Saturday Fulham Stuff (02/06/18)...

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Has Ryan Fredericks used West Ham to land improved Fulham deal as rumours emerge over twist in transfer?

West Ham United were reportedly closing in on the signing of Fulham defender Ryan Fredericks on a free transfer.

West Ham are in talks to sign out-of-contract Fulham star Ryan Fredericks, as reported by the likes of Sky Sports.

Fredericks, who has also been interesting other Premier League clubs including Southampton and Crystal Palace, is hot property after enjoying a superb season helping the Cottagers achieve promotion back to the Premier League.

West Ham had reportedly stolen a march on everyone else, though, with Fulham struggling to agree terms over a new contract with the right back.

Football London claims Fredericks is demanding to be Fulham's highest paid player as part of negotiations with West Ham offering the player the best package.

But with the Hammers looking set to solve a problem position by making Fredericks their first signing, rumours have emerged on fans websites connected to both clubs of a twist in the tale over the transfer with Fulham matching West Ham's offer.

And that could see Fredericks remain in West London, which would prove an early blow to Manuel Pellegrini's plans to get as much business done before the World Cup as possible.

If the speculation is true it looks as if West Ham may have been sold a dummy by the player and his representatives in a bid to get the deal he wanted at Fulham.

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.

He is said to be one of five key targets for the Hammers this summer including Felipe Anderson, Marlon Santos, Armando Izzo and Jay Rodriguez.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/06/01/has-ryan-fredericks-used-west-ham-to-land-improved-fulham-deal-a/

[WhiteJC]

 
Chelsea set £10m asking price for 25-year-old



Chelsea are looking to recoup £10m from Tomas Kalas' sale this summer, with Fulham keen to take their former loanee on a permanent basis.

According to the Mirror's print edition (31/05, page 57), Fulham are hoping to bring Kalas back to Craven Cottage on a permanent deal, with Chelsea slapping a £10m price-tag on the defender.

Kalas has been on-loan at Craven Cottage over the last two years, making 76 appearances for the Cottagers and helping to transform Slavisa Jokanovic's side into one of the most dangerous in the Sky Bet Championship.

During the 2017/18 campaign, the 25-year-old defender started on 29 occasions for Fulham in the Championship, as they finally secured their place back in the Premier League.

Jokanovic led his side to third in the Championship table after 46 fixtures, before Fulham defeated Derby County and Aston Villa in the play-offs to secure a top-flight return.

Kalas, who Fulham are hoping will be part of their Premier League squad, featured during the final 13 minutes of the play-off final, which was won by Tom Cairney's 23rd minute goal.

The defender will now return to Chelsea, who he has only managed three senior appearances for.

The Verdict 

Kalas has been a key part of Fulham's side over the last two years, helping Jokanovic's squad into a real force in the Championship.

Of course, things are going to be different in the Premier League, but adding a player that has had such an influential role seems like a sensible option.

Chelsea are in a luxurious position where they can demand a high fee for Kalas, but from Fulham's point of view, a deal is worth £10m.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/chelsea-set-10m-asking-price-for-25-year-old/

[WhiteJC]

 
West Ham ready to offload Michail Antonio amid Crystal Palace and Fulham transfer interest


Michail Antonio

West Ham are ready to offload Michail Antonio this summer, according to reports.

The winger made just 21 appearances in an injury-hit 2017-18 campaign and was disciplined by the club for turning up late to a team meeting in January.

The potential exits of Wilfried Zaha and Bakary Sako would leave Crystal Palace short of widemen heading into the new season.

And the Guardian claims that Antonio could leave West Ham after joining the club for £7m in 2015.

