Wednesday Fulham Stuff (23/01/19)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Report: Juventus respond to Fulham's Medhi Benatia bid

Claudio Ranieri's Fulham reportedly want Juve's Serie A champion Benatia to aid their Premier League survival bid.

Fulham have been linked with not one but two Juventus players this month, as Claudio Ranieri's side plot an escape from the Premier League relegation zone.

Tuttomercatoweb claimed on Monday that the Cottagers were making an ambitious move to sign the Moroccan international centre-back Medhi Benatia. This comes just a few weeks after Tuttosport linked Fulham with the winger Marko Pjaca, who is currently on loan at Fiorentina.

But the chances of bringing Benatia to Craven Cottage look slim.

TMW have provided an update on Tuesday, claiming Juventus have no interest in letting the former Roma and Bayern Munich ace leave Turin on loan.

Massimiliano Allegri's side are cruising at the top of Serie A but need all the players they can get as they look to finally end their 23-year wait for a Champions League title, meaning the experienced Benatia could have a big part to play.

The 31-year-old, who has won league titles in Italy and Germany, has slipped down the pecking order this season, making just five Serie A appearances with Allegri often turning to the young Italian Daniele Rugani instead.

On Monday, Sky Sports claimed that another veteran defender, Gary Cahill, was having reservations about a move from Chelsea to Fulham after only being offered a contract until the end of the season.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/01/22/do-report-juventus-respond-to-fulhams-medhi-benatia-bid/

[WhiteJC]

 
Despite agreement with Fulham, club pull out of deal for forward, player's wage demands

Futbol Arena claim Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor have decided not to sign Fulham forward Neeskens Kebano because of his unrealistic wage demands.

We previously covered reports from Turkey that Yeni Malatyaspor are interested in signing both Aboubakar Kamara and Kebano. However, Futbol Arena now saw say the Super Lig club have backed away from signing Kebano before next week's transfer deadline.

The Turkish website report Malatyaspor had agreed on a deal with Fulham for Kebano but because of the player's financial demands they've decided to sign Thievy Bifouma instead.

Despite taking the decision not to bring in Kebano, Yeni Malatyspor are expected to complete a deal for Kamara following claims yesterday the player has flown out to Turkey to complete a loan move until the end of the season.

Kebano featured in Fulham's last game against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday but will become a free agent at the end of the season.




http://sportwitness.co.uk/despite-agreement-fulham-club-pull-deal-forward-players-wage-demands/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Aboubakar Kamara set for medical ahead of Turkey move

Aboubakar Kamara has scored three goals in five Premier League starts for Fulham but has lost the trust of Claudio Ranieri.

It seems that Aboubakar Kamara might have played his final game for Fulham.

France Football reported over the weekend that the 23-year-old striker had his heart set on a move away from Craven Cottage during the January transfer window with the West London club understood to have held talks with clubs in the Premier League and Ligue 1.

But it seems that there is now a clear front-runner for Kamara's signature.

According to the Mail, the former Amiens forward is in talks to join Turkish Super Lig outfit Yeni Malatyaspor on loan until the end of the season. Kamara is understood to be travelling out of England on Wednesday to undergo a medical.

Kamara has scored three goals in five Premier League starts for Fulham but fell out of favour after missing a penalty in the 1-0 win against Huddersfield Town in December.

Aleksandar Mitrovic is Fulham's designated spot-kick taker and Kamara's refusal to bow to the rules reportedly left Claudio Ranieri furious.

The Frenchman was nowhere to be seen as The Cottagers lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend and The Mail adds that he has been training with the club's U23s.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/01/22/do-report-fulhams-aboubakar-kamara-set-for-medical-ahead-of-turk/page/1/

[WhiteJC]

 
This 24-year-old Ghanaian defensive wall is just what Fulham desperately need to solve their vulnerable backline



Joseph Attamah can help Fulham shore up their leaky defence

According to the Daily Mail, Fulham are interested in signing Ghanaian international defender Joseph Attamah from Istanbul Basaksehir.

