Friends of Fulham

 
Fulham's fabulous fightback restores belief

I don't mind admitting that I was flagging a bit last night. The monotony of the Premier League was beginning to wear me down. It has been something of a traumatic season. The loss of Slavisa Jokanovic was keenly felt because of the identity and sumptuous football that he got Fulham playing and, of course, the magical run towards the end of the season and an unforgettable day out at Wembley. The realisation that this squad was plucky and determined rather than properly equipped to be competitive at this level meant that grim gallows humour has been the order of the day for a few weeks now.

It was no surprise that the gut-wrenching defeat by Spurs was followed by the quick concession of a couple of goals to Glenn Murray last night. Whatever Claudio Ranieri does – and the defence has become a lot better since he took charge – our back line seems keep on making damaging mistakes. Murray could have had a first-half hat-trick and it wasn't as if Brighton played us off the park or he was making magnificent runs. The basics of getting goalside and shutting down crosses from the flanks are honed at a young level: it is as our defenders have forgotten everything they have been taught.

The comeback was as glorious as the weather was icy. There was simply no inkling of it coming. Jean-Michael Seri has had his detractors since that summer move from Nice but he was outstanding in the middle of the field. Some of the one-touch stuff Fulham played in the second half was reminiscent of that Jokanovic side at its silky best. I am still firmly of the belief that our best side includes Tom Cairney, whose cameo on the right side of midfield injected some class into proceedings, but whether Ranieri will be willing to jettison his back five to fit Fulham's two best passers into the team remains to be seen.

It does give Fulham's previously rather forlorn fight against the drop a real shot in the arm. There's no question that Aleksandar Mitrovic is one of the best strikers in the division and it is clear that he relishes a scrap. His first goal last night was a throwback to goals strikers snaffled in the 1940s and 1950s and the second was a great illustration of his desire and aerial ability as he beat Mat Ryan when Lewis Dunk was blatantly backing into him. He clearly has a great understanding with Ryan Babel, who continues to look a smart acquisition, and Luciano Vietto built on an encouraging cameo at Brighton with probably his most complete display in a Fulham shirt.

I do hope there is a change of emphasis in Ranieri's strategy going forward. It is clear that he is the archetypal Italian coach who wants his teams to be cautious and hard to beat, but barring a phalanx of defenders arriving at Motspur Park in the closing days of the transfer window, I don't think this Fulham squad has the personnel to play the way he would like. Instead, we are packed with ball-players and attacking talent – the route to safety could well be found by allowing our artisans to express themselves.

The last time the Whites came back from 2-0 down to win a Premier League fixture was that incredible revival against Manchester City that sparked the Great Escape under Roy Hodgson. Last night, reminded me a bit more of that feverish fightback against Tottenham at Loftus Road capped by Sylvain Legwinski's injury-time winner. Momentum is vital in a relegation run-in – we can't afford to waste ours now.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/01/fulhams-fabulous-fightback-restores-belief/

 
What Roy Hodgson has said about transfers amid Fulham's reported interest in signing Scott Dann

Fulham have been linked with a move to sign Palace defender Scott Dann in recent days

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson insists that the Eagles are not in a position to let any more players go this month, amid reported interest from Fulham in signing defender Scott Dann.

The Whites have been linked with a move to sign the former Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City defender, who has found his opportunities limited at Palace so far this season, having returned from a long injury lay-off.

Dann did feature for the Eagles in their FA Cup fourth round win against Tottenham on Saturday, but he has not yet made an appearance in the Premier League this season, although he has been on the bench for several games.

But Hodgson says that as things stand Palace have no plans to let the 31-year-old, or any other player from the first team squad, leave the club before the transfer deadline tomorrow (Thursday).

He said: "We're not in a position where we can let players go. We've let eight go since the summer, we've trimmed down enormously.

"We're not looking to move players out. If anything, we've got a vacancy for someone to come in if the right man turns up."

Several players have departed the Eagles this month, either on loan or on a permanent basis, including Jason Puncheon, Alexander Sorloth, Jonny Williams, Jordon Mutch and Sullay Kaikai, with the first two going on loan.

From the development squad, Francis Jno Baptiste has also left the club to join Swedish side Ostersunds, while Nya Kirby, Joseph Hungbo and Oliver Webber have also left on loan this month.



https://www.football.london/crystal-palace-fc/transfer-news/hodgson-transfers-fulham-interest-dann-15752486

 
Ranieri declares Fulham alive in relegation battle after win over Brighton

Claudio Ranieri declared Fulham are "alive" again following the dramatic 4-2 win over Brighton.

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored twice as the Cottagers came from two goals down to breathe life into their relegation battle.

The Cottagers, who had lost all four of their previous matches since the turn of the year, were staring down the barrel of another defeat after two first-half goals from Glenn Murray.

But Calum Chambers pulled one back with his first Fulham goal before two trademark Mitrovic headers put the hosts in front, and Luciano Vietto opened his account with the fourth to wrap up the victory.

"This three points means that we are alive, we can see a little light in front of us," said manager Ranieri.

"It is only a little step but we are alive. We showed very good fighting spirit.

"It was a very strange match, we were 2-0 down after 17 minutes. At half-time, I gave confidence to my players and positivity. I told them we are in the match.

"The goal from Chambers was very important, it gave the players the opportunity to say 'we can do something good tonight'.

"We deserved to win and we played very good football."

Murray had not scored in his previous nine Premier League matches but found Fulham's defence as accommodating as usual – he had tucked away his sixth and seventh goals in his last five games against them.

Yet somehow Fulham clawed themselves back into the contest two minutes after the interval, Chambers beating Mat Ryan from 20 yards before Mitrovic twice threw himself in where it hurts to turn the match on its head.

A nervous final 10 minutes looked in prospect until Tom Cairney struck the crossbar and Vietto tucked the rebound away to complete the dramatic turnaround.

Fulham remain second from bottom but are now two points behind Cardiff and five from safety.

It is now three straight defeats for Brighton, and manager Chris Hughton said: "Of course I was angry afterwards. You don't expect to concede four goals. That's not like us.

"I thought as good as we were in the first half we were as poor in the second half.

"Mitrovic is a very good player but we conceded poor goals. If I'm looking at the first goal we allow a player to strike from the edge of the box and that gives them momentum.

"Looking at the four goals we conceded they are four poor goals which is not like us, particularly in the form we have been in. We found it hard to cope in the second half and we didn't work hard enough."



https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/soccer/--901071.html

 
Fulham still in race to sign defender as second source backs up potential move

Turkish newspaper Star claim Fulham are still in the race to sign Besiktas defender Domagoj Vida but Italian giants Roma and Inter Milan have edged ahead of them to land the Croatia international.

Yesterday we covered a report saying Vida had this week been offered to Fulham, with Claudio Ranieri looking to bolster his defensive options in this window. The player has been receiving reported interest from the Premier League ever since helping his country to last summer's World Cup final.

In recent weeks it's been reported Besiktas could sell Vida to ease their financial situation and Star say the Istanbul side club are ready to part ways if any of the interested clubs match their valuation.

It's reported Besiktas are close to signing Mauricio Lemos as a replacement for Vida and that Fulham, Inter Milan and Roma are all interested in signing the 28 year old defender.

Vida is currently the highest earning player in the Besiktas squad and the Turkish club are hoping to get him off their wage bill.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-continue-linked-world-cup-finalist-ahead-deadline/

 
West Ham and Fulham eyeing Chelsea man ahead of deadline

West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini is reportedly looking to tie up a pre-deadline deal to take Danny Drinkwater on loan from Chelsea.

The Mail say West Ham have asked about Drinkwater and that there is also interest from Fulham as well as Burnley and Bournemouth, who are all said to be considering making a move for him.

Maurizio Sarri has reiterated that Drinkwater is not in his plans.

Drinkwater has been overlooked by the Chelsea boss, who does not believe he is suitable for the Blues' three-man midfield.

And Sarri made it clear at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that he has not changed his mind.

"At the moment he is with us," Sarri said.

"I told you my opinion about this player. He is a very good player but I think he is more suitable for playing with two midfielders.

"He is not a central midfielder and not centre-right in a midfield with three players. In a 4-4-2 he is a very good player."

Sarri remains keen to bring in a midfielder to replace Cesc Fabregas, who recently left for Monaco.

oungster Ethan Ampadu struggled in the role in Sunday's FA Cup win against Sheffield Wednesday.

Sarri said: "I thought for us it was important to have two players. One (Gonzalo Higuain) has arrived. I am waiting for the other.

"If he will arrive, I will be very happy, otherwise I have to work with these players. It's not a big problem for me.

"Ampadu didn't play very well in that position. He is very young, it's a new position, and it's not easy to play there in our team."



http://londonfootballnews.co.uk/chelsea/football-west-ham-chelsea-danny-drinkwater-fulham-burnley-bournemouth/

 
Turkish club beat West Bromwich Albion to striker target - reports

Outlets in Turkey say the 23-year-old is set to sign on Wednesday

West Brom target Aboubakar Kamara is set to sign for Malatyaspor, according to reports in Turkey.

In a report highlighted by Sport Witness , website Fanatik claims the Fulham attacker will put pen to paper on a move to the Süper Lig on Wednesday.

That news comes amid interest in the Fulham striker from the Baggies who were claimed to have lined up to a move in the next 48 hours.

The striker has been suspended by the Craven Cottage club after a fight with a security ground at the training ground.

He also had a confrontation with teammate Aleksandar Mitrovic after a dispute during a yoga session.

Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri has said that he has forgiven Kamara and hinted that the door is open for him to return to the team.

But The Sun reported that Ranieri believes Kamara will benefit from a loan move – and is keen to send him to The Hawthorns.

Albion's interest in the 23-year-old first emerged this week – after he was banned from Fulham's training ground following his arrest on suspicion of actual bodily harm following an alleged fight at Motspur Park.

Ranieri said: "The players are free. They are concentrating on their job.

"If he goes or he comes back, then nothing happens. There is not an impact in this sense.

"I have forgiven him. If I have to tell him something, I will tell him something. After this is it is finished for me.

"I don't remember and say 'ah you did this, this and this...' It is finished."

The Baggies expect to complete a deal for an attacking signing before tomorrow's 11pm cut-off.

Newcastle United's Jacob Murphy is understood to be Darren Moore's top target – and Albion were boosted in that chase after the Magpies agreed a dead to bring in play-maker Miguel Almiron for a club-record £20m fee.

Which means the loss of Kamara might not be too much of an issue for the Albion head coach.



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/turkish-club-beat-west-bromwich-15753320

 
Fulham ready to pay asking fee to sign player before deadline, he's dithering over move

Aksam claim Fulham are interested in signing Galatasaray defender Serdar Aziz ahead of tomorrow's transfer deadline.

The Premier League side were linked with the player earlier in this transfer window following claims he'd offered himself to the London club.

The Turkish international is expected to leave Galatasaray this month after being banished from the first team squad by the Istanbul club's manager Fatih Terim.

According to Aksam, Italian side Lazio are also interested in signing the player, but Fulham are ready to pay Aziz's €2.4m transfer fee. CimBom are keen to get rid of the player in this window and have subsequently have lowered his valuation.

His time at the club was pretty much over when he took time off claiming illness and then an Instagram post showed he'd actually started his winter holidays in the Maldives early.

However, Aziz is now unsure on a move to Fulham, despite the earlier reports. It's claimed he's not considering a move to Craven Cottage due to Fulham's position in the Premier League.

The 28-year old has made 10 appearances for Galatasaray this season and is under contract with the Super Lig club until June 2020.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-ready-pay-asking-fee-sign-defender-deadline/

 
What Ryan Babel has said about his short-term deal and the gamble of joining Fulham

The 32-year-old was signed from Besiktas during the January transfer window on a six-month deal

Ryan Babel has revealed he'll hold discussions with Fulham over extending his stay in west London - but only if the club stay up.

The Whites signed the forward on a six-month contract from Besiktas during the January transfer window to give Claudio Ranieri more experience and more options up front in order to try and survive in the Premier League.

His signing went against the club's usual policy of signing players aged 28 or below, something that has represented a change in approach for the club's recruitment department this January as they chase experienced Premier League plays to help their struggling side.

Ranieri has made sure everyone is aware that he feels his side lack the experience, something he highlighted over and over again after the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

Babel provides that experience, but with only a short term deal on the table his future is very much still uncertain.

Speaking to Fulham's matchday programme, he said: "The idea is that if Fulham stay up, we'll sit around the table.

"It's a decision that will be made further down the line, but that's what we're all hoping for."

Babel had been at Besiktas for two seasons having signed for the Turkish club from La Liga side Deportivo La Coruna in 2017, where he won the Turkish title in his first season.

Previously he had spells at United Arab Emirates side Al Ain, Turkish side Kasimpa, Ajax and Hoffenhein after leaving Liverpool and the Premier League in 2011 and Fulham's move for him this January got the 32-year-old thinking what was best for his career.

The move certainly represents a risk for Babel, but he's hoping it will prove to be the right one come June.

He added: "I was at a training camp with my Turkish team and my agent called me and said Fulham were showing an interest.

"They tried to see if it was possible. That got me thinking - do I want it? Is it good for me?

"I had to think of all the different scenarios and whether it was the right decision. Hopefully it is the correct one."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/what-ryan-babel-said-short-15750610

 
Seven momentum-turning Premier League results that give Fulham hope of survival

(https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/football/2019/01/30/TELEMMGLPICT000186990872_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqDWe775LjDCVm_2Dq6YUMoIxicgR5rWvxeifgF8INawQ.jpeg?imwidth=1400)
Fulham came back from the dead to beat Brighton - will that spark a change in fortunes? CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

Sitting inside Craven Cottage with their side 2-0 down at half-time against Brighton, Fulham fans will have been resigned to their fate: another defeat and the inevitable drift towards Premier League relegation. Cue a four-goal second-half masterclass and manager Claudio Ranieri announcing: "We can see a little light in front of us. It is only a little step but we are alive."

Ranieri's side remain five points from safety but could that incredible turnaround prove the catalyst for Fulham's survival act?

It is still early days but should they need any further inspiration, here are seven times one unlikely result altered a club's momentum to ensure they avoided relegation against the odds.

Crystal Palace, 2014/15

January 10, 2-1 win v Tottenham

Crystal Palace were not necessarily destined for relegation even while sitting 18th at the halfway stage of the season, but three wins from their first 20 games ensured avoiding the drop had become the sole aim. Things looked to be continuing in the same vein when Harry Kane gave Spurs the lead in new manager Alan Pardew's first game in charge at Selhurst Park, but a late Jason Puncheon goal secured the win that prompted a huge turnaround. Palace even finished the season in the top half of the table.

Portsmouth, 2005/06

March 11, 2-1 win v Manchester City

Harry Redknapp had taken charge in December and half a dozen new signings had been made made in the transfer window that followed, but still Portsmouth were plummeting. Having lost seven of their previous eight games (and drawn the other), they hosted Manchester City and, courtesy of a 25-yard pile-driver from Pedro Mendes in injury time, triumphed 2-1. Safety was still some way off but they went on to beat West Ham, Fulham, Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Wigan to seal their Premier League status with a game to spare.

West Ham, 2006/07

March 17: 2-1 win v Blackburn Rovers

West Ham looked to be sunk when they sat at the foot of the table, 10 points adrift of safety, with nine games remaining. A little helping hand from an overly eager assistant referee set the wheels in motion to change that. Having gone 1-0 down at Blackburn, Carlos Tevez equalised on 71 minutes before Bobby Zamora scored a winner four minutes later when the assistant referee ruled his shot had crossed the line despite replays showing otherwise. West Ham won six of their next eight games, paid a fine and significant sum to Sheffield United for the whole Tevez third-party ownership affair, and remained a Premier League club.

Queens Park Rangers, 2011/12

March 21: 3-2 win v Liverpool

It was mid-March and there were 10 games left for QPR to climb out of the relegation zone when Liverpool's Sebastian Coates did something quite ridiculous at Loftus Road by hammering a scissor kick into the net from just inside the penalty area. A 1-0 Liverpool lead soon became 2-0 and Rangers looked sunk. Cue goals from Shaun Derry (77min), Djibril Cisse (86min) and Jamie Mackie (90+1min) for a victory that halted QPR's slide in a flash. Wins followed against Arsenal and Spurs among others, and they survived despite a somewhat eventful defeat on the final day of the season at Manchester City.

Wigan Athletic, 2011/2012

March 24: 2-1 win v Liverpool

Just three days after they gave QPR the boost needed to push for survival, Liverpool did exactly the same thing to Wigan. An appalling start to the season had seen Wigan go on a run of eight straight defeats and meant they were always attempting to claw their way back to retain their Premier League status. Gary Caldwell's goal in this match secured Wigan's first-ever win at Anfield and sparked an end to the season that included seven victories (against the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal) in nine games.

Leicester City, 2014/15

April 4, 2-1 win v West Ham

Promoted the previous season, Leicester looked to be returning to the Championship as they sat seven points from safety as they entered April. A late Andy King goal secured a 2-1 win over West Ham that changed everything. Jamie Vardy's injury-time goal then provided back-to-back wins in their next match against West Brom and Nigel Pearson's side would win seven of their final nine games to eventually finish six points clear of the relegation zone. The next season would prove rather different.

Sunderland 2013/14

April 16: 2-2 draw v Manchester City

Few envisaged Sunderland having much of a say on the title race as they prepared to face Manchester City and Chelsea in the space of four days. Gus Poyet's side were seven points from safety and written off at the bottom of the table. Two late Connor Wickham goals changed that as they secured a 2-2 draw in a match they may well have won at the Etihad Stadium and they then inflicted Jose Mourinho's first home Premier League defeat in 78 games as Chelsea manager. A victory at Old Trafford soon followed in a remarkable late run to stay in the top flight.



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/01/30/seven-momentum-turning-premier-league-results-give-fulham-hope/

 
Lazio interested in signing Manchester United youngster before Thursday's deadline

Manchester United allowed Timothy Fosu-Mensah to join Fulham on a season-long loan deal last summer.

The Dutchman has eight appearances in the Premier League this season, which includes seven starts and all of those were when Slaviša Jokanović was in charge.

Since Claudio Ranieri took charge at Craven Cottage in November, the 21-year-old has made only one appearance and has been left out of the squad in 11 league games.

His limited playing time at Fulham is something both the defender and the Red Devils are unhappy about, according to Calciomercato.it.

Manchester United wanted him to develop by playing regular football elsewhere, but that hasn't happened so far this campaign. Therefore, Fosu-Mensah could leave Ranieri's side and join another club on a temporary deal.

It is claimed that Lazio are one of the clubs who have tested the market to see if they can land the fullback on loan in the winter market.

The report doesn't mention whether Fosu-Mensah, Fulham or United are interested in the loan transfer.

A source has told Sport Witness that, right now, it's likeliest for Fosu-Mensah to continue at Fulham beyond the mid-season transfer window, even though he's featured only once since the former Leicester City manager took charge in November.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/139207-2/

 
Tom Cairney: 150 Not Out

Lost in all the euphoria of last night's epic comeback against Brighton and Hove Albion was the fact that Tom Cairney's introduction as an early substitute marked his 150th appearance for Fulham.

