Wednesday Fulham Stuff (24/01/18)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Omogbehin: A Few Changes

Fulham's Under-18s suffered only their fourth loss of the season on Saturday away at Southampton. Harry Hamblin scored a first half goal that turned out to be the winner.

"I thought we were very disappointing today," stated Under-18s Head Coach Colin Omogbehin.

"We've not done enough to get anything out of the game in my opinion. We've not created anything, the goalkeeper's not been tested, I thought it was quite an easy day for Southampton."

"The goal we gave away was quite a sloppy one, on the second phase. That's not normally something we get done on, we didn't defend it well at all. I think in terms of creating opportunities we have been a non-entity."

It was the Young Whites' third away fixture in eight days, asked whether that effected the performance of the team he replied: "No not really, there were a few changes, a few of the boys who haven't played had an opportunity to come in and stake a claim.

"So we had some boys that were fresh and I don't think we played well today."

Two changes were made at halftime with Showkat Tahir and Jose Garrido came onto the pitch in-place of Timmy Abraham and Zico Asare.

"It was to try and get a reaction, to try and freshen things up in central midfield, Nicolas Santos-Clase has been scoring a lot of goals so we tried to get him in and around the goal-scoring areas.

"Showkat needed to play, to give us some freshness and a bit of width in the wide areas.

"Jose has done really well defensively in the last couple of games like at Arsenal, he's a threat at set pieces. We needed to find a way to stay in the game and just to get something out of the game."

The Young Whites next turn their attention to the quarter-final of the PL Cup, where they have another away match at Everton.

"We will have to play a lot better than we did today if we want to progress to the next round of the cup," he replied. "That's for sure."

"I'm expecting a reaction from the boys. It was a disappointing game and it's the first time I have been disappointed in the boys this season.

"You have to expect games like this during a season, hopefully we can put it behind us, work hard and get ourselves ready for the next game.

"We will do what we normally do in training, we're not going to overreact, it's important that the goals are shared and we get back to scoring, not relying on any individual."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/january/23/omogbehin-a-few-changes

[WhiteJC]

 
No, Manchester United and Tottenham fans, Fulham's new signing doesn't mean Ryan Sessegnon is up for grabs

Matt Targett signed on loan until the end of the season, but before fans of United and Spurs start to get excited again, it means nothing about Sessegnon's future

After 22 days of the transfer window, Fulham finally landed that much-needed left back as Matt Targett arrived at the Cottage on a loan deal until the end of the season .

It's one Slavisa Jokanovic has been eager for, with the head coach not impressed with summer loan signing Rafa Soares, who could now find himself heading back to Porto, having gone from third choice left back to fourth in a day.

But of course, with it being the transfer window, fans of the big clubs that have been linked to Ryan Sessegnon will see the signing of a left back and immediately jump to the conclusion that Targett is his replacement and they may be signing him.

Let's nip that in the bud, shall we?

No - Sessegnon isn't joining Manchester United or Tottenham this winter, and no, Targett isn't the 17-year-old's replacement.

I think it's fair to say that every Fulham fan will look at the Targett deal and know exactly what it means - that the Cottagers are ready to unleash Sessegnon in an advanced position on the Championship.

He was given that opportunity again in Saturday's thumping 6-0 over Burton - scoring two more goals to make it nine goals in the league this season, with four assists.

Jokanovic has said previously how he likes playing him at both left back and left wing, but his goal scoring record speaks for itself when he's played further forward, as does his ability with the ball at his feet when he see him playing on the shoulder of the right back.

Last season, Fulham's left was arguably one of their strongest pieces of equipment in their arsenal, with Scott Malone and Sessegnon constantly doubling up on right backs and causing all types of havoc.

They haven't had that so much this season, Denis Odoi has done well in games he's played in but he doesn't possess the attacking threat that Malone had, while it was also felt that Soares wasn't able to play in that wing back role that Jokanovic likes his full backs to play in.


The king: Ryan Sessegnon (Image: Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)

But with Southampton's Targett, who won the prestigious Toulon Tournament with England in 2016, has got the ability to attack down the flanks and team up with Sessegnon.

