Wednesday Fulham Stuff (26/04/17)...

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Results

Tuesday
Wolves	0 - 1	Huddersfield

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Tom Cairney's rise to Fulham's leader
by FPTaylor on April 25, 2017

Born in Nottingham to an English mother and a Scottish father, Tom Cairney's first professional football environment was at Leeds United, joining as a seven year old. After nine years on the books at Leeds, Cairney was released at the age of 16 for being 'too small,' however, his footballing career kept him in Yorkshire as he joined Hull City. After two years representing the Tigers at academy level and winning their Young Player of the Year award, Tom Cairney made his professional debut in the League Cup, scoring for (what was) Phil Brown's side against Southend United. In the season Fulham reached the Europa League final, Cairney finished his debut campaign with a handful of Premier League appearances including a club Goal of the Season winner for a strike in a 5-1 loss at Goodison Park against Everton (a gorgeous left footed volley from the edge of the box). Hull City were however relegated at the end of that season, coincidentally, Steve Wigley and Tim Flowers (now of Fulham of course) joined Iain Dowie in the unsuccessful effort for Premier League safety.

Hull failed to bounce back straight away, with Cairney proving to become a useful squad player in two seasons which saw two more new coaches in Nigel Pearson and Nick Barmby. It was with these sporadic appearances that the midfielder came into the Scotland set up, representing the Scottish under 21 national team on more than one occasion. Former team mate George Boateng saw the potential of the maturing midfielder, describing him as 'potentially a huge asset to the England national team.' Another year, another new coach, 2012-13 was set to be a potential break out season for Cairney, but a 'horror tackle' from future team mate James Husband saw Tom suffer a serious knee injury and his season disrupted, losing time to impress new manager Steve Bruce.

After struggling to return to semi-consistent first team action in a Hull City shirt, Tom Cairney joined Blackburn on an initial loan in the summer of 2013 where he quickly became a key figure under Gary Bowyer creating the second highest amount of goals for Blackburn as they floated to an 8th place finish. His early season performances convinced Rovers to make his loan a permanent one in January; a move justified by being named Blackburn's Player of the Season ahead of top scorers Jordan Rhodes and Rudy Gestede. Despite largely playing in wide positions, his performances at Blackburn showed enough for Fulham to make the commitment to purchase the Scotsman for £3m in the summer window of 2015.

In his first season at Fulham, Cairney's promise continued to show as he tallied his best figures for goals and assists notwithstanding mostly playing on the right of midfield. Slavisa Jokanovic became Cairney's seventh head coach of his career, and after squeezing Championship safety out of Fulham between his appointment and the end of Cairney's first season – Slavisa rebuilt the football club to play his style – with Tom Cairney being a focal point of this new look team. A flowing, attacking and possession based footballing philosophy, Cairney's confident care of the football on top of his ability to score goals and create chances has benefitted him and Fulham in this push for promotion. As we speak, the recently rewarded Scottish international has completed the most passes in the Championship, with the highest passing accuracy whilst also creating the most chances and is the only player in the division to reach double figures for both goals scored and created.

A classy footballer and a presentable young man, Slavisa Jokanovic's influence on Tom Cairney continued; as Scott Parker's lessening contribution saw the Serbian put the captains armband on the Scotland international. This move has seen Cairney grow with the belief put into him by Jokanovic, growing in the role game by game, and has now become a strong in-game leader; highlighted by ignoring all previous issues from the penalty spot, to grab the ball and dispatch two massive penalties at Norwich and Huddersfield in this late surge of form. Cairney has become the face of Slavisa's Fulham side and whilst other players also deserve credit, Tom's style, technique and creativity has made him the catalyst for the clubs' success: holding abilities that is rare to find on the transfer market. His starring second season has made him one of the best players in the Championship, a viewpoint agreed by his peers as he was placed in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for 2016-17.

Tom Cairney's rise to captaincy of Fulham Football Club has been littered with the typical highs and lows of a professional football but the right player, at the right football club under the right head coach has seen Tom Cairney play close to the potential that George Boateng once pondered.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/04/tom-cairneys-rise-to-fulham-leader/

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Bookies backing Fulham to claim final promotion spot after Newcastle secure Premier League place
Despite still needing a win to claim the final promotion spot, bookmakers 888sport have backed Fulham as the favourites to get promoted to the Premier League

The bookies are backing Fulham to claim the final promotion spot from the Championship to the Premier League after their sensational recent form.

