Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 06/08/25...

[WhiteJC]

de Fougerolles shines on dominant Dender debut
Fulham central defender Luc de Fougerolles was outstanding on his debut for Dender tonight as his new charges drew 1-1 at Standard Liege in the opening set of Jupiler League matches.

The Canadian international, who completed his move to Belgium last week, went straight into the starting line-up to face Standard Liege and dealt decisively with Thomas Henry. The Battersea-born boy looked comfortable with the ball at his feet and was happy to lead the way in times of carrying the ball, once embarking on a dangerous dribble down the middle of the park. It was a surprise to see de Fougerolles' number up with fifteen minutes to go.

Standard, captained by former Fulham full back Marlon Fossey, took the lead twenty minutes into the second half through Denis Eckert. The hosts missed chances to double their advantage and paid the penalty as Roman Kvet levelled five minutes before half time.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2025/08/de-fougerolles-shines-on-dominant-dender-debut/

[WhiteJC]

President planning trip to sign Fulham player – Push can rule out Crystal Palace option
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport reported Atalanta interest in Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz and Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta.

The Italian side have sold Mateo Retegui to Al-Qadsiah and saw the two strikers as potential replacements. An update has now emerged from Gianluca di Marzio, who reports that Fulham's Muniz has become Atalanta's priority.

Talks are currently ongoing between La Dea and Marco Silva's side for the player, with Atalanta pushing hard to sign the 24-year-old Brazilian. The Bergamo club's president Antonio Percassi is planning to fly to England to hold direct talks with Fulham and this can prove key.

Should things go well, the option of signing Crystal Palace's Mateta would lose momentum for Ivan Juric's side, with Gazzetta having previously indicated the Frenchman is likely to cost more than Muniz.

Crystal Palace were expected to demand over €50m for 28-year-old Mateta and this is perhaps why he is lower down the shortlist. Whether Atalanta will get the price they want from Fulham remains to be seen.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/president-planning-trip-to-sign-fulham-player-push-can-rule-out-crystal-palace-option/

[WhiteJC]

Atalanta delegation to discuss Muniz deal in London
Atalanta are sending a delegation from the club's board to London to see if they can secure a new striker, according to reports in the Italian press.

Gianluca di Marzio suggests that Fulham forward Rodrigo Muniz is the Serie A side's top target to replace Mateo Retegui after the Capocannoniere joined Al-Qadsiyah for £56m. Retegui scored 25 goals last season and Atalanta are desperate to land a replacement for the Italian international. Fulham have been insistent that Muniz is not for sale this summer and placed a £50m price tag on the Brazilian, which has so far successfully warded off interest from Leeds United, who had two bids below that mark rejected, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.

Atalanta believe they will be able to seal the deal after face-to-face negotiations led by their president Antonio Percassi. The Bergamo-based club also hold an interest in Crystal Palace forward Jean-Phillipe Mateta, to whom they could switch their attentions if they don't get anywhere in the talks about Muniz's availability. The former Flamego forward has two years left on his current deal, with Fulham holding an option for another year, and the Whites are talking to Muniz's representatives about a contract extension.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2025/08/atalanta-delegation-to-discuss-muniz-deal-in-london/

[WhiteJC]

How can Silva's demands for a better Craven Cottage atmosphere be delivered?
What can the club and the fans do to make Craven Cottage less of a library?

Craven Cottage is often touted by football fans as their favourite away day in the league, and with good reason. The pubs are plentiful, the views are majestic and the the architecture is a throwback to the iconic stadia of the past.

Generally though, atmosphere is not one of the keywords used to describe Craven Cottage. It has its good days or nights a few times per season, but generally it's pretty lacklustre. That being said, I think pretty much every ground I go to nowadays is poor. Most clubs have a rousing anthem at the start of a match, but otherwise there's rarely much to write home about.

However, Fulham's home atmosphere has been particularly picked up by Marco Silva. He's made several references to it in the past, but we have learnt that towards the end of last season he specifically asked the club to come up with ways to improve the noise for his team. With the Riverside now open, the club can no longer just cite the renovation as the reason to not take immediate action.

As a season ticket holder with a seat two-thirds of the way up the Hammersmith End, I can definitely confirm that chants are sung by the back of the stand pretty much throughout the whole game. However, people I speak to located in the Riverside and Johnny Haynes stands pretty much unanimously confirm that the Hammersmith End is rarely heard unless it's after a big moment such as a goal. Meanwhile, the away support is very audible throughout the match.

