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Tuesday Fulham Stuff (07/08/18)...

Started by WhiteJC, August 07, 2018, 06:40:46 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

WhiteJC

 
Fulham season preview: Why optimism is in the air on their return to the Premier League

Newly promoted sides are expected to feel a bit of apprehension upon the dawning of a new season. Making the step from the Championship to the Premier League is undoubtedly a tough task, after all.

For Fulham, that task is made harder by their route to the promised land. Slavisa Jokanovic's side beat Aston Villa 1-0 in May's play-off final to win promotion after four seasons in the second tier.

The problem is that teams that come up via the play-offs don't tend to fare well the following season: three of the last four have been relegated in their first campaign, while it's 16 out of the 26 in Premier League history.

Try telling that to a Fulham fan though. Optimism is the order of the day at Craven Cottage. For supporters, players and manager there's a sense that the club are back where they belong.

"I've seen a lot of people saying that it's one of the best times to be a Fulham fan in recent years and it certainly feels like that," says season ticket holder Thomas McIlroy.

"There's not been such excitement since we went up to the Premier League for the first time [in 2000-01] and had players like Louis Saha and Luis Boa Morte and signed Edwin van der Sar."

The following season they finished 13th under Jean Tigana and reached the semi-final of the FA Cup. How they'd take something similar this time around.

The main reason behind the excitement is the work done in the transfer window so far. Owner Shahid Khan has splashed the cash – but in a considered approach, not a scattergun style.


Slavisa Jokanovic got Watford promoted to the Premier League, but was replaced by Quique Sanchez Flores (Source: Getty)

"We have a good player base, but we know that we have to invest in experienced people to support them and be competitive in the Premier League," manager Jokanovic told Spanish newspaper Marca recently. And that's exactly what they've done.

Central midfielder Jean Michael Seri, who was close to joining Barcelona last summer, has been brought in for a club-record fee of £25m. Aleksandar Mitrovic, who scored 12 vital goals in 17 appearances while on loan from Newcastle last season, has joined for an initial £22m. Swansea centre-back Alfie Mawson joined on Thursday for £20m, while German World Cup winner Andre Schurrle was signed on a two-year loan deal from Borussia Dortmund.

Add defender Maxime Le Marchand and goalkeeper Fabri for £5m each and it takes Fulham's outlay to £77m – putting them third for expenditure in the Premier League, behind only Liverpool (£171m) and West Ham (£86m).

That's impressive stuff, and there could well be more outlay to come with Arsenal defender Calum Chambers close to a loan move and last year's loanee left-back Matt Targett of Southampton a target for between £10m and £15m.

More defensive additions would be most welcome according to McIlroy.

"If you look at the squad it's short on numbers, especially in defence, with no real Premier League experience," he says. "It's only a handful of players like Mitrovic, Schurrle, Tim Ream and Tom Cairney who have played there before."

Inexperienced they may be, but Fulham promise to be attacking. Jokanovic's possession-based, easy-on-the-eye style produced some entertaining football last season and the signs in pre-season are that he intends on developing that further.

"We are not going to change the style," Jokanovic said. "We are not going to hit [long] balls or park the bus. It would not be a good plan. The Premier League is very demanding, we need to change things, but we are not going to give up our style."

Fulham went on a 23-game unbeaten streak at the back end of last season. Their success was defined by factors which are still in place and which should work a division higher.


Ryan Sessegnon won the Championship Player of the Season award for his form in 2017-18 (Source: Getty)

Mitrovic's battering ram style, hold up play and determination in the penalty area, Cairney's finesse, Kevin McDonald's under-the-radar shielding and distribution, and Ryan Sessegnon's positivity and pace all add up to make a promising equation.

While their inexperience in the Premier League is a worthy point, it can be looked at a different way. Ream and Cairney have points to prove after suffering relegation with Bolton and Hull City respectively, while the likes of Sessegnon and Seri will feel like they are where they belong. There is a hunger to impress.

That theme extends to the man in charge too. Jokanovic achieved his second promotion to the Premier League in May, having previously taken Watford up in 2015 only to fail to agree a new contract.

Now firmly in control at Fulham, he has the opportunity he craves to show what he and his side can do.

"I think he sees it as his second chance," agrees McIlroy. "He's definitely said it feels different this time around and I'd be surprised if he doesn't get a chance at a big club within five years or so."

Fulham begin their season at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday and while the clash can hardly be called a London derby, it does throw up an interesting comparison.

