Friday Fulham Stuff (01/06/18)...

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"We are making a difference," says Jeff Stelling

Over the last six seasons Prostate Cancer UK, the Official Charity Partner of the EFL, has raised over £4 million to help beat prostate cancer - a disease killing one man every 45 minutes in the UK.

On behalf of Prostate Cancer UK, Jeff Stelling would like to thank EFL fans, managers, players and club employees for joining the fight against the most common cancer in men.

"Since deciding to take on walking challenges for Prostate Cancer UK, and wearing my "Man of Men" badge every week on Soccer Saturday, I've learned so much about prostate cancer, and the devastating effects it has," says the Sky Sports presenter, who alongside more than 1000 football fans, raised over £800,000 for Prostate Cancer UK from his marathon march events across the EFL and beyond. Together with the EFL, Jeff has helped raise the profile of the disease dramatically.

"The stats are shocking, such as how prostate cancer is now the third biggest cancer killer, overtaking breast cancer, and it's vitally important that men understand their risk. Remember those with a family history of the disease, men over 50 and black men are more at risk.

"I've met some incredible people along the way, like Sunderland fan Lloyd Pinder, and been inspired beyond belief at their stories and positivity while dealing with something so heartbreaking. Rarely a week goes by when I don't hear from someone affected by this disease."

As well as the charity's marathon marches with Jeff, over 1,500 fans joined and cycled the biggest ride in football to Amsterdam, and over 3,500 fans have collected money at EFL matchdays to find lifesaving research.

"We are making a difference and I'd like to thank the EFL, its member clubs and their dedicated employees, fans, players, managers and everyone who has worked so hard to raise money to beat a disease killing one man every 45 minutes in the UK – one half of a football match. There is still much to do, but together we will relegate prostate cancer forever."

You can find out more about Prostate Cancer UK's work in football by visiting prostatecanceruk.org/football.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/may/31/making-a-difference

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Taking a gamble is even less of a gamble than ever...

Whatever your thoughts on Saturday night's big game, you can't really deny that the right team won. You can ask questions about whether that should have been a red card, and you undoubtedly feel bad for the losers, but for the good of the game, you can ultimately only be happy that Fulham triumphed over Aston Villa in the play-off final.

Slavisa Jokanovic has been one of the most exciting managers in the Championship for a few years now: it is often forgotten that he was the man who got Watford promoted in style in 2015, only to be discarded for Quique Sanchez Flores. Having first insulated the Cottagers against the threat of relegation, he took Fulham to two successive play-off campaigns playing exciting, attacking football. No Championship side has scored more than their 194 goals since he took charge.

The Premier League has infamously had no shortage of dross at the bottom of the table over the past few seasons, and this year was no different. 33 points would have been enough to keep you up this year if you had a reasonable enough goal difference, with Swansea, Stoke and West Brom eventually proving to be the worst of the worst, ending a combined 24 years in the top flight across the three clubs.

What ultimately cost all three was a combination of complacency and a lack of imagination, the two tandem elements guaranteed to throw a club into a spiral. Failing to learn the lessons laid out by Wigan, Sunderland and Aston Villa, this year's relegated trio got too comfortable in their position as surprise long-term mid-table success stories, stopped evolving and paid the price. Had Southampton gone down instead, as they came alarmingly close to doing, you could write that precise same paragraph.

It's easy for this kind of thing to creep in. It started for Swansea when they panic-fired Garry Monk and brought in Francesco Guidolin, ending nearly a decade of careful managerial selections and instead finding themselves lurching from one short-term stop-gap measure to the next: from Guidolin to Bob Bradley to Paul Clement to Carlos Carvalhal.

Stoke's attempt to rescue the club from Tony Pulis' stagnancy only led to another five years of standing still under Mark Hughes, until eventually their terrible player recruitment caught up with them. Even after their relegation was confirmed, departed manager Paul Lambert was talking them up as being "too big not to bounce back", suggesting that those within the club still had not taken their medicine.

West Brom hired Alan Pardew.

As painful as it makes it to watch the Premier League at times, this is football doing what is supposed to do: flushing out the untalented, the uninterested and the uninspired, and rewarding the gutsy, the innovative and the forward-planners. Ignoring the Mark Hughes and Neil Warnock-shaped elephants in the room for a moment, this summer feels especially efficient in that regard, with the tired ideas of Pardew, Lambert, Arsene Wenger, Sam Allardyce, Tony Pulis and David Moyes all now out of the top flight, replaced by the infinitely more exciting Jokanovic, Unai Emery, Marco Silva, Nuno Espirito Santo and Manuel Pellegrini.

If that reads as an indictment of British managers, then it is justly so, for that is merely the excuse that the old guard like to hide behind rather than admit that the fans' needs have moved on from their respective heydays. With the top six so immovably entrenched, there is a limit on any promoted club's ambitions; given the choice between staying up by playing unaesthetically pleasing football or going down with at least a little bit of verve, most fans would now choose the latter. Staying up is no reward if all it means is another year of the same old poo.

You could point to the mid-season appointments of many of the names above as a very fair counter-argument to this, but it's beginning to feel like clubs all the way down the pyramid, but especially in the top two tiers, are becoming aware that they now have less to lose than ever by taking a chance and doing something different and exciting.