It would be easy to get carried away and think that Sessegnon could be prized away now, when you support a club like United you expect to get the best talent in the world.

However, this deal is one for Fulham's promotion aspirations - their standpoint on transfers this season (no key players will be allowed to leave) has shown they want to go for it this second half of the season, and if they keep all their players and continue performing like they are then there is no reason they can't be playing at Wembley come May.

That's with Sessegnon, who is arguably the brightest talent of his age group in the world.



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/no-manchester-united-tottenham-fans-14190615

[WhiteJC]

 
Could Southampton's Matt Targett loan help them beat Tottenham to Fulham's Ryan Sessesgnon?

Southampton were keen on the Fulham star before announcing a recent move.

Southampton's decision to loan Matt Targett to Fulham could yet prove to be inspired.

Fulham's Sessegnon is regarded as one of the top left-backs prospects in the world, having at 17 already established himself as a regular in Fulham's side.

The Telegraph reported last summer that Tottenham had a £25 million offer turned down, while The Telegraph this month claimed Southampton were keen to make a move, boosted by money from Virgil van Dijk's sale.

Fulham have been adamant Sessegnon will not be sold this month, and the Matt Targett move does not change that.

While both players are left-backs, Fulham are keen to play Sessegnon further forward and Targett's acquisition changes that.

But longer term, Targett can be a permanent replacement for Sessegnon for Fulham if Southampton remain keen.

Matt Targett is highly rated and can also play as a winger too, but the 22-year-old is not regarded as having the same potential as Sessegnon.

A good second half of the season at Fulham will be key for him, but if he impresses, Southampton can move for Sessegnon and offer Targett in part exchange.

This would provide Fulham with a ready made replacement, something Tottenham can't offer.

Spurs may be able to hand Sessegnon Champions League football but Southampton could yet sway it with more regular game time.

For Southampton's plan to work, they must avoid relegation after a poor start to the season. The worse case scenario would be they finish in the bottom three and then Fulham win promotion through the play-offs - and at that point everything turns on it's head.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/01/22/could-southamptons-matt-targett-loan-help-them-beat-tottenham-to/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham doing their homework on Plymouth Argyle ahead of FA Youth Cup fifth round clash

The young Pilgrims have already taken the scalps of Manchester City and Burnley

Fulham are expecting 'a hard fixture' when they travel to play Plymouth Argyle in the FA Youth Cup fifth round next month.

The teams will meet at Home Park on Wednesday, February (7pm) with a place in the quarter-finals of the prestigious youth tournament at stake.

Fulham under-18s coach Colin Omogbehin is well aware of the incredible run that Argyle have had to reach the last 16.

Omogbehin told Fulham's official website: "It will definitely be a hard fixture. They knocked out a very strong Manchester City side so they won't be push overs.

"They will be difficult. We will look at what they have done and what they will be doing.

"We will put our plan in place and be ready for them. We look forward to it."

Fulham, as a Championship club, entered the FA Youth Cup at the third round stage.

They drew 1-1 away to Huddersfield Town after extra-time before coming out on top 4-3 on penalties.

Fulham also won 2-0 on the road against Swansea City, with Nicolas Santos-Clase getting both of their goals in the first half.



http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-doing-homework-plymouth-argyle-1104296

[WhiteJC]

 
Can Targett have Southampton future after loan departure?

The Southampton defender has joined Fulham on loan.

Matt Targett has spent his entire career to date at Southampton but the defender will get an indication of what is like playing elsewhere after joining Fulham on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

The left-back has made 42 appearances for Southampton in total, but just two of them have come this season and he has mainly been playing for the club's U23 side.

At the age of 22, Targett is now at the stage of his development where he needs to be playing regular first-team football and his spell with Fulham will hopefully enable him to do that.

Targett has demonstrated that he is capable of performing impressively in the Premier League but he now needs to show that he can be relied upon by Fulham as a player that can deliver consistent displays.

Fulham, who are currently in seventh place in the Championship, are eager to secure a place in the play-offs, and Targett will be determined to help them fulfil that objective.

