Saturday Fulham Stuff - 29/10/22...

[WhiteJC]

Marco Silva: Aleksandar Mitrovic's prolific form fundamental for Fulham
Mitrovic has hit nine goals in 11 appearances.

Marco Silva was quick to credit Aleksandar Mitrovic's prolific start to the season as a fundamental factor in Fulham's seventh-place standing.

Some questioned at the start of the campaign whether the Serbian striker could maintain his outstanding Championship form with the newly-promoted club.

The 28-year-old has provided the answer, netting nine goals across 11 appearances for Fulham, whose total of 22 is good enough for joint fourth in the Premier League.

"He is just doing what we did last season," Silva told a press conference.

"We are preparing him in the same way, we are preparing the players around him in the same way.

"The numbers of Mitrovic are unbelievable, they are outstanding. Since I arrived in this football club, in 57 games he scored 52 goals. It is an unbelievable number for a striker.

"What I want is to keep enjoying the moments with him, to keep giving him the conditions to improve. If we provide for him, as a team I know he will keep scoring."

Fulham host Everton on Saturday, with the Toffees coming off a 3-0 win against Crystal Palace.

Silva's side, meanwhile, are looking to make it two wins in a row after edging a 3-2 contest with struggling Leeds in which Mitrovic scored his side's first of the match.

The Cottagers boss, who managed Everton from 2018–2019, insisted the encounter—his first since parting ways with the club—will not stir up too many emotions.

"It's completely the same," he said. "It will be good to see some people who we shared very good moments with, other [moments] not so good.

"It's part of our life, our careers as well, be good to see some good people, some good professionals as well.

"Before the match, after the match, during the match, we want to win. They want the same, and I think it will be a normal game."

The Toffees enter Saturday's clash 12th in the table with 13 points, just one behind 10th-placed West Ham and 11th-placed Brentford.

Silva, however, is not looking too closely at the standings.

"The position in the table is not the most important thing for us right now," he explained.

"Of course, after each match we will look for that and if you are in a good position of course you are proud, and we are pleased for that. But it's not the main thing right now.

"We know that there will be three points [available] again tomorrow, and we want to fight for it. As much as we can, we'll fight for it.

"With the fans behind us, they will play a key part again tomorrow. All together, we can be stronger, and that is the main thing."



https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/marco-silva-aleksandar-mitrovics-prolific-form-fundamental-for-fulham-42103115.html

[WhiteJC]

How Reed has become an all-round Fulham star

Adrian Clarke says 27-year-old is one of the Premier League's most in-form midfielders

Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be decisive in Matchweek 14.

Harrison Reed (FUL)
Reed is one of the most in-form central midfielders in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old was superb in Fulham's 3-2 win at Leeds United last weekend, following on from a fantastic all-round performance, in which he scored for Fulham, during a 3-0 home win over Aston Villa.

Reed has been impressive since the start of the campaign, brimming with energy and poise in a box-to-box role.

On the ball, he expresses himself with confidence, while out of possession he recovers it with plenty of enthusiasm.

Reed's well-balanced partnership with summer signing Joao Palhinha is undoubtedly one of the main reasons why Marco Silva's side have secured 18 points from their first 12 matches.

Their midfield duel with another strong pairing, Everton duo Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye, will be great to watch at Craven Cottage.

All-round contributions
Reed has always been a busy midfielder, known for being neat and tidy inside the middle third.

Silva has seen more than that in the ex-Southampton player, with Reed developing a fresh sense of adventure in his game.

Encouraging Reed to support the forwards and to get into the opposition box more frequently, the head coach has made the midfielder a very difficult player for opponents to track.

In the win at Elland Road, Reed popped up unmarked at the far post, only to see his shot brilliantly cleared off the line.

Ginger Iniesta. 💥#FFC pic.twitter.com/Ja2Gva6Mzn

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) October 25, 2022

Later, he skipped past two defenders before cutting the ball back for Willian to score.

A clear sign of Reed's development can be seen in the table below, which shows he has been Fulham's most creative star in open play.

Fulham chances created from open play

	Total chances
Harrison Reed	13
Neeskens Kebano	9
Aleksandar Mitrovic	9
Bobby De Cordova-Reid	8
Andreas Pereira	8

Five of his 13 key passes have laid on opportunities for striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Everton's central midfielders must track his forward runs and deny him space to pick a pass inside the final third.

Reed also scored with a pair of well-struck shots in victories against Nottingham Forest, when he scored the winner in a 3-2 triumph, and Aston Villa.

Reed's goal v Aston Villa

A 🚀 from Reed!#FFC pic.twitter.com/rHtqSayOuY

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) October 21, 2022

Reed's value to this Fulham side stretches way beyond his creative ability.

His tenacity helps him to recover possession, before giving it to the forwards ahead of him.

He and Palhinha both have rounded skillsets that balance naturally off one another and this has helped their partnership to flourish.

Top possession won in middle third

Fulham player	Poss. won
Harrison Reed	36
Tim Ream	33
Andreas Pereira	31
Bobby De Cordova-Reid	31
Joao Palhinha	30

If Palhinha makes a burst, Reed will sit, and vice versa.

Statistically, it is Reed who wins the ball back in the middle third most often.

During his last top-flight stint with Fulham in 2020/21, Reed failed to make a big impact despite enjoying 26 starts under Scott Parker.

Two years down the line, he is much improved and one of Fulham's best players.



https://www.premierleague.com/news/2877274

[WhiteJC]

Marco Silva praises 'unbelievable' Aleksandar Mitrovic amid Fulham's great start to season

Marco Silva has lauded Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic amid the club's promising start to the 2022/23 Premier League season.

Some questioned whether Mitrovic would be able to maintain his outstanding scoring form from last season in the Championship with the newly-promoted outfit.

But the Serbia international has silenced all critics as he has netted nine goals in eleven Premier League games this term.

"He is just doing what we did last season," Silva told a press conference.

"We are preparing him in the same way, we are preparing the players around him in the same way.

"The numbers of Mitrovic are unbelievable, they are outstanding. Since I arrived in this football club, in 57 games he scored 52 goals. It is an unbelievable number for a striker.

"What I want is to keep enjoying the moments with him, to keep giving him the conditions to improve. If we provide for him, as a team I know he will keep scoring."

Fulham host Everton on Saturday, with the Toffees coming off a 3-0 win against Crystal Palace.

Silva's side, meanwhile, are looking to make it two wins in a row after edging a 3-2 contest with struggling Leeds in which Mitrovic scored his side's first of the match.

The Cottagers boss, who managed Everton from 2018–2019, insisted the encounter—his first since parting ways with the club—will not stir up too many emotions.