Cairney's class on a football field has never been in doubt. He flickered brightly with Hull City as a teenager and his capture from Blackburn Rovers for little more than £3m in 2015 seems a steal in hindsight. With such a smart football brain and crisp passing ability, it was no surprise that he flourished under Slavisa Jokanovic's tutelage and, when he was switched into a playmaking central midfield role, the classy midfielder became the fulcrum around which an unassailable team was built. Cairney's partnership with Stefan Johansen and Kevin McDonald comprised the most complete midfield in the Championship, with Fulham's domination of possession appearing almost absolute at times.

The Scottish international, who has also matured markedly as he assumed the captaincy following the retirement of Scott Parker, has also had to show serious resilience as he has battled back from two troubling injuries over the past couple of seasons. It was noticeable that Fulham's indifferent start to the last campaign ended with Cairney's return to the side and, despite another injury-troubled season this term, there is no doubt that he makes such a difference to the side. Last night's turnaround only served to underline the point, with Fulham able to impose themselves on Brighton only once Cairney had come off the bench to replace Tim Ream on 26 minutes.

The difference in Fulham's patterns of play and assertiveness with Cairney able to protect possession and set the Whites moving forward alongside the outstanding Jean-Michael Seri was massive. Although Claudio Ranieri has so far sought to play only one of the pair having opted for a back five, I'm hoping that he can tweak the system to fit Fulham's two best passers of a ball into the same side. The momentum garnered from last night's revival is massive – and, with a number of away wins needed to secure survival, it would make sense for Ranieri to become a little more adventurous.

Without Cairney, Fulham suddenly seem primitive and predictable in possession. His composure on the ball in tight spots is a real asset for a defence that has suffered so regularly this season and his eye for a pass provides a greater threat going forward. Ranieri might have correctly identified that Cairney doesn't score enough goals for a player of his calibre, but you could hardly quibble with his effectiveness last night. He was incredibly unfortunate not to mark his landmark with a goal, curling two sumptuous efforts against the crossbar, even if one did rebound kindly for Luciano Vietto.

Cairney has already served up so many special moments in his time at the club. His tears at Reading following the play-off defeat were followed by his desire to lead the team back to the promised land and he delivered in such fine style on that magnificent day at Wembley. That outstanding injury-team equaliser at Leeds that propelled the Whites' late charge into the play-offs will live long in the memory as well his wondrous strike at Wolves. He's already etched his name into Fulham folklore – and you wouldn't bet against Cairney carving out a few more memories between and now and the end of this campaign.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/01/tom-cairney-150-not-out/

 
Exclusive: Fulham and Cardiff working on deals to sign Man United 22-year-old

Manchester United defender Demitri Mitchell is a target for Fulham and Cardiff before the close of the transfer window, Football Insider understands.

Premier League duo Fulham and Cardiff have both made enquiries about Mitchell's possible availability and are working on signing him by Thursday night.

Mitchell is currently on loan at Hearts, but United could cancel the loan if they receive a suitable offer for the defender who has come through the ranks at Old Trafford.

The 22-year-old made his first-team debut for United on the final day of the 2016/17 season against Crystal Palace and he spent the second half of last season on loan at Hearts.

The England Under-20 international is highly-rated at United, but he is well down the pecking order to break into the first-team and United are open to considering offers for the full-back.

Fulham and Cardiff have monitored Mitchell's progress at Hearts this season and see him as a potential star in the making who would boost their defensive options.

In other Manchester United news, Football Insider can reveal Paul Scholes has landed a new job.



https://www.footballinsider247.com/exclusive-fulham-and-cardiff-working-on-deals-to-sign-man-united-22-year-old/

 
Can Fulham Produce Another 'Roy Hodgson' Style Miraculous Escape Or Is It Too Late?

After the first 45 minutes on a wet, windy and snowy evening at Craven Cottage, it seemed all was lost.

A shambolic display from the home side, knowing that only a win and 3 points would give them any chance of salvation. One down following the most simple of goals coming from a Brighton defender running from inside his own half totally unchallenged. He sent a low cross into the Fulham penalty area, and with one outstretched right leg, the 35-year-old veteran striker Glenn Murray put the visitors ahead within 3 minutes.

It was to get worse, as Fulham ran around again like headless chickens. Defending like a team of ten-year-olds, Brighton totally dominated the proceedings, looking like a team of champions compared to the home side. Another set of defensive errors after another led to Murrays and Brighton's second goal. It was fortunate for Fulham, owing to a fine save from Rico they only went in 2 goals behind at the break.

A change of tactics from Ranieri with Ream off, followed by Schurrle replaced by Cairney and Vietto, the second half seemed like Fulham had swapped shirts with their opponents. It was Fulham that started on the front foot. Within 3 minutes of the restart, Chambers volleyed in a lovely left-footed shot into the corner of the net. Cairney started to dictate the play, together with a much-improved performance from Seri, who at last started to show why Fulham paid the high price tag for him last summer.

The whites deservedly equalised with a fantastic header from Mitrovic, who out-jumped and out-muscled Brighton's defenders and goalkeeper. Fulham were on equal terms. Vietto was causing Brighton problems with his clever runs, and now it was Fulham that looked more likely to score each time they attacked a shaky defence. Bryan worked well with Babel down the left and crossed perfectly for Mitrovic to bulldoze his way above the Brighton defence to send the rampant home fans wild with his second headed goal.

Vietto was soon to put the game beyond reach for the Seagulls finishing another swift attacking movement after the rejuvenated Cairney smashed a shot against the crossbar as he calmly slotted home.

At last a victory, the first for a month, but it may be too little too late. With Burnley getting a point at Man Utd and Newcastle beating Man City, the gap between the other stragglers at the foot of the table is not closing. With four of the next eight fixtures, Fulham have, four are against the top six teams. There are also local derbies with Palace and West Ham too.

Can Ranieri and the lads repeat the amazing survival Roy Hodgson led Fulham to a few years back?

Is it history repeating itself, as that run began following a 2-0 half time deficit away to Man City where the whites ran out winners 3-2?

In all truth, I honestly believe the lack of bringing in a stronger back line has cost Fulham their place in the EPL this season. Was sacking Jokanovic and replacing him with Ranieri the right decision?

The facts are, they both (after tonight's match) were/have been in charge for 12 league games.

Here are their stats:

Jokanovic

• Played – 12
• Won – 1
• Drawn – 2
• Lost – 9
• Goals For – 11
• Goals Against – 31
• Points – 5
• Goal Difference – -20

Ranieri

• Played – 12
• Won – 3
• Drawn – 3
• Lost – 6
• Goals For – 14
• Goals Against – 22
• Points – 12
• Goal Difference – -8

Both had 4 games against the top 6 and both lost all 4.

I hope I am wrong, and Fulham amaze us all once again by surviving. It is a big ask!



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/can-fulham-produce-another-roy-hodgson-style-miraculous-escape-or-is-it-too-late/

 
Reported Fulham and Burnley target Clinton Njie wants Premier League move

Marseille's Ligue 1 outcast Clinton Njie reportedly wants to return to England amid interest from The Cottagers and The Clarets.

Former Tottenham Hotspur attacker Clinton Njie wants to return to the Premier League before the end of the January transfer window, according to France Football.

The Cameroon international is expected to leave Marseille this month after making just two Ligue 1 starts all season for under-fire manager Rudi Garcia.

France Football reports that Njie has been in talks over a loan move to Besiktas but it is understood that he has his heart set on a second chance in English football – or a money-spinning move to China or Saudi Arabia.

Earlier in the month, it seemed that there was a lot of interest from Premier League clubs with The Mail claiming that Fulham, Burnley, Cardiff City and Newcastle United were all interested in signing the 25-year-old speedster.

Newcastle may be out of the race now with Miguel Almiron set to complete his big-money move to St James'. But relegation threatened Cardiff, Fulham and Burnley are still in need of attacking reinforcements with goals in relative short supply, although The Cottagers and The Clarets impressed in the final third on Tuesday night.

Tottenham paid £12 million to sign Njie in 2015 (The Guardian), though he failed to score a goal in 10 Premier League appearances.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/01/30/reported-fulham-and-burnley-target-clinton-njie-wants-premier-le/

 
The six players Fulham fans want the club to sell before the transfer deadline

We asked the Fulham fans to have their say on who they wanted to keep and who they wanted to sell

With less than 36 hours left in the transfer window, Fulham are expected to be active as they look to bolster their squad for the battle to avoid relegation.

The Whites currently sit second from bottom in the Premier League, despite coming from two goals down to win 4-2 against Brighton & Hove Albion last night (Tuesday) to give themselves a boost in their battle to avoid the drop.

However, Fulham have only managed to sign one player so far in this window, securing the services of Ryan Babel from Besiktas until the end of the season with defensive targets so far eluding them.

Fulham have been heavily linked with signing a number of players before the deadline, including Gary Cahill and Scott Dann as the Whites look to bolster their options.

A host of the club's stars have also been linked with moves away from Craven Cottage this transfer window, with Stefan Johansen, Neeskens Kebano, Kevin McDonald, Aboubakar Kamara and Fabri among those names.

The only players to have been sold are Cauley Woodrow and Stephen Humphrys, but both of these were already out on loan during the first part of the season and had no place in Fulham's first team.

But Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri has not ruled out further departures in the window.

"Could be – if somebody comes, somebody may leave the club," he said.

"I spoke with some players, and we said maybe it is much better for them to go and play and not stay here.

"But of course I have to replace these players. If a player goes I have to replace.

"We want to maintain this group, because it is a very good group, and I need everybody. Everybody that is available, and I have to choose the best XI.

"I am optimistic we can get players in, one, two, three, I don't know. Maybe four!"

At football.london , we recently asked the Fulham fans to give their views on who they would want to keep and who they would sell in the transfer window, and they have spoken.

And of the current first team squad, not including players in on loan, there are six players the Fulham fans who have voted in our poll want to see sold.

They are Kevin McDonald, Ibrahima Cisse, Neeskens Kebano, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Floyd Ayite and Fabri.

Of those, goalkeeper Fabri polled only 17.6 per cent of votes in favour of being kept, with more than 50 per cent of fans also voting to sell McDonald (54.5 per cent in favour of being sold), Cisse (56.1 per cent), Kebano (67.5 per cent), Anguissa (68.3 per cent) and Ayite (71.4 per cent).

Two other players, Stefan Johansen and Aboubakar Kamara, polled just over 50 per cent of votes in favour of being kept, with 46.8 per cent and 44.4 per cent of fans voting to sell them respectively.

Unsurprisingly, very few fans want to see Aleksandar Mitrovic or Ryan Sessegnon sold, with both players polling more than 96 per cent of votes in favour of being kept.

All other players in the first team squad polled at least 60 per cent of votes in favour of being kept.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/six-players-fulham-fan-want-15753868

 
Report: West Ham leading the race to sign Danny Drinkwater

According to reports from the Daily Mail, West Ham United are leading the race to sign Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater before the window closes.

The report claims that the Hammers are looking to sign the 28-year-old on loan in January.

The Hammers are expected to face strong competition from other rival clubs, as Fulham, Burnley and Bournemouth are also considering a move for the former Leicester City midfielder.

Drinkwater joined Chelsea from Leicester City in the summer of 2017 for £35million but has struggled to make an impression under Maurizio Sarri.

He is yet to play a single Premier League game this season, and is likely to leave the club this month.

While Chelsea would want any potential suitors to take him on a permanent deal, it is more likely they will have to offload him on loan.

Drinkwater is a very good player, and he would be a superb addition for both the Hammers and Cottagers. His move at Chelsea may not have worked in his favour, but he still remains a quality Premier League player.

It remains to be seen whether West Ham or Fulham can seal a loan move for him before Thursday's deadline.



https://sportslens.com/report-west-ham-leading-the-race-to-sign-danny-drinkwater/258100/

 
Tiehi's Pro Deal

The Club can confirm that Jean-Pierre Tiehi has signed his first professional contract with The Whites on his 17th birthday.

The powerful forward has signed a deal keeping him at the club until 30th June 2021.

The 17-year old has missed most parts of the Under-18s' season with a long-term injury, but made his comeback in the 3-1 defeat to Southampton last Saturday.

After signing his deal, Tiehi told fulhamfc.com: "I don't think there is anything better than signing this contract on my birthday. It could be the best present I ever receive.

"It's a big achievement for me in everything I've worked for since I started playing football. I think every football player dreams of this moment in reality. It's a big dream.

"I'm at a great Club with a great environment for young players to develop so I'm very excited to see what happens in the future."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/january/30/jpt-contract

 
Stephens: Mitrovic's second shouldn't have counted but Brighton only have themselves to blame for Fulham defeat

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Dale Stephens felt Fulham's third goal should have been disallowed last night but added the Seagulls only had themselves to blame for the defeat.

Albion led 2-0 at half-time of the Premier League game through a double from Glenn Murray but Fulham hit back in the second half to claim a 4-2 win. Brighton felt captain Lewis Dunk was fouled by Aleksandar Mitrovic as the Fulham striker headed in his second goal to make it 3-2 and Stephens said afterwards: "I think it's a foul. I think he jumps on Dunky's back. Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't.

"But overall we're disappointed with what we produced in the second half, rather than blaming anybody else."

Reflecting on the match, Stephens said: "I thought we played well in the first half and deserved our lead at half-time.

"We went away from what we were doing and they've got a lot of quality in their team and they showed it in the second half but it was all our own undoing in the end.

"Taking a two goal lead into half-time is where you want to be away from home. Everyone is disappointed with the way we defended and conceded goals in the second half."

Stephens added the Seagulls have to quickly move on from the defeat and said: "We've got some tough and important games coming up. We've got to move on from this one tonight and fully focus on Watford at the weekened."



Read more at: https://www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk/sport/football/albion/stephens-mitrovic-s-second-shouldn-t-have-counted-but-brighton-only-have-themselves-to-blame-for-fulham-defeat-1-8790666

 
Seafarers given tickets to their first Premiership football match bring good luck to team

Four seafarers working in the UK for the last five months were given a special treat thanks to Fulham Football Club, which provided them with free tickets to their game against Brighton last night (29th January).

Captain Archival Bait and three of the MT Gerda crew travelled to Craven Cottage after international maritime charity Sailors' Society contacted the club to see if they could help realise their dream of watching a live Premiership match.

Captain Bait said: "It was a fantastic experience and a great game. We're really grateful to Sailors' Society and Fulham Football Club for getting us to our first Premier League game and can't wait to tell our family in the Philippines about our unforgettable experience.

"We'll be Fulham fans for life now!"

After the excitement of the game, which finished 4-2 to Fulham, the men travelled back to Tilbury docks where they will be based until 7th February, when they set sail for Denmark.

Frans Sahetapy, Sailors' Society's port chaplain for Tilbury and London Gateway, helped the men get to the game and has become firm friends with the seafarers.

He said: "Since the crew have been in the UK, they've become big fans of the Premier League.

"When I collected the men to go to the game, they said 'Santa's coming'."

The world's 1.6 million seafarers can spend months at sea, transporting 90% of the goods we rely upon on a daily basis.

Sailors' Society's CEO, Stuart Rivers, said: "What can seem like a small gesture like tickets to a football game, will live long in the memory of these seafarers and we are really thankful to Fulham for making their dream to see a live game come true."



http://shipmanagementinternational.com/seafarers-given-tickets-to-their-first-premiership-football-match-bring-good-luck-to-team/

 
West Brom to lose out on Kamara

Reported West Bromwich Albion transfer target Aboubakar Kamara is set to sign for Turkish side Malatyaspor, according to the Birmingham Mail.

The Birmingham Mail states that reports in Turkey say the Fulham attacker will complete a move to the Süper Lig on Wednesday.

West Brom were believed to be weighing up a move for the player before the January transfer window closes on Thursday but now look likely to have missed out.

The striker hit the headlines last week after a fight with a security guard at the training ground lead to the police being called and Kamara being suspended by Fulham.

Kamara also had an argument with Fulham teammate Aleksandar Mitrovic after a yoga session at the club's training facilities.

Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri had said that the door would be open for Kamara to return to the squad, though West Brom were looking to pounce on his likely availability following his suspension by the club.

Ranieri spoke of Kamara's situation earlier this week, saying:

    The players are free. They are concentrating on their job.

    If he goes or he comes back, then nothing happens. There is not an impact in this sense.

    I have forgiven him. If I have to tell him something, I will tell him something. After this is it is finished for me.

    I don't remember and say 'ah you did this, this and this...' It is finished.

However, it now looks as though Kamara will leave Fulham but not for West Brom.



https://readwestbrom.com/2019/01/30/west-brom-to-lose-out-on-kamara/

Report: Fulham willing to pay £2m for Galatasaray's Serdar Aziz

Turkish Super Lig champion Serdar Aziz is reportedly a target for Premier League Fulham.

Fulham have identified yet another centre-back target in Galatasaray's Serdar Aziz, according to Haberturk.

The Cottagers have been linked with a number of experienced defenders this month. But Fulham, who have conceded more goals than any other Premier League side this season (53), have signed just one player so far – the winger Ryan Babel.

Haberturk, however, believes that they have now launched a late bid to bring Aziz to Craven Cottage from reigning Turkish Super Lig champions Galatasaray.

A 28-year-old defender who has earned 16 caps for the Turkey national team, Aziz won the second league title of his career last year, almost a decade after he lifted the title with Bursaspor.

Haberturk reports that Fulham are willing to pay £2 million with Gala ready to listen to offers. However, it is understood that the 6ft stopper does not want to join a club stuck in a relegation battle.

Despite coming from two goals down to beat Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday evening, Claudio Ranieri's side are still five points adrift of safety in the Premier League.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/01/30/do-report-fulham-willing-to-pay-2m-for-galatasarays-serdar-aziz/

 
Fulham beating Newcastle to sign this 2-time PL champion would be a massive coup for Ranieri

Why Fulham should beat Newcastle United to sign Antonio Valencia

According to a report from the Sun, Fulham and Newcastle United are interested in signing Manchester United outcast Antonio Valencia this month.

Antonio Valencia, 33, has featured in just five Premier League matches for Manchester United this season and only once under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The right-back, whose contract is up at the end of the season, fell out of favour towards the end of Jose Mourinho's tenure at the club.

The report claims that United are willing to allow their skipper Antonio Valencia to leave Old Trafford this week rather than lose him for absolutely nothing at the end of the season. That said, Fulham must do everything to beat Newcastle for the signature of the Ecuadorian star.

The January transfer window shuts tomorrow and so far Fulham have made only one signing – Ryan Babel from Besiktas. The defence has been an area of concern for the Cottagers, having leaked in a staggering 51 goals this season.

Manager Claudio Ranieri has very little time to bring in defensive recruits to help their Premier League survival chances. And while bolstering the options in central defence has to be of paramount importance for the Cottagers, Ranieri would do a good job if he manages to land Antonio Valencia in a cut-price deal, especially after missing out on Victor Moses.

