Saturday Fulham Stuff (17/06/17)...

[WhiteJC]

 
What Next for Patrick Roberts?

As an avid Fulham supporter, and one who is still licking his wounds at our failure to navigate our way through the Championship play-offs, I feel obliged to keep an eye on those who have been on our books but who have moved to pastures new.

One such player is our former winger Patrick Roberts.

Roberts, who was looking as if he was set to break into the Fulham first-team, whilst still a teenager, grasped the opportunity with both hands to move to Manchester City, when the chance arose.

City invested their money in Roberts as being someone for the future as opposed to being in their immediate plans.

Last season Roberts spent the entire season on loan with Celtic, playing in the same side as another former Fulham youngster, Moussa Dembele.

Whilst at Celtic, Roberts did the job the Celtic boss, Brendan Rodgers, acquired his services for, chipping in with 11 goals and providing 19 assists as Celtic won the Scottish treble of the Scottish Premier League, the Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Cup.

But Roberts time in Glasgow is now at an end and it appears that Manchester City are looking at placing the player, who is now 20-years-of-age, somewhere else, if Pep Guardiola decides not to keep him in the City squad as they chase honours on four fronts next season.

Already, according to The Sun, the French club, Nice, have expressed an interest in taking the player on loan.

Personally, I`d like to see Patrick make a return to Fulham, but I`m guessing his salary might be too tall for us.

Nevertheless, it is still cool to keep an eye on how our former players are doing is it not?



http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=495122

[WhiteJC]

 
Young Fulham striker 'surprised' to beat team-mate Tom Cairney to award with Leyton Orient strike

Cauley Woodrow wins goal of the season vote

Cauley Woodrow's stunning strike against Leyton Orient in the EFL Cup has been named Fulham's goal of the season by fans.

Woodrow, who spent the second half much of last season on loan at Burton Albion, only made eight appearances for the Cottagers, scoring two goals, both of which came at Orient in the cup.

And his long range piledriver claimed 44.9 per cent of the fans' vote to beat Tom Cairney's two efforts against Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers into second and third place respectively.

Woodrow told the club's official website: "Obviously it's nice to hear that I've won, but I thought Tom would win it!

"He's a fans' favourite and he's done really well this year, scoring some good goals along the way, so I expected him to win it."




http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/young-fulham-striker-surprised-beat-13194190

[WhiteJC]

 
Championship gossip: New additions for Norwich City and Leeds United, while talks breakdown for Sunderland

We take a look at the latest news from QPR, Brentford and Fulham's league rivals as Wolves, Bristol City, Derby and Birmingham all make early additions.

The rivals of West London sides QPR, Brentford and Fulham are starting to put the wheels in motion as they prepare for the new campaign which begins in August.

We take a look at the latest news from an eventful 24 hours for the Championship.


    Sunderland's negotiations with Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes for the vacant managers job have broken down. The Black Cats' CEO flew to America to visit McInnes to finalise the deal, but the Scottish manager has opted to remain with the SPL side.
    Norwich City have signed Christoph Zimmerman from Dortmund II. The German will be reunited with former boss Daniel Farke at Carrow Road after joining the Canaries on a two-year deal.
    Leeds United have appointed Thomas Christiansen as their new head coach. The former Spain international takes over at Elland Road after leaving Greek side APOEL.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/championship-gossip-new-additions-norwich-13194896

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham hoping to land Arsenal starlet on loan



The 19-year-old midfielder is seen as one of the brightest talents in the Arsenal academy which is great praise considering how prestigious their youth system is. But despite his talent, he is still not seen as being ready for the first team and is still waiting on making his debut for the Gunners. And after being loaned out to both Oxford United and Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles, where he impressed, last season, he is once again set to leave the Emirates Stadium for another loan deal.

And with Crowley being seen as such a great young talent, several teams are lining up for the chance to snap him up. And one of those teams are Fulham who are looking to add more talent to their squad ahead of what they hope will be an exciting season for them. They ended up missing out on promotion after losing in the Sky Bet Championship play-offs to Reading and believe that Crowley could add more energy to their midfielder to make sure they finally return to the Premier League this season.

But they are set to face plenty of competition for his signature. Crowley is also being tracked by a number of other Championship clubs as well as some from the Bundesliga, with Hannover being named as one of the other teams hoping to sign him on loan. But whoever signs him will be hoping to be the team where he truly breaks out at and shows he is a future England international like some have tipped.



http://the72.co.uk/83977/fulham-hoping-land-arsenal-starlet-loan/

[WhiteJC]

 
Report: Hannover and Fulham eye Crowley loan

According to ESPN, Arsenal youngster Dan Crowley has a number of clubs eager to sign him on loan next season.

The 19-year-old midfielder is yet to make an appearance for Arsene Wenger's first team but has long been tipped as a future star having been snapped up from Aston Villa three years ago.

