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/2019/december/match-preview-for-luton-town-vs-fulham-on-26-dec-19/

[WhiteJC]

ON THE RADAR | FULHAM (H)

The Hatters face Fulham in the Sky Bet Championship on Boxing Day, so here's all you need to know about our opponents.

After defeating Leeds United 2-1 on Saturday, the Cottagers will arrive at Kenilworth Road full of confidence as they look to claim back-to-back wins for the first time since November.

Town meanwhile will look to avenge their 1-0 defeat to Swansea City with three points in a game with plenty of meaning at both ends of the table.

THE SEASON SO FAR

Fulham's home win against Leeds ended a run of three consecutive losses and moved them into third place with 38 points from the first 23 games of the season. Sheffield Wednesday's win over Bristol City on Sunday, however, dropped them back down a spot to fourth.

Bidding to bounce straight back to the Premier League after relegation last season, the Cottagers look good value to do exactly that with a number of impressive performances thus far.

After defeating the Hatters 3-2 at Craven Cottage, they will hope to build on their solid weekend performance with another three points.



THE MANAGER

Scott Parker took over at Fulham after Claudio Ranieri was dismissed in January 2019. At the time his role was caretaker manager, but he impressed sufficiently to be named permanent head coach prior to the final game of last season.

Parker was well known to Fulham fans before taking the manager job, as he spent four years from 2013 playing for the Cottagers. His playing days also saw him turn out for Charlton Athletic, Chelsea, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Tottenham.



THE THREAT LAST TIME

After scoring all three of Fulham's goals against the Hatters in October, Aleksandar Mitrovic is without doubt the one to be wary of in this fixture.

As the Championship's top scorer with 17 goals halfway through the season, the Serbian international has been hugely influential for Scott Parker's side as they bid to win promotion at the first time of asking.



HISTORY

Fulham have enjoyed their fair share of success over the years, namely when they were champions of the Football League Division One in 2001, Division Two winners twice in 1949 and 1999, and Division 3 once back in 1932.

More recently, the Cottagers reached the UEFA Europa League final in 2010 but narrowly lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid.

In the 2017/18 Championship season, Fulham beat Aston Villa 1-0 at Wembley in the play-off final to gain promotion into the Premier League.

THE GROUND

One of few proper old-fashioned football grounds left in the country, Craven Cottage has been home for Fulham since 1896.

The 25,000 capacity stadium has this season undergone redevelopment to its Riverside Stand, but once held a crowd of over double that capacity in 1938 for a Division Two match against Millwall.

THE STATS

    Fulham have won two of their last five league games, Luton have one win to their name in the same time frame.
    Out of six of their wins this season, the Hatters have claimed four wins at home, the same number Fulham have accumulated on the road.
    Aleksandar Mitrovic is Fulham's top scorer with 17 goals, James Collins leads the way for Luton with seven.
    The last time the two teams met at Kenilworth Road was over 20 years ago and Fulham were 3-0 winners in that FA Cup tie.
    Town average 1.58 goals per game, more than Fulham whose average stands at 1.34.




https://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/2019/december/on-the-radar-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 David Prutton's Sky Bet EFL Boxing Day predictions
Seven Championship games are live across Sky Sports on Boxing Day...

Who is David Prutton tipping for victory in the Sky Bet EFL on Boxing Day? Find out here...

Barnsley vs West Brom, 3pm - Live on Sky Sports Football Red Button

Are Barnsley fans starting to believe they can stay up now? Gerhard Struber has really turned things around and now they are just a point from safety heading into Boxing Day.

West Brom have been held twice in their last three games, but are still unbeaten in a long time and have 11 points between themselves and third. If they do keep dropping points, though, then that gap with close up quickly... but I think they'll get back to winning ways at Oakwell.

Prutton predicts: 1-2 (15/2 with Sky Bet)

Brentford vs Swansea, 3pm - Live on Sky Sports Football

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank was extremely disappointed to come away with just a point from West Brom on Saturday, which shows how high their aspirations are this season.