"It's completely the same," he said. "It will be good to see some people who we shared very good moments with, other [moments] not so good.

"It's part of our life, our careers as well, be good to see some good people, some good professionals as well.

"Before the match, after the match, during the match, we want to win. They want the same, and I think it will be a normal game."

The Toffees enter Saturday's clash 12th in the table with 13 points, just one behind 10th-placed West Ham and 11th-placed Brentford.

Silva, however, is not looking too closely at the standings.

"The position in the table is not the most important thing for us right now," he explained.

"Of course, after each match we will look for that and if you are in a good position of course you are proud, and we are pleased for that. But it's not the main thing right now.

"We know that there will be three points [available] again tomorrow, and we want to fight for it. As much as we can, we'll fight for it.

"With the fans behind us, they will play a key part again tomorrow. All together, we can be stronger, and that is the main thing."



https://www.football365.com/news/marco-silva-praises-unbelievable-aleksandar-mitrovic-fulham-great-start-season

[WhiteJC]

Lampard handed 'selection headache' ahead of Fulham trip

Everton travel to the capital again this weekend taking on Fulham who are managed by former Blues boss Marco Silva. Since promotion to the Premier League this season, Silva's side sit 7th in the league, 5 points ahead of Everton after an impressive start to the season.

After last weekend's impressive 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, Frank Lampard is excited to welcome back Nathan Patterson who has been out since the end of September and with Coleman rolling back the years last weekend pocketing Wilfried Zaha, Lampard has welcomed the selection headache with Lampard saying the following on Thursday afternoon.

    "Patterson is back in the squad for this weekend.

    "It's a really good [selection] headache. It's exactly what I wanted.

    "Nathan has been really, really good this season until he got his unfortunate injury.

    "That allowed Seamus to come in, find fitness and performance and I think that hit the peak last weekend against Palace and against Zaha, who is one of the hardest players to play against in that position." – Everton FC

After netting his first goal of the season last weekend and getting back to full fitness, Lampard has issued a challenge to Calvert-Lewin if he wishes to make the World Cup squad next month.

    "Now it's a nice little challenge for Dom in these next few games to show that he can continue that form and then the question is Gareth's – rightly so – to see if he wants to take him or not." – Everton FC

Ben Godfrey (fractured fibula), Yerry Mina (calf) and Andros Townsend (ACL) are all still out with Godfrey and Townsend now back on the grass they could make a return before the World Cup break, but I do not see any need in rushing the pair back.

I wouldn't expect many. If any changes from the side that started the win against Palace but if Patterson is fit enough I would like Lampard to start him as we need our strongest XI to start all games now before the World Cup break next month.

Would you like to see Patterson given the nod over Coleman this weekend?

Would you change anyone else in the starting XI?



https://everton.vitalfootball.co.uk/lampard-handed-selection-headache-ahead-of-fulham-trip/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham submit improved offer for Pablo Maia

Premier League side Fulham make an improved bid for talented defensive midfielder Pablo Maia

According to Lance, Premier League newcomers Fulham have made an improved bid to land 20-year-old Brazilian starlet Pablo Maia.

The defensive-minded player spent the formative years of his career at Independente de Limeira and Portuguesa club Santista. He joined Sao Paulo in 2019 and has since seen his status elevated in the Brazilian league.

Primarily a defensive midfielder, Maia is also capable of doing a job as a centre-back. This versatility could aid him should a move to Craven Cottage go through. Fulham have been long-time admirers of the Brazilian and failed with an original bid worth €7.5 million for his services.

Sao Paulo were having none of it and are seeking a figure in the double digits to part ways with the player. Fulham appear to be serious in their intent as they have now returned with an improved offer. While the finer details of the bid are not yet official, it appears to have attracted the interest of the Brazilian club.

Having impressed in the Sao Paulo Junior Cup, the 20-year-old saw several English sides keep an eye on his progress. Of the lot, it is Fulham who appears to be in the driving seat to land the midfielder.

Maia's contract at the club runs in 2024, and this does give Sao Paulo some leeway in negotiations. They are also keen to keep hold of the player for a while longer given their participation in the Copa Libertadores.

An excellent passer, Maia is also a solid presence in the air. Add to it his ability to take a pop at goal, and Fulham are potentially looking at a dynamic addition to their roster. The arrival of Jose Palhinha last summer handed the Cottagers a massive boost in the middle of the park. Bringing Maia in will hand them a reliable double pivot that can lay the foundations of a successful side for years to come.

With 18 points from the first 12 games, Fulham are currently seventh in the Premier League. Should they keep up the same run of results, Marco Silva's side will do much better than stave off relegation. Bringing in young talents will also ensure the club's future remains secure.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2022/10/29/fulham-submit-improved-offer-for-pablo-maia/

[WhiteJC]

Everton Matchday Preview

Fulham v Everton | Saturday 29th October 2022 | 5.30pm | Craven Cottage | #FULEVE

The opposition

    Everton's form has seen consistent blocks of the same results this season. They began with defeats by Chelsea and Aston Villa before four consecutive draws were followed up by back-to-back wins over West Ham United and Southampton.
    They returned to consecutive defeats after beating Saints, coming out of meetings with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United with nothing to show for their efforts.
    However, they were excellent in last Saturday's 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace, winning plaudits for their high calibre of football and stylish goals. We'll be hoping the Toffees' trend of mirroring their previous result ends this weekend.

Fulham team news

Marco Silva will be boosted by the return to the matchday squad of Kenny Tete.

Everton team news

Having missed the last five fixtures with an ankle injury, right-back Nathan Patterson will return to the squad, but Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina and Andros Townsend remain sidelined.

Tickets

It's another sell-out at the Cottage!

Weather

Despite a cloudy forecast, it should remain dry in SW6, with temperatures a decent 21 degrees.

Player insight

Harrison Reed is looking for more of the same from the Fulham faithful at the weekend.

"From the first whistle of the first game of the Premier League season, at home against Liverpool, we've felt the crowd," he told FFCtv.

"It's a different energy to what I've felt before and I think that's carried through into every home game we've had.

"We speak about it in the dressing room, the way they can help us and we can feed off their energy, and long may that continue.

"We're looking forward to Saturday night with the crowd behind us, and the boys will be ready."

Coverage

The match will be streamed live on Sky Sports, while FFCtv subscribers can listen to commentary of this game from Gentleman Jim, Sean Davis and Jamie Reid.

Early bird

Fans can take advantage of discounted food and drink inside the ground up until 5pm.