In the long-term, however, establishing himself at Southampton will prove problematic so long as England international Ryan Bertrand is at the club.

If Bertrand was to depart then there may well be an opportunity for Targett to feature frequently but at the moment his chances are likely to be limited for the foreseeable future and he may eventually have to consider departing Southampton on a permanent basis.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/01/23/can-targett-have-southampton-future-after-loan-departure/

[WhiteJC]

 
U23s Travel To Boro

Fulham's Under-23s travel to second placed Middlesbrough in a rearranged fixture that was postponed in December. The match is Wednesday 24th January with a 1pm kick off. Boro have a game in hand over Villa and only need a point to go top.

Fulham, fifth in the table in the final play-off spot, have the joint best league form along with Blackburn Rovers who are only a point above.

The Whites are undefeated in eight matches, with six wins and two draws. Those two draws came in their last three matches.

Boro have eight points from their last five matches, losing one and drawing two in their last three matches.

Fulham played Middlesbrough at Motspur Park on the opening day of the season and lost a close match 2-1, with Stephen Humphrys scoring a low drive from 30-yards out.

Last time out, Fulham drew 2-2 at Craven Cottage to Reading who are third on goal difference. George Williams gave Fulham the lead twice, but the Royals battled back for a point.

Middlesbrough drew their last match 3-3 at home to Blackburn Rovers in the PL2.

The top five in the PL2 are separated by four points, a win would see the Whites jump one place over Blackburn, although the East Lancashire Club will have three games in hand.

You can follow live updates of this match on the Club's official twitter account, @FulhamFC.

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/january/23/u23s-travel-to-boro

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Acadamy Director Huw Jennings compares traditional Sessegnon twins to Arsenal's Compton brothers

The two have been at the club since they were eight - something Huw Jennings feels is a throwback to a more traditional football upbringing

Fulham's Academy Director Huw Jennings has compared the Sessegnon twins to Arsenal's Compton brothers, believing that the way the two have come through the ranks is a throwback to traditional English football.

Ryan and Steven Sessegnon have both been at the club since they were eight-years-old, growing up close to the training ground and stadium in Roehampton, with both coming through the age groups to make first team debuts for their boyhood club.

It's not something that regularly happens nowadays, but Jennings has compared the two to the Compton brothers, who played football for Arsenal and England and cricket for Middlesex and England during the 30s, 40s and 50s.

Whilst speculation has linked Ryan Sessegnon with moves to Tottenham and Manchester United, he's remained grounded, modest and humble and has continued to plug away for Fulham, while Steven is enjoying the season fresh off the back of his U17 World Cup win in the summer.

There's the hope around the club that we'll all see more of the two in the first team together, a view that Jennings shares, but at the same time he believes the different experiences the two have had have been fantastic for their careers.

He said: "They've played together, albeit briefly, Ryan came on in the League Cup while Steven was on the pitch in both games.

"I'm proud of the all the debutants we've had this year, Matt O'Riley, Marek Rodak as well making debuts as well as Steven.

"I think it's a great feature for our club, the two being with us since eight years of age and growing up to play in the team together.

"If it happens more then fantastic, there's a little bit of a throwback to a more traditional setting, I can just about remember the Compton brothers playing for Arsenal and cricket for England so that is a real throw back.

"Theres something that is really traditional about the way in which these two boys have grown up, born and bred of the Roehampton estate, very close to the training ground, close to the stadium, boys with great humility, the real embodiment of the academy.

"And it's great to see Steven, whose had his real challenges with injury, to feature for England in the U17 world cup final - a different path to Ryan who played for the U19s and had more club exposure to now, but Steven had added a slightly different string to his bow.

"I think the experiences the boys have had are fantastic."



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulhams-acadamy-director-huw-jennings-14190932

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham youngster hungry for more goals after opening account for Cheltenham Town

Bittersweet occasion at Mansfield Town for 20-year-old

Young striker Elijah Adebayo is determined to hit the goal trail for the Robins – after revealing the bittersweet emotions of grabbing his first Football League goal.

