Thursday Fulham Stuff - 18/11/21...

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Barnsley to name Poya Asbaghi before Fulham game

Barnsley are closing in on the appointment of Poya Asbaghi.

Barnsley have found their replacement for Markus Schopp, as per a report by the Yorkshire Post.

The Tykes are poised to get the deal done in time for their clash away at Fulham this weekend.

Asbaghi, 36, is also expected to bring his former number two Ferran Sibilia with him to Oakwell.

The promising young coach is currently in charge of Sweden Under-21s but is now leaving that role for the Championship.

Career to date

Asbaghi didn't play the game professionally and started his coaching career at Swedish duo Dalkurd FF and Gefle IF.

He then landed the IFK Göteborg which is where he made his name.

The Iranian boss spent two years in charge of the Allsvenskan side and won the Svenska Cup in his last season.

He left Göteborg in September last year and linked up with Sweden a couple of months later.

Interesting choice

This is another interesting managerial choice by Barnsley should it go over the line as expected.

Their last few appointments have been from overseas in Jose Morais, Daniel Stendel, Gerhard Struber, Valerien Ismael and Schopp, three of which have worked out well.

Asbaghi will arrive in South Yorkshire as an unknown quantity and has a tough job on his hands to keep the Tykes in the Championship this season.



https://the72.co.uk/255600/barnsley-to-name-poya-asbaghi-before-fulham-game/

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O'Neill Keeps Qualification Hopes Alive

Ollie O'Neill provided some late drama on Tuesday night, scoring with the last kick of the game to keep the Ireland U21s' hopes of Euro qualification alive.

The boys in green went into their game with Sweden U21s knowing that only a victory would be enough to remain in the hunt for Euro qualification and, with seconds left on the clock, O'Neill slammed home into the bottom left to claim the three points (1-0).

Nothing more needs to be said 😆

Ollie O’Neill summing it up for everyone in green in Tallaght tonight #IRLU21 | #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/Ige1A5mGN5

— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) November 16, 2021

In other news from our Academy boys, Michael Olakigbe scored for England Under 18s who beat Portugal 2-0 on Monday. Our nippy midfielder made an overlapping run down the right hand side of the box before smashing it into the roof of the net at the near post to solidify the Young Lions' advantage 12 minutes from time.

Luke Harris kept his sharp international form going, claiming an assist as Wales drew 1-1 with Kazakhstan in their final group game.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/november/17/O-Neill-Keeps-Qualification-Hopes-Alive/

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All tickets issued for Fulham clash

All tickets have been issued for the trip to Fulham.

The Cherries travel to Craven Cottage on Friday 3rd December for a 7.45pm kick-off and have sold our full allocation of 1,687 tickets.

Due to the redevelopment of the stadium, this is the maximum allocation the club could take and no further tickets will be made available.




https://www.afcb.co.uk/news/tickets/all-tickets-issued-for-fulham-clash/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham: Remember Alexander Kacaniklic? Here's what he's up to nowadays

Alexander Kacaniklic is a tricky winger and spent some of his formative years as a footballer on these shores, having a stint in Liverpool's youth set-up before moving to Fulham.

What's he been up to since leaving Craven Cottage, though? And what's he up to now? We take a look at his career so far.

The Swede joined Liverpool as a youngster in 2007 after initially coming through at Helsingborgs IF in his native country.

First-team opportunities with the Reds did not present themselves, though, and he finished his youth schooling with Fulham between 2010 and 2012, joining the Whites as part of the deal that saw Paul Konchesky head to Anfield.

Making his senior debut in 2012, the winger went on to make over 80 league appearances and scored 10 league goals for the club in the following four years, whilst also spending brief loan spells at the likes of Watford, Burnley and FC Copenhagen.

He joined Nantes in 2016 and then headed to Hammarby in 2019, before linking up with his current club, Hadjuk Split, earlier on in 2021.

