Thursday Fulham Stuff (17/01/19)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Ryan Babel signs for Fulham

As noted in our last post, it's a troubling time for Fulham.  The league table is bad and makes attracting new players difficult.  Furthermore, even really good players only add a handful of points over the course of a season, so given that there's only half a season left, and we don't really have access to really good players, how much difference can be made?

It's a tough one.  The pool of available difference makers is probably tiny, and in some ways limited to cast offs and unproven talent of the kind that Fulham fans are so nervous about (although of course Brede Hangeland had no Premiership experience when he signed for us last time this situation was faced).     I mentioned this on twitter after the Burnley defeat, but really the answer is high risk short-term deals.   There's actually a list of free-agent players on Transfermarkt where we learn that Yohan Cabaye is currently without a club, as is Mikel John Obi, but otherwise it's not long before you bump into Alexander Kacaniklic on the list.   Good players tend to be employed unless something odd has happened.

So it's fascinating that the club found Ryan Babel in Turkey.  In a way this is exactly what they need to be doing.  Babel has a track record and has played under managers like Rafa Benitez.  He's 33 but was always athletic, so you'd expect him to be able to battle Father Time for six months (and he played for Holland last year, too).  He's been a regular at Besiktas and they've been winning.   It's six months so you're not saddled with a bad contract if relegation isn't avoided, and he may (or may not) have that intriguing Dutch habit of speaking his mind and showing some leadership and calling out underperformance.  I mean, I don't know, but everyone seems to think that the team lacks a bit of this, and maybe it does.

We don't know what kind of player he is now, but for whatever it's worth, Statsbomb did one of their radars, which suggests that, as a forward, he's a creator of chances.

As a player I always enjoyed watching him.  He had (has?) pace and a thunderbolt of a shot.  I don't know exactly how he'd be used at Fulham but some are suggesting a role cutting in from the left.    That would make sense to me.   I have nothing against Joe Bryan but an inordinate amount of our attacks seem to go through the full-backs at the moment, and these full-backs are more or less midfielders anyway, so I wouldn't be against seeing Sessegnon in that role on the left with Babel ahead of him cutting in onto that right foot.  It feels like Sess could still do his thing there and bring more attacking range to the team.   You'd want to do something similar on the right, too, perhaps, but one player at a time.

Presumably this signing is an indicator that the club is being pragmatic around the team's needs.  As noted earlier, there's only so much you can do in a transfer window when in this position, so a few clever additions of this kind may be just the job.

For what it's worth, my shopping list is now:

    one centre-back, but if Mawson returns this perhaps isn't urgent as the players aren't terrible back there (no really)
    one right-back/wing-back/midfielder – I quite like Christie but I think the role's too important in this team to not consider getting the best available player we can here
    a centre-forward to play off Mitrovic and stretch defences.   It's hard though because if you play Cairney behind Mitro, which I think we should, then there isn't necessarily space in the team assuming you play Seri and Chambers, too, which again, we probably should, and Babel, who presumably didn't come here to watch.  So at this point it's about squad options.

So really it's rearranging things a bit.   Here's my sort of team as of now, but as you can see, I don't really know what to do with the last available space (Babel).  I'd also like to see Anguissa playing under Ranieri but we don't know if that ship has sailed or what.   Moving Chambers back into defence would be worth doing, too.

We have to go back to a point I raised earlier, though.  Even the best players are worth 5-6 points over an average one over the course of a whole season, and we're not getting in the best players.  So, all else being equal, there's little to be done in terms of transformative new signings unless you believe that one player can somehow unlock the ability of everyone else.  That's not impossible.  We can be fairly sure that the team hasn't played to its ability so far, so there's a possibility that some kind of alchemy can be performed that changes this underperformance.  But as Roy always said, there are no magic wands in football.



https://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2019/01/16/ryan-babel-signs-for-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Aboubakar Kamara: Club close to signing Fulham player, hope for quick announcement

Futbol Arena claim Turkish Super Lig club Yeni Malatyaspor are close to signing Fulham attacker Aboubakar Kamara.

It's reported the Turkish club have made 'significant progress' to loan the 23 year old and a couple of minor details are left to complete the deal.

The Turkish website report Yeni Malatyaspor will hold one final meeting with Fulham to bring in the player and are hopeful they can announce his arrival soon.

Ryan Babel's transfer to Fulham has reportedly opened the way for Malatyaspor to complete a deal for the French attacker as he's now likely to drop down the pecking order under Claudio Ranieri.

Recently the forward was criticised by the Fulham boss after he went against team orders and took a penalty against Huddersfield Town.

Kamara joined Fulham from French club Amiens for €6m and is under contract at Craven Cottage until 2021.

The former AS Monaco player has featured in 13 Premier League games this season, scoring 3 goals.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/super-lig-club-close-signing-fulham-forward-one-final-meeting/

[WhiteJC]

Where are they now? Martin Jol's last Premier League starting XI at Fulham

There are, broadly speaking, three types of team which get relegated from the Premier League.

You have those which were never good enough, packed to bursting with Championship players and resigned to their fate before a ball is kicked, and then those 'too good to go down' squads where young enigmas fail to reverse an unlikely slide.

