Friends of Fulham

Kevin McDonald: Fulham midfielder considering loan options or move into coaching during January window

Fulham midfielder Kevin McDonald considering loan options or moving into coaching; Scotland international was not named in Fulham's Premier League squad for the current season; McDonald has been helping coach the club's under-23s

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Kevin McDonald was not included in Fulham's Premier League squad this season

Kevin McDonald is weighing up whether to continue his playing career out on loan or retire and take up coaching full-time at Fulham.

The 32-year-old Scotland international was not included in the Whites' Premier League squad this season but has been helping coach the U23s at Motspur Park.

Several Championship clubs have enquired about his availability on loan but, with just over four days left of the January window, he is yet to have a concrete option.

Having been a considerable servant to the club, helping them win promotion to the Premier League twice, it is understood Fulham would not stand in his way if he opted to go elsewhere but are keen to keep hold of his experience helping their younger players.

McDonald has almost 500 senior appearances under his belt for seven clubs including Wolves and Sheffield United, and five caps for Scotland.

He is one of three central midfielders who were not named in the Fulham squad this season. The others were Stefan Johansen, who has joined QPR on loan, and Jean Michael Seri, who is close to a move to Bordeaux.




https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/12201993/kevin-mcdonald-fulham-midfielder-considering-loan-options-or-move-into-coaching-during-january-window

Fulham midfielder Jean Michael Seri 'is set to join Bordeaux on loan for the rest of the season' after failing to break into Scott Parker's struggling side

    Jean Michael Seri is set to join Bordeaux on loan until the end of the season
    The midfielder has made just one start at Fulham this season in the Carabao Cup
    Seri, 29, also spent last season out on loan at Galatasaray rather than in London

Fulham midfielder Jean Michael Seri is set to head out on loan once again, this time at Bordeaux until the end of the season.

Seri, who was signed from Nice in 2018 for a reported club record £25million, is expected to head back to Ligue 1 and Jean-Louis Gasset's team, according to The Guardian.

The Ivory Coast international has made just one start for Fulham this season, in the Carabao Cup, and has not featured at all in the Premier League despite the club languishing in the relegation zone, five points from safety.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/01/29/09/38626996-9200835-image-a-8_1611913721913.jpg)    (https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/01/29/09/38627006-9200835-image-a-9_1611913721915.jpg)
Jean Michael Seri (left) is to join Bordeaux on loan as Scott Parker (right) has no place for him

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/01/29/09/38626016-9200835-image-a-4_1611911334706.jpg)
Despite being signed for a club record £25million, Seri has been a failure at Craven Cottage

Despite his much-touted signing three years ago, Seri has been a failure at Craven Cottage.

Fulham won a race to his signature that included the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham, with Barcelona having also shown an interest beforehand.

But the playmaker failed to live up to his billing in 34 appearances that season - with just one goal and three assists - which ended with Fulham's relegation from the Premier League. 

Having shown little desire to play in the Championship, Seri spent last season on loan at Galatasaray.

The Turkish club are understood to have shown interest in extending the deal, but Seri is expected to go back to France with Bordeaux. The 29-year-old has one year left on his contract at Fulham.

Seri's exit marks the latest move in Fulham manager Scott Parker's clear out, which has already seen Stefan Johansen join Queens Park Rangers on loan. The club are also listening to offers for Maxime Le Marchand.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9200835/Fulham-midfielder-Jean-Michael-Seri-set-join-Bordeaux-loan.html

McDonald mulls retirement

Fulham midfielder Kevin McDonald is considering whether to move into the Championship on loan or call time on his playing career and stay on as a coach with the Cottagers.

The veteran Scottish midfielder, who is currently taking his coaching badges, has been working with both Fulham's under 18 and under 23 sides at Motspur Park since being omitted from Scott Parker's 25-man Premier League playing squad earlier this season. McDonald, a key component of Fulham's two promotion-winning teams, has not made a first-team appearance since coming as a substitute when the Whites beat Cardiff 2-0 in July 2020.

He has spoken previously of a desire to continue a playing career that has seen him make 529 senior appearances and, despite being offered the opportunity to leave on loan or on a free transfer in recognition of his contribution at Craven Cottage, has yet to receive a firm offer. A number of Championship sides have been credited with interest, but it is understood that McDonald is enjoying his work with Fulham's youngsters and remains popular at Motspur Park.

The 32 year-old joined Fulham from Wolves in July 2016, bringing to an end the Whites' long pursuit of his services. McDonald immediately tightened up Fulham's midfield, deployed in a deeper role than at any previous point in his career by Slavisa Jokanovic. He made 48 appearances as Fulham were agonisingly beaten at Reading in the play-off semi-finals and then was a virtual ever present when the Whites went one better the following year, beating Aston Villa in the play-off final at Wembley. McDonald, who has made 127 senior appearances for Fulham and scored six goals, has been largely overlooked on each of the club's two seasons in the top flight and it remains to be seen whether he will bring his playing career to be a premature end.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/mcdonald-mulls-retirement/

Fulham Tried To Include West Ham Target In Swap Deal, Bordeaux Refused

Fulham tried to involve West Ham target Josh Maja in talks to sell Jean-Michael Seri to Bordeaux before agreeing to keep the two negotiations separate.

Maja, a former Sunderland man, has been linked with a return to England this month with at least three clubs interested in bringing him back over the English Channel.

West Ham are looking at him as a potential forward target and West Brom are also interested in the Bordeaux striker.

Fulham are also interested and are in talks with Bordeaux to take Maja to Craven Cottage before Monday's transfer deadline.

According to French sports daily L'Equipe, they even tried to leverage Bordeaux's interest in Seri and tried to involve Maja in a potential swap deal.

The French club want the Fulham midfielder and the Ivorian has also made it clear that he wants to move to the Ligue 1 outfit despite interest from Galatasaray.

But Bordeaux request Fulham keep the two negotiations apart and the Cottagers have adhered to it and are working on the Maja trail separately.

The former Sunderland man is keen on a return to England and he could be back in the Premier League before the window shuts on Monday night.



https://insidefutbol.com/2021/01/29/fulham-tried-to-include-west-ham-target-in-swap-deal-bordeaux-refused/492083/

Win A Virtual Mascot Place With Teng Tools


Our partners Teng Tools are proudly sponsoring our upcoming matchday versus West Ham United on Saturday 6th February, and as part of this are pleased to offer two lucky Fulham fans the chance to be virtual mascots for the fixture!

The virtual mascot package includes the following:

    Personalised digital letter from Scott Parker
    Personalised video message from a First Team player
    Personalised digital Matchday Mascot Certificate
    Unique code for 40% off any 20/21 Junior Home, Away or Goalkeeper Kits from the Online Store
    Your name and/or image to appear on the Craven Cottage LED display boards & big screen
    Your name and/or image to appear in the Official Matchday Programme and pre-match email
    Your name and/or image to appear on fulhamfc.com and social media channels
    A signed 2020/21 shirt from the FFC first team, provided by Teng Tools

Alongside this one runner-up will also receive a signed shirt.

The competition is open to all fans aged between 4- 12 years old and all you need to do to enter is fill in the below form. Winners will be selected at random when the competition closes on Monday 1st February at 12pm and will be contacted by email shortly after.

Good luck!



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/january/Win-A-Virtual-Mascot-Place-With-Teng-Tools/

Staying at Plymouth Argyle was easy decision, says on-loan Jerome Opoku

The 22-year-old from Fulham will spend the rest of the season with Ryan Lowe's Pilgrims

Jerome Opoku can feel the support of the Plymouth Argyle fans even though they cannot attend games due to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic.

The on-loan Fulham defender is grateful for the way the Green Army have got behind him on social media during his time at Home Park.

It has not always gone smoothly for the 22-year-old since he signed for the Pilgrims in late September, both individually and as a team.

However, the Pilgrims have picked up some good results recently, winning four and drawing two of their last seven League One games, and Opoku has been playing regularly.

Earlier this week Opoku extended his loan to Argyle until the end of the season.

Opoku told Plymouth Live: "I'm delighted with that. It was an easy decision for me to be honest.

"With the run of form we have picked up, I'm going to keep my head down – the boys are too – and keep getting the three points when we can."

He added: "I'm really enjoying it. From my apartment, everything is just five minutes away.

"Obviously, the fans can't be with us but on the social media side they have always stuck behind me.

"You are looking at the stadium we have and if it was full it would be crazy, the atmosphere would be great.

"I'm getting used it to now (the behind closed doors games) and on the social media side they are still behind us.

"After the game I always go on my phone and communicate with the fans. It's good."

Argyle continue their League One campaign against eighth-placed Accrington Stanley at Home Park tomorrow (3pm).

Accrington are a club that Opoku knows well as he played on loan there last season.

The 6ft 4in defender made a total of 23 starts and two substitute appearances for John Coleman's side.

Opoku said: "It's my old team, but I'm here now so that's all behind me.

"I'm just going to go out with the same mentality we have been doing and hopefully we get the three points."



https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/staying-plymouth-argyle-easy-decision-4942649

Scott Parker: Fulham's season will not be defined by West Brom result

Fulham boss Scott Parker thinks it is too early for Saturday's game at West Brom to be described as a "must win".

Parker's side are 18th, one place and two points ahead of the hosts. Fulham are five points from safety, with a game in hand on the two sides above them.