Adebayo, 20, scored his first goal for Cheltenham in a pulsating League Two clash with Mansfield Town at Field Mill.

However, his late strike was cancelled out as the Stags came back to win a controversial encounter that left the Fulham loan man with mixed feelings.

"The Mansfield game was bittersweet for me," he said. "It was nice to score a goal, but it would have been even better if that was the winner or we got more for three points.

"I just want to kick on, take every game on its merits and push myself for Cheltenham. I always want to be scoring goals.

"This is my first Football League loan and it is a massive learning curve for me," he added.

"It's mentally and physically a step up for me and these next four or five months will be really good for me. I will be tested every week."


Elijah Adebayo scores at Mansfield Town

Adebayo will now hope to be involved as the Robins face Barnet this weekend at Whaddon Road – and believes if the team can produce a similar performance as last weekend the right result will come.

"It's a big period for us," he said. "On Saturday we showed that even with nine men we can cope with anything.

"I felt the boys were fantastic, from the start to the end. We never stopped working for each other.

"These next few games, if we show the same spirit and desire, I am sure the results will take care of themselves. We need these points and have got to battle for every single one."



http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-youngster-hungry-more-goals-1105586

[WhiteJC]

 
Tom Cairney odds-on to stay at Fulham despite interest from West Brom this January

The bookies believe the Fulham skipper will be staying at the Cottage despite speculation on his future

Fulham captain Tom Cairney is odds-on to stay at Craven Cottage this winter, despite interest from West Brom.

Reports had suggested that Alan Pardew's side had made a £12m bid that could rise to £15m, although GetWestLondon understand no bid was received by Fulham and that the club are sticking to their standpoint that no key players would be leaving this January.

The captain made an appearance in the 6-0 win over Burton as he recovers from another setback with his knee injury, a problem that has plagued him throughout the summer, and has been in full training this week.

And and the moment, the 27-year-old is odds-on to remain at the club, with SkyBet offering odds of 1/4 that he will be a Fulham man after February 3.

He is 7/2 to join West Brom, 12/1 to be at Newcastle and 20/1 to join Sean Dyche at Burnley , while he is 11/4 to leave Fulham in general.




https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/tom-cairney-odds-stay-fulham-14191763

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Football Club goes omnichannel and scores for charity Pennies with m-payments

Fulham Football Club is allowing fans to conduct fast and seamless mobile payments and giving charitable donations to charity Pennies, as the club hones its focus on driving an omnichannel retail success.

Using the services of the leading omnichannel payments provider Optomany, the club says it aims to improve the customer experience and sales across its bricks and mortar and online retail stores, as well as find a way to cement its corporate social responsibility (CSR) credentials.

The partnership was initiated by the club's head of retail and licensing, Sean Davies who was looking for a payment provider with a robust, fast and secure platform to cope with busy periods on match days and provide a single view of each customer across channels. Optomany's axept platform was the perfect fit, having already helped West Ham United increase takings to £200,000 in-store on peak days.

The payment platform is fully PCI compliant and offers P2PE v2 support to secure card data from the point of interaction, meaning no hackers can get their hands on it. Optomany offers support for Apple Pay [IRDX RAPL], Android Pay and contactless, which will allow football fans to pay for food and merchandise with one tap of their smartphone.

Not only will the platform help to create a less crowded environment by ensuring queues move faster, but also – and more importantly – it will maximise takings, especially during busy match days: a win-win situation for both customer and the retailer.

"We now have a single view of the customer, enabling us to personalise and improve the shopping experience across all our channels," Sean Davies, head of retail and licensing at Fulham FC tells InternetRetailing.net. "The result is happier shoppers and bigger profits."

