Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 22/02/23...

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Fulham loan star Ollie O'Neill ready to embrace Derry City switch

The Ireland U21 star made his Candystripes debut in Friday's 1-1 draw away to St Pat's

Ollie O'Neill believes he can take his game to another level after swapping Fulham for Derry City.

The Ireland Under-21 star completed his loan switch from the Premier League club on Thursday - and was in the Candystripes team 24-hours later.

That was more accident than design as he replaced Michael Duffy in the side for Friday's 1–1 draw at St Pat's after the flying winger suffered a calf injury in the warm-up.

But O'Neill - who hadn't played in six weeks because of an ankle injury - made a good impact and had one effort cleared off the line.

Derry know they are onto a good thing having snapped up a player that was on Tottenham's radar last summer.

This season, O'Neill has scored an impressive seven goals in 12 appearances for Fulham's Premier League 2 side, and also chipped in with six assists.

But the versatile attacker, 20, believes first-team football with Derry will improve him further - once he gets into stride.

A marquee signing, O'Neill said: "The PL2 games are technically good and there are some really good players in there.

"But then you add in 5,000 or 6,000 fans at Friday's game, flares, noise, first game of the season, speed of the game - all of that stuff puts it on a different level.

"That's the first football I've played in about six weeks and I've only trained two or three times.

"I did my ankle at Fulham a few weeks ago and since then I haven't played much football.

"For the first 10 minutes on Friday I thought, ok, but then after that I felt physically fine and had my legs under me.

"It was intense and the first 15 minutes were 100 miles per hour. There is more physicality, but none of those things will bother me long term.

"The fast adjustment curve will be good for me. I'm looking forward to taking it on as I'm sure I'll feel better next week and so on and so forth."

O'Neill knew Derry City assistant manager Alan Reynolds from Ireland's U21 coaching staff, and also goalkeeper Brian Maher and striker Colm Whelan.

And that helped in his decision making as O'Neill was not short of loan options in his hunt for first-team football.

"There were a few but I had a slight ankle injury which probably put a few things on hold but then Derry, it was a very attractive project.

"It's an attractive manager to play for, the coaching staff, the style of play and some very good players in the squad.

"I looked at it and said 'yeah, I can see myself playing there' which wouldn't necessarily be true of everywhere."



https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/soccer-news/fulham-loan-star-ollie-oneill-29260157

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Rory MacLeod offer 'accepted' by Dundee United as Fulham seek transfer for teen prospect

The 17-year-old is expected in London for discussions with the EPL side

Fulham have had an offer accepted by Dundee United for teenager Rory MacLeod, according to reports.

The striker has been involved with the Arabs first team this season and has made a handful of appearances off the bench for Liam Fox's side as well as a Scottish Cup start against the University of Stirling. He's seen as a top prospect and has six caps for Scotland under-17s to go along with his nine top team appearances.

The 17-year-old has attracted interest previously and the Cottagers are now attempting to lure him south. He's expected in London over the next 24 to 48 hours for discussions with the English Premier League side, according to the Daily Record.

The report adds that MacLeod could be loaned back to the Tangerines for a season-long loan deal next campaign.

It's said that the deal includes a fee up front as well as significant add-ons and Iif all goes to plan then the deal will be done now and finalised when the transfer window re-opens in the summer.

Fulham and United have a strategic partnership and that could have helped them steal a march on other interested parties such as Southampton and Newcastle.



https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/rory-macleod-offer-accepted-dundee-26280893

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Manor: Incredible Feeling

Manor Solomon confessed that Fulham rode their luck on Saturday, but was thrilled to get out of the Amex with the victory.

Brighton & Hove Albion had the better of the play but failed to beat Bernd Leno, and were duly punished when Solomon rifled in a perfect low strike six minutes after stepping off the bench.

"It's incredible, an incredible feeling," he said. "It was a really difficult game against a top opponent.

"To be honest, we didn't deserve the three points, but we are so glad that it happened and we went home with the three points. That's the most important thing.