We talk about parachute payments and the riches of the Premier League providing an advantage in the Championship, but the truth is that the bounce-back rate of relegated clubs in the five years after falling out of the top flight has been pretty constant since at least 1972.

The big change has been that the number of clubs Doing A Leeds has dried up considerably: Sunderland may yet break this trend, but the worst-performing relegated sides since 2011-12 have been Wigan, Bolton and Blackburn, all of whom have been living at the bottom of the Championship or the top of League One since their respective drops from the big time. In other words, you would have to stuff things up pretty spectacularly to fall further than the second tier.

Meanwhile, over the past few years, plenty of clubs have taken what seemed like gambles to break out of the Championship pack and have been rewarded for it. Huddersfield effectively turned the club over to David Wagner in 2015, Watford have continuously replaced their managers despite each of them achieving their initial objectives, and whatever you think of the way Wolverhampton Wanderers have gone about achieving their promotion, they still took a chance by running the club according to the...let's say 'advice'...of Jorge Mendes.

All of which adds up to one conclusion: taking a gamble and going for something exciting is now less of a gamble than ever. It would be to the considerable betterment of the competition, the clubs and most importantly the fans if that message could keep filtering up to the boardrooms.



https://www.football365.com/news/taking-a-gamble-is-even-less-of-a-gamble-than-ever

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Newcastle should hijack West Ham's Fredericks deal

OPINION

Newcastle must hijack West Ham's bid to sign Fulham defender Ryan Fredericks.

Widespread reports in the last 24 hours claim the Hammers are close to wrapping up the capture of the right-back in what would be their first summer signing.

Hammers blog Claret and Hugh claim Fredericks will jet in from Las Vegas for talks with West Ham hierarchy on Monday and that the club believe they can 'out-bid' Premier League rivals on personal terms.

The Daily Mail report Newcastle are one of the clubs interested in Fredericks, who has been offered a deal to remain at newly-promoted Fulham.

Rafael Benitez's team should put the foot down on the accelerator and look to blow West Ham out of the water with the capture of the 25-year-old.

Fredericks has the pedigree of a Tottenham academy product and has just come back off the best campaign of his career in which he was named in the Championship team of the season.

A rampaging right-back who is searingly quick and has the sort of assists record that Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier would not turn their noses up at, he would provide the much-needed full-back cover Newcastle require.

Fredericks also has the huge advantage of being a free transfer, which is certain to appeal to the cash-conscious Magpies top brass.

To blow West Ham out of the water, Newcastle would need to offer a lucrative package and a multi-million pound signing-on fee.

It is a deal that could pay huge dividends if they can get it done.



https://nothingbutnewcastle.com/2018/05/blogs/newcastle-should-hijack-west-hams-fredericks-deal/

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Fulham fans debate whether to buy Aleksandar Mitrovic – Interesting

Aleksandar Mitrovic - Fulham supporters debate just how desperate they are to sign him on a permanent deal.

Aleksandar Mitrovic continues to be one of the most talked about Newcastle players, despite not having started a single NUFC league match for over a year.

A successful short-term loan at Fulham has seen Mitro score 12 goals and help his team to promotion to the Premier League.

Making 20 appearances, Fulham won 15 of them with Aleksandar Mitrovic, with three draws and two defeats.

Now we get to the tricky bit – what happens next?

Many Newcastle fans are already mentally spending the Serbian's transfer fee, wondering just who Rafa would target if he has the necessary funds.

As for Fulham fans, what value do they put on the Newcastle striker and just how desperate are they to keep him?

Views of Fulham fans on whether to buy Aleksandar Mitrovic taken from various Fulham message boards:

'Khan is no Micky Mouse. He knows the challenge of the premiership, and buying players like Mitrovic is a must!

Saying that, Mitro is hoping for a good world cup campaign, and he might have bigger ambitions than Fulham.

He is an old fashion hold up player that suits us, and i just wonder how many big clubs will come in for him.

I think he should take the hint and stay with Fulham, because everything is ticking for him at the cottage. It doesn't always work out swopping clubs and he may well find that out the hard way. What isn't broke, don't fix it!

Mitro could have a happy 5 years at Fulham if he chooses to.'

'First we have to give Sess a new 4 or 5 year contract.

Mitro doesn't suit Rafa style of boring defensive football but for us, he's perfect – at least until we are ready to fight for the top 8.

Next we have to resolve Fredericks situation either way. If he goes we have Christie so not the end of the world. We also have to reward Cairney with another long term contract. He could really shine in the premier league.'

'Difficult task knowing which players to release but we need, a striker (poss Mitrovic), two centre backs (cover for Ream who should definitely stay), a left back (not sure Targett is Prem level), a top class centre midfielder, and a number 10 type player. that would be my wish list. We probably need to spend at least £60 million on transfer fees (is that possible?)'

'Mitrovic – Like Targett so happy to have been given the opportunity to play in such a talented and expansive team.

Would be surprised if he didn't take up an offer of a permanent contract.

Seems he's loved every minute of it, best 4 months of his career so far.

Great to see him and Slav talking in their mother tongue. That has got to count for something.'

'The fact Targett (and others) were allowed to go on loan from the Premier league does not mean they could not perform at that level.

However I am really not sure about Targett but I do think Mitrovic could do well for us.

I also read with interest a comment about half our squad not being Premier league standard and I do tend to agree with that but making too many changes might be too disruptive?'