The third genre, though, is the most fun: it's the 'too weird to stay up' squad. Examples include Stoke City in 2018, Portsmouth in 2010, and – in perhaps the purest example – Fulham in the 2013-14 season.

Fulham had finished the previous season in a comfortable 12th place but lost five of their last six games, failing to score in three of those, to end the campaign with a bit of a whimper.

They lost long-serving players Mark Schwarzer and Chris Baird over the summer and responded with what might generously be called a 'scattergun' transfer approach. Not unlike their 2018-19 strategy, you might argue.

There were a few early-season wins, with a 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace the standout, but manager Martin Jol eventually bit the dust after picking up just 10 points from the opening 13 games.

When you look at the starting XI in the last of those games, a 3-0 loss at West Ham, you'll simply be left confused. As for what those 11 players are doing now, well...

GK – Maarten Stekelenburg

The starting keeper in the Netherlands' 2010 World Cup final defeat, Stekelenburg arrived in a cut-price deal to replace Schwarzer but didn't stick around for long.

After an injury-hit first season, he spent loan spells away at Monaco and Southampton – for whom he played in a famous 4-0 win over Arsenal – before following Ronald Koeman to Everton.

You probably had no idea he was still there: his last Premier League appearance came against Swansea in May 2017.

RB – Elsad Zverotić

Another summer 2013 signing, Montenegro international Zverotić stuck around for a little while after relegation. Still, it's unlikely that too many Fulham fans would be able to pick his face out of a line-up.

He returned to Switzerland after leaving Craven Cottage, and his 20 games for the London club feel like a bizarre blip in a career which has seen him turn out for six different teams in the central European country, including current club FC Aarau.

CB – Aaron Hughes

Premier League stalwart Hughes was already getting on in years by 2013, having turned 34 just a couple of weeks before the defeat at Upton Park, and made the short trip to Loftus Road in January to help QPR win promotion.

Now pushing 40, the Northern Ireland man refuses to quit and has made a handful of appearances this season for Hearts in the SPFL after spells in Australia and India.

CB – Fernando Amorebieta

The first Venezuelan to play in the Premier League was also the first Venezuelan to be relegated from the division, playing in seven of his team's nine wins but also picking up a red card in a 5-0 loss at Manchester City.

He saw out his contract until the summer of 2016, albeit via a couple of loan spells with Middlesbrough, before moving on to Sporting Gijón and Independiente, recently joining Paraguayan side Club Cerro Porteño.

LB – Kieran Richardson

Former Manchester United youngster Richardson suffered relegation with his last two Premier League clubs, dropping down with Fulham in 2014 and Aston Villa two years later.

The 34-year-old has yet to officially retire, but he last played for Cardiff in late 2016, and a trial with Tony Adams' Granada the following year did not result in a contract.

CM – Scott Parker

Parker stuck around quite a bit longer than the rest of the relegated squad, seeing out his career at Craven Cottage and eventually retiring from football in 2017. By the time he hung up his boots, he had racked up more than 100 Fulham appearances, many as captain.

He returned to the club as a coach in the summer of 2018, having briefly been on Tottenham Hotspur's staff, remaining in west London after the appointment of his former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri.

CM – Steve Sidwell

Another former Chelsea man, Sidwell had his best ever top-flight goalscoring season as Fulham dropped out of the division, finding the net seven times.

After a couple of years at Stoke, the midfielder returned to the Premier League in 2017 with Brighton, but injuries prevented him from playing a part in the club's first season in the division.

Since taking the difficult decision to retire, he has joined Brighton's coaching staff.

RW – Pajtim Kasami

The scorer of one of the goals of the 2013-14 season, Kasami was in-demand after Fulham's relegation and went on to play for Olympiakos in the following season's Champions League.

After a loan spell with Nottingham Forest, he returned home to Switzerland in 2017 and joined FC Sion. Despite rediscovering his goalscoring touch, he has been unable at the time of writing to return to the Swiss national setup.

ACM – Adel Taarabt

The one-time QPR star was allowed to leave the Loftus Road club after their relegation in 2013, and Fulham took him on loan for the season, only for Jol's replacement René Meulensteen to allow the Moroccan to cut short that spell and spend the second half of the campaign with AC Milan.

Despite impressing for the Italian club, he was not given a permanent deal, instead returning to the Rs for a season before moving to Benfica in 2015.

He is now back in Portugal after spending 18 months on loan with Genoa but is on the hunt for a new club after failing to get close to the first team. We still love him.

LW – Damien Duff

Relegation in 2014 brought to an end a five-year spell with Fulham for the Irish winger, who started the 2010 Europa League final and played more than 150 times for the club.

After leaving Craven Cottage, Duff spent time with Melbourne City and Shamrock Rovers before calling it quits at the end of 2015. He is now head coach of the Dublin club's Under-15s team, who sit atop their league at the time of writing.

ST – Darren Bent

The highlight of Bent's time at Fulham, his equaliser in 'the 81 crosses game' against Manchester United, makes it easy to forget Bent only played a total of 30 games for the club.

