Tuesday Fulham Stuff (22/05/18)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Hammers may miss out on Fredericks

West Ham may miss out on a free transfer for Fulham flyer Ryan Fredericks this summer after the departure of David Moyes as manager, according to the Express.

The newspaper claim that Crystal Palace are now in pole position to sign the 25-year-old right-back, with manager Roy Hodgson undertaking a personal scouting mission.

The Express report that Fredericks is almost certain to leave Craven Cottage should Fulham fail to earn promotion in the play-off final next weekend, with his current deal set to come to an end.

It is said that West Ham also had eyes on the jet-heeled wide man, but Moyes' exit may see their interest dwindle.

Good move for West Ham?

Absolutely.

Fredericks has proved this season that he is ready to ply his trade once again in the top-flight, having departed boyhood club Tottenham for the lower leagues several years ago.

The Hammers have struggled on the right-side of defence this season, with Pablo Zabaleta providing a stable presence, but not much attacking threat.

Fredericks would add a new dimension at right-back for the club, with his lightning pace sure to rip open defences in the top-flight, and the possibility of a free transfer makes this a no-brainer.

Forever West Ham rating: 8/10

Likely to happen?

According to the Express, the Hammers' interest in Fredericks was dependent on Moyes.

That does seem likely in all honesty, with someone like Manuel Pellegrini to have different ideas about transfer targets to the Scot.

A Fredericks exit from Fulham will also depend on the result of the play-off final, with the flyer surely to stay at the Cottagers should they win promotion to the top-flight.

Forever West Ham rating: 2/10



https://foreverwestham.com/2018/05/blog-topics/hammers-may-miss-out-on-fredericks/

[WhiteJC]

 
Revealed: Majority of Newcastle fans don't want to beat Leeds to Abel Hernandez

Leeds United have reportedly made out-of-contract Hull City star Abel Hernandez their top striker target this summer, and we suggested that Newcastle United should look to hijack any deal.

The Uruguay international is available on a free with a new deal at the KCOM Stadium looking unlikely to be agreed, and he certainly showed how good he can be in front of goal for the Championship outfit this season despite missing the majority of the campaign with an Achilles injury.

The 27-year-old scored eight goals in 10 league appearances – including six in eight outings on his return to action – to show that the injury hasn't affected him.

Meanwhile, Magpies manager Rafa Benitez will surely be looking for a new centre-forward option this summer with Joselu failing to shine and Aleksandar Mitrovic surely on his way out following a successful loan spell with Fulham.

We asked Newcastle fans to vote on our poll to see whether they would want to hijack Leeds' bid to sign Hernandez on a free, and a majority 67% of those said they wouldn't.

Those supporters may understandably feel that the Tyneside outfit need to be aiming higher if they want to secure another top-half Premier League finish next term, although if they were going to bring one marquee striker to St James' Park, they probably wouldn't turn their noses up at bringing the Uruguayan in for nothing, too.



https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/newcastle-united/revealed-majority-of-newcastle-fans-dont-want-to-beat-leeds-to-abel-hernandez

[WhiteJC]

 
Shahid Khan committed to Fulham even if they lose Championship Play-Off Final


Back in town: Khan attended Fulham's win over Derby and will return to London for the Final (Action Images via Reuters)

Fulham owner Shahid Khan is committed to Fulham regardless of the outcome of Saturday's £170million Championship play-off Final at Wembley.

Khan hopes Fulham will get back into the Premier League after a four-year absence but the American will not walk away if they miss out on promotion again this season.

Khan hopes to completes a deal worth well in excess of £500million to buy Wembley Stadium. That deal could make Khan one of the most significant figures in football but he is patient for success at Craven Cottage.

This year he demonstrated his long-term commitment by pushing ahead with plans to redevelop the ground and expand its capacity to 29,600. Fulham received planning permission in March to redevelop the Riverside Stand and work will begin in the summer of 2019.

Khan is flying in from America to be at Wembley for the play-off final against Aston Villa.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/shahid-khan-committed-to-fulham-even-if-they-lose-championship-playoff-final-a3844366.html

[WhiteJC]

 
The Aston Villa promotion winner plotting against them at Wembley

A detailed look at a former Aston Villa man currently plotting their downfall

Former Aston Villa promotion hero, Stuart Gray, will be plotting to beat his former club when he comes up against them at Wembley on May 26.

Gray spent several years with Villa as both a player and a coach, and even briefly took over as caretaker manager. He now represents their Championship play-off final opponents Fulham, working alongside Serbian manager Slavisa Jokanovic.

During a 14-year playing career, Gray played 106 times for Villa between 1987 and 1991, scoring nine goals. Having also coached at the club, he stepped up to the role of caretaker manager – alongside John Deehan - following the departure of John Gregory in 2002.

The pair took charge for two games, leaving the club with an unbeaten record, after goalless draws against Everton and Fulham. They were succeeded by Gray's former boss, Graham Taylor.

A serious achilles injury brought an end to his playing career in 1994, but he wasted no time in moving into coaching. Having joined the staff at Southampton the same year, he then moved on to Wolverhampton Wanderers to manage the reserve team.