Clearly Targett isn't Premier League standard otherwise Southampton would not have loaned him to us.'

'I guess it is all about opinions, but using that logic would suggest that Mitro is not a premier league standard player!

I think Targett is definitely good enough for that level, some players just do not fit some clubs. It does not necessarily mean that they are not good enough for the standard that that club is playing at. It just means that there may be other players who the manager rates as better.'

'Well although Mitrovic was superb for us in the second half of the season that does not mean he is proven in the Premier League – he isn't. '

'I hope he can prove himself if we sign him but you also have to take account that Benitez is a very experienced Manager with a trophy cabinet so he knows a little bit about players and football.'

'The jury is still out on whether Mitrovic can do in the Prem what he did for us in the Championship but hopefully we will get him and hopefully he WILL prove himself....'

'Hardly any of our current squad are proven at that level and the ones that are you could say played for much worse teams than our current squad (Ream).

However, I believe that most of the current team are good enough for the Prem.

So Mitro and Targett would surely be in the same category as the rest of the players if we signed them.'

'Don't buy players who resemble wee krankie!

Get some hard nuts in, Mitro must have some mates.'

'Mitro, Targett and new contracts for Freddo & Sess have to be our main priorities.'



https://www.themag.co.uk/2018/05/fulham-fans-debate-whether-buy-aleksandar-mitrovic-interesting-newcastle-united/

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West Ham set to beat Arsenal, Newcastle and Fulham to the services of top ace

West Ham United are set to win the race to sign Ryan Fredericks this summer, according to The Daily Mail.

Fredericks is out of contract at Fulham this summer and is said to be considering his options despite winning promotion with the Cottagers.

The 25-year-old was part of the Fulham team that beat Aston Villa 1-0 at Wembley to return to the Premier League and he was considering remaining at Craven Cottage.

But now he looks set to move to West Ham instead and become Manuel Pellegrini's first signing of the summer transfer window.

The former Tottenham Hotspur academy product has enjoyed his best season to date, helping Fulham win promotion and earning a spot in the EFL Championship Team of the Year.

West Ham have been watching him since November after being alerted to his contract situation and the East London outfit are confident of landing him despite Fulham offering fresh and improved terms.

The soon-to-be free agent is a man in-demand this summer with Newcastle United and Crystal Palace also said to be keen while Premier League giants Arsenal have been linked with a swoop too.

But it looks like the Hammers are set to beat off the competition and land the former England under-19 international on a free transfer this summer.

The Verdict

On a free transfer, this is ridiculously good business for the Irons.

Fredericks will spend his first season at the club alternating with veteran Pablo Zabaleta in the right-back role and he will learn so much from the Argentine.

The Fulham defender offers pace, attacking threat, defensive solidity and his best years are still ahead of him – Fulham will be gutted to lose him.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/west-ham-set-to-beat-arsenal-newcastle-and-fulham-to-the-services-of-top-ace/

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West Ham in talks to sign Fulham right-back Ryan Fredericks

West Ham are in talks to sign out-of-contract Fulham star Ryan Fredericks, according to Sky sources.

Fellow Premier League clubs Southampton and Crystal Palace are also interested in the right-back, who was an important part of the Whites' Sky Bet Championship promotion campaign.

Fulham have been in talks with Fredericks over a new contract since last November but they have yet to agree terms.

The 25-year-old, who switched to Craven Cottage after less than a month at Bristol City in 2015, has made over 100 appearances for the west London club.

West Ham are actively trying to do business before the World Cup begins in Russia following the arrival of Manuel Pellegrini as their new manager.

They are in talks to sign Genoa defender Armando Izzo and are also interested in Barcelona's Marlon Santos, West Brom's Jay Rodriguez and Lazio star Felipe Anderson, according to Sky sources.

Manchester United, meanwhile are interested in signing West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic, according to Sky sources.



http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11685/11390514/west-ham-in-talks-to-sign-fulham-right-back-ryan-fredericks

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5 goals, 4 assists: Why Fulham need to secure deal for 24-year old ahead of Premier League campaign



Fulham secured promotion to the Premier League with a tense 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday and manager Slavisa Jokanovic will already be planning on adding to his squad for the top-flight.

The Cottagers are blessed with several players who appear ready to make the step up but there's no doubt that they still need a few additions.

Some will be needed to add star quality to the team, whilst Jokanovic will also want to beef up his squad for what could be a tough season.

And, one man who could fall into the latter category is Lucas Piazon, who enjoyed a positive spell on loan with the west London side this season from local rivals Chelsea.

As our graphic shows, whilst not a key component of this side, the 24-year old made a good contribution to the promotion-winning campaign, netting five goals and weighing in with four assists in 23 games.

Another important stat is the 83.1% pass accuracy that Piazon has, which highlights his technique and composure on the ball, which is vital in the way that Fulham look to play.

Given how far he is off the first-team at Chelsea, a move seems inevitable for the Brazilian and he will surely be open to a move back to the Cottage in surroundings he knows well and a manager who can get him firing.