With former manager Roy Hodgson, who famously took them to the 2010 Europa League final, in the opposing dugout it's a neat starting point to show how far they've come. Back in the big time they're unlikely to look out of their depth.



http://www.cityam.com/290349/fulham-season-preview-why-optimism-air-their-return-premier

WhiteJC

 
What the signings of Andre Schurrle and Calum Chambers mean for Fulham's loan plans

Fulham have utilised the loan market in the past - here's the rules ahead of Deadline Day

Fulham have always used the loan market to a good level of success, with six of their players that ended the Championship promotion winning season on temporary deals.

Tomas Kalas, Lucas Piazon, Oliver Norwood, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Matt Targett and Sheyi Ojo all played their parts in helping the Cottagers gain promotion back to the Premier League as Tony Khan made full use of the loan rules in the EFL.

But now they've been promoted, those rules have changed and the club won't be able to fill their team with a load of loanees like they have done for the past two campaigns.

The window closes on Thursday at 5pm and there's still business to be done on the transfers front.

Here's everything you need to know about the loan rules for Fulham this season.

When does the loan window shut?

The loan window closes at the exact same time as the transfer window this season - 5pm on Thursday.

Both permanent and temporary transfers must be done by the time strikes 5pm or Fulham will have to play with what they've got until January.


Aleksandar Mitrovic in action against Sampdoria (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

How many loanees can Fulham have?

There's a few rules that the Cottagers have to adhere to in terms of loan moves this summer now they're in the Premier League.

Firstly, they can register only two loanees from a fellow Premier League side at any one time, with the most you can register in a single season being four.


Andre Schurrle in pre-season action (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Teams can also only loan one player from a side in the Premier League, and they're also not able to loan back a player to a side from where they have purchased him from during the same window.

A Premier League club may also loan not more than one of its goalkeepers to another Premier League club.

What about international loans?

Fulham have also looked abroad this summer for loans - signing Andre Schurrle on a two-year loan deal from Borussia Dortmund.

These loans do not go towards the Premier League loan limits, meaning the side can sign more than two loan players from overseas.

There is no limit on the number of loaness a club can sign from overseas, although in the EFL clubs could only have eight players on loan, with five of those in a matchday squad, regardless of whether they were domestic or international loanees.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/what-signings-andre-schurrle-calum-14996612

WhiteJC

 
Arsenal: Unai Emery better be right about Calum Chambers

Calum Chambers is set to join Fulham on a year-long loan deal according to a wide range of reports. Unai Emery had better be right because it leaves Arsenal a little thin at centre-back.

With the transfer window nearing the deadline, Arsenal and Unai Emery are beginning to make decisions about who should stay and who should go. With much of their recruitment work completed by early July, the remaining weeks of the transfer window have centred on evaluating the current players in the squad and whittling down a squad that is a little too big at certain positions.

One of those positions is centre-half. With Sokratis signed earlier in the summer to partner Shkodran Mustafi as the starter, the young trio of Calum Chambers, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Rob Holding were all seen as burgeoning back-ups, with Laurent Koscielny set to rejoin the group once he recovered from a ruptured Achilles.

For all those players to continue their development, that is too many. Realistically, four is the perfect number. No more than five is needed, even if one of those five is set to miss the first half of the season. And so, a departure was inevitable. It would almost certainly be one of the young trio. It would almost certainly be on loan. It would almost certainly be to a Premier League club that would play them week-in-week-out.

And so it is likely to be. According to a wide range of reports in the media on Monday morning, Arsenal and Fulham have agreed on a deal that will send Chambers to Craven Cottage for the year. A medical is yet to be completed and the official documents have not yet been signed, but this seems like a deal that will happen in the coming days — I am writing this piece on Monday morning. By the time it publishes, the deal could have been made official.

I'll be honest, it is a difficult one to understand. Despite my saying that Arsenal have numbers at the position and that one of the young trio is likely to depart this summer and that they have the depth to accommodate that departure, suddenly, without Chambers on the books, the position does look a little thin.

You see, of the three, Chambers, for me, was the most developed. He was the most ready-made for regular football, not Mavropanos or Holding. And neither Mustafi nor Sokratis are especially convincing as a starting pair and Koscielny is far from a guarantee with his ever-increasing age and injury problems. While Arsenal had quantity on their side, without Chambers, they may not have quality, and that is concerning.

This decision, ultimately, comes down to Emery's evaluation of the players. Either he believes that Mavropanos and Holding are better than Chambers or that Koscielny can be relied upon when he returns or that Chambers is simply not good enough or that this loan deal will so good for his development that it was too good to turn down, even if it comes with a sacrifice for this season.