The Cottagers have already completed the signing of former Liverpool forward Ryan Babel and they have set their sights on the Ghanaian to bolster their leaky defence. (h/t Daily Mail)

The same report claims that the Turkish club are keen to keep hold of the centre-back but Fulham are ready to test their resolve.

One of the stars of the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup in Turkey, Attamah was signed by Turkish club Adana Demirspor in 2014 and he later made a move to giants Istanbul Basaksehir in 2016 following some impressive displays. He was a regular at the back for the first two seasons at his current club but the Ghanaian has made only 5 appearances in the Turkish Super Lig this term.

Standing at just a shade under 6ft., Attamah is not particularly tall for a centre-back but he is quite strong and well-built which allows him to be comfortable in contact situations. Despite not being a giant of a defender, he gets off the ground quickly and times his jump to perfection to win aerial duels.

One of the most impressive things about Attamah which might have caught Fulham's attention is his ball-playing ability. He has got a good technique for a defender, allowing him to be comfortable with the ball at his feet and his wonderful range of passing can be an invaluable asset to the team.

The Ghanaian can play out from the back with short passes and also spread the play with accurate cross field and diagonals. In fact, Attamah has averaged 56.9 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 89 last season.

Furthermore, the 24-year-old is known for his composure as a defender and he does not tend to commit to reckless challenges in one-on-one situations.

To put things into perspective, Attamah might not be a household name in European football but he might just be the one that Fulham need to shore up their porous and vulnerable backline.

Fulham are currently in the relegation zone and their shaky defence has been the major cause of their undoing this season in the Premier League. As a matter of fact, they have conceded goals for fun, having already shipped 51 goals so far.

Fulham have looked more organized in recent weeks under Claudio Ranieri but the Italian hasn't really been able to stem the flow of goals. Alfie Mawson, Denis Odoi, Tim Ream and Maxime Le Marchand have all struggled for consistency, leaving the manager to cut a helpless figure on the sidelines.

With less than a couple of weeks to go in the transfer window, the Cottagers need to adopt some desperate measures to shore up their defence and the strong and tenacious Joseph Attamah might just be the one that they need to beat the drop.




https://www.mediareferee.com/2019/01/22/this-24-year-old-ghanaian-defensive-wall-is-just-what-fulham-desperately-need-to-solve-their-vulnerable-backline/

[WhiteJC]

 
Ranieri's Thoughts With Sala & Family

Everyone at Fulham was saddened to hear the news confirming that Cardiff City's Emiliano Sala was on the plane which went missing on Monday night.

The striker was aboard a light aircraft which lost contact off Alderney in the Channel Islands.

Fulham Manager Claudio Ranieri worked with Sala at FC Nantes throughout the 2017/18 season, with the Argentine ending the campaign as the club's top scorer.

Ranieri said: "Like everyone else, I was devastated to hear the news this morning that Emiliano was on board the aircraft. Emiliano is a wonderful character. Knowing him as a person, he's a fighter.

"He's a fantastic footballer who always gave his best when we worked together in France. The world of football will be united in wishing and hoping for some positive news. In the meantime, I – along with the Nantes and Fulham families – pray for Emiliano and his family."

The thoughts of all at Fulham are with Emiliano's family and friends, and those associated with Cardiff City and FC Nantes, at this difficult time.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/january/22/emiliano-sala

[WhiteJC]

 
Gary Cahill's stalled move is a blessing in disguise for Fulham

For the opening weeks of the January transfer window, Chelsea defender Gary Cahill was heavily linked with a move to Fulham.

Yet Sky Sports reported that the deal had broken down on Monday — a blessing in disguise for Fulham.

Although a fee had been agreed for the 33-year-old, the sticking point of the transfer focused on Cahill's unwillingness to sign for the relegation-threatened Whites, as he favoured a long-term contract.

