Tuesday Fulham Stuff (05/06/18)...

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Chelsea in talks with promotion-winner over deal ahead of 2018/19 campaign

Chelsea are locked in talks with Slavisa Jokanovic, with the Blues considering a managerial change ahead of the 2018/19 Premier League campaign. 

According to GOAL, Jokanovic is a target of Chelsea, having just led Fulham from the Sky Bet Championship back to the Premier League.

The Blues are considering Antonio Conte's position, with the Italian still in charge, but facing the axe at Stamford Bridge having failed to secure Champions League football next season.

Jokanovic has emerged as a target, after Chelsea's talks with Maurizio Sarri broke down.

49-year-old Jokanovic has managed Watford and Fulham in English football, but has experience of the Premier League from during his playing days, when he coincidently played for Chelsea between 2000 and 2002.

In the last two years, Jokanovic has helped transform Fulham into promotion contenders in the Championship, eventually leading the Cottagers back to the Premier League at the end of the 2017/18 campaign.

Less than two weeks ago Fulham beat Aston Villa in the Championship play-off final.

Having finished third in the Championship, Fulham met Villa at Wembley, with Tom Cairney's 23rd minute goal securing promotion for Jokanovic's side.

The Verdict

Jokanovic has enjoyed a hugely successful couple of years, with Fulham playing a great brand of football in the Championship.

The Serbian's links with Chelsea are interesting, and given his playing time he is understandably in their thoughts, as they consider Conte's position.

Should a concrete offer come Jokanovic's way, it'll be intriguing to see how loyal he is to the Premier League newbies.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/chelsea-in-talks-with-promotion-winner-over-deal-ahead-of-2018-19-campaign/

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Chelsea transfer news: Blues set to compete with Fulham despite Roman Abramovich woes

CHELSEA are plotting a raid for Wigan starlet Joe Gelhardt.

The west Londoners already have a host of talented youngsters on their books and won the FA Youth Cup again this term.

According to The Sun, the Blues are ready to bolster their ranks further by snapping up the talented young forward.

However, it's suggested Latics boss Paul Cook won't let Gelhardt leave without a fight.

Cook is a huge fan of the 16-year-old and is keen to blood him in the first-team.

Chelsea's west London neighbours - Fulham - are also closely monitoring his progress closely.

Antonio Conte's side remains in limbo after a tumultuous few weeks at Stamford Bridge though. 

The Italian chief is still widely expected to leave the club but is yet to agree an exit with club bigwigs.

Owner Roman Abramovich, meanwhile, could also be permanently packing his bags.

The business tycoon has been denied a UK visa which may result in the club being sold.

Abramovich - who is worth an estimated £10bn - has ploughed £1bn into Chelsea since purchasing the club in 2003.



https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/707172/Fulham-Roman-Abramovich-Chelsea-transfer-news-gossip?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-star-football+%28Daily+Star+%3A%3A+Football+Feed%29

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Fulham need to tie down Slavisa Jokanovic amid Chelsea interest

The Serbian has been linked with Stamford Bridge in recent weeks.



Fulham will have ramped up their preparations for the upcoming Premier League season after clinching promotion last weekend in the play-off final.

The Cottagers have the least time out of any team in next season's competition and they can't afford to be slow over the coming weeks, especially as the transfer window is closing earlier in 2018.

It is generally agreed that the London outfit have a good foundation from which to build on and their manager Slavisa Jokanovic is central to that.

However, speculation has emerged in recent days that he is catching the eye of a bigger club.

The reliable Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Chelsea have met with Jokanovic about the potential vacancy at Stamford Bridge.

The Serbian coach speaks the native tongue of Roman Abramovich and previously turned out for the Blues as a player.

The report goes on to state that the Fulham manager is a candidate for the post, but there are concerns about his lack of experience. Laurent Blanc and Maurizio Sarri are other figures that have been linked.



Chelsea are facing a crucial summer of rebuilding, but the question of who will be the manager next season has yet to be answered.

That is a huge concern and the fact that Jokanovic has emerged as a contender suggests that they haven't been able to get in the man that they want.

The Fulham coach would represent an exciting option, but his managerial CV doesn't scream Champions League manager and that is what the Blues have become accustomed to.

Although Chelsea supporters may not be delighted about the possibility of appointing Jokanovic, this rumour will be concerning for Fulham and their fans.

