Friday Fulham Stuff (28/07/17)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Watch out Fulham! Norwich City will be 'force to be reckoned with' according to Charlton Athletic boss

Fulham and the rest beware – Charlton Athletic boss Karl Robinson reckons Norwich City will be the real deal next season in the Championship.

The Canaries visit Craven Cottage on the first day of the campaign – on August 5 – and having seen off the Addicks at The Valley on Tuesday night (July 25), Robinson reckons they will be contenders.

Fulham were dumped out of the play-offs by Reading at the play-off semi-final stage themselves last term and are strongly tipped to do well again with largely the same squad.

But Robinson saw enough in Norwich against his side to insist Fulham will by no means have it easy when the clubs meet on the opening day.

"You look at [Harrison [Reed] from Southampton in midfield, Naismith [Steven] in midfield," he said. "Then Oliveira [Nelson] is a top striker, a top, top striker. Cameron Jerome came on late on and Wildschut [Yanic] playing down one side. Josh Murphy, who I know very well from my MK Dons days, he's a top talent as well.

"You've got so many good players in that team that you know they are going to be a real force this year in the Championship."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/watch-out-fulham-norwich-city-13392319

[WhiteJC]

 
Louis Saha: A brilliant striker, but never better than when at Fulham

Louis Saha didn't achieve as much in his career as he might have hoped, but for a while at Fulham he was truly sensational.

When Mohamed Al-Fayed took over Fulham in May 1997, the club had just been promoted from the Third Division.

He boldly promised Premier League football within five years and to turn London's also-rans into contenders. It seemed an ambitious aim, but it was achieved in style.

After a promising start, with Kevin Keegan steering them to the Second Division title in emphatic fashion, and being poached by England in the process, the project stalled. While a crumbling Craven Cottage was overhauled, and expansive training facilities purchased, the instant results that Al-Fayed demanded on the pitch weren't being delivered.

Paul Bracewell had Fulham in the top half of the First Division for virtually all of his time in charge, but as they faded off the pace in the second half of the 1999-2000 season, he was dismissed. Al-Fayed wasn't afraid to be ruthless and appointed Jean Tigana, a title winner in his previous role as Monaco manager, in his place.

It was the start of a revolution led by an aloof Frenchman and with a prolific young striker as its poster boy.

Louis Saha had experienced English football before, as a callow 20-year-old on loan to Newcastle United. He scored just twice in 12 games and returned to his parent club Metz for a similarly unproductive spell.

But in June 2000 a more mature Saha arrived at Fulham for £2.1million, money the Cottagers quickly recouped by selling Geoff Horsfield for a club-record fee. And Saha had an immediate impact, grabbing 10 goals as Fulham won their first 11 games of the season, steaming to the top of the table.

It was a position they never once surrendered.

Saha formed an effective strike partnership with the barrel-chested Barry Hayles. They were ably supported by Luis Boa Morte and Bjarne Goldbaek on the wings, as the veteran pairing of John Collins and Lee Clark bossed proceedings in the centre of the pitch. Sean Davis and Steve Finnan provided youthful energy.

Fulham utterly dominated the First Division under Jean Tigana with their fast-paced attacking football. One of the most exciting teams there have been at that level, they picked up 101 points and scored 90 goals in the process.

Saha was the league's outstanding player and top scorer with 27. He was one of a new breed of striker, combining the elements of a bullish old-fashioned target man – strength, power, hold-up play and heading ability – with explosive pace and exceptional technique.

Most importantly, he was capable of scoring all different types of goal and did so with alarming regularity.

Al-Fayed had aimed to reach the top flight in five years, but did it in four.

His dream was to establish Fulham as the Manchester United of the south, and he looked to fulfill that promise by spending in excess of £30million on new players, including Edwin van der Sar, Steed Malbranque and Steve Marlet, in the summer of 2001.

On the opening day of their inaugural Premier League season, Fulham faced the real thing at Old Trafford and, despite losing 3-2, they impressed with a stirring performance.

Saha, meanwhile, announced his arrival by scoring twice. He lifted expertly over Fabien Barthez to give the visitors an early lead, and then after David Beckham's equaliser briefly put them back in front with a neat low finish.

This blistering start saw him named Player of the Month for August, and although both Saha and Fulham faltered at times as the season progressed, 13th place and a run to the FA Cup semi-final completed a smooth transition to the Premier League. Al-Fayed's statements didn't seem too outlandish after all.