"Myself, I always try to contribute, to help the team to get the three points, and I'm really happy that I did that.

"I saw a clear space so I went to the ball, I knew I had a good chance to score, and I'm really glad I put it in a good place. It's an incredible feeling, as I said, and we'll continue forward."

That's two goals in as many cameos for Solomon now, who is hoping his contributions are pushing him closer to a first ever Premier League start.

"As a football player, I always want to be on the pitch, I always want to start, but I had a long injury, I just came through it two months ago to full training," the winger explained.

"And the team has been really good, going well, and sometimes it's difficult to be in the starting XI, but now I'm getting the confidence back, I'm getting confidence in my knee back, and I'm really happy that I started to show my football again.

"Of course, in the future, in the next game, I would like to start and to play more, but what the Gaffer gives me, I'll do my best to help the team."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/february/20/manor-incredible-feeling/

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O'Neill: Derry loan can take me to 'a different level'
Fulham midfielder Ollie O'Neill believes his League of Ireland loan spell with Derry City can help him grow as a footballer.

The Republic of Ireland under-21 international played almost an hour as the Candystripes drew 1-1 at St. Patrick's Athletic in their league opener on Friday night and could have scored during an impressive debut. The Ealing-born midfielder, who has scored seven goals and six assists for Steve Wigley's under 21s in the Premier League 2 this term, told the Irish Mirror that there's a huge difference between that level and senior football.

"The PL2 games are technically good and there are some really good players in there. But then you add in 5,000 or 6,000 fans at Friday's game, flares, noise, first game of the season, speed of the game – all of that stuff puts it on a different level. That's the first football I've played in about six weeks and I've only trained two or three times. I did my ankle at Fulham a few weeks ago and since then I haven't played much football.

For the first 10 minutes on Friday I thought, ok, but then after that I felt physically fine and had my legs under me. It was intense and the first 15 minutes were 100 miles per hour. There is more physicality, but none of those things will bother me long term. The fast adjustment curve will be good for me. I'm looking forward to taking it on as I'm sure I'll feel better next week and so on and so forth."

O'Neill picked Derry as his loan destination over other options as he knows City's assistant manager Alan Reynolds from his under-21 international duties and Brian Maher and Colm Whelan are international team-mates.

"There were a few [other options] but I had a slight ankle injury which probably put a few things on hold but then Derry, it was a very attractive project. It's an attractive manager to play for, the coaching staff, the style of play and some very good players in the squad. "I looked at it and said 'yeah, I can see myself playing there' which wouldn't necessarily be true of everywhere."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/02/oneill-derry-loan-can-take-me-to-a-different-level/

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Burgling Brighton shows Fulham are the real deal
I'm writing this from Brighton station awaiting a typically delayed Southern train back to the big smoke. It might be two days since Manor Solomon's superb late winner sparkled some of the best ever scenes in a Fulham away end, but the mere memory is enough to raise a smile. Marco Silva's side have fearlessly played on the front foot since returning to the Premier League and that boldness has brought rewards but Saturday showed that Fulham, who have endured some late, late heartbreak at the hands of the top sides this season, can grind out one of those ugly away wins efficiently.

Silva, Solomon, Tim Ream and Harrison Reed were honest in their appraisal of what was a below-par performance from the Whites. At one stage in the first half, it seemed as if staying in the game as Albion dominated possession was the best Fulham could manage. But the visitors toughed out a tricky period and looked livelier on the break, the longer the game went on. The visitors were distinctly second best but Ream's reading of the game, the peerless positioning of Issa Diop, a couple of sharp saves from Bernd Leno and two offside flags kept things level.

While it is goalless there was always a chance. Silva's two changes transformed the shape of Fulham's attack and the winning goal was a testament to the manager's principles. With the AMEX becoming restless, a misplaced Brighton pass gave Ream the opportunity to nip in and gain possession. The American's first instinct was not to seek respite but drill a ball into the feet of Carlos Vinicius, in a cross between the distribution of Bobby Moore and an ice hockey player propelling the puck down the rink. Vinicius, derided by two fans behind me as being worse than useless, than turned Joel Veltman, perhaps still embarrassed by his pathetic dive in the Fulham penalty area, and produced the perfect pass from which Solomon pilfered all three points.