He returned to parent club Aston Villa in 2014, only to almost instantly get loaned out again to Brighton and then Derby.

The latter eventually snapped him up permanently, and since leaving the club in 2018 he has mostly been seen doing TV punditry work.



https://www.planetfootball.com/nostalgia/where-are-they-now-martin-jols-last-premier-league-starting-xi-at-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham willing to let Kevin McDonald leave on loan

Fulham are willing to let midfielder Kevin McDonald leave the club on loan this month, Sky Sports News understands.

The 30-year-old has made only 11 appearances so far this season and last featured for Fulham in the 1-1 draw with Wolves on Boxing Day.

Sky Sports News understands a number of Sky Bet Championship sides are interested in signing McDonald.

The Scotland international signed a new two-year deal with Fulham last summer, which also included an option to extend by a further 12 months.

But following the arrival of manager Claudio Ranieri in November, McDonald has played just eight minutes of football under the Italian.

McDonald joined Fulham from Wolves in 2016 and was an integral player under former manager Slavisa Jokanovic as the club won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs last season.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11608751/fulham-willing-to-let-kevin-mcdonald-leave-on-loan

[WhiteJC]

 
Host of Championship clubs want Fulham midfielder available on loan

Fulham will listen to offers for Kevin McDonald, according to Sky Sports.

The experienced midfielder has fallen down the pecking order with the Cottagers in the Premier League and looks likely to leave on loan this month. A host of Championship clubs are believed to be interested in him.

The 30-year-old has played 11 times for Fulham in this campaign but is not part of their new manager Claudio Ranieri's plans.

McDonald, who is a Scotland international with five caps for his name, joined Fulham in 2016 and has since played over 100 games for the London side. He played a key part in their promotion to the Premier League last season under Slavisa Jokanovic.

He is vastly experienced in the Championship and would be a decent acquisition for any side and has racked up over 500 appearances so far in his career.

McDonald started out at Dundee and went onto impress for their first-team before earning a move to England with Burnley for £500,000 in 2008. He helped the Clarets gain promotion to the top flight in 2009.

However, he was loaned out to Scunthorpe United and Notts County before leaving permanently for Sheffield United in 2011. He spent three seasons in League One with the Blades prior to being snapped up by Wolves for £750,000 in 2013.

McDonald was part of the Wolves side who won the third tier title in 2014 and he played over 100 games for the Molinuex club before leaving for Fulham.

It will be interesting to see what is in store for McDonald this month.



https://the72.co.uk/123423/host-championship-clubs-want-fulham-midfielder-available-loan/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham's Ryan Babel said to have verbal agreement to join another club in summer

Milliyet journalist Serdar Saridag claims Fulham's latest signing Ryan Babel has reached a verbal agreement to sign for Galatasaray next season.

Yesterday the English club confirmed the arrival of Babel, with reports they've paid Besiktas £1.8m for the Netherlands international. The player would have been out of contract with the Turkish club in the summer.

However, Babel has only committed himself to Fulham for the remainder of the season. Saridag says subsequently his  Turkish journey may not be over yet after the Dutch winger reportedly held talks with Galatasaray over a potential move in the summer.

It's claimed Babel will not commit himself to Fulham beyond this season due to them being in a relegation fight, which can lead to a quick return to Istanbul if they drop down to the Championship.

The Milliyet journalist has also stated Babel hasn't put his house in Turkey up for sale, which he says could be an indication he has unfinished business in the Super Lig.

Perhaps the country's football media just want him back.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-player-verbal-agreement-sign-another-club-summer/

[WhiteJC]

 
Ryan Babel, rapping and a Liverpool career that veered from the sublime to ridiculous

Babel returned to the Premier League with Fulham this week, 12 years after signing for Rafa Benitez's Liverpool

In the week where people showed their willingness to take on the '10-year challenge' across social media, it appeared as though Fulham had adopted it for transfers.

The signing of Ryan Babel raised more than a few eyebrows on Tuesday when he joined the relegation-threatened Cottagers.

To many, the 32-year-old's best days were behind him, but the Dutchman has been handed another chance at Premier League stardom, some 12 years after moving to England as a 20-year-old.

The talented Dutch forward spent four years at Liverpool and showed plenty of flashes of talent that marked him out as one of Europe's most promising young prospects.

An £11million signing from Ajax in 2007, Babel was part of a big-money summer recruitment drive that also saw the Reds land Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun to give Rafa Benitez's side an exciting new dimension up front.

However, his languid and unpredictable style never meshed well with the Benitez regime whose well-drilled tactics were better suited to Babel's compatriot Dirk Kurt.

Babel always viewed himself, long term, as a striker but was rarely trusted in a central position by Benitez, who preferred to name the versatile frontman on the left wing in the 4-2-3-1 formation - often as a substitute.

On and off the field, Babel was capable of veering from the ridiculous to the sublime before he was quietly offloaded to Hoffenheim in 2011.

There were the goals against the likes of Derby, Lyon and Chelsea which showcased his class, poise and outrageous ability to shoot from distance.