Swansea have recorded back-to-back wins and seem to be back on an upward trajectory. This is a tough game for them, however, and I can't see them getting anything.

Prutton predicts: 3-1 (12/1 with Sky Bet)

Cardiff vs Millwall, 3pm - Live on Sky Sports Football Red Button

Cardiff have just slipped down the table again after failing to win their last three, but they have had some tough games in that time and are still within touching distance of the play-offs.

Millwall boss Gary Rowett suffered his first defeat since the start of November against resurgent Barnsley on Saturday, and will be desperate to bounce back. But I can't see them getting anything in South Wales.

Prutton predicts: 2-1 (17/2 with Sky Bet)
Charlton vs Bristol City, 3pm - Live on Sky Sports Football Red Button

January can't come quickly enough for Lee Bowyer and Charlton. They have drawn their last two to arrest their slump, but are still so stretched and badly need a win.

Bristol City do as well. They have lost three in a row and look bereft of confidence at the minute. I'll back them here to bounce back with a draw.

Prutton predicts: 1-1 (11/2 with Sky Bet)
Luton vs Fulham, 3pm - Live on Sky Sports Football Red Button

Luton have lost three in a row and are slipping dangerously close to the relegation zone. They look short of goals and can't stop conceding either.

Fulham got a huge, huge win against Leeds at the weekend. It keeps them just about within touch of the top two and ended a dreadful run of three defeats. I think they'll win again on Boxing Day because they should have too much quality for Luton.

Prutton predicts: 0-1 (9/1 with Sky Bet)
Leeds vs Preston, 5.15pm - Live on Sky Sports Football

Leeds have drawn and lost their last two games. But any fan of the club would have bitten your hand off to be nine points clear on Boxing Day.

If Preston win this one they could be right back in the battle for an automatic-promotion spot. It will be a battle and I think they could leave Elland Road with a point.

Prutton predicts: 1-1 (8/1 with Sky Bet)

Reading vs QPR, 7.30pm - Live on Sky Sports Football

Reading got back to winning ways with a great victory over Derby on Saturday, giving themselves a bit of a gap between themselves and the relegation zone again.

QPR will have been gutted to be denied victory against Charlton at the weekend. They head into Boxing Day in the bottom half of the table, but I still think they're having a decent season. This is a draw for me.

Prutton predicts: 2-2 (12/1 with Sky Bet)

Other Championship predictions (all 3pm kick-offs on Boxing Day)

Blackburn vs Birmingham: 2-1 (15/2)

Hull vs Nottingham Forest: 2-0 (9/1)

Middlesbrough vs Huddersfield: 1-1 (5/1)



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12040/11889962/david-pruttons-sky-bet-efl-boxing-day-predictions

[WhiteJC]

Parker: Consistency Needed

Scott Parker saw enough from our previous meeting with Luton Town to know that Boxing Day will be a tough afternoon.

An Aleksandar Mitrović hat-trick secured all three points when we hosted the Hatters at Craven Cottage, but they hit back twice to ensure it wasn't as comfortable an evening as it might have been.

"I think it will be a challenge," Parker told FFCtv. "Form for Luton has been a little bit down over the last few weeks but during this Christmas period there's a different type of feeling when you're turning up for games.

"I think it brings out the best in everyone. We played them a while ago and beat them, but they did cause us some problems.

"They're a wounded animal at this present moment in time and they'll be looking at us as a massive game and a big scalp to turn their bad run into a good one, so we'll go there prepared as well as we can, and hopefully we can take Saturday's result and keep moving on from that."

Building momentum is a key thing for Parker, who knows that will be key if we are to challenge for the top-two.

"I think the main thing we need this year is to get a bit of consistency," he explained. "Leeds, West Brom, they're up there because they're probably a little bit more astute at this moment in time, they've been in this division a little while and they've been a lot more consistent.

"At times this year we've wowed, and at times this year we've been a little bit off it for different reasons. We need to try and get that consistency going.

"Like I always say, that's a process, it's not a click of the finger, but hopefully we can build from the weekend and we can push on."