The Cottagers have returned to the Premier League after four seasons outside of the top-flight and their manager has been a key reason for their promotion.

He has established an entertaining style of play and used his connections to sign players that are above Championship standard.

A great example of Jokanovic's influence in the transfer market was the loan signing of countryman Aleksandar Mitrovic.

It was a huge coup for Fulham and the striker appeared to be the missing piece of the jigsaw, as the team went on an excellent run of form after he joined.

The 23-year-old finished the season with 12 goals to his name and he will now go into the World Cup as a wanted man.

The Cottagers will want to get him signed to a permanent deal, but to do so, they will likely need their manager to stay at Craven Cottage.



Sky Sports report that Fulham are set to enter talks over a new contract and negotiations will start when he returns from holiday.

It is clear that the club know the value of their manager and want to put an end to exit rumours as soon as possible.

Jokanovic has previously been in conflict with the board over the transfer policy, as he believes his thoughts are often ignored. Those complaints quietened down in January, but they will still be on the mind of the manager.

He will use the interest from Chelsea to gain more influence at Craven Cottage before signing a new deal.

It is important that Fulham get this sorted as soon as possible. The interest at Chelsea may not be very serious, but Jokanovic is clever enough to use it to get the assurances that he needs to continue building the club in his image.

If this drags on, it could impact the club in the transfer market and that would be very damaging. It needs to be resolved as soon as possible.



https://tbrfootball.com/fulham-slavisa-jokanovic-chelsea-interest/

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QPR target McGeouch set to decide future

Dylan McGeouch is set to make a decision on his future following his Scotland debut.

QPR want the Hibernian midfielder, whose contract expires this summer.

Brentford have also shown an interest too and Fulham also had him on their radar prior to recently winning promotion back to the Premier League.

Blackburn have offered McGeouch a contract, while Aberdeen have long been keen on him and are an option if he decides to leave Hibs but stay in Scotland.

There have been reports that Hull and Bristol City are also interested.

The 25-year-old, who featured in internationals against Peru and Mexico, told the Daily Record: "I put all talk about my future on hold.

"I knew I was coming away with the Scotland squad so wanted 
to get that out of the way and 
hopefully win a couple of caps.

"Now I will return home, sit down with my representatives and take it from there.

"I wasn't in a rush to make any decision until now. It was all about winning my first cap and enjoying my first international experience."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/qpr-target-set-to-decide-future

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Who Is Ryan Fredericks?

With Ryan Fredericks looking set to sign for West Ham United early this week, Iain asked me to pen an article regarding our potential new player.

Ryan Fredericks was born in Hammersmith on 10th October 1992. He came through Tottenham's Academy and was named on the bench for the senior side's 3-1 FA Cup fourth round replay victory over Leeds at Elland Road in February 2010. Injury would keep him out for almost a year but he would make a senior debut for Tottenham under Harry Redknapp in their goalless draw with Hearts in the UEFA Europa League Play-Offs in August 2011, before featuring twice in the Group Stage. He played nine minutes of a 0-0 draw at PAOK Salonika and the full match away to Rubin Kazan which ended in a 1-0 defeat. Fredericks also made one appearance for England Under-19s but found his path blocked by Nathaniel Clyne and Andre Wisdom at Under-21 level. He is eligible to represent Guyana.

Andre Villas-Boas did not give Fredericks any game time in 2012/13, opting to loan him to Brentford instead. Fredericks turned 20 while with the League One side and made his Football League debut for the Griffin Park club, playing three minutes of a goalless draw at Bury in August 2012. He made one start in his time with the club, playing 56 minutes of a 1-1 draw at Tranmere.

With Ryan Fredericks looking set to sign for West Ham United early this week, Iain asked me to pen an article regarding our potential new player.

Ryan Fredericks was born in Hammersmith on 10th October 1992. He came through Tottenham's Academy and was named on the bench for the senior side's 3-1 FA Cup fourth round replay victory over Leeds at Elland Road in February 2010. Injury would keep him out for almost a year but he would make a senior debut for Tottenham under Harry Redknapp in their goalless draw with Hearts in the UEFA Europa League Play-Offs in August 2011, before featuring twice in the Group Stage. He played nine minutes of a 0-0 draw at PAOK Salonika and the full match away to Rubin Kazan which ended in a 1-0 defeat. Fredericks also made one appearance for England Under-19s but found his path blocked by Nathaniel Clyne and Andre Wisdom at Under-21 level. He is eligible to represent Guyana.