Under Silva's predecessor, who already appears to be clinging on for dear life to his new job with Club Brugges, there would have been no such sense of ambition with two minutes to play. It almost requires something stronger than a 'robbery' to describe the heist. One passenger on my train back to Lewes afterwards took extreme exception to my using that term in a discussion with a fellow Fulham fan. I don't think burglary is better, but the local constabulary might be producing posters with Solomon's face on them given the gravity of the crime.

It was heavily ironic to read and hear all the barbs from the Brighton fans in the aftermath of their defeat accusing Fulham of being 'anti-football. I don't know where all those vloggers were during Chris Hughton's time in charge of Brighton, but they couldn't have been at the AMEX as Albion produced a pair of smash and grabs against the Whites in the space of two months and then hardly played expansive football for the remainder of Hughton's time on the south coast.

Those of us who have been following Fulham for a while remember when both of these two teams were crisis clubs rather than European contenders. You still have to pinch yourself to check if the current top flight table is accurate. Brighton lost the Goldstone Ground, almost went bust and were exiled to the soulless Withdean for a while. Famous Fulham figures like Glenn Cockerill, Paul Brooker, Danny Cullip, Micky Adams and Bobby Zamora played a part in their revival. The Albion are now arguably one of the best clubs in the country, under the stewardship of chairman Tony Bloom and chief executive Paul Barber, but some of the entitlement from the Twittersphere was worryingly devoid of a sense of perspective.

This game was a crucial yardstick for Fulham's development. They eeked out a fortunate win without Aleksandar Mitrovic and recorded a third consecutive clean sheet in the Premier League. That the Whites were resilient and spirited was almost as pleasing as Solomon's magical late impact. It is only natural to start dreaming in these circumstances – but Silva will demand his players keep their feet on the ground. His mantra remains we will collect as many points as possible. That's absolute fine by me – the Fulham faithful will enjoy the ride.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/02/burgling-brighton-shows-fulham-are-the-real-deal/

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Fulham uncertain over Aleksandar Mitrovic return date as striker remains injury doubt for Wolves clash

Hamstring injury persisting for star striker after missing Brighton win

Fulham fear Aleksandar Mitrovic will miss Friday's match with Wolves, due to a nagging hamstring injury.

Mitrovic was absent from Saturday's 1-0 win at Brighton, and Fulham could be without their top scorer again when Wolves visit Craven Cottage.

Without Mitrovic, Fulham produced only two shots on target against Brighton and rarely threatened until Manor Solomon scored an 88th-minute winner to lift them into sixth place.

Fulham will look to continue their European push when they play Wolves. They then have an FA Cup fifth-round tie with Leeds on February 28.

"Mitro got a minor injury in the muscle," said Fulham boss Marco Silva.

"He had a small issue in the warm-up before the Nottingham Forest game.

"He doesn't look really seriously injured. It's probably a minor injury.

"I don't know if he will be ready for [Wolves] or just for Leeds. The next few days will be important for us to see if he will be available."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-mitrovic-injury-news-wolves-b1061633.html

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U18s: Aston Villa 1-6 Fulham

Aston Villa suffered a 6-1 defeat to Fulham in the Under-18 Premier League South on Saturday.

The Young Lions found themselves three goals down inside the opening 20 minutes at Bodymoor Heath, with the visitors carrying a 4-0 lead into the half-time break.

Triston Rowe added a second-half consolation for Villa but it was second-placed Fulham who ran out comfortable winners.

Luke Softley came to Villa's rescue early on as he twice cleared off the line, while Alex Hammond was also called upon to make a smart save.

But two goals in two minutes put the home side on the back foot.

Firstly, Samuel Amissah headed in a 12th-minute opener from a corner, before Terrell Works slotted home a second to put the Cottagers in the driving seat.