"It's a big game for us," he admitted. "A massive game for us, and West Brom. [But] do I see it as a definer, do I see it as one which is going to define the season for us? No, I don't.

"There's 19 games left of this season, we're five points difference with a game in hand on Brighton, a game in hand and six points off Newcastle.

"I think we've seen in a real short space of time over the last few weeks, with teams getting results at places where you wouldn't expect to get them, that this season's still got a lot of legs, a lot of miles to go.

"I also understand that the weekend's game is big and we want to go in and win the game, we want to perform, we want to try and get three points."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-fc-news-scott-parker-west-brom-b917912.html

Mitro has my vote ahead of a new signing – here's why.
In his debut piece, Colm O'Donnell says maybe we don't need to delve into the transfer market this weekend.

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Wednesday's game against Brighton made one thing clear. One thing that we all knew already.

That is if Fulham are to survive in the Premier League, they need to start scoring goals and they need to start scoring them this Saturday.

If we get a win against West Brom at the Hawthorns while Brighton and Newcastle both lose to Spurs and Everton respectively, we'll have all of a sudden reeled two teams within striking distance with a game in hand.

No time to bed in
The million-dollar question is, though, where are the goals going to come from? Do they hit the transfer market and take the risk of ending up with another Kostas Mitroglou in the hope that we might stumble upon someone who had the impact Pavel Pogrebnyak had in his first three games? In reality, we don't have a great history with strikers making immediate impacts. There was Pogrebnyak, who scored five goals in his first three games, but he then only ever scored one more for us after that.

Andy Johnson and Ross McCormack took a month and a half each to get their first strikes, while Bobby Zamora only scored twice in his first season. No doubt, the last three were brilliant for this club, but right now Scott Parker can't afford to allow someone time to settle in. We could be relegated by the time they're ready. Put simply, we need someone who is going to score about 10 goals in these last 19 games. It's a mammoth ask.

Oven-ready striker
We already possess a striker who can do that in Aleksandar Mitrović and Wednesday only reaffirmed my belief. Mitrović came on for the last 12 minutes and instantly made us look a much more dangerous team.

His first touch was to hold up the ball and start an attack. His second touch set Bobby Decordova-Reid in on goal. And most importantly, his strength was the key factor in creating the chance for Loftus-Cheek at the very end. If Mitro and Joe Bryan had started that game, I firmly believe we would have taken three points instead of just one.

Sure, Mitro had a poor spell for club and country after the Leeds game, but this is also the man who proved he could score in the Premier League last time around when he netted 11 times in a poorer side than this. He can't just be thrown to one side because of a bad spell. With Robinson coming back and his ability to get to the byline, paired with Lookman's ability to create something out of nothing, it's a perfect time to get Mitrović on the end of some of those balls to direct them into the net.

This squad is good enough to stay in this league, but they need to start turning these moral victories into actual points on the table. We're playing a fantastic brand of football, we are solid defensively and we have a top notch goalkeeper. The final piece of the puzzle is Mitro putting the ball in the net.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2021-01-29-mitro-has-my-vote-ahead-of-a-new-signing-heres-why/

Can Allardyce continue unbeaten run against Fulham?

Team news

West Bromwich Albion winger Grady Diangana returned to training this week and could be in contention to face Fulham, while Robert Snodgrass (knock) is expected to be available.

Antonee Robinson is back in contention for Fulham having served a three-match ban, but Tom Cairney and Terence Kongolo remain sidelined.
Did you now?

Sam Allardyce has won six of his last seven home Premier League matches with Fulham, drawing the other, since a 2-0 defeat as Bolton manager in May 2004.

Each of the last 21 PL goals scored at The Hawthorns has been scored against West Brom. It is the longest run of goals at a stadium scored against a single team in the competition's history.

Fulham are without a win in their last nine PL matches (D6 L3). No side are currently on a longer run without a victory.

Fulham can keep consecutive away clean sheets in the PL for the first time since May/August 2013.
Match officials

Referee: Anthony Taylor. Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn. Fourth official: Chris Kavanagh. VAR: Peter Bankes. Assistant VAR: James Mainwaring.



https://www.premierleague.com/news/1985523

West Brom in race against clock to finalise late Jan deal after COVID test performed – report

West Brom are in a race against the clock to sign striker Mbaye Diagne from Galatasaray in time for him to play against Fulham on Saturday, according to The Sun.

The newspaper claims Diagne, 29, completed a medical in Istanbul on Thursday and has undergone COVID testing ahead of moving to the Black Country.

However, it is understood that the Senegal international's need for a work permit could scupper Sam Allardyce's chances of starting him against Fulham at The Hawthorns this weekend.

The Sun adds that Diagne is set to join the Albion on loan until the end of the season but the deal will be made permanent if Allardyce's men are able to avoid relegation.

Galatasaray manager Fatih Terim has also reportedly given his blessing to the move.

Fulham match too soon

It sounds like it's going to be a bit of a stretch for Diagne to be available to play against Fulham at The Hawthorns on Saturday to make his West Brom debut.

Karlan Grant has returned from injury and Callum Robinson hasn't been playing too badly as of late so Allardyce does have a couple of options to play up front.

It would be good for him to have Diagne available in time for the relegation six-pointer against Fulham but it doesn't seem likely.

In just over 24 hours, the match will kick-off in the West Midlands and in that time, Diagne needs to get a work permit, fly into the UK, finalise whatever paperwork that is left over and get ready to slot straight into Big Sam's squad.

It just doesn't sound plausible.

West Brom have a massive couple of fixtures on the horizon with a trip to Yorkshire to play Sheffield United coming up on Tuesday.

It's far more likely that Diagne will feature at Bramall Lane.



https://www.westbromnews.co.uk/2021/01/29/west-brom-in-race-against-clock-to-finalise-late-jan-deal-after-covid-test-performed-report/

'It was all weird... no one really spoke': Ex-Fulham star Sean Davis claims England's golden generation didn't talk to each other and squad was split between northerners and southerners... and says he 'HATED' his only senior Three Lions call-up

    Sean Davis was given his only call-up for the England senior squad in 2003
    England fell to a 3-1 loss to Australia and Davis admits he 'hated' the experience
    He says the players didn't speak and he went home instead of staying at the hotel
    Davis also claims Sven-Goran Eriksson said nothing after their Australia defeat
    He admitted having a better time going to a nightclub after the game took place

Former Fulham star Sean Davis has admitted he 'hated' his one and only experience of being called up to the senior England squad.

The retired midfielder was called up by Sven-Goran Eriksson for England's shock 3-1 friendly defeat by Australia at Upton Park, back in February 2003.

Davis says he left the team's hotel in Canary Wharf and returned the following morning and that he had a 'better time' going to a nightclub after the game.

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Sean Davis was an unused sub in his only England call-up but played at Under 21 level

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The former Fulham midfielder 'hated' the experience of being called-up to the senior side

'I hated it, I hated the experience,' Davis said in the latest On the Judy Podcast.

He added: 'So they pick you up ago to a hotel in Canary Wharf. It was all weird, no one really spoke.

'I'm looking around thinking this is my first time in the England squad, no one really came up to me and said anything.

'So I'm thinking this is a weird situation so I actually went home, stayed at home and came back in the morning. I didn't stay in the hotel as you were rooming up by yourself anyway.

'Not like you were allowed to do that but I was just like "you know what this is long I don't want to be sitting in a room by myself".

'I went home, came back, went down for breakfast. All the southerners on one side of the table, all the northerners on the other side of the table.

'It's not me being bitter this is just how I saw it. And then we trained but not everyone trained and then the next day we did a little pattern of play - wasn't involved in that.

'There was 24 players, three didn't play which I think was me, maybe Scotty Parker and Matt Upson. But then after the game they lost 3-1, people were just getting changed and going home.

'I don't think I even heard Eriksson say anything. So I was just alright, get in the shower and straight out.

'All of my family were there and I felt sorry for them as they travelled to Upton Park from south London which is a bridge of a drive. I ended up having a better time going to a nightclub after.'

Davis was an unused substitute in the defeat by Australia as Eriksson played an experimental side, where he changed the entire team at half-time.

Arsenal striker Francis Jeffers scored for England, but goals from Tony Popovic, Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton handed the Socceroos the victory.

It was the one and only call-up for Davis who would go on to play 198 times for Fulham, before going on to have spells at Premier League sides Tottenham, Portsmouth and Bolton.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9201567/Sean-Davis-claims-England-players-didnt-talk-HATED-senior-call-up.html

Robinson revved up for return

Antonee Robinson is raring to go on his return to the Fulham side – after serving his three-match suspension having been sent off against Chelsea.

The American international admitted his spell on the sidelines had been frustrating and that his immediate reaction to his red card in the narrow derby defeat was that it was harsh. The left back told FFCTV:

I've obviously missed playing so much. It hurts not being able to help the lads out, but thankfully my suspension's over and I can get back out there. I feel ready to go straight back in if I'm needed. Hopefully, that is the case and I can get straight back involved and try and help the team to get more points. The rest has been good for me.

I thought it was harsh at the time, but it is more just the shock because I've never been sent off in my whole life playing football. It wasn't the first time I'd seen red. I was just shocked. I didn't think it was that hard a tackle to be getting a red for it, but I've just got to learn and move on.