Five victories out of six games in April has seen them climb into the final play-off spot, three points clear of Leeds United who have fallen out after back-to-back losses against Wolves and Burton Albion.

Those five wins have seen Fulham score 14 goals, brushing Norwich, Aston Villa and fellow promotion hopefuls Huddersfield aside in the process, with that 4-1 win up in Yorkshire arguably the most impressive of the five wins.

And now online bookmaker 888sport are backing Fulham as the favourites to get promotion to the top tier of English football, with them offering odds of 2/1.

Meanwhile, Huddersfield are second favourites with odds of 9/4 being offered, while you can back Sheffield Wednesday at 3/1 and Reading at 4/1.

Leeds can still grab a play-off place, and they've been priced at 17/1 to claim promotion to the Premier League.

If Fulham can defeat west London rivals Brentford at the Cottage on Saturday, they will all but secure that final play-off space thanks to their monumental goal difference.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bookies-backing-fulham-claim-final-12940055

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Championship finale sold out

The Championship finale at Hillsborough between the Owls and Fulham has sold out.

Following a week of general sale, the last batch of tickets were sold on Monday evening.

The Cottagers have also sold their full allocation of 3,200 tickets, meaning the game will see the highest S6 attendance of the season.

Both clubs are vying for a coveted finish in the top six and Wednesday hold a two-point advantage over Fulham with two games left to play.

Thank you for your support!



Read more at http://www.swfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/championship-finale-sold-out-3691673.aspx#QTWbHY4H6Mmomjav.99

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Fulham into play-offs despite Wolves defeat

Cottagers lose 4-1 but finish in top five after Blackburn Rovers fail to take advantage

Fulham ended the regular Division 2 season with a 4-1 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but they joined their visitors in the play-offs after Blackburn Rovers could only share a goalless draw with Aston Villa.

Dan Armstrong put the visitors ahead at Craven Cottage just before the break and Wolves secured victory with three goals in 12 second-half minutes. Christian Herc scored from long range, Donovan Wilson netted the rebound from his penalty and Connor Johnson headed in to make it 4-0.

George Williams hit a stoppage-time consolation for Fulham.

Wolves finished the season as runners-up and now face West Ham United in the play-off semi-finals, while Fulham finish in fourth and will play third-placed Newcastle United. 



https://www.premierleague.com/news/376325

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Chris Martin: Striker part of my plans, insists Derby County boss Gary Rowett

Chris Martin featured in Derby's first five games of the season before being loaned out.

Derby County manager Gary Rowett says striker Chris Martin remains a big part of his future plans.

Scotland international Martin, 28, has been on loan at Fulham this season, but in December indicated a desire to return to the Rams.

"I spoke to Chris. The general feeling is he wants to come back," Rowett told BBC Radio Derby.

"He's contracted to the club, he's coming back. He's a player I think the team has missed."

Martin was allowed to leave Derby last summer by then manager Nigel Pearson and has gone on to score 11 goals in 31 appearances for Fulham.

However, after Steve McClaren returned as Rams boss, Martin tried to cut short his loan deal, only for Fulham to refuse - and in a further twist to the saga, he signed a new contract at Pride Park in January.

Speaking on BBC Radio Derby's Sportscene programme, Rowett said: "At this moment in time, Chris Martin is our player and I fully expect him to be here next season."

'I've got carte blanche to change things'

Gary Rowett has won three, drawn two and lost two as Derby manager

Rowett, who has taken charge of seven games since succeeding McClaren last month, reassured supporters he had been given free rein by chairman Mel Morris to reshape the team - but warned there would be no lavish spending.

"I've got carte blanche to change whatever I need to change," Rowett said.

"I think we can get one or two in potentially, before we get some out.

"But when you've spent a lot of money on a lot of players and it hasn't quite borne the fruit of promotion then you're going to have to be a little bit more sensible.

"We're going to have to reduce what we're doing a tiny bit but I don't think that's going to affect the type of player that we can bring in."