Ultimately, there will be a lot of new faces at Fulham in the coming months and getting Piazon back would be a smart move for the newly-promoted side.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/5-goals-4-assists-why-fulham-need-to-secure-deal-for-chelsea-man-ahead-of-premier-league-campaign/

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West Ham confident of signing Fulham defender Ryan Fredericks

• Fredericks' contract with Fulham expires this summer
• West Ham adamant Marko Arnautovic will not be sold

West Ham are confident of signing the right-back Ryan Fredericks, whose contract with Fulham expires this summer.

Fredericks is also a target for Crystal Palace, among other clubs, and Fulham are trying to persuade the 25-year-old to extend his contract after they were promoted to the Premier League. The defender is due to hold talks with West Ham next week.

Fredericks, a product of Tottenham's academy, has never played in the top division. He joined Fulham from Bristol City in 2015.

West Ham are emphatic that Marko Arnautovic will not be sold to Manchester United if José Mourinho, who watched the forward play for Austria on Wednesday, moves for him. They regard Arnautovic as too important to be allowed to go.

The Lazio winger Felipe Anderson features in West Ham's thinking but Manuel Pellegrini's priority is to strengthen a defence that conceded 68 goals last season. The club are weighing up whether to pursue their interest in Barcelona's Marlon Santos amid concerns that the Brazilian centre-back is too short for the Premier League and have also targeted Genoa's Armando Izzo.

West Ham also want a goalkeeper following Joe Hart's return to Manchester City and are monitoring Manchester United's Sam Johnstone, who impressed on loan at Aston Villa last season.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/31/transfer-latest-west-ham-fulham-ryan-fredericks

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Aleksandar Mitrovic to cost Fulham up to £20m?

On-loan Fulham striker Aleskandar Mitrovic could reportedly cost up to £20m, should the Cottagers be interested in tying the Serbian down to a permanent deal.

The Newcastle forward, who joined Fulham on loan in January, scored 12 goals for the West London club to help push them to promotion back to the Premier League.

Mitrovic is heading to the World Cup with Serbia and could cost the Cottagers £20m if the 23-year-old impresses in Russia.

Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney has urged the club to sign the striker on a permanent deal.

"We have got to try and sign him," the midfielder told reporters. "He is a Premier League centre-forward. He is going to play for Serbia in the World Cup and if he scores goals there then more people are going to be in for him. I think he loves it here and he loves the manager.

"We are an attractive club to come to. "We have been in the Premier League for a long time apart from the last few years, we are in London and the style of play is attractive. We look to play football and score goals."

Fulham join Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cardiff City in ascending to the top flight next season.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/transfer-talk/news/mitrovic-to-cost-fulham-up-to-20m_327250.html

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Why Fulham's play-off win – and promotion in general – is about far more than just money

To The Telegraph, it was worth £160 million. The Daily Mail and The Sunday Times both valued it at £180 million, while The Daily Express plumped for £200 million.

You get the idea and we hear it every year: the Championship play-off final, contested by Aston Villa and Fulham last Saturday, is worth a huge amount of money to the victors thanks to the Premier League's enormous TV deal.

Yet something was missing in the coverage that followed the Cottagers' 1-0 win at Wembley – something I'd like to try and articulate as a Fulham fan, rather than a journalist.

The truth is, I can't remember hearing another supporter – not one of the thousands clad in white on Wembley Way on Saturday, nor any of the regulars at Craven Cottage throughout the season – talking about the financial repercussions of victory. Well, except one.

"Think about the parachute payments!"  beamed my dad.

I found that a bit weird but perhaps he just is, given he drove a seven-year-old me away from the clutches of supporting the dark force in blue a mile or so down the road. If you'd seen him at Wimbledon station on Saturday, you might have thought he looked a bit odd too.

"Don't forget Dad," I'd said on the phone before meeting to travel up to the game, "All in white today."

"OK!" he replied enthusiastically. In hindsight, a little too enthusiastically: when I met him at noon on the station platform, he was wearing his Fulham shirt, a pair of equally white shorts and matching white socks, rounded off with black trainers.

Dad had clearly never heard the term "Full Kit winker" before, sheltered as he is from the evils of Football Twitter. After suggesting he probably didn't want to end up going viral, I implored him to change when we met our friends at East Putney. Mercifully, Dad had brought along a spare set of clothes including trousers, "in case we lost" as he reasoned.

As a season-ticket holder for 14 years, I sat next to him at pretty much every Fulham home game, experiencing the highs of seeing the club reach a Europa League final and the lows of the Lawrie Sanchez era and relegation under Felix Magath.

The latter was a nightmare I didn't escape when moving to Cologne three years ago. Tell a German football fan that you support Fulham and 99% will respond: "Aha! The Felix Magath club!" They would then laugh while I nervously rocked back and forth, thinking about Brede Hangeland's unfortunate experience with Quark.

It's precisely those darker experiences that helped make Saturday poignant – not just to Dad and I but to the 38,000 Fulham fans present at Wembley and beyond.

Only Brentford and Southend had waited longer than the 43 years Fulham had endured between the club's first and second trip to Wembley. In between, as the older generation of our fans will remind you, the club saw far worse than Magath, even briefly occupying second-bottom spot in the Football League some 22 years ago.

That was in front of a crowd of just over 2,500 at Torquay, a far cry from the 38,000 who created a white wall at Wembley on Saturday. That 20,000 tickets were sold within two hours of them going on sale tells you everything about the widespread desperation to get there – particularly as that figure eclipses the average attendance at Craven Cottage this term.