Liverpool FC's Ryan Babel who is in talks with German side Hoffenheim

There was that game-changing performance against Arsenal in the Champions League in 2008 as well as a late double in a record-setting 8-0 hammering of Besiktas.

Such moments of brilliance were perhaps made fleeting by Babel's failure to ever truly become a regular under Benitez or Roy Hodgson though.

Babel's most consistent run in the Liverpool team came towards the end of his first season at Anfield when he started six games consecutively.

He played 91 times for Liverpool in the Premier League with just 31 of them coming as a starter. The feeling of a lack of trust perhaps permeated his Anfield career.

Issues off the pitch didn't aid his cause under the regimented Benitez either who was perhaps suspicious of the enigmatic nature of the skillful Dutchman.

"He is like the ideal father-in-law," Babel said of Benitez upon his arrival in the summer of 2007. "He has a lot of football know-how and he told me that I would be challenging with six other players for four positions."

It was a challenge he would rarely win as he found it difficult to break into the team on a consistent basis.

Babel would later hint that Benitez failed to help him develop the very evident potential he displayed with Ajax, saying in an 2017 interview: "For a 20 year old the gap from Holland to England is massive. That's a fact.

"Not all players are able to settle in directly from day one. I remember even [Robin] van Persie needed two, three years but he became Van Persie. The difference is I think [Arsene] Wenger actually helped him develop and gave him time [at Arsenal].

"He promised me certain things at this time to help me develop which I thought was the same as Ajax but at a different pace.

"But from the start I felt basically left out, by myself, no help and that was of course very difficult for a 20 year old."

While struggling to nail down a place in the Liverpool first team, Babel would venture to New York to record rap songs in an attempt to carve out a second career as a hip-hop artist.

In January 2011, Babel was fined £10,000 for a mock-up of referee Howard Webb wearing a Manchester United kit after an FA Cup defeat at Old Trafford.

"Sorry Howard Webb." he would later tweet. "My apology if they take my posted pic seriously. This is just an emotional reaction after losing an important game."

Babel's exit came in the dying embers of a January window that also saw Torres move to Chelsea for £50million and Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll break the club's transfer records over the same weekend.

His £8m move to Hoffenheim was a mere after-thought to Reds at the time.

During his time with the likes of Kasimpasa in Turkey and Al Ain in the UAE, Babel will have been forgiven for thinking his Premier League ship had sailed.

Liverpool have moved on as they close in on a Premier League title in 2019, but travelling supporters will no doubt afford Babel a favourable reception if he features at Craven Cottage on March 16.

And they will watch on from a far with a hint of intrigue for the remainder of the season.

For his part, Babel remains a Reds fan.

"Liverpool is my club," he said last season. "I try to follow every game. I still support them, I wish them all the best."

The feeling will no doubt be mutual.



https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/ryan-babel-rapping-liverpool-career-15685476

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham see bid for Attamah Larweh rejected

HITC Sport understands Fulham have had a bid rejected for Ghana defender Joseph Attamah Larweh.

Fulham have seen an offer for Istanbul Basaksehir defender Joseph Attamah Larweh turned down by the Turkish league leaders, HITC Sport understands from sources close to the club.

Premier League strugglers Fulham have made defensive reinforcements one of their top priorities this month as they look to shore up their rearguard.

Fulham have the worst defensive record in the league, having conceded 49 goals in 22 games and currently lie second from bottom of the table, five points adrift of safety.

Attamah Larweh has emerged on Fulham's radar after impressing at Istanbul Basaksehir, helping them to the top of the Turkish Super Lig.

The 24-year-old's versatility in that he can play in central defence, right-back or holding midfield makes him an attractive proposition to Fulham as they look to strengthen throughout their squad in this month's transfer window.

However, Istanbul Basaksehir have rebuffed the interest from Fulham and claim he is not for sale as they look to keep hold of their squad in a bid to win the league this season.

Ghana international Attamah Larweh has made 45 appearances for Istanbul Basaksehir since joining in 2016 and he still has 18 months to run on his current deal.

The news is a blow for Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri as he has struggled to bring in any defensive reinforcements so far this month with Ryan Babel the only new arrival at Craven Cottage during this month's transfer window.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/01/16/por-fulham-see-bid-for-attamah-larweh-rejected/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham midfielder Matt O'Riley being watched by Stuttgart, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund

Fulham's highly-rated 18-year old midfielder Matt O'Riley could soon become the latest young England talent to head for the Bundesliga.

Sky Sports News understands scouts from Stuttgart, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund have all monitored his progress as recently as last week, when he starred in Fulham U23s' 3-1 victory over Manchester United.

Domestically, Celtic, Rangers, Leeds and Norwich are also understood to be considering a bid for the creative midfielder, who has been at Fulham since the age of eight.

German teams continue to scout young English Premier League players, with Chelsea presently considering a £35m bid for their young star, Callum Hudson-Odoi, from Bayern Munich.

Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho, a former England U16 team-mate of O'Riley's, continues to grab the spotlight at Borussia Dortmund.

O'Riley is one of a number of promising academy graduates not currently getting a game at struggling Fulham.

