Wednesday Fulham Stuff (14/03/18)...

[WhiteJC]

Results

Tuesday
Aston Villa	1 - 3	QPR
Barnsley	1 - 1	Norwich
Brentford	1 - 3	Cardiff
Ipswich	0 - 3	Hull
Sheff Utd	2 - 0	Burton
Wolves	3 - 0	Reading

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Denis Odoi reveals why he prefers playing at centre back after recent run in the side

The Belgian came into the side for Tomas Kalas and has performed well for Fulham at centre back alongside Tim Ream

Denis Odoi admits he doesn't know whether his recent performances will mean he keeps his spot in the Fulham team, but has revealed he is doing into more of a centre back.

The Belgian arrived at Craven Cottage last summer as a right back, but has been played in all positions across the back four since his arrival, with Slavisa Jokanovic now employing him more as a centre half.

And he's done well since coming into the side after Tomas Kalas suffered an injury that has seen him miss the past three games, keeping a clean sheet in the victory over Sheffield United in midweek, but he's still not sure whether he'll keep his place in the starting XI.

He said: "I have no idea, that's up to the gaffer, but I think also that the gaffer looks at the opponents sometimes and obviously me and Kalas have different styles.

"I was disappointed when I didn't play against Wolves, because I played against Bristol and thought I played a good game and then he decided to go for Kalas.

"So I think the gaffer makes some choices depending on the opponents but obviously I want to play every game."

It may not have been his regular starting position before this season, but Odoi is enjoying himself in the heart of the Fulham defence alongside Tim Ream.

Defensively he looks strong, and it was clear for most people who watching Fulham that Odoi doesn't have the same threat going forward as the likes of Ryan Fredericks, Cyrus Christie and Matt Targett - something the 29-year-old himself admits.


(Image: Paul Burgman)

But he knows he is defensively sound and playing at centre back allows him to show off his strongest point.

He added: "I've played there a few times before but not that often.

"I like playing in the centre back position, I'm one of maybe a few guys that likes defending.

"I think as a full back I don't have the biggest statistics but I think defensively that's maybe my strong point and as a centre back I can do that.

"If I get a clean sheet, it feels as good as scoring a goal to me.

"I've played a few positions this season and now it seems I'm turning into more of a centre back - I'm not the biggest but I'll go for any header.

"I'm a little bit disappointed by first interception I made in the beginning of the game but then I think I was solid, and also with Tim Ream playing at a really high level it makes it easier to play.

"I just do my best and I want to play every game, I'm disappointed when I don't play but when I get the chance I'll do my best and I think everyone knows that."



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-denis-odoi-tomas-kalas-14399182

[WhiteJC]

 
Norwich Away Sold Out

Tickets for our trip to Norwich City's Carrow Road on Friday 30th March are now sold out.

Having taken the full allocation available to us, over 2,000 Fulham supporters will be in the away end backing Slaviša Jokanović's side on Good Friday.

In the event of any ticket returns, a waiting list is now in place. Please contact the Fulham Ticket Office should you wish to register your details.

As always, thank you for your fantastic support! COYW!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/13/norwich-away-sold-out

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham youngster could move to MLS on loan

New England Revolution are interested in signing Fulham youngster Luca De La Torre on loan for the Major League Soccer season.

The Whites are considering whether a move to the United States would be the right step in the 19-year-old's development.

Californian De La Torre – a United States Under-20 international – made five appearances for Fulham's first team between October and January but has not been selected since.

The MLS transfer window closes on May 1 and the season runs from March until December.

New England Revolution have won one and lost one of their opening two games in the Eastern Conference.



http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-youngster-move-mls-loan

[WhiteJC]

 
Hammersmith and Fulham council set date to decide on planning permission for Fulham's Riverside Stand

Hammersmith and Fulham council's planning committee will decide whether or not to grant approval on March 20

Fulham and Hammersmith Council will decide whether or not to grant planning permission for Fulham's new Riverside Stand in their Planning and Development Control meeting on March 20.