'A stronger, more powerful edge'
In a wide-ranging phone-in with supporters, Rowett also spoke of the frustration at being without long-term injury victims Craig Forsyth and George Thorne.

Defender Forsyth ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in August after missing the majority of last season with the same injury, while midfielder Thorne suffered a double leg break last May.

"They are hopefully on the mend and coming back," Rowett, 43, said.

"Craig Forsyth has been involved in training and done really well but George is a little bit further behind.

"They're both really committed to getting back and if we can have both of them fit for the start of next season then straight away the team looks to have a stronger, more powerful and more technical edge to it."



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39705963

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Fulham vs Brentford: How the two west London rivals have changed since their last meeting
The two sides met in November under the Griffin Park floodlights and Slavisa Jokanovic's side emerged convincing winners against a Bees side that was off the pace

Fulham and Brentford meet at Craven Cottage on Saturday with the Whites looking for the victory that will secure a top six finish, while doing the double over the Bees.

The two sides met in November under the Griffin Park floodlights and Slavisa Jokanovic's side emerged convincing winners against a Bees side that was off the pace.

Both sides have improved, league position wise, since that evening with Fulham set to secure a spot in the end of season showdown and are the bookies and fans' tips to emerge victorious at Wembley in May. A play-off spot will also be guaranteed if Leeds lose against a resurgent Norwich.

For the Bees, their Championship status has been assured but they will be looking for that one win to overhaul last season's points tally and, realistically, secure a third top half finish since their promotion from League One in 2014.

Below, GetWestLondon takes a look at how the two sides have changed since November.

How have Brentford changed?


Gone: Scott Hogan

Brentford have gone from a side that was reliant on Scott Hogan for goals to a team where goals can come from all areas on the pitch.

The Bees lacked wingers during the first half of the season and had to try and pass through the middle to break opponents down.

That had some success but, more often than not, if Hogan failed to fire then the Bees were unlikely to cause serious concerns to teams.

Dean Smith and the recruitment team changed that in January by recalling Jota from Eibar as well as signing Florian Jozefzoon and Sergi Canos from PSV Eindhoven and Norwich City respectively.

That trio now have 17 goals since January 1 with Jota contributing 12, Canos four and Jozefzoon opened his account at Barnsley on Easter Monday.

Hogan's departure to Aston Villa also led to a change in personnel up front with Lasse Vibe now leading the line.

The Dane, who entered January on two goals, now has 14 in the league plus a goal against Eastleigh in the FA Cup.

While Hogan was more of a predatory finisher, there were several games where he made little or no impact. Vibe, on the other hand, is a hard worker and has helped create space for others to thrive.

Brentford now have a specialist left back available to them after Rico Henry and Tom Field returned to fitness.

At Griffin Park, centre back Andreas Bjelland was playing at left back and he shared the role with fellow central defender Yoann Barbet for a period after an injury to Callum Elder, while Henry and Field were also on the treatment table.

The presence of Henry and Field have provided more balance to the side and there has been a noticeable improvement in that area of the pitch.

Romaine Sawyers has also improved from October and he is one of the club's most creative outlets.

There is no doubt that the Bees are a more balanced and creative side than they were back at Griffin Park in October.

How have Fulham changed?


Bring on the Bees: Tom Cairney celebrates scoring at Griffin Park (Photo: Lewis Darling)

Fulham haven't changed drastically since that Friday night in November but, what they have done, is gelled as a cohesive unit.

At the start of the season, the Whites would have a lot of the ball and create chances but their finishing would let them down. They would then concede and struggle to get back into the contest.

The game that immediately comes to mind is the 4-0 home defeat to Bristol City where, after a strong start, they fell behind before crumbling to a heavy defeat.

Until their recent winning form kicked in, the fear was it could have been a what might have been season for Slavisa Jokanovic's side.

It's easy to say this with hindsight but if Fulham were more proficient from the penalty spot, especially in the first half of the season, they would already be secure in the play-offs.

They'd have taken six points off QPR instead of just the one they ended up doing. That was, largely, down to missing three spot kicks. That would have left Rangers a point above the drop zone as well.

