Tuesday Fulham Stuff (19/02/19)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Diop set for pivotal Fulham role

Issa Diop is up for another big physical challenge on Friday night and is using the prolonged break to decide on how to handle a certain Aleksandar Mitrović.

Ironically, with the Hammers looking for strikers this summer, the Fulham front man has been mentioned by many as a possible target and seven goals in a struggling side plus six at Nations League level isn't a bad return for the 24 year old.

Diop has been hugely impressive though in his first  season with the club and there's a chance he could be reunited with his 'regular ' defensive partner Fabian Balbuena for a game which could see the Irons move head of Everton and into ninth place.

With the Toffees at home to neighbours Liverpool on Sunday there's a big chance they can remain there as the team looks to start an upwardly mobile last part of the season move.

Diop's role in keeping Mitrovic quiet will be pivotal in a game the Hammers will be expected to win and he has explained his thinking ahead of the match to www.whufc.com.

He said: "Mitrovic is a big player. He's a big, powerful striker, very strong and very good in aerial situations, so we need to be careful.

"I will work out how I can mark him on Friday night. I enjoy those physical battles with the strikers and not many will be as physical as Mitrovic. He uses his body really well, so I have to figure out how to get into good positions to stop him."



https://www.claretandhugh.info/diop-set-for-pivotal-fulham-role/

[WhiteJC]

 
30% Off All Kits

Take advantage of an exclusive 30% off all 2018/19 Kits this half-term!

Available until midnight on Sunday 24th February, pick up any Home, Away or Goalkeeper Kit with this offer available across all adult and junior products, as well as the Home Mini-Kit.

Be ready as Fulham prepare to return to Premier League action this week, and show your colours ahead of our clash with rivals West Ham United at the London Stadium on Friday evening.

Don't miss out - fans can purchase online now or at the Stadium Store all week!

Shop online

Stadium Store open 9am-5pm Friday and Saturday, and 11am-4pm on Sunday.

Offer available on all Adult and Junior replica shirts as well as Mini Kits - subject to availability - online and instore until midnight on Sunday 24th February. Excludes 140 Year Anniversary Fulham FC Shirt.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/february/18/half-term-kits-offer

[WhiteJC]

 
Footballer Ben Davis has defaulted on NS obligations: MINDEF


Local footballer Benjamin Davis joined Fulham on a two-year scholarship deal in July 2017. (Photo: Fulham FC)

SINGAPORE: Local footballer Benjamin Davis has defaulted on his National Service (NS) obligations, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said on Monday (Feb 18).

"Mr Benjamin Davis is a National Service (NS) defaulter," said MINDEF in response to Channel NewsAsia's queries. "He failed to report for NS as required. He is also staying overseas without a valid Exit Permit. Mr Davis has committed offences under the Enlistment Act, and is liable upon conviction to a fine of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 3 years."

Davis, 18, signed a two-year contract with newly promoted English Premier League (EPL) side Fulham, the club announced in July last year. He is the first Singaporean to sign a professional contract with a top-tier English club. The former Singapore Sports School student had joined Fulham on a two-year scholarship deal in July 2017.

His application to defer his national service enlistment was rejected by MINDEF, who said he did not "meet the criteria for long-term deferment from full-time NS".

"As all male Singaporeans liable for full-time NS put aside personal pursuits to dutifully enlist and serve their NS, it would not be fair to approve applications for deferment for individuals to pursue their own careers and development," MINDEF had said in a statement.

"Very few applications have been approved over the years and based on criteria which are made known to the public. In sports, deferments are granted only to those who represent Singapore in international competitions like the Olympic Games and are potential medal winners for Singapore. In the last 15 years, only three have met this criteria."

In response, his father, Mr Harvey Davis, said a deferment would have allowed his son to pursue his dream of playing in the EPL and "make Singapore proud by being the first Singaporean to play in the EPL".

Speaking in Parliament in August last year, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen had stressed that NS obligations are "crucial to our nation's survival", as he referred to a 2017 written judgment by the Appellate High Court during an appeal on the sentencing of NS defaulters.

The judges said that every male Singaporean must serve NS at the time he is required to under the Enlistment Act, "without regard to his personal convenience and considerations".

"The Enlistment Act is blind to 'personal convenience and considerations', no matter how talented the individual or exceptional his circumstances," Dr Ng said.

He added that deferment is granted to individuals very selectively, "if their deferment serves Singapore's interest first and foremost, never their own".
Source: CNA/mt



Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/footballer-ben-davis-has-defaulted-on-ns-obligations-mindef-11253548

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham and Watford approaches blocked by manager, director was going to listen to offers

Italian outlet Calcio Mercato today has a story highlighting the importance of Mateo Musacchio for manager Gennaro Gattuso at AC Milan.