Andre Villas-Boas did not give Fredericks any game time in 2012/13, opting to loan him to Brentford instead. Fredericks turned 20 while with the League One side and made his Football League debut for the Griffin Park club, playing three minutes of a goalless draw at Bury in August 2012. He made one start in his time with the club, playing 56 minutes of a 1-1 draw at Tranmere.

Pochettino allowed Fredericks to leave the club permanently in the summer of 2015, with the 22-year-old signing for Steve Cotterill's Bristol City. He made five appearances for his new club before requesting a move for personal reasons. He returned to London just 26 days after signing for Bristol City, joining fellow Championship side Fulham, then managed by Kit Symons. He made 26 league starts and ten substitute appearances for the Cottagers in 2015/16, registering no goals, one assist and 11 yellow cards (he was also booked twice that season for Bristol City, taking his tally to 13 for the campaign). Fulham finished 20th, conceding 79 goals, the third worst defensive record in the Championship that season.

An ankle injury kept Fredericks out for the opening two months of 2016/17 but he made his return under Slavisa Jokanovic in October of that season. He made 28 starts and five substitute appearances as Fulham finished sixth, registering no goals, six assists and eight yellow cards. Fredericks was also sent off for a late lunge on Craig Gardner in the 68th minute with the score 0-0 at Birmingham in February 2017 – the Blues went on to win the match 1-0, with Jokanovic saying "The situation with Ryan Fredericks killed us in one very complicated moment for us where we tried to push and win the game. The situation was a real setback." Fredericks missed three matches through suspension, including an FA Cup fifth round match at former club Tottenham. The Cottagers would be defeated by Reading in the Play-Off Semi-Finals.

Fredericks made 48 appearances last season (2017/18), registering nine assists and collecting ten yellow cards. He was named in the Championship Team of the Year. Fulham were promoted with victory over Aston Villa in the Play-Off Final but Fredericks could have conceded a penalty in the match and could have been sent off for a stamp on Jack Grealish in a separate incident.

Fredericks, who turns 26 in October, has made 114 goalless appearances for Fulham, registering 15 assists and 29 yellow cards. He has made 161 appearances across all his clubs, with his only goal being the aforementioned strike on his Millwall debut. It is clear from various reports that he has pace to burn but his passing success rate across 2017/18 was 76.7%, placing him 22nd out of 25 outfield players who appeared for Fulham last season. This suggests he can get himself into good positions with his pace but is not accurate enough with his passing. His disciplinary record is also concerning and could cause even greater problems with trickier opposing players in the Premier League.

Speaking personally, I have to say that I would not be overly impressed were we to sign Ryan Fredericks. I do firmly believe that right-back must be the priority position for us to strengthen this summer but I was hoping we would set our sights higher. As a club, we have hardly paid a transfer fee for a decent right-back since the turn of the century. Sebastien Schemmel cost a relative pittance from Metz and was fantastic for a season; Tomas Repka mostly played centre-half and was a defensive and disciplinary liability; Lionel Scaloni was experienced but a short-term measure on loan; Tyrone Mears, Jonathan Spector and John Paintsil were all rank average at best; Lucas Neill was signed on a free and did a great job for two and a half seasons; Lars Jacobsen was experienced but another brief stop-gap, as were Guy Demel and Joey O'Brien who both suffered from injuries; Carl Jenkinson was a loan signing twice over; and Alvaro Arbeloa was another short-term measure that spectacularly failed.

Pablo Zabaleta at least offered consistency last season and was almost ever-present but, again, is not a long-term solution. Sam Byram is a forward-thinking right-back who has come in for criticism for being too attack-minded and defensively naïve – both criticisms that could be aimed at Fredericks, except Byram is a year younger. I don't see a lot different between Byram and Fredericks – both highly-rated Championship right-backs, both good going forward, both pick up their share of bookings. If Fredericks signs, he will of course have my full support – but I think we should be taking an opportunity to resolve our long-standing right-back issues with a more proven player.



https://www.westhamtillidie.com/posts/2018/06/04/who-is-ryan-fredericks

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Deal almost done as Irons meets Fredericks agent

Ryan Fredericks was this morning closing in on his move to West Ham.