The following season, having won the Intertoto Cup, Fulham got to play in Europe for the first time in their history, but it was the highlight of a largely disappointing campaign. On course for another lower mid-table finish and with Saha out of sorts, Tigana was sacked in April.

His departure, followed by Saha's in January 2004, signalled the end of an era for Fulham. Although success was enjoyed afterwards, most notably in the Europa League, it was never with the same cavalier spirit and sense of unbridled hope. Those first five years under Al-Fayed was a remarkable period in the club's history and one unlikely to be matched anytime soon.

Despite Fulham's reluctance to sell Saha after 15 goals in 22 games midway through the 2003-04 season, he joined Manchester United for £12.4million.



http://www.planetfootball.com/nostalgia/louis-saha-brilliant-striker-never-better-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
New contract and loan for Kalas

Tomas Kalas has signed a new four-year contract at Chelsea and will now spend the forthcoming campaign on loan at Fulham.

Kalas, a full Czech Republic international, made four appearances for the Blues during the 2013/14 season including in a famous win at Anfield.

Last year he excelled on loan at Fulham, and the defender returns to Craven Cottage alongside fellow Blue Lucas Piazon, aiming to help Slavisa Jokanovic's side achieve promotion having missed out in the Championship play-off semi-finals.




http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2017/07/new-contract-and-loan-for-kalas.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Kalas Returns

The Club is delighted to announce that Tomas Kalas has returned on a season-long loan from Chelsea for the 2017/18 campaign.

Kalas played a crucial role at the heart of defence to help Fulham reach the Sky Bet Championship Semi-Finals last season.

The Czech Republic international featured in 36 league games last season and scored for the Whites against Huddersfield Town in the 5-0 win at Craven Cottage in October.

At just 24-years-old he has played seven times for the Czech Republic and has been a regular member of their squad aiming to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Prior to joining Fulham on loan last season the centre-back played a key role in helping Middlesbrough reach the Play-Off Final in 2014/15, before winning promotion with them as runners-up in the 2015/16 season.

Kalas started out at his hometown club Sigma Olomouc before joining Chelsea in the summer of 2010.

Two seasons were then spent on loan at Vitesse Arnhem in Holland, during which time he was named the Czech Republic Young Player of the Year.

He made his debut for Chelsea in a 2-0 League Cup win over Arsenal in October 2013 and his Premier League debut and first start for Chelsea came at Anfield later that season, also in a 2-0 victory.

In the summer of 2014 the defender moved on loan to FC Cologne in Germany, but he departed for Middlesbrough midway through the campaign.

Tony Khan, Vice Chairman and Director of Football Operations, said: "It's a pleasure to welcome Tomas Kalas back to the Fulham Football Club.

"We appreciate Tomas so much after the way that he battled for us last season, demonstrating not only tremendous skill but also great heart and determination. We're very excited to have him here again as one of us as we prepare for our next battle, and what we hope will be a great season! COYW!"



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/july/27/kalas-returns

[WhiteJC]

 
Kalas returns to Fulham
by Dan on July 27, 2017

Tomas Kalas has signed on for a second successive season at Craven Cottage after finalising another loan from Chelsea, Fulham confirmed this lunchtime.

The announcement ends a protracted set of summer negotiations to Slavisa Jokanovic's satisfication with the Czech international centre back rejecting serious interest from Hull, Middlesbrough and Besiktas to opt for another year with Fulham. The 24 year-old defender, so impressive at the heart of Fulham's rejigged defence as the Whites reached the Championship play-off semi-finals last term, will hope to secure another promotion to the Premier League this year, having already reached the top flight in a previous loan stint on Teesside.

The return of Kalas, who made 36 league appearances last season, will solidify Jokanovic's defensive options with the league opener against Norwich now days away. The Czech international, who had made public his desire to stay with Fulham, may feature in Saturday's friendly against Wolfsburg – and his popularity, both amongst his team-mates and Fulham fans, is not in doubt. It also represents a serious coup for Jokanovic as he plots another tilt at the top of the Championship.

Fulham vice chairman and director of football operations, Tony Khan, told the club's official website:

    It's a pleasure to welcome Tomas Kalas back to the Fulham Football Club. We appreciate Tomas so much after the way that he battled for us last season, demonstrating not only tremendous skill but also great heart and determination. We're very excited to have him here again as one of us as we prepare for our next battle, and what we hope will be a great season!



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/07/kalas-returns-to-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Do Fulham now have the best midfield in the whole of the Championship?