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/december/24/scott-parker-consistency-needed

[WhiteJC]

Fulham 2019-20 Mid-Season Outlook

The first half of Fulham's 2019-20 season has been the best first half since the 2000-2001 season when Fulham dominated the second tier on its way to a first place finish and automatic promotion. So despite Fulham's current position outside of the top two feeling a little disappointing, it shouldn't be forgotten that this has generally been a very good start.

Fulham has six more points at the halfway mark than in 2017-18 when Fulham went on a 23 game streak without a loss in the second half of the season to just miss out on automatic promotion by finally losing in the last game of the season. Fulham has two more points than the 2016-17 season when Fulham took the last playoff spot, five points in front of seventh place Leeds.

Based on that recent history Fulham at least has a good shot at making the playoffs for the third consecutive year in the Championship. You may remember from my posts in the 2017-18 season that typically 75 points is enough to get into the playoffs. Fulham is currently at 38 points, 37 points shy of that mark. That means to get into the playoffs Fulham needs to pretty much keep the same form as the first half of the season (11 wins, 5 draws, 7 losses).

Getting automatic promotion will require better form in the second half of the season. Typically a team that reaches 88 points will secure automatic promotion (although not always, see Fulham 2017-18). Fulham currently needs 50 points in the second half of the season to reach that mark. Fulham needs to increase their current 1.65 Points Per Match to 2.17 PPM for the remainder of the season. That would require something like a 15 win, 5 draw, and 3 loss record over the remaining 23 matches.

It certainly isn't impossible to get 50 points over the remainder of the season. Fulham earned 56 points in the second half of the 2017-18 season and West Brom achieved 50 points in the first half of this season. However, reaching that level of quality will require some immediate changes.

In 2017-18 it was the introduction of Alexander Mitrovic and replacing David Button with Marcus Bettinelli that seemed to get Fulham to turn things around. I think Fulham's best shot at major changes is on the back line and in the defensive portion of midfield. There is no depth for Fulham defensively, so they'll need to look to the arrival of CB Michael Hector from Chelsea and other opportunities in the transfer window to bring in new players. Most importantly Fulham needs a proper right back to pair with Joe Bryan on the left. Steven Sessegnon showed potential but also made youthful mistakes before losing time to injury. Odoi and Christie should only substitute at that position. If Sessegnon isn't ready then someone needs to be added to the roster.

Fulham is just missing a few pieces to make a run for automatic promotion. With some changes there is no reason why Fulham can solidify their playoff position and possibly earn an immediate return to the Premier League after 23 more matches.



http://fulhamusa.com/threads/fulham-2019-20-mid-season-outlook.9987/

[WhiteJC]

Luton away and the joys of the Championship

On Boxing Day, Fulham travel to Kenilworth Road to play Luton Town. For many, the match will be a great chance to pick up three points against a side in 21st position. But for me, the trip to Luton will hold a greater significance.

As an American Fulham supporter, it is often difficult to explain your loyalties to other football fans who follow the big clubs. Relegation is an alien concept to them. Few fathom why one would support a team in the Championship.

Following Fulham's relegation last spring, the derisory comments flooded in. Mixed in with the banter was a familiar refrain — "you'll be playing Luton away next season." The dig was simple. Instead of mixing it up with Liverpool or Manchester City in the top flight, little old Fulham would be facing off against Luton Town — a team that hadn't appeared in the top division since the early 1990s.

Group chats were even named 'Luton Away' in recognition of the relegation. But far from an insult, the Boxing Day trip to Kenilworth Road will be one of the highlights of the season. What the American fan can't understand is that the away days to old-fashioned, atmospheric stadiums like Luton's are priceless experiences. And in modern football, these grounds are rapidly going extinct.

Ask most Whites supporters and they'd tell you they would prefer the Championship over the Premier League. Why? The sanitised Premier League experience, the drastic gap between the top and bottom clubs, and the exorbitant ticket prices all contribute to the top flight losing its luster.

In the Premier League, you could never get a day out at Luton Town. Where else would you walk to the away end through a row of houses?