Last summer the England youth international signed a season-long deal with Oxford United only for the League One side to call time on the arrangement six months early. It was suggested at the time that the player's attitude had played a role in the decision.

Crowley subsequently moved to Eredivisie outfit Go Ahead Eagles in January and went on to score twice and make two assists in 16 appearances.

His performances in the Dutch top flight appear to have turned heads with both Fulham and Bundesliga side Hannover eager to offer him more first team experience. It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will sanction an early loan or give the player a chance to shine in the upcoming pre-season tour of Sydney and China.




http://news.arseblog.com/2017/06/report-hannover-and-fulham-eye-crowley-loan/?utm_source=feedburner.com%2Farseblognews&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arseblognews+%28Arseblog+News+-+the+Arsenal+news+site%29

[WhiteJC]

 
Blues drawn at home to Fulham

Wycombe Wanderers have been drawn at home to Fulham in the first round of the League Cup.

The Chairboys finished 9th in League Two last season with 69 points.

Fulham finished 6th in the Championship with 80 points before losing to Reading in the play-off semi-final.

The tie will take place week-commencing 7th August.



Read more: http://www.wycombe.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=495149#ixzz4kEmHRFqN

[WhiteJC]

 
Huddersfield Make Bid For Fulham and West Brom Chased Montpellier Hitman

Premier League new boys Huddersfield Town have slapped in an offer for West Brom and Fulham attacking target Steve Mounie.

The Montpellier striker has been attracting the interest of several English clubs this summer after a good season in France where he scored 14 Ligue 1 goals in 35 appearances.

Clubs such as West Brom and Watford have been interested in Mounie and Championship side Fulham have been weighing up entering the mix for his signature.

And it seems another Premier League outfit have entered the chase for Mounie as according to French sports daily L'Equipe, Huddersfield have tabled an offer for the Montpellier hitman.

The Premier League new boys are planning to invest heavily in their squad to survive in the English top tier next season and it seems Mounie is one of David Wagner's targets. 

While it is unclear how much money the Yorkshire club have offered, it has been claimed that the number is not too far away from the €10m to €12m Montpellier have been demanding from the striker's suitors.

A product of the Montpellier academy, Mounie could be on his way out of the club this summer with a number of outfits in England prepare to take him across the English Channel.



http://www.insidefutbol.com/2017/06/16/huddersfield-make-bid-for-fulham-and-west-brom-chased-montpellier-hitman/340286/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Draw Wycombe

Fulham have been drawn away to Wycombe Wanderers in the First Round of the Carabao Cup.

The draw for what was previously known as the EFL Cup was made on Friday in Bangkok, and pits the Whites against the Chairboys in the competition for the second time in three seasons.

The match will be played the week commencing Monday 7th August, and ticketing information will be detailed in due course.




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/june/16/fulham-draw-wycombe

[WhiteJC]

 
Pre-Season Plans

The Club is now in a position to announce details regarding the initial phase of the First Team's pre-season preparations.

The squad will fly out to Poznan in Poland on Monday 3rd July for five nights, in which time we will play two fixtures, against Piast Gliwice on the Wednesday at the Remes Hotel in Opalenica, and FC Zlin three days later at Stadium Groklin. Each game kicks off at 5pm local time, and fans will be able to buy tickets on the gate for each of these fixtures.

Slaviša Jokanović and his men will then return to the UK for two behind-closed-doors games, one of which will be against local rivals Queens Park Rangers at Motspur Park.

Further pre-season scheduling is still to be confirmed, and will be detailed on fulhamfc.com at the earliest opportunity.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/june/16/pre-season-plans

[WhiteJC]

 
'The beast' and a team with a point to prove - what Fulham can expect from their Carabao Cup first round tie with Wycombe Wanderers

Agonisingly, the Chairboys finished just one point outside the League Two play-off positions, and they will be adamant that they won't want to suffer the same pain again this season.

Fulham will have to be prepared to face a determined Wycombe Wanderers when they meet up in the Carabao Cup first round.

Agonisingly, the Chairboys finished just one point outside the League Two play-off positions, and they will be adamant that they won't want to suffer the same pain again this season.

The first round match takes place at Adams Park where the West London side are bound to face a difficult night.

One man who will looking to cause Fulham problems is "the beast" Adebayo Akinfenwa.

The burly front-man penned a new deal in April this year and has the physically capability to cause problems for the most experienced of football league defenders.

The two sides faced off just two years ago in the first round of the same competition, where Fulham overcame a tricky tie to clinch a 1-0 victory through Alex Kacaniklic, and the Cottagers, i'm sure, would be satisfied with a similar outcome this time round.