Robinson believes Fulham were unlucky not to pick up more points in the two league games that he missed but is hopeful of a stronger second half of the season.

I think it was unfortunate. I don't think we played the best that we could play, but hopefully going forward, now that we've played everyone in the league, it should help with confidence, we know we can do well and now we know we have to get results.

The former Wigan defender believes Fulham are well placed to take on West Brom on Saturday in another crucial clash.

I'm sure they'll be set up a lot differently. I'm pretty sure the gaffer will be really going through how we're going to go against them. He's analysed them well, so I think we have to focus on our game and how we're going to break them down. I've got full faith in the team. The coaching staff here are really good at highlighting opposition strengths and weaknesses and tinkering with how we're going to play to exploit that, but I feel like we've got the players and the togetherness and the fight to go and try get points and we've got to put it into play now.

He is echoing manager Scott Parker's mantra about concentrating on each individual match and believes that if Fulham can continue their improved performances then vital points can follow.

I definitely think it is one game at a time. Obviously, we're aware that we're playing against a team who are below us in the table so it would be nice to get three points and get that cushion but overall there's however many games left in the season now so we're not to going down if we lose this game, we're not going to stay up if we win this game – we've just got to focus on trying to put the points together and trying to win games.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/robinson-revved-up-for-return/

West Bromwich Albion v Fulham

TEAM NEWS

West Bromwich Albion winger Grady Diangana is back in training following a hamstring injury and could feature for the first time since 2 January.

Conor Townsend is in contention to make a first appearance since November after recovering from a knee injury.

Fulham full-back Antonee Robinson is available following a one-match suspension.

Terence Kongolo and Tom Cairney remain out with respective thigh and knee injuries.

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Fulham have not won since the end of November but their improvement has been evident - this could be the win they have been waiting for.

Prediction: 1-2

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

    West Brom are winless in 10 league matches against Fulham.
    However, the Baggies have lost only one of their past nine home games against Fulham (W3, D5).
    Fulham's 2-1 triumph in 2013 is the only away victory in all 17 Premier League meetings.

West Bromwich Albion

    West Brom have 11 points after 20 matches. The only Premier League team to have 11 or fewer points at this stage and still avoid relegation was Albion themselves in 2004-05.
    They have won only two of their 20 league games this season (D5, L13).
    Albion have lost five straight top-flight home matches by an aggregate score of 22-1.
    The 22 league goals conceded since Sam Allardyce's first game in charge on 20 December is 10 more than any other side during that period.
    They have let in 29 goals in 10 Premier League home matches this campaign. Only Aston Villa, who let in 31 in 1935-36, have conceded more in their opening 10 home fixtures of a top-flight season.
    Allardyce has won six of his past seven home Premier League meetings with Fulham, drawing the other game.

Fulham

    Fulham have won just two of their 19 Premier League matches, and none of the last nine.
    That nine-game winless run is the current joint-longest in the division, along with Newcastle.
    Fulham can keep consecutive Premier League away clean sheets for the first time since August 2013.
    They have scored only four goals in their past nine league fixtures.
    Fulham are unbeaten in all five games versus bottom-five teams. They have drawn four and beat West Brom in the reverse fixture.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55769170

Fulham player facing career dilemma following Championship transfer interest

Experienced Fulham midfielder Kevin McDonald is weighing up whether to move on from the Cottagers in the final few days of the transfer window – but he could sensationally end up retiring instead, per Sky Sports.

The 32-year-old has been a stalwart for many clubs in his career so far, including Burnley, Sheffield United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and he's made 116 league appearances for Fulham since 2016.

But game-time has been harder to come by in recent years, with just 31 of those appearances coming since the start of the 2018/19 campaign, and he wasn't registered in Fulham's Premier League squad this season due to the competition in the engine room.

McDonald has only made one Fulham appearance of any kind this season – for their under-23 squad back in November – and Lyall Thomas of Sky Sports has revealed that several second tier clubs have made loan enquiries for the Scottish international.

But there could be another option on the table for McDonald – he could retire from playing and take up full-time coaching at Craven Cottage, with the club apparently valuing his experience very highly when it comes to teaching the younger players.

32 would be a relatively young age for McDonald to retire and he surely has a few more years left in his legs, but if a Championship move doesn't come to fruition, he may not have many more options.

The Verdict

There are plenty of Championship clubs who could do with a player like McDonald to sit in-front of the defence and dictate play.

The thoughts of retirement are surely all-too premature, even though he has been playing regular first-team football since the age of 16 when he was at Dundee, it's still baffling to think he may already be done.

Now that his name is out there as being available, there will surely be at least one Championship outfit who will make their move for McDonald before the window shuts at 11pm on February 1 – he has far too much quality to be sitting on the sidelines.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-player-facing-career-dilemma-following-championship-transfer-interest/

Allardyce targeting change of fortunes on home soil

Sam Allardyce has challenged his players to change their fortunes at The Hawthorns and pick up "three big points" against Fulham.

The Baggies will be hoping to secure their first victory in B71 since late November when they host the Londoners on Saturday afternoon (ko 3pm).

Fulham sit one place and two points above the Baggies in the Premier League table, with both looking to claw back ground on the clutch of teams sitting just outside the danger zone.

Allardyce admits this weekend's clash is a hugely important one in the battle for survival and hopes Albion can rediscover the winning feeling on home soil.

He said: "We've been finding it difficult to win on our home turf. We need to put that to bed.

"We have to try and put that right in such a big game on Saturday.

"It's a six-pointer. Everybody knows that. We want to come away with three points. It would be a big win for us.

"I'll be telling everyone not to chase the game. We can't lose our focus. If we don't lose our focus and we play to our strengths, then we have an opportunity to beat Fulham.

"If we don't beat them, we need to make sure we don't lose.

"I've been preaching that since I arrived, but we haven't managed to crack it yet apart from results against Liverpool and Wolves.

"We haven't been as resilient as we should have been and we have let in far too many goals.

"We've lost our concentration during games and that has cost us dearly. That's something I have to keep working on.

"Between Man City and now there hasn't been too much time.

"The recovery for the players is the key factor, physically and mentally.

"There's not been a huge amount of action on the training pitch because we cannot expend too much energy on the training ground.

"We need every ounce of energy for Saturday's game against Fulham."



https://www.wba.co.uk/news/allardyce-targeting-change-fortunes-home-soil

Up next: West Bromwich Albion (a)

Fulham face another tricky away trip tomorrow afternoon, heading to the Hawthorns to take on relegation rivals West Bromwich Albion in what is already a make-or-break game at the foot of the Premier League.

The Baggies will be looking for an immediate response after their humbling at the hands of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City on Tuesday night. The visitors found it all too easy, a combination of their own silky skills, and some abject Albion defending leading to a five-star stroll. Prior to that humiliation, however, West Brom seemed to be on something of an upturn under Sam Allardyce. After crashing out of the FA Cup on penalties at League One Blackpool, Allardyce's men travelled to local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers and took all three points – coming back from 2-1 down to win 3-2 at Molineux. They were unlucky to lose at Allardyce's former club West Ham and pinched a point in his first match as manager at Anfield.

Albion will want to rediscover home comforts having lost all four games at the Hawthorns since the ex-England manager replaced Slaven Bilic in December. Allardyce hasn't been able to carry them out of the relegation zone having recorded just one win in charge and nor has he been able to stop his new charges from conceding goals at an alarming rate. New signings are planned, although it is unlikely that the imminent arrival of Galatasaray striker Mbaye Diagne will come in time for him to face Fulham. Instead, Allardyce will make personnel changes to the team thrashed by Manchester City – with Matt Phillips and Conor Gallagher likely to come back in. Lively winger Grady Dianagana is an injury doubt and Albion's most potent threat is likely to be the mercurial Matheus Pereira, a star in the Championship, who has scored five goals and made three more this term.

Fulham are sorely in need of victories – Wednesday night's stalemate at Brighton was their sixth draw in eight games – and goals, having scored just four in their last nine league matches. The most likely solution to that problem, in the absence of a new striker, is probably Aleskandar Mitrovic. The Serbian has just three to his name this season and has had been short of confidence having missed the pivotal penalty in his country's failure to qualify for the European Championships and been overlooked as Scott Parker changed his system. But Mitrovic scored 26 goals in the Championship last year, scored eleven in a desperately poor Fulham side that was relegated in 2019, and showed encouraging sharpness as a substitute at Brighton. If restored to lead the line tomorrow, Mitrovic would bring a presence that has been missing from Fulham's attack potentially alongside a livewire in Ademola Lookman, who already has three goals and three assists, and Bobby Decordova-Reid, who opened the scorer in the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage.

Parker will be able to call upon the services of Antonee Robinson, the American international who has been so impressive since arriving from Wigan in the summer, after his suspension for that sending off against Chelsea. Fulham looked badly unbalanced when the head coach opted to play Decordova-Reid at left wing-back on the south coast and Robinson's desire to drive forward with pace and power could provide a new attacking option. Their only persisting injury worries are around Tom Cairney, who has just began a new course of treatment to overcome his knee problem, and Terence Kongolo, whose latest setback is a thigh strain.

Fulham can't afford to be cut adrift at the bottom. For that reason, Parker needs to be more adventurous at the Hawthorns and back the quality in his side to cause West Brom problems. He should be bold and recall Mitrovic because a win would make such a difference to our survival bid.