He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the club in February of this year and has made over 20 league appearances for the club so far, scoring a couple of goals in the league along the way.

Having turned 30 in August, he still has plenty to offer in the game and will be looking to do exactly that with Split in the coming seasons.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-remember-alexander-kacaniklic-heres-what-hes-up-to-nowadays/

[WhiteJC]

Mitrović the Cheat Code, Bournemouth's Pressing, Val-Ball & More: Key Talking Points Ahead of the Championship's Return

Mitrović the Championship Cheat Code
It's been a thrilling start to life as Fulham manager for Marco Silva, who is chasing a second career top-flight promotion after previously securing the Portuguese second-tier title in 2011-12 with Estoril. Free-scoring Fulham have bagged more league goals than any other side in the top four tiers of English football this season (44) and are currently enjoying a six-game winning run – their longest since a 12-game streak between May and October 2000. Fulham, of course, ended that 2000-01 season as champions, returning to the top-flight for the first time since 1968.

Fulham's attacking prowess has made them arguably the most feared side in the Championship this season and their total of 44 goals from 17 games is their highest return at this stage of a league campaign since 1958-59 in the second-tier, when they won promotion to the top-flight (46 goals).

When looking at various attacking metrics in the Championship, it is no surprise to see the Whites tracking first in many of them. Silva's side are playing possibly the most attractive brand of attacking football in the division and rank first in the Championship for goals (44), shots (278), shots on target (101), expected goals (36.9), touches in the opposition box (473), while they are second for successful passes (7,524), and 10+ pass open-play sequences (243).



Spearheading the most potent attack in the country is Serbian talisman Aleksandar Mitrović, who is the leading scorer in English league football this season, scoring 20 goals, seven more than any other player. Mitrović is having a career-season and could be on course for a ridiculous goal tally come the end of the campaign. The Serb is the only player across the top two tiers of English, French, Italian, Spanish and German football to score 20 league goals in 2021-22.



It's no secret that the forward is extremely dangerous in the Championship. In his career at this level, he has been directly involved in 77 goals in just 103 appearances (inc. playoffs). Compare that to his last season in the Premier League where he registered 34 goal involvements in 104 games and netted just three goals in 27 matches (13 starts) in 2020-21. Is Mitrović simply a victim of playing for weak Premier League teams that are conversely strong Championship outfits? That would explain his drop off in output. Or is he just the perfect Championship forward?



Last season, Fulham were the second-lowest scorers (27) in the Premier League and were the fourth-worst side for Big Chances created (51), while Mitrović was in and out of the side, struggling for form throughout. There have been numerous players over the years caught between the chasm between the Premier League and Championship but Mitrović, who consistently does well at international level, surely has enough ability and experience to produce consistently in the English top-flight.

In 2021-22, Mitrović is certainly showing he can be the main man at Fulham again, bagging 20 league goals from an expected goals total of just 16. He is a huge threat in the air and is thriving on the service coming his way, so far scoring five headed goals. Mitrović has an aura when playing in the Championship and an unnerving confidence that gives off the impression it's all too easy for him.

He is also the perfect foil for Fulham's dynamic attacking midfielders, and his total of five assists is the second-most by a Championship forward this season. In fact, Mitrović and Harry Wilson have combined for six goals this season (three assists each), the most by a single duo so far.



Last time out against Peterborough, Mitrović became the first Fulham player to score in six successive league fixtures since Graham Leggat in August-September 1958 and his recent form means he has 58 goals and nine assists in 78 Championship appearances (inc. playoffs) for the Whites. With promotion firmly the target for Silva's Fulham, it must be a dream to have an in-form Mitrović at his disposal.

If he carries on producing the goods this season, Mitrović will certainly become the first Fulham player to reach 30+ league goals in a single season since Bedford Jezzard in 1953-54 (39).