Forever Fulham

Fulham's top scorer in our run to the 1975 FA Cup Final - Viv Busby - will receive the Forever Fulham award at half-time.

Fulham Flutter

Win prizes while supporting the Foundation by playing the Fulham Flutter!

Form

Fulham: LLDWW

Everton: WLLLW

Top scorers

Fulham: Aleksandar Mitrović (9)

Everton: Anthony Gordon (3)



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/october/28/everton-matchday-preview/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham U21s go top after beating Blackburn
Fulham's under 21s moved to the top of the PL2 table after cruising past Blackburn Rovers at Motspur Park this evening. Second half strikes from Olloe O'Neill and substitute Callum McFarlane followed Kristan Šekularac's early effort, which helped to settle any early nerves for the hosts.

Steve Wigley handed a recall to Sylvester Jasper, who recently returned from an unhappy loan spell at Bristol Rovers, and welcomed back Kosovan under-21 international Adrion Pajaziti after injury. Fulham began brightly with Olly Sanderson shooting wide when well placed inside the area, but the visitors also asked questions in an end-to-end opening with George Wickens forced into smart stops to deny Zac Gilsenan and Harry Leonard in quick succession.

The young Whites looked sharp going forward and went in front following a flowing move in the eleventh minute. Jasper raced down the wing before feeding Luciano D'Auria-Henry. The right back's clever ball reached Šekularac, who placed a precise shot past Jordan Eastham to score his first goal since signing for the Cottagers from Juventus in the summer. Wigley's side could have doubled the lead but Sanderson was off target with a snapshot and Pajaziti was denied by a good save from Eastham in the Blackburn goal.

Jasper looked lively on his return to PL2 action, drilling an effort into the side netting after speeding along the left flank and Ollie O'Neill then shot fractionally wide of goal after latching onto a Šekularac cross that was just too strong for Sanderson in the centre. The hosts had completely dominated the first period, but the fragility of their slender lead was underlined when Leonard, who has scored five goals in eight league appearances this season, curled a lovely strike just wide after being afforded too much time in the area.

Fulham resumed on the front foot after the interval. O'Neill nearly grabbed the second from the hosts' first attack of note but the Irish under-21 international's effort was pushed away by Eastham with Ibane Bowat nearly converting the follow-up. The captain then saw a close-range strike blocked bravely by the Blackburn defence as Mike Sheron's side dug deep to remain in the contest. Louie Annesley nearly levelled after spinning smartly at a set play and lashing a shot over the bar up the other end – and it became clear that the Whites needed another goal.

They got that breathing space with just over twenty minutes remaining. Swiss youth international Šekularac turned provider this time, beating three defenders during a superb run, before teeing up O'Neill, who rolled a lovely finish into the corner of the net. Still, Rovers weren't finished as Kristi Montgomery powered a free-kick towards goal from a long way out, forcing a fine save out of Wickens.

Substitute McFarlane, who has made a real impact since arriving at Fulham in July, added a third ten minutes after coming off the bench. The striker tapped in his second of the season from four yards out after O'Neill had beaten the remnants of a tiring Rovers defence. The comprehensive victory means Fulham moved above Arsenal to top the PL2 table on goal difference, although the Gunners, Crystal Palace and Manchester City have a chance to respond with their games in hand over the weekend.

Wigley's outfit – who extended their unbeaten run to six games – head to Liverpool next Sunday looking to continue their fine start to the season.

FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1): Wickens; D'Auria-Henry, Bowat, McAvoy, C. Robinson; Pajaziti (Williams 81), Dibley-Dias; Šekularac, Jasper (Godo 73), O'Neill; Sanderson (McFarlane 66). Subs (not used): Allen, Parkes.

GOALS: Šekularac (12), O'Neill (69), McFarlane (76).

BLACKBURN ROVERS UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1): Eastham; Haddow, Batty (Nsangou 81), Gamble (Olsen 82), Annesley; Saadi, Weston; Wood, Gent, Gilsenan (Montgomery 45); Leonard. Subs (not used): Fyles, Dowling.

REFEREE: Yusuke Araki.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/10/fulham-u21s-go-top-after-beating-blackburn/

[WhiteJC]

The nightmare scenario: any pull, tear or crack can cost a player a World Cup place
Players with the World Cup at the back of their mind may not run or tackle with as much force as other players

For a second Aleksandar Mitrovic looked panicked. He slumped on to his back on the Elland Road turf, his face a grimace, his hands covering his eyes. It was not immediately apparent what had happened: perhaps his ankle had jarred, or his knee twisted, or a hamstring popped.

Fulham's medical team rushed on to the field. Marco Silva, the club's coach, has been "managing" his striker's fitness for weeks, ever since Mitrovic picked up an injury while away on international duty with Serbia. He was taken off early in a defeat against Newcastle. He missed a game with Bournemouth altogether. He has admitted to playing in "a lot of pain".

Now Mitrovic lay prone for no more than a minute, patiently acquiescing, as the doctors rotated his foot and gingerly stretched his knee. Cautiously, he stood up, doing all he could to put as little weight as possible on his left leg. Watch enough soccer and after a while it becomes easier to tell when a player is exaggerating for effect. Mitrovic's eyes, fretful and wide, made it clear that he was sincere.

He would not, it is fair to say, just have been worrying about missing the rest of Fulham's victory over Leeds, or the frustration of the possibility of a couple of weeks on the sidelines. His thoughts would instead have rushed – unbidden and irresistible – to the worst-case scenario. The opening game of the World Cup is barely three weeks away. Coaches will start to name squads, even preliminary ones, in the next two weeks. Any setback now, any pull or strain or tear or crack, might cost a player their place.

Mitrovic, like a few hundred others, would have wondered immediately if this was the moment he lost his World Cup. In the end there was no reason to worry. The 28-year-old Mitrovic – who will, all being well, act as the spearhead of Serbia's attack in Qatar – took a little while to satisfy himself that he was not taking any risks, and then threw himself back into the fray. Late on, conscious of the striker's value, Silva withdrew him, just in case.

Others have not been so fortunate. Qatar 2022′s absentee list is already a substantial one. France will not be able to call on N'Golo Kanté. Lucas Hernández and Paul Pogba, and Raphaël Varane may yet miss out too. Argentina will be without Paulo Dybala. Portugal will not have Diogo Jota in its ranks. Uruguay will have to cope without Ronald Aráujo.

There are doubts too over many more: Marcelo Brozovic and Ángel Di María and so many English right backs that Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Liverpool ingénue so inexperienced that he has apparently yet to learn crucial skills like "tackling," might even get to play.