Gray remains a highly-regarded coach and manager in the football league, having enjoyed a relatively successful spell in charge of Sheffield Wednesday. In his only full season with the club in 2014/15, Wednesday secured their highest league finish for six years, placing 13

in the Championship. They also equalled their clean sheet record for a season, which perhaps pays testament to Gray's organisational abilities.

The versatile midfielder worked under some renowned managers during his time as a player, including Graham Taylor and Brian Clough. Like many others, he holds his previous bosses in high regard.

Gray began his role at Fulham in December 2015, arriving just three weeks before new manager Jokanovic. The Serbian elected to keep him on as Senior Head Coach of the first team squad.

The new coaching team achieved their objective of avoiding relegation that season, finishing a comfortable 11 points clear of the drop. The following year Fulham made it to the playoffs, but were beaten in the semi-finals, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Reading.

erhaps suffering from a playoff hangover, the Lilywhites began the 2017/18 campaign with a poor run of form, winning just four of their opening 17 games. This left them teetering above the relegation zone in 17 place, bringing a huge amount of pressure on everyone involved with the club.

The turn of the year brought about a change in fortunes however, as the west London outfit embarked on a 23-game unbeaten run. This impressive spell was eventually brought to an end on the final day of the Championship season, at the hands of Birmingham City. Villa's second-City rivals convincingly beat the promotion hopefuls 3-1, confining them to the playoffs.

Now the former Villa midfielder will be planning to spoil the big day of his old side, when he takes to the Wembley dugout with Fulham, in what is widely regarded as the most lucrative game in football.

Gray is no stranger to a promotion battle, having helped Villa return to the country's top division more than 30 years ago. This was the last time Villa achieved a promotion, having then remained in the top tier until their relegation from the Premier League in 2016.

The softly-spoken Yorkshireman's remit at Wembley next week, will be to achieve quite the opposite.

The previous season, 1986/87, Villa had been relegated from the old First Division, having finished rock bottom of the league. Only five years after their historic European Cup victory, they were heading to the second tier of English football.

Gray made his debut in the following November, scoring two well-taken goals in a 4-2 win at Bradford City. Their promotion that season would be gained by the narrowest of margins, having finished level on points with Middlesbrough. Bizarrely, both teams also finished with a goal difference of +27 and could only be split on number of goals scored, a tally which Villa had excelled in, scoring six goals more than their counterparts.

With a place in the Premier League at stake next week at Wembley, Stuart Gray may again play a part in a huge moment in Villa's history. Villa fans will be hoping it works in their favour again.



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-promotion-winner-plotting-14684906

[WhiteJC]

 
Chelsea add Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic to shortlist as they search for Antonio Conte successor


In demand | Jokanovic's work at Fulham has won him Premier League admirers (PA)

Chelsea have added Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic to their list of possible successors to Antonio Conte.

The Italian is expected to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, despite Chelsea beating Manchester United to win the FA Cup on Saturday.

It is still business as usual at Chelsea, even though owner Roman Abramovich's visa for the UK has expired and there has been a delay in getting a new one. His absence will not have any impact on Conte's future or the club's search for a replacement. 

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri has emerged as the favourite of late and is waiting to see if the Blues will follow up their interest and meet his £7million buy-out clause before it expires at the end of the month.

But Standard Sport understands that Chelsea's hierarchy have increasingly become admirers of Jokanovic and the job he has done at Fulham.

The former midfielder, who played for Chelsea between 2000-02, has led Fulham to the Championship play-off final, where they will face Aston Villa on Saturday.

Jokanovic has achieved that playing entertaining football on a tight budget. The 49-year-old has 12 months left on his current deal and is determined to lead the club into the Premier League after missing out last term. There is not thought to be a release clause in the Serbian's contract.

Chelsea have considered a number of coaches across Europe should Conte depart. Former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique features prominently but he has put the club off with his wage demands. Monaco's Leonardo Jardim cannot be ruled out, while Max Allegri claims he wants to stay at Juventus. Another surprise contender is former France and Paris St Germain coach Laurent Blanc, who has been out of work since being fired by the Ligue 1 club in 2016.

Sarri held contract talks with Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis last week but they have appear to have broken down.

De Laurentiis said: "There is no more time for Sarri, he didn't answer. Ask him. He has always just sent me to Alessandro Pellegrini (the coach's agent), he never gave me an answer.

"I have to take responsibility. At some point we have to move forward. I'm not saying he will leave. There is a release clause, we'll see what will happen."

Sarri, who has also been linked with Monaco and Zenit St Petersburg, has indicated he is leaving Napoli, saying: "In life, everything comes to an end. Sometimes it's better to finish stories while they are good."