Ranieri has already confirmed that he does not see Manchester United loanee Timothy Fosu-Mensah as a key part of his plans, giving the Dutch defender a thumbs-up to return to his parent club if he wishes to. Instead, the Italian tactician possibly wants Valencia to join his forces at Fulham and United should allow their skipper to leave the club this month.

Valencia joined United back in 2009 from Wigan Athletic and has racked up 338 games for the Red Devils, netting 25 goals. The Ecuadorian's legs aren't what they used to be and he has noticeably become slower since the last year or so, but his vast Premier League experience and leadership skills would come in handy for Fulham.

In truth, any defensive-minded player would be a welcome addition for a Fulham side who have conceded the most goals in the Premier League this season. And the two-time Premier League winner should represent a coup for Ranieri if the West Londoners manage to land him before the transfer window slams shut.



https://soccersouls.com/2019/01/30/fulham-beating-newcastle-to-sign-this-2-time-pl-champion-would-be-a-massive-coup-for-ranieri/

 
Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney believes passing football is blueprint for Premier League 'great escape'

(https://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2019/01/30/15/tomcairney3001.jpg?width=1368&height=912&fit=bounds&format=pjpg&auto=webp&quality=70)
Purist: Tom Cairney believes Fulham must pass their way to Premier League safety

Tom Cairney declared after Tuesday night's remarkable victory over Brighton that it will be "the great escape" if Fulham manage to beat the drop this season.

Given the fact they remain 19th in the Premier League and five points from safety, the midfielder is probably right.

However, at least now Fulham have the blueprint for how they should go about pulling off such a feat.

And Cairney, who was called off the bench after 27 minutes to help inspire a comeback from two goals down, believes the Cottagers can do so playing the attack-minded football that earned them promotion from the Championship last season.

"Look, we have got players to play football," Cairney told Standard Sport.

"I just feel like we have got to pass the ball. I think that is what we did in the second-half. 

"That is what I came on and tried to do to the team. I mean it is tough, we can't really outfight teams.

"We aren't big enough, we aren't strong enough.

"But we have got good footballers in the team with Ryan Babel coming in, Jean-Michael Seri who can play football, myself.

"With Aleksandar Mitrovic up top, we have always got a chance to score. That is our best way; playing to feet."

At half-time on Tuesday night Fulham looked dead and buried. Striker Glenn Murray had scored twice for the visitors inside the opening 17 minutes to suck the life out of Craven Cottage.

The bitter wind and snow was doing that anyway, but the fact Murray essentially scored the same goal twice in a row certainly didn't help matters.

It was the 52nd and 53rd time Fulham have conceded in the Premier League this season, a remarkable statistic when you consider they have played 24 games.

No one in Europe's top five leagues has been so porous in defence.

When Claudio Ranieri was appointed as the club's manager back in November, he promised to put a stop to all that.

"Fulham concede a lot of goals," he said. "I'm an Italian manager. For us Italians it's important to maintain the clean sheet."

Defensive failings had been a key factor in the downfall of his predecessor, Slavisa Jokanovic.

The Serbian struggled to stop Fulham leaking goals and the fact he had five different centre-back pairings in the 12 Premier League games before he was sacked says it all.

As a torrid first-half against Brighton showed, Ranieri has not been able to address that issue but he may have stumbled upon a better solution.

The second-half was Fulham at their very best under the Italian. In fact, they improved from the time defender Tim Ream was taken off to bring on Cairney.

Suddenly the idea of packing the defence with three centre-backs and two wing-backs was ditched as Fulham threw caution to the wind by going on the attack.

Lining up in a 4-3-3 formation, the team was now revolving around a midfield trio of Chambers, Seri and Cairney himself.

With Cairney and Seri dictating matters Fulham focused on getting the ball down and playing, not out-muscling Brighton – which few teams in the top flight can do.

It worked in magnificent style. First Chambers scored a sumptuous volley two minutes after the break, before an Aleksandar Mitrovic brace, taking the striker's league tally to 10 for the season, and a first goal from Luciano Vietto completed the stunning comeback.

The style of the turnaround was as remarkable as the fact it took place at all.

There were no long balls forward. Fulham did not have to scrap and fight their way to victory. Instead they passed their way there.

"I think that is the only way we can do it," Cairney added. "We tried to fight, we tried to scrap a little bit, go a bit more direct.

"But I think we have our most success and look most dangerous when we play football.

"Obviously it is still going to be the great escape if we get out of the situation we are in.

"I think to have any chance we have got to go back-to-back wins for the first time."

Chambers was in full agreement with his team-mate.

"I think we changed it tactically. I think it is safe to say we had a poor first-half, we know that as a team," he said.

"In the second-half we just came out and we moved the ball a lot better."

Fulham have not won two Premier League games on the spin all season and they will have to beat Crystal Palace on Saturday if they wish to do so. 

It will be no easy task, and the same goes for trying to avoid relegation. However, at least now the plan is clear. Attack really is the best form of defence.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham/fulham-midfielder-tom-cairney-passing-football-blueprint-premier-league-great-escape-a4053326.html

 
What happens in a football medical? We find out what players go through before a transfer is confirmed

Sunday league journeyman Jacob Murtagh went along to the world-class facilities at St George's Park to see what lots of players will be put through on Transfer Deadline Day

When you read that a player joining your club has "passed his medical", you can breathe a sigh of relief.

One of the final steps in the transfer process, it usually means the deal is about to be sealed.

Medicals will be happening left, right and centre on Transfer Deadline Day this Thursday.

But what does a medical actually entail? Mirror Football's Jacob Murtagh went along to the world-class facilities at St George's Park to find out.

Here's his account of a frantic day at the National Football Centre:

I've played football for more than two decades and never had any problems, so I was pretty confident heading into the medical after Mirror Football triggered the £10 release clause in my Beesotted contract.

But before we start it's important to note a player doesn't just pass or fail a medical.

Perform's clinical director Dr Charlotte Cowie explained: "That is a bit simple compared to what actually happens.

"You're trying to give a club as much information as possible because in the end they have to decide whether they want to take a player or not."

First I was put through my paces by Perform's leading sports scientist Dr Carl Wells in their state-of-the-art performance lab.

After a quick warm-up on the bike, I took part in the Biodex assessment, which is designed to test the strength between muscle groups.

You are strapped into a chair and required to extend your leg by kicking out before pulling it back to the starting position. This was repeated five times, then again with more resistance.

Unfortunately, this highlighted a strength imbalance between my quads and hamstrings. I was told this was common with footballers, so not a massive problem. However, extra work to strengthen my hamstrings was recommended.

Not exactly a storming start.

(https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article7214149.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Mirror-mock-medical-at-St-Georges-Park.jpg)
Cause for concern: Results show Murtagh has some weakeness in his hamstrings (Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

Next was the V02 max test, which assesses your aerobic fitness. This is used to feed back to the buying club what level their prospective signing is at. Are they ready to go straight into first-team action?

Or would this risk injury because they are not up to speed and need time working with the fitness staff instead?

You are required to run on a treadmill at varying speeds while breathing into a mask to determine your aerobic capabilities.

This went fairly well. I might not be ready for Premier League action, but I'll have no problem getting through 90 minutes on a Sunday morning.

(https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article7214039.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Mirror-mock-medical-at-St-Georges-Park.jpg)
On the run: Murtagh tries out the VO2 max test (Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

Dr Wells, who was speaking from Perform at St George's Park, said: "Every player is unique, so you have to notify a club if there is a potential red flag. Then it's their decision whether they work with that or do not sign the player."

Out of the lab and in to see Dr Cowie. She takes a look at a player's medical and injury record.

Players who have been dogged by injury problems throughout their careers could be high-risk signings, so Dr Cowie needs to determine whether their past will hinder their future performances for the buying club.

She said: "There have been times in the past when you see a player who is so bad that you say there's just no way he can train or play.

"Or there have been instances when you might have to advise a club that their prospective signing has an ongoing injury and they might only be able to do limited training.

"An older player who a club wants because of their experience, you might say if this player trains too much or plays Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday they might break down."

However, there are some instances where a player 'fails' a medical at one club but is successful elsewhere.

Charlie Austin's proposed move to Hull in 2013 broke down after testing, only for him to sign for QPR three weeks later.

"Sometimes a manager will want or need a player so much because either their squad is depleted or it's a player he has wanted for a long time that they overlook some injury risks in order to get them," Dr Cowie added.

"Other times they could be looking for someone who is a long-term investment. If a player has a short-term injury like a calf strain and we are confident that will settle down, then they might be willing to go with that.

"Other times they may be looking at a massive investment of money. They could be looking at two or three other players, there might be something wrong with one of them to say 'we won't go with this player' and go for another option."

Luckily I've had a clean bill of health throughout my Sunday league career, and after a closer examination I'm given the green light.

With a spring in my step I head off to see England physio Steve Kemp for an orthopaedic and movement screen.

He takes the medical assessment from the first two parts and goes though it in more detail. He looks at every joint individually, paying particular attention to ankles, knees and hips.

Kemp said: "We look at their mobility and write a report – red, amber or green. The red ones are a real concern, like fluid on the knee. This makes a player a high risk signing.

"Amber things are like weakness in muscles or poor calf capacity. We grade it and then summarise it for the clubs."

(https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article7214123.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Mirror-mock-medical-at-St-Georges-Park.jpg)
Feeling the strain: Murtagh is examined by England physio Steve Kemp (Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

After a series of stretches and exercises Steve has an issue with my left hip, which could lead to problems later in my career.

This hasn't affected me whatsoever during my life – in fact I didn't even know about it.

Kemp added: "If a player with a really bad knee problem is offered a five-year contract then that's not good management. It might be that they are given a year or two with appearance-based clauses. It protects the club."

I guess I'll have to forget about the mega-money deal and settle for a couple of pints and a packet of peanuts instead.

So in conclusion I'm a bit of a risky signing due to my new-found hip problem. I've discovered more about my body in three hours than I have in the past 30 years.

However, I'm an old head in the dressing and may be worth a punt if any managers need a bit of experience in their squads for the business end of the season.

Perform at St. George's Park are available for the support of players and clubs during the transfer medical process, to keep up to date with Perform news follow @PerformSGP on Twitter.



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/transfer-deadline-day-2019-medical-8732021

 
Club reach 'agreement in principle' to sign Fulham player

Futbol Arena, and many others in Turkey, on Wednesday afternoon report Yeni Malatyaspor have agreed a deal to sign Aboubakar Kamara from Fulham.

They also state the Turkish Super Lig club have made a new offer to sign Kamara's Fulham teammate Neeskens Kebano.

According to news outlet, Yeni Malatyaspor president Adil Gevrek, who's currently in London, has made an improved offer to sign Kebano but the Turkish club's officials are not seeing the transfer as a huge possibility due to high cost.

Kamara is different, and it's explained there's an 'agreement in principle' to take Fulham's resident misfit away from the Premier League club.

The club's official social media are also talking up the player's impending arrival.

On Twitter they've published a message reading 'A London Story' with an outline of a player and the words 'Coming Soon – Are You Ready?'.

Fans of the club and the media following are taking that player to be Kamara, given it was known a deal was close and the message has the 'London' part.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/club-reach-agreement-principle-sign-fulham-player/

 
Newcastle beating Fulham to sign this midfield powerhouse would be quite a terrific move by Benitez

Why Newcastle United should beat Fulham for Ibrahim Amadou

Rafael Benitez has always faced an impossible task of keeping Newcastle up in the Premier League. Yet, the former Liverpool manager has somehow done it once, and has done a good job so far this season. His main objective is to save Newcastle United from relegation and do it without any real influx of funds from owner Mike Ashley. The Magpies have had their moments of doubt, and at the moment they sit five points from relegation.

Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo has revealed that the Magpies are in the race for Ibrahim Amadou. The Sevilla midfielder was at his very best against Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey semi-final and his performance impressed both Newcastle United and Fulham.

However, while the Spanish side are unwilling to sell the 25-year-old who arrived in the summer, things could get interesting if a high enough offer is made. So far, the Frenchman has only managed to play eight games in the La Liga, with just two starts to his name.

Now with the January window coming to a close soon, the Magpies want to make a deal worth somewhere around £8million but with Fulham also in the race, they need to act fast. If anyone needs Ibrahim Amadou – it's Rafael Benitez and company. At the moment, Newcastle United have eight players out to various injuries.

That includes main midfielders – Jonjo Shelvey, Mohamed Diame and Ki Sung-Yueng, which leaves just Isaac Hayden fit. It has caused a few problems for the Magpies and Benitez even had to call up U-23 star Sean Longstaff to play against Cardiff City and Chelsea. That's why the club needs to drum up the money and bring in Ibrahim Amadou before they suffer the consequences of what has been a terrible injury season for them.

The former Lille star would be a great signing for the Magpies. A defensive midfielder by trade, Amadou has a brilliant eye for the game and can see moves happen, which allows him to cut it out. That combined with his defensive contributions should be of massive help to Newcastle in their relegation scrap.

His willingness to work hard and give everything for the side will help the Magpies going forward, which is exactly why they need to make the move.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2019/01/30/newcastle-beating-fulham-to-sign-this-midfield-powerhouse-would-be-quite-a-terrific-move-by-benitez/

 
Fulham midfielder Stefan Johansen in talks over move to Fenerbahce which could allow Claudio Ranieri to bring in Chelsea outcast Danny Drinkwater

    Fulham midfielder Stefan Johansen is in talks over a move to Fenerbahce
    The 28-year-old has been a target for Championship side West Bromwich Albion
    A move to Turkey would allow the club to push for Chelsea's Dany Drinkwater

Fulham midfielder Stefan Johansen is in talks over a move to Fenerbahce.

The 28-year-old Norwegian was a target for Championship side West Bromwich Albion but is tempted by a move abroad even though Fenerbahce are languishing at the wrong end of the table.

Johansen's departure could allow Claudio Ranieri to push for Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/01/30/17/9188590-6649715-image-a-35_1548870079847.jpg)
Fulham midfielder Stefan Johansen is in talks over a move to Turkish giants Fenerbahce

Johansen has featured 12 times in the Premier League for the Cottagers this season but has failed to register a goal or an assist.

The Norwary captain joined Fulham in 2016 when he completed his £2million move from Celtic.

His current deal at Fulham is set to expire this summer.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/01/30/17/9170032-6649715-West_Ham_are_among_clubs_asking_about_taking_Chelsea_midfielder_-a-36_1548870771581.jpg)
Chelsea's Danny Drinkwater has been linked with loan moves to West Ham and Fulham



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6649715/Fulham-midfielder-Stefan-Johansen-talks-Fenerbahce.html

 
Celtic To Rival Valencia For The Signature Of This Premier League Midfielder: How Can He Fit Into Rodgers' Plans?

According to the latest reports in the Scottish Sun, Celtic are eyeing a pre-contract deal with Fulham's 18-year-old midfielder Tyrese Francois. The youngster is in the final six months of his contract and is yet to commit his future with the Premier League outfit. Celtic's next Europa League opponents Valencia are also in the mix to sign him, and they are confident of luring him to the La Liga. Premier League outfit Crystal Palace's name is also doing the rounds as one of the interested parties.

The Australian born midfielder has come up from Fulham's academy and is yet to make a senior team appearance with the Cottagers. Francois has been regular for his side in the Premier League 2. With Fulham fighting relegation, one can understand why Claudio Ranieri is unwilling to experiment at this stage by giving a newbie a run into the senior team.

Celtic have a knack for picking out terrific young footballers, and it seems like they are looking at Francois as a prospect for the future. Celtic apparently won't have to spend a penny to land him as they can secure a pre-contract move which would see the midfielder join Celtic Park after his contract expires after the end of the ongoing season.

We don't expect the 18-year-old to have an instant impact in Celtic's first team and it is likely that the young midfielder might have to bide his time with the reserve squad before coming in contention to start for the first team.

Francois can play anywhere across the midfield, and it would be interesting to see how Rodgers would want to use him if the Hoops agree on a deal with him. The 18-year-old lacks on the physical side, but he makes it up with his technical abilities on the ball.

The youngster has everything to his game which a midfielder needs as he can create chances as well as recover balls. He works hard out of possession and is tenacious in his approach. That is one of the primary reasons why the young prodigy can be deployed in different roles in the middle of the park.

However, with a Spanish top-flight club also in the reckoning, Celtic might find it hard to lure him. A signing like this might not make an immediate impact on the first team but it is always good to have a young pool of players coming in, and Francois would be a decent addition for the future given his talent and abilities.



https://the4thofficial.net/2019/01/celtic-to-rival-valencia-for-the-signature-of-this-premier-league-midfielder-how-can-he-fit-into-rodgers-plans/

 
Fulham working on agreement to sign Norwegian – Hangeland says he's better than Odoi

Fulham always seem to spring a few surprises as transfer deadlines approach.

Who can forget the January 2017 winter window and the striker search which covered most of Europe and included an ambitious move for Sergi Enrich which failed due to payment instalments.

This time one of the late men is Håvard Nordtveit, according to TV2 in Norway.

Recognise the name? That'll be because he played for West Ham in the 2016-17 season and came through the youth system at Arsenal.

Now at Hoffenheim, the 28 year old could be on the move again.

TV2 says the parties involved are trying to 'nail an agreement' before the window closes.

The Norwegian media outlet has even got comments from former Fulham captain Brede Hangeland, who thinks the player would go into Claudio Ranieri's starting line up: "I can't see any other reason why Fulham should sign him than to go straight to the team. They have no need to get someone who cannot start and reinforce the base. Håvard also has no interest in sitting on the bench in the Premier League.

"Fulham has a defence that is definitely not good enough. If he is intended for a defender role, he will be an upgrade on Odoi who plays to the right of the middle now."

That's straight to the point from the former defender, a man who Fulham would love to have back with them if he could only roll back the years.

A big thanks to @RonnyS0L in Norway for heads-up.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-working-agreement-sign-norwegian-previously-west-ham-arsenal-youth-set/

 
Ranieri signing this 28-year-old AFCON winner would make a huge difference in Fulham's relegation battle

Why Fulham should go all out to sign Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui

According to a report from Calciomercato, Fulham, Cardiff City and Newcastle United are all keen on Slavia Prague defender Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui.

Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui, 28, helped Slavia to the title in his debut campaign in Prague and helped Cameroon lift the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017. He has been stellar this season as well, helping Slavia sit four points clear at the top of the Czech first division table and reaching the last 32 of the Europa League.

The Cameroonian defender's displays have caught the attention of the Premier League trio. The report claims Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui has a release clause in his contract worth £4.5million, a fee that must surely tempt Fulham to ramp up their efforts and beat the likes of Cardiff and Newcastle in landing the defender before Thursday's transfer deadline.

Fulham have dealt a big blow after centre-back Alfie Mawson was ruled out until April at least after undergoing surgery for a knee injury. Mawson arrived at Craven Cottage from Swansea City in the summer but has failed to live up to the expectations and will not be back to the fold until the final month of the Premier League campaign.