He faces an uncertain future under new Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini, who is reportedly keen to sign Lazio attacker Felipe Anderson.



http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/sport/palace/16263588.West_Ham_ready_to_offload_star_amid_Crystal_Palace_and_Fulham_transfer_interest/

[WhiteJC]

 
Ryan Fredericks on brink of joining West Ham on free transfer to become first signing for boss Manuel Pellegrini

    Ryan Fredericks has joined West Ham on a free transfer after winning promotion
    The right-back has impressed during his time at Fulham in the Championship
    It is the first summer signing for West Ham since Manuel Pellegrini took charge

Ryan Fredericks is on the brink of joining West Ham on a free transfer after an impressive campaign with play-off winners Fulham.

The 25-year-old right-back will become Manuel Pellegrini's first signing as the new West Ham manager looks to bring in a number of transfer targets quickly.

Fulham looked to keep hold of the defender after Premier League interest from Crystal Palace and Newcastle but he looks set to swap west London for east London ahead of the new campaign.


Ryan Fredericks is to join West Ham despite Fulham's promotion to the Premier League


Fulham have offered Fredericks improved terms but West Ham are ready to announce a deal

He was a regular for Slavisa Jokanovic's men in 2017-18, playing 48 times for the Cottagers.

Fulham defeated Aston Villa 1-0 in the play-off final at Wembley on Saturday to seal a return to the Premier League after four seasons away from the top tier.

Villa felt Fredericks could have been sent off after a first-half tangle with Jack Grealish but it was Fulham who eventually emerged victorious thanks to a 23rd minute goal from Tom Cairney.




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5794587/Ryan-Fredericks-brink-joining-West-Ham-free-transfer.html#ixzz5HC7VkgpQ
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"Picking Fulham was a good bet" – Forward happy with his choice, now looking ahead

It was with a bit of controversy that Rui Fonte left Braga to join Fulham last summer. Coming from a club that usually play in the Europa League, the player had his decision to move the Championship much questioned in Portugal.

But things ended up going well for the striker. Now after achieving promotion last weekend, he's set to play in the Premier League for the Whites, and this has been highlighted in a story from Record today.

Fonte has claimed that joining the Craven Cottage side was a great decision after all, and is now preparing himself to play in England's top tier.

"Picking Fulham was a good bet. I came to the club to play in the Premier League, because I would not leave Braga just for the financial part. My choice would always have to be based on a good project," Fonte told Record.

"Fulham are a very friendly club, unlike any other club. It's too early to set goals, but I want to help the team in as many games as possible."

The striker only scored three goals for the club this season, but is still glad that he could feature in 27 Championship matches.

"We were always in the fight and I played a lot of games from the beginning. In this final stretch I played less but I was always helping the team."

On the playoff game against Aston Villa which led Fulham to the Premier League promotion, the played talked about how exciting it was to play at Wembley: "There were 85,000 people in the stadium, which is unthinkable in Portugal. Living that atmosphere was impressive."

"This league is very physical, but I adapted well and now I was able to better explore my abilities. In the Premier League it will be different."



http://sportwitness.co.uk/picking-fulham-good-bet-forward-happy-choice-now-looking-ahead/

[WhiteJC]

 
Forgotten Friday: USA & Fulham Legend Brian McBride

Ahead of Ireland's international friendly against the USA we take a look back at ex-Everton and Fulham striker, and brilliantly Irish-sounding American, Brian McBride.

Rise To Success

Despite sounding like he went to primary school in Ireland, US soccer legend Brian McBride did not, in fact, enroll in the Emerald Isle.

McBride was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois and went to Saint Louis University where he broke every record imaginable for the Bilikens soccer team, including goals (72) and assists (40).

McBride's first venture into English football came in 2000 when he signed for a young David Moyes at Preston. Despite only making nine appearances during his spell at Deepdale (mainly due to suffering a serious blood clot injury on his debut) Moyes tried to sign McBride permanently, but the £1.8 million offer was rejected by the MLS.

Four years later McBride was back on loan under Moyes's guidance, but this time it was on Merseyside with Premier League side Everton. The Toffees were plummeting down the table when McBride joined, and the busy striker's four goals in eight games were crucial as Everton finished 17th, narrowly avoiding the drop.