They show the player has become an irreplaceable piece in the team, and that's the reason why while the former midfielder is in charge of the squad, the 28-year-old isn't going anywhere.

And the possibility of a departure was real in the January window, when Milan were getting a few offers for the Argentine defender.

Calcio Mercato says Fulham and Watford were the two clubs who tried to take Musacchio from Italy, but due to Gattuso's requests, Milan director Leonardo, who was willing to listen, has rejected all the approaches.

It sounds like Milan would have no problem to sell Musacchio if not for Gattuso's wish, so maybe defender's stay at the club is only guaranteed while the manager is in charge.

So perhaps Fulham and Watford should follow the situation closely just in case Gattuso doesn't last much longer in the job.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-watford-approaches-blocked-manager-director-going-listen-offers/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham should go out fighting – on the front foot

If you are anything like me, you probably used the weekend to forget all about the fine little mess Fulham Football Club have gotten ourselves into. The romance of the FA Cup, in which we played a bit-part role last month in capitulating to a spirited Oldham Athletic side roared to victory at Craven Cottage by their magnificent supporters, stands in stark contrast to the monotony of the Premier League, where even the most noble of ambitions is soon sacrificed as you desperately try to cling on to a seat at English football's top table.

There's no point revisiting the hole Fulham fell into after that glorious day at Wembley in May – we've had our fill of the £100m problems with the club's summer recruitment, whether Slavisa Jokanovic was given enough time to try and figure out a way of playing in the Premier League or even if Claudio Ranieri was the right replacement when the powers-that-be decided to pull the trigger. The predicament is pitiful now – remaining in the top flight will require the sort of escape that Steve McQueen would blanch at, never mind Roy Hodgson.

The defeats, especially the most recent reverse at the hands of a revitalised Manchester United, are becoming a little too routine now. I'm reminded of that wonderful scene in The Lion in Winter, where three brothers were locked in Henry II's dungeon awaiting their execution. Richard tells them to take their fate like men only for Geoffrey to protest, 'You fool!
As if it matters how a man falls down.' The reply is wonderful: 'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal'.

Fulham's fall has been far from glorious to date. A defence that has looked dazed and confused ever since they emerged blinking into the unforgiving light of Premier League football has hardly improved under Ranieri's tutelage, which was supposed to be the main reason for his appointment. To what extent the Italian can be fairly blamed for that – given that there's probably only one proven Premier League centre back amongst all the defenders on Fulham's books – is question that might never be satisfactorily resolved.

Ranieri's attempts to remake a misfiring side in his own image have floundered largely because Fulham have been too busy shooting ourselves in the foot. The glee that greeted a couple of clean sheets either side of Christmas proved fleeting – and the manager's preferred method of accruing points, boring the opposition into submission, dates from the last century. It is so far removed from the flowing football that brought the Whites back to the promised land, we might as well be on another planet. You could stomach it for salvation, but at the moment it feels like Fulham's agony is prolonged.

Ranieri's demand for more fighting spirit was probably designed to get everyone pulling in the same direction – but it has had the opposite affect. It provoked some literal fisticuffs in the case of Aboubakar Kamara, but not enough bite from a side that still looks far too easy to play through. The presence of Andre Schurrle, who produces the odd moment of effortless brilliance and then glides through games as if unhurried by the gravity of the situation, only serves to infuriate at this point, especially when two of the club's most successful battlers – in Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegon – are confined to the sidelines.

Fulham have barely managed to put together a compelling ninety minutes under Ranieri – but the closest they came was in a stirring second half comeback against Brighton. They wiped out a 2-0 half-time deficit by scoring four without reply in a display that married some of last season's flair with plenty of fight. Cairney and Sessegnon featured prominently, as they did when combining to set up Aleksandar Mitrovic for the stoppage-time winner against Huddersfield back in December. It is inconceivable that any other manager would conclude that they wouldn't form part of Fulham's best side.

And that leads to my final point. Caution is understandable if you are trying to hold onto a result against the top six, who seem light years ahead of what Fulham can muster at the moment. But, with the Whites sitting some eight points from safety and time ticking away, some ambition and adventure are required. Ranieri's rearguard isn't good enough to grind out results so taking on the opposition is the only way Fulham will glimpse survival now. The question is whether Ranieri is willing to deviate from his classical Italian method.

If Fulham are going to fall through the trapdoor, as appears ever so likely now, they might as well give us something to remember aside from atrocious defending. These might be our last few months of seeing Sessegnon in a Fulham shirt. Let's at least go out in a blaze of glory.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/02/fulham-should-go-out-fighting-on-the-front-foot/

[WhiteJC]

 
Ben Davis: Fulham Under-18 player could face jail in Singapore

Ben Davis is alleged to have committed offences under Singapore's Enlistment Act

Fulham's Ben Davis has missed his mandatory national service in Singapore and could face time in prison, says the country's Ministry of Defence.