I am not sure what Emery's thinking is for this decision. Earlier this summer, after Chambers signed a new long-term contract, he stated that the defender would be a part of his plans for the coming year. So what changed? Well, I don't know. No one does, really, other than Emery, his coaches and the club. But he better be right because Arsenal could get themselves in trouble with no Chambers to help.



https://paininthearsenal.com/2018/08/06/arsenal-unai-emery-better-right-calum-chambers/


WhiteJC

 
Signing Celtic's Dedryck Boyata for £9m would be shrewd business from Fulham

Fulham are reportedly keen on signing the Celtic defender.

According to a report from the Times, Fulham have lodged a £9 million bid for Celtic defender Dedryck Boyata, and if Slaviša Jokanović does manage to bring the Belgium international to Craven Cottage, it could turn out to be a really smart piece of business from the west London outfit.

The Cottagers were quite simply brilliant in the Championship last term, arguably playing the best football in the division, and Jokanović has already gone about strengthening his squad ahead of the new Premier League season, bringing in five new players including Jean Michael Seri, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Alfie Mawson.

It could be argued that they need another top class centre-back, however, and Boyata would be just the ticket.

The 27-year-old joined Celtic from Manchester City in the summer of 2015, and he has gone on to establish himself as a really elite performer.

He would be a useful addition to Fulham's squad, not only because of his undeniable quality, but also because of his versatility.

Boyata can operate as a right-back, as well as a centre-back - something that will surely appeal to Jokanović considering the fact that Ryan Fredericks left for West Ham earlier on this summer.

The 10-capped Belgium international is still at an age where he will surely improve further still, and for the price of just £9 million, Fulham could be on the verge of securing themselves a real coup.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/08/06/signing-celtics-dedryck-boyata-for-9m-would-be-shrewd-business-f/

WhiteJC

 
Who is this 6ft 4in colossus defender that Fulham are trying to sign? Everything you need to know



Who is Kara Mbodji? All you need to know about Fulham's £4.5million target

According to The Sun, Fulham could make a £4.5million bid for Anderlecht defender Kara Mbodji. The Cottagers, however, will face competition from Leicester and Crystal Palace (h/t The Sun). Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic could reunite the Senegalese centre-back with new signing and Kara's former club-mate, Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Kara Mbodji can feature either as an anchorman in the midfield or as a central defender. The Sun claims that the Belgian giants are willing to cash in on the 28-year-old, who has two years left on his current contract. The centre-back has collected 41 caps for the Teranga Lions.

But unfortunately, the right-footed Mbodji sat out on all of Senegal matches at the World Cup due to a niggling knee injury picked up in December last year. The former Genk ace's limited game time has only seen his value plummet.

Standing at a towering 6ft 4in, the defensive powerhouse played a key role as Anderlecht won the Jupiler League title in 2016/17. Given the Cottagers' offer, however, Anderlecht must sanction a sale this summer.

Mbodji was born in Ndiass in Senegal and he joined Diambars' academy as a 15-year-old.  He quickly established himself in the academy within two years, impressing European scouts. The young prospect then joined Norwegian club Tromso, where he went on to stay for three seasons.

Twice named as the second-best player in the league, Kara eventually switched to Belgian side Genk in 2013. After three more seasons at Genk, he moved on to Anderlecht where his reputation soared.

At Fulham, Mbodji would offer an aerial that the team continues to lack. Given his height, Kara is dangerous from set-pieces. He has scored a total of 18 league goals in 206 Eliteserien and Jupiler Pro League appearances. The 28-year-old is big, strong and has a good amount of pace to burn.

He could partner Tim Ream at the heart of Fulham's defence.  He could also partner Kevin McDonald as a double pivot in Jokanovic's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. Specializing in blocking, Mbodji is always willing to put his body on the line to thwart opposition attacks.

Hence, Mbodji would be an exciting and experienced player for Fulham. He has made 272 club career appearances, including over 100 in the Belgian top-flight.  In addition, he also has 28 appearances and four goals and an assist in the UEFA Europa League.

Jokanovic should sign Mbodji to strengthen the spine of his newly-promoted Fulham side. The Cottagers return to the Premier League after more than five years' absence.



http://www.mediareferee.com/2018/08/07/who-is-this-6ft-4in-colossus-defender-that-fulham-are-trying-to-sign-everything-you-need-to-know/

WhiteJC

 
John Hartson: Dedryck Boyata for £9m? If Celtic hangs onto him he'll be worth £29m

I think Dedryck Boyata owes Celtic a debt.