The Whites would have rescued a point at Reading and, if they'd taken their first half spot kick against Brighton, they could have beaten the side set to win the league instead of going on to lose 2-1.

Tom Cairney, though, has eased those penalty problems by scoring his last two; against Norwich and Huddersfield.

They were also prone to having spells of defensive madness, which has decreased since the turn of the year, while David Button's Derby nightmare has seen Marcus Bettinelli restored between the sticks.

Up front, the Chris Martin saga forced some tactical adjustments and they have become a team that has gone on relying on one or two players, like Ross McCormack and Moussa Dembele last season, to score goals to one where goals can come from all over the pitch.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-vs-brentford-how-two-12942397

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Burton Albion's victory over Leeds United was extra nice for Fulham's Lasse Vigen Christensen

Lasse Vigen Christensen is expecting a few 'thank yous' from his Fulham teammates after Burton Albion's victory over Leeds United boosted the Cottagers' play-off hopes on Saturday.

Christensen, on-loan at the Pirelli Stadium from Craven Cottage, started the Brewers' victory over Leeds which moved Burton to within a single point of guaranteeing Championship football for a second season.

   Leeds now sit in seventh place, three points outside the play-off places with two games left to play, with Fulham leapfrogging them into sixth place.

Slavisa Jokanovic's men defeated fellow promotion-chasers Huddersfield Town 4-1 in a frantic first-half to step up their promotion charge.

Denmark under-21 captain Christensen arrived in January with Cauley Woodrow and Albion have since won seven of the 15 games he has played in, including triumphs over Leeds and Huddersfield – two of Fulham's promotion rivals.

And after Saturday's victory, Christensen is hopeful his parent club could qualify for the play-offs and end a three-year exile from the Premier League.

He said: "I'm expecting a few letters coming in the mailbox saying 'thank you'!"

"It's obviously nice as well, to be able to help them. It would be great to see them back in the Premier League, but they have to go and do it themselves now.

"We've done them a few favours over the season, so hopefully they can finish it off now."



Read more at http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/burton-albion-s-victory-over-leeds-united-was-extra-nice-for-fulham-s-lasse-vigen-christensen/story-30293023-detail/story.html#qclfPZUM3fI58Yj0.99

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Arsenal v Liverpool: The Battle for Sessegnon

With the end of 2016/17 coming to a disquietingly quick end, the transfer rumour mill is once more in full swing after the usual post-January window lull. As a result of Sessegnon's strong performances for Fulham this season, the 17-year-old fullback has been linked with several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal – although Anfield is rumoured to be his likeliest destination this summer.

Fulham's relegation from the Premier League in 2014 marked the end of a thirteen-year stay in the top flight. After several disappointing seasons, this year's playoff place challenge has come as a glorious white light at the end of a tunnel of despair for the West London club.

Manager Slaviša Jokanović has stated that Sessegnon will not be departing Craven Cottage this summer. However, Jokanović's Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger has the luxury of offering the sort of opportunity any young, self-respecting player would take in an instant.



Wiser in White Sleeves
Over at Anfield, James Milner is currently number one left-back, and with the Yorkshireman now advancing in years and out of position, Sessegnon could well see his future there. In addition, Liverpool (currently third in the league) look a surer bet for a Champions League berth than Arsenal.

The Gunners do, however, have several games in hand over Liverpool. Subsequently, for anyone unsure of who to back for a Champions League spot, insurance offers for first-time bettors – such as those seen on latestbettingsites.co.uk – can be proverbial gold dust at this late juncture of the season.

However, when Milner's key stats are compared to those of Arsenal's current first-choice left-back, Nacho Monreal, Sessegnon may have greater cause to stay in the capital – albeit at a more prolific club.

On average, Monreal's shooting accuracy pales in comparison to Milner – although this is to be expected, given Milner's previous experience in a more advanced position. However, more significantly, Milner also wins significantly more tackles and more 'take-ons' per match than Monreal – even though he is not a defender by trade.

As such, Sessegnon could, in time, be compelled to believe that he has a better chance of competing for a starting XI spot at Arsenal – far more so than at any other club in the upper reaches of the Premier League.

Then one must consider the most crucial factor of all: Arsene Wenger and his presence at Arsenal FC – or lack thereof.