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has urged the Chelsea board to end the uncertainty over who will be in charge next term, saying: "You need some clarity so that everyone knows what way the club is going forward."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea-add-fulham-boss-slavisa-jokanovic-to-shortlist-as-they-search-for-antonio-conte-successor-a3844426.html

[WhiteJC]

 
'A bit like Alan Shearer' - Aleksandar Mitrovic compared to Newcastle legend by ex-England manager

Former England manager Roy Hodgson was certainly impressed by on-loan Newcastle United forward Aleksandar Mitrovic

Aleksandar Mitrovic's performance as a target man for Fulham against Derby County was reminiscent of Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer, believes former England manager Roy Hodgson.

Though Mitrovic did not score against the Rams, he played a crucial role in helping the Cottagers overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit to progress into the Championship play-off final with a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Aston Villa now await Fulham at Wembley on Saturday - when the Cottagers will have a one-off opportunity to clinch a lucrative spot in the Premier League for next season.


Aleksandar Mitrovic (Image: Getty Images Europe)

If they do, then the Cottagers will likely use some of the £120million-plus windfall to try and sign Mitrovic permanently this summer.

Rafa Benitez is looking to offload Mitrovic and Newcastle are expected to demand more than £20m for the forward's services.

Fulham would like to keep the Serbia international in west London regardless of whether they are promoted, but winning the play-off final will certainly increase their chances of acquiring the 23-year-old on a permanent basis.

And ex-Cottagers boss Hodgson certainly seems to be a fan of the forward, given the very flattering comparison to Shearer when it comes to Mitrovic's display as a target man last week.

"I think it will be a fantastic contest, and it is nice that it is the third and fourth team trying to get that one place, rather than a fifth- or sixth-placed team," Hodgson, as quoted by Football.London, said of the Championship play-off final.

"There is something in me that it rails against seeing a team in sixth place getting promoted, when the team in third doesn't.

"As for the excitement, I understand that and I think it will be an interesting contrast of styles.

"I was at that game at Craven Cottage when they met in the league, and Aston Villa won't be easy to break down.

"But they will certainly have their work cut out dealing with the style of play from Fulham, not least the pace with which they attack coming from the wings with [Ryan] Sessegnon and [Ryan] Fredericks - that takes some dealing with.

"And also they have Mitrovic, who probably produced the best display of target play I have seen for a long while the other night.

"He used his body well to hold the ball up and either turn the defender, or bring others into the play – a bit like Alan Shearer really."



https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/a-bit-like-alan-shearer-14684040

[WhiteJC]

 
"We don't need clappers" - Aston Villa issue call to arms to fans ahead of Fulham clash

Villa fans have been critical of both Birmingham City and Fulham for their use of clappers this season

Unlike several of their Championship rivals, Aston Villa 'have never felt the need to use clappers'.

Villans have been critical of the likes of Birmingham City and Fulham, who they'll meet in Saturday's Championship play-off final at Wembley, for trying to enhance the atmosphere inside their stadiums by introducing clappers.

Steve Bruce labelled Birmingham's decision to hand clappers to their supporters before October's Second City derby at St Andrew's as 'ridiculous' after fans screwed them up and pelted Villa's players with them.

Fulham have also attempted to improve the atmosphere at Craven Cottage by handing supporters clappers.

Ahead of the final game of the campaign, Villa have heaped praise on their own supporters – and appear to have taken a thinly-veiled dig at some of their rivals.

Villa's marketing manager Adam Lowe said: "This season, the club has doubled down on its commitment to make the fans the heart of everything we do, and this effort has paid dividends.

"Throughout the year Villa Park has been in full voice, away support has been some of the best in the EFL and the results have shown on the pitch.



"We have never felt the need to artificially generate atmosphere with clappers and the like. We know that the Villa fans are more than capable of generating that noise.

"We just want to supplement that with exciting activations that improve fan experience and give a visual element to their support. The fans have responded incredibly well to everything we have done this year and helped carry the side to the biggest game of the season.

"We're fully planning on capitalising on that amazing support at Wembley."



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/birmingham-city-fulham-villa-clappers-14685248

[WhiteJC]

 
Vote For Sess

Ryan Sessegnon has been nominated for PFA Fans' Championship Player of the Year.

Sessegnon has won a number of accolades this year already, including a night at the EFL Awards where he cleaned up.

He was crowned Championship Player of the Year, Championship Young Player of the Year, LFE Championship Apprentice of the Year, as well as being named in the Championship Team of the Year.

Sess was also a double winner at the London Football Awards in March.

The 17-year-old also made history becoming the first player on record outside of the top flight to have been nominated for the PFA Young Player Of The Year Award, only missing out to Premier League Winner Leroy Sané.

Show your support for Sessegnon by voting for him below – the ballot closes 8am on Wednesday 23rd May.

fullow link to vote...
http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/may/21/vote-for-sess

[WhiteJC]

 
Top 50 Players of the EFL – 2nd: Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)

Fulham winger Ryan Sessegnon has been voted by you as the 2nd best player in the EFL.

Over the last month, we have been gathering votes from you to find the best managers and players in the EFL. And after counting the votes, we have discovered you think that Sessegnon is the 2nd best player in the Football League. He has moved up 30 places from last year when he finished 32nd place on the Top 50 Players countdown.