When I take my seat in the away end (unreserved of course, another Luton specialty), I'll be buzzing for the festive match. Luton away isn't an embarrassment — it's the best away match of the season.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/12/luton-away-and-the-joys-of-the-championship/

[WhiteJC]

Luton Town v Fulham
THU 26 Dec 2019  Championship
Venue: Kenilworth Road

Simon Sluga made his first start since October in the defeat by Swansea at the weekend

Luton boss Graeme Jones could retain faith with Simon Sluga in goal despite the possibility of James Shea returning to fitness for the Boxing Day game.

Shea missed the weekend defeat by Swansea through concussion, and his return will depend on the result of protocols around head injuries.

Fulham defender Denis Odoi is suspended as he completes a three-game ban.

Midfielders Harrison Reed and Bobby Decordova-Reid returned from injury in Saturday's 2-1 win over Leeds.

Harry Arter (calf) and Maxime Le Marchand remain doubts.

Match facts

    Luton have not hosted Fulham for a league game since March 1999, losing 4-0 in a third-tier match.
    Fulham have won their last three away games against Luton in all competitions, although this is their first visit this century, last playing there in December 1999 in the FA Cup.
    Luton have won their last two Boxing Day league games, winning 5-0 in 2017 against Swindon and 2-0 last year against Scunthorpe.
    Luton have lost nine of their last 11 league matches (W2 L9), including losing each of the last three in a row.
    Fulham have lost back-to-back away league games (1-2 vs Preston and 0-1 vs Brentford) - they last lost three consecutive away Championship matches in February 2015 (4).
    Since his debut for Fulham in February 2018, Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored 40 goals in all competitions, 28 more than any other player at the club.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50846970

[WhiteJC]

3 exits we expect to see at Fulham in the next few weeks

With Fulham having been one of the Championship's most consistent sides thus far, many could be forgiven for thinking that Scott Parker would be keen to hold onto his current squad at all costs.

The likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Tom Cairney have provided some of the club's best moments so far, with the duo leading the charge for the Whites in the scoring stakes.

Both Ivan Cavaleiro and Anthony Knockaert have added a new dimension to the west London side's attack, with both players often cutting inside to great effect from wide areas, thus providing great support for Mitrovic in the final third.

However despite finding their shooting boots and being largely solid in defence, the Whites will still be keen to trim down their overpopulated squad in the coming weeks.

Here, we take a look at THREE exits we expect to see at Fulham in the next few weeks....

Kevin McDonald
One player who looks increasingly likely to be heading for the exit door is Scottish midfielder Kevin McDonald, with the 31-year-old having found his game time largely limited this campaign due to the likes of Stefan Johansen and Harry Arter.

At his age, the experienced midfielder needs to be playing regularly and as a result he should be seeking a move away from west London in the upcoming transfer window.

Luca De La Torre
Another midfielder who we expect to be on the move this January is American youngster Luca De La Torre, with the playmaker having only made one Championship appearance so far this term.

There is sure to be a plethora of clubs that are interested in taking the 21-year-old on loan, with a temporary spell away from Craven Cottage sure to be the next logical step in the player's overall development.

Maxime Le Marchand
One other man who could well be heading for the exit door is 30-year-old French defender Maxime Le Marchand, with the versatile player having found his game time limited heavily by the form of Tim Ream and Alfie Mawson this term.

His spell in English football has been far from memorable and as such he could well be seeking a move back to mainland Europe in the near future, particularly as he has been largely out of favour since Parker took charge.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/3-exits-we-expect-to-see-at-fulham-in-the-next-few-weeks/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham Must Not Slip Up On Boxing Day

As we get set to enter the second half of the 2019 / 2020 Championship season, Fulham find themselves handily placed in the race for promotion.

The Cottagers sit in fourth place, some way behind the leading duo of West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United, but a place in the play-offs is still well within our grasp.

However, our recent form is, to put it mildly, a little unpredictable.