I don't think he should be running out the door to another club after the way that Brendan Rodgers stood by him at Celtic. There has been a bit of chat about £9m on the table for him from Fulham – hang on to him and you could get £29m.

£9m? Stick with Celtic where there is the possibility of Champions League football, of winning trophies and staying in that national side and his value will only go up.

Fulham have just paid £20m for Alfie Mawson. The lad has played just 18 months of Premier League football. He hasn't played in the Champions League. He hasn't been to a World Cup. So if you are Celtic then you are thinking, well, if we get Boyata on a long-term deal it works out well for all parties. His value won't go down if he keeps on progressing. There will be interest in him this time next year.

I know that there is no real loyalty in football. We all know Celtic can't compete with the wages that are on offer south of the border. And I also know that Boyata's agent was proving a little elusive when Celtic were trying to discuss a contract before the World Cup. But to me, it's one where you have to look at the bigger picture.

Dedryck has had times as a Celtic player when it just wasn't happening for him. He has had times when he wasn't playing, when his game was strewn with mistakes and you could feel the lack of confidence from him every time he walked onto the pitch.

I think the manager got the best out of him and got him to the level where he has found himself in a Belgian squad that finished third at the World Cup this summer. So I am sure that he'll be in a good place.

But now that it looks as though there is a little bit of interest in him, I think he owes Celtic a decent run at it.

If he does that then his value will go through the roof. The defender can continue to develop at Celtic and is given the platform to play on the biggest stage of all and if he keeps producing solid performances then there will still be interest there. He could be the next big money player who leaves the club to go south of the border.

But while we all know that Fulham have spent a bit of money this season and will look to sustain their top flight status, not for the world could you ever say that the London club are bigger than Celtic.

They are a good club. They have the money that all Premier League clubs have so they can pay the wages but when it comes to the actual football side of things, Celtic wins hands down every time.

I also think that as a player it does you so much good to have a manager that has faith in you. Brendan has clearly worked with Dedryck and re-energised him and I think if I was his agent my advice to him would be to get himself on a long-term deal at Celtic and focus on pushing to get to that next level again.

I don't think that he will start against AEK Athens tomorrow night because it probably just comes around a little too soon for him. It might be that he finds himself on the bench for the game but the good thing is that Celtic are starting to come into their own in terms of getting a fully fit squad.

If they can get through this first leg against the Greeks with a strong result then by the time they head to Athens for the game next week then they are stronger again.

Tom Rogic looked back to his best at the weekend. The lad ran the show against Livingston and Oliver Ntcham is another who has become a really big player for Celtic. Brendan will have been relieved that the injury he seemed to pick up on Saturday hasn't really come to anything.

I have to say that I think that Kristoffer Ajer has done particularly well in this qualification phase. For a young lad, he has been excellent and he played very well against Rosenborg which I am sure will have pleased him on a personal level.

I suspect he'll start tomorrow night alongside Jozo Simunovic. The key thing is that Celtic need to keep it tight at the back and take their chances at the other end.



http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/16402068.john-hartson-dedryck-boyata-for-9mceltic-hang-onto-him-and-hell-be-worth-29m/


WhiteJC

 
'Seri is an absolute steal' for Fulham, says Meulensteen

Former Fulham boss Rene Meulensteen believes Fulham have pulled off one of the deals of the summer by signing Jean-Michael Seri.

The Whites broke their transfer record to bring the Ivorian international midfielder, who was close to joining Barcelona a year ago, to the Premier League from Nice and Meulensteen waxed lyrical about his qualities on BBC Radio 5 Live last night. The Dutch coach, who spent just 75 days at Craven Cottage in their last season in the top flight, told Five Live Sport:

    I tell you what, Jean-Michael Seri ... an absolute steal, in my opinion. He is a top six, if not a top three player. He reminds me of Clarence Seedorf – he's got that guile and moves the ball – and Fulham's got him. Fantastic.

Meulensteen was also full of praise for the achievements of Serbian head coach Slavisa Jokanovic both in guiding the Londoners back to the top flight and impressing upon the club's ownership the importance of investing big prior to their return.

    Jokanovic has been brilliant. What he's done – he's gone in and said, 'Listen if you want to stay in here [the Premier League], we need to make sure we're covered in all positions and you're going to give us the best possible chance'. But looking at what they've spent and bring Schurrle in as well and now Chambers on loan, they've got some good players already, play some good football, so yeah, looking forward to it.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/08/seri-is-an-absolute-steal-for-fulham-says-meulensteen/

WhiteJC

 
Newcastle enter race for La Liga hitman; Fulham also interested

Newcastle United have entered the race to sign Real Sociedad striker Willian Jose – but will have to beat off competition from Fulham, according to BL es Noticas.