Perhaps that has something to do with Wembley being just eight-and-a-half miles away, and the fact that we've been to almost every other ground in the country since our last trip to the national stadium. The longing increased with each passing season, particularly as local rivals Brentford, QPR and Chelsea had all enjoyed visits in the last five years.

"So what?" you might say, pointing to the Europa League final in 2010. True enough, but this was different – a big day out just down the road. How special it was to be out in the sun at The Torch just off Wembley Way, rammed with Fulham fans resplendent in white who managed to get through the pub's supply of gin and tonic by two o'clock.

Each time an open top bus arrived, the noise cranked up a notch further. Best of all, though, was simply being there with the people that you've experienced it all with – from the Intertoto Cup win against Bologna to going 33 games without an away win, via a few cliché Tuesday nights in Stoke.

The downside? Not everyone was fortunate enough to have all their friends and relatives present on Saturday, although the occasion did at least give them a chance to feel that bit closer once again.

For one mate of mine, a home-and-away regular, reaching Wembley meant he could have the day he always wanted with his grandad, who was recovering after being diagnosed with leukaemia in September. Saturday was very much about people like those two.

It also contributed to a little cry I had before kick-off. Going to Wembley with Dad to watch Fulham play had always been on the bucket list. Knowing how much that would have meant to Grandma, an avid Fulham fan who passed away last January, meant a few tears slipped out.

I hadn't done that at a game in 15 years (a 4-0 home defeat by Blackburn the previous culprit) but come full-time, I'd end up doing the same again.

A large dose of joy was delivered by Tom Cairney's goal in the first half, which resulted in me hugging a man to my left who I'd never previously met. That was Fred, a gent of a slightly greater vintage, illustrated by the fact he was at the 1975 FA Cup final when Fulham lost to West Ham.

By the end he felt like a friend, but only after a level of suffering I can't remember having ever experienced as a fan. Denis Odoi's red card in the second half only made things worse. Never before has time gone so slowly as in those final few minutes, but it then accelerated to the most incredible speed in the blur of ecstasy and relief that followed the full-time whistle.

Amid more tears (which many others were shedding too), a double take was required when I glimpsed goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli legging it around the pitch with a black flare held up in his right hand, a moment which encapsulated the madness of it all.

Then on the other side, you had John Terry – not someone who you would describe as being popular outside of Stamford Bridge, let alone down by the banks of the River Thames. Chelsea have ruffled our hair for a countless number of years, so you can imagine why this victory felt even sweeter due to Terry's involvement.

It brought more satisfaction seeing Fulham lift the trophy. One Wembley steward tried to put a dampener on it on the way out, telling me ever so eloquently: "Yeah but you're going to get pumped 5-0 by Manchester City next season."

Quite possibly, but even if that is the case, me and every other Fulham fan will just think back to Saturday at Wembley – we quite simply haven't had a day like it.

For the record, I don't think Fulham will get relegated next season. But hey, for all those pessimists out there, at least the parachute payments are substantial. Right, Dad?



https://thesetpieces.com/features/why-fulhams-play-off-win-and-promotion-in-general-is-about-far-more-than-just-money/

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Fulham and Swansea City battle it out for Derby County ace

Fulham and Swansea City are the early favourites to sign Derby County forward Matej Vydra according to odds given out by bookmakers Bet Victor.

Vydra had an excellent season for the Rams this season, helping them to the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Semi-Finals, and picking up the division's golden boot along the way.

Because of this, and Derby's failure to achieve promotion to the Premier League, Vydra is expected to leave the club this season as they look to stabilise their finances. It seems that he may be offered his chance in the Premier League, with Fulham leading the race to sign him.

The Cottagers beat Derby County 2-1 over two legs in the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Semi Final, and then went on to beat Aston Villa 1-0 at Wembley to book their place in the 2018/19 Premier League.

They have been given odds of 8/1 to sign the 19 cap Czech Republic international. Swansea City have just gone in the opposite direction to Fulham, but they have been given the same odds as the Cottagers to take him to Wales.

Swansea's relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on the final day of the season, but they are already one of the early favourites to bounce straight back.

Recently relegated West Bromwich Albion are also in the race, and they have been given odds of 10/1 to sign the player who enjoyed a loan spell at the Hawthorns back in 2013/14.

Bristol City are another club that have been mentioned, and they too have been given odds of 10/1.



http://the72.co.uk/103981/fulham-swansea-city-battle-derby-county-ace/

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Newcastle, Fulham target 26-year-old Serie A defender, club asks for discount

Gian Marco Ferrari joined Sampdoria from Sassuolo on a season-long loan deal last summer.

The defender made 30 appearances in Serie A and scored two goals in the process. According to Calciomercato.it, the 26-year-old's form for Marco Giampaolo's side has not gone unnoticed.

Calciomercato.it claim Ferrari is attracting interest from other clubs in Italy, Spain and England.

Fulham became the latest club to get promoted to the Premier League after defeating Aston Villa in the play-off final. Slavisa Jokanovic's side are said interested in signing Ferrari this summer, but they're not the only English club interested in the defender.

Rafael Benitez's Newcastle United are also looking at the option of signing him, according to the claims, and have joined Sevilla and Sampdoria in the race to secure Ferrari's signature. Sampdroia chairman Massimo Ferrero wants to keep the Italian defender at the club as they have an option of securing his services for €13m.