Age is not a barrier for playing top class football but it is usually an indicator. While we have seen plenty of young players perform well in the Sky Bet Championship there are usually some problems with their play. Maybe they are inconsistent and are just as capable of putting in a stinker or they have a rash youthful temper which gets them into trouble. But Sessegnon does not have these problems.

Aged 17 for most of the season, Sessegnon put the rest of the league to shame with the standard of his performances. Becoming a left winger after previously being used as a left back, his pace was devastating to a lot of defences and he proved himself to be one of the top players in the league worthy of all those envious glances from other teams. In the 51 appearances he made this season, he scored 16 goals and made 7 assists on top of that.

Sessegnon may now be 18 but he will have to wait a bit longer for his first legal pint as they face Aston Villa in the play-off final.



http://the72.co.uk/103086/top-50-players-efl-2nd-ryan-sessegnon-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Prince William has spoken about Aston Villa at Wembley - and it will delight fans

The future king missed the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United to perform best man duties at Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle

Aston Villa's bid to get Royal approval ahead of their Championship play-off final with Fulham looks like being successful.

Villa have reached out to claret and blue fanatic Prince William ahead of the Wembley showdown and he has confirmed he's hoping to be in attendance.

The future King bumped into a young Villa fan on his latest Royal appointment and gave his thoughts ahead of the club's date with destiny.

He said: "You're William? You're William and you're a Villa fan? You've made my day. Are you going to the play-offs? I'm going to try and watch them next weekend. I've been quite nervous watching some of the other games.

"Fulham are quite good though aren't they?

"It's been very nice to meet you William, you're the most important man here."



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-prince-william-wembley-14685809

[WhiteJC]

 
#FFCWhiteWall

The support demonstrated by the Fulham Faithful this season has been nothing short of magnificent.

Many of the players commented on how incredible the atmosphere was at Craven Cottage in our Play-Off Semi-Final triumph, and there's no doubt it will be even better when 38,000 of you make your way to Wembley this weekend.

With Fulham taking over the East End of the stadium, we're encouraging you to wear your home colours on Saturday, to create a White Wall. For the players to walk out and see the better part of 40,000 of their fans all wearing white will certainly be a sight to behold.

Back the boys – wear white!

#COYW



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/may/21/ffc-white-wall

[WhiteJC]

 
The latest Wembley ticket update as Aston Villa expect to sell out TONIGHT

Many AVFC fans are still waiting to get tickets for the play-off final showdown against Fulham

Tickets in the Aston Villa end for Saturday's Championship play-off final are expected to sell out tonight.

Supporters with a home league booking history from the 2017/18 season had the opportunity to purchase seats at the national stadium for the clash with Fulham from 5pm today.

And the club put out an announcement at 6pm saying that currently 'the number of fans eligible to purchase is in excess of the number of tickets that remain available - so we will almost certainly sell out during the course of the evening.'

Fans are advised to check all communication channels this evening as the SOLD OUT sign is expected to be announced.

The fear amongst many supporters still waiting for tickets was that they'll sell out before they go on general sale at 5pm on Tuesday, May 22 and that is now expected.

Supporters who have been to at least one match at Villa Park this season – including the play-off semi-final against Middlesbrough – are eligible to purchase tickets online now, although there are large queues as fans wait for tickets.

In stark contrast to Fulham, who allowed season ticket holders to buy as many as five tickets, Villa have only permitted season card holders to purchase one ticket.



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/wembley-aston-villa-tickets-fulham-14686383

[WhiteJC]

 
Give me five! Steve Bruce explains what's driving him on to succeed at Aston Villa

The AVFC boss is pumped up for Saturday's play-off final at Wembley

Steve Bruce admits personal pride has fired him up for Saturday's play-off final as he desperately craves a return to the Premier League.

The Villa boss has played and managed for over 40 years with the majority of his time coming in the top-flight.

And ahead of the weekend's Wembley showpiece where Villa will look to get the better of Fulham to secure the final promotion spot, Bruce said:

"I've been in football for so long but the one thing you look to do is keep succeeding," he said.

"It's why we're in it. It's why I've been in it over 900 games as a manager and over 900 as a player which is a lot of Saturdays.

"It would be great to get this club back in the Premier League, where we want to be and where the club demands.

"But we've seen with many clubs that they don't find it easy when they drop into this division.

"So you try to be positive and my aim is to be in the big league.

"We're not there yet but I'll keep trying to take us there and achievement-wise it will be up there with anything I've done, that's for sure."

Bruce has managed at Blues, Wigan, Sunderland and Hull in the Premier League but believes the chance to manage a club like Villa is even more exciting.

He certainly feels there is unfinished business in the top-tier after walking out on Hull following promotion.

If Villa are successful on Saturday, Bruce will break his own record of promotions out of the Championship which currently stands at four.

"Can I make it five, let's hope so," he said.

"The one thing about management is that you get better the longer you're in it.

"So I will use all my experience to help.

"But the important thing is for the players to go out and perform.

"I feel we have enough leaders who can handle the occasion."