The planning officer recommendation is to grant approval for the plan, but that is subject to the plans being voted on during the meeting and there being no contrary direction for the Mayor Of London and upon completion of legal agreements and planning conditions.

Fulham are hoping to knock down their existing Riverside Stand and build a new stand which includes more seating, a riverside walk and nine apartments at either side of the stand.

The club have no plans to relocate while work is done, and once completed Craven Cottage while have a capacity of 29,589 - an increase of 3,889.

The meeting will take place in committee room one at Hammersmith Town Hall, and will commence at 7pm on Tuesday March 20.



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/hammersmith-fulham-council-riverside-stand-14403561

[WhiteJC]

 
Soccer Schools On Sale

Fulham FC's Soccer Schools are running throughout the Easter school holidays.

Our flagship Soccer School is running at our Motspur Park Training Ground, where young players can play at the same venue as the First Team. Our Bishop's Park Soccer School is also being hosted right next to our Craven Cottage stadium.

Fulham's Soccer Schools are a combination of skills development for the players, fun activities, getting to know other young people and making friends, and of course, lots of matches for the players.

All our soccer schools run from 9am to 3pm, with shorter days for children aged 3 to 5.

Prices start from £16 for children aged 3 to 5, and from £21 per day for children aged 5+. You can book your child for single days or for the entire two weeks.

To book, please visit: fulhamsoccerschools.com



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/13/soccer-schools-on-sale

[WhiteJC]

 
Trying to work out how and why Pelé became a scout for Fulham

Trying to sum up Pelé's life after football is quite difficult.

Since retiring as a professional footballer in 1977, Pelé has been appointed a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport, received an honorary Knighthood from the Queen, published books, appeared in films, conducted soundtracks, sued Samsung, advertised Viagra and done plenty, plenty more.

But it was with great surprise we recently stumbled upon an article which revealed Pelé, the Great Pelé, was once appointed scout at Fulham.

Hang on a minute...what? Pelé? One of the greatest footballers of all time, Pelé? Three-time World Cup winner, Pelé? The man who claims to have scored over 1,000 goals (if you include friendlies, five-a-side in training and kickabouts in the backgarden), Pelé? The man who had a cameo in Mike Bassett: England Manager, Pelé?

He might have discovered aliens in the 1969 TV Show Os Estranhos, but we couldn't quite believe Pelé had scouted for Fulham. A man called Stuart Bithell on Twitter also shared our disbelief, look:

Alas, a quick Google search confirms it is indeed true. On October 9, 2002, the BBC published an article which declared: 'Football legend Pelé has agreed to help Fulham scout for emerging Brazilian talent.'

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was quoted as saying: "There are many Brazilian players playing all over the world right now, especially in Holland, Spain and Italy. But in England there are so few and I am sure we can change that.

"I am hoping that one day we will have skillful Brazilian players turning out for Fulham and to do that we must plan. I think that can happen because my club Santos produces a lot of good players."

It was, in fact, not Pelé's first association with Fulham. In the 1960s and 70s, Santos would tour Europe like football's equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters, with Pelé undoubtedly the star attraction.



In 1973, the final year the Brazilian outfit embarked on such a tour, Santos were beaten 2-1 by Fulham at Craven Cottage, with Pelé grabbing their only goal from the spot.

As noted by the This Day in Football History website: "It was a hard-fought victory for the hosts; post-match reports described the Fulham players as looking exhausted, while the Brazilians appeared to have barely broken a sweat."

That night ended in acrimony when Santos, who had agreed a share of the gate receipts with Fulham, accused the hosts of fiddling the crowd numbers.

But 29 years later, Pelé was back in west London, tasked by chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed with finding Fulham some of the best Brazilian players to complement a disparate group of players which contained the likes of Steve Finnan, Barry Hayles, Steed Malbranque and Louis Saha.

