Premier League

CRYSTAL PALACE and Fulham lost talismanic stars in Wilfried Zaha and Aleksandar Mitrovic in the summer.But Kit Symons, who played for both clubs, reckons his ex-sides can sustain their strong start to the new season.
Kit Symons salutes his former clubs Crystal Palace and Fulham after positive starts to the new season
Aleksandar Mitrovic left a big hole at Fulham following his summer move to Al HilalCredit: EPA
The London pair lie ninth and tenth in the Premier League table ahead of today’s Selhurst Park clash.
And Symons reckons a top-half finish is achievable for Roy Hodgson and Marco Silva rather than finding themselves in a relegation scrap without their big hitters, who are now at Galatasaray and Al-Hilal.
Symons said: “Palace and Fulham are in similar boats having lost big players. 
“Zaha and Mitrovic were the talismen, the top men for both clubs but they have had solid starts.
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“It’s down to mindset. Look at Harry Kane and Tottenham too. Spurs are playing their best football in years having lost their best player.
“Quite often it puts more responsibility onto other people. Others need to share the responsibility of the group.
“For most clubs they just want to stay up. But Palace and Fulham are both stable with decent squads and I expect both to be very comfortable. 
“They are ninth and tenth so it’s not impossible for them both to finish in the top 10.
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“They could sneak in there. I’m sure their target will be to keep pushing.
“Both have good managers and with the stability of the clubs – you wouldn’t rule them out from doing it.”
Symons has a strong affinity as he played and managed both Palace and Fulham.
The ex-Wales centre-back left Manchester City for Craven Cottage in 1998 where he played for three seasons then moved to Selhurst Park for the final four years of his playing days.
Symons then became Palace assistant and even had a spell as caretaker boss after the departure of Steve Kember and Terry Bullivant.
Later, he filled a series of roles at Fulham from scout to U21s boss to a year as manager following Felix Magath’s exit in 2014.
Symons will be at Selhurst Park as a guest of Palace today and he added: “I have a lot of time for both clubs and I like to see them do well. I’ll definitely be hoping it’s a draw.”
Symons is back in the UK after an 18-month spell as assistant boss to Chris Coleman at Atromitos ended due to cost-cutting at the Greek club.
Symons and close pal Chris Coleman were a partnership with Wales, Sunderland and then Atromitos in GreeceCredit: Getty – Contributor
The 52-year-old said: “The owner was trying to sell the club so there were budget cutbacks. I had a brilliant time. When we went to Greece, the team looked doomed but we kept them up. 
Then we built and just missed out on the play-offs last season. It was a great experience. Athens was brilliant, the food, climate, people and culture was fantastic.
“I saw one of the most bizarre things in my football life. We played AEK Athens at home and the game was called off during the warm up because the crossbar was 1cm too short!
“Their goalkeeper coach was touching the crossbar and shaking his head before the officials came out with their tape measures. 
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“They tried shaving earth off the bottom of one of the posts but to no avail, the game was postponed.
“It wasn’t as if anyone would get an advantage as we would have changed ends at half-time. I’m sure they had their reasons.” More

ALAN SHEARER has recently revealed he tried to implement a fining system while he was interim manager at Newcastle in 2009.The Toon legend said his plan was immediately turned down as players were furious about the idea.
Alan Shearer revealed he tried to put a fining system in place at NewcastleCredit: Alamy
Shearer spent ten years at Newcastle and made over 400 appearancesCredit: PA
The 53-year-old was Newcastle’s fourth manager in the 2008-09 season – with the Englishman admitting that there were major problems at the club before his arrival.
He rang every member of the team, as well as the staff, on his very first day asking what time everyone had to show up to training.
However, Shearer said two players were late as well as a member of staff.
After attempting to deal with the issue in private one of the two players was late again.
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The England legend then decided to take matters into his own hands, as he told the The Rest Is Football podcast with Gary Lineker and Micah Richards.
He said: “I was thinking, ‘here’s my first test. Do I set a bar here and do I try and fine the players or do I try and discipline or just have a quiet word and don’t make a scene on your very first day’.
“There was probably a culture there that it was alright for players to come in late.
“If that’s the case, you are never going to be successful.
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“No word of a lie, one of the players, same player, was late the next morning as well. So I’m thinking ‘f***ing hell, this is unbelievable.”
Attempting to stamp his authority on the matter, Shearer tried to put in a fining system.
The former Newcastle star revealed that the players fumed at him for trying to introduce it.
He continued: “Then I tried to put a fine system in, which I thought ‘if I don’t do this, this is going to continue to happen’.
“But to put a fine system, you have to print it out on a piece of paper.
“So what I tried to do, I said the first time you are late, it’s 10 per cent of your wages, the second time you are late, it’s 20 per cent, and the third time it’s 50 per cent’.
“Within two minutes of it hitting the dressing room floor, I had the players committee knock on my door saying ‘this is unacceptable’.
“You know what I said? I said ‘just don’t be f****ing late then’.”
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Shearer later stated that the fining system was never put in place as the Professional Footballers’ Association wouldn’t allow it.
The Magpies would go on to get relegated that season – with the club opting against offering the Englishman a full-time role. More