Davies continues: "Optomany's partnership with Pennies was another key factor for Fulham FC's Davies. Pennies is a charity which offers a digital charity box solution which integrates with axept to offer shoppers a simple opt-in of rounding up their purchase by a few pennies with a tap or click at the point of sale. There's no pressure placed on the shopper and the message times out if ignored. No personal data is collected, and because it's contactless-enabled, there's no slowdown at the till. Not only was Fulham the first football club to enable the digital charity box, but it represents Pennies' first simultaneous multichannel implementation –  online, in-store and in contactless. "

Ian Rutland, a chief operating officer at Optomany believes that the perk of this platform is the speed the payment: "Having contactless enables you to complete a purchase with just one tap, which on average takes 600 milliseconds to complete," he says. "The fact that Fulham FC has adopted Pennies enables the charity to collect charitable donations that go to Fulham FC Foundation. These donations are used to provide meaningful education, employability, health, inclusion, environmental and sport programmes."

Fulham FC collaboration with the digital charity box Pennies was handy in the club's endeavour to nominate Fulham FC Foundation as the charity that its clientele can support. This means football fans can support the causes they feel most passionate about by contributing only a few pennies with their purchase.

The Pennies option to donate appears automatically either on Chip & Pin machine in-store, at checkout online or via a smartphone. Some 90% of a donation goes to the retailers' nominated chairy/ies and 10% to Pennies, which strives to grow a micro-donating movement.

In the past two years, Pennies has supported a more than £47 million in small change digital donations to date, and together with its partners has unlocked £11 million of extra income for more than 300 UK registered charities.

Alison Hutchings CBE, chief executive officer at Pennies, says: "We're delighted that Fulham FC chose to enable Pennies with Optomany and even more thrilled with the fans response which was immediate and growing.  We hope many more sporting clubs and retail outlets join in as it's a great way for fans and customers to feel good about giving a little which adds up to making a significant difference for the club or retailer's nominated charity/ies."



http://internetretailing.net/2018/01/fulham-football-club-moves-omnichannel/

[WhiteJC]

 
Report: Fulham could be willing to sell Tom Cairney to West Brom

West Bromwich Albion are keen to give Fulham's Tom Cairney his chance in the Premier League.

It appears that Fulham are coming round to the idea of selling last season's EPL Player of the Year.

The Sun reported a week ago that West Brom manager Alan Pardew is a big fan of the midfield maestro that is Tom Cairney. The Scotland star was superb for Fulham last season and the report stated that The Baggies were ready to test The Cottagers' resolve with a £12 million bid.

A deal at that price looked unlikely, however, particularly after the Northern Echo reported that Fulham had slapped a £20 million price-tag on Cairney's head to ward off interest from Newcastle United in the summer, as reported by The Independent.

But according to the Birmingham Mail, a January switch to The Hawthorns may just be on the cards.

The report suggests that Slavisa Jokanovic's side are weighing up the possibility of cashing in on their prize asset this month in order to raise funds for a new striker, most likely Newcastle's Dwight Gayle who, according to the Guardian, is on Fulham's radar after they failed with an £18 million summer bid.

Cairney has not been quite as influential this season due to a nagging knee injury, scoring or assisting just four goals in 18 Championship games though he has shown signs of getting back to his best of late.

Nonetheless, Fulham's need for a new striker is particularly pressing with Aboubakar Kamara, the most prolific centre-forward in the club's ranks, netting just seven league goals all season. If Fulham are to maintain an excellent run of form and push for the play-offs, they need reinforcements in attack.

And West Brom could take full advantage by making another approach for Cairney with Fulham increasingly receptive.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/01/23/do-report-fulham-could-be-willing-to-sell-tom-cairney-to-west-br/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham need to hijack Aston Villa's swoop for title-winner



Fulham are beginning to build up a big head of steam in the Championship and the Lilywhites aren't far off another top six finish.

After a fairly sluggish start to proceedings this year with too many draws being notched up, the men from Craven Cottage have really begun to turn on the style in recent weeks.

Indeed, they're looking close to the side of last season now and if they keep that up for the rest of the campaign they should be hard to stop for a play-off place.

They do, however, need to add a goal-scorer to their squad before the end of the window.

None of Fulham's strikers have really set the place alight and they've relied on the brilliant Ryan Sessegnon at times to sort them out.
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We think, then, that they should look to hijack Aston Villa's reported interest in Leonardo Ulloa.