Parker's Bournemouth Look Automatic in Promotion Pursuit
Championship leaders Bournemouth are looking like the real deal this season and have shown massive improvements under Scott Parker. Unbeaten in their first 15 games, they suffered a surprise home loss to Preston. But Parker's side recovered in their next game and picked up a convincing 4-0 win over Swansea to head into the international break two points ahead of Fulham.

The Cherries have won 40 points from 17 league games this season, their highest ever tally at this stage of a league campaign. Indeed, each of the last 11 sides to win 40+ points at this stage of a second-tier season won promotion to the top-flight (assuming 3pts/win) and eight of those teams won the title.

Football League – Bournemouth's best starts after 17 games:

Season   Team   Division   Games   Wins   Draws   Losses   Pts (3/Win)   Final Position   Promoted
2022   Bournemouth   2   17   12   4   1   40    –    –
1972   Bournemouth   3   17   11   4   2   37   3   No
1949   Bournemouth   3S   17   11   3   3   36   3   No
1962   Bournemouth   3   17   10   6   1   36   3   No
1969   Bournemouth   3   17   11   2   4   35   4   No
1982   Bournemouth   4   17   10   5   2   35   4   Yes
2010   Bournemouth   4   17   11   2   4   35   2   Yes

Parker has enforced his imprint on this Bournemouth side, making them an energetic pressing outfit that look to get on the front foot as high up the pitch as possible. Bournemouth rank top for PPDA (10.1) in the Championship this season, meaning they allow the fewest opposition passes before intervening with a defensive action.



Adding to the notion that Bournemouth are the league's 'best pressers' is that they've registered the most high turnovers leading in a shot (26) and the joint-most goals from these situations (five). Bournemouth start their possessions from 43.3 metres away from their goal (the joint-highest in the Championship this season), showing how high up the pitch they start playing. Bournemouth's ability to squeeze the pitch for their opponents and turn the ball over in dangerous positions is serving them well at both ends of the pitch.



On the defensive side, Bournemouth have kept the most clean sheets in the Championship this season (10) and have conceded the fewest goals (10). No side has also faced fewer shots on target in the 2021-22 campaign (43 – level with WBA).



In fact, since the turn of the century, Bournemouth are the ninth second-tier side to register 10 shutouts from their opening 17 league games and ominously six of the previous eight won promotion at the end of the season. If Bournemouth can maintain the high standards of their excellent start during the upcoming winter period, then they will be amongst the favourites to get over the line and back into the Premier League come May.

Sky's the Limit for Coventry City
Coventry City's impressive finish to the 2020-21 campaign has continued into the current season, with the Sky Blues currently nestled nicely in the play-off spots in fourth place on 30 points. Assuming three points for a win, this is only the sixth time in Coventry's league history that they've won 30+ points after the first 17 games in a second-tier season and the first time in 20 years (since 2001-02). Coventry will want this season to finish differently, however, as in the 2001-02 season they lost six of their last seven games, ending in 11th.

Second Tier – Coventry's best points total after 17 games:
Season   Team   Division   Games   Wins   Draws   Losses   Pts (3/Win)   Position
1937   Coventry City   2   17   8   6   3   30   8
1938   Coventry City   2   17   8   8   1   32   4
1951   Coventry City   2   17   11   2   4   35   7
1966   Coventry City   2   17   9   5   3   32   3
2002   Coventry City   2   17   9   4   4   31   11
2022   Coventry City   2   17   9   3   5   30    –

Interestingly, the average points total required to finish in sixth since 2004-05 is 74 points. The Sky Blues haven't finished inside the top six in a second-tier campaign since 1966-67 when they won the league, but could it be possible for Mark Robins to lead a genuine promotion charge this time around?

On the surface, Coventry will be worried about sustaining their current level of form. Only the excellent Bournemouth (12) and Fulham (12) have enjoyed more wins than Coventry's nine and their total of 225 shots at goal so far is the third-highest tally in the Championship. However, the underlying numbers suggest they are about par for the course, scoring 25 goals from an xG of 25.