There is nothing unusual about that, of course. True, the World Cup has never before happened in the middle of the European season; Fifa, in a rare example of what might, in another organisation, be called wisdom, has never previously thought to ask players to go straight from the blood and thunder of the domestic schedule into an era-defining international tournament with only six days to acclimatise.

But playing the World Cup in its traditional July slot did not make players immune from injury; the three-week firewall between the end of the European season and the start of the tournament did not possess any curative power. In World Cup years those players aspiring to represent their nations have always had to weigh the risks and rewards as the club campaign reached its climax. Few previous tournaments, if any, have been played with a full contingent of stars.

There are, though, a couple of differences this year. The most obvious is the sheer number of games. Ordinarily by April and May most teams are only playing once a week; it is only the select few, competing not only in their domestic tournaments but in the late stages of European competitions, that face the prospect of matches every three days.

This time around, because of the squeeze on the calendar created by the looming hulk of Qatar, everyone appears to be playing constantly. That means players not only have more chances to get injured, but find themselves more susceptible to it. There is no time to rest, to recuperate, to rehabilitate. Sinews are permanently strained, bodies forever on the edge.

The second difference is a little less easily quantified. Few players would admit that, as the season reaches its conclusion, they dial back their intensity just a little, conserving their energies for a tournament still a couple of months away. That, after all, sounds troublingly close to confessing to coasting.

And yet it seems impossible that the majority – those not competing for trophies or jostling for European positions or to avoid relegation – would not do just that. It is too easy to overestimate the margins in elite soccer, to assume that everything can be measured in substantial, chunky percentage blocks. In reality, of course, the differences are so slender as to be barely perceptible. A player with the World Cup at the back of their mind does not run at half-speed, or refuse to tackle; they simply do not burn further into the red when their body is at the limit. They do not shirk a tackle, but they may not go in with quite as much force or to quite the same extent. They shave the edges. That is not quite so easily done when the season is still taking shape, and ambition remains more potent than reality. Fulham sits seventh in the Premier League, after all, and are in the tick of the battle for a place in the Europa League. The consequences of not making that sprint, of not going for that tackle, could yet be considerable. This is a time when taking risks still comes with a reward.

That may not be how everyone sees it, of course. This season is developing to be a reasonably curious one, to say the least. It is not just that Fulham sit seventh in the Premier League. It is that Liverpool appear to be playing while mired in treacle, and Tottenham seem underpowered, and Chelsea and Manchester United have both come across as somehow inhibited at various times.

It is that Union Berlin are top of the Bundesliga, with even mighty Bayern Munich trailing in their wake, and with Borussia Dortmund nowhere to be seen. It is that Juventus and Inter Milan have fallen by the wayside in Italy already, cast aside by a rampant Napoli. It is that Barcelona and Atlético Madrid are already out of the Champions League, and Spain left with just one representative in a tournament it has dominated for a decade.

All of this might just be the curiosities that always come with a new campaign, the vicissitudes of fate, the changing of the seasons. Each of those stories, after all, has its own, deep roots. Perhaps it is all just noise.

Or it might be that, on some level, nobody wants to be Kanté, or Jota, or Dybala. They do not even, if they can help it, want to be Mitrovic. And so the typical strangeness of the new season has become more pronounced.

It might be that, for the last couple of months, what has unfurled has been to some extent a phoney war, contested by combatants with a different conflict in mind. – New York Times



https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2022/10/29/the-nightmare-scenario-any-pull-tear-or-crack-can-cost-a-player-a-world-cup-place/

[WhiteJC]

NUMBERS GAME Aleksandar Mitrovic to secure another record as Fulham host Everton?

Following impressive wins over Aston Villa and Leeds, Fulham welcome Everton to Craven Cottage with hopes of making it three straight victories in the Premier League.

Fulham's journey since returning to the top flight has been a hit and miss few months; winning five, losing four and drawing three.

However the Cottagers have certainly picked up form in recent weeks and are now unbeaten in their previous three league matches, scoring a total of eight goals.

Given Everton's poor away record this term, Marco Silva will be even more optimistic about Fulham's impressive run of form continuing this weekend.

Frank Lampard's side have won just two of their last 23 Premier League away games, drawing five and losing 16, with their only wins in that period coming at Leicester in May and Southampton earlier this month.

The Toffees are also winless in their last 12 on the road against sides in the top half of the table, drawing four and losing eight.

Not only can Fulham count on the Merseyside club's dreadful stats away from home, they can also rely on their main man to secure another three points.

Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored nine goals in 11 Premier League games this season, only netting more in a single campaign in 2018-19 (11 in 37 appearances).

The Serbian could become just the second player to score 10+ goals in two different Premier League campaigns for the west London club, after Clint Dempsey (2010-11 and 2011-12).

Will Fulham's recent unbeaten run continue?

talkSPORT EDGE takes a look...

    Fulham have won two of their last three Premier League games against Everton (L1), as many as in their previous 16 against the Toffees (W2 D2 L12)

    Everton won their last away Premier League match against Fulham in November 2020, winning 3-2. The Toffees have never won consecutive away league games against the Cottagers

    Everton have lost more Premier League away games in London than any other side (85), with the Toffees winless in their last eight visits to the capital (D2 L6)

    Everton are winless in their last six league games against promoted sides (D2 L4), with Toffees last having a longer such run between April 1971 and April 1973 (a run of nine)

    Fulham have scored in all six of their Premier League home games this season, netting 13 goals in the process. In their previous top-flight campaign in 2020-21, they only scored in seven of their 19 games at Craven Cottage, netting just nine goals overall

    This will be Fulham boss Marco Silva's first Premier League match against Everton since he left the club in 2019. He lost his two previous games against them before taking charge, losing 4-0 in March 2017 with Hull and 3-2 with Watford in November 2017

    Alex Iwobi has provided five assists in his 12 Premier League appearances this season, one more than he had in his three previous campaigns combined with the Toffees (4 in 83 games). Only in 2018-19 has Iwobi provided more assists in a single top-flight season (6 with Arsenal)



https://talksport.com/edge/1228951/

[WhiteJC]

Up next: Everton (h)
Marco Silva and his players might be ignoring the Premier League table to ensure that Fulham don't get too carried away with an excellent start on their return to the top flight, but there is a real feelgood factor around Craven Cottage at the moment. The Whites have left plenty of pundits with egg on their faces already as an ultra-attacking approach has seen one of the summer favourites for relegation register eighteen points from twelve matches in what is their joint best start to a top flight campaign – level-pegging with the opening to the 2003/04 season under Chris Coleman. Silva was at pains to point out yesterday that, firstly, nothing is settled in October and, secondly, Everton will pose a serious threat to their hopes of registering three top-flight wins in a row for the first time since in three years.