Chibby Nwoko then converted a third following a flowing move from the visitors to leave Villa 3-0 down inside the opening quarter.

Delano McCoy-Splatt clipped the outside of a post but made no mistake shortly afterwards with an expertly-taken 25-yard free-kick which found the top corner.

Lemar Gordon pounced to race through and add a fifth for Fulham in the 55th minute, before Hammond got down low to make a superb one-handed save to deny McCoy-Splatt.

The Young Lions got on the scoresheet courtesy of Rowe's header just after the hour mark.

Yet Fulham immediately responded and added a sixth, completing the scoring, almost straight from kick-off, Works sweeping into the net to grab his second of the afternoon.

Aston Villa U18: Hammond, Softley (Timson 54'), Triston Rowe, McDowell (Asante-Boakye 77'), Rhoades, Mitchell, Mulley (Hayward 83'), Onuchukwu, Lott, Broggio, Pierre (Lynskey 77').

Subs: Wright.

Fulham U18: Allen, Esenga (Nsasi 71'), F, Amissah, de Jesus, Works, Quashie, Nwoko, Loupalo-Bi, McCoy-Splatt (Picotto 71'), Gordon.

Subs: Varney.



https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2023/february/20/u18s--aston-villa-1-6-fulham/

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Leeds Tickets On General Sale

Tickets for Fulham's Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round tie against Leeds United are now on General Sale*.

The Whites host the fellow Premier League side in SW6 for cup action on Tuesday 28th February, kick-off 7.45pm.

With seats on General Sale for a limited period, subject to postcode restrictions, supporters are encouraged to secure their seats as soon as possible.

Fans can now secure tickets online at tickets.fulhamfc.com or by calling the Fulham FC Ticket Office on 0203 871 0810 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm).

More information on this fixture can be found here.

BUY TICKETS

*Subject to postcode restrictions - we will be monitoring ticket bookings and will terminate any bookings made by customers who live in Leeds (and local areas) who do not have previous booking history with us.

Should all tickets in the away end sell-out, the on sale criteria will revert to being available to supporters with a booking history only.

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/february/20/leeds-tickets-on-general-sale/

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Newcastle United look to sign Fulham defender this summer

Newcastle United are in need of a left-back, with Dan Burn who is predominantly a centre-back currently occupying the role in their side. A summer move for Fulham's Antonee Robinson could fill the missing piece in Eddie Howe's impressive side.

Newcastle United target Antonee Robinson has been in great form at Craven Cottage this season. He has played in 21 of their 24 Premier League games and he also played every minute for the U.S. men's national team at the World Cup in Qatar.

Football Insider has revealed that "Robinson is the top target for Newcastle United as they plot a new left-back signing this summer. It is believed that Magpies scouts have regularly watched the 25-year-old this season and have delivered rave reviews on his performances."

Would Newcastle be a good fit for Robinson?
Newcastle is a club with big ambitions, following its takeover by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. They have built a very good side under Eddie Howe, which could win their first major trophy since 1955 this weekend when they face Manchester United in the league cup final.

They currently have Burn filling in at left-back but signing an out-and-out player for the position would be ideal. Robinson is quick and attack-minded, with him on the left and Kieran Trippier on the right, they would form a dangerous full-back duo. It would be much like Liverpool with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.

Trippier would also be a player that Robinson can learn a lot from. The American would have just a year left on his contract this summer, so it is a good time for the Magpies to swoop in and capture their man.

What are his other options?
Robinson was linked with Manchester City on deadline day last month. Pep Guardiola's side will likely need a replacement for Joao Cancelo, now on loan at Bayern Munich. Given what City have won recently and that they are still in the title race, this would be a tempting move also.

Inter and Milan have also been linked with Robinson in the past. Milan came very close to signing him when he was at Wigan Athletic but for a problem with his medical. The opportunity to play in Italy where defending is paramount could also be appealing.

He also might want to stay at Fulham. Marco Silva's side is enjoying a great campaign, they are sixth in the league, which is only one place behind Newcastle. They are in a good position to qualify for Europe this season if they can keep their form going.