Given Marco's position in the technical area, it's maybe not surprising then that he's likely sick of hearing "football in a library doo doo doo" and wouldn't mind a bit more support from the 90% of people there to support his team.

We're led to believe that the club are actively looking at ways to turn things around at the Cottage, so we thought we'd list a few feasible ways that the club could rejuvenate the atmosphere with a little help from you after this post we put on our X account.

We've not included things like 'lower ticket prices' or 'remove away fans' - even though they are obvious things the club should do anyway that would make an enormous difference.

Safe standing



Safe standing is almost certainly the easiest way that Fulham could look to improve things at Craven Cottage. The benefits have been seen at multiple grounds across the country, and personally my favourite away ends are now the ones that have it installed.

Quite simply, the only drawback is that it costs money to install. The club have explained in the past that it is apparently unfeasible in the Hammersmith End and the Johnny Haynes, leaving the Putney End as the only realistic option for it to be installed. Also, there is a Premier League rule that safe standing must be made available for away fans as well as home fans, so the Putney End makes the most sense anyway.

Re-work the Putney End



Let's be honest, the Putney End is a mess. A melting pot of away fans, bemused tourists, away fans disguised as home fans and exiled/disgruntled former Riverside stand season ticket holders.

Some people might think there's a charm to having a piss next to an away fan at half-time, but might I remind those people that Twickenham Stadium is a short train ride away.

As we've discovered on those famous European nights and also in games such as Derby County in the 2018 play-off semi-final, a raucous Putney End with proper Fulham fans in can make a huge difference to the atmosphere.

As I've written about previously, I honestly think that moving away fans to the other side of the Putney End would make quite a big difference, but even if that didn't happen - encouraging young fans to migrate to this section is a no brainer. Almost every ground now has a section of vocal fans near to the away fans, and whilst sometimes these sections are a little bit tinpot, they do at least generate an atmosphere.

However, the only thing that's going to convince Fulham fans to move to the Putney End is either cheaper tickets or safe standing. Both ideas that will cost the club money.

Ditch the clappers



Look, I get that sometimes we try and own the joke on clappers, but let's be honest, they are one of the worst things about the match-day experience at Fulham for the reason that Lee states in his tweet above.

I have heard that decision makers at the club like them, but they really need to go out and survey the fans in the stadium. I am 99% confident that the response towards them will come back negative. I have no idea how much money they cost each season, but surely that can go to better use elsewhere.

A pre-match anthem



Pre-match anthems are a staple of football experience - we all know the great ones. Fulham's pre-match anthem is... Insomnia by Faithless?

Don't get me wrong, good tune at the right place and time, but... why? Not withstanding that Maxi Jazz was famously a huge Crystal Palace supporter, it just doesn't really do anything to get a crowd going.

Most pre-match anthems (YNWA, Mull of Kintyre etc) are played in the gap between the players shaking hands and the match kicking off.

Fulham's actual anthem 'Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You' only ever seems to get played at full-time when we've won. Apparently, the club experimented playing it before matches in 2014, this is not something I personally remember, but apparently it didn't really work. I'd love to see it given another try, but I understand that it maybe CTMEOOY should be saved for those victorious moments after games.

Recently, there's been a movement on social media towards trying to get the club to play Viva El Fulham in this gap just before kick-off. Personally, I think it's worth a try. Whilst it's hardly Sunshine On Leith, at least it's a song we all know the words to. Anything has to be better than listening to the Riverside Stand clap along to "I just can't get no sleep".

Encourage independent fan groups
This wasn't in the replies to the tweet we did, but I really think the club and fanbase need to encourage independent fan groups whose intention is to improve the atmosphere at Craven Cottage.

Like them or loathe them, the fan-organised and fan-funded displays made by Crystal Palace's Holmesdale Fanatics before the FA Cup semi-final and final were absolutely incredible. Compare that to Arsenal's club-made tifo that was displayed before their Champions League match against PSG.



Equally, Wor Flags at Newcastle have been incredible at making displays that have helped turn St James' Park into a much tougher ground to go to. These groups are not supporters trusts or content creators, they concentrate all their efforts into improving the atmosphere at their respective games.

I'm definitely not saying we need to create our own exact replica of either, but we should encourage independent groups who want to help improve the atmosphere, either by creating banners or other displays that help the team. Fan-made displays are always better than the corporate and safe options that the clubs themselves choose.