The next season McBride signed for Fulham for £1.5 million and grabbed ten league goals in his first two seasons at Craven Cottage.

Despite being just six-foot tall, McBride established himself at Fulham as one of the biggest aerial threats in the division and was constantly praised for his commitment and dedication on the pitch.

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Career Highs

As impressive as McBride's MLS scoring record was, the highlight of his club career undoubtedly came in the 2006/7 Premier League season. The Illinois native bagged 12 goals and captained Fulham to safety after his side had slipped into relegation trouble.

McBride's goals and commitment to Fulham Football Club are so fondly remembered at Craven Cottage that in June 2009, they renamed the iconic bar at the ground "McBrides" as a tribute to their beloved striker.



On an international front, McBride notched an impressive 30 goals in 95 games for the USA, three of which came at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups respectively. 

He also scored four times for his country in the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign and, in 2014, was inducted into the US Soccer Hall of Fame.

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Where He Is Now?

After leaving his beloved Fulham in 2008, McBride returned to the MLS and played three seasons with Chicago Fire before retiring from the game in 2010. He did, however, come out of retirement in 2012 to play with Wembley FC in their FA Cup campaign alongside fellow Premier League icons, Ray Parlour, Martin Keown, and Danny Dichio.



http://www.punditarena.com/football/oisinmcqueirns2758/forgotten-friday-usa-fulham-legend-brian-mcbride/

[WhiteJC]

 
Chelsea ready to sell Kalas for £10m

Chelsea are ready to sell Tomas Kalas this summer but are demanding £10 million from potential suitors.

The Mirror, as cited by Football League World, claim Fulham are keen on a permanent deal after the defender impressed with the Cottagers whilst on loan.

Fulham are preparing for life in the Premier League and Kalas does not appear to have a future at Stamford Bridge.

The defender has not ruled out returning to Chelsea and fighting for his place, but the Whites could offer him regular first-team football in the Premier League.

Kalas has become a fan favourite after two years on loan with Fulham and he played a key role in their promotion from the second tier.

The 25-year-old has been at Chelsea since 2010 but has been unable to break through into the first-team squad, making just a handful of appearances throughout his time at Stamford Bridge.



https://readchelsea.com/2018/06/01/chelsea-ready-to-sell-kalas-for-10m/

[WhiteJC]

 
The Tony Gale Column

Saturday was just amazing; 38,000 Fulham fans all dressed in white at Wembley, there's no better way to get promoted, although it's not good for the heart! Ideally you want to win the game 5-0 but it was always going to be tight between two sides as strong as those. We had to show some real character to come through 1-0, but I think that made the celebrations all the better when the final whistle eventually went as it ramped up the drama right until the last minute.

Hindsight in a wonderful thing, because now that we've achieved what we have, we're actually glad we didn't go up second. If we'd pipped Cardiff we wouldn't have been given that day out. And what a day out it was, absolutely fabulous, and congratulations to the Manager, all his coaching staff and the players. Brilliant. It sunk in for me as soon as I rang Les Strong to congratulate him. Les was on cloud nine after the game, well, his nose was touching the clouds at least!

I wasn't actually at the game as I'd been in Dubai for a trip I'd had planned for a long time so while I was gutted not to be there, I was delighted I managed to get back for kick-off. I got in my front door just in time. I always thought we were the better team, particularly in the first half. In the second half, with how it panned out with Denis Odoi getting sent off, we did really well. But Jack Grealish apart, I never really thought Villa had a threat.

I wouldn't say we played our best football, but it's so hard to play your best football on a day like that. There's so much pressure on you, the sun's beating down, but the boys performed admirably. If I was picking standout players of the Final I'd definitely go for Tim Ream, who did the job he's been doing all season – I thought he was excellent. I thought Kevin McDonald was excellent, too, because it was a day of battles and he seemed to always come out on top, as did Aleksandar Mitrović up front.

Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh on the team performance, because the goal was a thing of beauty. Our movement undid Villa. It wasn't a position that you normally see Tom Cairney get into. He's not known for getting in behind defences, but because of the rotation and movement and passing, it completely done them. It was a great goal; a good little turn from Ryan Sessegnon and a nice spot and ball inside the full-back Alan Hutton who was sleeping, and a good finish from Tom. A nice goal all round.

I must admit, I had a little bit of a tear in my eye when the finish whistle sounded. It doesn't just mean everything to the players, but also to the fans, and everyone who works behind the scenes. I really believe we deserve it and that we're back where we belong. As I cover the Premier League games week in week out I'm delighted that I'm going to get the chance to follow Fulham home and away again. Every game is a big game next season, and I would say that there's nothing to fear at all.

You just felt that we played so well in the second half of the season that we had to go up. This promotion will energise everyone; the Manager, the players, the fans. Let's not kid ourselves, we are going to need to strengthen, and I'm sure that will happen because Mr Khan has already shown that he's willing to back Slaviša. I've seen the likes of Huddersfield and Brighton stay up this season, and that makes me think we'll be okay. I don't think we'll change our style of play, the Manager will stick to his philosophy, but it will be interesting to see how we adapt when we come up against the big boys.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/june/01/the-tony-gale-column

[WhiteJC]

 
Fredericks to earn £50k-a-wk

Fulham flyer Ryan Fredericks will earn a 200% pay rise when he joins West Ham in a deal expected to be completed on Monday, according to Claret and Hugh.

The Hammers news website claim that Fredericks will put pen to paper on a deal worth £50,000-a-week at West Ham, which is a massive jump on his wage of £15,000-a-week at Craven Cottage.

Claret and Hugh report that Fulham were unwilling to hand Fredericks the £40,000-a-week deal he wanted to be on par with top earner and captain Tom Cairney.

It is said that reports a deal has already been signed are wrong, with an agreement expected to be reached on Monday when the 25-year-old jet-heeled wide man returns from Las Vegas.

OPINION

It has been widely reported that Fredericks was demanding to be the top earner at Fulham, which has in some ways been confirmed here, although he wanted parity with Cairney rather than to be the highest-paid outright. The figures quoted in this report make it quite clear that the major motivating factor behind Fredericks' move is money, with the flyer previously indicating he would stay at Fulham if they were promoted. The Cottagers however obviously failed to convince him to stay, and West Ham are set to be the benefactors. The Hammers will be getting a right-back very much in the mould of Kyle Walker, with his searing pace allowing Fredericks to burst forward dangerously in attack, and recover from impossible situations in defence. There remain questions over his defensive ability however, but those will hopefully be put to bed during his time at the club, with Pellegrini sure to try and iron those out.



https://foreverwestham.com/2018/06/blog-topics/fredericks-to-earn-50k-a-wk/

[WhiteJC]

 
Pre-Season Plans

The Club is now in a position to confirm the following with regards to our pre-season schedule.

Slaviša Jokanović and his team return to training the first week in July, and will face Crawley Town at Motspur Park in a behind-closed-doors fixture on Saturday 7th.

A week later the lads take on Sky Bet Championship outfit Reading – a game which is open to the public – at Aldershot Town's EBB Stadium in a 1.30pm kick-off.

We then head off on an overseas trip, to Évian-les-Bains in France, where we will play matches against two sides, on Wednesday 18th and Saturday 21st July.

Further friendly outings will follow, details of which will be confirmed in due course.

Our first Premier League fixture will then take place the weekend of 10-13th August.