A new beginning
With the Arsenal FC board soon set to discuss his future at the club, there is the distinct likelihood that Arsene Wenger will have departed by the summer transfer window.

One possible outcome from this is the appointment of a manager that wishes to involve his fullbacks with attacking moves at greater regularity than Wenger. Indeed, Sessegnon's Easter Monday goal, against Aston Villa, was yet another indication of the potency he possesses as a marauder from a deeper position. Thus, the implication that he could fit easily into a 'new-look' Arsenal squad is vastly strengthened.

With the appointment of any new manager will, inevitably, come a different playing style, managerial approach and long-term vision. It is towards this change that young talents, such as Sessegnon, will be most receptive.



http://goonersphere.com/columnists/sterling-display/6704-arsenal-v-liverpool-the-battle-for-sessegnon

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Fulham tipped to fend off Reading, Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday in play-off battle

Online bookmakers 888sport have made Fulham the favourites to secure promotion via the Play-Offs in the Sky Bet Championship.

Slavisa Jokanovic's side have five victories from six fixtures in April, and now sit three-points ahead of seventh-placed Leeds United, with just two games of the Championship season remaining.

888sport are offering odds of 2/1 for the Cottagers to secure promotion at Wembley on May 29th, with Huddersfield Town at 9/4, Sheffield Wednesday 3/1, Reading 4/1 and Leeds way out at 17/1.

Fulham recorded an impressive 4-1 victory over Play-Off rivals Huddersfield in their last league fixture and now require just four-points to secure a place in the top-six.

Jokanovic's side welcome Dean Smith's dangerous Brentford to Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon, before a high-profile clash with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on the final day of the season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-tipped-to-fend-off-reading-huddersfield-and-sheffield-wednesday-in-play-off-battle/

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Brentford star: Fulham were better than us at Griffin Park so it's time for revenge
The Whites were the better side by far in that contest and goals from Sone Aluko and Tom Cairney secured all three points for Slavisa Jovanovic's side

Yoann Barbet is out for revenge on Saturday when Brentford travel to Fulham looking to avenge their 2-0 loss at Griffin Park in November.

The Whites were the better side by far in that contest and goals from Sone Aluko and Tom Cairney secured all three points for Slavisa Jokanovic's side.

The Bees have improved since that day and swept fellow west London side QPR away last weekend and Barbet knows that adding another derby day triumph will be the best way to end the season.

"We've won one derby but we want the other one as well as they beat us at home and they deserved to beat us as they were better than us," he said.

"So we want to show them we can win away. It'll be a really good atmosphere as they're fighting for the play-offs so it'll be a really good game."

Jota, in particular, has particular fond memories of facing Fulham and has twice scored in the last minute against the Whites.

The Spaniard added to his west London derby goals with a brace against a poor QPR side and Barbet was amazed by his form.

The Frenchman added: "He's just unbelievable, he was brilliant on Saturday and he deserved to score two goals. His touch for the third goal was just unbelievable.

"He could have had the hat-trick, I think he deserved it, he scored only two, but it's enough to win and I'm happy with that."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/brentford-star-fulham-were-better-12943153

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PL2 Play-Off Semi-Final

On Monday evening the U23s qualified for the play-offs. Even though they lost their final game of the regular season, they had accumulated enough points to finish fourth in the table.

Their reward is a one legged Semi-Final against the team that finished third in Division 2, which was Newcastle.

The Semi-Final will be played at Newcastle's main stadium, St James' Park on Monday 8th May at 7pm.

The other Semi-Final is Wolverhampton Wanderers who finished in second, and they are hosting West Ham United who finished behind the Whites in fifth.

If both the Whites and West Ham were to make it through their semi-final, the final would be played at Craven Cottage on a date to be confirmed between May 12th-15th.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/april/25/pl2-play-off-confirmation

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Blow for Fulham as Gary Rowett comments on Chris Martin's Derby County future

Chris Martin has spent a difficult season on loan at Fulham - and, in truth, Derby County should never have let him go.

With Nigel Pearson's baffling decision to let Derby County's talismanic striker leave on loan for Fulham on transfer deadline day undermining any hopes The Rams had of fighting for promotion this season, at least Gary Rowett is aiming to rectify the mistake.