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/give-five-steve-bruce-explains-14687381

[WhiteJC]

 
Who is Ryan Sessegnon? The Fulham wonderboy out to wreck Aston Villa's Wembley dream

Manchester United, Tottenham, Real Madrid and PSG are all interested in the 18-year-old

Ryan Sessegnon is the 18-year-old flying winger currently ripping it up for Fulham.

So good he should have won a Bafta, joked England U21 boss Aidy Bothroyd recently, and so highly thought of that all of the Premier League's big-boys are interested.

Incredibly, figures of up to £100m have even been mentioned for this year's Championship player-of-the-season.

Which begs the question - what makes him so good?

Gregg Evans reports on his blockbuster 2017/18 campaign:



The story of his season

Sessegnon played the entire season as a 17-year-old, only reaching the big One Eight in May.

And that makes his achievements even more impressive.

The left-winger bagged 15 goals in the 46-game Championship season and chipped in with six assists.

He also scored and set up both goals in the crucial 2-0 play-off semi-final second leg win over Derby County to fire his side to Wembley for the first time.

His achievements were recognised with multiple awards in the closing months of the campaign.

Sessegnon became the first-ever non-Premier League nominee of the PFA Young Player of the Year award. He also won the Championship Player of the Season and the winner of Best Player and Best Young Player at the London Football Awards.

It's understood that he was seriously close to making England's World Cup squad, too, but was left out in favour of slightly-more experienced players.



Emergence explained

His name had been touted around for years as 'the one to watch' so it was no great surprise to see Sessegnon make his Fulham debut aged 16 and still at school.

For years, the pace-ace had been tearing it up for Fulham's youth teams since joining the under-nine team, originally as a striker.

The 2016/17 season was his breakthrough campaign and the converted wideman bagged seven goals and started to hog the headlines as England's brightest new star.

Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic used him sparingly but towards the second half of the campaign he became a vital part of the team and was making a big impact as either a starter or a substitute.

Speaking about his footballing upbringing, he said:

"There was a cage right next to our house where we used to play from morning until night with big 11 vs 11 games,"

"There were times where you couldn't even see the street lights so you had to picture who was on your team. My team was always on the ball.

"There's a lot of cages and five-a-side places in London. You see young people showing off their talents. First touch is important. That's where you learn it, on the street."

Best position

Sessegnon has moved around a fair bit in recent times.

He originally started off as a striker before breaking through in Fulham's first-team as a left-back.

This term he's been deployed further upfield as a left-winger which is why he's had so much success in front of goal.

Sessegnon's main attribute is his pace.

But he's also strong, reads the game well, and can entertain with his silky skills.

This season he's ghosted into positions to help him get the better of defenders and chalk up 16 strikes.

What his boss has said



Slavisa Jokanovic has been delighted with his talented teenager this season.

"He's focused and concentrated on improving himself, he's shown a great level of self-belief and he's clinical when the ball arrives to him in the box," said the boss

"He wants to be top level and push himself and I'm sure he'll be at that level soon.

"He's 18-years-old and he's special. At this stage (of his career) it's really fantastic, but at the end he knows it's about focusing and concentrating if he wants to prove himself."

What England bosses have said


Aidy Boothroyd

Boothroyd spoke about his international future this week after he missed out on the World Cup squad and the England U21 tournament.

"It's about where we put him and also where we think he can get to.

"Those are the conversations we have about individual players every three or four months when we have an audit.

"The next one is after the summer so we'll look at Ryan and look at where we picture him.

"In terms of England, he's got one Under-21 cap.

"He did OK, didn't pull up any trees but we know he's a wonderful player who will thrive at Fulham and certainly with us.

"He's an exceptional talent - I'm surprised he didn't get a BAFTA this week as he's got everything else.

"He's going to have to get the biggest sideboard known to man for all his awards.

"But the thing which excites me about him is he's so focused about what he wants to do. Nothing is going to get in his way.

"It's going to be really interesting as he's a marked man now, the best players will work it out and come through it and he will because he's an outstanding talent."

What Sessegnon has said

The winger has been protected in recent months, only speaking on a handful of occasions as Fulham chase promotion.

In an interview with The Telegraph he explained how he idolised Luke Shaw and Gareth Blae who both started out in a similar role to him.

Speaking about his development he said:

"At younger ages I was more attacking, and had a striker role through the middle, but as I progressed they pushed me towards left-back.

"I think they saw the energy and endurance that I have to get up and down the pitch and they just tried to change my game, more for my physical attributes than how I see the game.

"If you can play a variety of positions quite well it gives the manager the option to play you in that position, for one.

"I don't think at a young age you know your position well enough so to have one or two is good."

And after winning the Championship's player and young player of the year awards he told Fulham's official website:

"It was such an incredible feeling for me to be picking up these awards.

"It was such a special moment for me and it really shows how well we have been playing this season. Hopefully we can continue in the same way until the end.

"As a young player you want to experience these things. You want to always continue to learn and improve and for me to go there yesterday and witness what I had achieved was truly amazing."