After three defeats, Fulham managed to stop the rot by producing a decent display to beat one of those two aforementioned sides above us, Leeds United, last time out.

With the festive break set to bring a glut of fixtures, Fulham return to action on Boxing Day when they make the short trip to Bedfordshire, to take on a Luton Town side, at Kenilworth Road, who, after earning back-to-back promotions, are struggling this season and sat one point above the relegation places currently occupied by Stoke, Wigan and Barnsley.

On paper, it is the kind of fixture that Fulham should win, but our season has been littered with failures against just such sides.

Hopefully, Scott Parker will send his starting eleven out fully motivated and ready to play the Hatters off the park, is that too much to hope for in relation to a late Christmas present?



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/fulham-must-not-slip-up-on-boxing-day/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham Linked With The January Acquisition Of A Winger

With Fulham sitting, as I type, in fourth place in the Championship table, hopes of a quick return to the Premier League are gathering momentum.

In a matter of days, the January transfer window will open and it could prove to be a vital period for the club.

Decisions have to be made as to whether there is a necessity, and the funds are available, to bring some fresh talent to Craven Cottage to give our promotion push some added impetus.

Yesterday, lurking in the pages of The Daily Mail was the inference that Fulham may well be interested in bringing in a young winger, on loan.

The winger in question is Jack Clarke, a 19-year-old who is on the books of Tottenham Hotspur but who is currently on loan at Leeds United.

Clarke joined Tottenham back in the summer but was loaned back to Leeds to further his ongoing development.

But Clarke hasn't been able to get the amount of first-team action Tottenham would like and he could be recalled.

Fulham, having sold Ryan Sessegnon to Tottenham back in the summer, could be the next stop-off point for the teenager although we should point out that our London rivals, Brentford, are also said, by our referenced source, to be interested.

Here at Vital Fulham we'll keep our eyes open for any further development and report back as deemed necessary.



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/fulham-linked-with-the-january-acquisition-of-a-winger/

[WhiteJC]

Pearson wants to put things right against Fulham forward Mitrovic

Luton defender Matty Pearson knows his side must watch out for the obvious threat of striker Aleksander Mitrovic when Fulham visit Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

The 25-year-old Serbian international scored a hat-trick as Scott Parker's side defeated Town 3-2 at Craven Cottage two months ago.

He has bagged 17 goals in the Championship this term, the top scorer in the league, while has netted 25 in 27 matches in total.

Pearson knows the £22m frontman will require extra attention as he said: "They've all got good players, and it's down to me and Sonny (Bradley) to put things right after that.

"People score goals against us, we've just got to try and put it right and do everything we can to try and get a result."

Although Town's home game with Fulham is their second in a run of five matches in just 12 days, the defender is relishing the festive schedule.

He continued: "I love what I do.

"Football is demanding at times and it's a demanding period, but I wouldn't change it.

"That's what we're here for, we're here to play football, a couple of games in a week, that's just how it is and you get on with it."

Manager Graeme Jones is also well aware of the threats that the Cottagers, who defeated second-placed Leeds United 2-1 on Saturday to end a run of three straight defeats, possess.

However, having now completed half of the season, and sitting fourth bottom after playing all of their opponents, Jones has a good idea of just what Town are up against.

He said: "We know how potent they can be, but we gave them a right game in the second half down at Craven Cottage last time.

"We are now sitting on 23 games, all the information, every single team, so at least now there's no surprises for the players.

"They know what's coming, you should be better for your experiences. Today's (Saturday 1-0 defeat to Swansea) is a sore one, it's a difficult one to take.

"I don't think anyone at the football club deserves it, but football doesn't care, it just delivers whatever comes your way.

"On the flip side of that you need to be ready to respond as well, but I certainly won't be lying down and I don't think my players will be lying down as it's not in their nature.

"We've got a tough challenge coming up on Boxing Day, but in football you never know, what we have to do is just give everything we've got."

Meanwhile, Pearson will be doing all he can once more to try and secure a second clean sheet of the season after seeing his hopes dashed by Andre Ayew's late goal on Saturday.