Stylistically speaking, Coventry's ability to blend a neat passing game with moving the ball forward at pace makes them a tricky opponent to gameplan for. Of all the Championship teams above the median for passes per sequence, Coventry move the ball up field in the quickest fashion on average.



Therefore, it's no surprise to see Coventry have had the most direct attacks (40) in the Championship this season and they are very adept at finding their strikers in pockets of space in the channels. Willing runners such as Viktor Gyökeres and fox in the box Matt Godden are intelligent in their movement and like to draw out defenders. Impressively, Gyökeres has nine goals and two assists in 17 league appearances this season, which is three times the number of goals he bagged last term. That said, he has failed to score in his last six matches and will be hoping the international break has come at a good time for him to reset and regain his early season form.

Despite Gyökeres' recent drought, strike partner Matt Godden has been able to fill the goalscoring void for the Sky Blues by registering six goal involvements in his last five games (five goals, one assist). Godden has already equalled last season's Championship tally (six goals) and in 13 fewer games. He has been ruthless in front of goal this term, with six goals from nine shots on target and netting five of his seven Big Chances in the Championship.

Championship 2021-22:
Player   Team   Chances Created (Open Play)   Goal Assist (Open Play)   xA (Open Play)
Callum O'Hare   Coventry City   33   3   2.5
John Swift   Reading   30   5   3.2
Jed Wallace   Millwall   30   2   3.1
Harry Wilson   Fulham   26   5   2.9
Jamie Paterson   Swansea City   26   4   3.4
Conor Townsend   WBA   26   2   4.0
Viktor Gyökeres   Coventry City   25   2   1.3

Supplying the boys up top has been the exciting Callum O'Hare, who has provided three assists this season, adding to his total of eight from last term. Having a player that can consistently unlock defences at Championship level is crucial for any team to be successful and O'Hare is growing into that role rapidly. In fact, his tally of 33 chances created from open play is the most by any player in the division.

Championship Table in 2021:
P   Team   P   W   D   L   GF   GA   GD   PTS
1   Bournemouth   42   24   7   11   68   38   30   79
2   Queens Park Rangers   41   22   7   12   65   49   16   73
3   Swansea City   41   18   9   14   51   49   2   63
4   Coventry City   41   18   8   15   54   52   2   62
5   Millwall   43   16   14   13   47   51   -4   62
6   Luton Town   41   15   11   15   47   50   -3   56

Can Coventry be viewed as a side that can genuinely maintain a playoff run this season? Well, if you consider their form in 2021 as a whole, then the answer has to be yes. Coventry have won 62 points in 2021, a total bettered by only Bournemouth (79), QPR (73) and Swansea (63). It's still early days, but it is looking exciting for Mark Robins and his Sky Blues. 

Val-Ball Frustrating The Hawthorns?
After his heroics with Barnsley in the previous season, which saw the Tykes rise meteorically up the table and earn a playoff spot, the appointment of Valérien Ismaël at West Bromwich Albion looked a sensible one. On the face of it, he could certainly be perceived as the right man to shake up a side trying to recover from the disappointment of relegation from the Premier League. However, Ismaël's style of play was always going to be a hot topic of discussion and so far, he's yet to fully win over the fans at the Hawthorns.

To Ismaël's credit, he's been able to lay the foundations of his philosophy quickly and has garnered results at a pace that would suggest West Brom could be there or thereabouts for automatic promotion this season. On the last three occasions, West Brom have won 32+ points after the first 17 games of a second-tier season, they've ended up winning promotion (2019-20, 2009-10, 2003-04).

But despite results being okay for the most part, performances have concerned fans and the style of play has failed to capture the imagination of the supporters. But what exactly is 'Val-Ball' and why is it an issue?