"I am so proud to receive all these awards but especially the Championship Player of the Season

"I never would have imagined I would win (Championship) Player of the Season.

"I just want to carry on the way I have been going. Whenever success does come I just enjoy it for a moment but then put it to the side and focus on the main objective.

"The main objective for me now is to get us to the Premier League."

How can Villa stop him

Well that's the million dollar question.

Sessegnon has already scored two goals against Villa - both of them coming at Craven Cottage in successive seasons.

So whatever Villa have been doing before to stop him, they need to think again.

Alan Hutton was tasked with a man-marking mission in the semi-final against Adama Traore and successfully completed it.

Maybe boss Steve Bruce will ask him to do the same again against Sessegnon.

It would mean him starting at right-back, though, leaving Villa with a dilemma at left-back.

The alternative would be to stick with James Bree at right-back and hope that James Chester can provide enough cover to stop him.

The onus would also be on defensive midfielder Mile Jedinak to sweet up, when needed. He did it well enough against Adama to help out Hutton against Middlesbrough.

What the future holds for him/who has been linked with him

Sessegnon has made it clear that he wants to play in the Premier League.

And you'd expect him to seriously consider staying at his current club if they beat Villa and win at Wembley.

Fulham will struggle to keep hold of him if they miss out again, though.

Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool have all been linked with a move for him.

European giants PSG and Real Madrid are also keen.

What's certain is there will be no shortage of suitors.



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/who-ryan-sessegnon-fulham-wonderboy-14687170

[WhiteJC]

 
The extortionate amount Aston Villa fans are being charged for Wembley tickets

Ticket touts are cashing in on supporters' desperation to watch AVFC vs Fulham at Wembley

Touts are cashing in on the play-off final with Wembley tickets selling for almost FIVE times the normal price.

Aston Villa meet Fulham at Wembley on Saturday evening in the so-called 'richest game in football'.

Villa's tickets have been selling at an incredible rate, despite season ticket holders only permitted to purchase one.

The claret and blues had already sold more than 20,000 within 48 hours of tickets going on sale on Wednesday, May 16 (5pm).

But some of those tickets appear to have fallen into the wrong hands with ticket websites such as ticketbis charging Villans in excess of £600 for some seats.

The most expensive ticket available to fans via Villa's ticketing service was the Category One £98 for an adult.

That same ticket is being sold for £474.95 on ticketbis.

During the brief period BirminghamLive spent analysing prices on ticketbis, tickets were selling rapidly as desperate fans parted with huge sums of cash.

The cheapest tickets on ticketbis are selling for £124.60 - but they're in the East End, which is where the Fulham fans are housed.

A huge concern for EFL chiefs is that Villa fans, keen to be at Wembley, will end up sitting in the Fulham end.

While Villa season ticket holders are only permitted to buy one ticket, Fulham allowed their regulars to purchase as many as five.



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-ticket-touts-fulham-14687417

[WhiteJC]

 
Play-Off Final Sold Out

Supporters are advised that tickets for Fulham's Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final against Aston Villa have now sold out.

More than 38,000 Whites fans will be behind Slaviša Jokanović and his Fulham side at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 26th May, and we thank supporters for their fantastic and unwavering support!

A number of Hospitality packages remain available for the Final. Fans can purchase packages directly from the Fulham FC Sales Team by phone on 0203 871 0810 (opt. 1) (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm) or enquire by email at [email protected]

In the event that further tickets become available, 17/18 & 18/19 Season Ticket Holders, 17/18 Members and supporters with a Booking History can register their interest with the Fulham Ticket Office using the form below.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/may/21/play-off-final-sold-out

[WhiteJC]

 
Steve Bruce explains why Aston Villa can't afford to miss out on promotion

Villa take on Fulham on Saturday in the play-off final at Wembley and the stakes are high

Steve Bruce has challenged his troops to take their 'wonderful promotion opportunity' after admitting the recruitment budget will be even tighter if they fail.

Villa spent just £2.5million on transfers this season and raised around £18million from summer sales.

The manager also relied heavily on loan signings with Sam Johnstone, Robert Snodgrass, Josh Onomah, Lewis Grabban and Axel Tuanzebe all joining until the end of the season.

Given the financial restrictions this term, Bruce said in the build-up to Saturday's play-off final with Fulham, that winning promotion would be as satisfying as any of his other four conquests.

But he also explained that it would be even tougher for Villa to compete at the top end of the Championship next term if it goes wrong at Wembley on Saturday.

Asked if the financial squeeze would be tighter, Bruce replied:

"I would think so because we haven't got the parachute payment.

"But I haven't gone into the realms of that just yet. We don't want to, basically, but I would think so.

"If there wasn't a lot of money last year then I can't see it being any different next year, in fact it might be worse."

Bruce added:

"It hasn't been easy with Financial Fair Play.

"People need reminding of that because they think I've used a big cheque book here, which has not been the case.

"We've brought in loans and I think I spent £2.5m in the summer and brought in almost £20m.

"So it hasn't been easy. We've had to balance the books and try to get the club on an even keel financially too.