The report claims Samporia have asked for a discount on signing the player. Should Ferrari continue at Sampdoria, it will be only the second time in his career the defender has played at the same club for two consecutive seasons.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/newcastle-fulham-target-26-year-old-serie-defender-club-asks-discount/

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PL Primary Stars giving Cyrus a new life at school

Fulham are using Premier League schools programme to help one Year 5 pupil develop leadership skills and confidence

Meet Cyrus.

He is a Year 5 boy at St Mary's Primary School, in west London. His involvement at school has grown significantly thanks to the work of the Fulham FC Foundation and Premier League Primary Stars.

"Cyrus was identified to us as someone that was very, very intelligent, but lacked a lot of confidence in themselves," says Matt Weller, a Fulham FC Foundation coach.

His teacher, Nick Allen, adds: "When I first taught Cyrus he was very quiet and shy, almost nervous when approached, wouldn't look you in the eyes, he'd look down."

So Matt, at Fulham, looked to bring out that confidence in Cyrus in school. He was helped by Primary Stars and its free curriculum-linked resources that helps teachers bring learning to life and inspire pupils.

"The lessons are designed around winning and losing, problem solving and perseverance, and developing resilience," Matt explains.

By having the chance to develop teamwork and leadership skills through Primary Stars, Cyrus is able to communicate his ideas to his friends better.

"Since working with coach Matt, I learned that it doesn't really matter about winning or losing, it's more about having fun and helping others," Cyrus says.

"The more people I help, the more confidence I get."



https://www.premierleague.com/news/695179

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The Ryan Fredericks replacements Fulham must target this summer

Fulham have barely finished celebrating promotion to the Premier League but they have already come across their first challenge of the summer transfer window.

Right-back Ryan Fredericks is out of contract and a number of Premier League sides have not been put off making a move for him despite Fulham's promotion to the top flight.

According to reports today, Fredericks will snub a new deal at Fulham to join West Ham United, who have been long-term admirers of the 25-year-old.

The former England youth international was instrumental for the Cottagers this season, earning himself a spot in the EFL Championship Team of the Year too.

If the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster does leave, Fulham need to bring in a new player to rival Cyrus Christie for a starting spot at Craven Cottage.

Here are three players Fulham must consider targeting to replace Fredericks if he does leave this summer.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-ryan-fredericks-replacements-fulham-must-target-this-summer/

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Newcastle want £20m for Mitrovic who is 'happy' to leave

Newcastle United have slapped a £20million price-tag on the head of Aleksandar Mitrovic as the Serbian hitman looks to be pushing a move to Fulham through the door, according to The Sun.

The report reveals that the striker, who has been a revelation since his arrival at Craven Cottage in the January transfer window, is also keen on the move, with Fulham seeking to spend £15million but the Magpies holding out for £5million more.

Mitrovic made only a handful of appearances for the Magpies this season prior to his exit – just six in fact – but was given a starting for the Championship play off winners.

Following Fulham's promotion, the striker revealed as quoted by the Chronicle and relayed in The Sun, that he would be "happy" to remain in London.

OPINION:

It has never really worked out for Mitrovic at Newcastle, for whatever reason, he has struggled to settle at St James' Park. However, the form he has shown at Craven Cottage where he notched up 12 goals in 17 games shows he is a player who the Magpies really ought to show more faith in and Rafa Benitez would do well to wave his magic wand and convince the Serbian his future is at St James' Park, giving him the assurance he needs that he will be given more of an opportunity at the club – it is not as though there is anyone within the ranks that has stood out to the point where he has deserved his lack of game-time. Having said that, with a fee of £20million being spoken about for the player, it looks as though the Magpies are preparing for his exit. Benitez may very well be left red-faced over this one though because if Mitrovic can convert his form in the Championship to the Premier League next season, fans will question why he was ever allowed to leave.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2018/05/blogs/newcastle-want-20m-for-mitrovic-who-is-happy-to-leave/

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Wolves ahead of Fulham and Derby as favourites to sign Crystal Palace star this summer

Bakary Sako is out of contract this summer at Palace - and Wolves remain keen to sign him

Premier League new boys Wolves are the current favourites with bookmakers to sign Crystal Palace forward Bakary Sako this summer.

The Malian international is out of contract this summer and has previously been linked with a return to his former side, having left Wolves for Palace on a free transfer in 2015.

It is understood that Palace have offered him a new contract and are hopeful that he will sign it to extend his stay in south London, but Bet Victor are still offering odds of 2/1 that he will rejoin his old side this summer.

Wolves are looking to strengthen their side ahead of their return to the Premier League, having won the Championship title last season.

And Sako is reportedly one of the players under consideration, with the Molineux outfit said to be monitoring his contract situation at Palace.

But the latest odds suggest that they are not the only ones, with Bet Victor also offering odds of 6/1 that he will join another newly-promoted side in Fulham.

Derby County, who have just appointed Chelsea legend Frank Lampard as their new manager, are third favourites to sign Sako at 8/1, the same price as West Brom, who were relegated from the Premier League.

Sako was a firm fans' favourite during his time at Wolves, helping the club to promotion from League One in 2013/14 and being named in the divisional team of the season in both that year and the following year in the Championship.