The Leicester City title winner hasn't been in the Foxes' side for some time for a prolonged spell and it is clear that he needs a move away sooner rather than later.

With his talent and ability, combined with his experience, he should be a real target for plenty of clubs chasing promotion this season, though, and so he shouldn't be short of offers.

Fulham need to be one of the clubs getting involved, then. They've got the ability to sign the forward and give him immediate first team football in one of the best attacking sides about on their day.

It's an attractive proposition for him, then, and one the Lilywhites should look to put forward.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-need-to-hijack-aston-villas-swoop-for-title-winner/

[WhiteJC]

 
Slavisa Jokanovic sends warning to Fulham players despite fantastic form



Fulham continued their superb run of form on Saturday with a thumping 6-0 win over Burton Albion, however boss Slavisa Jokanovic has warned his players to stay focused.

Following their third successive win, the Cottagers are just one point outside the top six and no side has collected more points than the Londoners in the past ten games.

As well as that, they're also beginning to fire in front of goal. The six against the Brewers took it to 17 goals in just five matches.

After a frustrating start, things look as though they are clicking for Jokanovic's men but he was quick to ensure they didn't get ahead of themselves when sending the below message out on twitter this afternoon.

The former Watford boss was clearly demanding that his players continue to deliver their current high standards ahead of a crucial period of the season.

The Whites next three games see them take on Barnsley away, Forest at home and Bolton away in what looks like a very good chance to extend this winning run.

The Verdict

Slavisa Jokanovic is very careful and cautious in his approach to the media and there's no way he would let his players get ahead of themselves as you can see from the tweet.

Besides, Fulham still are not where they want to be. A top six finish would've been a minimum requirement to some in pre-season and they are still outside the play-offs.

However, they are showing their true quality now and if they keep their attitude the same, then there's no reason why they can't continue this fine run.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/slavisa-jokanovic-sends-warning-to-fulham-players-despite-fantastic-form/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham announce shirt number of new loan signing Matt Targett

The club have revealed what shirt number Matt Targett will wear after signing on loan from Southampton

Fulham have announced the shirt number that new signing Matt Targett will be wearing for the remainder of the season after joining on loan.

The left back, who joined from Southampton on Monday , will wear the 21 jersey, previously worn by Lasse Vigen Christensen, who left the club in the summer for Brondby.

Targett has a wealth of experience despite being just 22, having featured in the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup and the Europa League.

Speaking to the club's website, Targett said: "I'm really happy to be here.

"I am looking forward to helping the side push on to the Play-Offs.

"One of the main reasons I joined is that Club is in a great place at the moment and the results have been fantastic. I can't wait to be a part of that.

"I am very excited to make my Fulham debut and the most important thing is that we pick up the three points when I do."

The 22-year-old has made 42 appearances for the Saints since bursting onto the scene in 2014.



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-announce-shirt-number-new-14193480

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Kevin McDonald completed more passes this weekend than ANYONE in La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1

The Scottish Pirlo was at it again, completing more passes than even Lionel Messi this weekend

Best passers of the ball in football - Andrea Pirlo, Steven Gerrard, Kevin McDonald?

Before you scoff, Fulham's vice captain was in wonderful form on Saturday as the side thrashed Burton 6-0, with all five of the Championship's top passers hailing from the Cottage this weekend.

But what makes that stat just a little bit sweeter, is that the Scottish Pirlo (we can call him that, right?) made more successful passes than ANYONE in La Liga (sorry Messi), Serie A (unlucky Jorginho) and Ligue 1 (sit down Angel Di Maria), courtesy of the guys at Sportdec .

McDonald was out in front with 98 successful passes, an 87.9% completion rate, with 31.8% being sprayed left, 38.8% going right, 13.3% going backwards and 16.3% heading forward.

Those are some serious stats - Denis Odoi, the second best pass completion man, came in with 10 less than the vice captain with 88 and a percentage rating of 93%.

Next up were Oliver Norwood (81), Tim Ream (80) and Tomas Kalas (76).

That's both Fulham centre backs there with the fourth and fifth highest pass completion rate in the Championship this weekend, showing not just how dominant the Cottagers were but the style of football that Slavisa Jokanovic wants them to play.