MY FULHAM XI (5-3-2): Areola; Tete, Andersen, Tosin, Aina, Robinson; Anguissa, Reed, Loftus-Cheek; Lookman, Mitrovic

@ffcSeb's score prediction– West Bromwich Albion 0-2 Fulham FC



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/up-next-west-bromwich-albion-a-2/

Premier League: Crystal Palace v Fulham will be shown live on BBC on 28 February

Crystal Palace's home match against Fulham on Sunday, 28 February will be broadcast on BBC One, the BBC Sport website and iPlayer.

The match, which kicks off at 12:00 GMT, could prove crucial to Fulham's chances of survival with Scott Parker's side currently five points from safety.

All Premier League fixtures up to and including the last weekend of February will be televised live in the UK.

Matches will also be shown on Sky Sports, BT Sport, Amazon Prime.

Fulham's away game at West Brom on Saturday, 30 January is available across the BBC.

All English top-flight games have been televised live in the UK since June, when the 2019-20 season resumed behind closed doors after a three-month suspension forced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the three-year UK television deal that began in 2019, only 200 of the 380 Premier League matches per season were originally contracted to be shown live.

So when last season resumed, the extra live games were divided up among the four UK television rights holders, including the BBC.

In October, the Premier League introduced pay-per-view broadcasts - at £14.95 - for all matches not selected for live coverage by Sky, BT and Amazon under their existing contracts.

However, after significant protests among fan groups, the scheme was scrapped in November, with all extra live games once again shared out among the UK rights holders.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55860087

Has there been any further updates in Fulham's reported pursuit of Siriki Dembele?

Siriki Dembele is a man in-demand this month, with a host of clubs from England and Scotland tracking the diminutive Peterborough United attacker.

Dembele handed in a transfer request earlier in January, a ploy which Posh owner Darragh MacAnthony laughed off as being agent-driven, with the winger/striker still committed to the club by contract until the summer of 2022.

It came at a time where a number of different clubs were being linked, with Newcastle United, Scottish duo Celtic and Rangers and Nottingham Forest all name-dropped by different reports – the latter even tried to swap Tyler Walker in the summer for Dembele but were turned down, according to Barry Fry.

Fulham are the latest name to be linked with the 24-year-old, who has scored five times and assisted seven goals (transfermarkt) in League One this season.

Are the Cottagers likely to move for the League One man with a few days remaining of the window though?

Simply put, no they won't.

That's the words of Posh Director of Football Fry, who was in discussions with Fulham chief scout Brian Talbot as he attended Peterborough's 1-0 win over Ipswich to specifically watch Dembele.

Fry detailed his text conversation with Talbot post-match, telling the Peterborough Telegraph: "Fulham have watched Siriki five times. Brian was at the game on Saturday and he sent me a message after the game to say they wouldn't be making an offer during the current transfer window.

That's not to say they won't be back in the summer when clubs' finances are clearer.
"There is no money about right now and certainly not enough for us to part with Siriki.

"It's getting too late in the window now anyway. We wouldn't have time to get a replacement."

Peterborough fans can rest easy until the summer now as it seems pretty clear that they will not be letting Dembele go, but they will be resigned to losing him before the 2021/22 season starts as he will only have a year left on his contract and it doesn't look like he wants to stick around at London Road.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/has-there-been-any-further-updates-in-fulhams-reported-pursuit-of-siriki-dembele/

Why haven't Fulham signed anyone yet?

First things first, I know that as soon as this article, the club will announce a signing. That's just sods law. But the question still remains, why haven't Fulham signed anyone?

First of all, let me just explain that a lack of signings isn't merely a Fulham problem, with just seven permanent fee-paying deals made so far with just two days to go. The Premier League and the rest of the footballing world has found itself in a rather unusual situation in this winter window, as has the world has for the past 11 months, lacking the usual busy month filled with extortionately priced transfers. In fact, the number of players that Fulham have been linked with this time around can probably be counted on both hands. For most clubs, the answer is due to COVID-19, of course, but Fulham seem to find themselves a bit deeper down the rabbit hole than others.

COVID-19 has obviously had a major impact on every football club and at every level. Matchday revenue, which is the most important revenue stream for football clubs as its regularity allows the payment of operating costs, has been eliminated due to the restrictions but in place to combat the virus. This has led to many clubs having to live off of the broadcasting and commercial revenues, that while much larger, come only once or perhaps twice per season. Consequently, clubs are reluctant to spend these revenue streams on more transfers and higher wage costs, with the Whites being no exception, whilst also demanding high transfer fees to sell any players to cover their costs, leading to a turgid transfer market.

Fulham may also be suffering from a lack of targets to pursue, especially with inflated prices and a lack of cash. Having been linked to relatively few players, it seems as though Fulham are in the hunt for a fairly rare player – a cheap, quick and prolific striker that is capable at the elite level. This is especially hard to find given the club's favourability towards a loan deal, due to the risk of relegation, as the loaning club wouldn't not even be compensated upfront to lose the player, other than perhaps a small loan fee, so cannot replace them themselves.

Therefore, the only affordable market at the moment for most clubs seems to be France. This is due to the collapse of the Ligue 1 TV deal, which some estimate will lose the league a total 1.3 billion Euros, with an average loss of 65 million Euros per team. With French clubs ready to offload star players to account for these losses, this is the reason why we have seen Fulham linked to Boulaye Dia, Moussa Dembele and now Josh Maja.

However, where Fulham differentiates from most clubs is the proximity in which the club seems to be operating close to the Financial Fair Play limit. Without going into too much detail and bamboozling everybody, the main costs that Fulham faces are 'total staff costs', mainly player wages, as well as the amortisation of transfer fees. Amortisation is how an initial cost is split over a set period of time, in this case a transfer fee split over a player's contracted years at the club and if their contract is extended, the remaining amount is spread over the extension period.

Should Fulham stay up this season, the FFP limit for next season is an £83 million loss over the 3-year period. However, should Fulham be relegated, this will drop to just a £61 million loss over the 2019/20-2021/22 period. While this seems like a large amount, in footballing terms it is not. It is understood that Fulham may be operating close to this limit which explains the shrewd summer spending as well as the lack of transfers this window.

Hopefully the club is able to get someone in before the deadline on Monday, with a loan being preferable.

What are your opinions on the potential Josh Maja deal? And what other options would you consider?



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/why-havent-fulham-signed-anyone-yet/

It's the start of a big five weeks for the Baggies

I'm always hesitant to describe a game as a "must win" when there are so many games left in a season, but Saturday's visit of Fulham is certainly one that Albion cannot afford to lose.

It is the first in a series of seven games in five weeks when the Baggies will meet all five of the other teams in the bottom six plus Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. Having averaged a little over 0.5 points per game for the first half of the season, Albion need to push that up towards 1.5 for the remainder of the season if they are to have any chance of staying up, and that means winning eleven points from those seven games. However, given that the need to take points off the teams around us is paramount, the more taken in those five specific games, the better.

Those of you that read my report on the City game will know that I felt that Allardyce got it wrong on Tuesday night, although that does not absolve the players from criticism as some of the social media comments suggested. I just felt that his team selection made it more difficult for the players, but the level of performance produced was well below the minimum expected and Big Sam was right to read the riot act in the dressing room afterwards.

There have been suggestions since that the decisions to leave out Kyle Bartley and Conor Gallagher, the two players that I think would have made a difference on Tuesday, was more about saving them for this more important fixture, although there has been no explanation as to why Karlan Grant was played on the wing.

Steve Madeley in The Athletic not only indicated that Gallagher and Bartley would come into the side against Fulham, but that Sam Field is in contention as well. He also suggested that Allardyce was attempting to form a "fire break" between the City game and what came before, and the remainder of the season by having the post-match "debrief" on Tuesday evening and letting the players spend Wednesday with their families.

There certainly needs to be a reset and we can hope that it has the desired impact on Saturday. But Albion cannot afford any more false dawns – encouraging displays against Liverpool and Wolves promised much but were followed by successive defeats and this run of games needs a series of consistent performances and, of course, results.

As the author of a blog, I will offer my opinion on players' abilities and performances, but I try to avoid personal criticism as I do not feel that any player is deliberately trying to play badly and, just because someone earns a lot of money as Premier League footballers do, it does not make them immune to the pressures both on and off the field that affect performance. Unfortunately, there are many that are happy to subject players to personal criticism via social media and at least one individual took that to the next level and decided to racially abuse Romaine Sawyers on Twitter during the City game on Tuesday evening. I'm sure that any genuine Albion fan would agree with me in the belief that such views have no place in society let alone in following a club that has a history of promoting racial equality. I hope that the individual can be identified and prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and I also agree with Sam Allardyce's comments that social media platforms need to do more to prevent this type of abuse.

Back to the football, one of Big Sam's constant gripes this month has been his inability to bring new players in, and he is laying the blame firmly at the hands of those above him at the club. Andy Lonergan and Robert Snodgrass remain the only new faces at the time of writing, although hopes are high that striker, Mbaye Diagne, will join on loan from Galatasaray but perhaps not in time to play against Fulham. Having wanted several more new players a couple of weeks ago, it looks like Allardyce will have to settle for Diagne and one more, probably a defensive midfielder.