Even though Cahill is starved of first team football at Stamford Bridge, the prospect of consistent playing time was not enough to convince the England international to enter into a short-term battle against the drop.

Claudio Ranieri even publicly questioned whether Cahill wanted to "fight" to play for Fulham and it appears that the centre-back's heart was not set on moving to Craven Cottage.

On the face of it, the stalled deal is a blow for Fulham. The Whites desperately need defensive reinforcements in order to stand a chance of fighting the drop, evidenced by another collapse on the weekend.

But in a survival fight, every single player on the pitch must be completely dedicated to the cause.

Having a disinterested and unhappy player such as Gary Cahill in the squad would have served as a negative influence to Fulham, revealing the Whites inadvertently dodged a bullet by not signing the Chelsea centre-half.



https://tbrfootball.com/gary-cahills-stalled-move-is-a-blessing-in-disguise-for-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Forget Cahill – Here are 3 quality alternatives for Fulham to consider including this Man City outcast

Three centre-backs Fulham should target instead of Gary Cahill

With Fulham desperately chasing a reliable centre-back, the Cottagers had shortlisted a move for Chelsea veteran Gary Cahill. The 33-year-old sees his contract with the club expire at the end of the season and is thus on the lookout for his next destination, with the Craven Cottage side the front-runners.

However, Sky Sports has revealed that the move has broken down after the English international rejected Fulham's six-month contract offer. The former Bolton centre-back wants a more permanent deal and at the moment, the Cottagers are not offering him that.

Fulham have had a myriad of defensive issues and are on par to conceding the most number of goals in a PL season. Thus, they need another reliable centre-back. That being said, here are three alternatives for Gary Cahill.

Benjamin Stambouli
A versatile player, the former PSG and Tottenham star can play in the midfield and in the defence. He has played across the back-line for each of his last three teams and has even played as a central midfielder when required.



For Fulham, it's his defensive ability that the Cottagers need, while his versatility will be a boost. Montpellier's vice-captain when he left for Tottenham back in the summer of 2014, the 28-year-old failed to make an impact under Mauricio Pochettino and left a year later for PSG.

This short spell saw the best and the worst of the French centre-back, but it's also a key stat that Claudio Ranieri should keep an eye on.

The 28-year-old not only adjusted well to the more physical nature of the Premier League but if given another chance, he could do it once again. For Fulham, the only major roadblock is that his current deal only expires next season.

Florian Lejeune
Only just back from a cruciate ligament rupture, Lejeune's performances against Cardiff City had Newcastle United fans ringing out the praise. The former Manchester City centre-back has missed most of this season, thanks to an injury, but that's exactly why he's the perfect man for Fulham.



The Cottagers need an experienced defender to help sort out their defensive mess and there are a few players available that would be as affordable as Florian Lejeune would be. Tall, strong and very composed on the ball, the 27-year-old would fit perfectly into Claudio Ranieri's formation and prove to be an effective replacement for Alfie Mawson.

The 25-year-old has been ruled out for the near future and that leaves the club with only three fit centre-backs with one of them being Arsenal loanee Calum Chambers. All in all, Lejeune would not only be a great addition but given the way Newcastle United are performing, convincing him to join wouldn't be that hard.

Eliaquim Mangala
Out of favour and his contract set to expire, he would be a cheap option to consider. The 27-year-old has had his fair share of troubles with injuries and form, which has seen him get dropped completely from Pep Guardiola's squad.

Things have gotten so worse for the former Porto star that he's struggling to make appearances for the U23 squad.



For Fulham, he could be the perfect solution. Not only is Mangala looking for a move but on his day, few players can get past the 27-year-old centre-back.

He'll add that much-needed solidity to Claudio Ranieri's team, which further adds to his value. He comes with immense Premier League experience, having made 60 appearances since his move from Valencia.