The 18-year-old signed for the Premier League club on a two-year deal in July but his government denied his application to defer his duties.

All men from Singapore over 18 must serve in the armed forces, police or civil defence force for two years.

If Davis evades service for two years he may face up to four months in jail.

The sentence rises in accordance with the length of time service is avoided, with a maximum of three years for those who evade duty for 17 to 23 years or more.

Davis could be fined $10,000 (£5,700) instead of or in addition to prison time.

"Mr Benjamin Davis is a national service defaulter," a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said.

"He failed to report for national service as required. He is also staying overseas without a valid Exit Permit."

Deferments for sportspeople are rarely granted by Singapore's Ministry of Defence.

It said in July they are only given to "those who represent Singapore in international competitions like the Olympic Games and are potential medal winners for Singapore".

The midfielder became the first player from Singapore to sign a professional contract at a Premier League club when he joined last summer.

He has featured for Fulham's Under-18s 10 times and has been called up by the Singapore team but is yet to make an appearance.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47283602

[WhiteJC]

 
'We need to be careful' – West Ham ace accepts 'powerful' 24 y/o will be problematic

West Ham United will host Fulham on Friday fresh off a warm-weather training camp in Marbella, but Issa Diop has accepted that he will have to be on his game to stop Aleksandar Mitrovic, as per quotes on the official club website.

Diop and Mitrovic both joined their respective sides on permanent transfers in the summer and have been among the top players in East and South West London since, with the Serbian forward Fulham's run-away top scorer after 26 games.

The 24-year-old is not the only opponent Diop is relishing coming up against when the Premier League returns to the London Stadium, either, as the centre-back is keen to better his record against Jean Michael Seri, Maxime Le Marchand and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who he lost to on each occasion as Toulouse's captain last season.

Speaking on the trio, Diop told the official West Ham website: "I know some of their players because I played a lot of times against them in Ligue 1. They are all very good players, but I hope we can win this game.

As for Mitrovic, the French ace noted: "He's a big, powerful striker, very strong and very good in aerial situations, so we need to be careful.

"I will work out how I can mark him on Friday night. I enjoy those physical battles with the strikers and not many will be as physical as Mitrovic."

Diop's preparations on aerial duels will certainly be called on as the 23-cap Serbia international has challenged for possession in the air every 6.9 minutes in the Premier League this season, and has won 168 of his 333 attempts.

For comparison, Manuel Pellegrini's most regular defender has won 55 of his 89 aerial duels, while centre-back partner Fabian Balbuena has won 51 of 100.



https://westham.vitalfootball.co.uk/we-need-to-be-careful-west-ham-ace-accepts-powerful-24-y-o-will-be-problematic/

[WhiteJC]

 
EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham failed in £27m January move for Fulham striker

Fulham are understood to have rebuffed an approach from Tottenham for their star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic on transfer deadline day, TEAMtalk can reveal.

The 24-year-old has been a huge success at Craven Cottage since arriving in January 2018 – initially on loan from Newcastle.

Having helped Fulham to promotion, Mitrovic agreed a permanent deal worth £27million and he has not disappointed this season having already claimed 10 league goals, despite the Cottagers' struggles at the wrong end of the table.

It is understood Spurs were willing to give Fulham their money back on Mitrovic, but the Cottagers said no – though we can reveal Tottenham remain undeterred and could go back in for the Serbian in the summer should Fulham suffer relegation.

Mauricio Pochettino's side have drawn a blank in the last two transfer windows and are well known to be in the market to sign a striker to provide cover for club talisman Harry Kane.

We can also reveal that German giants Bayern Munich have been checking on Mitrovic's progress and could yet rival Tottenham for the former Anderlecht man come the summer.



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/exclusive-tottenham-failed-in-27m-january-move-for-fulham-striker

[WhiteJC]

 
Needing More Than a Great Escape

In the 2007-2008 season Fulham had their "Great Escape" to avoid relegation. Fulham closed out that campaign with three straight wins to finish even with Reading at 36 points and claim safety with a superior goal differential of -22 to -25.

There are a number of similarities between the two seasons:

    New managers were brought in mid-season
    The second half of both seasons started with Fulham in 19th place
    After the New Year's Day match 2008 Fulham had 15 points and 2019 Fulham had 14
    The new year started with both teams 5 points from safety
    Both seasons saw Fulham lose in their opening FA Cup pairing to a team from the fourth tier of English football

In 2007-2008 Fulham were 6 points from safety with just five matches left, but they managed to win four of those matches to close what had been an 8 point gap with Reading. Fulham's explosive finish earned 1/3rd of its points for entire season.

During the Great Escape, Fulham was never more than 6 points from safety, but never got within 3 points until the penultimate match of the season.

Could something similar happen this season?