As for Saturday's opponents, Fulham have become harder to beat in recent weeks but are currently on a run of nine Premier League games without a win since they surprisingly beat Leicester City at the end of November. They have, however, picked up six points from those nine games and remain two points ahead of the Baggies. That does mean, of course, that a win for Albion would move them out of the bottom two for the first time since early December.

Scott Parker's side have managed to do what Albion haven't, and stop conceding buckets of goals. Since conceding ten in their opening three Premier League games, they have only conceded more than two on one occasion since then. Indeed, they have only let in six goals in their last eight league games, a stat that Sam Allardyce could only dream about. Only Burnley and Sheffield United have scored fewer goals, however, although their tally of 15 in the "for" column is the same as Albion's.

Parker will be without long-term absentee, Tom Cairney, and defender Terence Kongolo for Saturday's game, while Antonee Robinson, the full back that Albion were interested in over the summer, will serve the last of his three match ban for a red card against Chelsea a fortnight ago.

Allardyce could have Grady Diangana and Conor Townsend available after injury. Townsend is yet to feature under Big Sam having picked up his injury in the 1-0 win over Sheffield United in November while Diangana is looking for his first action since the 4-0 defeat to Arsenal at the beginning of the month.

This game will be historic in that it is to be televised on the BBC at 3pm on a Saturday, and I suspect the last time that happened for to a Baggies match was in May 1968. I'd take the same result but whoever is the modern day Jeff Astle for the day needs to find the net before the 90 minutes is up!



https://brummieroadender.com/baggies-preview/its-the-start-of-a-big-five-weeks-for-the-baggies/

Three Points Essential

OK, Fulham comrades. Tomorrow's match is quite a biggie. You could argue that this is the most important of the season so far. We sit five points from safety, but with an inferior goal difference to Brighton who sit one place ahead of us. We are officially into he second half of the season and with only two wins to our name so far, the pressure is well and truly on. One of those wins came against West Brom back in November but the season hasn't picked up points-wise for either team since then really. While our defence has come on considerably since the start of the season, the Baggies have been a disaster. Sacking Bilic for Allardyce has so far not worked so here's hoping their diabolical defending lasts for at least one more day.

West Brom remind me of us from two seasons ago. They have conceded 21 more goals (but in one game more) than us so far this year but worryingly for Fulham we have scored the same amount with just 15 goals apiece. This has been the concern for Scott Parker for some time really. Our defending isn't the issue any more, but the insistence to rely on pace has been our downfall. I understand what we have been trying to do, but quick breaks and pace have helped us win once this season and that was that remarkable night in Leicester. It was an amazing win, but the style of play hasn't helped us throughout the season. Cavaleiro, despite all of his industrious running, just isn't effective in that position. We need someone who can link the play and we have that in Mitrovic. I get that for a time Mitro didn't look fit and his confidence was low, but his impact on Wednesday night against Brighton was very positive. He set up both goals against West Brom last time we played them and I'm confident that he can help us to three points tomorrow.

One thing that Parker and the boys need to be aware of is the possible reaction to West Brom's heavy defeat at home to Manchester City on Tuesday. Allardyce kept his side in the dressing room for over an hour after the game and there seems to have been a lively discussion about how they move forward. When teams have a moment like that it normally only results in one of two things. An immediate upturn in fortune as everyone pulls together, or else an already struggling squad falls apart even more. They have been dreadful at home this season, but will be targeting this game as their moment to kick-start their campaign properly. Fulham have to be prepared for the backlash tomorrow. We have to be super tight from the off and not give them an inch. We beat a Bilic side in November, this is an Allardyce side so will have to approach the game wary of this.

Wednesday night was very poor from a Fulham perspective. We looked nervous and didn't really threaten until the end of the game. When we are playing the teams around us we just can't afford to do this. Three points tomorrow is essential.

#COYW



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/three-points-essential/

'Registration was submitted' – Diagne could make West Brom debut v Fulham – report

West Brom have announced the signing of Mbaye Diagne from Galatasaray and he could make his Albion debut against Fulham.

Diagne becomes the third recruit under Sam Allardyce and the Albion boss will want his new man to hit the ground running.

The 29-year-old forward has the opportunity to do just that against Fulham on Saturday, according to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas.

On Friday evening, Thomas tweeted, "Announced by West Brom and I'm told Diagne's registration was submitted in time for him to potentially make an immediate debut against Fulham tomorrow."

This will come as huge boost for Allardyce as his other forward options have not impressed since he arrived at The Hawthorns.

Karlan Grant is fit and available but he was poor under Slaven Bilic and looked no better against Manchester City as he has very little presence.

Quite the opposite is true for Diagne as the 6ft three-inch attacker offers a presence in the air and he looks like he can handle himself against tough centre backs.

This is something Grant, and many other Albion attackers, can't do as Big Sam looks to have finally acquired one of his key targets this month.

A debut against Fulham gives Diagne a great chance to hit the ground running, after all, he is already in fantastic goalscoring form.

Imagine what a debut goal will do for his confidence and the confidence of Baggies fans everywhere as the prospect of avoiding relegation becomes ever so slightly more realistic.

Equally, Allardyce may not have a choice but to play his new man if he has been left unimpressed with the striking options he already had.

At least he has the option to play Diagne as we may get a chance to see our new man in action earlier than we thought.


https://www.westbromnews.co.uk/2021/01/29/registration-was-submitted-diagne-could-make-west-brom-debut-v-fulham-report/

Timmy Abraham

Raith Rovers have today secured the loan signing (until the end of the season) of an exciting prospect in Fulham striker Timmy Abraham.

The 20 year old  Londoner (full name Jason Timiebi Ogheneobrucheme Bakumo-Abraham) stands at 6ft 1in and started his career at the youth academy of Charlton Athletic FC, before joining Fulham FC in 2017 and playing for the Lilywhites under 21 side.

Timmy has also spent time on loan at EFL League 1 clubs Bristol Rovers and Plymouth Argyle in the last year.

Timmy is the brother of England and Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, and he talked to RaithTV after his first training session with his new teammates:



https://www.raithrovers.net/46351/timmy-abraham.htm

Cottage Talk Preview: West Brom vs. Fulham

Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

This episode is our preview of West Brom vs. Fulham.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2021/1/29/22256886/cottage-talk-preview-west-brom-vs-fulham

Raith take Abraham on loan

Fulham striker Timmy Abraham has joined Raith Rovers for the remainder of the season on loan.

The 20 year-old made just appearances at League One Plymouth Argyle earlier this season before his loan spell at Home Park was terminated early and a move to Scotland is seen as an opportunity to gain further first-team football. Abraham, the brother of Chelsea and England striker Tammy, spent the second half of last season with Bristol Rovers, again making four appearances and not scoring a goal.

He has scored four goals in 23 appearances for Fulham's under 23s and netted twelve times in 36 games for the under-18 side after moving from Charlton Athletic. Abraham has made just one appearance for Colin Omogbehin and Mark Pembridge's outfit this term and will be hoping to add firepower to Raith's push for promotion from the Scottish Championship. Rovers are currently in fourth place, two points behind Dundee, with a game in hand. Those two sides face each other at Stark's Park tomorrow afternoon.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/raith-take-abraham-on-loan/

Parker warns Robinson to be careful when tackling

Scott Parker has warned Antonee Robinson to be "careful" with his tackling now the defender has served a ban.

Robinson is back in the squad after serving a three-match suspension following a straight red card against Chelsea two weeks ago.

He will almost certainly be at left-back against West Brom on Saturday.

In a 20-season playing career, Whites boss Parker picked up just one straight red – and that as a youth player at Charlton.

He believes those days are long gone.

"Can you coach how to tackle and stay just the right side of OK? I don't think you can in this day and age," Parker said.

"We're close to tackling being eradicated from the game and players not having to wear shin pads is not that far away.

"The days of going in and winning a ball are gone, and any slight bit of aggressiveness is not allowed.

"For me, tackling is an art. We look at the best strikers and the midfielders, the best passers, and we look at them and (ask) how they do that. I think the same about tackling.

"My comment to Antonee Robinson is you need to be so, so careful. Do I think that was a red card (against Chelsea)? No, I don't.

"But we're in a world where I hear experienced professionals, now pundits, who were in the generation I was in and loved tackling and who now see any slight contact could be a sending-off. It's pretty difficult to coach."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/parker-warns-robinson-to-be-careful-when-tackling

Scott Parker wanted Aleksandar Mitrovic to get "some air and oxygen"

Scott Parker revealed he took Fulham centre-forward Aleksandar Mitrovic out of the team so he could get "some air and oxygen".

The Serbian has found his game time limited under Parker this season, starting just one Premier League match since November's international break.

The number nine has also not scored for Fulham since his side's 4-3 defeat by Leeds at Elland Road in September.

"I think it's fair to say that Aleks, at the start of the season, struggled a bit and had a bit of a dip in form," Parker said, referring to his decisive sudden-death penalty shoot-out miss while on international duty which saw Scotland secure a place at Euro 2020 at the expense of Serbia.

"Being the one centre-forward in the football club, a lot of pressure and responsibility lies on Aleks' shoulders. I played football for a long time, I understand those pressures and stresses.

"Sometimes coming out of the arena, and getting some air and oxygen, can help."

The Fulham boss has taken players out of the squad before, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek having to wait until October 18 to make his Fulham debut, and then missing a further game in November.