Since joining Palace, he has been dogged by injury troubles, but showed form last season when played by Eagles boss Roy Hodgson in a more advanced position, scoring six goals in all competitions.

His season was cut short though when he suffered a fractured ankle and damaged ligaments in a 1-1 draw with West Ham in January, and he has not featured since.

The Guardian reported yesterday that Palace are confident he will remain at the club, but it would appear that he will not be short of options if he decides not to extend his stay.



https://www.football.london/crystal-palace-fc/transfer-news/wolves-favourites-ahead-fulham-derby-14729349

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Exclusive: Why Ryan Fredericks has rejected Fulham's contract offer and is set to join West Ham

The full-back is on the cusp of completing a move to West Ham after Fulham failed to meet his demands.

Ryan Fredericks looks set to secure a move to West Ham United after failing to agree terms on a new deal at Fulham.

According to reports in The Mirror, the full-back is set to move to the London Stadium on a long-term deal.

However, Football.London understands that the right-back rejected the offer of a new deal at Craven Cottage due to his demands of being the highest paid player at the club.

Fulham's Ryan Fredericks 'agrees deal' to join West Ham following Newcastle interest

The 25-year-old had been in discussions with Fulham since October over a new deal at the club, with his current contract expiring next month.

It was thought that Fredericks would sign a deal if the club secured promotion to the Premier League, something which they did in Saturday's Play-Off final victory over Aston Villa at Wednesday.

Speaking to the London Evening Standard, the full-back implied that a new contract could be the horizon.

He said: "It's up to the people behind the scenes but I'm sure everyone will want to stay and play at the highest level with Fulham and see what we can achieve.

"Can this club allow me to fulfil my ambitions? Of course.

"You look at the players we're attracting, like Aleksandar Mitrovic, we've already got Premier League players in the Championship so I'm sure we're going to build again and have many years in the Premier League."

The delay in signing a deal alerted West Ham, Newcastle and Crystal Palace to his situation, and it seems that the former has got their wish of snapping up the defender.

While the news will no doubt be a bitter blow for Fulham, they will be boosted by the strength in depth of the defensive department after signing Cyrus Christie in January.

The Republic of Ireland full-back joined from Middlesbrough, and despite struggling for first team opportunities is highly regarded by those at the club as a ready-made replacement for the seemingly outgoing Fredericks.

When approached by Football.London the football club refused to comment on the claims.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/exclusive-ryan-fredericks-fulham-contract-14729391

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Tactical analysis: Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Championship Playoff Final, May 26 2018

Aston Villa 0

Fulham 1

Cairney (23)

Fulham joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in winning promotion to the Premier League for the 2018/19 season by beating Aston Villa in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium. Captain Tom Cairney scored the only goal of the game in the 23rd minute after combining with Ryan Sessegnon, and despite later being reduced to 10 men, the Cottagers held on for the victory. Here, our professional coaches analyse the tactics and key moments from Fulham's triumph – and assess what went wrong for Steve Bruce and Villa.

Starting line-ups

Analysis: Aston Villa
Aston Villa set up in a 4-1-4-1 formation with the intention of using Jack Grealish's quality through the middle to cause problems for Fulham at Wembley.

The game started fairly balanced, but Fulham soon took control, and Villa struggled to deal with the threat of their opponents' quick and well-organised attacks. The Villans were reluctant to push players forward when in possession, and this lack of options meant their attacks often broke down. As a result, they rarely threatened the Fulham goal in the first half.

Full-backs Alan Hutton and Mohamed Elmohamady were reluctant to leave their own half and one of the midfield three, usually Mile Jedinak, would stay to help protect the defence against a counter-attack. It was clear that Villa had opted to operate a man-oriented approach to their out-of-possession strategy.

Steve Bruce's men were particularly concerned by the wide areas, where Hutton would be responsible for Aboubakar Kamara while Albert Adomah would have to track the movement of Ryan Fredericks. On the other side, Elmohamady would try to deal with Ryan Sessegnon, leaving Robert Snodgrass to track Matt Targett. This approach was problematic, as the fluidity of Fulham's movement, particularly from Sessegnon, often pulled the Villa players out of a compact structure, leaving gaps for penetration.

Villa significantly improved in the second half, when Grealish got on the ball more and tried to influence the game. The young midfielder's direct dribbling caused Fulham some problems, but these moments were few and far between.

After the dismissal of Fulham's Denis Odoi, Villa began to push more numbers forward – albeit with some caution – and they did pose a threat. Unfortunately, they appeared bereft of ideas in the final third and relied too heavily on Grealish to unlock the door. In a playoff final against a well-organised Fulham team, this simply wasn't enough to get Villa back into the game, as they were forced to concede defeat in their battle to win promotion back to the Premier League.

Analysis: Fulham
Slavisa Jokanovic set his Fulham team up in a 4-3-3 which became a 3-4-3 in possession, when Kevin McDonald would often drop in to join Denis Odoi and Tim Ream as a back three, giving Ryan Fredericks and Matt Targett the licence to push forward into midfield. Ryan Sessegnon and Aboubakar Kamara could then play on the top line or move into the half-spaces.

The Cottagers enjoyed an extremely comfortable opening 45 minutes, with Aston Villa struggling to threaten a well-organised group of players. Fulham tended to attack down the right, as Fredericks, a high assist provider, looked to get forward at any given opportunity to support the attack.