Despite a slow start to the summer window which saw boss Slavisa Jokanovic grow frustrated, Fulham are beginning to bring a number of new faces to the club, and the Serb will feel much more confident in his side's ability to start the season in a positive fashion when Norwich come to town next month.

The latest man through the doors is Brighton midfielder, Oliver Norwood, who has joined the Cottagers on a season long loan as they attempt to crack the top six once again.

However the arrival of the player is extremely significant, as with the Northern Irishman in the team, Fulham now undoubtedly have the best midfield in the Championship.

Last year, Tom Cairney and Stefan Johansen were nothing short of wonderful in the middle of the park, scoring 24 goals and providing a further 18 between them as the West London club recorded a sixth place finish.

Norwood will patrol the space between midfield and defence, and his addition is an attempt the attack minded Cottagers less vulnerable to the counter attack.

Local rivals Brentford have done the same with the addition of Kamohelo Mokotjo, and Jokanovic has followed suit in protecting his back four.

With Norwood sitting the middle, Cairney and Johansen will be given increased freedom to roam, and do not be surprised to see the pair emulate the impressive output they recorded last season.

The midfield trio possess the perfect attributes to complement each other's play, and boasting such a strong spine to their side will make Fulham an extremely difficult side to beat this year.

Cairney, Johansen and former Manchester United trainee Norwood are three quality players, and the Fulham squad could ride into the top six on the back of their performances.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/do-fulham-now-have-the-best-midfield-in-the-whole-of-the-championship/

[WhiteJC]

 
Tomas Kalas re-joins Fulham on loan

Chelsea's forgotten man Tomas Kalas has completed a loan move back to Fulham.

The Championship side have confirmed on their official club website that the player will join up with Slavisa Jokanovic again this season.

Fulham will be looking to strengthen as they target promotion after missing out in the play-offs last season.

Kalas impressed for Fulham during the last campaign and was a key figure in their promotion push, which failed as they fell to a defeat to Reading.

Had Fulham of been promoted to the Premier League, it was widely reported that Kalas could have been one of their first signings, possibly on a permanent deal, but the Czech defender will have to wait for his chance in the Premier League.

Chelsea fans will have fond memories of the one appearance that Kalas made for the club, away at Liverpool.

At the time, the youngster was drafted into Jose Mourinho's starting XI, away at Liverpool at a crucial period of the season.

The Reds' attack boasted the inform trio of Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling. Kalas would go on to deal with all three, in particular, Suarez excellently.



http://readchelsea.com/2017/07/27/tomas-kalas-re-joins-fulham-on-loan/

[WhiteJC]

 
Tomas Kalas: Fulham sign Chelsea defender on loan

Tomas Kalas featured in 36 league games for Fulham last season to help them reach the play-offs

Chelsea defender Tomas Kalas has signed a new four-year deal with the Premier League club and rejoined Championship side Fulham on a season-long loan deal.

Kalas made 40 appearances on loan at Craven Cottage last season.

The 24-year-old, capped seven times by the Czech Republic, has featured only four times for Chelsea since signing from Sigma Olomouc in July 2010.

"We appreciate Tomas so much after the way that he battled for us last season," said vice chairman Tony Khan.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40742656

[WhiteJC]

 
Coming Up At The Cottage

Join us at Craven Cottage this Saturday 29th July as we take on German Bundesliga side VfLWolfsburg (3pm) in our final friendly fixture ahead of the 2017/18 season.

With tickets just £1 for juniors and £15 for adults, secure your seat today online, by phone on 0843 208 1234 or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.

A week later we're back at home for opening day action, as Norwich City visit on Saturday 5th August (3pm). Tickets for all of the Whites' first five home league fixtures are on General Sale, and prices start from £25 adults and £15 juniors.

So get behind the boys and join us at Craven Cottage as we start our 17/18 season journey together

Come On You Whites!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/july/27/coming-up-at-the-cottage

[WhiteJC]

 
He's back! Chelsea defender returns to Fulham on loan for the season

Fulham confirm capture of defender from Premier League champions

He's back! Chelsea defender returns to Fulham on loan for the season

Fulham confirm capture of defender from Premier League champions

The Whites fans have been clamouring for the big centre-back to return to the club for another loan spell and Fulham have announced another season-long loan for the Czech defender.

Fulham announced the deal in fine social media fashion, with the video below.

Vice-chairman Tony Khan told the club's official website: "It's a pleasure to welcome Tomas Kalas back to the Fulham Football Club.

