FLETCHER HAUNTS SHOT-SHY FULHAM
FULHAM manager Slavisa Jokanovic admits his side are ‘missing some quality’ after they were held scoreless once again in defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
The Londoners only failed to score in four league matches last season but they have already done so twice already this time around.
As well as being the joint leading scorers in England’s second tier last season, on yesterday’s showing there is much needed improvements to be made if they are to better last season’s sixth-place finish.
New signing Rui Fonte started up front for the hosts but spent the afternoon feeding off scraps, as well as frustrating the home supporters by taking corners and free-kicks.
The Portuguese forward – who started his career at Arsenal - completed his move from Primeira Liga side Braga on Friday and comes in with two goals already to his name this season, including one in a Europa League qualifier.
Despite their poor start to the season, manager Jokanovic still has last season’s top scorers Tom Cairney and Stefan Johansen at his disposal, but is hoping for more to come.
“We need to be quicker with the ball, we were playing against one of the top teams in the Championship and even though we are not in preseason I am still testing my players.
“[On Rui Fonte] I am not going to talk about my recruitment, he is very good at taking free-kicks and corners and I don’t think it is strange that he is outside of the box taking free-kicks.
“This season we’re missing the speed with the ball, it’s a similar story to the beginning of this season, we are creating chances but we are not finding a clear way to score these chances.”
Sheffield Wednesday have also had a poor start to the season with yesterday’s victory their first of the new campaign, Steven Fletcher’s volley just past the hour mark was his first goal of the season.
Wednesday signed a player of their own from Portugal on Friday, Frederico Venancio joined on a season-long loan from Portuguese top flight club Vitoria de Setubal but didn’t receive international clearing in time to be selected in squad.
The centre-half will be battling for first-team opportunities alongside Tom Lees, Daniel Pudil and Glenn Loovens during his stay at Hillsborough and many are tipping him to be a success in English football.
With the Owls also losing out in the semi-finals of last season’s Championship Play-Offs, they too need to make plenty of improvement if they are to go one better this time around, they head to Bolton on Tuesday night looking to build on yesterday’s victory.
“We are doing very well, we are playing good football, the team is balanced and the commitment from the players is very good,” said Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal.
“The last two games against Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland we have played to this level so we didn’t change nothing, in my two years with Sheffield Wednesday we have always tried to win by being better than our opponents.
“The last two games we played better than our opponents and drew, I understand modern society that only the result is important.
“Even if you score in the last minute and don’t deserve to win the result is still the only thing that matters.”