Magpies boss Rafael Benitez has bemoaned the club's lack of transfer activity this summer with owner Mike Ashley seemingly uninterested in backing his manager financially.

However, a move for Jose could see Newcastle add real quality and depth in an area where they desperately struggled for quality last term.

The Sociedad poacher is highly coveted this summer, with the report claiming Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Valencia are also chasing his signature.

However, it is believed the 26-year-old would much prefer to stay in Spain as a pose to a move to England.

Jose has bagged an impressive 20 goals in 40 starts for the La Liga outfit, offering an impressive combination of pace and power that Newcastle do not currently have on offer from the current forwards at the club.

While the addition of Japan international Yoshinori Muto should prove to be smart business, departures of both Aleksandar Mitrovic and Adam Armstrong have left the Magpies short of quality in the final third.

Former Stoke City man Joselu has started four of the North East outfit's five pre-season games – but he is largely viewed as a peripheral figure by the fans on Tyneside and doesn't seem to have the quality to lead the line in the Premier League.

Four goals in 30 games for the Black and Whites will do little to appease those concerns, particularly for a club that has had a plethora of outstanding centre-forwards down the years.

While no-one at St James Park is expecting the next Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand or Andy Cole to come in this summer, the fans are desperate to bring in a quality forward – and a move for Jose could definitely go a long way to healing what is an increasingly fractured relationship between fans and board.



https://ninetyminutesonline.com/newcastle-enter-race-for-la-liga-hitman-fulham-also-interested/

Maidstone Lee

Quote from: WhiteJC on August 07, 2018, 07:49:22 AM

John Hartson: Dedryck Boyata for £9m? If Celtic hangs onto him he'll be worth £29m

I think Dedryck Boyata owes Celtic a debt.

I don't think he should be running out the door to another club after the way that Brendan Rodgers stood by him at Celtic. There has been a bit of chat about £9m on the table for him from Fulham – hang on to him and you could get £29m.

£9m? Stick with Celtic where there is the possibility of Champions League football, of winning trophies and staying in that national side and his value will only go up.

Fulham have just paid £20m for Alfie Mawson. The lad has played just 18 months of Premier League football. He hasn't played in the Champions League. He hasn't been to a World Cup. So if you are Celtic then you are thinking, well, if we get Boyata on a long-term deal it works out well for all parties. His value won't go down if he keeps on progressing. There will be interest in him this time next year.

I know that there is no real loyalty in football. We all know Celtic can't compete with the wages that are on offer south of the border. And I also know that Boyata's agent was proving a little elusive when Celtic were trying to discuss a contract before the World Cup. But to me, it's one where you have to look at the bigger picture.

Dedryck has had times as a Celtic player when it just wasn't happening for him. He has had times when he wasn't playing, when his game was strewn with mistakes and you could feel the lack of confidence from him every time he walked onto the pitch.

I think the manager got the best out of him and got him to the level where he has found himself in a Belgian squad that finished third at the World Cup this summer. So I am sure that he'll be in a good place.

But now that it looks as though there is a little bit of interest in him, I think he owes Celtic a decent run at it.

If he does that then his value will go through the roof. The defender can continue to develop at Celtic and is given the platform to play on the biggest stage of all and if he keeps producing solid performances then there will still be interest there. He could be the next big money player who leaves the club to go south of the border.

But while we all know that Fulham have spent a bit of money this season and will look to sustain their top flight status, not for the world could you ever say that the London club are bigger than Celtic.

They are a good club. They have the money that all Premier League clubs have so they can pay the wages but when it comes to the actual football side of things, Celtic wins hands down every time.

I also think that as a player it does you so much good to have a manager that has faith in you. Brendan has clearly worked with Dedryck and re-energised him and I think if I was his agent my advice to him would be to get himself on a long-term deal at Celtic and focus on pushing to get to that next level again.

I don't think that he will start against AEK Athens tomorrow night because it probably just comes around a little too soon for him. It might be that he finds himself on the bench for the game but the good thing is that Celtic are starting to come into their own in terms of getting a fully fit squad.

If they can get through this first leg against the Greeks with a strong result then by the time they head to Athens for the game next week then they are stronger again.