Ryan Sessegnon's brother, Stephen, is believed to have impressed Claudio Ranieri and could yet be used at right-back - a position in which the Whites have struggled to find a reliable answer this season - but may head out on loan if the club sign a right-back instead.

Attacking-midfielder Luca De La Torre is also available for loan this month and is of interest to clubs in Germany and the Netherlands.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11608831/fulham-midfielder-matt-oriley-being-watched-by-stuttgart-rb-leipzig-and-borussia-dortmund

[WhiteJC]

 
Host of Championship clubs lining up move to seal deal for Fulham player

A host of Sky Bet Championship sides are interested in signing Fulham midfielder Kevin McDonald this month, according to reports from Sky Sports News.

The 30-year old played an integral role in the Cottagers' promotion to the Premier League last season for Slavisa Jokanovic, and was an everpresent for the London club, who defeated Aston Villa in the play-off final at Wembley.

But since the Slovenian's departure from Craven Cottage, the Scottish international has fallen massively out of favour under Claudio Ranieri, playing just eight minutes of football under the former Leicester City and Chelsea manager.

Reports have now emerged that the midfielder will be allowed to leave Fulham on loan this month, with a number of unnamed Championship clubs weighing up a move to land the Scot.

Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday were all reportedly interested in signing him last season, however it remains to be seen if they are to reignite interest in the man who has been promoted from the second tier twice in his career.

The Verdict
McDonald would be an exceptional signing for any team chasing promotion in the Championship, and it's quite surprising to see him become out of favour at Fulham.

He may be ageing slightly, but he was superb in midfield for Fulham last season, and has been a standout performer in this division for years.

In terms of who could sign him, I think Nottingham Forest should definitely reignite interest in McDonald. They have a plethora of talented midfielders in their ranks, but McDonald just seems like the perfect Martin O'Neill signing to me.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/host-of-championship-clubs-lining-up-move-to-seal-deal-for-fulham-player/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham target Joseph Attamah from Istanbul Basaksehir as they look to bolster their defensive options

    Fulham are battling to avoid Premier League relegation as they sit in 19th
    Joseph Attamah has been identified as a player to solidify their creaking defence

Fulham have moved for Ghana international defender Joseph Attamah.

The Cottagers are strengthening their squad this month as they try to provide Claudio Ranieri with a squad capable of beating the drop.

And Fulham have contacted Istanbul Basaksehir with a view to signing the 24-year-old ahead of the transfer deadline.


Fulham have moved for defender Joseph Attamah from Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir


Attamah (pictured playing last season) is wanted by the Cottagers in this January window

The Turkish club have made clear they want to keep Attamah, but Fulham are keen to press ahead with the swoop and will continue negotiations.

Fulham have already completed the shock signing of former Liverpool star Ryan Babel this month as they look to reinforce their survival bid.

The 32-year-old Dutchman made his name in the Premier League over three-and-a-half seasons with the Reds and is back in the English top flight on a short six-month contract.

Fulham are in desperate need of a cutting edge in the final third and are currently five points from safety.


Ryan Babel will spend six months with Fulham as they bid to avoid relegation


Besiktas allowed Babel to leave the club and join the Cottagers on a six-month deal



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6598533/Fulham-target-Joseph-Attamah-Istanbul-Basaksehir.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Battle brewing for Matt O'Riley

Celtic and Rangers are considering bids for Fulham's 18-year-old midfielder Matt O'Riley, according to Sky Sports.

The report claims that the "highly-rated" youngster's performances have also put him on the map of Bundesliga clubs, with scouts from Stuttgart, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund all following him.

They scouted him as recently as last week when he helped Fulham Under-23s beat Man United.

Championship sides Leeds and Norwich are also credited with being in the hunt for the midfielder.

OPINION

Bundesliga sides are taking a very keen interest in English players at the moment, and no wonder. Jadon Sancho is already impressing with Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea are currently fending off a big bid from Bayern Munich for Callum Hudson-Odoi. O'Riley might not be at that level but he's not getting game-time at Fulham and he may well fancy switching if a club can promise to fast-track him into the first-team. He's said to be "highly-rated" and is a former teammate of Sancho in the England Under-16 set-up. Leeds have a very good link between their Under-23 side and the first-team at the moment, with many youngsters successfully making the step-up. Gerrard is also a manager that knows all about youth players from his time at Liverpool. It will be interesting to see if bids come in from any or all of them, and whether Fulham will be willing to let him go.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2019/01/blogs/battle-brewing-for-matt-oriley/

[WhiteJC]

 
Leeds United in race with the likes of Celtic and Rangers for top-flight midfielder

Leeds United are one of several clubs monitoring talented Fulham youngster Matt O'Riley as they line up a move for the midfielder in this window.

The 18-year-old is highly-rated at Craven Cottage and has featured in the League Cup over the past two seasons but he has not made the matchday squad for a league game.
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And, Sky Sports are reporting that various clubs are keen on the teenager, including Championship duo Leeds United and Norwich City.

However, they would face a real battle to persuade O'Riley to join with Celtic, Rangers, Stuttgart, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund also showing an interest.