However, for this to happen the club and the fans in general have to play their part. The club need to be willing to work with an independent group, giving them the logistical assistance needed to get displays into Craven Cottage. Equally, fans need to play their part as well, supporting whoever is selfless enough to give up their time both morally and financially.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/how-can-silvas-demands-for-a-better

[WhiteJC]

Should Fulham Cash In on Muniz – and Who Could Replace Him?
Interest Mounts Across Europe: From Tyneside To Bergamo

Rumours around Rodrigo Muniz's exit from Fulham have been circulating all summer. Links to Leeds were laughed off, but after reputable sources have confirmed mounting interest in the Fulham man, we have to ask: 'Should Fulham Sell Rodrigo Muniz?

Craig Hope reported surface-level interest from Newcastle, who are set to lose out on priority Benjamin Sesko. Now that Sesko looks to be heading to Manchester, recent reports suspect Muniz is the Magpies' next in line to replace Alexander Isak.

Pair this with perhaps Italy's most reputable source, Gianluca Di Marzio, reporting Atalanta are not only interested in Rodrigo Muniz but are sending club officials to secure a club-to-club agreement between Fulham and the Italians. It makes perfect sense for the Bergamo natives.

After selling Mateo Retegui for £60M, Atalanta have dough to spend – enough dough to match Fulham's £50M Muniz price tag — and Rodrigo fits the billing of a Retegui replacement down to a tee. My gut tells me this one may happen.

The Contract Clock Is Ticking
Muniz's contractual predicament is no secret. Rodrigo's deal expires at the end of the upcoming season.

Despite Fulham having a club option to extend the 24-year-old's deal into 2027, if the Whites want to make the most of Rodrigo's potential outgoing transfer value, the time to sell is now.

From simply reading the tea leaves of this situation, the reality of the Muniz situation seems clear. Fulham have correctly assessed a new deal has to be struck with the former Boro' loanee this summer – whether that be in SW6 or elsewhere.

Talks of renewal are stalling. Subsequently, Rodrigo's agent is touting Muniz around Europe to gauge the possibility of interest. Fulham are open to offers; they understand risking another valuable player running down their contract is a financial disaster for the club. Especially in a world with PSR.

In spite of interest, could this be a ploy from Muniz's agent to force up figures in contract talks? Of course. But in a dry striker market, Muniz's clear development of his previously unpolished game — culminating in his notorious mugging off of Virgil Van Dijk – has put world football on notice. No wonder interest is high.

Fan Favourite vs Financial Reality
I'm a big fan of Rodrigo. We all are. He's a fan favourite down at Fulham for a reason.

Do I think this season be the first season he scores across the entire campaign? Yes, I do. He looked a complete striker in the latter stages of last season.

Without an injury away at Bournemouth, he may well have continued his red hot form and fired Fulham back into Europe. But the reality of what a rumoured £50M+ fee means for Marco Silva's men shouldn't be understated.

Football Has Changed: Muniz's Sale Shows Realities of PSR
In the evolving modern football world of PSR, player sales have to be in the realms of possibility for clubs like Fulham.

Knocking back £50M for a 24-year-old centre-forward yet to put together a full season of scoring, with a contract entering a phase I have now dubbed the danger years, is a risk I wouldn't be willing to take.

Replacement Planning: Don't Wait, Do Plan Now
With my stance on what I suspect will take place with the Atalanta deal clear (makes too much sense not to progress), Fulham have to get a replacement deal agreed before Muniz's departure seems definite.

Failure to do so will drive up the price of any Rodrigo replacement. Clubs will sense the desperation that Tony Khan and co. find themselves in as they scramble for a talismanic and a secondary developmental nine in the final few weeks of the window-a desperation that could have been avoided if the club listened to Marco Silva's long-standing wishes to get business done early.

Prices for centre-forwards will inflate. If Fulham are to sell Rodrigo, go and get negotiations for a striker underway and finalised ASAP.

So, Who Replaces Muniz?
If Muniz departs, who should replace him, you ask? Great question – but don't worry, great minds think alike. I've got you covered.