On their day, Fulham should be able to progress through to the second round, but if they were to underestimate Gareth Ainsworth's side, it could end up being a tricky night for Slavisa Jokanovic and co.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/the-beast-team-point-prove-13196642

[WhiteJC]

 
This Fulham ace should ignore Premier League interest and remain in the Championship next season

Fulham's impressive 2016/17 campaign has seen a number of their star players linked with a move away from Craven Cottage this summer, with Premier League club circling the likes of Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon.

Cairney has been the subject to a £20m bid from Newcastle United, and at 26, there is every chance the midfielder might push through a move for a chance in the Premier League.

There is also massive interest in Sessegnon, with some of the Premier League's elite considering a move for the teenager, including Tottenham Hotspur, who are favourites to sign the left-back.

The 17-year old enjoyed a fantastic debut campaign in the Sky Bet Championship, but there is doubt surrounding whether Sessegnon is ready to take the step to the Premier League, where he could find opportunities limited.

At such a young age, Sessegnon has time on his hands to take the step to the Premier League, with his best years certainly ahead of him.

Sessegnon made 26 appearances in the Championship last season, and that game time and trust placed in him by Slavisa Jokanovic was invaluable, with the left-back growing with every performance he made.

Should Sessegnon turn his back on Fulham and move to Spurs, he is likely to find first-team opportunities limited, with Danny Rose and Ben Davies currently competing for a left-back berth in North London.

There is no doubt that Sessegnon will shine when he finally gets his Premier League opportunity, but the summer of 2017 is not the time for the 17-year old to take it, with at least another year in the Championship a necessity if the teenager is to continue his rapid development.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/this-fulham-ace-should-ignore-premier-league-interest-and-remain-in-the-championship-next-season/

[WhiteJC]

 
Revealed: Majority of Newcastle fans wouldn't back improved Cairney bid

Earlier this week, Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic revealed that Newcastle United had failed with a £20million bid for their star midfielder Tom Cairney, as reported by The Independent.

It's claimed the Magpies were linked with the Scotland international during the January transfer window, but that Fulham knocked back that substantial offer for their chief creator – although it's unclear when the bid was actually tabled.

Regardless, there's no doubt Cairney was one of the star performers in the Championship last season, contributing 13 goals and 10 assists to Fulham's bid for promotion which took them to the playoffs.

With that in mind, we asked Magpies fans earlier this week whether their club should table an improved offer for the 26-year-old.

But according to our poll, a slim majority of Newcastle supporters wouldn't be in favour of such a move, with 54% voting against it. Clearly, Toon fans think the club's money can be better spent elsewhere.



https://www.footballfancast.com/debate/poll-results/revealed-majority-of-newcastle-fans-wouldnt-back-improved-cairney-bid

[WhiteJC]

 
Newcastle Should Simply Sign This Fulham Midfielder – Would Be An Excellent Player Under Rafa

Why Newcastle Should Go All Out To Sign Tom Cairney

As I've written before, it seems as though Rafa Benitez likes Fulham's Tom Cairney for the Steven Gerrard role. Such a role can't exist in every team, because every team does not have an athlete like Gerrard!

When a player is capable of such performances though, it becomes a massive bonus to his team. Between 2007 and 2009, the Fernando Torres – Steven Gerrard partnership was at its absolute best. Torres preferred the front line being all his own and so with no need for a second striker, Gerrard was employed basically as the no.10.

Given Gerrard's athleticism though, he could get up and down the field to such good effect that he was a midfielder when the opposition had the ball (on top of the flat 4 they already had) and a second striker when they were in possession.

Although not as good as Gerrard, Tom Cairney can play in a similar way and Rafa hasn't had the opportunity to use anyone in that role for a long time. The Torres/Gerrard effect at Anfield was massive. In the aforementioned two year spell, they scored 87 goals between them – an incredible record considering that one of them was a midfielder.

That has clearly never left Benitez's head. With young and fit strikers like Gayle, and potentially Abraham on the books, bringing in Cairney could be his way of rekindling what he had at Anfield.

In 46 league games last season, Cairney scored 13 goals and made 10 more which for a midfield player is a great record. Much more to the point, Cairney started 24 times in his preferred central attacking midfield role and when he did, he scored 8 and made 9. That's a record of being involved in a goal once in every game and a half.

The rumours are that Fulham are commanding £20million for Cairney this summer which seems huge, though I'm sure Benitez would eventually sanction the move if haggling doesn't work, given that players like Abraham and perhaps Lucas Leiva would not cost them a transfer fee.

Mo Diame was asked to fill this role last season and was very obviously not good enough to do it, while Ayoze Perez will be seen in a better light next season in the Premier League but again, is not suited to this particular job. Newcastle need a newbie to achieve this plan and Cairney looks like being the only man on the boss' radar.



http://soccersouls.com/2017/06/17/newcastle-should-simply-sign-this-fulham-midfielder-would-be-an-excellent-player-under-rafa/