However, what makes the move a little dicey is his injury issues, with Eliaquim Mangala picking up multiple injuries since his move to Manchester City. That will be a cause for concern but given that the window closes soon, Fulham need to make a decision.



https://soccersouls.com/2019/01/23/forget-cahill-here-are-3-quality-alternatives-for-fulham-to-consider-including-this-man-city-outcast/

[WhiteJC]

Cottage Talk Post Match Show: Fulham vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

This is our post match show of the 2-1 loss for Fulham against Tottenham Hotspur. During the show, co-hosts Yannis Tjanetis and Max Cohen analyzed the key moments of this match. This is another super sized episode as we had much to say about this devastating loss.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2019/1/23/18193695/cottage-talk-post-match-show-fulham-vs-tottenham-hotspur

[WhiteJC]

 
Celtic target Matt O'Riley could be perfect long-term successor for Porto-linked Olivier Ntcham
Celtic have been linked with Matt O'Riley.

(Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)

Celtic have recently been named as one of the clubs interested in Matt O'Riley, according to Sky Sports News.

Alongside some English clubs, German clubs and bitter rivals Rangers, Fulham starlet O'Riley is a wanted man.

The talented teenager is highly rated by club and country but could move away from Fulham with first-team opportunities limited at Craven Cottage.

Celtic might not be able to offer him an immediate place in the starting line-up but he is certainly a gamble worth taking.

With midfielder Olivier Ntcham's future uncertain, Celtic might need O'Riley's creative spark to replace the Frenchman.

FC Porto want Ntcham, according to The Scottish Sun, and this would be a major blow for Celtic.

But the arrival of O'Riley has the potential to soften this blow, should he realise his potential in Glasgow.

The 18-year-old has already played three times for Fulham, although all of his appearances have been in the cup so far.

The England under-18 starlet operates as a central midfielder and it is unsurprising to see so many clubs chasing him.

With two goals and five assists in 12 Premier League 2 matches (according to transfermarkt), O'Riley is one of the best performing youngsters in England.

Ntcham had not made much of a name for himself before his move to Celtic and O'Riley could be the next midfielder to succeed under Brendan Rodgers.



https://tbrfootball.com/celtic-target-matt-oriley-could-be-perfect-long-term-successor-for-porto-linked-olivier-ntcham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Calum Chambers – Should he stay or should he go?

Watching the Fulham v Tottenham game at the weekend, the stand out performer dominating the middle of the park was Calum Chambers.

The on loan Arsenal man was one of the few outstanding players in a very poor Fulham team. It had many calling for his return to the club in the summer.

Chambers turned 24 a couple of days ago and signed a new 4-year-deal back in July last year.

After a good start to his Arsenal career, he has struggled to nail down a place in the squad. Fulham is his second loan deal after a year spent in Middlesbrough during their 2016/17 relegation season.

What should Arsenal do with the not-so-young-central defender?

Keep, replace Laurent Koscielny
Club captain Laurent Koscielny rolled back the years against Chelsea, but team is clearly running out for the old dog.

Most Arsenal fans want a strong, first choice centre back to partner Sokratis in the long term. We can all agree that Calum Chambers is not that man. Neither is Shkodran Mustafi. Rob Holding has arguably moved ahead of Koscielny, Mustafi and Chambers.

In 2019/20 Koscielny will be, at best, 4th choice centre back being Sokratis, Mustafi/replacement and Rob Holding. Could Calum Chambers return and be 4th choice central defender? Certainly.

Keep, replace Mohamed Elneny
At Fulham, Calum Chambers joined as a centre back but was soon moved to central midfield. It was in the middle of the park he ran the game for Fulham against Tottenham.

He was composed on the ball, short and long passing, as well as stopping Tottenham attacks at will. He was Man of the Match.

Arsenal's current midfield options are Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka, Matteo Guendouzi, Mohamed Elneny and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Could Calum Chamber take Elneny's place in the squad? Certainly.

Cover Hector Bellerin
Roll back to 2014 when Arsenal signed Chambers for £16million, he was a right back – having made 22 Premier League appearances for Southampton in 2013/14.