He added: "We can't look back now, we've just got to look forward, we've got to rest, recover, review maybe a little bit and just get ready to give it all again on Boxing Day.

"We're out there to fight, we're going out to battle, we're doing our best to get the win, get the clean sheet, even a nil nil draw, as long as us defenders are doing what we can, everything we can to stop that ball going in the goal.

"This is football, football puts all sorts of thing in front of you.

"We were on the receiving end again and it's getting us down a bit, but we've got to keep going, keep sticking together and keep trying to give everything we've got, which we have done."



https://www.dunstabletoday.co.uk/sport/football/hatters/pearson-wants-to-put-things-right-against-fulham-forward-mitrovic-1-9184592

[WhiteJC]

Reading FC and Fulham fans unite for New Year's Eve mental health walk

A group of supporters will be walking the 40 miles between the two clubs prior to the New Year's Day fixture


Reading fans who walked from Craven Cottage to Madejski Stadium in September (Image: Johnny Hunt)

A group of Reading and Fulham fans will be walking through the night on New Year's Eve to raise awareness of men's mental health.

The two club's supporters are embarking on a 40-mile trek between Royals' Madejski Stadium and Craven Cottage, home to the Whites, prior to the Championship fixture between the sides on Wednesday, January 1.

The group are aiming to help open up the conversations on mental health, raise awareness, and help prevent male suicide.

The walk between the two clubs is something the group have done before, with the last Fulham to Reading fan walk takin place back in September.

That took a mammoth 19 hours and in that time, nine men in the UK will have committed suicide.

Lee Adams, founder of Walk and Talk MMH (Men's Mental Health), said:  "I went through a difficult period some time ago. I felt alone, isolated, with nowhere to turn, and was close to taking my own life.

"Five years ago I started walking to Fulham away games, to raise awareness that one in four of us may suffer at some point in our lives, and I soon understood I wasn't alone.

"I became motivated to turn my experiences into a positive to help and support others who felt the same as I had. People started to join me, and now this has become a huge movement of fans coming together from many teams, to let other men know that it's okay to talk."

Alistair Mackintosh, Fulham's chief executive, added: "Lee has shown immense dedication in continuing to encourage men to talk about their experiences of mental health, on the numerous charity and awareness walks to matches.

"He has brought supporters of clubs together, all in the name of a worthy initiative. Everyone at Fulham Football Club wishes him and the Fulham and Reading fans taking part in the 40-mile walk from the Madejski stadium to Craven Cottage on New Year's Day all the very best.

"This will be the fifth walk between the two clubs which shows his huge passion for the cause."

The team are keen for people to join them at Griffin Park for the last stretch of the walk and talk at 11am on New Year's Day; to show a strong message of unity towards male suicide prevention, and encouraging openness of the battles with mental health.

If you want to take part, get in touch with the team via Twitter @walkandtalkMMH or Instagram @walkandtalk_MMH

You can donate to the team fundraising page and follow their progress using the hashtag #WalkAndTalkMMH



https://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/reading-fc-fulham-fans-unite-17451636

[Chutney]

Fulham loanee informs club he's not happy, now likely to leave next month

According to Haberturk reporter Ayhan Sensoy, Fulham's Jean Michael Seri has informed the Championship club he's not happy at Galatasaray.

The Ivorian midfielder joined the Turkish side on a season-long loan deal during the last transfer window, but it's safe to say his move to the Super Lig has been far from a success.

He's now struggling to get regular games under his belt, and is widely seen as one of the reasons Galatasaray have struggled in their defence of their league title this season.

Sensoy adds it's very likely the Fulham loanee will leave the Turkish side once the January transfer window opens and it seems the 28 year old needs to find himself a new club once again.

With Fulham in the second tier it's unlikely he will return to London in January and he may need to find another club willing to take him on loan.

Seri has made 17 appearances in all competitions for Gala and scored one goal. His Fulham contract will expire at the end of June 2022.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-loanee-informs-club-hes-not-happy-now-likely-leave-next-month/

who gave him such a long contract?