As reported by Get West London, the manager confirmed that Martin would indeed be returning to Pride Park at the end of the season.

Consequently, this suggests that Fulham have no desire to exercise their option to sign him permanently for £9 million upon the culmination of his loan, as reported by the BBC.

Second chance?

Despite Martin hitting ten league goals for the promotion chasers, this is perhaps no surprise. After all, the Scotland international has endured a turbulent season at Craven Cottage and was publically criticised by manager Slavisa Jokanovic (below) after attempting to engineer a return to the East Midlands in January.

And with Rowett confirming the striker's future, it appears that the arrangement will suit all parties.

"I spoke to Chris. The general feeling is he wants to come back," Rowett said in quotes reported by Get West London.

"He's contracted to the club, he's coming back. He's a player I think the team has missed. At this moment in time, Chris Martin is our player and I fully expect him to be here next season."

This means that Fulham will likely be in the market for another striker to replace Martin in the summer. And, in truth, the £9 million price tag would be a little steep for a player who has fallen down the pecking order in recent weeks.

Wolves may also be disappointed with these developments after The Sun claimed they were hoping to lure Martin to Molineux in January.

Though with only Aston Villa scoring fewer goals than Derby in the Championship's top half, you could hardly blame Rowett for wanting the club's most prolific striker back.


http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/04/25/do-blow-for-fulham-as-gary-rowett-comments-on-chris-martins-derb/

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Fulham helping set the pace in walking football and beyond

Championship club are helping bring down the barriers between supporters and players as part of the Football League's 'day of action' initiative


Fulham's Tom Cairney has been helping out with the walking football sessions at their Motspur Park training centre. Photograph: Jill Mead for the Guardian

Since I started playing I have made great friends. No, they are not just friends, they are family." Mario Monty takes time to talk, the stroke he suffered two years ago has made the process difficult. But watching on as his team-mates play a game of five-a-side walking football, it is clear he means every word he says. "Walking football is hard, it's actually very difficult. But it's a sport that means I can play again."

Monty has a longstanding association with Fulham, the club behind the walking football initiative for over-50s of which he is part. A former airline executive from Mauritius, he once flew the entire under-18s squad out to the island for a pre-season tournament. Now, the club are doing their bit for him. Not that Monty has run out of ambition just yet. "What we need next is a league," he says.

Fulham have invited the media to their Motspur Park training ground as part of the English Football League's "day of action". It is a day to promote the work clubs do in their communities, a message contrary to all the stuff we like to believe about dilettante millionaires interested only in the shade of the interior on their next baby Bentley. Alongside this showcase there are events at each of the 72 EFL clubs, from Accrington Stanley's healthy eating workshop to Yeovil Town's Polish language "Soccerlinguistics" programme.

Speaking to two of their community officers, young men who look athletic enough to be pros themselves but instead specialise in working with adults with mental health problems and children with special needs, you can see why Fulham have been chosen as the focus for this event. It is clear they take this stuff seriously. As well as walking football the club run a "Fan Active" programme for adults with a body mass index north of 25. The club have ties with as many as 50 schools in south London. The first-team squad, meanwhile, are rotated each month to contribute to one of the schemes, hoping that their presence will make attendance for participants that bit more attractive.

Tom Cairney, a Fulham midfielder, is in attendance for the event. He made some happy headlines this season when he turned up for a kickabout with a young fan who had been sending Cairney his pocket money (to be fair to eight-year-old Giacomo Marshall it was not purely altruistic, he had been sending training tips alongside the cash). Cairney says the community side of the club has made it easier to integrate as a Fulham player since he signed from Blackburn two seasons ago and he has been supporting the walking football sessions throughout the season.

"I'd love to play the game, to be quite honest, because I don't like running," he laughs. "I think social media helps break down barriers but going to visit people does the same. When they see you on the pitch on a Saturday they can't really get to know you, but through things like this they can."

Cairney says that the barrier between fans and players can be "quite big" and that players get a worse press than they deserve. But he is most insistent on football's capacity to bring about change. "Football is one of the only sports in the world that can change lives, affect people. Things like this go unnoticed sometimes," he says.