In answer to Fulham's next great number nine, I've outlined four options below. Click the link!👇

https://medium.com/@LondonsOriginal/should-fulham-cash-in-on-muniz-and-who-replaces-him-8dd2d68296cd

[WhiteJC]

Fulham Season Preview 2025/26: Why good times could be around the corner at the Cottage
Your Fulham Season Preview 2025/26 delves into an exciting upcoming season at Craven Cottage, in which Marco Silva looks to take his side even further up the table

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works.

Your Fulham season preview is here: can the good times continue on from last season at Craven Cottage?

FourFourTwo's Fulham season preview

The Plan
Fulham posted a club-record 54 Premier League points last season, and still they need to push on. Big-money buy Emile Smith Rowe displayed glimpses (six goals, three assists), but expectations are for the Arsenal academy graduate to run games and dictate the tempo.

Watching Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Spurs end their trophy droughts has Fulham fans dreaming of the same, as well as a top-half league finish. While only Liverpool took more points off the top 10 than Fulham (30), the west Londoners are too predictable facing bottom-half teams and had the league's fourth-worst record against them. New blood is essential for an ageing squad.

The Coach
Silva by name, gold by nature: Marco Silva is Fulham's most successful manager in over a decade, turning a yo-yo team into an established Premier League side. As the 48-year-old enters the final year of his contract, the club must ensure their ambition matches his.

Key Player
Silva loves versatility and Alex Iwobi embodies that criteria, as a scorer and assister of goals (a combined 15 last term) and equally effective on the left, right or through the centre. Now a senior star at 29, the Nigerian also needs to step up and become a leader.

Lesson From Last Year
Take the lead, keep the lead. The Cottagers gave up 28 points from winning positions – only Spurs lost more – while a tendency to drop off after Christmas has recently crept in. Last season, they lost four league games before the turn of the year, then 10 afterwards.

Strength in depth is essential at full-back, especially where Silva demands an overlap. When right-back Kenny Tete pulled up in December, it left Timothy Castagne to play through injury every week. Antonee Robinson, the perennially in-demand left-back, posted 10 assists – more than any other defender – but then faded and needed summer surgery. His verve is always vital.

The Mood
A feeling of 'what might have been' lingers. For the third season in a row, Fulham were one game from Wembley yet failed to get there, while watching a top-half finish – or even Europe – slip away.

The One To Watch
Josh King, 18. The midfielder made his Premier League debut last term and showed plenty of potential in cameo outings. Huw Jennings' latest Motspur Park gem has captained England U18s.

Most Likely To...
Say something that shows how out of touch he is with the fans: Alistair Mackintosh, Fulham's chief executive. His comments on the new Riverside Stand left many supporters irked. "At other clubs you hear the c-word – here the c-words are 'champagne' and 'caviar'," he quipped.

Least Likely To...
Ever have to buy a jar of honey: Harry 'the Beekeeper' Wilson. Scorer of home-and-away winners against Brentford, the Welsh schemer haunts fans in TW8 but will forever be serenaded in SW6: "Who put the ball in the Brentford net? Harry f**king Wilson."

FFT Verdict
12TH Silva needs assurances from above and more from Smith Rowe, plus a new striker, for Fulham to rise.

The Number Cruncher


The Fan View
After plenty to cheer last season and with plenty to improve this season, FourFourTwo gets the view from the stands from Jack Stroudley...

Last season was a mixed bag. We broke our record points tally and spent a lot of the season flirting with the European places, only to fall away. Our end-of-season form needs work, as does our big-game mentality.

I won't be happy unless we improve squad depth. Shahid Khan: get the chequebook out.

Our key player will be Rodrigo Muniz. After 18 months, and with Raul Jimenez getting on, there is more onus on him to progress and contribute.

The pantomime villain will be Fabio Carvalho. He effectively begged to leave, and ended up at our noisy neighbours.

The opposition player I'd love here is Leon Bailey. It's realistic: we need wide options and Aston Villa want to sell. Get it done.

I'm least looking forward to playing Manchester City. They always beat us, regardless of form, and usually get a soft penalty.

A social media account to follow is @jackellyffc, a fantastic independent Fulham journalist.

Our most underrated player is Sasa Lukic, filling a Joao Palhinha-shaped hole next to Rolls-Royce midfielder Sander Berge. Palhinha's already out of favour at Bayern Munich – can we have him back...?

I'm most looking forward to visiting the Stadium of Light. I've never been.

Fans think our gaffer has transformed the club.

If he left, he should be replaced by Fulham fan Liam Rosenior, impressive at Hull and Strasbourg.