Parker believes that his decision to take Mitrovic out of the starting line-up will prove beneficial for last season's Sky Bet Championship golden boot winner.

"I'm sure it's not been an easy period," said the boss. "That's then down to me in terms of managing Aleks and understanding the reasons for that. Of course at the same time, (Ivan) Cavaleiro has done very, very well. The team has done very, very well.

"At the time, players just live in the moment and see it for what it is. That little bit of air you give them, which maybe at first they don't quite understand, or quite see, they come out the other side, and all of a sudden play with a little bit more freedom.

"They forget what was happening, that burden or dip in form that was maybe on their shoulders.

"I think that's something that can only help Aleks. Every player has dips in form, every player has moments in their careers and moments in seasons.

"But like I said, I was really pleased with Aleks against Burnley. I thought he was superb when he came on. He was a real presence, showed his quality, played with a real freedom and energy."



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/news/scott-parker-wanted-aleksandar-mitrovic-to-get-some-air-and-oxygen_432783.html

Refreshed Mitrovic can benefit from 'air and oxygen,' says Parker

Scott Parker feels Aleksandar Mitrovic can benefit from his spell out of the Fulham team after a difficult start to the Premier League season.

The Fulham manager has left the Serbian striker out of his side since Mitrovic missed the decisive penalty in his country's European Championship play-off defeat by Scotland, with the former Newcastle forward making just a single since November's international break – against his old club at St. James' Park.

Parker says he has had to draw on his own experiences to manage Mitrovic, who hasn't scored since grabbing a couple of goals in Fulham's 4-3 defeat at Leeds back in October.

"I think it's fair to say that Aleks, at the start of the season, struggled a bit and had a bit of a dip in form. Being the one centre-forward in the football club, a lot of pressure and responsibility lies on Aleks' shoulders. I played football for a long time, I understand those pressures and stresses. Sometimes coming out of the arena, and getting some air and oxygen, can help."

"I'm sure it's not been an easy period. That's then down to me in terms of managing Aleks and understanding the reasons for that. Of course at the same time, Cavaleiro has done very, very well. The team has done very, very well."

"At the time, players just live in the moment and see it for what it is. That little bit of air you give them, which maybe at first they don't quite understand, or quite see, they come out the other side, and all of a sudden play with a little bit more freedom. They forget what was happening, that burden or dip in form that was maybe on their shoulders."

Parker believes Mitrovic's spell out of the team could be beneficial during the second half of the season and was impressed by his contribution off the bench in Wednesday's draw with Brighton.

"I think that's something that can only help Aleks. Every player has dips in form, every player has moments in their careers and moments in seasons. But like I said, I was really pleased with Aleks against Brighton. I thought he was superb when he came on. He was a real presence, showed his quality, played with a real freedom and energy."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/refreshed-mitrovic-can-benefit-from-air-and-oxygen-says-parker/

'Be careful with tackling,' Parker tells Robinson

Scott Parker has reminded Antonee Robinson to 'be careful' in the tackle as he prepares to welcome the defender back into his Fulham side.

The American international served a three-match ban for his challenge on Cesar Azpilicueta in the west London derby – with both the player and his manager still believing that sending off was harsh. Parker told his press conference ahead of tomorrow's pivotal trip to West Brom that the decision was a sign of the times.

"Can you coach how to tackle and stay just the right side of OK? I don't think you can in this day and age. We're close to tackling being eradicated from the game and players not having to wear shin pads is not that far away."

"The days of going in and winning a ball are gone, and any slight bit of aggressiveness is not allowed. For me, tackling is an art. We look at the best strikers and the midfielders, the best passers, and we look at them and how they do that. I think the same about tackling."

"My comment to Antonee Robinson is you need to be so, so careful. Do I think that was a red card? No, I don't. But we're in a world where I hear experienced professionals, now pundits, who were in the generation I was in and loved tackling and who now see any slight contact could be a sending-off. It's pretty difficult to coach."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/be-careful-with-tackling-parker-tells-robinson/

Bournemouth attacker expected to stay until the end of the season

Josh King is expected to stay at Bournemouth in this transfer window, as per Sky Sports (live transfer blog, 29.01.21, 23.09).

The Cherries boss Jason Tindall said that the Norway international is sticking around for the rest of the season.

King, who is 29 years old, has been on the radar of the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Fulham this month, as reported by The Sun, but appears to be staying in the Championship.

The attacker has made 14 appearances for Bournemouth in all competitions this season and has scored three goals.

King is out of contract at the end of the season and his long-term future with the promotion hopefuls remains to be up in the air.

Tindall has said: "He [King] said to me today that he's staying here until the end of the season. That's great news for us and I'm sure Josh will be looking to do extremely well for us from now until the end of the season."

King joined Bournemouth in 2015 and has chipped in with in 50 goals in all competitions over the past five years. He will now be looking to play a part in their push for an immediate return to the top flight during the second half of the season.

He has previously played for the likes of Manchester United, Hull City and Blackburn Rovers and can finally start solely focusing on his football at Bournemouth this season as opposed to speculation linking him with a return to the Premier League.



https://the72.co.uk/218034/bournemouth-attacker-expected-to-stay-until-the-end-of-the-season/

West Brom predicted XI: Fulham (H)

West Bromwich Albion host Fulham at The Hawthorns this afternoon and Sam Allardyce could ring the changes after watching his side lose 5-0 to Manchester City on Tuesday.

The Baggies are considering changes in midfield, but they'll need to shake up the defence as they have conceded more goals (48) than any other Premier League club this season. Also, with Albion being shut out in 10 of their 20 league games, Allardyce could decide to alter his attack as well.

Sam Johnstone conceded five goals in midweek but isn't at risk of losing his place between the sticks as he has saved 64% of the shots on target he has faced this season.

Darnell Furlong underperformed at right-back against Man City, so Dara O'Shea might get the nod today. Kieran Gibbs also delivered a disappointing performance at left-back in midweek, so the returning Conor Townsend might start.

Kyle Bartley came off the bench on Tuesday and was culpable for Man City's fifth goal by not following Raheem Sterling's run into the box, but he might come in at centre-back if O'Shea is moved to the right.

Semi Ajayi has been a mainstay this season and is likely to get the nod alongside Bartley as Branislav Ivanovic has struggled throughout the season.

Robert Snodgrass could start as his goal output, distribution and work rate will be key. The 33-year-old had a hand in 10 goals from 17 Premier League last season for West Ham, creating 33 chances, having 21 shots and whipping in 136 crosses (WhoScored), so Allardyce is likely to give him the nod.

Jake Livermore is the lesser of two evils in midfield, as he wasn't as bad as Romaine Sawyers in midweek. Allardyce doesn't have a lot of depth in the engine room, so he might give the 31-year-old skipper one last chance to impress in a holding role. Sawyers might be dropped after his poor performance against Man City, so the energetic Conor Gallagher is in pole position to start.

Until Grady Diangana returns from injury, Allardyce doesn't have many options on the wing. Only Matheus Pereira has created more chances (29) than Matt Phillips (12) for West Brom and only Pereira whips in more accurate crosses (every 79.1 minutes) than Phillips (every 84.8 minutes), so the 29-year-old should get the nod on the wing [WhoScored].

Pereira is a given. He has scored the most goals (4), supplied the most assists (3), created the most chances and has the second-most dribbles (20) of any Baggies player this season (WhoScored). He should sit behind the lone striker.

Karlan Grant didn't set the world alight against City, but Allardyce praised the 23-year-old before Tuesday's defeat and said he'll provide more of a goal threat, so he should lead the line against Fulham.

In total, we anticipate that Allardyce will make four changes from the side which began the 5-0 drubbing by Manchester City.

Predicted XI vs Fulham: Johnstone; O'Shea, Ajayi, Bartley, Townsend; Snodgrass, Livermore, Gallagher, Phillips; Pereira; Grant,



https://readwestbrom.com/2021/01/30/west-brom-predicted-xi-fulham-home/

FEBRUARY FIXTURE CHANGES

Fulham's final three fixtures next month have now been confirmed:

Everton v Fulham – Sunday 14th February (7pm) – Live on BT Sport
Fulham v Sheffield United – Saturday 20th February (8pm) – Live on Sky Sports
Crystal Palace v Fulham – Sunday 28th February (12pm) – Live on BBC



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/january/February-Fixture-Changes/

Jesse Lingard: West Ham sign Man Utd midfielder on loan after Said Benrahma deal made permanent

West Ham have signed Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard on loan until the end of the season, after completing the permanent signing of Said Benrahma.

England international Lingard, who has scored 33 goals in 210 appearances for United, had played just three times for the club this season.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he wanted the 28-year-old to return to Old Trafford "revitalised".

"I'm excited," said Lingard. "It's another new chapter in my life."

He added: "Nothing is guaranteed but I've come here to work hard and help the team and bring my experience. That's the main aim. I just want to enjoy my football and get back playing again and get my feet back on the pitch."

The Hammers were due to make winger Benrahma's loan move from Brentford permanent in the summer but they finalised the deal worth up to £30m earlier on Friday to free up loan space.

Premier League clubs can only have two domestic loan signings; West Ham also have Craig Dawson on loan from Watford.