With Stephan Lichsteiner set to leave in the summer, and Hector Bellerin's injury, we clearly need to address the right back situation next season.

Maitland-Niles is an option at right back, and will surely get his chance in the coming weeks and months. Could Calum Chambers provide cover to Hector Bellerin? Certainly.

All of the above
So he could be 4th choice centre back, 4th choice central midfielder and 2/3rd choice right back. Is this a role that he could play in one go, covering depending who is injured? Certainly.

Sell
The final option is sell.

After his string of performances, Arsenal could easily get £20million or more for a home grown, 24-year-old player.

At Premier League level who would be a regular starter for a mid-to-lower league team, or a newly promoted one.

You could see him fitting in at Derby County. He was heavily linked with a £16million move to Crystal Palace last season.

The likes of Bournemouth have spent big in January for players who are inferior to Chambers (£19milion for Dominic Solanke!). He would certainly get into their team, as well as Brighton and West Ham.

If we sold him, there would be no shortage of takers.

Arsenal have been awful at selling players in recent years. We have let over £200m worth of talent exit, getting little in return.

Imagine the scenario. We get £20million for Chambers; we also sell Mustafi. We could get in the region of £35million for a Premier League, international proven central defender. That is £55million bought in selling a central defender not currently in the squad, and one more that we can improve on.

That total could then go towards a new defender.

For £55million+ we could get a quality central defender. There are not too many defenders in the world that would be out of our reach.

You then have the new central defender, Sokratis, Holding, Koscielny and Mavropanos as the options.

Should we learn our lesson with Chambers. Cash in on a player who will never quite be good enough, and reinvest that elsewhere on someone that improves our first team without weakening the squad? Certainly.

I would keep all options on the table.



https://shewore.com/2019/01/23/calum-chambers-should-he-stay-or-should-he-go/

[RaySmith]

It's true - Fulham should only bring in people who are up for the fight - maybe have something to prove - as Babel certainly seemed in his one outing so far. If Babel keeps playing like he did, nearly getting n the score sheet, and hopefully build his fitness so he can play 90 mins, he will be seen as an inspired signing, after the announcement was met with a general 'how will he help?'

It's true, even more obvious after the Spurs game perhaps, that we need defenders, but if Cahill isn't really committed to the cause, only after a pay cheque, then he's a no - no. Though I don't know the bloke - maybe he  always gives his all, but Fulham  need committed battlers, aligned with Prem ready experience and skill, right now.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Mangala is not tall enough, but the other two fit the bill, and both have Premier League experience.

[Milo]

Gary Cahill's stalled move is a blessing in disguise for Fulham

For the opening weeks of the January transfer window, Chelsea defender Gary Cahill was heavily linked with a move to Fulham.

Yet Sky Sports reported that the deal had broken down on Monday — a blessing in disguise for Fulham.

Although a fee had been agreed for the 33-year-old, the sticking point of the transfer focused on Cahill's unwillingness to sign for the relegation-threatened Whites, as he favoured a long-term contract.

Even though Cahill is starved of first team football at Stamford Bridge, the prospect of consistent playing time was not enough to convince the England international to enter into a short-term battle against the drop.

Claudio Ranieri even publicly questioned whether Cahill wanted to "fight" to play for Fulham and it appears that the centre-back's heart was not set on moving to Craven Cottage.

On the face of it, the stalled deal is a blow for Fulham. The Whites desperately need defensive reinforcements in order to stand a chance of fighting the drop, evidenced by another collapse on the weekend.

But in a survival fight, every single player on the pitch must be completely dedicated to the cause.

Having a disinterested and unhappy player such as Gary Cahill in the squad would have served as a negative influence to Fulham, revealing the Whites inadvertently dodged a bullet by not signing the Chelsea centre-half.



https://tbrfootball.com/gary-cahills-stalled-move-is-a-blessing-in-disguise-for-fulham/

There are some awful articles written these days!!