The chance to move to Germany may appeal to the youngster, with Jadon Sancho the most high-profile example of an English youngster making the move to the Bundesliga to Dortmund and his career has taken off.

The report states that scouts from the German clubs were present as the midfielder starred in a recent 3-1 win over Manchester United for the Cottagers U23s.

O'Riley is a technically gifted midfielder and has represented England at various youth levels.

The Verdict

Clearly, the Fulham man is in-demand and that should tell you about the qualities that he has.

Therefore, if Leeds could convince him to Elland Road it would be a real coup for the Championship leaders and he is the type of player that could thrive under Bielsa.

The London outfit will be reluctant to sell but O'Riley might feel it's the right time to move in his career as he looks to get regular football.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/leeds-united-in-the-race-with-the-likes-of-celtic-and-rangers-for-top-flight-midfielder/

[WhiteJC]

 
Tottenham handed injury boost ahead of clash with Fulham

Tottenham Hotspur suffered more than a defeat at the hands of Manchester United last Sunday, as talisman Harry Kane was ruled out until March with an ankle injury.

The news came as a massive blow to Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, who will struggle to replace the England international and his goal-scoring prowess.

According to The Guardian, Lucas Moura could return from injury in time for Sunday's clash with Fulham though, with would be a welcome boost for Tottenham.

Moura missed last weekend's defeat with a knee injury and has been a key attacking outlet for Spurs this season, scoring eight times in his 29 appearances.

The Brazilian attacking midfielder could have a huge role to play over the coming months, especially with teammate Son Heung-Min departing for the Asia Cup.
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Kane's absence could have a huge impact of Tottenham's title challenge though, as the striker has found the net 21 times this season and has been key to their current position in the table.

With Spurs nine points behind the Premier League leaders, the injury has come at the worst possible time as they can't afford to slip up any more if they are to bridge that gap.

Kane's injury is especially worrying given the form of his like-for-like replacement, Fernando Llorente, who has had a torrid time since joining Tottenham last season from Swansea City for £12million.

The 33-year-old has one Premier League start to his name, featuring from the bench 21 times, and his only league goal came against his former club last year in a 2-0 win.

Llorente does have four goals under his belt this season, all of which came in domestic competitions, and three of those were in Tottenham's 7-0 rout over Tranmere Rovers.

Spurs will miss Kane's influence massively in the coming weeks and months, and Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping the player tasked with replacing him during that time can step up and perform.



https://ninetyminutesonline.com/tottenham-handed-injury-boost-ahead-of-clash-with-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Games for the Weekend 19/01
Following the disappointing result against Burnley last weekend this Sunday we welcome Spurs to the Cottage

The "good news" for Fulham is that it looks like Harry Kane, Moussa Sissoko and Son Heung-min will all miss the game, "clutching at straws" I know.

Will our new signing, Ryan Babel, get a run out and if so what difference will he make? Is a game against a 'top six' side the kind of game that Claudio Ranieri would want to introduce him? it certainly would be a baptism of fire.

Games of Interest...
Saturday 19th
Newcastle v Cardiff
Southampton v Everton
Watford v Burnley

Sunday 20th
Huddersfield v Man City
Fulham v Spurs



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=582

[WhiteJC]

 
When the Premier League fixtures to be televised on Sky Sports and BT in March are announced

The fixtures to be broadcast on BT & Sky Sports will be announced very soon

Football fans will be able to start planning their travel arrangements for March with the latest batch of televised Premier League games to be announced in the coming days.

With supporters across the country finding out just over a month ago about who would be on television during February, the next announcement is due to be made next week.

According to the Premier League website, the announcement will be on Friday, January 25.

March opens with Spurs vs Arsenal and the game is a certainty to be shown on television.

The match between both sides back in December was televised on a Sunday and this could be the case once again with Everton vs Liverpool likely to be shown either before or after the north London derby.

Unai Emery's side are in action a week later at home to Manchester United and this also looks set to be selected by either Sky Sports or BT Sport.

As the Gunners will be in Europa League action on the Thursday ahead of the game providing they reach the Round of 16, a Sunday game looks very likely with Chelsea also in a similar boat for their home match against Wolves.

Premier League games are set to be played the following weekend but it appears that a lot will get rescheduled with the quarter-finals of the FA Cup also taking place.

The final round of games for the month are on Saturday, March 30 with the first international break of 2019 due set for the previous weekend.

Spurs' game at Liverpool looks guaranteed to be broadcast live, while Fulham's home match against champions Man City could well be shown by either Sky or BT.

Approximate dates for televised fixtures

March - January 25

April - February 22

May - April 5



https://www.football.london/premier-league/premier-league-march-live-tv-15687703

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham signing Ranieri's former protege would be a very shrewd step towards Premier League safety

Why Fulham should sign Danny Simpson from Leicester City

According to a report in Leicestershire Live, Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri is eager to sign Danny Simpson from Leicester City. The duo has worked together before, significantly in a season when the Foxes miraculously won the league title.

As per the report (h/t Mirror), Ranieri is desperate to get the right-back as he seeks to improve the Cottagers' chances of surviving in the Premier League this season. Simpson has been out of favour at the King Power stadium under Claude Puel, having only featured in four league games so far this campaign.