Robinson certainly has some immense options. Playing for a team that will challenge for trophies should be the next step in his career. He has so far played for Everton, Bolton Wanderers, Wigan and Fulham. So he might want to continue to play in England, as he has spent his whole career here.

Every player wants to play in the Champions League, so his decision could come down to where Fulham or Newcastle finish in the Premier League this season.



https://thetopflight.com/2023/02/20/newcastle-united-sign-fulham-defender/

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Fulham agree deal to sign Dundee United forward Rory MacLeod

Fulham are closing in on the signing of Dundee United's 17-year-old striker Rory MacLeod, 90min understands.

The two clubs announced a collaboration in January 2022 which centres around the sharing of academy coaches and intell, with MacLeod expected to become the first player to move between the two clubs since the agreement was struck.

Sources have confirmed to 90min that Fulham have agreed a fee with Dundee United which could rise up towards the £1m mark if all bonuses and add-ons are triggered.

The Cottagers are looking to fend off interest from a number of Premier League clubs, with scouts from Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham all expressing an interest in the teenage striker in recent weeks.

MacLeod, who only turned 17 earlier in February, has already managed 12 appearances for the Scottish Premiership side and has been a regular feature off the bench in recent weeks.

After becoming the club's youngest ever player in February 2022, MacLeod even started for Dundee United in a meeting with Celtic last May, in what was just his third appearance for the team.

MacLeod is expected to travel to London in the coming days to finalise his switch to Fulham.



https://www.90min.com/posts/fulham-agree-deal-to-sign-dundee-united-forward-rory-macleod

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Daniel Podence has got to come back in for Wolves against Fulham

Wolves are taking on Fulham on Friday, with the pressure back on after the disappointing 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth – and Julen Lopetegui has surely got to get Daniel Podence back into his starting XI.

The team produced arguably their worst performance so far under Julen Lopetegui against the Cherries.

Bournemouth got their goal against the run of play having offered very little offensively in the game.

They then got men behind the ball, knowing that would likely be very effective against a team like Wolves, whose goalscoring issues are well documented.

Wolves have now been dragged back into the relegation battle, and the game with Fulham is huge.

The Cottagers are flying high this season, and it will be a hard game.

Lopetegui needs to find a way of getting the goals to flow.

And one potential way of doing that will be to restore Daniel Podence to the starting XI.

He was back on the bench against Bournemouth, and managed to get half an hour or so at Molineux.

Presuming he comes through training all fine this week, then he surely has to play from the beginning against Fulham.

This season, Podence has really improved in the final third.

The £60,000-a-week star is Wolves' best creator, and is actually the joint-top scorer with Ruben Neves.

It is a no-brainer to pick him after the struggles against Bournemouth.

Daniel Podence must start for Wolves against Fulham on Friday
Podence is probably having his best season since joining the club from Olympiacos for £17 million.

The star still has a lot of room to improve. But there's no doubt he has been one of Wolves' better players in 2022/23.

Wanderers managed well without him against Liverpool (he did get on for the closing stages) and Southampton.

But Wolves are just better with him in the team. They are certainly more of a threat.

Fulham have kept three clean sheets in a row and have been proving difficult to break down of late. So Lopetegui needs his best attackers in from the start.



https://www.molineux.news/opinion/daniel-podence-has-got-to-come-back-in-for-wolves-against-fulham/

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Fulham sweating on Aleksandar Mitrovic injury ahead of Wolves clash

The latest Wolverhampton Wanderers news as Fulham top scorer Mitrovic is an injury doubt for Wolves' trip to Craven Cottage on Friday night

Fulham top-scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic will be assessed ahead of Friday night's game against Wolves after missing the weekend's clash with a hamstring injury.