Al-Fayed had high hopes for the appointment, saying: "It is fantastic for Fulham. Pelé is the greatest of all time – a true legend. So who better to have scouting for us in Brazil?"

As it transpired, there were probably better options to have scouting in Brazil. No samba stars arrived the following summer, although Fulham did sign a 42-year-old Dave Beasant on a free transfer from Brighton.

While there is no record of when Pelé left his role, the Cottagers did not sign a Brazilian player until 2016, when Lucas Piazon arrived on loan from Chelsea.

But still, Pelé, that Pelé, scouting for Fulham. Is there anything that man can't do?

Actually, is there anything that man won't do?



http://www.planetfootball.com/quick-reads/trying-to-work-out-how-and-why-pele-became-a-scout-for-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham are the pass masters of the Championship this season

Fulham are renowned for their dominant style of football and the stats on the Championship top ten passers speak for themselves

Half of the Championships top ten passers are made up of Fulham players - with Kevin McDonald leading the way, according to OPTA.

The Scotsman has completed 2,129 passes in 33 appearances for Slavisa Jokanovic's side this season - 80 more than anyone else, with Derby County's Tom Huddlestone lagging behind McDonald in second.

It will be no surprise to see all four players that have played in the midfield for Fulham this season are in the top ten, with Stefan Johansen in fifth place, making 1,997 passes in 36 appearances.

The top five consists of McDonald, Huddlestone, Ruben Neves of Wolves (2,023), Liam Moore of Reading (2,007) and Johansen.

Next up, however, is Fulham's centre back Tim Ream, who has been in immense form this season and is the 6th best passer in the league, making 1,970 in 34 appearances, while next up is Oliver Norwood, who has made 1,935 passes in 32.

It wouldn't be a list of passers without Tom Cairney, and looking at the list, it would be fair to say he would be miles on top had he not been injured this season.

The captain has made 1,929 passes in just 25 appearances - that's an average of 77.16 a game, compare that to McDonald at the top, who has an average of 64.51 passes a game and you can see why he's probably the best passer in the league.

To make up the top ten, Romain Saiss of Wolves has 1,915 passes in 32 appearances while Jack O'Connell of Sheffield United has made 1,913 in 36.



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-pass-masters-tom-cairney-14401136

[WhiteJC]

 
The Sean Davis Column

I was speaking to a lot of Fulham fans before the Preston game and they were convinced that if we won that then we would go unbeaten for the rest of the season. That's a big statement that would take some doing, but with the form we're showing then who knows. To go to a side on Saturday who are tough to beat at home and show that never say die attitude to get the winning goal at the death, there's nothing sweeter as a player and as a team on the bus home.

The only bad thing at the moment is that Cardiff and Villa keep winning. Those two are playing Brentford and QPR tonight so we might feel a bit dirty saying it, but we want our local rivals to do us a favour there. All we can focus on is winning our games, and if we keep doing that then we're giving ourselves a hell of a chance of being in the top-two at the end of the season.

A lot was made of the six-match sequence we've just gone through, with a lot describing it as "season defining." I'm not sure how many would have predicted we'd win five and draw one. I believed we were capable, and like we've said many times in the column over the season, this league is all about momentum. I think the only side who's won more points than us in 2018 is Manchester City, so we are in the in-form team across the board. The signings that have come in have all hit the ground running, especially Aleksandar Mitrović who can't stop scoring. You can see that he's a winner, and that's only going to serve Fulham well.

We may be some way ahead of Queens Park Rangers going into Saturday's early kick-off, but it's a derby and form goes out the window a little bit in those fixtures. The players will believe they can win the game, they're high on confidence and believe they can beat anybody. But we can't take our foot off the gas and assume Saturday will be an easy game because of where QPR are in the league. Stick to what you're doing, work hard, don't let the occasion get to you – do that and I fully expect us to win the game.