The Portuguese head coach faces his former employers for the first time since he was sacked after a Merseyside derby drubbing in December 2019 but insists there will be nothing particularly special about the meeting. He says he has learned from his experience at Goodison Park, analysing his failings to become a better manager, and you can see how has adjusted to life in the top flight by the banks of the River Thames by bringing in top quality to supplement the style Fulham showed in his first season at the helm. The additions of Bernd Leno, who has already made vital saves since replacing Marek Rodak in goal, and Joao Palhinha – the top flight's top tackler at present – have proven pivotal to helping the newly-promoted side bank points in the early weeks of the campaign that could become crucial should Fulham's form tail off post the winter break for the World Cup.

Everton have been inconsistent under Frank Lampard, who will be sure to get a hot reception on his return to SW6, but the Toffees showed just what they are capable of with a delicious dismantling of Crystal Palace last weekend. There was a sizzling goal that owed everything to playing out from the back – set up by Jordan Pickford – and the electrifying return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Gareth Southgate's understudy to Harry Kane at the European Championships, who must be eyeing a late run into the England equation having scored one and made another in front of his national team manager last time out. Everton will be dangerous in the forward areas with young Anthony Gordon, who also scored against Palace, looking irrepressible and Alex Iwobi – now utilised in the number ten role – finally delivering the consistently class performances his potential has always hinted it.

Lampard has something of a selection dilemma to solve this evening as Nathan Patterson, an £11m signing from Rangers in January, has returned to training after picking up an ankle injury on international duty and could be set to edge out the experienced Seamus Coleman at right back. Everton are still without Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey, although Conor Coady, who came through the Melwood academy set-up, and former Brentford centre back James Tarkowski are able deputies at the heart of the defence. The Blues also benefit from the tenacity of Belgian international Amadou Onana alongside Idrissa Gueye, who returned to Everton over the summer, in the engine room as they chase back-to-back league victories at the Cottage for the first time in their history.

Silva has his own right back headache to ponder ahead of kick off. Bobby Decordova-Reid has deputised so outstandingly for Kenny Tete, including scoring a superb glancing header at Elland Road last Sunday, that the Dutch international isn't certain to start despite finally shaking off a persistent hamstring problem. The Fulham boss might move the versatile Jamaican into the right wing role in place of Harry Wilson, who made his first start of the season at Leeds last weekend, to try and nullify the influence of Demarai Gray as dropping Decordova-Reid from the starting line-up would be harsh in the extreme after his superb showings in recent weeks. He could also alter his back four further to cope with Calvert-Lewin after Issa Diop was benched for the win in Yorkshire.

Fulham have looked absolutely fabulous going forward this season, posing a threat to Premier League defences from the outset that has been missing during their last three top flight campaigns. Aleksandar Mitrovic, primed to perform for Serbia in Qatar next month, is in the form of his life but getting the service to the Serbian has always been the difference between feast and famine at this level. Silva certainly has options in the wide areas, with the evergreen Willian rolling back the years on the wing, Wilson finally able to contribute after recovering from the serious knee injury inflicted by Tyrone Mings' terrible tackle in July, and Neeskens Kebano looking irresistible amongst England's elite having been handed a regular run in the side. Dan James, ineligible for the visit to his parent club last time out, still has to show his best form as well. Add in the artistry of Andreas Pereira and you have creativity that even the best defences have found it difficult to stifle.

Silva's penchant for playing total football means his side still look fragile at the back. Fulham fans have embraced the rollercoaster after being bored stiff by the dullness deployed by his predecessor, but – importantly – the Whites have shown in their two terrific away wins over the past six six weeks and, recently at home against Bournemouth, that they know how to come from behind to pick up points. The gaps left at one end of the field mean that Fulham may have to score three or more in a top-flight fixture for a third game in a row for the first time in 1966 to secure three more precious points tonight, but win, lose or draw, it is likely to be eye-catching stuff. A sold-out Craven Cottage will need to do their bit to roar Silva's side on tonight.

MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Ream; Palhinha, Reed; Wilson, Willian, Pereira; Mitrovic. Subs: Rodak, Mbabu, Diop, Cairney, Harris, Kebano, Decordova-Reid, James, Vinicius.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/10/up-next-everton-h-4/

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Fulham manager Marco Silva is our early favourite for Premier League manager of 2022
Fulham were widely tipped for relegation following promotion, but Marco Silva has built a team capable of holding its own at a higher level.

It was no surprise that so many of us predicted them to go down this season. After all, that's exactly what happened the last two times they had been promoted. But as November draws close with the Premier League still looking in a slightly unusual shape, it seems as though a lot of us got it wrong with Fulham.

In mitigation, there was a slight air of unhappiness around the club during the summer over ticket prices and particularly the £1,000 cost of getting a ticket in the still uncompleted Riverside Stand. And although promotion was more or less confirmed by the middle of March, they limped rather than sprinted over the finishing line to the Championship title, losing five and drawing two of their last 11 games.

The end of last season seemed to offer Fulham supporters a grim portent of another campaign at the wrong end of the Premier League, but under Marco Silva, Fulham have blossomed and sit in seventh place in the table, with a brief wobble that took in two successive defeats rectified with two straight wins against Aston Villa and Leeds.

Fulham have flourished since Silva took control of the team, with some smart operation in the transfer market. The club's summer transfer activity looks truly excellent. Bernd Leno is a solid and experienced goalkeeper who has thrived from being a first choice again; Andreas Pereira has benefited from making the opposite journey (in terms of exposure) as he looks rejuvenated away from Manchester United. Joao Palhinha has added a solid core to their defensive midfield.

This has been matched by improvement from key players already at the club, with the development of Harrison Reed a case in point. A fringe player at Southampton, Reed only played 17 times for the Saints and was loaned out to Norwich City and Blackburn Rovers before first arriving at Craven Cottage in August 2019. Having made that switch permanent a year later, Reed has successfully pushed himself into their first team and flourished under Silva, with recent performances making him look increasingly indispensable.

And then there's the big, hairy, occasionally angry, Serbian elephant in the room. Aleksandar Mitrovic has been a flag around whom all of Fulham could rally since first arriving at Craven Cottage in February 2019, but this season has seen him fit the final pieces to the jigsaw of his game. We can hardly say it wasn't coming. He didn't receive as much attention as he deserved for scoring 43 goals in 44 games in the Championship last season, but it was a staggering number nevertheless. This season, he's kicked off with nine in his first 11 games.