MAURICIO POCHETTINO does not want to see the Jackson 5 this weekend.Chelsea’s hot-headed striker Nicolas Jackson is on four bookings — three for dissent and one for arguing with the opposition — so  is just a caution away from a ban when he faces Aston Villa on Sunday.
Nicolas Jackson has been booked four times so far this seasonCredit: Alamy
Mauricio Pochettino has backed Jackson to become one of the most promising attackers in the worldCredit: Getty
The Chelsea boss thinks Jackson could be as good as Vinicius JrCredit: Getty
Boss Pochettino reckons back-chat Jacko could become as good as Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr — if he curbs his lip.
He, along with midfielder Enzo Fernandez, even pulled Jackson to one side, to warn that his behaviour is threatening the team’s fragile morale.
Poch revealed: “I talked to him today. We were talking about that. We had a meeting with him and Enzo.
“I said ‘come on, for a striker to have four yellow cards, to protest, to talk with the referee. You need to get some yellow cards for different actions not because of that’.
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“It’s so easy, so cheap. He could put the team in a really difficult situation.
“He understood. But Jackson is 22, he is young, he needs to learn, to improve.
“He is going to be a fantastic player, but he needs time.
“We were talking about players and I like to make similarities with another club. Jackson is a fantastic player but he needs to be relaxed in front of goal.
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“Remember, Vinicius arrived and only after three seasons or two seasons and a half and started to perform.
“Always we forget we are talking about young players. Maybe it’s because it’s his normal behaviour on the pitch, something he has to improve. This  season they changed the rules.”
Frustrated Jackson has scored only one Prem goal since his £30million move from Villarreal in the summer.
Poch added: “He came from Spain where it’s a different relationship with the referees. He needs to be clever, not to protest to the referees.
“I hope on Sunday we are talking about him being clever — not that his first action is a yellow card!”
Chelsea are languishing in 14th but Pochettino said: “You can blame me or blame us and you can talk about tactics but they need time.
“There’s no doubt we have amazing talent but they need time to settle and, for sure, they will start to perform in the way we expect.”
Midfielder Moises Caicedo, who joined in a British record £115m deal this summer, has had a knee injury but will be assessed in training tomorrow before Pochettino decides if he can feature.
Blues winger Noni Madueke has recovered from a virus. More

JURGEN KLOPP has urged Liverpool’s players to use Ben Doak “more often” during games.The German boss’s side beat LASK 3-1 in their Europa League opener on Thursday night – but Klopp has warned they will not “fly” through the competition.
Jurgen Klopp has demanded for his player to use Ben Doak ‘more’Credit: PA
Klopp’s side won 3-1 in their Europa League opener against LASKCredit: AP
Doak, 17, delivered a lively performance on Liverpool’s right flank yesterday in what was the Scotsman’s full debut.
He led the charge as soon as LASK took a stunning lead through Florian Flecker – and Doak was inches away from an immediate response.
After the hammer blow of the opener, the teen scampered up the wing and flashed a strike across goal from an acute angle.
And Klopp has said he is keen for his squad to utilise the youngster more often.
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He said: “If we would have used Ben Doak a little bit more often, given him the ball, I think he would have got the ball more times on the touchline and passed the ball inside or whatever.”
Doak has made six appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s team – but all from the bench.
He took a prime position on the wing for the tournament favourites in Austria and at times was seen inspiring his team.
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The kid from Dalry moved south from Celtic 18 months ago for around £600,000 but his value has soared as quickly as his development at Anfield.
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Klopp is a keen admirer of the youngster and handed him a long-term contract earlier this week as well as his first start.
Darwin Nunez’s penalty pulled Klopp’s side level in the second half.
Then goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah sealed a win in Austria.
Klopp continued: “I know how the world is and I know that people expect us to fly through this competition. It will not happen.
“It will not happen in the group stage, it will not happen in the knockout stage. It will not happen.
“We have to dig into it and that’s what we did. It was a massive learning curve tonight.
“The opponent suffered much less from the pitch than we did, which is a little bit normal because we had the ball more often.
“But besides that we had to get used to it. So we can learn so much.” More