We'll finish 11th, again wondering, 'What if...?'

This preview originally appeared in FourFourTwo's Season Preview issue which went on sale in July, available here with free delivery



https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/fulham-season-preview-202526

[Bill2]

Should Fulham Cash In on Muniz – and Who Could Replace Him?
Interest Mounts Across Europe: From Tyneside To Bergamo

Rumours around Rodrigo Muniz's exit from Fulham have been circulating all summer. Links to Leeds were laughed off, but after reputable sources have confirmed mounting interest in the Fulham man, we have to ask: 'Should Fulham Sell Rodrigo Muniz?

Craig Hope reported surface-level interest from Newcastle, who are set to lose out on priority Benjamin Sesko. Now that Sesko looks to be heading to Manchester, recent reports suspect Muniz is the Magpies' next in line to replace Alexander Isak.

Pair this with perhaps Italy's most reputable source, Gianluca Di Marzio, reporting Atalanta are not only interested in Rodrigo Muniz but are sending club officials to secure a club-to-club agreement between Fulham and the Italians. It makes perfect sense for the Bergamo natives.

After selling Mateo Retegui for £60M, Atalanta have dough to spend – enough dough to match Fulham's £50M Muniz price tag — and Rodrigo fits the billing of a Retegui replacement down to a tee. My gut tells me this one may happen.

The Contract Clock Is Ticking
Muniz's contractual predicament is no secret. Rodrigo's deal expires at the end of the upcoming season.

Despite Fulham having a club option to extend the 24-year-old's deal into 2027, if the Whites want to make the most of Rodrigo's potential outgoing transfer value, the time to sell is now.

From simply reading the tea leaves of this situation, the reality of the Muniz situation seems clear. Fulham have correctly assessed a new deal has to be struck with the former Boro' loanee this summer – whether that be in SW6 or elsewhere.

Talks of renewal are stalling. Subsequently, Rodrigo's agent is touting Muniz around Europe to gauge the possibility of interest. Fulham are open to offers; they understand risking another valuable player running down their contract is a financial disaster for the club. Especially in a world with PSR.

In spite of interest, could this be a ploy from Muniz's agent to force up figures in contract talks? Of course. But in a dry striker market, Muniz's clear development of his previously unpolished game — culminating in his notorious mugging off of Virgil Van Dijk – has put world football on notice. No wonder interest is high.

Fan Favourite vs Financial Reality
I'm a big fan of Rodrigo. We all are. He's a fan favourite down at Fulham for a reason.

Do I think this season be the first season he scores across the entire campaign? Yes, I do. He looked a complete striker in the latter stages of last season.

Without an injury away at Bournemouth, he may well have continued his red hot form and fired Fulham back into Europe. But the reality of what a rumoured £50M+ fee means for Marco Silva's men shouldn't be understated.

Football Has Changed: Muniz's Sale Shows Realities of PSR
In the evolving modern football world of PSR, player sales have to be in the realms of possibility for clubs like Fulham.

Knocking back £50M for a 24-year-old centre-forward yet to put together a full season of scoring, with a contract entering a phase I have now dubbed the danger years, is a risk I wouldn't be willing to take.

Replacement Planning: Don't Wait, Do Plan Now
With my stance on what I suspect will take place with the Atalanta deal clear (makes too much sense not to progress), Fulham have to get a replacement deal agreed before Muniz's departure seems definite.

Failure to do so will drive up the price of any Rodrigo replacement. Clubs will sense the desperation that Tony Khan and co. find themselves in as they scramble for a talismanic and a secondary developmental nine in the final few weeks of the window-a desperation that could have been avoided if the club listened to Marco Silva's long-standing wishes to get business done early.

Prices for centre-forwards will inflate. If Fulham are to sell Rodrigo, go and get negotiations for a striker underway and finalised ASAP.

So, Who Replaces Muniz?
If Muniz departs, who should replace him, you ask? Great question – but don't worry, great minds think alike. I've got you covered.

In answer to Fulham's next great number nine, I've outlined four options below. Click the link!👇

https://medium.com/@LondonsOriginal/should-fulham-cash-in-on-muniz-and-who-replaces-him-8dd2d68296cd

It is rather late in the window to start looking for a replacement if we sell Muniz. We would look desperate and prices would be hiked up. If we want to sell tell them to come back at the opening of the January window or not at all.