Algeria international Benrahma moved to London Stadium on loan from Championship side Brentford in October, in an agreement that obliged the Hammers to make a permanent transfer, worth £25m plus £5m in add-ons, at the end of this season - but now the 25-year-old has signed a contract until 2026.

Lingard reunites with former Manchester United manager David Moyes at West Ham.

"There were lots of clubs involved but, for me personally, I felt this was the right move," said Lingard.

"I've obviously had a previous relationship with the manager as he was at Man U and I've played under him before, so he knows my qualities and what I can bring to the team.

"It's important that a player and manager have a good relationship. He's got really good morals, he gets his team working hard and I've had a chat with him already and there are no guarantees - it's down to me to put the work in and put the graft in, to get into the team and play well week-in, week-out."

Moyes said: "I've seen him play as a young boy, when he was still a wide player on the right, and I've seen him play off the left. He's played for England as a number 10, he's played for England as a number eight, and I actually think if we needed him as a false nine, he could do that as well.

"We're bringing in that versatility, I've wanted to try to get an energetic team at the moment and Jesse has been known for his work-rate and effort, so I think he'll fit in nicely with what we've got.

"I hope he brings us a little bit of quality too, and a winning mentality from Manchester United."

Speaking at a news conference before United's Premier League match with Arsenal on Saturday (17:30 GMT), Solskjaer said Lingard had a future at the club.

"We want Jesse to come back here revitalised," he said. "We've had little to no injuries and he's not forced his way into the team, unfortunately.

"I just want him to go there and enjoy himself, show how good a player he is and come back. He is a Manchester United player through and through."

Lingard will not feature in the Hammers' home game against Liverpool on Sunday (16:30 GMT) and will be ineligible to play against his parent club in the FA Cup fifth round.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55810784

Fulham's Kevin McDonald set to find refuge at Nottingham Forest – Hughton fends off 'several' Championship clubs to land midfielder

Nottingham Forest are plotting a move for Fulham outcast Kevin McDonald, reports Football Insider, after their pursuit of Bournemouth's Dan Gosling fell through.

The Scot is a favourite at Craven Cottage. But he's this season been omitted from Scott Parker's 25-man Premier League squad and now looks set for a departure before Monday's deadline.

Parker has already allowed Stefan Johansen to join QPR on loan, and now McDonald could be another central player that departs.

Whether or not Forest want the permanent deal remains to be seen. But Chris Hughton wants to bring in another central midfielder after Gosling rejected the chance to join Forest.

Manchester United's James Garner is understood to be close to signing on loan, whilst Filip Krovinovic has already signed on loan.

McDonald then could be a third central midfielder that joins Forest in this transfer window, with Hughton looking to support the likes of Lyle Taylor and Lewis Grabban up front.

Speaking to Sky Sports earlier in the week, McDonald outlined his desires to find a loan move in the final days of this transfer window, with the report claiming that 'several' Championship clubs had enquired about his availability.

McDonald will bring a host of experience to Nottingham Forest. The club still sit perilously above the drop zone and despite an upturn in form of late, Hughton and the Forest fans will know that their job is far from done.

But the former Burnley and Wolves man has been around the block. Now aged 32, the Scot will be raring to get going at Forest, and remind fans that he's still a player with a lot to offer at Championship level.



https://the72.co.uk/218094/fulham-man-set-to-find-refuge-at-nottingham-forest-hughton-fends-off-several-championship-clubs-to-land-midfielder/

Forest make McDonald move

Nottingham Forest are preparing to offer Fulham's Kevin McDonald first-team football after Dan Gosling turned down the chance to move to the City Ground, according to reports this morning.

Football Insider claims that Chris Hughton has made the Scottish international his next target as he seeks to find a replacement for former Fulham midfielder Harry Arter before the end of the January transfer window. Reports on Friday suggested that McDonald, now 32, was considering calling time on his playing career and moving into coaching at Fulham having not received a concrete offer despite a number of Championship clubs having expressed interest in taking him on loan.

The popular defensive midfielder has not made a first-team appearance for the Whites since coming on as a late substitute in Fulham's 2-0 win over Cardiff last July and has spent time working with the club's under 18 and under 23s after being left out of Scott Parker's 25-man Premier League squad. A key part of two Fulham sides that won promotion from the Championship in the space of three seasons, McDonald has made 127 appearances and scored since goals in four and a half years at Craven Cottage.

McDonald, who has made more than 500 senior league appearances, would bring experience and quality to the Forest midfield with Hughton's side currently in twentieth place, just two points above the relegation zone. The former Sheffield United and Wolves midfielder would join Fulham loanees Anthony Knockaert and Cyrus Christie at the City Ground should he agree to make the move.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/forest-make-mcdonald-move/

Fulham striker Abraham joins Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers have signed Fulham striker Timmy Abraham on loan.

The 20 year old Londoner has will stay at Stark's Park until the end of the season.

He is the third loan signing for the club in the January window, joining Kai Kenndy from Inverness and Adam King who signed on Friday frahamrom Dundee United.

6ft 1in Abraham, the brother of Chelsea and England striker Tammy, started his career at the youth academy of Charlton Athletic, before joining Fulham in 2017 where he has played in the U21 side.

Timmy has also spent time on loan at EFL League 1 clubs Bristol Rovers and Plymouth Argyle in the last year.

He said he had heard good things about the club from his Fulham team mate, former Rovers star Kieron Bowie.

"I'm looking forward to it," he told Raith TV, "It's a different type of football, a different environment – and different weather!

"I like to challenge myself so it's something I'm looking forward to. I've done a bit of homework so I know Raith like to play attractive football, they like to go forward a lot so as a striker hopefully I can get on the end of that."



https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-striker-abraham-joins-raith-rovers-3118332

Brede Hangeland: UEFA CUP final in 2010 triggered downward spiral for Fulham


Brede Hangeland reckons that Fulham's descent to relegation inferno in 2014 began after the club made an unprecedented UEFA Cup final appearance four years earlier.

The Norwegian spent six years at Craven Cottage and was part of the Fulham side that left Bundesliga sides VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburg HSV and record Serie A winners Juventus in their wake before they came up short in the final against Atletico Madrid.

Former defender Hangeland, who retired in 2016 following a two-year spell at Crystal Palace, emphasised that reaching the final gave Fulham a false sense of security as he laid bare the club's mistakes and inability to build on that success.

The 39-year old, who is a respected pundit these days and currently covers the Premier League for Norwegian channel TV2 in his homeland, reflected on his time in SW6 and pinpointed the reasons for the club's fall from grace in the space of four seasons.

He said: "There was a lot of mistakes. We didn't perform well enough on the pitch and the club gradually got weaker since the European Cup final. A lot of people made big mistakes.

"The relegation in 2014 was very sad and the darkest memory not only in Fulham but in my football career. The way it ended when we got relegated after many good years was a dark moment.

"In 2010 we went to the European Cup final but we lost that, so that wasn't too good. The whole journey up to that final was good but my best memory is actually my first year when we almost got relegated. We had to win at Portsmouth on the last day and we did that, so that was important for me and important for the club. That's the best memory I have from Fulham."

On their way to the UEFA Cup final Fulham had inflicted a shock 4-1 defeat on Juventus after falling behind to an early David Trezeguet goal.

It is fair to say that in those days it wasn't the same dominant Juve side of today as the Old Lady had just begun their resurgence from the lowest point in their history, the Serie B, before they went on to reclaim their status as the best Italian team.

Only three years before that eventful tie Juve had still found themselves in the second tier of Italian football with the glorious Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri years, the arrival of superstars such as Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala, Cristiano Ronaldo and Matthijs De Ligt, the nine consecutive Scudetti and the two Champions League finals still lying in wait.

But for Hangeland that doesn't take the gloss off their heroic achievement as he still dines out on what he and his fellow Cottagers pulled off on that memorable night.

"Our 4-1 win over Juventus is the greatest game I have ever played in. We were 1-0 down, so 4-1 on aggregate down after five minutes of the second leg and after that it was just an adventure and a fairytale for the rest of the game."

Hangeland has delved into the reasons for why his former Fulham team-mate Adel Taarabt hasn't quite managed to hit the heights everyone expected earlier in his career.

"He was a bit too relaxed in training but he was a nice guy who had fantastic ability on the ball. When I see him I always urge him to work a bit harder in training because he could be an unbelievable player."

But at AC Milan, where he spent the second part of the 2013-2014 season on loan, he found another gear and Hangeland admits that no eyebrows were raised his end after witnessing how the Moroccan set Serie A alight with the Rossoneri.

"I wasn't really [surprised] when I saw him flourish at AC Milan because it's a very different type of football in Italy and his skill, like I say, is fantastic so I can see why it was a good fir for him back then."

Hangeland recalled the dispiriting experience of going head-to-head with prime Didier Drogba when the west London derbies between Chelsea and Fulham took centre stage.

"The first Didier Drogba was the toughest opponent in the Premier League. In his early years at Chelsea in 2008, 2009, 2010 he was very good, the hardest player I faced, it was tough against him."

At weekends Hangeland locked horns with some of the world's best players in front of huge crowds, while after training during the week he often took the train back home like any ordinary person.

Whether that was at Motspur Park while at Fulham or in Beckenham, Hangeland was often seen walking to the station to catch the train home.

This clearly stood in stark contrast to the typical image of most Premier League footballers's habit of going to training with a flashy car but Hangeland didn't care what others did.