The Cottagers have already been in shambles defensively and Mawson's injury will certainly cause a lot of panic in Claudio Ranieri's camp. The Englishman's injury leaves Ranieri with the likes Denis Odoi, Calum Chambers, Tim Ream and Maxime Le Marchand as options in central defence.

None of the aforementioned defenders has performed constantly this season and that should prompt Ranieri to make a move for Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui.

Renowned for his physicality and tough-tackling traits, Ngadeu-Ngadjui is a central defender by trade but he is also comfortable operating as a defensive midfielder. The Cameroon international reads the game very well, uses the ball efficiently and has the maturity to be a frontline defender for a Premier League club

(https://soccersouls.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Michael-Ngadeu-Ngadjui-Slavia-Praha.jpg)

Not to forget, the 28-year-old's vast European experience and leadership skills could also come handy if Fulham manage to land him. Furthermore, he boasts of impressive agility and a decent turn of pace despite being so tall.

There is no question that Ngadeu-Ngadjui has the potential to be an inspired signing for Ranieri's Cottagers. And with Fulham involved in a relegation battle, the Cameroonian could perhaps make a huge difference.



https://soccersouls.com/2019/01/31/ranieri-signing-this-28-year-old-afcon-winner-would-make-a-huge-difference-in-fulhams-relegation-battle/

Why is Ryan Sessegnon Struggling?

As Gareth Southgate mulled over his England World Cup squad in May of last year, one name stood out as an exciting possible selection. That man was not Jadon Sancho, but instead Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon.

Whilst Sancho was just kick-starting his career at Borussia Dortmund, Sessegnon was coming towards the end of a remarkable Championship season. The 18-year-old would eventually finish the season with 16 goals and eight assists.

Ryan Sessegnon's Fall From Grace
In the end, Sessegnon narrowly missed out on Russia 2018. Nonetheless, the future appeared bright for the versatile winger. With Fulham winning promotion back to the Premier League, things looked to have set up nicely for Sessegnon to further enhance his already glittering reputation as one of English football's most talented prospects.

Fast-forward eight months and there is a stark contrast in the fortunes for the youngster. Sessegnon's role as a key cog in the Fulham machine has somewhat disintegrated, and the England Under-21 international now finds himself something of a bit-part player under Claudio Ranieri. Compare that to the meteoric rise of Sancho at Dortmund and the picture painted is dark and bleak.

What has Happened to Ryan Sessegnon?
Sessegnon's struggles are attributable to a number of different factors this season. Perhaps most significantly for Sessegnon and Fulham, the biggest factor in their paralleling failure has been the vastly different landscape in which they find themselves.

Whilst Slaviša Jokanović's expansive and attacking style deservedly earned plaudits and points in English football's second tier, the same philosophy ultimately earned him the sack in the Premier League. On too many occasions was his side comprehensively beaten by an opposition who were more robust defensively and more clinical in attack.

Much like his former manager, Sessegnon's game revolves around an inclination to attack, but the quality of opposition in the Premier League has limited his attacking threat and exposed him defensively.

Interestingly from a defensive perspective, Sessegnon featured for the full 90 minutes in heavy defeats against Arsenal (5-1 and 4-1), Manchester United (4-1), Bournemouth (3-0), Cardiff City (4-2), Everton (3-0) and Manchester City (3-0), but has only featured prominently in one of Fulham's four Premier League wins this season – a 3-2 win at Southampton.

There is a sense growing that Ranieri, being a defence-minded coach, doesn't trust Sessegnon to fulfil the duties he expects of his fullbacks, wingbacks and wingers. The proof is in Sessegnon's relegation to the Fulham bench.

The selection of Joe Bryan in the left wingback slot does also offer some food for thought for Sessegnon. Bryan, like Sessegnon, spent most of last season operating as an advanced role for Bristol City, yet still gets the defensive nod from Ranieri.

Expensive Recruitment Costing Sessegnon
Sessegnon's defensive frailties are not the only issue. The goals have also dried up. Prolific in the Championship, Sessegnon has only found the back of the net on two occasions this season – both of which came against the two other sides promoted from the Championship last term; Cardiff City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

A large part of that can be put down to Fulham's expensive recruitment over the last two windows. The acquisition of household names such as André Schürrle, Luciano Vietto and ex-Liverpool man Ryan Babel have thrust Sessegnon out of an advanced role and into a competition for a wingback slot in which his manager clearly doesn't trust him.

As Ranieri prepares his Fulham side for the impending relegation battle, displacing the experienced aforementioned trio is going to be difficult. Schürrle, Vietto and Babel all possess extensive European top-flight pedigree, whereas Sessegnon remains indebted to the Championship for his best form.

Since the arrival of Babel in January, Sessegnon has only played a total of 48 minutes of football spread over two games. If his 13-minute cameo against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday night is anything to go by, the remainder of the season does appear ominous for Ryan Sessegnon.

However, whilst transfer links with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea have vanished and with that the talk of an England senior call-up too, it is very easy to forget that Ryan Sessegnon is still only 18 years of age.

Even in the Championship, Sessegnon was far from the finished article and his debut Premier League season will act as a harsh learning curve for a young talent looking to reimpose himself.



https://lastwordonfootball.com/2019/01/30/why-ryan-sessegnon-struggling/

Cairney eyes another 'great escape'

Tom Cairney says last night's stirring fightback against Brighton and Hove Albion shows that Fulham can pull off another 'great escape' and stay in the Premier League.

The Cottagers are still five points from safety, but Cairney feels that coming back from two goals down to record their first win in a month has boosted morale around the club. The Scottish international, who was introduced as an early substitute after Glenn Murphy's double inside the first twenty minutes, also believes that passing football is the way to get Fulham out of trouble.

    Look, we have got players to play football. I just feel like we have got to pass the ball. I think that is what we did in the second-half. That is what I came on and tried to do to the team. I mean it is tough, we can't really outfight teams.

    We aren't big enough, we aren't strong enough. But we have got good footballers in the team with Ryan Babel coming in, Jean-Michael Seri who can play football, myself. With Aleksandar Mitrovic up top, we have always got a chance to score. That is our best way; playing to feet.

    I think that is the only way we can do it. We tried to fight, we tried to scrap a little bit, go a bit more direct. But I think we have our most success and look most dangerous when we play football.

    Obviously it is still going to be the great escape if we get out of the situation we are in. I think to have any chance we have got to go back-to-back wins for the first time.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/01/cairney-eyes-another-great-escape/

3 Ideal Premier League destinations for Newcastle's struggling star including Fulham

Three Premier League clubs Ayoze Perez can join

Sky Sports has reported that Atlanta United star Miguel Almiron is close to a move to Newcastle United, for a club-record fee, which if true does effectively end Ayoze Perez's time at St. James' Park. The Spaniard hasn't been at his best since arriving at the club, failing to hit the heights he once did for former club CD Tenerife.

The 25-year-old has only managed to produce seven goals in 27 appearances this season, which has been one of the many reasons why the Magpies are struggling. However, now with Almiron arriving, it could mark the end of Perez's time, but he could still stay in the Premier League. That being said, here are three sides that Ayoze Perez can join.

Fulham
The Cottagers are currently residing in the bottom three of the Premier League table and are among the favourites to get relegated this season. However, bringing in Claudio Ranieri has changed things a little but they still lack creativity in the final third. Adding Ayoze Perez however, could be their answer even if it's only on a loan move for the next six months.

The 25-year-old needs to prove himself and helping a relegation-threatened side survive in the Premier League could essentially be his answer. Not to mention, Fulham could definitely use his ability to find the net and his creativity in the final third of the pitch. However, while he would take some convincing to join a relegation-threatened side, the idea of playing football again could convince Perez to join.

Leicester City
With Shinji Okazaki interested in moving on from the King Power Stadium, Leicester City need another star to replace the hard-working Japanese striker. In steps Ayoze Perez, and while the 25-year-old isn't a hard-working striker, he is technically proficient, which is more towards what manager Claude Puel needs.

The Spaniard has struggled during his time in the Premier League but he has consistently chipped in with goals when required. Together alongside James Madison, Jamie Vardy and even Kelechi Iheanacho, Perez can provide competition for places and even become a super-sub.

All in all, he would be an interesting signing for the Foxes.

Southampton
At the moment, manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has used both Nathan Redmond and Danny Ings together but the former Norwich City star's best spot is on the wing. Adding Ayoze Perez allows the boss to bring in a second striker, with proven Premier League experience.

This would not only allow Redmond to play in his preferred position on the right-hand side but also allow Ings and Perez to form a rather lethal partnership up front. The on-loan Liverpool star is among Southampton's best player this season, and adding a creative second striker next to him would simply improve any chances he gets at scoring goals.

However, it's up to Hasenhuttl to convince Ayoze Perez to join his team and stay up in the Premier League.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2019/01/31/3-ideal-premier-league-destinations-for-newcastles-struggling-star-including-fulham/

 
Mitrovic revels in 'magical night'

Aleksandar Mitrovic revelled in what he described as 'a magical night' at Craven Cottage after Fulham roared back from two goals down to breeze past Brighton and Hove Albion last night.

The Cottagers breathed new life into their battle against the drop with a storming second half display that stood in stark contrast to their abysmal first half showing. Mitrovic scored two goals and came out on top in a real battle with Brighton's two centre backs, Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy, after a display of classical centre forward play.

The Serbian striker told Fulham's official website that he relished the physical battle with the Brighton centre halves:

They are tough, tough guys, really strong, tall guys, like every Premier League defender.

I enjoy competing with different defenders every week, and against Brighton I scored two goals.

I had good service second half and we played unbelievably. We got four goals, and could have scored a few more, so it really was an unbelievable night. After a very bad first half, we tried to give everything second half. We wanted to go out and do everything we could.

We scored nice and early with the first goal, then the second goal, third goal, and the fourth goal finished the game. We didn't concede any goals at the end.

It was really a joy to play in, and the fans were unbelievable. They believed as well, like we believed, and it was a magical night, and hopefully there are more wins to come.

It was a big game, a big three points. We had an unbelievable second half. We believed, and we fought until the end, and I think we deserved this.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/01/mitrovic-revels-in-magical-night/

 
Fulham signing former Premier League winner on the cheap would be an absolute steal by Ranieri

Why Fulham must quickly snap up Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund

According to a report from the Bild, Borussia Dortmund could allow Shinji Kagawa to leave the club for as little as €2-3million this month.

Shinji Kagawa, 29, has been frozen out by manager Lucian Favre at Signal Iduna Park this season. He is surplus to requirements at Dortmund largely, thanks to Marco Reus' ability to stay injury-free this season.

The Japanese has managed just four outings this term and is nearing the end of his career at Dortmund. With the German club looking to offload Shinji Kagawa before the January transfer window closes, Fulham must make a move for the playmaker.

(https://soccersouls.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/shinji-kagawa-758x495.jpg)

So far this month, Fulham have brought in just one player. Ryan Babel is the only man to have arrived at the Craven Cottage, with the Dutchman signing from Besiktas on a six-month contract until the end of the season.

It's clear the Cottagers still need more recruits, especially in the defensive department, but manager Claudio Ranieri should further boost up his attacking ranks with the acquisition of Shinji Kagawa.

Fulham will know what they'll exactly get from Shinji Kagawa, who had a torrid time with Manchester United earlier in his career despite winning the title with them. Apart from his creativity, the Japan international can aim for the goal from a variety of ranges and could be a menace for the opposition if utilised in the right way by Ranieri.

The 29-year-old primarily plays in the number 10 position due to his ability to dribble with the ball and score goals from both inside and outside the box. Moreover, Kagawa has already won the Premier League title with Manchester United a few years ago, so he won't have too much headache adapting to life in the Premier League.

Fulham need more creativity and stability in their midfield to control the tempo of the game and someone like Kagawa would be a good choice. Available for a low fee, the Japanese would be a steal for Ranieri's Cottagers.

And that's why Fulham should get a deal for Kagawa over the line as quickly as possible.



https://soccersouls.com/2019/01/31/fulham-signing-former-premier-league-winner-on-the-cheap-would-be-an-absolute-steal-by-ranieri/

 
Fulham fightback showed spirit they'll need on horror run, says Calum Chambers

Attitude that beat Brighton from 2-0 down will be handy in successive home games against four of the top six

Calum Chambers reckons Fulham showed with their comeback to beat Brighton they DO have the bottle Tim Ream accused them of lacking.

Back in October as they struggled to cope on their return to the Premier League, Chambers fellow Cottagers defender Tim Ream said "there are not enough guys who want it" in the squad.

Subsequent results, and the sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic just six months after steering them to promotion, suggested Ream has right. But on Tuesday, Fulham battled back from 2-0 down at home to win 4-2 — their first victory this year.

Two goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic and one each by Chambers and Luciano Vietto ended a run of four straight defeats for new boss Claudio Ranieri's men.

"We have shown we have the stomach for the fight. We were 2-0 down, conditions weren't nice, we could have easily crumbled — but we didn't," said Arsenal loanee Chambers.

"We showed fighting spirit, we showed character and we showed a bit of pride. I think that's what we are capable of and that's what we need to do every game from now on. That's going to be crucial. We have got to look at that second-half performance and what we did well. We have got to learn from that and take it into the next game.

"That is the important thing – to try and build a bit of momentum. I think we can take a lot of positives from the second-half and go into the next games knowing we are capable of that."

The three points were even more vital to Fulham's survival chances because of who they face in their next four home games — Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.

Chambers says they will carry on looking to 16-goal Mitrovic for leadership as they try to avoid an instant return to the Championship.

He said: "Having him in the team can help you. He is a fighter, he is strong, and he scores goals. Having a player like him is crucial. That is why we need to use him. We need to use him as a player, know what his qualities are, and use them to our advantage.

"He is a great character. He is a fighter. To have someone like that in the team is brilliant. He leads from the front. So having someone like that in the team is what we need.

"There were obviously words from the manager at half time. We all spoke among ourselves as players. It was just a case of, we know it wasn't good enough and we knew had to go out in the second-half and turn it around, show a bit of pride and character. That is what we did."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/fulham-fightback-showed-spirit-theyll-13930375

 
The Fulham View

It seems quite some time since we opened the season against newly promoted Fulham, so TEB had a chat with popular Fulham fan group Fulhamish Pod to find out their views on the season so far and the fixture at Selhurst.

Q. How has the season been for Fulham so far?

Disappointing, to say the least. Coming into the season with so much optimism, with so many new signings who we thought would fit; everything seemed like it was all set for a season kicking on into the promised land. Safe to say it hasn't gone to plan. Whilst Tuesday's win gave a glimmer of hope that salvation might be achieved, it's going to take an almighty effort to keep Fulham in the Premier League. That's not something we envisaged on that first day of the season at the Cottage.

Q. What did you make of the game at Craven Cottage on the opening day of the season?

It seems a long time ago now, but I remember leaving that game somewhat optimistic. We'd lost, yes, but because of naivety rather than poor play, and we were denied a stonewall penalty at 1-0 down. I thought it was a fairly even game and remember thinking that as long as we played like that, we'd be alright. It soon went downhill.

Q. What are your hopes for the rest of the season?

The second half against Brighton was almost vintage Fulham. Dominant on the ball, creative, looking to get the full-backs in. If we can play like that until the end of the season, including the fight and passion shown by the players, it would go a long way to restoring some pride and would give us the best possible shot of staying up.

Q. Did the fans fully support the managerial change and how has Claudio Ranieri done since coming in?

It was a hard decision to make, and a lot of people miss Slavisa. Stylistically, I do as well, although I appreciate that given the results at that point and the fact that the manager hadn't signed a new contract, that it was probably the right decision to let Jokanovic go, but replacing him with a manager with a polar opposite style still jars. Ranieri has done okay, getting more points on the board, but his marginalisation of Ryan Sessegnon and Tom Cairney hasn't endeared him to the Fulham faithful.

Q. Who has been the stand out Fulham player?

Aleksandar Mitrovic. In a season of almost constant lows, the big Serb has been a leader on and off the field and is fast on his way to becoming a Fulham legend. If Fulham survive, Mitrovic will have had about 90% to do with it.

Q. Do Fulham have any needs ahead of the transfer window and how active do you think they will be?

We desperately need a centre-half and some cover at right back. Given the ongoing talks with Scott Dann, I think he could be a player that we bring in to shore up a back line which is still leaky. I think two or three will come through the door before the window slams shut.

Q. If you could pick one Palace player for Fulham to sign in January, who would it be and why?

Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Whilst the obvious options obviously appeal, Fulham are so reliant on their full-backs to do the damage and AWB looks a world class prospect. Think he would suit how important the role is in Fulham's system. Wonderful footballer.

Q. Name one Fulham player and one Palace player that you believe will be a threat in this game?

The aforementioned Mitrovic aside, Ryan Babel has had a really positive impact since signing from Besiktas in January. His direct nature and physical presence compliments Mitrovic and it's no surprise that since his introduction, performances have improved. At the other end, it's hard to look past Wilf. Whilst he hasn't been quite at his frightening best of late, the ability and talent he has is scary and if he turns up on Saturday, the Fulham defence are in for a long afternoon.

Q. Perhaps you could share your opinions on Palace so far this season?

It's been a strange season for a Hodgson side – weak at home and strong away seems like a weird thing to happen but it seems to be just about working. The big scorelines against City, Liverpool and Tottenham look great on paper, but realistically Palace need to be winning games like Saturday if they're truly to move clear of the relegation scrap.

Q. Your prediction?

I'm going to be bold and say that Fulham will thrive off the back of the Brighton result. 2-1 Fulham.



https://theeaglesbeak.com/2019/01/31/the-fulham-view-2/

 
Fulham working on Nortdveit deal

Fulham are working on a deal to sign centre back Havard Nordtveit from Hoffenheim, according to reports from Norway this evening.

The 28 year-old Norwegian international, who can also play as a holding midfielder, has had two previous spells in English football with Arsenal and West Ham United and is reportedly keen on returning to the Premier League. Nordtveit has spent the past two seasons with Hoffenheim since leaving the Hammers, but has made just eight Bundesliga performances this season.

Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri has been desperate to bring in a centre back for much of the January transfer window, but talks over a potential move for Chelsea defender Gary Cahill broke down earlier this month. The move to sign Nordtveidt, who has won 45 caps for his country, has earned a thumbs up from former Fulham captain Brede Hangeland, who himself made a January move to Craven Cottage with the club deep in the relegation mire back in 2008.

Hangeland, who now works as a television analyst, told TV2 tonight:

I can't see any other reason why Fulham should sign him than to go straight to the team. They have no need to get someone who cannot start and reinforce the base. Håvard also has no interest in sitting on the bench in the Premier League.

Fulham has a defence that is definitely not good enough. If he is intended for a defender role, he will be an upgrade on Odoi who plays on the right of the back three right now.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/01/fulham-working-on-nortdveit-deal/

 
Southampton and Fulham battle for in-form star – Sky Sports

Premier League rivals Southampton and Fulham are both interested in signing Birmingham City striker Che Adams before Thursday's transfer deadline, according to Sky Sports.