McDonald doesn't normally get the credit he deserves, but with stats like that it's hard to ignore the performances he's put in this season.




https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulhams-kevin-mcdonald-completed-more-14193683

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham turn down West Brom's offer for Tom Cairney

Fulham have turned down a new and improved offer from West Brom for Tom Cairney, according to the Guardian's deputy sport news editor Ed Aarons.

A sizable bid of £15m is said to have been made for the Championship midfielder, who has been in good form once again for Fulham throughout the course of the season so far.

West Brom were heavily linked with a move for Cairney in the summer, with the midfielder having enjoyed a superb campaign in Fulham colours. However, Slavisa Jokanovic's side were determined to retain the services of their star man and therefore fended off the Baggies' efforts.

It seems the club's stance hasn't changed, either. It'll seemingly take a huge sum for Fulham to be tempted into Cairney's sale, as West Brom continue to explore options in the January transfer window.



http://readwestbrom.com/2018/01/23/fulham-turn-west-broms-offer-tom-cairney/

[WhiteJC]

 
3 Players Including This Fulham Sensation Leeds United Can Target If The Bradley Dack Pursuit Fails

A central midfielder by trade, Bradley Dack developed his game playing for Gillingham where he was signed on a scholarship in 2010. He made his debut on 14th August 2012 against Bristol City and on to become the club's brightest young talents over the past three years. Dack was the highest goal scorer for the club in the 2015/16 season and went on to win the League One player of the year award. Of course, his impressive career achievements did not stop there as he went on to win the Gillingham for the past three seasons consecutively before making the £750,000 move to Blackburn Rovers last summer.

He has 11 goals this campaign and insists he is happy to stay at Ewood Park this season, meaning Leeds United will have to consider other options for their midfield. Here are the three possible players they can target this window.

Thomas Cairney

The 26-year-old has been in excellent form this season at Craven Cottage and West Brom are ready to reward him by bringing him to the Premier League. Fulham, who made it clear that they are not ready to part ways with any of their players and instead wants to bring in a few new faces, might be the major stumbling block in the progress of the deal. Cairney has scored around 22 goals in over 100 appearances for Fulham and would be a good deal for West Brom, given his football dynamics. However, agreeing to a deal with a Fulham side who will in no way want to lose their captain will be difficult.

Greg Docherty

The Hamilton midfielder has a contract running till 2020 and is expected to cost around £300,000. Hamilton boss Martin Canning has not ruled out a transfer for the midfielder out of the club this January. The Scotland U21 midfielder is also believed to be on the radar of Cardiff City, something that could drive up Hamilton's asking price for Leeds should they approach him. Since his debut back in 2013, the player has already earned over 100 appearances for the Scottish club and is known to be a player of good energy and endurance in the middle of the park.

Nick Powell

The English player failed to impress at Manchester United where he made only 9 appearances in four years. He subsequently moved to Wigan in 2016 where he has impressed for the Latics. He is now being scouted for a transfer by two Championship clubs in the form of Derby County and Aston Villa. There are also three English Premier League clubs in the chase for the player and if reports are to be believed, Crystal Palace, Southampton and West Brom have already made contact with the player. Wigan are reportedly ready to give in to any incoming party seeking Powell and have placed a fee of £1.5 million should they wish to pry him away from the League One club.



http://the4thofficial.net/2018/01/3-players-leeds-united-can-bring-chase-bradley-dack-fails/

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Fulham Sign Impressive Southampton Fullback On Loan: A Good Deal For All Involved?

Fulham have signed Southampton's blossoming youngster, Matt Targett, on loan for the rest of the season. The starlet is indeed very highly rated and is quite a decent addition to the ranks of the Cottagers. Targett has played 42 games in all competitions for the Saints and will certainly offer a different dimension to his new club.

Fulham are very much in the race for promotion as they are placed 7th in the Championship table with 45 points to their name after 28 games. They are in quite a decent form, having collected 16 points from their last 6 games in the English second division and with the January transfer window still very wide open, they must attempt to beef up their ranks further.