Tom Rogic looked back to his best at the weekend. The lad ran the show against Livingston and Oliver Ntcham is another who has become a really big player for Celtic. Brendan will have been relieved that the injury he seemed to pick up on Saturday hasn't really come to anything.

I have to say that I think that Kristoffer Ajer has done particularly well in this qualification phase. For a young lad, he has been excellent and he played very well against Rosenborg which I am sure will have pleased him on a personal level.

I suspect he'll start tomorrow night alongside Jozo Simunovic. The key thing is that Celtic need to keep it tight at the back and take their chances at the other end.



http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/16402068.john-hartson-dedryck-boyata-for-9mceltic-hang-onto-him-and-hell-be-worth-29m/

Celtic are a better footballing side then Fulham? Do me a favour!
Stand up if you still believe!
@LeeWarner19


Woolly Mammoth

Quote from: Maidstone Lee on August 07, 2018, 10:23:16 AM
Quote from: WhiteJC on August 07, 2018, 07:49:22 AM

John Hartson: Dedryck Boyata for £9m? If Celtic hangs onto him he'll be worth £29m

I think Dedryck Boyata owes Celtic a debt.

I don't think he should be running out the door to another club after the way that Brendan Rodgers stood by him at Celtic. There has been a bit of chat about £9m on the table for him from Fulham – hang on to him and you could get £29m.

£9m? Stick with Celtic where there is the possibility of Champions League football, of winning trophies and staying in that national side and his value will only go up.

Fulham have just paid £20m for Alfie Mawson. The lad has played just 18 months of Premier League football. He hasn't played in the Champions League. He hasn't been to a World Cup. So if you are Celtic then you are thinking, well, if we get Boyata on a long-term deal it works out well for all parties. His value won't go down if he keeps on progressing. There will be interest in him this time next year.

I know that there is no real loyalty in football. We all know Celtic can't compete with the wages that are on offer south of the border. And I also know that Boyata's agent was proving a little elusive when Celtic were trying to discuss a contract before the World Cup. But to me, it's one where you have to look at the bigger picture.

Dedryck has had times as a Celtic player when it just wasn't happening for him. He has had times when he wasn't playing, when his game was strewn with mistakes and you could feel the lack of confidence from him every time he walked onto the pitch.

I think the manager got the best out of him and got him to the level where he has found himself in a Belgian squad that finished third at the World Cup this summer. So I am sure that he'll be in a good place.

But now that it looks as though there is a little bit of interest in him, I think he owes Celtic a decent run at it.

If he does that then his value will go through the roof. The defender can continue to develop at Celtic and is given the platform to play on the biggest stage of all and if he keeps producing solid performances then there will still be interest there. He could be the next big money player who leaves the club to go south of the border.

But while we all know that Fulham have spent a bit of money this season and will look to sustain their top flight status, not for the world could you ever say that the London club are bigger than Celtic.

They are a good club. They have the money that all Premier League clubs have so they can pay the wages but when it comes to the actual football side of things, Celtic wins hands down every time.

I also think that as a player it does you so much good to have a manager that has faith in you. Brendan has clearly worked with Dedryck and re-energised him and I think if I was his agent my advice to him would be to get himself on a long-term deal at Celtic and focus on pushing to get to that next level again.

I don't think that he will start against AEK Athens tomorrow night because it probably just comes around a little too soon for him. It might be that he finds himself on the bench for the game but the good thing is that Celtic are starting to come into their own in terms of getting a fully fit squad.

If they can get through this first leg against the Greeks with a strong result then by the time they head to Athens for the game next week then they are stronger again.

Tom Rogic looked back to his best at the weekend. The lad ran the show against Livingston and Oliver Ntcham is another who has become a really big player for Celtic. Brendan will have been relieved that the injury he seemed to pick up on Saturday hasn't really come to anything.

I have to say that I think that Kristoffer Ajer has done particularly well in this qualification phase. For a young lad, he has been excellent and he played very well against Rosenborg which I am sure will have pleased him on a personal level.

I suspect he'll start tomorrow night alongside Jozo Simunovic. The key thing is that Celtic need to keep it tight at the back and take their chances at the other end.



http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/16402068.john-hartson-dedryck-boyata-for-9mceltic-hang-onto-him-and-hell-be-worth-29m/

Celtic are a better footballing side then Fulham? Do me a favour!

He is deluded if he thinks that. They only get into Europe every year cause they win a two bob league.
Winning Domestic Trophies on the cheap means nothing.
Where is the challenge in that.

Its not the man in the fight, it's the fight in the man.  🐘

Never forget your Roots.