The attacker has been excelling at St Andrews this season and looks like a player capable of making the jump from the Championship up to the top flight with either the Saints or Cottagers.

Southampton have been relatively quiet in the market this month but as speculation over Charlie Austin's future continues, their reported interest in Adams makes some sense.

The St Mary's Stadium side have improved since the appointment of Ralph Hasenhuttl as manager but are reliant on Danny Ings for goals – the addition of another centre forward would certainly take some of the goalscoring burden away from him.

Fulham are in a real battle to secure their Premier League status and need to start picking up points soon to avoid a first-team relegation back to the Championship.

While the Craven Cottage outfit's weakness this season has been at the back, the impending exit of Aboubakar Kamara will free up a space in attack for Claudio Ranieri's men.

Fulham are spearheaded by Aleksandar Mitrovic in the final third but having someone of Adams' quality to provide support would be a boost for the London outfit.

Birmingham will be reluctant to sell their star man at such a late stage in the window, but if either Southampton or Fulham come in with a considerable offer, their hands may be tied.



https://ninetyminutesonline.com/southampton-and-fulham-battle-for-in-form-star-sky-sports/

 
Chambers says Fulham 'have stomach for the fight'

Calum Chambers believes Fulham's incredible fightback against Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday night shows that they 'have the stomach for the fight' as they battle to stay in the Premier League.

The Arsenal loanee's first goal for the club sparked a remarkable comeback as the Whites scored four second-half goals without reply, having trailed to an early Glenn Murray brace. Chambers feels that the precious victory could serve as a turning point in their season and gives Fulham belief heading into Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace.

He told the Mirror after the final whistle:

We have shown we have the stomach for the fight. We were 2-0 down, conditions weren't nice, we could have easily crumbled — but we didn't.
We showed fighting spirit, we showed character and we showed a bit of pride. I think that's what we are capable of and that's what we need to do every game from now on. That's going to be crucial. We have got to look at that second-half performance and what we did well. We have got to learn from that and take it into the next game.

That is the important thing – to try and build a bit of momentum. I think we can take a lot of positives from the second-half and go into the next games knowing we are capable of that.

Chambers also praised the impact of Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who grabbed a double to rock Brighton back on their heels.

Having him in the team can help you. He is a fighter, he is strong, and he scores goals. Having a player like him is crucial. That is why we need to use him. We need to use him as a player, know what his qualities are, and use them to our advantage.

He is a great character. He is a fighter. To have someone like that in the team is brilliant. He leads from the front. So having someone like that in the team is what we need.

There were obviously words from the manager at half time. We all spoke among ourselves as players. It was just a case of, we know it wasn't good enough and we knew had to go out in the second-half and turn it around, show a bit of pride and character. That is what we did.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/01/chambers-says-fulham-have-stomach-for-the-fight/

 
Hoffenheim's Nordtveit on his way to Fulham?

Fulham are reportedly in talks to sign Håvard Nordtveit from Hoffenheim.

(https://bulinews.com/i/640/1308.jpg)
Håvard Nordtveit.   Photo: Hoffenheim

Hoffenheim's Håvard Nordtveit could join Fulham before the transfer window closes, TV2.no understands.

According to the Norwegian news outlet, the two clubs are currently in talks over a transfer and hope to strike a deal before the transfer window slams shut.

The Norwegian centre-back, who can also play as a right-back and as a defensive midfielder, has made 11 appearances for Hoffenheim this season.

Nordtveit left Norway to sign for Arsenal in 2007. He then moved to Germany to join Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2011.

The 28-year-old then returned to the Premier League when he signed for West Ham in 2016. But after just one season at the London club, he made the move back to Germany as he signed a deal with Hoffenheim in 2017.



https://bulinews.com/news/1837/hoffenheims-nordtveit-on-his-way-to-fulham

Out-of-favour Augsburg centre-back linked with Frankfurt and Fulham

FC Augsburg defender Martin Hinteregger, who was recently suspended by the club, is being linked with Eintracht Frankfurt and Fulham.

(https://bulinews.com/i/640/1304.jpg)
Martin Hinteregger.   Photo: Ailura, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT

Martin Hinteregger is set to leave FC Augsburg after he was handed a suspension by the club on Tuesday, Bild reports.

According to the German tabloid, a move to Eintracht Frankfurt is a possibility. At the Commerzbank-Arena, Hinteregger would reunite with his former coach Adi Hütter with whom he won the Austrian championship with Red Bull Salzburg in 2015.

Meanwhile, Fussball Transfers understands that Fulham are interested in the Austrian international.

Hinteregger was suspended by the club and handed a fine on Tuesday after he criticized Augsburg coach Manuel Baum in the wake of a 0-2 defeat to Borussia Mönchengladbach last weekend.

"I can't say anything positive about him, and I will not say anything negative," the centre-back told Bayerische Rundfunk.

According to Bild, Hinteregger held a meeting with Augsburg sporting director Stefan Reuter for more than three hours yesterday. They ultimately decided that the 26-year-old will leave the club.

Hinteregger joined Augsburg from Red Bull Salzburg in 2016.



https://bulinews.com/news/1839/out-of-favour-augsburg-centre-back-linked-with-frankfurt-and-fulham

 
Zaha's frustration, Hodgson's transfer hint and Fulham test - Crystal Palace talking points

Crystal Palace news takes a closer look at the 1-1 draw against Southampton

Zaha's frustration

The headlines today should centre around arguably the best player outside the top six doing what he does best for Crystal Palace.

Instead all the talk is about his sending off. Yes, he shouldn't have sarcastically applauded referee Andre Marrnier just seconds after being shown a yellow card, but you have to discuss the events leading up to the situation.

He was constantly fouled at St Mary's and was barely offered any sort of protection from the officials. So with all that pent up frustration something like this was bound to happen. After all, he is human and we sometimes can lash out if there's a feeling of injustice against us.

Zaha's frustration

The headlines today should centre around arguably the best player outside the top six doing what he does best for Crystal Palace.

Instead all the talk is about his sending off. Yes, he shouldn't have sarcastically applauded referee Andre Marrnier just seconds after being shown a yellow card, but you have to discuss the events leading up to the situation.

He was constantly fouled at St Mary's and was barely offered any sort of protection from the officials. So with all that pent up frustration something like this was bound to happen. After all, he is human and we sometimes can lash out if there's a feeling of injustice against us.

At the same time, the level protection from referees needs to improve.

'Roy-ball'

The Eagles have been scoring some fine goals of late.

There's the thumping volley by Andros Townsend at Manchester City of course, that will go down as one of the goals of the season. Luka Milivojevic netted a fine strike against Leicester City too.

Those were individual efforts, but goals against Liverpool and Southampton shows they can mix it up with the best and score some goals that are very much pleasing on the eye that even neutral supporters can enjoy.

The opener against the Reds at Anfield 12 days ago somewhat slipped under the radar. It started deep in their own half, instead of hoofing the ball up field they played out from the back, managed to get Wilfried Zaha goalside of James Milner and he then squared for Andros Townsend to slam the ball past Allison.

If that had been Manchester City or Arsenal or Tottenham Hotspur it would have been replayed time and time again.

Proving that was no fluke Palace scored a fine goal against the Saints. Some nice one touch passing in and around the area and this time Townsend teed up Zaha to score.

Wan-Bissaka for England?

Sooner rather than later Aaron Wan-Bissaka will get a call-up to the senior England squad. Based on his form in the past year it's inevitable.

Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate was in attendance at St Mary's and other than the Palace right-back, it's not all that clear as to who he could have been keeping an eye on.

He could quite easily have been there to keep up with Alex McCarthy's progress, but he must have been impressed with Wan-Bissaka's showing.

Barring one mis-timed tackle which earned him a yellow card, the 21-year-old defended well and provided some good attacking moments when given the chance.

With Kieran Trippier going through a rough patch and Kyle Walker's dip in form across the festive period, maybe a senior call up for Wan-Bissaka is just around the corner.

Deadline day

Of course it's officially deadline day and some Crystal Palace fans will be glued to the TV all day just waiting on information of a new signing or two.

It's been a busy month for the club, particularly in terms of outgoings as Jason Puncheon, Alexander Sorloth and Nya Kirby are among those to have left on loan, while Jonny Williams and Sullay Kaikai have departed on permanent deals.

Young Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Perri has arrived on loan with a view to a permanent deal, but as Roy Hodgson made it clear during his post-Southampton press conference, that's more of a signing with regards to the future rather than right now as Vicente Guaita, Wayne Hennessey and Julian Speroni are all above him in the pecking order.

The other signing is the return of a familiar face to Selhurst Park. Bakary Sako is back at the club just a few months after leaving and the Eagles boss is certain the winger can make a big impact during the second half of the season.

But will Palace be active today?

Judging by Hodgson's comments when asked about deadline day, fans shouldn't really get there hopes up as the 71-year-old is pleased with his squad and seems against the idea of doing last minute deals just for the sake of it.

With that said, deadline day is known to throw up one or two surprises.

Fulham test

It wasn't a bad point for Palace at Southampton. The frustration will come from the fact they were winning, had chances to extend their lead and the goal they conceded was avoidable.

They're now four clear of the relegation zone following a strange midweek of results which saw Burnley get a point away at Manchester United and Newcastle United come from behind to shock champions Manchester City.

Next up is a London derby against Fulham at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon in a reverse of this season's opening day fixtures.

The Cottagers will be bouncing ahead of the game after coming from 2-0 down to beat Brighton and Hove Albion, and will be boosted by the fact that Palace will be without their talisman in Zaha.

A win for Claudio Ranieri's side reduces the gap between the two sides to just three points and all of a sudden the relegation battle becomes a lot more interesting.

Hodgson said it was too early to label the Saints game as a 'six-pointer' but the Fulham test in a couple of days is shaping up to be just that.



https://www.football.london/crystal-palace-fc/news/latest-crystal-palace-news-zaha-15757766

Fulham, Cardiff target deal for Manchester United youngster Demetri Mitchell?

Fulham and Cardiff City have both reportedly identified Manchester United youngster Demetri Mitchell as a possible signing before the end of the January window.

Both clubs are fighting to avoid relegation from the Premier League, but it appears that the pair are looking to add defensive-minded player Mitchell to their squad.

According to Football Insider, contact has been made with United regarding the potential recall of the 22-year-old from his current loan spell in Scotland with Hearts.

Mitchell has made a total of 20 appearances during his time at the Edinburgh-based club, and both the Cottagers and Bluebirds would be prepared to offer the player an opportunity in England's top flight.

A permanent deal would need to be pushed through with each club having already made two loan signings from English sides this season.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/man-utd/transfer-talk/news/fulham-cardiff-to-battle-for-mitchell_348761.html

 
Fulham Join Burnley and Southampton In Push For Championship Striker

Fulham have joined the deadline day race for Birmingham City striker Che Adams, who has also been subject to interest from Burnley and Southampton, according to Sky Sports News HQ.

The 22-year-old striker has netted 14 Championship goals this season and Birmingham have made it clear that they do not want to sell the player at the moment.

But the Blues have been coming under immense pressure from several Premier League to sell Adams, with Burnley and Southampton tabling bids for him in recent hours.

The two clubs are also prepared to offer him a significant rise in wages to snare him away from Birmingham, but there seems to be more Premier League interest in Adams.

It has been claimed that Fulham have joined the proceedings to make it a three-way Premier League race for the striker on deadline day.

The club are keen to put in a bid and further test Birmingham's resolve to hold on to the striker.

Adams has said little to push for a move but with the clock ticking down and big money on offer, the pressure on Birmingham will only mount in the coming hours.

Burnley, Southampton and Fulham are set to keep the Blues under the cosh in order to get them to sell him on deadline day.



http://www.insidefutbol.com/2019/01/31/fulham-join-burnley-and-southampton-in-push-for-championship-striker/408176/

Quote from: WhiteJC on January 31, 2019, 08:45:34 AM

Stephens: Mitrovic's second shouldn't have counted but Brighton only have themselves to blame for Fulham defeat

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Dale Stephens felt Fulham's third goal should have been disallowed last night but added the Seagulls only had themselves to blame for the defeat.

Albion led 2-0 at half-time of the Premier League game through a double from Glenn Murray but Fulham hit back in the second half to claim a 4-2 win. Brighton felt captain Lewis Dunk was fouled by Aleksandar Mitrovic as the Fulham striker headed in his second goal to make it 3-2 and Stephens said afterwards: "I think it's a foul. I think he jumps on Dunky's back. Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't.

"But overall we're disappointed with what we produced in the second half, rather than blaming anybody else."

Reflecting on the match, Stephens said: "I thought we played well in the first half and deserved our lead at half-time.

"We went away from what we were doing and they've got a lot of quality in their team and they showed it in the second half but it was all our own undoing in the end.

"Taking a two goal lead into half-time is where you want to be away from home. Everyone is disappointed with the way we defended and conceded goals in the second half."

Stephens added the Seagulls have to quickly move on from the defeat and said: "We've got some tough and important games coming up. We've got to move on from this one tonight and fully focus on Watford at the weekened."



Read more at: https://www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk/sport/football/albion/stephens-mitrovic-s-second-shouldn-t-have-counted-but-brighton-only-have-themselves-to-blame-for-fulham-defeat-1-8790666

If he thinks it was a foul it was exactly the same as he or his team member did to Mitro earlier in the game. So we should have had a penalty.

Quote from: Bill2 on January 31, 2019, 10:29:23 AM

Quote from: WhiteJC on January 31, 2019, 08:45:34 AM

Stephens: Mitrovic's second shouldn't have counted but Brighton only have themselves to blame for Fulham defeat

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Dale Stephens felt Fulham's third goal should have been disallowed last night but added the Seagulls only had themselves to blame for the defeat.

Albion led 2-0 at half-time of the Premier League game through a double from Glenn Murray but Fulham hit back in the second half to claim a 4-2 win. Brighton felt captain Lewis Dunk was fouled by Aleksandar Mitrovic as the Fulham striker headed in his second goal to make it 3-2 and Stephens said afterwards: "I think it's a foul. I think he jumps on Dunky's back. Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't.

"But overall we're disappointed with what we produced in the second half, rather than blaming anybody else."

Reflecting on the match, Stephens said: "I thought we played well in the first half and deserved our lead at half-time.

"We went away from what we were doing and they've got a lot of quality in their team and they showed it in the second half but it was all our own undoing in the end.

"Taking a two goal lead into half-time is where you want to be away from home. Everyone is disappointed with the way we defended and conceded goals in the second half."

Stephens added the Seagulls have to quickly move on from the defeat and said: "We've got some tough and important games coming up. We've got to move on from this one tonight and fully focus on Watford at the weekened."



Read more at: https://www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk/sport/football/albion/stephens-mitrovic-s-second-shouldn-t-have-counted-but-brighton-only-have-themselves-to-blame-for-fulham-defeat-1-8790666

If he thinks it was a foul it was exactly the same as he or his team member did to Mitro earlier in the game. So we should have had a penalty.

But chambers scored from the knock down so I would rather have had the goal

 
Fulham outcast Aboubakar Kamara arrives in Turkey to fanfare ahead of loan move to Yeni Malatyaspor after arrest for allegedly attacking Premier League club's security guard

    Aboubakar Kamara's lack of discipline has seen Fulham send him out on loan
    He has arrived in Turkey ahead of sealing a switch to Yeni Malatyaspor
    Earlier this month, Kamara was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a guard

Fulham finally look set to rid themselves of a headache by shipping off striker Aboubakar Kamara to Turkish side Yeni Malatyaspor on loan until the end of the season.

The 23-year-old Kamara was pictured touching down in Turkey ahead of completing a move to the Super Lig side and posing for pictures with supporters.

Kamara was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a security guard earlier this month following a shocking fight at the club's training ground.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/01/31/09/9217524-0-image-a-1_1548927032503.jpg)
Aboubakar Kamara is set to join Yeni Malatyaspor on loan until the end of the season

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/01/31/09/9217522-0-image-a-2_1548927063100.jpg)
Kamara's departure rids Fulham and Claudio Ranieri of a major problem in his squad

Kamara had been banished from first-team training by manager Claudio Ranieri for being a disruptive influence, but Sportsmail sources said he arrived at the training ground intent on resolving his future with Fulham chief executive Alistair Mackintosh.

The visit ended with Kamara being arrested by police, who were called to the scene as the player became embroiled in a violent confrontation with the security guard.

It was the latest in a series of clashes Kamara had been involved in - and the final straw.

He argued with team-mate Aleksandr Mitrovic in a team yoga session prior to the training-ground incident, which had prompted Ranieri to move the striker out of his squad. 

An on-pitch spat with Mitrovic over a penalty in the win against Huddersfield in December was another contentious incident.

Kamara took the ball off assigned taker Mitrovic to take a spot-kick but ended up missing, much to the disgust of Ranieri. Mitrovic saved Kamara's blushes by scoring a winner in stoppage time.

The striker signed for Fulham in 2017 from Amiens in France for £5.4m.

He scored seven goals as Fulham earned promotion from the Championship last season and has three goals to his name in the Premier League in this campaign.

Fulham are 19th in the Premier League, six points from Chelsea. They are away to Crystal Palace on Saturday.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-6652299/Fulham-outcast-Aboubakar-Kamara-arrives-Turkey-ahead-loan-Yeni-Malatyaspor.html

 
"Hopefully everything will be good" – Fulham player to have medical later today ahead of transfer

Yeni Malatyaspor's potential new signing Aboubakar Kamara finally arrived in Istanbul last night.

The Fulham player has been linked with the Super Lig clun throughout this transfer window and it seems he will make the move to Turkey sometime today.

After arriving at the at the airport, Kamara spoke to the media and said he's excited about the move.

He added, as covered by Ajansspor: "Hopefully, everything will be good. I've always heard great things about Turkey and let's see what happens."

Transfer Merkezi also report Yeni Malatyaspor will sign Kamara until the end of next season, on a loan deal, and the player will sign his contract when he passes his medical today.

It always seemed likely the player would leave Fulham in this window after an incident with a club member of staff last week.

With the arrival of Ryan Babel from Besiktas a couple of weeks ago the forward has dropped down the pecking order at Craven Cottage.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/hopefully-everything-will-good-fulham-player-medical-later-today-ahead-transfer/

 
Manchester United starlet wanted by Cardiff City and Fulham in deadline-day swoop - reports

His path may be blocked at Old Trafford

Cardiff City and Fulham are reportedly both interested in signing Manchester United defender Demetri Mitchell.

The youngster is currently out on loan at Hearts, but could be recalled if parent club United receive a suitable offer for a permanent move.

According to Football Insider, both clubs have made contact with the Old Trafford outfit about Mitchell's availability and are working on getting a deal done before Thursday's 11pm deadline.

The England Under-20 international is highly-rated at United, but he is well down the pecking order to break into the first-team with the likes of Matteo Darmian, Diego Dalot, Luke Shaw and Ashley Young all ahead of him

As such, United are open to considering offers for the full-back.

Both Cardiff and relegation rivals Fulham have monitored Mitchell's progress at Hearts this season.

And the report suggest that both clubs see the 22-year-old as a star in the making who could boost their respective defences.

Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock is keen on adding some defensive options to his side before the January window slams shut, with top target Almany Toure seemingly edging closer to a move to Eintracht Frankfurt.



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/manchester-united-starlet-wanted-cardiff-15758664

 
Notes from January meeting with Fulham Football Club
Thursday, January 31, 2019 at 10:40AM

HEADLINES

    Plans submitted for training ground extension
    Plans submitted for Cottage building improvements
    Heritage area proposed for Johnny Haynes stand
    Season ticket upgrade policy will not change this season
    Club approach to safeguarding and diversity explained
    Work ongoing on Riverside season ticket holder relocation

JANUARY MEETING NOTES

On Monday 14 January 2018, Alistair Mackintosh (AM, Chief Executive Officer), Carmelo Mifsud (CM, Media Relations Manager), Peter Spartin (PS, Head of Commercial Development), Nicola Walworth (NW, Supporter Relations Manager) and Eleanor Rowland (ER, Safeguarding Manager) of Fulham Football Club met with Ian Clarke, Dan Crawford and Sue Couch of the Fulham Supporters' Trust at Motspur Park as part of the ongoing structured dialogue between both parties.

Motspur Park redevelopment plans

AM confirmed that planning permission had been submitted for Fulham FC's proposals to redevelop the former BBC site opposite their current Motspur Park training ground with Kingston Council. You can view the plans here. AM suggested that the Club's current thinking is to potentially move the first team training facilities to the new site. This would mean that the Under 23 side and the academy set-up would remain on the current site. The main benefit of the new training facilities is to provide additional pitches, with only five grass pitches and one astroturf pitch at Motspur Park.

In response to questions from the Trust, AM said that there were no firm timetables for the start of the building work as the Club were only at the initial planning application stage to date. He confirmed that the construction of further training facilities would help the Club to retain their current status as a category one academy within the EPPP.

Craven Cottage

AM confirmed that progress continued to made with regards to the Riverside Stand redevelopment. The Club had submitted an application for listed building consent for the Cottage itself. You can view the details of this here. This would help to provide more usable space there, including a manager's lounge in the roof space.

In response to questions from the Trust, there was a discussion around wider issues at the ground. The Club recognises the difficulty of movement under the Hammersmith End, due to space constraints, and especially during half-time. AM revealed that the Club have considered removing the mound at the Hammersmith End, but this is a difficult structure to remove given how the stand had been built. Research had suggested that this wouldn't greatly improve the access and flow at the Hammersmith End as additional stairs are needed. AM concluded that the general cost of use of the Hammersmith End is high, largely to do with ongoing repairs, such as removing and replacing rotting wooden flooring at the front of the stand.

The Club are considering proposals for the ongoing use of the old press lounge following the Riverside Stand development. It is envisaged that the press would be housed in a new location and this could create an opportunity to establish a fans' heritage area, where supporters could view memorabilia and has the benefit of being directly accessible from the street. AM considers this a plus as upgrading the existing facilities would keep a focus on the unique heritage of Craven Cottage once the modern Riverside Stand is built. The Club also suggested that this space could potentially be used as a meeting and social space for supporters prior to games.

AM and PS explained the complexities of planning for operating a ground without the Riverside Stand for two seasons. In addition to relocating all season ticket holders, the Club needs to find space for several other groups, including sponsors (both the Club's and the league partners), players' families, broadcast partners, match officials and their guests, agents and hospitality box holders. PS and AM also said that the Club would shortly be compiling a survey for supporters which will tackle a number of topics, including the Riverside Stand. Supporters will only receive the survey if they have opted in to the Club's official communications, which you can do by visiting this link.

AM confirmed that the specifics of how the Putney End should be segregated and stewarded during the transition phase remains an open question. Whilst the Club have views and would like to retain much of the same arrangements, there will be significant input from the local Safety Advisory Group and the police. PS felt this would be an easier discussion to have once progress had been made on relocating the existing Riverside season-ticket holders. The Trust will continue to monitor this through a range of channels, including the new police Independent Advisory Group at which we represent Fulham supporters. The Trust reiterated that current Riverside season-ticket holders should be afforded priority to return to the redeveloped stand when it is completed. AM added that there was no specific building update since the last meeting and that he would keep the Trust appraised of any further developments.

SAFEGUARDING

Eleanor Rowland, Fulham's head of safeguarding and the Club's lead on equality and diversity, joined the meeting to talk about her work. ER said that she had joined Fulham two years ago from the NSPCC and was responsible for safeguarding of all under-18s throughout the Club, including working with the host families for under-18 players.

ER said every Fulham FC staff member undergoes safeguarding training laid down by the FA, which specifically focuses on best practice, language and conduct. Much of her work is cultural, including encouraging everybody to draw attention to any issues and she has a particular focus on protecting the mental health of young people, especially players. She works very closely with her colleagues at the FA on helping Fulham players called up for international duty.

ER also highlighted her work on matchdays, including training between twelve and fifteen stewards in safeguarding. The Club's minimum age to attend matches unaccompanied is 12 years old and this varies from club-to-club. ER also reminded the Trust that the stadium is a public place and anyone taking under 12s to a game should exercise the same caution as they would elsewhere, such as in a cinema or at a supermarket. The Trust fed back on some excellent stewarding concerning young people in the Hammersmith End earlier this season.

ER also chairs the Club's equality working group, which is designed to help the Club's workforce be as diverse, forward-thinking and approachable as possible. Fulham are currently identifying ways to lead amongst the Premier League clubs around equality and AM said that this was particularly important to him. ER revealed that the Club will shortly be surveying supporters on equality and diversity at Fulham Football Club. This survey will also only be sent to supporters who have opted in to the Club's official communications. You can opt in here. ER and AM kindly invited a member of the Trust Board to attend the Kick it Out 25th anniversary dinner next month and the Trust has accepted the invitation to represent Fulham supporters.

MATCHDAY ISSUES

The Trust presented feedback from a large number of supporters on their experiences before the recent FA Cup third round tie against Oldham Athletic. The lack of turnstile operators caused significant queuing and delays to entry for supporters and the Trust reminded the Club that they had promised to learn from the serious issues that had occurred prior to the League Cup home fixture against Exeter City earlier in the season. AM and PS felt that the issues were caused by an unexpectedly high number of late walk-ups prior to kick off, but assured the meeting that this was part of an ongoing post-match Club view. The Club have committed to taking on board feedback around the number of turnstiles that were open, the positioning of the cash sales turnstiles and will take advice from the Trust before the next home Cup game.

MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS

CM confirmed that a story circulating on social media about Fulham donating the entirety of the FA Cup gate receipts to Oldham Athletic was untrue. The Club had received feedback from Oldham and their fans about how well they were received at Craven Cottage by Fulham officials and supporters.

A recent story published in the tabloid press around the high price of season ticket financing was incorrect. The Club clarified and corrected an erroneous press release circulated by a media agency and, in most places, the story was republished online giving the correct figures. CM also confirmed that a recent story about the price of being a mascot at Fulham were based on data that was at least five years out of date. NW and AM confirmed that mascot opportunities were offered to participants in the Fulham FC Foundation's scheme as per previous discussions between the Club and the Trust.

TICKETING

PS confirmed that the Club had decided there would be no change to the season ticket upgrade policy for the remainder of this season. PS reiterated that the initial decision had been taken because of serious abuse of the system, but recognised that genuine supporters do lose out as a result. It was felt that the policy was too complicated to change mid-season as it would require a considerable amount of manual intervention, but the Club committed to undertake a review of policy over the summer and take the Trust's advice. The Trust is disappointed in this decision which we have continually reminded the Club penalises genuine supporters.  We will ensure that it is fully discussed before plans are made for the 2019-20 season.

AM also reiterated that no decisions had yet been taken about the levels of season ticket or matchday prices for next season.

The meeting finished at 2.46pm

TRUST RIVERSIDE STAND UPDATE

On 3rd January 2019, a delegation from the Fulham Supporters Trust met with representatives of Fulham FC's commercial and communication teams at Motspur Park to discuss the relocation of Season Ticket Holders during the redevelopment of the Riverside Stand.  The Trust were briefed on the club's potential strategy for the relocation of Riverside Stand Season Ticket Holders.  The club were keen to stress the logistical challenges around relocating Season Ticket Holders and other stakeholders whilst remaining at Craven Cottage during the redevelopment period.

The Club were happy to receive feedback from the Trust on the plans to date, with those Trust members who volunteers to form a part of the Riverside Stand Working Group having the opportunity to help provide comment.  Both in the meeting and subsequently the Trust have taken the opportunity to stress the importance of clear and effective communication with Season Ticket Holders.  We have also relayed the importance to Season Ticket Holders of the club providing reassurance to those relocated fans that they will have a right to return to the redeveloped stand upon its completion.

The Club hope to be in a position to confirm their plans shortly and the Trust will continue to work with the club as effectively as possible throughout the relocation process.

EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE

The Trust have been made aware that some supporters may have received phishing emails from a Fulham Football Club email account following an attempted cyber attack against the football club. The Trust have been informed that the Club have conducted an investigation, locked the account in question and reported the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office. Anyone who has any queries about this matter is advised to contact the Club's data protection team on [email protected]



http://fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2019/1/31/notes-from-january-meeting-with-fulham-football-club.html

 
The Tony Gale Column

I was in the studio doing Swansea v Birmingham so I missed Tuesday's remarkable match against Brighton. I saw we were 2-0 down and feared the worst, but that's some response and belief the lads showed to come back out for the second half and score four goals. Hopefully that is the catalyst. You're looking for a trigger in the season, and hopefully that can be ours.


You have to show character to come back from two goals down. Of course it worrying that we went two goals down in the first place, but fair play to Claudio for changing things around. The introduction of Tom Cairney early on was pivotal. It meant a change in the system, and it worked. Watching and listening to games as a Fulham fan, you want to see TC on the pitch because he's exciting, he's our most creative player. I understand that we've got to be tighter at the back and everything, but you've still got to get goals up the other end. Mitro needs that supply line, and Tom's the best form of that.

Personally, I want to see him start on Saturday. He made such a difference against Brighton and we didn't really sacrifice any defensive stability as we didn't concede a goal while he was on the pitch. You've got to always think what's the best system you can use that's going to get the most creative players in it, and then put the workers in and around them. Okay, at the end of the day being tight and hard to beat is what's going to keep us in the league, but you've still got to score goals, which Tom nearly did when he hit the bar twice.


My good pal Tony Cottee was covering the game for Sky Sports and he said Mitro was excellent. And Tony is no mean judge of a striker. He said Mitro was different class, bullying Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk all night long. And they're not the two type of guys who you'd think would be bullied, but he said he was brilliant. I watched the highlights later on and his two headed goals were superb. They really showed that he's up for the fight and he's ready for it. That's what spurs people on, winning headers like that. His physicality is top drawer and we used it to great effect on Tuesday.

I was at Southampton-Crystal Palace last night, and the evening couldn't have gone much better from a Fulham perspective. Both those sides are looking over their shoulder so a draw was a good result for us, plus Palace ended up with some selection problems ahead of our match at the weekend. Wilfried Zaha was shown a silly red card that he'll be regretting now, and James Tomkins and Cheikhou Kouyate went off injured. Maybe our luck is finally changing? We'll face a Palace side that's going to be depleted but they've still got players like Scott Dann, Jeffrey Schlupp, Connor Wickham and Christian Benteke who can come into the team, so they do still have options, but their record is nowhere near as good when Zaha isn't playing.

Despite drawing at St Mary's, Palace played well and probably should have won. I would say, performance wise, they're a top half side, but they just lack a finisher. But all their football, their approach play, is good and – for me – they're in a false position. They've been fairly consistent with how they set up in matches but they might be forced into not only a change of personnel, but a change of formation for our game as well depending on who's available, because they haven't got the biggest of squads.




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/january/31/the-tony-gale-column

 
Fulham expect Ligue 1 defender to arrive in next few hours - EXCLUSIVE


Fulham are preparing to sign Youssouf Sabaly on transfer deadline day and are in the process of arranging his travel from Bordeaux, Love Sport has learned.

Sources within the club have spent the last week fretting that Ryan Babel might end up being the only signing Fulham make during the January transfer window.

Having spent more than £100million over the summer, the Cottagers have still failed to assemble a competent defence and have shipped 53 goals in the Premier League so far this season.

Manager Claudio Ranieri is understood to have scouted Sabaly and is looking to bring the Senegal international to England this afternoon to sign for the relegation-threatened Londoners.

A private plane will fly Sabaly, who will likely compete with Cyrus Christie for the right-back slot, over to London for a medical and a contract signing before the window slams shut at 11pm tonight.

Fulham had tried to sign Gary Cahill from Chelsea earlier this month only for the move to break down over wages.

But Ranieri insisted there were other options earlier this week and appeared confident he would be able to get a defender over the line before the window closed.

"I don't know if Cahill is [still] on our lists. We have alternatives and I am sure the club will try to do the best for the team," Ranieri said.

"We are looking for good opportunities.

"If somebody come in the battle will be very hard, but we are always positive and never give up and we are ready to make the maximum effort.

"I think the recruitment, Tony Khan and everybody are working hard to give us the opportunity for me to choose the best for the team."



https://www.lovesportradio.com/news/love-sport-exclusives/fulham-expect-ligue-1-defender-to-arrive-in-next-few-hours-exclusive/

 
Good for Fulham: Crystal Palace's double injury blow

Crystal Palace vs Fulham

Crystal Palace host Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.

Will the Eagles be sucked into the relegation mire?

Roy Hodgson's Eagles have 23 points on the board after 24 matches this season.

Palace are 15th in the table, ahead of Southampton and Burnley on goal difference.

Palace have a four-point cushion above third-bottom Cardiff City.

As for Fulham, the Cottagers are second-bottom of the division.

Fulham boosted their survival hopes in midweek when they beat Brighton 4-2 at Craven Cottage.

Crystal Palace's double injury blow

Palace drew 1-1 away at Southampton on Wednesday night.

Wilfried Zaha was sent off for the Eagles in the final stages of the game. That means that Palace's best player will be missing against Fulham through suspension.

But will Palace also be missing two other key players?

Both Cheikhou Kouyate and James Tomkins are doubts for the Fulham match after suffering knocks at St Mary's.

Kouyate received a ankle injury against the Saints. He was forced out the match in the 71st minute, while Jeffrey Schlupp was introduced off the bench.

In the final stages of the match, Tomkins suffered a hamstring setback. The centre-half was replaced by Scott Dann.



https://www.101greatgoals.com/news/good-for-fulham-crystal-palaces-double-injury-blow/

 
Fulham take a firm stance, won't let player leave in this transfer window

Sozcu's Fenerbahce reporter Sercan Hamzaoglu claims the Turkish side have upped their interest in signing midfielder Stefan Johansen but Fulham are not prepared to let the Norwegian leave in this transfer window.

Hamzaoglu says the possibility of a transfer now seems low but also states there may be some surprises before the transfer deadline.

In recent weeks Fenerbahce have been linked with a move for the Norway international, with the story popping up every couple of days or so.

Fenerbahce would need to clean a space in their foreign quota and the Turkish journalist says this could be a problem for the Istanbul club.

Johansen has also been linked with a move to fellow Turkish club Galatasaray in this transfer window.

The former Celtic player is under contract at Craven Cottage until 2019 but Fulham have the option to extend it by another season.

This season Johansen has made 12 Premier League appearances for the West London club.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-make-stance-wont-let-player-leave-transfer-window/

 
Workflow Group Partnership

Fulham Football Club is delighted to welcome Workflow Group as its Official Printer Supplier for three seasons.

Workflow Group has signed an agreement with Fulham to provide printer solution services to the club. As part of this new Partnership Workflow Group have worked with the Club to identify and deliver a new managed print solution offering a reliable print infrastructure.

Chris Pollard, Director, Workflow Group, said: "We have been providing Fulham with a comprehensive Managed Print Solution since July 2018, so we're delighted to now be an official partner of the Club. We look forward to continuing to help them drive document efficiency and optimise data security – and we look forward to watching some great games of football too."

Casper Stylsvig of Fulham FC added: "We welcome Workflow group to our growing list of Club partners. Through the integration of their proposed solution we have seen an immediate improvement in reliability of our print operation which is crucial across the business on both match and non-matchdays. We look forward to developing this partnership further."

In addition to providing technical services to the Club, the collaboration will provide Workflow group introductions and networking opportunities with businesses within Fulham's Business Club network. Workflow Group will also benefit from hospitality at Craven Cottage throughout the season.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/january/30/workflow-group-partnership

 
Report: Fulham could sign Augsburg's Martin Hinteregger for £8m

Bundesliga strugglers Augsburg are keen to sell Austrian defender Hinteregger with a move to Premier League outfit Fulham a possibility.

Fulham are still looking to sign a centre-back before the transfer window closes tonight with FC Augsburg's Martin Hinteregger an option, according to Fussball Transfers.

The Austria international is understood to have been put up for sale by the relegation threatened Bundesliga side after falling out with management, including head coach Manuel Baum.

In quotes reported by Fussball Transfers, general manager Stefan Reuter has claimed that Augsburg would look to sell if they received an acceptable offer.

"Should a serious inquiry arrive, we will consider it."

The ball is in Fulham's court then. It is no secret that The Cottagers are crying out for a new defender, having conceded more goals (53) than any other side in the Premier League since they were promoted back to the top flight.

And it is reported that a bid of £8 million could be enough to see Hinteregger make the move to West London.

The 26-year-old has been plying his trade with Augsburg since he arrived from Red Bull Salzburg three years ago, via a loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach.

He has 37 caps for Austria and scored a brilliant volley in a pre-World Cup friendly against Germany last year.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/01/31/report-fulham-could-sign-augsburgs-martin-hinteregger-for-8m/

Rumour Mongering: Divock Origi to Fulham or Wolves
Liverpool aren't actively shopping the striker but would be willing to let him leave today for the right price.

It's transfer deadline day. For some clubs, that will mean a flurry of activity. For Liverpool, it means waiting to see where Ben Woodburn ends up on loan and whether Lazar Markovic gives up on the final six yearsmonths of his contract to head to Mexico.

It could also, according to a smattering of reports doing the rounds thanks to The Express, mean a departure for Divock Origi, though finding a new home for their third-choice depth option at striker is not something the club are actively looking for.

Rather, if one of those other clubs—the ones doing the flurrying activity—is desperate enough to throw a big fee at them for him, Origi would be free to leave with Jürgen Klopp content to ride out the season with his other existing options.

Fulham and Wolverhampton are said to be the two sides that have shown interest in Origi, and while it doesn't seem especially likely, a deal to take him to one of those before the end of the day isn't outside the realm of possibility—for the right price.




https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-transfer-news/2019/1/31/18205035/liverpool-fc-transfer-news-divock-origi-fulham-wolves-deadline-day

 
Slavia Prague Confirm Player Has Permission To Speak To Fulham

Slavia Prague have given the green light to Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui to travel to London to negotiate terms with Fulham.