I saw that we've sold out our allocation of 2,000 tickets for Norwich away at the end of the month. Considering that is still two-and-a-half weeks away, that's phenomenal support. This is probably the most excited I've seen the fans since the Europa League run in 2010. You can sense the exhilaration and atmosphere around the place, and that's credit to Slaviša and the players for bringing that feeling back to the Club. It shows how much optimism can be generated by a winning run. There's a buzz around Motspur Park and Craven Cottage, and long may that continue.

It's good to see Tom Cairney and Kevin McDonald called up for the Scotland squad – I couldn't believe that Kev has never won a cap. That's a long overdue call-up. He's one of those players that keeps the team together. His position in the starting XI is vital, he's a leader on the pitch, he covers a lot of ground, tactically he's very, very good, and he moves the ball very well. He gives that protection to the back four as well, so I'm not surprised one bit that Alex McLeish wants him in his squad.

It was Gentleman Jim's birthday last week, and he's another one who I bet is loving life at the moment. I do miss being up there on the gantry with him, I can't imagine the scenes of him celebrating in some of the games lately. I was a bit worried he was going to fall off on some occasions because he was celebrating too hard! He'll be buzzing, and I'd like to wish him a happy 80th birthday! Derby games get Jim extra excited so he'll be really looking forward to Saturday.

A limited number of tickets are available on General Sale for Saturday's game, priced from £30 adults and £15 juniors.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/13/the-sean-davis-column

[WhiteJC]

 
Liverpool loanee Sheyi Ojo: 'I want more game time at Fulham'

On-loan Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo has said that he wants to do his part to help Fulham clinch promotion to the Premier League, despite much of his spell at the club being marred by injury.

The 20-year-old was out for two months after dislocating his shoulder early in the season, before facing another six weeks on the sidelines due to a leg injury sustained in January.

However, the England youth international has featured in Fulham's last four games, including a 2-1 win at Preston North End last time out.

"It's been a difficult time for me, being injured for so long, but I'm happy to be back and playing now," Ojo told the club's official website. "I'd like to be playing more but I've got to be patient and hopefully I'll start to get more game time.

"It's been a tough spell for us. We played a lot of great teams but we've come through it really well. We haven't lost in 15 games, we're in good form now so we've got to keep it up.

"Preston was a massive win for us. We have good momentum now in our push for promotion. On Saturday we'll be trying to get another three points against QPR."

Fulham, who are currently fourth in the Championship table, face 16th-placed Queens Park Rangers at home on Saturday.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/liverpool/news/ojo-i-want-more-game-time-at-fulham_320813.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Silent Auction

Ahead of Saturday's West London derby, Fulham Football Club Foundation will be running a silent auction to support its work in the community. There are six incredible auction items up for grabs and we are delighted to offer them to the Fulham faithful.

The process is very simple, download the PDF document at the below link to review the items, note the reserve price, and if you would like to bid for one of the items simply email Hugh Thompson with your bid to [email protected].

Items range from one of Slaviša Jokanović's jackets to a Motspur Park training experience.

The auction will close at 5pm on Saturday 17th March.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/march/13/silent-auction

[WhiteJC]

 
Are England calling up Fulham's wonderkid for the Italy friendly?

Is Ryan Sessegnon being called up by England?

The Three Lions are set to face Italy and Holland in ten days' time, and their Twitter account just posted a video (see it below) that suggests that the Fulham teenager could be participating in the game.

Sessegnon has scored thirteen Championship goals this season with the Londoners, and Coach Slavisa Jokanovic has long been calling for the 17-year-old to play for his country.

The Manchester United and Liverpool target is liked across Europe, too.

"I've always been an attacking left-back so I really admired Luke Shaw, particularly when he was at Southampton," he said in a recent interview.

"He's got a lot of attacking qualities and creates chances, which is something I like to do myself. His ability to get up and down the pitch is incredible."



http://www.calciomercato.com/en/news/are-england-calling-up-fulham-s-wonderkid-for-the-italy-friendly-55466