"We're very excited to have him here again as one of us as we prepare for our next battle, and what we hope will be a great season!"



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/hes-back-chelsea-defender-returns-13393532

[WhiteJC]

 
Chelsea loanees hit the 21 mark as Tomas Kalas joins Fulham, Michael Hector moves to Hull and Jamal Blackman heads to Sheffield United

    Czech defender Tomas Kalas signs new four-year contract with Chelsea
    Kalas immediately joins Fulham on season-long loan for second year in a row
    Michael Hector also leaves Chelsea on loan, becoming 20th player to do so
    Goalkeeper Jamal Blackman has also moved out on loan to Sheffield United

The number of Chelsea players sent out on loan this summer has risen to 21 with defenders Tomas Kalas and Michael Hector joining Championship clubs Fulham and Hull respectively while goalkeeper Jamal Blackman heads to Sheffield United.

Kalas will spend a second season loan at Fulham after signing a new four-year contract with Chelsea, while Hector will work under the Tigers' Russian manager Leonid Slutsky, a friend of Roman Abramovich, at the KCOM Stadium.

Blackman heads to Sheffield United, having impressed during his time with Wycombe last season. 


Tomas Kalas is presented with the No 26 shirt he will wear for Fulham in the coming season

Chelsea's loan business is not expected to stop with approximately 15 more players expected to be loaned out before the transfer window closes.

Kalas' Chelsea team-mate Lucas Piazon also signed up to a second season-long loan with Fulham earlier this month as they look to go one better and earn promotion back to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old centre back, who has six caps for Czech Republic, was a key part of the Fulham side which finished sixth in the Championship last season only to be beaten in the play-off semi-finals by Reading.

'It's a pleasure to welcome Tomas Kalas,' said Fulham vice chairman Tony Khan.


Chelsea released this picture of Kalas signing a new four-year deal before being loaned out

'We appreciate Tomas so much after the way that he battled for us last season, demonstrating not only tremendous skill but also great heart and determination.

'We're very excited to have him here again as one of us as we prepare for our next battle, and what we hope will be a great season.'

Kalas signed for Chelsea from Sigma Olomouc in 2010 but has made just four appearances for the club - though one of those came as a starter as Chelsea famously halted Liverpool's title bid at Anfield in 2014.

He has spent time on loan at Chelsea's Dutch feeder club Vitesse Arnhem as well as at German side Cologne and with Middlesbrough and Fulham in the Championship.

Hector, 25, joined Chelsea from Reading in 2015 before being sent straight back to the Madejski Stadium for a season.

The 12-cap Jamaica international gained valuable experience in the Bundesliga last year with Eintracht Frankfurt and follows fellow Blue Ola Aina in joining Hull on loan.

As well as Wycombe, Blackman has had temporary spells at Middlesbrough and Swedish club Ostersunds, and is yet to make his Chelsea debut.




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4736192/Chelsea-defender-Tomas-Kalas-rejoins-Fulham-loan.html#ixzz4o6ZvtC00
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[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham on the verge of signing January target, club appears to have submitted improved offer

Already trying to buy him back in January, it appears that Fulham are on the verge of signing Aboubakar Kamara from Amiens in France.

At least, this is what FootMercato are reporting on Thursday afternoon on their live transfer blog.

The French website, using their own information, explain the player will leave the newly promoted Ligue 1 side and join Slavisa Jokanovic at Craven Cottage in the Championship.

Earlier this year, it seemed like the 22-year-old would be joining on transfer deadline day of the January window, but the Cottagers never managed to agree with the striker's agent, causing the move to collapse.

On Wednesday, Amiens' president told Le Courrier Picard in France that 'Fulham's offer wasn't large enough' to convince them to sell their star striker, and it seems Foot Mercato are all but confirming the Championship side have done just that.

Scoring 11 goals in 29 Ligue 2 appearances last season, as well as picking up two assists, it seems Jokanovic is close to getting the striker he has been so desperately looking for.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-verge-signing-january-target-club-appears-submitted-improved-offer/

[WhiteJC]

 
LVC is Gone. What about Cauley Woodrow?
Two once-promising prospects are facing crossroads in their footballing careers.

As the calendar turns into August, head coach Slavisa Jokanovic hopes to have the Fulham squad at his most ideal level of depth and talent. While veteran players are being scouted upon from across the globe by Fulham's brain trust, the current crop that did not get as many minutes of play wonder if they even have a role for the football club anymore.