Ngadeu-Ngadjui has been the subject of interest from several clubs, including Fulham, during the winter transfer window this month.

And Slavia Prague have announced that the defender has been allowed to travel to London to enter into negotiations with Fulham ahead of a permanent switch before the transfer deadline.

The 28-year-old has a release clause attached to his contract with Slavia Prague and Fulham could trigger it to take him to Craven Cottage.

Ngadeu-Ngadjui has proved to be a stand-out performer for Slavia Prague so far this season after helping them cement their place at the top of the league and booking a berth in the knockout stages of the Europa League.

The Cameroon international has notched up 24 appearances in all competitions so far this term and is equally adept playing as a central-midfielder, if required.

Fulham, who have conceded the most number of goals in the division, will now face a race against the clock, as they aim to pull off an agreement with the player.

Ngadeu-Ngadjui has earned 24 caps at senior level for Cameroon since making his debut in 2016.



http://www.insidefutbol.com/2019/01/31/slavia-prague-confirm-players-has-permission-to-speak-to-fulham/408265/

Club confirms Fulham have matched defender's release clause, player travelling to London

Fulham, who have been scrambling around all month trying to bring a centre-back in to help Claudio Ranieri's defence, could be on the verge of getting their man.

Linked with the likes of Domagoj Vida rather incessantly, the Cottagers are now officially in talks with Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic for the signing of Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui.

The move was confirmed by the selling club's official website on Thursday, who revealed the Cameroon international had been given permission to travel to London ahead of his potential switch to Fulham after the Premier League side matched his release clause.

As things stand, the fee hasn't filtered, but if the player has been allowed to go to England to sort out his contract, a medical shouldn't far behind unless a surprising turn of events takes place.

The 28-year-old joined Slavia Prague from FC Botosani in Romania back in 2016, has made 24 appearances in all competitions this season, including playing every single minute of every single game in their Champions League qualifiers and subsequent Europa League fixtures.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/club-confirms-fulham-matched-defenders-release-clause-player-travelling-london/

 
Manchester United youngster knocks back late offer to move elsewhere in January

On Wednesday we covered claims from Italy that Lazio were showing an interest in Timothy Fosu-Mensah.

The 21 year old was loaned to Fulham for the whole season, but he's not been getting games recently and a move elsewhere would make some sense in terms of trying to get more miunutes.

Much more prominent under previous manager Slaviša Jokanović, the Dutchman hasn't been in the core plans of Claudio Ranieri, hence the rumours Manchester United could find their player somewhere else to play for the rest of the season.

Sport Witness were informed on Wednesday that, as things stood at that time, a move was unlikely.

Things can change, and Fosu-Mensah still has time to switch, but TMW say it won't be to Lazio. The Italian website report the youngster has knocked back the chance of joining the Serie A club this week.

It's claimed a proposal was made, and rejected by the player. Unless he has something else lined up, or any assurance of more games at Fulham, it doesn't make a great deal of sense.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/manchester-united-youngster-knocks-back-late-offer-move-elsewhere-january/

 
Report: Fulham set to sign Bordeaux's Youssouf Sabaly today

Ligue 1 flyer Sabaly is reportedly set to become Fulham's new Premier League right-back.

Fulham appear set to bring an end to their search for a new right-back on transfer deadline day with Youssouf Sabaly apparently edging closer to a late move to Craven Cottage, according to Love Sport Radio.

Sabaly is currently plying his trade in France with Bordeaux but Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri has identified him as a solution to a problem position on the right hand side of defence.

The speedy Senegal international, who impressed with his direct style at the World Cup in Russia, has started just nine Ligue 1 games for Bordeaux this season.

And Love Sport Radio believes that Fulham are arranging transport to bring Sabaly over to West London, where he is expected to put pen to paper with the relegation-threatened Premier League side.

Fulham have been linked with Sabaly since the first week of the January transfer window, when L'Equipe claimed that they had entered initial talks.

And it seems that this transfer saga is set to have a happy ending. Sabaly's arrival should see him compete with Republic of Ireland international Cyrus Christie for a place in Ranieri's starting XI.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/01/31/report-fulham-set-to-sign-bordeauxs-youssouf-sabaly-today/

 
Despite month-long interest, Fulham won't be getting Ligue 1 full-back in January

Much like last August's deadline day, Fulham are a bit all over the place in Europe trying to get deals done as they attempt to avoid relegation.

Already in talks to sign Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui from Slavia Prague, the Cottagers have continuously tried to sign Youssouf Sabaly from Bordeaux in France.

The news was first reported early on in the transfer window after they sent a 'first offer', and while talk died down a fair bit since, Fulham's interest didn't disappear.

According to L'Equipe journalist Emery Taisne, the Premier League club have, up until very recently, still tried to get a deal over the line, but the Ligue 1 side are standing firm.

Much like last August's deadline day, Fulham are a bit all over the place in Europe trying to get deals done as they attempt to avoid relegation.

Already in talks to sign Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui from Slavia Prague, the Cottagers have continuously tried to sign Youssouf Sabaly from Bordeaux in France.

The news was first reported early on in the transfer window after they sent a 'first offer', and while talk died down a fair bit since, Fulham's interest didn't disappear.

According to L'Equipe journalist Emery Taisne, the Premier League club have, up until very recently, still tried to get a deal over the line, but the Ligue 1 side are standing firm.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/despite-month-long-interest-fulham-wont-getting-ligue-1-full-back-january/

 
Gary Cahill makes decision on Chelsea future amid Arsenal, Fulham and Juventus interest

The ex-Villa centre-back has been linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge during the January transfer window

Former Aston Villa star Gary Cahill is expected to remain at Chelsea.

The ex-Villa centre-back has been linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge during the January transfer window.

But the defender will reportedly remain at the west London club until his contract expires.

The England international will sit out his contract at the Bridge, reports say.

It comes after he rejected the chance to join Fulham on a temporary basis.

The Cottagers had been interested in taking the towering defender on loan.

But Claudio Ranieri's advances have been rebuffed by the former Bolton Wanderers man.

Cahill will stay at Chelsea unless he changes his mind on deadline day.

The London side wanted to get Cahill off their books during the January window.

Cahill rejected a move across the capital, while Arsenal and Juventus were both linked.

Cahill, 33, last appeared for Maurizio Sarri's men against Greek side PAOK in November.

Chances for appearances remain scarce for the former Villa Park favourite.

But the return of the Europa League could deal him with a rare outing.

They play Malmo twice in February amid a challenging run of fixtures.



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gary-cahill-makes-decision-chelsea-15760175

 
Fulham wrapping up a quick deal for this Crystal Palace outcast could probably save their season

Why signing Scott Dann will be a shrewd piece of business by Claudio Ranieri

The Sun are reporting that English veteran defender Scott Dann is attracting interest from across the capital by a relegation-stricken Fulham side desperately attempting to lure defenders to Craven Cottage.

Fulham's season is going from bad to worse. Even with a supremely talented group of players like this, they've been unable to make any sort of impact on the English game.

Players like Luciano Vietto, Jean Michael Seri and Ryan Sessengon were sought-after players in the summer but Fulham have managed something amazing by bringing this group of players together.

But it was expected that they'd be able to at least steer well clear of the relegation zone with a squad of such quality and experience, and possibly fight for a place in the top-half of the table.

But things haven't gone to plan at all as they are currently languishing in 19th place and are already a whole 7 points away from getting out of the relegation zone.

Considering that there are only 14 games left to play in this season, this is going to be an uphill task for Ranieri's men, who haven't exactly been scoring goals for fun either.

They have only managed to 25 goals all campaign, which is extremely worrying considering all the attacking wealth available at Ranieri's disposal.

While this would be a glaring issue at most clubs, Fulham's problems lie deeper than this. With 24 games gone, they have somehow managed to concede 53 goals already.

The addition of a strong battle-hardened veteran defender will certainly help this Fulham side fight to stay in the Premier League. As suggested by the Sun, Crystal Palace outcast Scott Dann could be the perfect candidate.

He has the experience of playing in the top-flight for many years and has even captained the Palace side over the years. His leadership and strong voice will boost Fulham's defensive quality and structure.

Having played no league games this season, Dann might be eager to move away from Selhurst Park so that he can exhibit his excellent defensive positioning. His work rate and intelligence are very impressive too.

He could be an ideal fit for Ranieri's men who are in serious need of defensive reinforcements. In Dann, they would be getting defensive quality as well as someone who has been through it all, making this a possibly season-changing signing for Fulham.



https://soccersouls.com/2019/01/31/fulham-wrapping-up-a-quick-deal-for-this-crystal-palace-outcast-could-probably-save-their-season/

Fulham in talks to sign Cameroon defender Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui on transfer deadline day

Latest Fulham transfer news includes a massive update on the future of Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui

Fulham are closing in on their second signing of the January transfer window.

Former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel was the first arrival at Craven Cottage earlier in the month and he could soon be joined by defender Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui before the 11pm deadline.

The 28-year-old's club Slavia Prague took to Twitter this afternoon and confirmed the Cameroon international is travelling to London for negotiations with the west London outfit.

'Slavia gave Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui permission to travel to London for negotiations with Premier League side Fulham,' the post reads.

It's unclear as to whether this is a loan or permanent transfer, but manager Claudio Ranieri is sure to be quizzed about the situation at his pre-Crystal Palace press conference today.

Now there's a race against the clock for the Cottagers to get this deal done and get him registered in time to face the Eagles at Selhurst Parkon Saturday afternoon.

If completed today Ngadeu-Ngadjui will add depth to Ranieri's defensive options which includes Tim Ream, Denis Odoi and Alfie Mawson.

As Fulham have the worst defensive record in the division, it's no surprise the Italian tactician has opted to address this area.

Furthermore, Ngadeu-Ngadjui can also operate in central midfield so he could provide cover to the likes of Calum Chambers, Jean Seri and Tom Cairney for the remainder of the season.

Ngadeu-Ngadjui has made 24 appearances across all competitions for Slavia so far this season, including featuring in all six Europa League group phase matches.

Impressing in Europe with 2.3 tackles and 2.7 interceptions per game, and looks set to arrive at Fulham in a bid to help boost their defensive issues.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-talks-sign-cameroon-defender-15760360

 
Fulham in talks to sign Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui

Fulham are in talks with Slavia Prague defender Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui over a proposed move to Craven Cottage, Sky Sports News understands.

Ngadeu-Ngadjui plays for Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic and can operate in either central defence or as a defensive midfielder.

Slavia Prague gave him permission to travel to London for negotiations with Fulham, the Czech club said on their official Twitter account on Thursday.

The 28-year-old was selected as Cameroon captain by manager Clarence Seedorf in September 2018.

Meanwhile, Fulham forward Aboubakar Kamara is closing in on a move to Turkish side Yeni Malatyaspor, Sky Sports News understands.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11623525/fulham-in-talks-to-sign-michael-ngadeu-ngadjui

 
Palace set to miss out Michael Ngadeu as Fulham activate clause

Crystal Palace are set to miss out on defender Michael Ngadeu, with the Cameroonian set to travel to Fulham for talks.

Fulham have activated the release clause of the defender, meaning the defender is set to travel from Slavia Prague to London for talks with Claudio Ranieri's side.

Palace had emerged as a potential destination for the defender, with the Eagles battling Fulham and Cardiff for the player's signature.

Sporting director of Slavia Prague, Jan Nezmar said in a statement that negotiations were still underway with Fulham about a deal, with the player set to travel to London for talks.

    The player has been granted permission to travel to London, where negotiations about his contract will take place. At the same time, negotiations are also taking place between the two clubs. The transfer deadline in England ends on Thursday at midnight, until then the transfer must be closed or not closed.

Ngadeu, who has recently been named the captain of Cameroon, has impressed in the Czech league and has made 63 appearances for Slavia.

The defender has also notched seven goals during his time in the Czech Republic, also notching a rare hat-trick for Slavia Prague.



https://readcrystalpalace.com/2019/01/31/palace-set-to-miss-out-michael-ngadeu-as-fulham-activate-clause/

 
James McArthur: We can win Fulham game without Palace talisman Zaha

James McArthur has every confidence Crystal Palace can cope with the absence of Wilfried Zaha for tomorrow's home game against Fulham.

The Eagles had not won a match without the Ivory Coast international in two years until a 1-0 victory over Leicester in December.

Zaha sits out this weekend's derby after a lack of discipline saw him earn a second booking for sarcastically applauding referee Andre Marriner in Wednesday night's 1-1 draw at Southampton.

Further punishment could follow as he did not leave the field of play quickly.

"We believe we can win any game, no matter who is playing," said McArthur.
"He is obviously a big miss.

"He is one of our best players in the team and we will miss him.

But we have got players in the squad that hopefully are ready to go and take their chance."



https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/james-mcarthur-we-can-win-fulham-game-without-palace-talisman-zaha/

 
Magnus Norman Recalled By Fulham

Fulham have recalled goalkeeper Magnus Norman from his loan spell at Rochdale.

An injury to another of the Premier League side's goalkeepers has forced his parent club to cut short the loan.

Norman joined on loan in August, a deal which was extended until the end of the season earlier this month.

The 22-year-old made 12 appearances during his time at the Crown Oil Arena.

The Club would like to thank to Magnus for his efforts during his time with Dale and wish him all the best for the future.



https://www.rochdaleafc.co.uk/news/2019/january/magnusnorman_recalledbyfulham/

 
Adebayo & Davies Depart

The Club can confirm that Elijah Adebayo and Aron Davies have left on loan until the end of the season, joining Stevenage and Maidstone United respectively.

Adebayo joins the League 2 side having returned from his previous loan spell at Swindon Town. The forward has netted in two of the three games he has featured in for the Under-23s since his return.

Davies has been an ever present in Mark Pembridge's PL2 team this season having captained the side in all but one fixtures this season. The defender has notched up three goals in this campaign against Manchester United, Stoke and Southampton Under-23s. Maidstone sit one from bottom in the Conference.

Finally, Magnus Norman has been recalled from his loan spell at Rochdale.

Good luck for the rest of the season, lads!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/january/31/davies-and-adebayo-depart

 
Claudio Ranieri transcript: Every word on transfers, the performance vs Brighton & Crystal Palace

The manager has been speaking to the press ahead of his side's trip to Selhurst Park on Saturday

Tuesday night a massive moment - players coming in with more belief?

You saw them very strong? I hope! It was a very good moment for us but I think after 2-0 down they reacted very well with the strength and positive confidence but I repeat it was important to score at the start of the second half.

They continued the battle and we finished well. It's finished and we must think about a new match and another London derby.

It's a good team, fantastic manager, Roy is unbelievable, we must be very concentrated.

Surely tap into that performance?

If we continue in this way the battle is good because it's very tough, but if we continue to play that well it's much better for us.

We have a chance to survive but I want to see next match and after, the next match and the next match. One half is not enough for me, I am confident with my players but we must forget what happened.

If we think about the last match play against Palace the same it's not good.

Wilfried Zaha sending off

Zaha is very good but Palace have other good players and Roy can choose his line up very well.

There are so many good players there, it's not only Zaha. He's one of the best players but it is not only Zaha.

Six pointer game?

It's crucial for us. Every match is crucial, it's a battle and we must show our best to stay together and play with the right discipline and score goals without conceding.

Need new players?

Yes of course. I am confident. In the last market on the last day five players arrive, if we have a chance we'll arrive some good players.

Negotiations ongoing?

The club is working hard until 11pm tonight and something good can happen. If it happens, much better, if it doesn't, we stay stronger together and continue to fight.

Where are you strengthening?

The group needs some good players

Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui?

I don't know, you tell me. London is a big place.

Aboubakar Kamara in Turkey

I know there is negotiations with our club and the club in Turkey, but I also told the club if Abou comes back I am happy. He's a good player, he must stay a little quiet but is a good player.

Good players that are negative influence?

If he comes back he understood the actions and must improve his attitude.

Think there will business done?

I hope. I know we are working hard and I hope something could happen and I am positive.

Not won away from home yet?

Stats are fantastic because you can see behind you and say come on, wake up and try to improve the statistic. The right stat is at the end of the season.

Without our last victory it's important to show another good match.

4-2 victory being a key moment - how you can keep that momentum going?

I saw something good but also I said okay, every time I tell you to clean your mind because every game is different.

I said keep your confidence high but clean the euphoria, it's not a good thing to have your heads in the clouds, stay with your feet on the ground.

Mitrovic's importance after signing last January?

I think Fulham is in Premier League it's because everyone worked so hard, but Mitrovic scored goals and without them you can't achieve. Mitrovic was important last season and is important for the rest of the season, for us and his team mates because when Mitrovic is on the pitch you feel maybe he can score or do something good.

Taken to his captaincy role?

The captain is always Cairney, when he doesn't play it's Mitrovic because I think he's a leader and can bring strength and mind and influence to his team mates.

Changed to a back four against Brighton

I love the players that understand when I change systems. In all my teams I try to do this and sometimes the player responds well and sometimes not.

Fortunately, they were used to playing four at the back, when I saw we didn't move well with five at the back I change for this reason, not because Ream had any blame, no, just because I need more.

We start better and the second half was better.

Mitrovic's partnership with Babel

I think Ryan gave us experience, he's a good teacher on the pitch, he speaks a lot on the pitch, give the ball, pass the ball, stay calm, that's important for the team and the group..

Of course it's important for him to have a very good partner, but also the crosses we made are important because when I arrive I said we have to put balls into the box because Mitrovic is very good in the air.

London derby - said that it's hard to win the league because of those derbies

I heard this a long time ago. It's a London derby but there is a different rivalry between the teams. Maybe it's not so close between Fulham and Palace, between Arsenal and Spurs is very close.

It's not the same.

Would Zaha be more protected in other countries

Once I said to an international referee, when you play in the CL you play different, but this is English style.

In every country there is their style.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/claudio-ranieri-transcript-every-word-15760653

 
Reece Oxford deal should give Fulham chance to sign Martin Hinteregger

The Austrian has been linked with a move to Fulham this deadline day.


It appears that Reece Oxford has his next destination. As reported by Sky Sports, the West Ham United defender is set to join the Bundesliga side on loan until the end of the season.

The talented youngster has struggled for first-team football at West Ham recently and is now set to return to the Bundesliga, where he previously played with Borussia Monchengladbach.

This transfer could also be good news for Fulham.

The Cottagers need to bring in a new defender to help shore up what has been the leakiest defence in the Premier League this season.

One name that has emerged as a potential transfer target is that of Martin Hinteregger.

The Austrian, according to Fussball Transfers, is wanted by Fulham and is valued at around £8 million.

The report suggests he has fallen out with the hierarchy at the German club and is now open to an exit.

With Oxford seemingly on his way to Augsburg, it leaves the club overstocked at the back. Fulham can now take full advantage, should they wish, and bring the 26-year-old to Craven Cottage.



https://tbrfootball.com/reece-oxford-deal-should-give-fulham-chance-to-sign-martin-hinteregger/

 
Fulham in talks with Cameroon captain Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui as Slavia Prague grant permission for defender to fly to London for negotiations

    Fulham in talks with versatile defensive player Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui 
    Cameroon captain is target for Cottagers who are aiming for survival
    Slavia Prague gave 28-year-old permission to travel for negotiations

Fulham are in talks with Cameroon captain Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui over a proposed move to Craven Cottage.