*All information is correct at the time of writing, but please be advised that fixtures may change



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/june/01/pre-season-plans

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Do Need To Strengthen For The Premier League, But They Should Not Go Overboard With Summer Signings

The champagne bottles had barely been emptied before talk turned to next season. Fulham's 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in Saturday's Championship play-off final was a glorious day for the club and their supporters, who had to endure a 43-year wait between last weekend and their previous Wembley appearance. It is inevitable, though, that the focus has already shifted to whether the Cottagers are cut out for life in the Premier League.

In the vast majority of cases, promoted clubs are advised to make several upgrades as they seek to bridge the gap in quality between first and second tiers. Yet while it is true that Fulham need to strengthen in some areas, it is important that they do not lose sight of what got them to the top flight in the first place.

Last season was only the fourth time in the Premier League era that all three promoted sides –Huddersfield Town, Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion – stayed up. Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and Crystal Palace also kept their heads above water in 1997/98, as did Fulham, Bolton and Blackburn Rovers in 2001/02 and Queens Park Rangers, Swansea City and Norwich City in 2011/12.

Huddersfield, Newcastle and Brighton each went about their business in different ways last term, but all three clubs had one thing in common: none of them made wholesale changes in the preceding summer. Signings were sought in certain areas but managers David Wagner, Rafael Benitez and Chris Hughton were careful not to disrupt the harmony, spirit and togetherness which had played such a big part in each club's rise. Benitez in particular would have hoped for greater backing in the transfer market, but Newcastle, Brighton and Huddersfield all succeeded because their collectives amounted to more than the sum of their parts.

It is a lesson Fulham should bear in mind this summer. Retaining Tom Cairney, Ryan Sessegnon and loanee Aleksandar Mitrovic will be among the first tasks awaiting manager Slavisa Jokanovic, who will no doubt seek to add greater depth at centre-back, in midfield and on the flanks.

The Cottagers could be in for a tough campaign if they begin 2018/19 with the same squad that won promotion, but recruitment should be targeted towards quality rather than quantity. As Huddersfield, Newcastle and Brighton proved last time out, continuity can be the key to securing safety.



https://www.thesportsman.com/articles/fulham-do-need-to-strengthen-for-the-premier-league-but-they-should-not-go-overboard-with-summer-signings

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Cyrus Christie awaits his biggest pre-season yet

The 25-year-old has the chance to establish himself as first choice right-back.

Cyrus Christie has endured a somewhat frustrating few months in the capital since his deadline day move to Fulham from Middlesborough. Now the season is over the right-back will be enjoying his summer period before the most significant pre-season of his career awaits him.

The versatile full-back, who can also play on the wing will be a Premier League player come August and, despite failing to make a real impact on the Cottagers promotion via the play offs, Christie will be very optimistic he can still play a big part in Slaviša Jokanovic's plans.

His move from the north-east was confirmed for an undisclosed fee and since then the 25-year-old has only featured five times for the London side, starting just once. The former Coventry City player has found it difficult to make an impact due to the impressive form of fellow right-sided defender Ryan Fredericks.

Fredericks has been superb once again for Jokanovic but, according to reports from the Mirror, the full-back could be set to leave Craven Cottage. Coming to the end of his contract this summer, he has reportedly agreed a deal to sign for Manuel Pellegrini's West Ham.

The news would come as a considerable blow to Fulham, but will surely motivate Christie if the right-back comes up for grabs.

The Coventry born defender has over 17 international caps for the Republic of Ireland and was one of Derby's regular starters in the last few seasons. The departure of Fredericks would undoubtedly hurt the Cottagers, but they will take comfort in knowing an experienced right-back is still within their dressing room.


(Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

Christie was signed in January to add more depth to the promotion-chasing side, and the move looked a real coup as the full-back was one of Middlesborough's best players in the first half of the season under Garry Monk, but Tony Pulis quickly identified Ryan Shotton as his first choice right-back after taking charge in December.

The move to Fulham should have been the transfer that took the attack-minded defenders game to another level. However, Fredericks form has stood in Christie's way, restricting him to a frustrating spell on the substitutes bench.