This is the player who Newcastle thought they'd signed from Anderlecht in the summer of 2015, but players mature at different rates and the signs are that he is aging like a fine wine. There can be no masking the fact that Fulham's last two Premier League seasons prior to this one were pretty terrible; it's difficult to score a lot of goals when your team is on the defensive most of the time; he's already scored three times as many as he did two seasons ago. That this blistering form coincides with Marco Silva's arrival at the club may not be mere coincidence alone.

It feels as though Silva is becoming the manager that Hull City, Watford and Everton all wanted in the first place but never really saw, though perhaps he was always destined to fail at all three. Relegation under the Allam family was always likely at Hull, while Watford's volatility in the managerial market has both pre and post-dated Silva's spell at Vicarage Road and Everton pursued him doggedly and then didn't seem to know what to do with him once they'd finally got him there. Other, more experienced managers have also failed at Goodison Park.

And it's also worth remembering just what a state Fulham were in when he arrived at the club, having lost nine of their last 12 games. For all the talk of the in-built advantage of parachute payments, they needed a lot of work. And for all that they tailed off towards the end of the season, they had previously sparkled, scoring seven goals three times, six goals twice (in successive games) and five goals twice. They scored 106 goals in their 46 league games, meaning that even though Mitrovic scored those 43 league goals, even that was less than half their overall total.

There are, of course, caveats to all of this. We're not even a third of the way through the season, so things could yet change. The mid-season break for a World Cup will disrupt the rhythm of this season, and Fulham will likely be one of the clubs who don't want it to come around, such has been their form so far. And that defence looks as though it could still do with a little fine-tuning. Fulham have conceded 22 goals in their first 12 league games of the season; only Bournemouth, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest have conceded more.

But then again, they've also scored 22 goals in those 12 games. Only Arsenal, Manchester City and Spurs have scored more, while Liverpool have scored the same and both Chelsea and Manchester United have scored six fewer. And perhaps there's nothing wrong with conceding a few goals if you have a player of the calibre of Mitrovic up front, smacking in a goal more or less every game. 'We'll score on more than you' can feel like a risky strategy, but it's been working well enough for Fulham.

It certainly feels as though Marco Silva hasn't got the credit that he deserves for turning Fulham around after their 2021 relegation and getting them promoted back at the first attempt, while scoring comfortably more than 100 goals, and then defying apocalyptic pre-season predictions to establish his team at the upper end of mid-table, is no small achievement.

Others may have made more headlines throughout 2022, but Silva has been quietly got on with the job of ridding Fulham of the insecurities that took them down from the Premier League twice in three years and building a team which is both difficult to beat and entertaining. He's had a fabulous 2022.



https://www.football365.com/news/opinion-fulham-manager-marco-silva-early-favourite-premier-league-manager-2022

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Silva: 'Mitrovic's goalscoring is unbelievable'
Marco Silva has praised Aleksandar Mitrovic's amazing goalscoring record since he took over as Fulham boss and believes there is still move to come from the Serbian striker.

The former Newcastle forward looked set to leave Craven Cottage last summer following Fulham's relegation – having been consigned to the bench for much of a dismal campaign as Scott Parker preferred to play Ivan Cavaleiro in the loan striker role. But Silva's first call on being appointed as the former England skipper's successor was to tell Mitrovic that he was a pivotal part of his plan to take the Cottagers back to the top flight at the first attempt and the number nine is now in the form of his life.

The Portuguese head coach told his pre-match press conference ahead of tonight's clash with Everton:

"He is just doing what we did last season. We are preparing him in the same way, we are preparing the players around him in the same way. The numbers of Mitrovic are unbelievable, they are outstanding. Since I arrived in this football club, in 57 games he scored 52 goals. It is an unbelievable number for a striker.

What I want is to keep enjoying the moments with him, to keep giving him the conditions to improve. If we provide for him, as a team I know he will keep scoring."

Mitrovic has found the net nine times in eleven appearances this term – making a mockery of summer suggestions that he was not able to replicate his extraordinary 2020-21 Championship campaign, where he scored 43 goals in 46 games, in the Premier League. His return is three better at this stage of a top flight season that the two previously most prolific Fulham forwards in Louis Saha and Dimitar Berbatov.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/10/silva-mitrovics-goalscoring-is-unbelievable/

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Everton at Fulham: Opposition Analysis | Can Frank Outsmart Marco?

The Blues must show they can bring last week's performance levels on the road

Everton ended their three-game losing slump last weekend with a resounding 3-0 victory over Crystal palace at Goodison Park, a result that restored a lot of faith in manager Frank Lampard's methods and the ability of the team to find the back of the net. Now, the Blues have to demonstrate the capacity to bring that same energetic, aggressive performance on the road to Craven Cottage, where they take on Marco Silva's surprise package, Fulham in Saturday's late afternoon kick-off.

The Toffees, playing with a lot more attacking verve and positivity accumulated a higher xG (Expected Goals) tally against Palace than they'd managed in their previous three games combined. The team has not fared as poorly away from home as last season, but have secured just one victory, against two draws and three defeats, so there's plenty of room for improvement.

This weekend's match is the second of what - on paper at least - comprises a less-demanding four-game run leading into an enforced six week break for the bizarrely- arranged winter World Cup in Qatar. Let's take a look at Saturday's opponents in more detail:

Form
Appointed in July 2021 as successor to Scott Parker, whose attempts to keep the team in the Premier League had floundered during the 2020-21 season, Silva accomplished what most expected and gained promotion at the first attempt, winning the Championship with a 90-point haul. The Portuguese had been out of the managerial loop since being fired by Everton in December 2019 and this was his big, maybe final chance to re-establish himself in English football. The former Blues boss, always regarded as a top coach, got the best out of young academy talent Fabio Carvalho and a resurgent Harry Wilson, who registered an astonishing 30 league goal contributions on the way to the title.

Despite some preseason comments from Silva, Fulham have backed him to a degree in the transfer market, making several shrewd signings such as Joao Palhinha from Sporting, Manchester United outcast Andreas Pereira, Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno and Brazilian veteran Willian. Other notable additions, Issa Diop and on-loan duo Daniel James and Shane Duffy have yet to get going, to varying degrees.

Early favourites for the drop by most pundits, the London outfit have so far defied expectations. A deserved draw with Champions League finalists, Liverpool was followed by an unlucky tie with Wolverhampton Wanderers and an impressive late win over last season's Premier League underdogs, Brentford, to get the side off to a good start. Defeat to current league leaders Arsenal was no disgrace and the Cottagers responded with victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, before being beaten by Tottenham Hotspur. A six-minute blitz saw them take all three points from Nottingham Forest, however a disastrous early straight red card for Nathanial Chalobah doomed them to a 4-1 home loss to Newcastle United.