Ngadeu-Ngadjui, 28, plays for Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic and can operate in either central defence or as a defensive midfielder.

'Slavia gave Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui permission to travel to London for negotiations with @premierleague side @FulhamFC,' the Czech club said on their official Twitter account.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/01/31/14/9229762-0-image-m-115_1548945351940.jpg)
Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui has starred for Slavia Prague so far this season in the Czech Republic

In September last year he was chosen by Cameroon boss Clarence Seedorf to be captain of his country.

Ngadeu-Ngadjui has been outstanding for his club so far this season and helped lead them to the top of the division.

Fulham have conceded more goals than any other team in the Premier League and would hope the Cameroon star could sure things up at the back for Claudio Ranieri's side.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/01/31/14/9229756-0-image-m-117_1548945370167.jpg)
The 28-year-old Cameroon captain is currently in talks with Fulham over a deal



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6653553/Fulham-talks-Cameroon-captain-Michael-Ngadeu-Ngadjui.html

Hintergerr just signed for somome else

The Palace Preview: Fulham

Crystal Palace will play host to league strugglers Fulham at Selhurst Park this Saturday, looking to capitalise on their recent form to pick up three points in their drive to push up the table.

The Eagles have won three of their past six matches, drawing one and losing two whilst the Cottagers will be inspired by a recent comeback victory over Brighton and Hove Albion; a game they won 4-2 having been 2-0 down at half-time.

However, aside from that match, the west London side have only won one of their last 11 fixtures, losing four from their last five in all competitions.

Despite spending over £100m in transfers this season, Fulham have struggled to gel as a team and, even with Premier League winning manager Claudio Ranieri at the helm, currently sit 19th in the league.

Their most evident weakness lies in defence, as Ranieri's backline has leaked 53 goals from just 24 games, the most conceded by any club in Europe's top five leagues and far more than they saw hit their net from almost double the number of matches - 46 - in the entirety of last year's Championship campaign.

They have, however, scored in every one of their recent fixtures since a 0-0 draw with Newcastle United on December 22: a total of seven matches.

Eagles fans will be encouraged by their season's opener, a 2-0 win at Craven Cottage over Fulham, in which Jeffrey Schlupp and Wilfried Zaha netted one each to secure Palace's first three points of the campaign.

For the reverse of this clash, though, the Eagles will be without Zaha, who is serving a one-match ban having been sent off in Palace's recent draw with Southampton, a game in which he scored the south Londoners' only goal.

Palace fans will want to watch out for Ryan Babel, who signed for Fulham from Beşiktaş this transfer window and has performed well from both of his games so far. The Dutchman assisted twice against Brighton and looks to have been an assured signing for the club.

Aleksandar Mitrovic has also stood out lately, scoring twice against the Seagulls and netting 10 times so far this season.

And outside the parameters of Selhurst Park, make sure to keep an eye on Newcastle United's clash with Tottenham Hotspur. The Magpies pulled out a shock win over Manchester City on Tuesday night and so overtook the Eagles in the table.

Away from the pitch, around 70 Palace and Fulham fans will be walking from Craven Cottage to Selhurst Park to raise awareness of mental health issues and male suicide rates. The walk is open for anyone to join as the two clubs unite behind an important cause.

Tactical overview

Due to their defensive frailties, Fulham have been fielding a back five lately, though this approach has been in vain as they haven't kept a clean sheet since the end of December.

When they switched to a back four against Brighton, they were able to stage a remarkable comeback and netted four times.

Team news

Roy Hodgson's squad is largely fit, though James Tomkins was substituted atypically early in Palace's draw with Southampton. Return here following Hodgson's pre-match press conference tomorrow at 13.30 for full team news.

For Ranieri, most Fulham players will be available for selection, however Joe Bryan will need to be assessed and Alfie Mawson and Zambo Anguissa are both ruled out.

Live coverage

This game is not being shown live on TV in the United Kingdom, however you can listen to full commentary of it for just £1.49 via Palace Audio. Click here to find out more.

For fans in the US, the match will be shown on NBC Sports Gold and for all fans living abroad elsewhere, check out our Worldwide TV listings to see where you can enjoy the game.

Alternatively, if living abroad, why not find out if there is an Official Supporters' Club meeting near you?

Tickets are still available for this clash, though there is a limited amount left. To purchase your place amongst the Selhurst Park crowd, click here now.



https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/2019/january/the-palace-preview-fulham/

Fulham's ambitious move for this Bundesliga star would be a brilliant decision by Ranieri

Why Fulham should go all out to sign Dortmund outcast Omer Toprak

Fulham showed fantastic fighting spirit following a remarkable comeback from two goals down to win 4-2 against Brighton at Craven Cottage on Tuesday. But the manner in which they conceded twice to Brighton should have infuriated manager Claudio Ranieri despite the big win.

Glenn Murray made the most of Fulham's defensive frailties and gave Brighton a two-goal lead before Chris Hughton's side fell apart in the second half. Fulham gave a display of their grit and character to come back and earn all three points. However, they once again failed to keep a clean-sheet that Ranieri is desperately looking for.

The Cottagers have conceded 53 goals this season – more than any other Premier League side this season. They have signed just Ryan Babel in the January transfer market, although Ranieri clearly needs defensive reinforcements to save the club from sinking.

Despite beating Brighton, Fulham are still seven points adrift of safety in the Premier League. Things need to change quickly at the Craven Cottage and Ranieri must make an attempt to sign Borussia Dortmund outcast Omer Toprak before the transfer deadline.

Omer Toprak, 29, has managed just eight appearances for Dortmund across all competitions this season as Lucien Favre has preferred the partnership of Abdou Diallo and Manuel Akanji in central defence. The best way for the Turkey international to reignite his career will be to seek a move away from Westfalenstadion this month.

Fulham must recruit a fresh face in the defence to improve their poor defensive record in the Premier League this season and Omer Toprak fits the bill perfectly.

The 29-year-old is a strong, athletic and a powerful defender who can play the ball out from the back. Omer Toprak is a physically imposing defender and gets off the ground quickly and times his jump to perfection to win aerial duels.

He has got a good technique for a defender, allowing him to be comfortable with the ball at his feet and initiate attacks from the back.

Not to forget, the Turkey international's vast experience of playing in Europe could come in handy for Fulham. Even if Fulham have to pay over the odds for Toprak, it might be a deal worth pursuing as the 29-year-old is exactly what Ranieri's porous backline needs at the moment.

All in all, the powerful and tenacious Toprak might just be the defender that Fulham need to beat the drop.



https://soccersouls.com/2019/01/31/fulhams-ambitious-move-for-this-bundesliga-star-would-be-a-brilliant-decision-by-ranieri/

 
What Claudio Ranieri has said about potential new signings at Fulham on transfer deadline day

Here's what the Fulham boss had to say on new recruits incoming into the side

Claudio Ranieri believes 'something good can happen' for Fulham on transfer deadline day as they chase new signings.

So far this window only Ryan Babel has joined the club's battle against relegation from the Premier League, signing from Besiktas on a six-month contract until the end of the season.

Fulham are desperately trying to sign a new defender before tonight's 11pm deadline, with Slavia Prague's Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui on his way to London over a potential move to Craven Cottage.

It has been a quiet morning at Motspur Park for the club's recruitment department but they are hopeful of getting in at least one signing before the deadline, while Ranieri himself is also optimistic that Fulham can sign 'some good players' to help him and his team in their battle against relegation from the Premier League.

Here's what he had to say today on transfers.

On new signings

"Yes of course. I am confident. In the last market on the last day five players arrive, if we have a chance we'll arrive some good players.

"The club is working hard until 11pm tonight and something good can happen. If it happens, much better, if it doesn't, we stay stronger together and continue to fight.

"I hope. I know we are working hard and I hope something could happen and I am positive."

On Aboubakar Kamara

"I know there is negotiations with our club and the club in Turkey (Malatyaspor), but I also told the club if Abou comes back I am happy.

"He's a good player, he must stay a little quiet but is a good player."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/what-claudio-ranieri-said-potential-15760941

 
Fulham deny Aboubakar Kamara has joined Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor

Fulham have denied Aboubakar Kamara has joined Yeni Malatyaspor despite the Turkish side unveiling the striker at a press conference on Thursday.

Kamara flew to Turkey on Wednesday ahead of a loan move and was presented to the media on Thursday.

But Fulham have told Sky Sports News a deal to sign the striker had not been completed before Kamara's unveiling.

The 23-year-old had been suspended by the Cottagers pending internal disciplinary proceedings due to a training ground incident last week.

He was arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm and criminal damage, and the forward has now opted for a fresh start in Turkey, despite interest in the Frenchman from Sky Bet Championship side West Brom.

Kamara helped the west Londoners win promotion through the Championship play-offs last season, having arrived from Amiens in 2017.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11623430/fulham-deny-aboubakar-kamara-has-joined-turkish-club-yeni-malatyaspor

 
Keep Believing

It's remarkable how 45 minutes of football can change your whole attitude about things. I'll admit that after the miserable defeat at Burnley that I thought that there was no hope that this squad could drag themselves out of this relegation battle. It's the first time in years were I have genuinely lost hope in our team and it felt awful. My mood didn't change after the Spurs game, despite a decent performance, and at half time against Brighton I was one of the many who considered it season over.

But then something changed. While our defence is still a considerable worry, we showed a bit of fight for the first time in ages. I have said for ages that I thought the turning point in our season was the draw away against Brighton where we were seemingly cruising only to end up with a 2-2 draw, so perhaps it is fitting that a possible comeback could come off the back of us coming from 2-0 down against the same team.

It has been a frustrating January so far in terms of the transfer window, with just one player through the doors of Motspur Park. While the signing of Ryan Babel looks like a very positive one, we all know that it is in defence were we really need personnel. With just a matter of hours left in the window, I'm hoping that our business isn't done yet, but I'm beginning to get a little fearful.

Next up we have a trip to Selhurst Park to take on Roy Hodgson's Palace, and for once we have already had some fortunate news with a Wilfred Zaha red card meaning their star man is unavailable. It's mad to think that they apparently haven't won a Premier League game without him while he has been with them, so hopefully we don't go all Fulhamish and allow them to turn this unwanted record around. I'm gutted that I can make Saturday as Selhurst Park has been on my football to-do lists for some time, but I'll be stuck following from afar because of work. I fully expect the Fulham faithful who are there to be making a real racket, especially after Tuesday night's result. As a fanbase we really can make a difference to what happens on the pitch, and continuing to be behind the boys can help get them over the line.

We still have so much work to do to get us out of this mess, but there have been some positive signs recently. I really hope Ranieri goes with the team that finished on Tuesday night against Palace as we were so much better then than how we started the game. I thought Cairney was sensational, and I hope it puts to bed some of the doubts about his attitude! He was very unfortunate not to score himself, but it was his shot that allowed Vietto to score after it had cannoned off the bar. Shout out to Sergio Rico as well who made an unreal save from a Murray header when the score was 2-2. Chambers, Babel, Mitro and Seri all had great matches in the second half. We have the players who can turn this around, so we need to keep believing.

Great Escape II anyone?

#COYW



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/01/keep-believing/

 
Aboubakar Kamara: Fulham striker loaned to Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor

(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/624/cpsprodpb/17446/production/_105420359_gettyimages-1076392092.jpg)
Aboubakar Kamara had registered three Premier League goals this season.

Fulham's French striker Aboubakar Kamara has joined Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor on loan until the end of the season.

The 23-year-old was arrested at the club's training ground on Monday on suspicion of actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

Fulham said he had been "banned indefinitely from all club activities".

He joined the club from SC Amiens in July 2017 and scored five goals in 15 appearances for the club this season.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47077017

 
Fulham have had three separate bids rejected for 31-year-old defender, €1.5m, club 'blocking' exit

Currently in talks to sign Michael Ngadeu Ngadjui from Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic, Fulham seemingly went after a French centre-back first.

Linked with numerous targets over the past few weeks, the Cottagers have finally settled on the Cameroon international, but that wasn't before making three separate bids for Benoit Poulain.

Fulham are said to have gone as high as €1.5m for the Club Brugge defender, whose contract with the Belgian side is due to run out at the end of the season, according to Walfoot.

The 31-year-old was reportedly 'interested' in a move to Craven Cottage, but the Jupiler Pro League club 'blocked any exit' for their player, who has been a near constant presence in their backline throughout both their league and Champions League campaigns this season.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-three-separate-bids-rejected-31-year-old-defender-e1-5m-club-blocking-exit/

Kamara Departs

Fulham can now confirm that Aboubakar Kamara has joined Turkish side Yeni Malatyaspor on loan until 30th June 2019, subject to international clearance.

Kamara joined Fulham in July 2017 from Amiens and has scored five goals in 15 appearances across all competitions so far this season.

The Club would like to wish Kamara all the best for the remainder of the season in Turkey.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/january/31/kamara-departs

 
Report: Fulham loanee Timothy Fosu-Mensah rejects Lazio offer

Timothy Fosu-Mensah has struggled for Premier League minutes since arriving at Fulham on loan from Manchester United.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah has turned down a move to Lazio despite his lack of opportunities at Fulham, according to Tuttomercatoweb.

The Holland international right-back joined the Cottagers on loan from Manchester United last summer and enjoyed a bright start to life in West London.

But he has played just 34 minutes of Premier League football since Claudio Ranieri replaced Slavisa Jokanovic with the Italian admitting to Sky earlier in January that Fosu-Mensah was not part of his plans going forward.

However, it seems that the 21-year-old is keen to stay and fight for his place with relegation-threatened Fulham.

Tuttomercatoweb reported that Lazio wanted to sign him to end their long-running search for a right-back. But Fosu-Mensah has declined the proposal despite the fact that Lazio are just three points adrift of a Champions League place in the Serie A table.

Whether Fosu-Mensah ends up regretting this decision remains to be seen.

He could be set to fall further down the pecking order with Love Sport Radio claiming that Senegal flyer Youssouf Sabaly is set to arrive at Fulham today from Bordeaux.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/01/31/do-report-fulham-outcast-timothy-fosu-mensah-rejects-lazio-offer/

'The group needs some good players': Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri hopes to bring in deadline day reinforcements ahead of relegation battle

    Claudio Ranieri wants to add to Fulham's squad before the transfer window shuts
    Forward Aboubakar Kamara will join Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor on loan
    Slavia Prague's Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui is in London to negotiate a move
    The Fulham boss says Kamara must 'improve his attitude' if he is to have any future at Craven Cottage

Claudio Ranieri remains confident Fulham will strengthen their squad before the conclusion of the transfer window on Thursday.

Aboubakar Kamara is in discussions about a departure to Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor and Slavia Prague have revealed their Cameroonian defender Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui, who Ranieri refused to discuss, has travelled to London to negotiate a move to Craven Cottage.

Fulham have already recruited Ryan Babel but have so far been frustrated in their attempts to strengthen what has been an inconsistent defence, though the 67-year-old Ranieri believes they will succeed in doing so before 11pm.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/01/31/16/9233884-0-image-a-25_1548950479609.jpg)
Claudio Ranieri remains confident Fulham will strengthen their squad before the transfer window shuts

On the final day of the summer transfer window Fulham signed five new players, under then-manager Slavisa Jokanovic, and even if that instability has contributed to their struggle against relegation, Ranieri said: 'I am confident.'

'In the last market on the last day five players arrive; if we have a chance we'll sign some good players, the group needs some good players.

'The club is working hard until 11pm and something good can happen. If it happens, much better, if it doesn't, we stay stronger together and continue to fight.

'We are working hard and I hope something could happen and I am positive.'

Asked of Kamara, who has been banned from the club having been arrested after a confrontation at the training ground and allegedly previously clashing with Aleksandar Mitrovic during a yoga session, he said: 'There is negotiations with our club and the club in Turkey.

'But I also told the club if Abou comes back I am happy. He's a good player, he must stay a little quiet but is a good player.

'If he comes back he understood the actions and must improve his attitude.'

Fulham visit Crystal Palace on Saturday, where a further victory following Tuesday's win over Brighton is essential if they are to survive.

Their hopes have been strengthened by the suspension of the influential Wilfried Zaha, but Ranieri said: 'Zaha is very good but Palace have other good players and Roy (Hodgson) can choose his line-up very well.

'There are so many good players there; it's not only Zaha. He's one of the best players but it is not only Zaha.

'It's a good team with a fantastic manager. Roy is unbelievable, we must be very concentrated.'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6653925/Fulham-boss-Claudio-Ranieri-hopes-bring-deadline-day-reinforcements-ahead-relegation-battle.html

Fulham eye audacious triple deadline day swoop - including former West Brom target

Nordtveit, an ex-West Brom target, can play in any position in the back four as well as in a defensive role in midfield

Fulham are eyeing THREE defensive reinforcements before the window shuts tonight.

The club are looking at Youssouf Sabaly, Havard Nordtveit  and Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui.

One of these players is currently on his way to London to potentially complete a deal, it is claimed.

Nordtveit, an ex-West Brom target, can play in any position in the back four as well as in a defensive role in midfield.

Nordtveit was used as a right-back for Lillestrom, a centre-half for Arsenal's reserve and most recently as a defensive midfielder for Monchangladbach where he has really made his name.

The former Arsenal player joined West Ham United in 2016, where he made over a dozen appearances.

The 28-year-old  signed for German side 1899 Hoffenheim, for an undisclosed fee, a year later.

Elsewhere, Fulham have confirmed that Aboubakar Kamara has joined Turkish side Yeni Malatyaspor on loan until the summer.




https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-eye-audacious-triple-deadline-15762467

 
Liverpool star set to leave Anfield amid Wolves and Fulham interest

The Belgium international will be allowed to depart Anfield before the transfer window shuts

Divock Origi is set to exit Liverpool amid links to Wolves.

The Belgium international will be allowed to depart Anfield before the transfer window shuts.

But, according to reports, there's a catch: Liverpool are still awaiting a "worthy" offer.

Jurgen Klopp is said to be prepared to let the Belgian frontman go.

But his valuation needs to be met by potential suitors.

The Express claim Wolves and Fulham are both suggested to be interested in the 23-year-old.

Juventus have been touted as a destination for the striker, too.

Liverpool want a minimum of £20 million for the out-of-favour Belgian.

It's believed Wolves enquired about the 23-year-old Belgium international in the summer.

Origi joined Liverpool from Lille for £10m in 2014 and spent the 2014/15 and 2017/18 seasons on loan at Lille and Wolfsburg respectively.

The 6ft 3in striker said recently: "At 23 I have big ambitions but for me it's just about focusing on the here and now and driving on as much as possible and hopefully let my feet talk on the pitch.

"I just hope for the best in everything and know that whenever I can shine my light it is a positive for everyone: for the club, for me, for the game that I am trying to impact... so I am really focusing on that."



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-star-set-leave-anfield-15762515