"Don't get me wrong, there's still a long way to go in that respect, but that's been part of the remit too and I think it's important that everybody knows that.

"It hasn't been spending power, certainly in my 18 months.

"But we've shown that if you're shrewd enough with your loan players and with two or three frees we've brought in they have certainly helped us even better."

The manager admits that this is Villa's time to do the business and agrees they will not have a better chance to seal the deal.

"It's a wonderful opportunity.

"But let's not forget it's not all about money.

"We talk a lot about money in football but it's a game of football.

"In the Championship nobody would have given Cardiff a hope in hell at the start of the season and they have been fantastic.

"That's the beauty of the Championship.

"So it's not all about money. We've seen umteen times that you can spend a lot of money and get nowhere.

"It's about getting the right people and the right balance."



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/steve-bruce-explains-aston-villa-14688244

[WhiteJC]

 
In Memory of Roy Bentley

It was very sad to hear last month that Roy Bentley, the star post-war footballer of the West London soccer scene during the 1947-62 era, had passed away at the ripe old age of 93.

In his spell as a centre-forward at Chelsea (1947-1956), he was without doubt the crowd favourite and his goals were instrumental in them winning the Football League Championship in 1955.

Subsequently moving on to Division 2 Fulham (1956-1960), Roy switched positions to centre-half where he was a dominant feature of the defence.

As a very young kid myself, I recall seeing him play at Craven Cottage when on occasions my father, a stalwart Fulham supporter, used to take me along to watch a game when the R's were playing away.

He was a very important part of Fulham's triumphant promotion to the top flight (1959) and their famous FA Cup run in 1958, when they were eventually beaten by Manchester United in a semi-final replay.

At the tail end of his playing career he signed for the R's (1961-62), where he played mostly at right-back as a replacement for the departed Pat Woods.

The Bentley/Ingham full-back partnership had the oldest combined age for those positions in the entire Football League, but in my view they were the best full-back duo performing in Division 3.

The only time I can remember Roy being given the run around by opposition forwards was in the midweek Division 3 league home fixture against Reading on the 21st August 1961, when Rangers lost 3-6.

Other than that he was rock solid stability personified before the march of time gradually caught up with him and he left the R's in the early part of the 1962/63 Loftus Road/White City season.

Roy Bentley was quite a unique, fit, physical specimen virtually right up to the end of his life. I understand that he was still playing some golf when in his 90's.

R.I.P. Roy Bentley. It was an honour and a pleasure to have seen you play both for Fulham FC and Queen's Park Rangers FC.

Bernard Lambert (Kerrins)

Son of a rugby player, Roy was born on the outskirts of Bristol, in Shirehampton on 17th May 1924.

He was called up by the Royal Navy during WW2 and served on various destroyers that were escorting the Atlantic convoys.

Roy played for both Bristol clubs before signing for Newcastle in 1946. Then in January 1948, he signed for Chelsea for a fee of £11,000.

He gained 12 England caps between 1949 and 1955, scored nine goals, and was part of the 1950 World Cup squad.

Someone described him as the first deep-lying centre-forward in English football, in the style of the Hungarian international player, Nandor Hidegkuti.

Following his move to Fulham in 1956, Roy reverted to centre-half and Alec Stock brought him to Loftus Road five years later.

Roy made his debut for the R's against Brentford on 19th August 1961 at the age of 37 years, and 94 days, making him QPR's second oldest ever debutant. He went on to make a total of 52 appearances for the Rangers.

A November 1962 home programme feature stated that Roy had turned down a coaching offer from Olympiakos because: "My ambition for the future lies as a manager in England."

He retired from playing at the end of 1962, but Roy was set to line-up in Alec Farmer's testimonial match at Loftus Road the following May.

The 'Quick Pars on Rangers' section of the Southend home programme in April mentioned that: 'Stopping off at the club on Sunday after a business visit to London was Roy Bentley who brought a friend who is a butler to the Royal Family. Reg Partington says there is no chance of a transfer to the Rangers' "club" being arranged.'

Roy took over as manager of Reading the following year and in 1969 moved on to Swansea City, where he won them promotion to the old 3rd Division.

Roy Thomas Frank Bentley 17th May 1924 – 20th April 2018:

Rest in Peace.

Steve Russell



http://www.indyrs.co.uk/2018/05/in-memory-of-roy-bentley/

[WhiteJC]

 
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villa Fans on the Way to Wembley

After the semi-final grind over two legs against Middlesbrough comes a potentially different kind of match against Fulham at Wembley in the play-off final.

Will Villa's tradition, size and experience count for anything at Wembley against the undoubted Championship form side of 2018? Will Bruce play it tight to snatch the win or open up and have a go? it should hopefully prove an intriguing encounter.

Can Villa even contemplate defeat? For if it was to happen, it would certainly mean they would be stepping down another rung in terms of statue. Joining the likes of Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday, trapped in the Championship.

The stakes are high.

Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villa fans leading up to the game.
Five Reasons...
D-Fence

"Whatever you do best, we're going to take away from you," former New York Jets coach, Rex Ryan used to opine about his Jets defence. It's pretty much what Bruce planned to do to Middlesbrough, as I mentioned in the last Five Reasons.

The fact Middlesbrough, who were chasing the game, registered zero shots on target during the match, shows you how well the Villa players executed the plan.

If Villa can take away Adama Traore, will they next attempt to take away Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon.

Playing so defensive may not be to everyone's liking, but it looks the likely cause of action against Fulham at Wembley. The fact that Villa got the drill down to a tee in the semi-final, will be good preparation for the final.

However, will it be more rewarding for Villa to approach the game with a more attacking mindset? If they approach the game too defensively and then go behind, it may present problems, as they have struggled this season to chase games.

Often, Bruce's only course of action has been to throw on multiple strikers, often in the place of the midfielders that would normally provide their supply line.
Loud and Proud

The 40,000+ crowd at Villa Park in the second leg were singing loud and proud across all stands. If this was standard practice for every game, we'd be a real force to be reckoned with.

With Villa's backing at Wembley numbering over 38,100+, Fulham fans and players maybe in for a bit of a surprise. Considering each one of Fulham fans can buy up to five tickets, they'll be a lot of day-trippers and neutrals out for a day out in the Fulham end.

This will certainly be advantage Villa. The Villa fans who were at the FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool will know what I'm talking about. We had over 6000 less fans that time, but could you hear Liverpool fans sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" during the build up? No sir. Their anthem was drowned out by the Villa faithful that day.
It's Official – Pulis is Limited

We've been in dire must-win circumstances facing Tony Pulis teams before and their seems to be a pattern emerging. He's always been dealt with.

After the double home win against the Baggies during a week in 2015, when Pulis had a chance to both cripple Villa's relegation survival quest and knock them out of the 1/4 final of the FA Cup, and keeping his team at arm's length in this season's play-off semi-final, what does this say about Pulis as a manager?

When he'd seen his team struggle to create chances during the first leg and then in the first hour at Villa Park, the Boro manager failed to take any decisive positive action. The lone striker wasn't working and Traore had little to work with, and needed someone to take the heat off him. When Patrick Bamford finally came on it was a like-for-like swap for Assombalonga.

Villa dealt comfortably with Pulis' Plan A, Adama Traore, and his only Plan B of throwing Rudy Gestede on for the final minutes, didn't exactly give Villa fans sweaty palms.
Pimms Sippers

A lot has been made of Fulham being the favourites for the play-off final at Wembley. They went on a long unbeaten run, they play good football and have two legitimate match-winners in Ryan Sessegnon and Aleksandar Mitrovic. Plus, they've been comfortable winners in both of Villa's trips to Craven Cottage.

But are they a team to fear?

Well, MOMS has always maintained that if you get your team together and play like one, you can make short-work of most of the teams in the Championship. Fulham have certainly done that, on their long 2018 unbeaten run of over 20 games. It's something that Villa could and should have done.

On the flip side though, they have a lack of big match experience, especially at Wembley, with only two players of their first XI having played there. Pretty much all of Villa's team have had multiple games there.

Also, it's the first time in 43 years that Fulham themselves have played at Wembley.

Can they handle the pressure? When the pressure was on for Fulham at the end of the season, with them needing to win against the Blues on the last day to secure automatic promotion, and then their following play-off match against Derby, they lost both games. If Derby could mark ala how Villa did against Boro, then it might have been a different outcome in the second leg.

Normally, when Villa have got to Wembley in the past decade, it's been against the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United. I'll happily take Fulham over any of those.
The Date

By now you will realise the significance of the play-off final date of the 26th May. It's the same day Villa beat Bayern Munich, 36 years ago in their finest hour to date.

On route to the final in Rotterdam, Villa also won the semi-final against Anderlecht 1-0 on aggregate over two legs; the same score they beat Middlesbrough by.

Villa were also the underdogs against the German team.

Are the stars aligning once again?

UTV


https://www.myoldmansaid.com/five-reasons-to-be-cheerful-as-villa-fans-on-the-way-to-wembley/

[WhiteJC]

 
Stan Collymore: The Premier League needs Aston Villa

Former Aston Villa striker Stan Collymore believes the Premier League would benefit from a Villa return

Stan Collymore believes that the Premier League needs Aston Villa to be successful in the play-off final at Wembley on Saturday.

The former Villa striker stated in his weekly column for our sister title The Mirror this week that there are too many 'smaller clubs' getting to the Premier league and not making a good enough job of it.

He writes:

"The Premier league needs Aston Villa and other big clubs like Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Derby.

"We are being overloaded with smaller clubs that have sneaked into the Premier League, are cheap to buy, and have low expectations.

"They get to the top flight and then roll over and have their bellies tickled by the big sides.

Big clubs come with big expectations even when they are not doing so well so I would love to see Villa back.

"But given the way Fulham under Slavisa Jokanovic have been playing this season, I wouldn't be surprised if they took the last remaining ticket to the Premier League. "



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stan-collymore-premier-league-needs-14688536