With the technical quality of central players Tom Cairney and Stefan Johansen, Fulham were able to simultaneously dominate possession in the middle of the pitch and maintain the width provided by their two full-backs to stretch Villa. The gaps they created were not enormous but were spacious enough for penetration – and this is where the winning goal came from.

Johansen's pass from deep in midfield caught Villa out, penetrating through two of their defensive units. Sessegnon had drifted into a central area – where Villa's man-for-man tracking struggled to pick him up – and the weight and quality of his ball to Cairney was excellent, allowing his captain to finish first time.

The second half was much more closely contested than the first, as Villa had to go in search of an equaliser. Once centre-back Denis Odoi had been dismissed for a second yellow card, however, Fulham switched to a 4-4-1 and maintained a very compact block in their bid to see out the game. Oliver Norwood, who replaced Johansen in midfield, was particularly effective with his smart positioning and desire to recover into shape following an attack. The new formation denied Villa the space to create many meaningful attacks, and Fulham deservedly finished the game as winners.

Key points
Aston Villa were too cautious in possession and struggled to build any potent attacks due to numerical inferiority. Their man-oriented defensive approach, meanwhile, offered a clear purpose, but failed to address the superior quality of the Fulham players and the fluidity of their movement.

The discipline of Kevin McDonald to hold his position in Fulham's midfield meant that Matt Targett and Fredericks could offer more support in attack and provide the width. This allowed Aboubakar Kamara and Ryan Sessegnon to operate inside more frequently.

The dismissal of centre-back Denis Odoi did allow Villa to have more of the ball in the final stages, but they lacked a clear strategy in attack. They relied too heavily on Jack Grealish to create in the final third and never looked like getting back into the game.



https://www.coachesvoice.com/tactical-analysis-aston-villa-0-fulham-1/

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English Premier League: Fulham ready to compete in The Top Flight

Fulham FC will be a shot in the arm for the Premier League next year. Their unbeaten run of 23 matches demonstrated the strength of their squad. The English top flight will now experience this strength first hand.

The Premier League had its share of low scoring games for the 2017/2018 season. This was true even for much of the top 6. However, next season we will no doubt be treated to seriously edge-of-your-seat entertainment, and Fulham FC will be a big part of this.

You can't talk about Fulham this year without mentioning the 18 year-old wunderkind, Ryan Sessengon. He has been the best attacker on his team and was arguably the best player in the Championship. His electrifying play produced 16 goals and 8 assists last season, and will light up the Premier League next season.

Fulham FC will be a shot in the arm for the Premier League next year. Their unbeaten run of 23 matches demonstrated the strength of their squad. The English top flight will now experience this strength first hand.

The Premier League had its share of low scoring games for the 2017/2018 season. This was true even for much of the top 6. However, next season we will no doubt be treated to seriously edge-of-your-seat entertainment, and Fulham FC will be a big part of this.

You can't talk about Fulham this year without mentioning the 18 year-old wunderkind, Ryan Sessengon. He has been the best attacker on his team and was arguably the best player in the Championship. His electrifying play produced 16 goals and 8 assists last season, and will light up the Premier League next season.

The addition of Fulham, Wolverhampton, and Cardiff will set the Premier League on fire. There are so many exciting players that will call the EPL home. We are definitely in for a show. Teams who struggled last campaign, have more to worry about than the three who got called up.



https://thetopflight.com/2018/05/31/english-premier-league-fulham-top-flight/

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Mitrovic and Kalas will cost Fulham £30m
by Dan on May 31, 2018

Fulham could be successful in their quest to sign some of their loan rangers on a permanent basis this summer – but bringing Aleksandar Mitrovic and Tomas Kalas to Craven Cottage for good will cost the Whites around £30m, according to the Daily Mirror.

Slavisa Jokanovic is keen to conclude a deal with Newcastle for Serbian striker Mitrovic, who has fallen out of favour with Rafa Benitez at St. James' Park. Mitrovic scored twelve times in a successful loan spell that culminated in Fulham winning promotion via the Championship play-offs and whilst the 23 year-old forward appears to be surplus to requirements in the north east, Newcastle may well wait until the end of the World Cup to see just how big a bidding war they can start for the former Anderlecht striker's services.

Mitrovic himself hinted that he would be keen to stay with Fulham – where he has 'played some best football of my career' – in the aftermath of last weekend's play-off final win over Aston Villa. The Mirror suggests that Newcastle will be looking for a fee within the region of £20m, which would shatter Fulham's transfer record.

Centre back Tomas Kalas has made no secret of the fact that he is keen to move on from Chelsea this summer – and after two successful loan spells in SW6, Fulham could be a suitable destination for the Czech international to further his career. The 25 year old's second season at Craven Cottage didn't see him start as many games as his first spell under Jokanovic, with injuries and the form of Denis Odoi meaning he finished the campaign as Fulham's third choice substitute, but the Whites are believed to be keen to strengthen their defensive options ahead of their Premier League return.

Fulham did negotiate with Chelsea over the possibility of buying Kalas last summer but were priced out of a move. The Mirror reckons that the Blues value Kalas, who has made just two league appearances in eight years at Stamford Bridge, at around £10m. Whether Fulham will balk at such an outlay remains to be seen.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/05/mitrovic-and-kalas-will-cost-fulham-30m/