Essentially, Ismaël's playing identity is to get the ball forward extremely quickly and play in the opponent's defensive third as much as possible. Coupled with long balls (and long throws), they bring the defensive line high-up to make the pitch as small as possible. This then allows the forwards to press defenders with great intensity with the aim of winning possession in critical areas. When it works it can be extremely effective but when everything isn't joined up it looks messy and the constant turnover in possession is very wasteful.





In the current Championship season, only Barnsley (520) have launched the ball more times than West Brom (492), while only Birmingham City (63.5%) have a lower passing accuracy than the Baggies (65.1%). In fact, only Birmingham (28) have had fewer 10+ pass open-play sequences than West Brom (39) in the Championship this season.

Their style of play is further illuminated by the sequence data. West Brom have registered a league-low three build-up attacks, defined as the number of open-play sequences that contain 10+ passes and either end in a shot or at least one touch in the box. In possession, West Brom's open play sequences have lasted on average for just 4.9 seconds, the quickest average in the Championship.

West Brom are all beast and no beauty when it comes to their use of the football and without doubt the most direct side in the division. The Baggies are registering a direct speed of 2.1 metres per second, the highest rate in the Championship, indicating their preference to move the ball up field quicker than any other side. Interestingly, they also allow their opponents the shortest open play sequences on average (five seconds), highlighting their capacity to get to the opposition in possession.



Encouragingly for Ismaël, they are one of the best pressing sides in the division, with no Championship side mustering more high turnovers (146), more goals via high turnovers (five), or more pressed sequences than West Brom this season (294). Coupled with their penchant for pressing, no side has a higher start distance (43.3m) in the Championship this season than West Brom, and only Bournemouth (10.1) have a better PPDA average than the Baggies (10.2).

None of the above rankings are surprising when analysing Ismaël's style of play and there is no right or wrong way to play football. But with a squad as talented as West Brom's, it remains to be seen if this style will get the best out of the players long term. For now, West Brom look like they will be in the mix for promotion this season, but results will need to be maintained otherwise fan discontent over Ismaël's tactics might become louder and louder.



https://www.theanalyst.com/eu/2021/11/data-driven-talking-points-ahead-of-the-championships-return/

[WhiteJC]

FULHAM PREVIEW

Everything to know ahead of Saturday's trip south to face the Cottagers in Sky Bet Championship action!

The big news coming out of Oakwell has clearly been the appointment of a new head coach, with Iranian coach Poya Asbaghi taking up the role on Wednesday morning.

Leaving behind the Swedish U21 international setup and a nation he's called home for all but one of his 36 years, he becomes our sixth successive boss from overseas and has brought with him Ferran Sibila, his Spanish assistant and they'll be looking to arrest the Reds' slide down the Championship table as soon as possible.

Whilst expected to attend the match against high-flying Fulham, they won't be in the dugout this weekend at Craven Cottage. The two men will take training from next week, as they complete the formalities of such a big move and settle into their new surroundings.

This means a third game in charge for caretaker boss Jo Laumann. The man from Marrakech led the Reds to a first win since August in his opening match in charge against Derby County a couple of weeks ago, before then overseeing a disappointing display a few days later at Oakwell against another fellow-struggler in Hull City.

That loss against the Tigers dampened the fires that were set after the three point success over the Rams. Two performances on the opposite scale in terms of quality, and belief quite frankly. Going behind to Hull seemed to totally throw Barnsley off course in that fixture, but it's to be hoped that after a bit of downtime and seven straight days on the training ground during the November international break, that spirits have been lifted as we prepare for another three-game week.

It doesn't get much more challenging at this level this season than a trip to the capital and to the grand old venue that is the Cottage. Currently six points clear, sitting second place in the league standings, the West Londoners are looking set for yet another instant return to the top flight.

With Serbian hotshot Aleksandar Mitrović scoring 20 goals in his 17 Championship games this term, we will be facing the continent's most in-form striker. The former Newcastle United man also scored the winner for his country in midweek, sending them to the World Cup in the process  as they saw off Portugal at the Estadio da Luz.