The Serbian striker has scored 11 times in 13 Premier League appearances so far this season, being a key part of the Cottager's challenge for Europe. Fulham currently sit in sixth place in the league after recording a 1-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

They had to play that game without the 28-year-old after he failed a late fitness test after being assessed throughout the week. It has now been revealed that Mitrovic could also be a doubt for the visit of Wolves on Friday night, with the striker undergoing more assessments this week

"We assessed him during the week and with some doubts if it is the moment for us to take the risk or not," Fulham boss Marco Silva said. "At the end the medical staff told me that he wasn't available for the match.

"It looks a minor injury, if I can say that. I don't know if he will be ready for the next game or just for the Leeds match (in the FA Cup on February 28).

"We have to see, the next few days will be important for us to assess him and see if he is available or not."

Wolves go into the match at Craven Cottage looking to bounce back from what was a disappointing loss against Bournemouth at the weekend. Despite dominating the first half were unable to find an equaliser after Marcus Tavernier's 49th minute strike, which proved to be the only goal of the game.

The loss ended a run of three wins in the last four Premier League games for Julen Lopetegui's men, which lifted them out of the relegation zone. Wolves now sit in 15th place, three points clear of the drop zone.



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-sweating-aleksandar-mitrovic-injury-26287106

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Fulham youngsters thrash QPR in Premier League Cup

Fulham beat QPR 5-0 to book their spot in the quarter-finals of the Under-21 Premier League Cup.

The Whites took the lead in the 27th minute at their Motspur Park training ground when the highly-rated Terry Ablade turned home Jay Williams' excellent cross.

Rangers competed well and almost restored parity on the stroke of half-time when Jude Arkell-Boyd hit the bar following a driving run down the right flank.

However, Fulham doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time when Luke Harris converted a penalty, and the Wales international converted his second of the night early in the second period when he fired past Murphy Mahoney after good work from Adrion Pajaziti.

Rangers battled hard to get back into the game and should have reduced the deficit when Joseph Ajose fired at the legs of keeper George Wickens when put clean through by Rafferty Pedder.

Giant striker Hamzad Kargbo should have done better with a cross into the box as Paul Furlong's R's side continued to press forward, with 17-year-old Harry Murphy impressing in midfield.

But the extra class of the Fulham side told for their fourth goal, when Martial Godo finished smartly following a swift counter-attack to some extra gloss to the scoreline 20 minutes from time.

Fulham added a fifth in the 94th minute when Oliver Sanderson tapped home after Pajaziti's long-range strike hit the bar.

Fulham: Wickens, Tanton, Araujo (Okas 74), Robinson, D'Auria-Henry, WIlliams, Hilton (Splatt 84), Pajaziti, Ablade (Sanderson 74), Harris, Gojo (McFarlane 84).
Subs not used: Allen. .

QPR: Mahoney, Jude-Boyd, Anthony (Bala 45), Harrack (Hawkins 45), Woodman, Owens (Cotter 45), Ajose (Flaherty 67), Murphy, Kargbo, Pedder, Angelov
Sub not used: Solamon.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/fulham-youngsters-thrash-qpr-in-premier-league-cup

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Fulham owner Shahid Khan reportedly close to buying Serie B side Ternana

Fulham owner Shahid Khan is reportedly close to buying Serie B side Ternana.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, the Pakistani-American billionaire businessman is close to finalising a deal to acquire a majority stake in the Serie B side who haven't played in Italy's top flight since 1974-75.

The report claims talks are at an advanced stage and could be finalised this week, perhaps even on Tuesday, for €10m.

It's not the first time owners of Premier League clubs have turned their attention to Italian clubs. This past summer, City Group, owners of Manchester City, acquired a majority stake in Palermo, making the Rosanero the first Italian club owned by the group.

Rafiq Khan is one of the 100 wealthiest men in the World and is also the owner of the NFL side Jacksonville Jaguars. As of January 2023, Khan's personal net worth is $11 billion.

Ternana, also known as the Rossoverdi, are coached by former Roma and Empoli boss Aurelio Andreazzoli and currently sit 11th in Serie B with nine wins, seven draws and nine defeats in 25 matches.



https://football-italia.net/fulham-owner-shahid-khan-reportedly-close-to-buying-serie-b-side-ternana/