Despite inaccurate reports that he is already an Iron, the Fulham free agent has yet to officially put pen to paper.

The 25 year old, however, is expected to be on board by tomorrow (Tues) after David Sullivan held talks with his representatives today.

A highly placed London Stadium source told ClaretandHugh: "The club met his advisers today. The discussions were very positive and we confidently expect it to be concluded by tomorrow."

The Hammers have been in pole position to sign the player following his refusal to agree a new deal with the newly promoted Cottagers.

And the club appears to have beaten off all rivals for the highly rated 25 year old after Southampton and Crystal Palace both showed an interest.

Manuel Pellegrini gave his stamp of approval to a deal which has been on the cards since David Moyes' era.



http://www.claretandhugh.info/deal-almost-done-as-irons-meets-fredericks-agent/

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Fulham likely to slap three-year offer on the table ahead of Premier League return



Fulham fans in the Transfer Tavern will be delighted that they are back in the Premier League and will be also be pleased with the latest news coming out of the club.

The Cottagers beat Aston Villa in the Championship Play-Off final at Wembley Stadium and will make their return to the top-flight for the first time in four years and the locals in the bar will be hoping they can keep hold of Slavisa Jokanovic.

The Serbian, who delighted punters in the bar with their progression, has just 12 months left on his current deal and with rumoured interest from Premier League giants Chelsea, the west London outfit are preparing to make him a new offer.

According to a report in The Times, Fulham are likely to offer him a new three-year deal to try and fend off the interest, although they may have some concerns about the financial package Jokanovic wants.

Landlord's Verdict

Fulham should do all they can to meet the demands of Jokanovic, having turned the fortunes of the club around since his arrival in December 2015. The Serb decided to leave Watford at the end of his deal despite guiding them to promotion from the Championship back in 2015 and the west London outfit will hope that is not repeated.

Fulham fans in the Tavern will also feel that they may have a chance with him at the helm for their first season back in the Premier League and will want to ensure they are in a comfortable position when they kick-off their campaign in August.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/transfer-rumours/fulham-likely-to-slap-three-year-offer-on-the-table-ahead-of-premier-league-return/

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Why Tim Ream should be Fulham's player of the season
by Dan on June 4, 2018

If you are still walking around in a daze following Fulham's play-off final triumph, I don't blame you. More than a week on from that incredible day at Wembley, it still feels surreal. In attempt to bring us back down to earth, Fulham's official website has today invited fans to select their player of the season and the decision has generated some sharp debate online.

The quality of Fulham's football in the second half of the season means that a number of attacking players should be recognised for their outstanding displays. Ryan Sessegnon has already won a number of plaudits for his superb performances – and the teenager should be rightly lauded for both his maturity and impact at crucial times during the run-in. That sumptuous pass that parted the Aston Villa defence for Tom Cairney last weekend is surely worth a trophy all of its own.

In another season, Kevin McDonald would be the winner by a country mile. The Scottish midfielder was the side's dominant performer even in the early part of the season when things weren't going so well and his positioning and reading of the game are so crucial in a side that is so adventurous with the ball and takes risks in dangerous areas of the pitch. McDonald might not wear the captain's armband but his leadership credentials aren't in question – and he's popped up with some crucial goals of his own, including the scrappy but oh-so-vital effort from barely a yard out that put Fulham ahead at Barnsley and the spectacular strike that offered the Whites some breathing space at Millwall.

Cairney's role in what became a triumphant campaign should be noted too. His interview after the final whistle at Wembley made clear what many of his suspected – namely that Fulham's classy playmaker had been playing through the pain of a troublesome knee injury for much of the season. His presence in the side was transformational and that cool finish against Aston Villa made all that discomfort worthwhile. The contrast in Cairney's emotions after the heartbreaking defeat at Reading in last year's play-offs and parading exuberantly around the national stadium with the trophy couldn't have been more stark. Like his team-mates, Cairney now has the opportunity to showcase his talent in the top flight in a team that is built around him.

It is the hallmark of a good side that there are several supremely deserving candidates for the award. But, for me, there can only be one winner. We've written before about how Tim Ream's Fulham career has been transformed over the past eighteen months – from someone who was likely to be released to a mainstay of one of the division's most miserly defences. His ball-playing capability always endeared him to Slavisa Jokanovic but, once the mistakes had been minimised, he became an automatic selection – especially after that sensational end to last season.