"It was the simple reason that it was quicker", Hangeland chuckled.

" I don't care about image or anything like that. I just wanted to get home the quickest way after training and driving in London is a nightmare. Sometimes I got recognised but it was not a problem because people in London were always nice to me."



https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/brede-hangeland-uefa-cup-final-in-2010-triggered-downward-spiral-for-fulham/

'Not this again' – Many Nottingham Forest fans react to emerging links with Fulham player

Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Fulham midfielder Kevin McDonald, according to Football Insider.

Chris Hughton will be keen to add a new midfielder to his squad before Monday's transfer deadline, amid recent injury troubles.

Ryan Yates, Jack Colback and Harry Arter are all missing at the moment due to injury, with James Garner set to come in on loan from Manchester United.

The Reds recently missed out on the signing of AFC Bournemouth midfielder Dan Gosling, too, with the 30-year-old rejecting a move to the City Ground earlier this week.

ccording to Football Insider, Forest have now turned their attention to Fulham midfielder Kevin McDonald.

McDonald – who made 18 appearances for Fulham last season – is yet to make an appearance for the Cottagers in any competition this term.

The 32-year-old is said to be exploring his options, with a host of Championship sides claimed to be interested in taking him on loan.

Forest have been linked with the Scottish midfielder in the past, and at the age of 32, his time at Craven Cottage looks to be coming to an end.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/not-this-again-many-nottingham-forest-fans-react-to-emerging-links-with-fulham-player/

How can Parker fix our goal-scoring crisis?
In his debut piece, Louis Wishlade digs into our scoring struggles and offers up some solutions.

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Parker's new system has been effective at taking points against bigger teams, but hasn't been able to "get the job done" against more evenly matched sides, with many citing a lack of goals. The system trades off possession and the attacking creativity created by a number 10 to increase defensive numbers. However, this has also meant dropping the club's only real striker. So, how can Parker fix this goal-scoring problem – both with and without Mitrovic?

Firstly, I believe that Parker's fluid counterattacking 5-3-2 system that has been used recently is a very valuable system against bigger teams. I wouldn't make sweeping changes to this, but instead look to improve our conversion rate to take advantage of the limited chances that strikers receive against such teams.

Utilising our current squad
Obviously, the best way to do this would be to bring in a fast and prolific striker, with the likes of Boulaye Dia, Mbala Nzola and Moussa Dembele linked in recent weeks. However, with a lack of money to spend, and time left to spend it in, it's becoming increasingly unlikely that we'll fulfil these criteria, with a loan deal of Josh Maja from Bordeaux currently the most likely outcome – if any. Therefore, we must find a way to improve the attacking output of this formation, whether we make new additions or not.

So, with the current squad, what adaptions could be made? Here's my take:

(https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/1.png.webp)

The main difference would be to use Bobby Decordova-Reid in the centre forward position. Cavaleiro has started here recently, but he's not been able to convert many of the chances that come to him. Bobby, on the other hand, is the team's top scorer despite having been deployed a wingback during multiple games this season, and he should be comfortable in this role, having been successful at Bristol City as a striker.

However, there would be an encouragement for the front three to rotate positions when attacking, keeping opposition defenders guessing on who to mark and how, much like Liverpool's front three at times.

There should also be a greater emphasis on the wing-backs overlapping. The idea being that the wing-back on the side of the attack would power up that side of the pitch, with the winger on that flank becoming an inside forward. This would create a front four, with two players attempting to infiltrate the box and convert any chances, while the others wait on the wings to pump the ball into the box. To ensure that they are not then caught on the counterattack themselves, the remining defenders would then become a back four, with one of the centre-backs moving into the full-back role. The box-to-box midfielder, namely Lemina or Reed, who plays beside Anguissa would remain halfway up the opposition half and attempt to block any passes or runs up the pitch into the Fulham half.

Anguissa's creative ability should also be exploited. He's best described as a 'segundo volante', a defensive-minded midfielder who works to win back the ball and press, but who also acts as a deep-lying playmaker, breaking the opposition's lines with powerful dribbles and runs as well as a wonderful array of passes. Zambo should therefore be encouraged to use his extensive technical and physical ability in both defensive and attacking situations, just like Mousa Dembele once did, to fix the system's lack of creativity. While he has no goals to his name in a Fulham shirt at the moment, we have already seen him attempt to pop one in from a distance, which is no bad thing, yet he can also perfectly drop a ball over the top of a defence and find the sweetest of through balls.

Utilising Mitro
Parker must also have a 'plan B', specifically to deal with smaller sides, as we have seen how his 5-3-2 has struggled to break down teams such as Brighton and Newcastle as it underutilises the increased possession that the team holds by failing to create a sufficient quality and quantity of chances. In the closing minutes of the Brighton game, Mitro's positive impact was clearly evident in a role where he could battle physical centre-backs, which smaller players struggle against, as well as creating and laying off balls to his teammates – particularly with the roll back to Bryan in the last minute. This, for me, underlined that Mitrovic is still an asset when used correctly, especially against teams such as Brighton, who played with three very tall and physical centre-backs against which Lookman, Cavaleiro and Decordova-Reid struggled.

Mitrovic has undoubtedly had a rough start to the season so far. He's endured a crisis of confidence after multiple missed penalties for both the Whites Serbia, as well as a lack of fitness too. However, his main problem has been that it's become abundantly clear that he does not fit into Parker's 5-2-3 fluid counterattacking system, which Fulham debuted against Leicester, as this system puts a heavy focus on pace when going forward, with Mitro lacking an element of mobility.

Therefore, any 'plan B' should be focused around Mitrovic and how to truly exploit his potential in the Premier League. To do this, I think that we should deploy a 4-2-3-1, with Mitrovic operating as a false nine, linking the midfield and attack as the creator for the team, while physically disrupting the opposition defence. To make this most effective, Mitrovic must be surrounded with players bursting into the box to take advantage of any balls he can knock down. Here's my suggested line-up and system:

(https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2.png.webp)

For this reason, I'd place Lookman on the left wing, his natural side, and Decordova-Reid on the right, with both operating as inside forwards when attacking down their side. For example, if we were attacking down the right-hand side, Tete would overlap and become a winger with Decordova-Reid entering the box. The advanced midfielder behind Mitrovic, namely Loftus-Cheek or Cairney, would also enter the box to latch onto any balls, while Anguissa would stay on the edge of the box for any long-range opportunities.

The wing-backs would also focus on crossing in balls from deep, which Mitrovic is able to head towards goal. This is one of Mitrovic's strengths, with Tete's deep cross against West Brom leading to a heading goal from the Serbian. This is something that's much harder to defend against and we must utilise this strength more often.

To make sure that the team doesn't lose its counterattacking ability, when on the break, Mitrovic would swap with the shadow striker number 10 behind them who would rush up alongside the wingers and the wing-back whose flank is being driven down. This would allow the team to break quickly with three or four attacking players, with Mitrovic able to arrive for any second ball.

Other than a number 10 being added into the midfield mix, this would remain similar, with a box-to-box midfielder operating alongside Anguissa as a segundo volante. This is the same for the defence, which would operate with two centre-backs instead of three, taking out Aina in most situations due to the decreased opposition threat.

We have the talent in our squad to not only survive, but to thrive. It's just a case of making a few tweaks, depending on the opposition. What do you think that Scott should do?



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2021-01-30-how-can-parker-fix-fulhams-goal-scoring-crisis/

West Brom: Galatasaray striker Mbaye Diagne joins on loan for rest of season

West Bromwich Albion have signed Galatasaray striker Mbaye Diagne on loan until the end of the season.

The Senegal international, 29, has scored 11 goals in 19 games in all competition for the Turkish side this campaign.

"It has been a long negotiation and finally we have found someone who can give us a bit more," said boss Sam Allardyce.

"But there's no guarantee he is going to switch it on straight away."

West Brom have also signed Scotland winger Robert Snodgrass from West Ham and goalkeeper Andy Lonergan in this window and Allardyce said their aim was to bring in two more players before the window closes at 23:00 GMT on Monday.

West Brom, who are currently 19th in the Premier League - eight points adrift of safety - have only scored 15 goals in 20 Premier League games so far this season.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55865824

 
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Es-8bsuXYAUDHjM?format=jpg&name=large)

Club in 'final stages' of negotiation to sign Fulham player – Arrived for medical today

Fulham midfielder Jean-Michael Seri has arrived in Bordeaux today to undergo a medical ahead of a loan move to the club.

That's according to Tuttomercatoweb, who say the player will sign his contract at his new club after undergoing medical examinations.

Seri has been linked with a move away from Fulham this month after barely featuring under Scott Parker this season.

It had looked like he would be moving back to Turkey with Galatasaray, where he spent last season on loan and is still well like as a result.

However, reports over the last week have linked him with a return to France, where he started his career and made a big impression during a three-year spell with Nice.

It appears a return is now close to completion, with TMW reporting that the Fulham man has arrived in Bordeaux today ahead of finalising a loan move.

They state that the player will undergo a medical before completing the transfer, with Bordeaux in the 'final stages' of the negotiations with Fulham.

The French side have secured a loan deal until the end of the season but also secured an option to turn the deal into a permanent one should it prove to be successful.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-seri-bordeaux-transfer-medical-today/