Hence, there might be a temptation to leave the club and move elsewhere to get more game time. He is out of contract in the summer as well and here's why Fulham should sign the 32-year-old this month:

Fulham solidity at the back

Despite spending a fortune in the summer, newcomers Fulham have really struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League.

As a result of an absolutely atrocious start, Slavisa Jokanovic was shown the door and Ranieri was appointed. The Italian was brought in to bring stability to the team, keep clean sheets and then build the base of the team from there.

However, the former Leicester City manager has struggled to stop the flow of goals being conceded. Currently, the Cottagers have the worst defensive record in the league, having already shipped 49 goals in 22 league games. Something has to change if they are to survive this season and the defence needs to improve as soon as possible.

Ranieri's best formation is 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1, but the right-back spot has been a worry for the manager. Timothy Fosu-Mensah's future is in doubt and Cyrus Christie is inconsistent, to say the least. Switching to three at the back isn't going to make things any better for the Londoners.

Hence, what they need to do is sign a player of Danny Simpson's quality and enable the gaffer to put out his best formation. The Leicester right-back knows what it's like to play under Ranieri, hence, he would be a better asset at right-back for Fulham.

The 32-year-old would bring defensive stability to the team, something which has been lacking since August. Furthermore, his healthy experience of working with Ranieri and winning the Premier League will help the team to get over the line in tough situations.

From Simpson's point of view, as mentioned above, he might well be tempted to reunite with his former boss since he is not playing much at Leicester. Hence, his move to Craven Cottage would suit all parties involved.



https://soccersouls.com/2019/01/17/fulham-signing-ranieris-former-protege-would-be-a-very-shrewd-step-towards-premier-league-safety/

[WhiteJC]

 
Innocence and Experience

There was a fascinating piece in the Independent today about English attitudes to young players. Most clubs of Fulham's size will lose their best youngsters, and a good recent example for us might be Patrick Roberts who swapped potential stardom for a chance to play in Manchester City's reserves before going out on loan to Celtic and beyond. Now that might be unkind in that Roberts has actually had game time, but who's to say that Ryan Sessegnon won't face a similar situation in the next few months?

It speaks to a general lack of trust in young players in the English game. This quote from the article is I believe attributed to a Dortmund scout:

The scout, from one of the clubs most globally respected for bringing through talent, couldn't quite believe the situation – let alone what he was seeing. It was a run-of-the-mill under-23 game, but Fulham's Matt O'Riley was putting in anything but a run-of-the-mill performance. The teenage midfielder was brilliant.

"It's amazing," the scout said. "Fulham spent how many millions in the summer for two midfielders, and we wouldn't pay for either of them. But O'Riley can't get in the team and we'd pay for him."

That's hard to hear. I know the club would disagree with this statement – they bought the players they bought because they believed in them – but to have a proven club say something like that is quite damning.  It's a blow to those of us who still believe that Seri at least is a quality player looking to find his feet, and who think that Anguissa just needs a few games in a less chaotic team to show us the form that made him an ever present in Marseilles Europa League run last season.   But apparently perhaps not.  Anyway.

There's more:

Many who work on the continent simply can't believe how wedded English clubs are to a hierarchical system regarding age. It is like they get hung up on it, and won't trust an 18-year-old if they can bring in a 21-year-old. The director of football at a Ligue 1 club confided that, "we can't believe some of the quality English clubs have and don't use. Age doesn't come into it with us, it's just about level of quality.

"English clubs seem to give the least amount of respect to the same players they've spent years developing."

I've long believed this to the the case. If we look at the NBA or the NFL, talented young players get regular game time and are able to play at a very high level in their early 20s. And while their skills might change and improve as they age, they are trusted to perform.

In England this is simply not the case, and over the years dozens of talented young players have seen their careers sputter out because there's no room at the top, which results in international squads leaning heavily on players not getting first team matches. And people will say "the cream rises to the top", to which we might suggest that the cream won't rise if it never leaves the cow (or a better metaphor if you can think of one). If you don't let young players play, they don't become as good as they otherwise would have become.

Fulham fans talk a lot about experience at the moment, but what does that really mean?  I would assume that personality is personality.  Does an experienced player stay calm towards the end of a stressful match more than a young player would?  Perhaps.  Or perhaps a calm player stays calm and an excitable player doesn't.   Does an experienced player know how to deal with different kinds of opposing tactics?  Probably, but a manager ought to be preparing all of his squad for this kind of thing anyway, old or young.

So what exactly is it that experience brings?   More consistent form?  Again, perhaps.  But perhaps again that's just a function of personality.  I would guess that it is.   No, I'd be surprised if there's anything that experience brings to a team that isn't directly a function of talent and personality, and those traits will be there however old a player is.

To make this real again, everyone was interested in Gary Cahill because of his experience.  But I'd be interested to know in tangible terms how that helps us.  Is it about leadership, about setting high standards?   That'd be good.  Probably that's needed.   But I don't know that this is a function of experience.  Perhaps we're on semantics here.