Our hosts are on a six-game winning streak, having scored 21 times in those matches, conceding just once, six games ago. They saw off Peterborough United last time out, and three days before that they thumped Blackburn Rovers 7-0 away from home.

It has certainly been an impressive start to his Fulham career for head coach, Marco Silva who is enjoying his fourth stint in English football after previous spells with Hull City, Watford and Everton.

The Portuguese led Sporting in his homeland to cup success before a terrific spell in Greece with Olympiakos who he guided to a European record at the time, of 17 consecutive league victories as they won the title back in 2016.

If we're looking for crumbs of comfort, we only need to rewind to our last trip to this venue, back in February of 2020, pre-pandemic. Without a win in six matches, the Reds - under Gerhard Struber - played their hosts off the park in a 3-0 rout, going on to win three straight games on the way to securing survival, whilst Fulham ended up promoted.

Ex-Fulham man Cauley Woodrow grabbed a brace in that game, and will be looking to lead by example once again on his old stomping ground. And he could finally be rejoined up front by Carlton Morris.

One of the stars of last season after joining from Norwich City in January, the big man limped off in August's victory over Coventry City and has been in full training for more than a week now, after that three-month layoff as he looks to reclaim a starting berth this weekend.

The man in the middle for Saturday's 3pm kick-off in the capital is Joshua Smith. The Peterborough-born official is just 29-years-old and last took charge of a Reds fixture in last season's 2-2 draw with Norwich at Oakwell in May of this year.

In terms of domestic streaming, a reminder that the EFL returned to the position held pre-pandemic, where any games kicking off between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturday afternoons are prohibited.

However, supporters in the UK are able to buy audio passes via iFollow Barnsley.

Our overseas fans can enjoy live streaming of the game, with a match pass priced at £10.

For further information on iFollow for this season, and how to activate seasonal subscriptions, please click the link below.



https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2021/november/fulham-preview/

[WhiteJC]

Back to business

International breaks seem to have wreaked havoc with Fulham's rhythm this season. The Whites were flying under Marco Silva in August but stuttered badly after the first interruption for national service, slipping to a first defeat of the season at Blackpool in September. The mere prospect of further international duty appeared to derail a positive performance at Coventry, with a shambolic second half in the rain leaving Silva seething after a 4-1 defeat.

Fulham have been flawless since that miserable afternoon in the Midlands with six straight wins helping the Whites cut the gap to league leaders performance to just a couple of points, whilst consolidating a firm grip on second place. The latest round of internationals had a few saving graces – Aleksandar Mitrovic's joy and Cristiano Ronaldo's sullen disappointment in Lisbon was coupled with a first under-21 international goal for Ollie O'Neill and places in the play-offs for Harry Wilson and Neeskens Kebano for instance – but getting back to the bread and butter of the Championship will be a welcome relief.

Nobody should take the tasks ahead lightly, though. Fulham might be in fine form but the prospect of Barnsley coming to Craven Cottage should send a few shudders down spines. The Tykes ruthlessly demolished Scott Parker's side on their last visit, winning 3-0 with former Fulham forward Cauley Woodrow pivotal to a well deserved victory and they have a strong record against the Whites in recent times. Barnsley, who appointed Swedish under 21 coach Poya Asbaghi as their new boss today, will want to arrest the alarming run of form that saw Marcus Schopp get his marching orders and their players may see the trip to London as a low-pressure way of making an impression.

Today's episode of Motspur Parklife on the official website features a couple of eye-catching cameos from Tom Cairney and Rodrigo Muniz, with the skipper a good bet to feature at the weekend should Jean Michael Seri need a rest following his international exertions with the Ivory Coast. Seeing Kenny Tete lining up on the right side of the back four was reassuring after injury-plagued start to the season – and the Dutch defender looks certain to reclaim his first team spot against Barnsley with Denis Odoi suspended.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/11/back-to-business-4/