Enter Lass Vigen Christensen and Cauley Woodrow. It was more than a year ago that I profiled these two players and wondered if they were to have a future at the club. It seems like no matter what, these two will forever be joined at the hip when it comes to their footballing careers at Craven Cottage. Both made their professional debuts in Fulham's final season as a Premier League club. Both were born in 1994 and both have come from the club's improving reputation of an academy. To put the cherry on top, both played at this summer's Under-21 European Championships. While Woodrow played just two minutes for England, "LVC" grew his stature as one of the most decorated Under-21 footballer's in Denmark's history. While his side did not make it out of the group stage, Christensen played 237 minutes of tournament play while captaining his country.

Along with that, the two had to be counted upon by Kit Symons maybe too early than the average young footballer in the 2014/15 season. That was when Fulham was a club in absolute crisis; seeing their best players from Premier League seasons past leave with only bare bones of the squad remaining and still in the middle of a transformation from one owner to another. In that campaign, LVC played 2,051 minutes of Championship football, mainly playing on the left side of Fulham's 4-4-2 diamond midfield, while Woodrow would play 1,080 league minutes as a secondary striker to Ross McCormack whenever he was on the pitch.

After finishing that season third on the club behind McCormack and Hugo Rodallega in scoring contribution (5 goals, 7 assists) and third behind McCormack and Bryan Ruiz in chances created (41), Christensen clearly showed the highest of potential between the two. If it weren't for persistent hamstring injuries that began that December, you have to wonder how many more thrills he could have brought to such a torturous season. Just look at the Dane's radar for that season!

To put things in perspective. This is basically Stefan Johansen's radar from this past campaign but less of a passer, yet more able to be a better defender and dribbler.

As for Woodrow, his added experience of professional football was a rough one. Despite putting up an impressive 3.25 shots per 90 minutes, he was only able to put 28.2% of those shots on target. Add his 5.1% goal conversion rate into the equation and you only get 0.17 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes. Woodrow was not a slouch at all. He just wasn't efficient enough to be a proven striker at Championship level. Still, both players were not even 20 years old when that 2014/15 season started, but both looked like ones to count on for the future.

However, Fulham finished 19th in their first season back in England's second tier. The fans demanded a better squad and a lack of excuses now that they know what to expect from a 46-game campaign. As a result, rather than continue to give Woodrow and LVC further development, their amount of opportunities to impress in club football came to a screeching halt.

For starts, Fulham's transition from Kit Symons to Slavisa Jokanovic saw Christensen change so many positions, it will make your head spin. After playing the 4-4-2 diamond most of the 2014/15 season, Symons transitioned to a more traditional 4-4-2 formation despite little to no wide midfielders picked up in any transfer window (sorry Larnell Cole!). Then, Jokanovic overturned the entire squad to fit his go-for-broke attacking style of a 4-2-3-1 formation or 4-3-3 brand with a false nine up front.

None of those formations suited LVC at all unless he were to play more in a centralized number 10 role. Unfortunately, there's some random person named Tom Cairney that just so happens to be starting there and it looks like he's not giving up his spot anytime while he's in West London. That forced Christensen to play out wide in the 2015/16 campaign where he just seemed constantly pinned out on the flank not knowing what to do with the ball once he was inches from between the penalty area and the corner flag. This previous season, he was either playing wide in the attacking midfield three or even playing a holding midfield role as he was doing for Fulham's PL2 side and even with Denmark's under-21 squad. That is why a loan move to Burton Albion was essential for Christensen in hopes that his career can be put back on track. Overall, the results have been far from suitable.

As for Woodrow, while his per 90 minutes data improved dramatically as he has gotten older, his playing time at Fulham has plummeted to non-existence. After those 1,080 Championship minutes in 2013/14, that number has dropped to 292 in 2014/15 to 198 this past campaign. While Chirstensen's problem had to do with tactics and his long term fit with the club, playing striker is a much simpler matter. Just do the best you can with the ball at your feet and do the most you can to directly guide your club in attacking output. With the specs of playing time he has had, Woodrow actually has done that, but that is considering that McCormack, Rodallega, Moussa Dembele, Chris Martin, Neeskans Kebano and even Cyriac were ahead of him on the club's depth chart. Like LVC, Woodrow also joined Burton Albion on loan and was able to provide value for the club.

His scoring contribution of five goals and two assists were only bettered by Lloyd Dyer and Jackson Irvine. Considering how Woodrow only played 872 minutes playing for "The Brewers", that is a remarkable tally. While his shot rate has continued to be a high rate of 3.89 per 90 minutes, his conversion rate has now doubled to an almost league average rate of 11.4%. That lead to his goal scoring to increase to a much more respectable 0.44 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes.