It's one of those things that we all take for granted because all the pros talk about it, all the football men go on about its importance, and let's face it, our best manager went a bundle on getting in older players who'd been around the block a bit.  Even so, I'm not convinced, but then who am I?

Interesting times anyway.



https://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2019/01/16/11167/

[WhiteJC]

 
Amidst lack of goals and regular fights with Mitrovic, it is high time Fulham let go of this lacklustre 23-year-old

Why Claudio Ranieri needs to let Aboubakar Kamara exit Fulham

Aboubakar Kamara's Premier League career consists of the 23-year-old scoring three goals and two fights with fellow striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. While that may not be his career's crowning moment, the 23-year-old striker hasn't won manager Claudio Ranieri's praise for doing either with the former Leicester City boss upset with the French international (via Sky Sports).

However, now Daily Mail has revealed that the Fulham forwards got into another brawl, this time during a yoga session. It further adds that the pair had to be separated by Fulham team-mates and it looks like the relationship between the two stars is getting worse each day.

It started with the penalty incident and while Mitrovic is Ranieri's key man up-front, the 24-year-old has been subject to a transfer bid (via the Sun).

Fulham absolutely made the right decision by rejecting it and the club need to ensure that their star is happy at Craven Cottage. But such fights between Kamara and Mitrovic will affect the entire team. Not only will it destroy morale and divide the dressing room, but the Cottagers cannot afford such problems since they are in a relegation scrap.

The Sun recently reported that manager Claudio Ranieri is interested in letting the 23-year-old Karama move on and that's exactly what the Fulham boss needs to do. Not only has the former Monaco youth star failed to impress during his time at Fulham, but his attitude could cause a massive problem for the club in the near future.

However, if Fulham do sell Aboubakar Kamara, they will have to dip into the market and add another forward to help Mitrovic. While the Serbian international is Fulham's top scorer this season, he's only managed to score 8 goals in the Premier League separated by two six-game droughts.

The Cottagers have been linked with moves for Gregoire Defrel (via sky sports), Lys Mousset (via Sky Sports) and a few others but no move has materialized so far. The 23-year-old Kamara has struggled in the English top tier so far, scoring just 5 goals in 15 appearances all season.

Thus, amidst his own lack of form and issues with the Serbian star, Fulham should offload him and generate more funds to reinforce other areas this January.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2019/01/17/amidst-lack-of-goals-and-regular-fights-with-mitrovic-it-is-high-time-fulham-let-go-of-this-lacklustre-23-year-old/

[WhiteJC]

 
The Tony Gale Column

We got the first new face through the door this week with the arrival of Ryan Babel, and he's someone who's got Premier League experience, he's got a goal in him, and he can play right the way across the frontline. He gives us that little bit more experience that perhaps some of the other players in his position don't have. If he plays on the left he'll like to cut in and get shots away, something he's done to good effect right throughout his career, so it will be interesting to see where Claudio plays him. He was out of contract in the summer and so won't have cost us a fortune, and it's a short term deal so it's a low risk one from our point of view.

Burnley away on Saturday was a perfect example of how you don't get the rub of the green when you're down the bottom. We didn't create loads of chances but we definitely had the better of them throughout the 90 minutes. They had no shots on target and end up getting two goals – talk about Fulhamish! But in fairness to Burnley, they've shown that doggedness to get themselves out of trouble. If you look at their squad, man for man they're no better than us I don't think, but they showed that little bit of resilience.

I feel a bit sorry for André Schürrle. Whenever he scores a belter, it ends up being a consolation goal! That was the case at Cardiff, and it was the same at Turf Moor. It just shows what he's capable of – get the ball to Schürrle and he's always got a goal in him. We looked a lot more dangerous when Tom Cairney came off the bench on Saturday, so I'd like to see him in the middle of the park pulling the strings, creating the chances for the likes of Ryan Babel and Schürrle.

We've got Tottenham this weekend at the Cottage, and I think it's a great time to play them. We haven't had much luck this season but this is something that's gone in our favour. Obviously they've still got a lot of firepower, but with Heung-Min Son off on international duty and Harry Kane injured, that's a big percentage of their goal threat gone.

Kane not playing is massive. It's not just his goals, it's what he does in his linkup play as well. Harry tends to drop deep a lot of the time, and then the other wider players get in advanced of him. Let's not get carried away, though. It's not like Spurs don't have top class players to fill those gaps. People tend to forget they've still got Fernando Llorente there who's a player I rate very highly. Plus they've still got Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela, so it's not like they're completely without attacking options. They've still got real quality, but missing their two top scorers will put a few doubts in their mind and therefore it is a good time to play them.

I want to see us get into them, get on the front foot early on, don't give them a chance to settle in with what will be a makeshift forward line for them. To take something from that match would give us a huge confidence boost. It will still just be three points at the end of the day, but beating a big team does give you a real lift, without a doubt. The games against the teams around us remain the more important ones, but if we can get something against Spurs it will give everyone a lift. We shouldn't approach the match in a negative manner, as it's a real good opportunity to go at Spurs.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/january/16/the-tony-gale-column