Few thought the American could push on to even greater things, but he did. His is a composed and reassuring presence at the heart of a back four that is asked to do more than simply keep the opposition at bay – and that's where Ream's reading of the game, speed of thought and exceptional distribution come into their own. The former Bolton defender was magnificent at Wembley, especially after the Whites were reduced to ten men, as he was on countless occasions in critical games during that unbelievable 23-match unbeaten run. It may be incredibly harsh on many of Fulham's exceptional performers, but the Whites' cult hero thoroughly deserves this accolade.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/06/why-tim-ream-should-be-fulhams-player-of-the-season/

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NUFC tipped to consider surprise swap deal as Premier League side make Mitrovic move

Following news that Crystal Palace have registered their interest in Aleksandar Mitrovic, it's been suggested on social media that Newcastle should explore a potential swap deal that would see Christian Benteke sign at St James' Park.

Now, this one is bound to split opinion based on recent form, but it's a very intriguing one.

Benteke has just endured his worst season to date – scoring just 3 in the league all season – so I can see why fans would be very wary, however this is almost certainly a deal 90% of NUFC fans would've bitten your hand off to complete just a year ago.

During the 2016/17 season, Mitrovic was desperately struggling for goals in the Championship, while Benteke bagged 17 times for Palace.

A lot has changed since then, with Mitrovic on fire, scoring 12 in half a season for Fulham, whilst the Belgian has looked woefully short of confidence in front of goal, but I maintain that his is a deal we should seriously consider (providing Palace do firm up their interest).



http://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2018/06/04/nufc-tipped-to-consider-surprise-swap-deal-as-premier-league-side-make-mitrovic-move/

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Fulham Defender Caught Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea



Is it all about the money?

Or is it about ambition?

Two intriguing questions when it comes to the future of our attacking full-back, Ryan Fredericks.

Continuing on from the recent speculation suggesting that Fredericks was bound for West Ham United, Click Here, another news source has come up with an interesting theory.

According to Football London, Fredericks has turned down a new deal at the club because it doesn't match his wish to be the highest paid player at Fulham.

Now that got me thinking.

Is Fredericks under the illusion he is worthy of the status of being the highest-paid player at the club or is he well aware that the club won't play ball, thereby allowing him to move on.

If that is the case then does it come down to ambition, does Fredericks believe he has more chance of success playing for West Ham United than he would have for Fulham?

Some would say that's something that might be too close to call.

But, as the old saying goes, if a player doesn't want to play for the club then get rid!



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/fulham-defender-caught-between-the-devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea/

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Exclusive: Why Ryan Fredericks is set for West Ham move after rejecting Fulham's offer

The Cottagers have failed to meet the right back's demands over a new contract

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.


Ryan Fredericks in action against Reading (Image: Harry Hubbard/Getty Images)

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/ryan-fredericks-west-ham-transfer-14729391

[WhiteJC]

 
Go for it Jokanovic – Fulham must splash £20million to land this hot-headed star before the World Cup

According to a report from Chronicle Live, Newcastle United are set to demand a transfer fee of £20million for the services of Aleksandar Mitrovic. After spending the latter half of the previous season on loan with Fulham, there have been talks about a permanent move but the newly-promoted outfit will have to shell out a great deal of money to secure his services.

The Serbian international played an integral role in helping Fulham earn a promotion back to the Premier League via playoffs. And the Cottagers are keen on signing him this summer, while the striker himself is understood to be intent on moving back to Craven Cottage.

However, Fulham are not willing to offer more than £15million for the services of the Serbian. Mitrovic joined Newcastle back in the summer of 2015, having earned himself a reputation with Belgian outfit RSC Anderlecht. However, things haven't worked out for the 23-year-old at St. James' Park.

So far in his three-year spell with the Tynesiders, he has appeared 72 times across all competitions, netting 17 goals and assisting 10 more.

Over the course of the previous season, Mitrovic found game time hard to come by under the current Magpies manager Rafael Benitez. In fact, he appeared just 6 times for Newcastle in the 2017/18 season and was eventually shipped out to Fulham in January.

Having moved to Craven Cottage, the 23-year-old thrived in his new surroundings as he went on to score 12 goals in 17 appearances in the EFL Championship.

For someone who has often been mired by disciplinary issues on the field throughout his time at St. James' Park, Mitrovic is an immensely talented striker who has time and again shown glimpses of his potential.