Fast forward to right now and Lasse Vigen Christensen is now hoping to remake himself in his native Denmark with Brondby IF. Meanwhile, Woodrow is the by-default starting central forward for the club, but that is without the rumors that Diego Rolan and/or Cameron Jerome might sign before the season starts. Considering how Oliver Norwood and Ibrahima Cisse have come to the club as cover for Fulham's midfield, you would think the theme for Jokanovic's squad this season would be to build the squad with as much depth as possible. This is all for the sake of keeping the starting XI with the demands of high performances and delivering enough victories to secure promotion back to the Premier League.

Even if he is not starting every week, Woodrow proved last season that he has what it takes to become a regular member of Fulham's squad rotation. Considering that injuries are bound to happen, envisioning the now 23-year old with 500-1,000 minutes in league play for a side looking for promotion is not the most far-fetched idea in the world. As one once-rising prospect leaves the club, it's only a matter of time to see if another is set to take the same course of action or stay and prove that his future can become the present.



https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2017/7/27/16018336/lvc-is-gone-what-about-cauley-woodrow

[WhiteJC]

 
Transfer talk: Fulham set to sign French forward

Aboubakar Kamara was linked with Fulham in January and could finally make the move

Fulham are on the verge of completing a deal for French forward Aboubakar Kamara, according to reports in France.

The Whites, who brought Tomas Kalas back to the club on loan from Chelsea earlier today, have been linked with a number of strikers this summer, with Diego Rolan chief among them.

A deal for Bordeaux forward Rolan appears to have stalled, with the Uruguay international thought to be waiting on a move to the Premier League.

And Slavisa Jokanovic looks to have set his sights on another player in France in Kamara.

The 22-year-old has been playing in Ligue Deux for Amiens, where he has scored 11 goals in 29 games.

And according to reports from Foot Mercato the young forward is set to complete a move to Craven Cottage in the coming days.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/transfer-talk-fulham-set-sign-13396700

[WhiteJC]

 
Good Job Jokanovic: Why This 26-year Old Could Become One Of The Championship's Best At Fulham

The Best Bet? – Why Oliver Norwood Could Become One Of The Championship's Best At Fulham

Ambitious Fulham have signed Northern Irish midfield player Oliver Norwood on a season-long loan deal from newly promoted Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion.

The 26-year-old played 37 games for the south coast side last term, helping them achieve the runners-up spot behind Newcastle United. His credentials then are rather obvious, with the only question at first being who's position he will take.

He is not a player who will want to or be capable of playing behind the striker and that is a role reserved for club star Tom Cairney. In terms of sitting in the two central midfield slots, he will take the place of either Kevin McDonald or Stefan Johansen, something which in itself seems unthinkable.

Add to this the fact that the Cottagers recently signed defensive midfielder Ibrahima Cissa from Standard Liege and the plot thickens somewhat. The club were forced to put a large price tag on McDonald recently in order to ward off interest from the likes of Nottingham Forest. But I can't help thinking that after the recent transfer activity, they may yet be willing to let the Scot go.

Whatever happens though, Norwood's quality is such that you would think that he would be at the forefront of Slavisa Jokanovic's mind and will be very much a part of a regular starting XI. Norwood made 33 league appearances for Brighton last season, with just under half of them being starts, and always impressed when given the chance.

Hiss pass completion rate of 84% is good and his defensive skills, particularly in managing to make clearances, are impressive too. This is especially important considering Fulham's swashbuckling style of play and if they are to let Sessegnon, Cairney and maybe Aluko run ahead and do their thing, some solidity in behind them will be needed this time if they are to challenge for the title.

Norwood was not the first choice for Brighton last season and Kevin McDonald, in particular, may feel aggrieved if he were deposed by him. However, it must be remembered that the Seagulls had, among others, the very underrated Dale Stephens in this position and at just about any other club, Norwood would have been a regular starter.

Since leaving Manchester United, Norwood has gradually risen up the ranks and if given the chance to lead a midfield, he could be used to best effect and he'd show his potential Premier League qualities. He's gone to the right place anyway and Fulham are certainly one of the superpowers in the Championship for the forthcoming campaign.




http://soccersouls.com/2017/07/28/good-job-jokanovic-why-this-26-year-old-could-become-one-of-the-championships-best-at-fulham/