After only playing 135 minutes of football for the Cottagers before he was brought off the bench for the final seven minutes of Saturday's play-off final against Aston Villa, Christie will undoubtedly be desperate to return to pre-season and showcase his worth ahead of a season in the Premier League.

The future of Fredericks remains in doubt. However, football is all about taking the opportunities presented to you and Christie now has the perfect chance to establish himself as a regular Premier League starter.



https://tbrfootball.com/cyrus-christie-pre-season-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Agent confirms Fulham's interest in his client, QPR also linked

Trabzon based newspaper Taka report Trabzonspor are still showing an interest in PEC Zwolle attacker Youness Mokhtar, but now face competition from Fulham.

The player will become a free agent at the end of the month and has also been linked with Fulham's West London rivals Queens Park Rangers.

Taka have spoken to Mokhtar's agent Sezer Ozkan and he's confirmed Fulham's interest in the QPR linked forward: "Trabzonspor are looking for cheaper players, we know that. Youness' contract expires so he's free to join the club. Premier League side Fulham are also interested in him.

"I gave him a lot of information about Trabzonspor. He's keen on the move. He's likely to require less than €1m per season from the club, so it's a very good price."

With Fulham's promotion to the Premier League last week they will be looking to bolster their squad this summer, but they'll need to move quickly due to the strong interest from the Turkish club, and also QPR.

Last month we covered reports from the Dutch media that QPR are monitoring the situation with Mokhtar and could move in on the Utrecht born player.

The 26 year old scored 10 goals for PEC Zwolle last season.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/agent-confirms-fulhams-interest-client-qpr-also-linked/

[WhiteJC]

 
Serbia name final 23 man World Cup squad – Aleksandar Mitrovic makes cut

Four players left out by Serbia but Aleksandar Mitrovic named in final World Cup squad.



Serbia's final 23 man squad for the World Cup has seen Aleksandar Mitrovic make the cut.

Coach Mladen Krstajic had named a preliminary 27 man squad and had to cut four players out of the final selection.

Defender Matija Nastasic is left out, along with midfielders Nemanja Maksimovic & Mijata Gacinovica, as well as goalkeeper Aleksandra Jovanovic.

Aleksandar Mitrovic now hopes to build on his late season form at Fulham, where his 12 goals helped them to Premier League promotion.

Newcastle fans waiting to see whether this is finally the summer when Mitro will leave the club, as Rafa Benitez has made clear the striker doesn't fit into his plans.

Serbia last qualified for the World Cup in 2010 and now Aleksandar Mitrovic is preparing for pre-tournament friendlies against Chile on 4 June and Bolivia the 9 June.

They are in World Cup Group E and play Costa Rica on 17 June, Switzerland on 22 June, Brazil on  27 June.

Serbia's final 23 man World Cup squad:

Goalkeepers:
Vladimir Stojkovic (Partizan Belgrade), Predrag Rajkovic (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Marko Dmitrovic (Eibar)

Defenders:
Aleksandar Kolarov (AS Roma), Branislav Ivanovic (Zenit St. Petersburg), Dusko Tosic (Guangzhou R&F), Antonio Rukavina (Villarreal), Milos Veljkovic (Werder Bremen), Milan Rodic (Red Star Belgrade), Uros Spajic (Krasnodar), Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina).

Midfielders:
Nemanja Matic (Manchester United), Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio), Marko Grujic (Liverpool), Adem Ljajic (Torino), Dusan Tadic (Southampton), Filip Kostic (Hamburg SV), Andrija Zivkovic (Benfica), Nemanja Radonjic (Red Star Belgrade)

Strikers:
Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United), Aleksandar Prijovic (PAOK Salonika), Luka Jovic (Benfica)



https://www.themag.co.uk/2018/06/serbia-name-final-23-man-world-cup-squad-aleksandar-mitrovic-makes-cut-newcastle-united/