Football clubs are hardly shy in talking about their good work. Just see the Premier League's primetime TV ad campaign for its Primary Stars initiative as evidence (a scheme the EFL would like you to know it also plays a large part in delivering). But at a time when public services are being slashed across the country, community interventions by football clubs are effective and increasingly necessary. The fact everyone involved gets something out of them, and not always what they expect, might not be a bad thing either.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/apr/25/fulham-walking-football-league-championship

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Why It Would Make Complete Sense If Fulham Sign This Celtic Forward In The Summer

It has been a riveting season for Celtic, who have bulldozed past their opponents with relative ease under the remarkable tutelage of Brendan Rodgers and are on the verge of clinching a domestic treble. One of their finest products this season has unarguably been their scintillating poacher in the shape of Moussa Dembele. The Frenchman has banged goals left right and centre (17, to be precise) in the Scottish Premiership and has been the undisputed striker for the Celts.

However, in this process, Leigh Griffiths has found opportunities marginally hard to come by as he has had to content himself with the role of a deputy to Dembele who has been in red-hot form from the very start, apart from his own injury issues. Griffiths has found the back of the net on 8 occasions in the top tier of Scottish football out of 10 starts and has indeed shown that he is much better than being a second fiddle. With the likelihood of him vouching for an outlet in the summer in quest of regularity, should Fulham make a move to sign him?

Griffiths is a player of fine calibre and every team he has plied his trade in so far in his career, he has managed to score a handsome amount of goals. The 26-year-old is a smart professional up front, who is one of the most clinical strikers which Scottish football has on offer, holds the ball well in the final third, has a keen knack for passing the ball around and more often than not, he invites the attacking midfielders into the equation. He constructs the game brick by brick in the final third and has garnered a strong case for himself this term. Considering that he has the experience of English football whilst playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, he should be appealing Fulham.

The Cottagers are amidst the compelling scheme of things in the Championship, as they are close to clinching a playoff spot. Irrespective of whether Slavisa Jokanovic manages to take the London based club over the line, it would be important for him to dig into the transfer market. Chris Martin might be taken back by Derby County after having impressed after his loan move to the Craven Cottage, and thus, signing someone like Griffiths would be a galvanising addition to the armoury of Fulham and can really help them in meeting their offensive needs in the coming seasons.



http://the4thofficial.net/2017/04/make-complete-sense-fulham-sign-celtic-forward-summer/

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Roarie Deacon justifies Nottingham Forest, Fulham links with sparkling form

Sutton United talisman Roarie Deacon deserves a second stab at the big time - and Nottingham Forest or Fulham may give him that opportunity.

Roarie Deacon certainly put himself in the shop window throughout Sutton United's historic run to the FA Cup fifth round.

Released by Arsenal as a youngster, the 25-year-old may not have capped his cup journey with a fairytale winner against his former club, although he did rattle the bar as Sutton lost 2-0 at Gander Green Lane, but the talented forward clearly did enough to prove that he belongs at a higher level.

And, according to The Sun, Deacon could even step up three divisions in the summer with Nottingham Forest and Fulham aiming to convince him to swap the National League for the Championship.

Deacon, who will be out of contract in the summer, proved his second-tier credentials with an influential performance in the 1-0 win against Leeds United in the Third Round. And it's not as if he only turns up for the cameras either.

New Antonio?

With Sutton forced to face reality again since Lucas Perez and Theo Walcott brought their dream to an end, the one-time Sunderland attacker has remained in impressive form. He's in his most prolific scoring run of the season, netting four times in seven fixtures after hitting the same amount in the 40 games previously.

He's scored big goals too, including a last minute equaliser against league leaders and fellow FA Cup fairytale protagonists Lincoln City earlier this month.

Doubts will always persist over whether Deacon can make the grade in the Championship. Especially with Fulham harbouring Premier League ambitions and boasting the league's most prolific attack.

Yet, Nottingham Forest should be more than aware of the benefits of giving a non-league star a chance. After all, former Tooting and Mitcham forward Michail Antonio enjoyed a prolific season at the City Ground in 2014/15.

And Deacon could follow a similar path.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/04/25/do-roarie-deacon-justifies-nottingham-forest-fulham-links-with-s/