For starters, in 2019 Fulham already find themselves further adrift than in 2008. Fulham currently sit 8 points from safety and given Fulham's atrocious goal differential, the true margin is 9 points (unless Fulham also starts beating Chelsea 6-0!). Closing a gap that is three points larger means that Fulham will need an even Greater Escape to avoid relegation this time around.

There is a very narrow path for Fulham to earn 37 points that would probably allow them to avoid relegation. First, they must earn wins against the six weakest teams that they will face the remainder of the year:

    West Ham (Away)
    Southampton (Away)
    Leicester (Away)
    Everton (Home)
    Cardiff (Home)
    Newcastle (Home)

Each of these teams has less than 1.4 Points Per Match in the corresponding home/away form. Based on PPM the toughest matchup of those six is this week at West Ham who have 1.38 PPM at home.

If Fulham can get those 6 wins, then they have a little more to do by earning draws at Watford and Wolverhampton who each have just over 1.5 PPM at home. That would get Fulham to 37 points and allow for loses vs. Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Bournemouth. On paper, the potential loss that has the best chance for surprise points is against Chelsea who have 1.69 PPM at home and who are a bit of a mess right now.

While it isn't impossible to imagine that scenario blessing Fulham with 37 points, it is also highly unlikely. That kind of finish would require 1.67 PPM while Fulham has only earned 0.65 PPM to date. Even with Fulham's improved form under Ranieri, they only have 0.85PPM meaning that Fulham will need to be just about twice as good for the remainder of the season.

The most discouraging fact is that Fulham still hasn't won away from Craven Cottage this season and the most realistic path to safety would require three straight road wins starting on Friday. If Fulham pulls off that unlikely trio of victories then there will be a new found sense of optimism at the club that could build into momentum for a late push to safety. The more likely outcome is that in the next two weeks Fulham will have not done enough to stay within striking distance for a miracle finish like the 2007-2008 club pulled off.



http://fulhamusa.com/threads/needing-more-than-a-great-escape.9871/

[WhiteJC]

 
Gary Cahill's absence amid Chelsea crisis shows he never should have denied Fulham

Over the January transfer window, Gary Cahill turned down a move across SW6 to join Premier League strugglers Fulham.

Amid Chelsea's current crisis, the centre-half has been completely absent from Maurizio Sarri's squad, revealing Cahill made the wrong decision in turning down the Whites.

The England international has been frozen out all season by the Italian manager, witnessing an embarrassing fall from grace at Stamford Bridge. With just one league appearance to date, it appeared logical for Cahill to seek a January exit from Chelsea.

But despite reported interest from Fulham, the deal failed to materialised, and Cahill remained at Chelsea.

As the Blues plunge into crisis, with devastating losses to Bournemouth, Manchester City, and Manchester United in quick succession, Cahill is nowhere to be seen.

Even in the Europa League, where the 33-year-old has played most of his matches this campaign, Cahill was not included in the squad that beat Malmo last week.

With his exile truly completed, it seems likely that Gary Cahill will not play another first team minute for Chelsea this season. And with his opportunities cut off at Stamford Bridge, it seems even more foolish each day that the defender decided against moving to Fulham last month.



https://tbrfootball.com/gary-cahills-absence-amid-chelsea-crisis-shows-he-never-should-have-denied-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
West Ham must not let Fulham believe

West Ham take on Premier League stragglers Fulham in a Friday night London derby this week. What the Hammers must avoid is letting Fulham get a foothold.

Manuel Pellegrini and his side are currently enjoying some warmer weather training in Malaga as they prepare for derby against Fulham this weekend. He will want to improve on the inconsistency shown by West Ham so far this season, and this game gives us a perfect opportunity. A home derby against the side second bottom in the league? Golden.

However Fulham know now that every point is crucial. A loss here, after a two week break to regain focus, will be a big kick to Ranieri's side. What the Hammers must do is get on top early, and refuse to relent. We only have the league to focus on. We must be ruthless.

But ruthless isn't a word regularly associated with the Hammers this season. Too many times we've seen one half of good football followed by...well a lot less than good. This half Pellegrini must look to seize control of the game, then continue. Manuel Lanzini is set to return, but probably not start. He'd be a great creative spark to add to the side in the second half, as we look to control possession of the ball and put the game to bed.

So when he's making a decision about who to start up front, or play in general, it should send out a signal about us wanting to win. Fredericks is pacey and improving in the Premier League, so whilst Zabaleta is a steady hand, it doesn't scream that we're going for the win. It's also why I'd be tempted to play two strikers in this game.

If we do things right, this game could be over before its even begun. Fulham are under immense pressure to perform and drag themselves out of the mire, and any more pressure will begin to show in their football. Pellegrini needs to play mind games as well as good footballing ones.



https://greenstreethammers.com/2019/02/19/west-ham-must-not-let-fulham-believe/