Missing talismanic striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, Fulham were comfortably disposed of by West Ham United, but have impressed since, being unlucky to be held by a resurgent Bournemouth, putting the final nail in Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard's managerial coffin with a 3-0 hammering and latterly emerging victorious from a five-goal thriller against struggling Leeds United. They enter Saturday's game unbeaten in three and sitting happily in seventh place in the league table, five points clear of the Toffees.

Style of Play
Blues fans will need no reminding of Silva's footballing philosophy. Regarded as an outstanding coach on the training pitch and beloved of an attractive, possession-heavy style of play, under the Portuguese, Fulham are creating plenty of chances (xG of 15.2) but are scoring a lot more goals than could be inferred from the data (22 - twice the number Everton have managed). Partly this is down to Mitrovic's form, the burly Serbian having netted nine times in eleven appearances to date. Fulham are keeping the ball on the ground generally, only 13.4% of their passes being long (Everton are at 16.1%)).

The Cottagers are looking very effective at set-pieces: they've racked up seven goals to date, in addition to three penalties (all awarded at Craven Cottage) and - hard to believe as this will be for Everton fans - defending them well too! Silva imbues confidence in his players to get on the ball and play; after a slow start Fulham are showing signs of being competitive in terms of game control and - omitting the freak Newcastle result where they were down to ten men after eight minutes - are averaging 55% possession over their last seven matches. Both the home side and the Blues are down near the bottom of the rankings as regards passing accuracy.

Silva's team play with a lot of width and - understandably, given Mitrovic's prowess - put plenty of crosses in (19 per game at Craven Cottage), but attempt relatively few dribbles (ranking 17th), 3.3 less per match than the Blues. Their relatively open style, in Silva's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, allow the opposition plenty of chances (conceding 13.8 shots per 90 minutes): their Expected Goals Allowed (xGA) is 21.5 across 12 matches and they've shipped an alarming 22 league goals so far this term.

Player Assessment
Mitrovic. The big striker, often derided by pundits as being short of Premier League class, is proving many wrong and his efforts would be even more noticeable if it wasn't for Erling Haaland's ridiculous start to the campaign. The Serbian is slow by the standards of the top flight; however his link-up play is strong and his movement intelligent. Added to that, he is a rugged competitor and excellent in the air. He adds a focal point to Fulham, much like Dominic Calvert-Lewin does at Everton.

Joao Palhinha has proven an astute recruit. Looking like an elite defensive midfielder, the Portuguese is registering 4.5 tackles per 90 minutes, making 4.95 ball recoveries and winning 67.6% of his aerial duels, providing a reliable shield for a shaky Fulham backline. The tall midfielder also acts as an effective pivot for his team, taking more than 47 touches per 90 and boasting an 83.5% passing accuracy, second only to centre back Tim Ream.

Manchester United nearly-man Pereira is finally shining following his move south to Craven Cottage. The attacking midfielder is the kind of player that would excel in Silva's system, as proven by his 3.73 Shot-Creating Actions (SCA90) per 90 and is a threat from dead-ball situations (1.82 SCA90).

The 34-year old former Chelsea star Willian, enjoying a return to England after enduring a miserable spell back in Brazil with Corinthians, is showing he still has something left in the tank. He had a total SCA off 12 in the last two matches and won all five attempted dribbles last time out against Leeds, a game in which he also scored. It's a small sample size considering he was a deadline day signing who picked up a knock almost immediately, but the winger has an SCA90 of 6.81.

Solution
The challenge for Lampard is to get the Blues to play on their travels with something of the passion, grit and attacking flair they demonstrated so succinctly at Goodison Park. Fulham will likely look to dictate play but they can be sloppy in possession and Everton rank 4th in the league for interceptions (10.1 per game), so can expect to lay traps and spring breaks when the ball is turned over. The hosts are dangerous attacking set-pieces, but the Toffees are not the soft touches they were last season and have been solid in defending dead-ball situations.

Lampard's outfit must play with intensity in their pressing and cause the home side to cough up possession in dangerous areas, exposing their suspect defence. Everton have plenty of pace and direct running in the side and Fulham's defenders can be vulnerable in one-on-one situations. Playing Alex Iwobi in that roaming playmaker role we saw last week could be instrumental in creating space for his teammates.

Fulham have been a surprise package this season but, whilst they can be an attractive attacking side, they are held together defensively but just one man - Pahlinha - and if he can be bypassed by the kind of clever movement and passing that we saw the team execute against Palace, then Everton can gain some momentum by taking all three points north with them this weekend.



https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2022/10/29/23428687/everton-at-fulham-opposition-analysis-frank-lampard-marco-silva-mitrovic

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Lesson learned! Fulham's focused approach to recruitment is paying dividends in the Premier League... as the Craven Cottage chiefs grasp that spending more than £100m and loaning over half a team does not result in guaranteed survival

    Newly-promoted Fulham are placed seventh in the Premier League on 18 points
    The Cottagers have been in and out of the top flight in every season since 2018
    Fulham spent over £100m on new players in 2018/19 before suffering relegation
    The club loaned in seven players in 2020/21 but ultimately faced the same fate
    But now Fulham are finally benefitting from a focused approach to transfers

Look away Nottingham Forest fans. If Fulham's 2018-19 campaign has taught us anything, it's that summer spending sprees do not always guarantee Premier League survival.

The Cottagers' transitory status in the top flight has seen the club yo-yo to and from the Premier League in each of the last five seasons, but it seems the club chiefs have finally discovered a working formula.

After spending over £100million in the summer of 2018, luring high-profile signings such as Jean Michael Seri and Franck Zambo Anguissa, Fulham owner Shahid Khan watched his club suffer instant relegation before earning promotion again the following campaign.


Fulham's 3-2 win at Leeds climbed the newly-promoted side to seventh in the Premier League


The club were relegated in 2019 after spending £100m on players including Jean Michael Seri

Once bitten and twice shy, Khan adopted a different approach in 2019-20 and chose to loan a catalogue of experienced players in the hope of keeping his team up on the cheap, but Fulham were ultimately hit with the same unfortunate fate.

At last, a successful summer of business at Craven Cottage has handed the west London club a fruitful start to the season, with Marco Silva's side sitting seventh, ahead of Liverpool with five wins from 12 matches.

As Fulham finally appear to have cracked it in the Premier League, Sportsmail has analysed the secrets behind the Cottagers' winning formula, focusing specifically on their successes in the transfer market this summer.