Targett, their newcomer, emerged through the youth ranks of Southampton and was handed his debut for the senior side back in 2014. A left-back by trade, he ticks a lot of boxes of a formidable fullback and has a bright future ahead of him with a proper development graph.

The 22-year-old is a modern-day fullback who is generally found galloping forward to cater to the offensive needs of his club. However, what is most appealing about him is the manner he tracks back and maintains a fine balance amongst his offensive and defensive endeavours. Despite his young age, he has shown immense maturity and calmness, is certainly good at holding the ball and no wonder his stocks are highly rated.

His attacking brand of football excites a lot of fans and the work-rate and confident attitude that he thrives on are simply exemplary. The Englishman had started just 2 games in the Premier League before his move and given that he needs to accumulate more experience by being on the pitch, a loan spell with a side fighting for promotion could be a beneficial move for him.

However, one would always expect a fullback to maintain a level of consistency while crossing into the box when they make their way forward but Targett is still far from being an accomplished player in doing that. He also needs to brush up the defensive aspect of his game as well especially in one-on-one situations. Nonetheless, he is still in his tender years and is learning. Further, it would also help his parent club in assessing his development and at the onset, it appears to be a decent deal for all the parties involved.

Stats Courtesy: Whoscored




http://madaboutepl.net/2018/01/fulham-have-completed-the-signing-of-this-southampton-prodigy-a-good-move-by-the-cottagers/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham loan move was 'no brainer,' says Targett
by Dan on January 23, 2018

Southampton full back Matt Targett says moving to Fulham on loan for the remainder of the season was a no brainer.

The 22 year-old left back completed his loan move to Craven Cottage earlier today and is excited by the challenge of helping Slavisa Jokanovic's side mount a serious push for promotion to the top flight. Targett told FulhamFCTV:

    I'm really looking forward to it. I aim to come here and play as much as possible and help the team. Given the chance, I hope I can add to the quality of the team. I like to get forward, deliver lots of crosses and defending one v one.

    I'm coming to the age now where I need game time. This club showed the most interest in me and I thought it was a no brainer coming here. The position they are in, the results they've recently had – they are in a great position to push on and my aim to help them get to where they want, which is back in the Premier League.

The highly-rated defender watched Saturday's demolition of Burton Albion from the Craven Cottage balcony and is already familiar with at least one face in the Fulham squad, having represented his country at youth level alongside goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli.

    I've met Marcus before. I saw a few of the boys before the game on Saturday and then went to the game and watched a masterclass. It was a really good game – the lads played really well.

    I felt it was important to get [the deal] announced on Monday, so I had that full week training with the boys and get to know them. The training session was a bit harder that what I thought [it would be], but it was good to be with everyone.

The prospect of Targett teaming up with the in-form Ryan Sessegnon on the left flank already has some Fulham fans salivating and Targett has been impressed with the youngster's meteoric rise from youth team prodigy to senior football.

    It's really exciting to play with someone so young who has showed his qualities at this level. He's got a bright future ahead of him if he keeps his head down and keeps working hard.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/01/fulham-loan-move-was-no-brainer-says-targett/

[WhiteJC]

No bids for Cairney
by Dan on January 23, 2018

Fulham have not received any offers for captain Tom Cairney – and would not entertain his departure in any case, according to Get West London this afternoon.

The Scottish midfielder stressed in the new year that he was happy at Craven Cottage, having signed a contract extension until 2021 in the summer, and despite suggestions from the Guardian's deputy football editor that West Brom had seen a £15m bid rejected, Fulham are adamant that no offers have been tabled for their classy playmaker.

Cairney trained fully with the first team at Motspur Park this morning having come off the bench to play half an hour on his 27th birthday as the Whites beat Burton Albion 6-0. The former Blackburn midfielder has seen his 2017/18 season badly disrupted by a recurring knee problem but, as long as he comes through training with no ill-effects from, Cairney could be line to return to the starting line up for Fulham's trip to Barnsley on Saturday.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/01/no-bids-for-cairney/