Mitrovic is a tall and strong attacker with a penchant for dominating physical opponents. Furthermore, he is a force to reckon with in the air and is a good finisher as well. Blessed with quick feet, he can run at opponents and cause some serious issues up front. 

Moreover, the Serbian has proven his pedigree at an international level as well, netting 13 times in 35 appearances for the national team. In addition to that, Mitrovic also has experience from playing in European competitions, scoring 6 goals in 25 appearances in the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League combined.

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic seemed to have gotten the best out of the 23-year-old, despite his drawbacks. And now that the Cottagers are back in the Premier League, they could definitely make use of someone of his quality in their ranks. 

Given the current state of the transfer market, the price tag seems reasonable enough. A strong performance in the summer's FIFA World Cup in Russia could see Mitrovic's stock rise further, which is why Fulham should act quickly to sign him up.



https://soccersouls.com/2018/06/05/go-for-it-jokanovic-fulham-must-splash-20million-to-land-this-hot-headed-star-before-the-world-cup/

[WhiteJC]

 
Go for it Rafa – Newcastle must sign this 25-year-old English speedster at all costs

Newly-promoted Fulham right-back Ryan Fredericks has been linked with an exit from Craven Cottage this summer. The likes of Newcastle United and West Ham United are reportedly keen to secure the services of the Englishman.

Despite the fact that Fulham have secured a promotion to the Premier League for next season, the 25-year-old Fredericks might be tempted to play under the management of either Rafa Benitez or Manuel Pellegrini.

If we take a look at the player, Fredericks is a natural right-back who can also play on the right-wing. The youngster boasts of stellar pace going forward and he possesses the ability to contribute equally to the defence and attack. His dribbling skills are admirable as well, making him a versatile player on the right.

Although Newcastle have a pacy right-back in De Andre Yedlin, they are short on options in that area and their wing positions lack depth as well.

How would Fredericks fit at Newcastle

Regardless of where Fredericks plays next term, there are reasons to believe that he could thrive in a club like Newcastle. The Magpies currently lack options in terms of a backup right-back and they could also use some added depth in the wide attacking department. Fredericks can easily slot into either role, depending on the situation, and he would be a brilliant addition to the squad.

Furthermore, Fredericks' pace and dribbling prowess could make him lethal in counter-attacking situations. For a lot of opponent defenders, raw pace and strength can prove to be a nightmare and the Fulham man boasts of all that and more.

Meanwhile, as far as his other option West Ham are concerned, they are expected to resort to playing passing football under Manuel Pellegrini. In that case, Fredericks will fall a tad short as his passing attributes are not one of his best. That said, he is a good crosser of the ball.

Verdict

Given the circumstances, Fredericks would be better off joining Newcastle. He is an ideal foil for Benitez's system and he could add immense value to the club. Furthermore, the prospect of working under a Champions League-winning manager would be of great pride to a player who is so young.



https://soccersouls.com/2018/06/05/go-for-it-rafa-newcastle-must-sign-this-25-year-old-english-speedster-at-all-costs/

[WhiteJC]

 
Aleksandar Mitrovic and Martin Dubravka international disappointments on Monday night

Disappointment for both Aleksandar Mitrovic and Martin Dubravka as Serbia and Slovakia lose out on Monday night.



It was disappointment for Aleksandar Mitrovic on Monday night, as Serbia lost 1-0 to Chile in their World Cup warm up match.

Guillermo Maripan scoring with two minutes to go, as Serbia failed to deal with a corner.

By that point the Newcastle striker had departed, replaced in the 84th minute.

In a game of few chances, Mitrovic looked to have won his side a penalty after going down under a challenge from Erick Pulgar, only for the referee to wave away his claims.

As for Martin Dubravka, after impressing in last week's 1-1 draw with Holland, the Newcastle goalkeeper watched from the bench as Slovakia lost 2-1 to World Cup-bound Morocco. Dubravka and his international teammates have now completed their international duties and he can now go off and relax, before preparing for league football next season.

Aleksandar Mitrovic was named at the weekend in Serbia's final 23 man squad for the World Cup and they now move on to their final friendly before Russia, playing Bolivia on Saturday 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/aleksandar-mitrovic-martin-dubravka-international-disappointments-monday-night-newcastle-united/