The Cottagers then made seven loan signings before suffering relegation again in 2020/21 - this included defender Joachim Andersen


Owner Shahid Khan and his son Tony seem to have finally found the right recruitment strategy

A focused approach to transfers
Fulham's all-in approach in 2018 was admirable, at the very least. Few fans would have grumbled at the owner's ambition at the time.

Meanwhile, their spree of loan transfers in 2020 was a somewhat sensible business model: why splurge another £100m on Premier League talent when you can borrow players for a fraction of the cost?

But ultimately, as the Fulham chiefs have learned, the recipe for staying in this division is far more complex than assembling a bunch of talented individuals on paper.

Throughout the five year yo-yo stint, Fulham's scouts deserve credit for attracting players who — for the most part — have carved out fruitful careers at or away from Craven Cottage.


Portuguese midfield anchor Joao Palhinha signed for £20m this summer from Sporting Lisbon

Midfield anchor Anguissa has helped pioneer Napoli to the summit of Serie A, former on-loan defender Joachim Andersen has continued to impress at the back for Crystal Palace, and Cottagers talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic has followed up his record-breaking Championship season with regular goals in the top flight.

The transfers made by Fulham in both 2018 and 2020 did not necessarily fail on an individual basis. Instead, the club failed to consider a balanced approach to recruitment and ripped apart the core of their team each time.

For example, ahead of Claudio Ranieri's failed stint with Fulham in the top flight, the club signed four new centre-halves who were each bidding for first team spots alongside Tim Ream — Alfie Mawson and Maxime Le Marchand on permanent deals as well as Calum Chambers and Havard Nordtveit on loan.

The Cottagers also signed two first-choice central midfielders, two goalkeepers, two centre-forwards and three wingers, bulking out the team across all areas of the pitch.


New signing Andreas Pereira has helped improve Fulham's threat from free-kicks and corners

Similarly in 2020, the west London club made seven loan additions including the likes of Alphonse Areola, Joachim Andersen and Ademola Lookman. Although each performed well on an individual level, there was a lack of unity on the pitch during the early stages of the season.

Whilst competition for places is important, every team needs a solid spine of players to provide stability to the team week in, week out, and this lack of continuity cost Fulham in defence especially.

By contrast, the west London club only recruited this summer in the areas they needed to: Andreas Pereira came in as a replacement for new Liverpool signing Fabio Carvalho; Bernd Leno arrived as a long-term No 1 goalkeeper; and Joao Palhinha signed to shore up defensive midfield, possessing a strength and physicality which was lacking in Fulham's engine room.

The rest of the summer arrivals — aside from Willian who has nudged his way into the first team in recent weeks — have settled for spots on the bench as part of Silva's rotation, meaning seven or eight players from Fulham's Championship winning season have remained in the starting line-up.

Fulham have no doubt profited from a focused approach to recruitment, only targeting a few players to feature in Silva's first team setup every week.


Bernd Leno arrived at Craven Cottage from Arsenal after losing his place to Aaron Ramsdale

All-in on Mitrovic
Identifying Mitrovic as a prolific goal-scorer, the Craven Cottage chiefs made sure to focus every aspect of recruitment on getting the best out of their talisman.

Often what separates the Premier League strugglers and best of the rest behind the top six is how well the team caters for their star attacker. Ivan Toney spearheaded Brentford's success last campaign, while Richarlison's resurgence of form at Everton late in the season practically kept the Toffees in the top flight.

After his record-breaking 43 goal season in the Championship, Fulham knew their best chance of success in the Premier League lived and died at the hands of the Serbian.


Only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane have scored more goals than Aleksandar Mitrovic so far

Although Pereira arrived at Craven Cottage with an unconvincing goal record as an attacking midfielder — with just three goals in 29 appearances last season — Fulham knew he would partner Mitrovic well.

The Brazilian's crossing, which was on display last weekend as he assisted two of Fulham's three goals against Leeds from crosses, has complemented the striker's aerial threat in the box.

Meanwhile, his tendency to pick up the ball and run at defenders on the edge of the area succeeds in opening up additional space for Mitrovic, who has the knack of being in the right place at the right time from close range.


Boss Marco Silva is continuing to impress after marshalling Fulham to promotion last season

Targeting players with unfinished business
Both Leno and Pereira, who were each ousted by Arsenal and Manchester United respectively, were looking for a fresh start in the Premier League when they arrived at Craven Cottage.

Whilst it can be risky business, targeting players with something to prove can help inspire and motivate the rest of the dressing room, establishing a resilient underdog mentality.

While Pereira and Leno work to redefine themselves with impressive performances on the pitch every week, there are a handful of new additions attempting to do the same on the training ground in each session.


Former Chelsea and Arsenal star Willian scored what proved to be the winner at Elland Road

On-loan left-back Layvin Kurzawa, former out-of-favour West Ham defender Issa Diop and ex-Spurs loan star Carlos Vinicius, who failed to impress in north London, are each fighting to win the favour of Silva in an effort to reignite their careers.

The Fulham fans need only look at how Willian wheeled away in celebration after netting the crucial goal against Leeds at the weekend.

Scoring goals in the Premier League again — particularly after his ill-fated spell at the Emirate — clearly meant the world to him.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11348931/Lesson-learned-Fulhams-focused-approach-recruitment-paying-dividends-Premier-League.html

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Preston vs Middlesbrough: Team News

HAYDEN HACKNEY, Riley McGree and Rodrigo Muniz all return to Middlesbrough's starting line-up for today's game at Preston.

Michael Carrick has made three changes for his first game as Boro head coach, with Hayden and McGree both returning to the midfield.

The pair replace Paddy McNair and Alex Mowatt from the side that started last weekend's goalless draw with Huddersfield Town, which proved to be Leo Percovich's final game in interim charge.

Muniz returns in attack, replacing Duncan Watmore, who is not in the matchday squad.

Matt Crooks is not in the squad either, even though he has completed the one-match ban that kept him out of last week's game.

With Tommy Smith selected, it looks as though Carrick will be sticking with a flat back four, with Percovich having abandoned the five-man defensive formation fielded by Chris Wilder during his final two games in temporary charge.


PRESTON (4-2-3-1): Woodman; Potts, Storey, Lindsay, Fernandez; Whiteman, McCann; Brady, Browne, Woodburn; Riis.

Subs: Cornell, Cunningham, Evans, Johnson, Hughes, Ledson, Maguire.

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-3-3): Steffen; Smith, Fry, Lenihan, Giles; Hackney, Howson, McGree; Jones, Akpom, Muniz.

Subs: Roberts, Mowatt, Hoppe, Dijksteel, McNair, Forss, Bola.



https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/23087445.preston-vs-middlesbrough-team-news/

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