Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 06/10/26...

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Internationals: Joa's Denmark win against Wales

Joachim Andersen helped Denmark keep a clean sheet as they rounded off their international break with a win over Wales.

The defender played the full 90 minutes in the Nations League clash, which was settled by a Rasmus Højlund penalty in the 75th minute. Joa also wore the captain's armband after Pierre-Emile Højbjerg was forced off through injury.

The result saw Denmark finish second in Group 4.

Sander Berge started Norway's narrow 2-1 defeat to Portugal, with Oscar Bobb also featuring from the bench.

Kristoffer Ajer gave Norway the lead, but they were ahead for just two minutes before João Cancelo found a quickfire equaliser.

Bobb came on in the 74th minute, five minutes before Gonçalo Ramos claimed the decisive goal. Francisco Conceição's sending-off did little to change the outcome, with Norway finishing bottom of Group 3 on goal difference.

Elsewhere, Austria's 1-1 draw with Kosovo saw them finish top of their Nations League B group, with David Affengruber an unused substitute in Pristina.

And Antonee Robinson completed the full 90 minutes as the United States secured a 3-0 friendly win over Mexico in Arizona.

Goals from Julian Hall, Cavan Sullivan and Malik Tillman sealed victory in the 'Duel in the Desert', while Mexico were further hampered by Mateo Chávez García's red card.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/october/05/internationals-joas-denmark-win-against-wales/

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Six of Fulham's one-season wonders
Whether they were here for just a year, or had one campaign that defined their stay, these men burned bright for only a short time.

Some stars shine for years and some burn bright and disappear just as quick. This article is about the latter. The players who had one standout campaign and did very little else.

That's not to disparage them. Some of the best songs in history are from 'one-hit wonders'. It doesn't mean they released just one song, of course, it was just that one was far better than any of the others.

Let's get stuck in.

Pavel Pogrebnyak — 2011-12
This guy is the poster boy for Fulham's one-season wonders. And he was only here for half a season.

He came. He scored. He f*cked off to (checks notes) Reading.

I'm not sure much was expected from the Pog when he arrived on a six-month loan from Stuttgart in January 2012. A single goal in 15 appearances in the campaign to that point didn't light any fires within the fanbase.

But he left Craven Cottage with a record of six goals in 12 games. That's a decent record in and of itself. But those six goals were so concentrated that he entered Fulham folklore forever.

He bagged on his debut against Stoke. He followed it up with the winner in the West London derby at Loftus Road in his second game. Then he scored a perfect hat-trick in a 5-0 demolition of Wolves. We had to wait a comparative age for his sixth and final goal (thanks to an ankle injury), but five games later he scored against Wigan.

Despite impressing during his stay, the club couldn't agree terms with the towering Russian and he went on to be relegated with the Royals.

Manor Solomon — 2022-23
Here's another streaky loanee for you.

Manor Solomon also had just half a season to make his mark. That's because he was injured in the season opener against Liverpool and had to have surgery. He returned in January and the following month scored five goals in five games.

His first helped wrap up three points against Forest. His second was his defining Fulham moment; the iconic "smash-and-grab" winner at the Amex. His third was an equaliser against Wolves. His fourth sealed a win against Leeds in the FA Cup and his fifth came in a 3-2 defeat to Brentford.

It had everyone purring and screaming at the board to sign him up, but he opted to sit on the bench at Spurs before dropping down to the Championship to play for Leeds.

Sascha Riether — 2012-13
"But Sascha was here for two seasons!" I hear you cry.

He was - and he's not the only one on this list who stayed in SW6 for more than one year. But just as Vanilla Ice released now fewer than six albums but is only known for Ice Ice Baby, Riether's 2012-13 campaign is the one that defined his time in white.

We thought we'd found one of the best right-back in Europe when the German arrived on loan from recently-relegated FC Köln. He quickly established himself as first choice, dislodging Stephen Kelly. He scored once in the league, away at Sunderland, but it was his consistency throughout the campaign on the right, giving everyone Steve Finnan vibes, that got Craven Cottage going.

He finished third in the player of the season vote, behind Giorgios Karagounis and winner Dimitar Berbatov. Everyone was delighted when he signed permanently that summer, but sadly he never reached the same level as the Whites were - famously - relegated.

Ashkan Dejagah — 2013-14
Dejagah is the reverse of his former Wolfsburg teammate Riether. He arrived in the summer of 2012 from Die Wölfe but failed to make a material impact, making just 21 appearances, including 13 starts and producing zero goals.

But it was 2013-14 the Iranian in Fulham sparked into life. Unfortunately the Whites didn't; they finished in 19th place on 32 points, ending our 13-year stay in the Premier League.

Dejagah was the bright spark. Five Premier League goals, the highlight being the winner against Newcastle, that placed us within four points of safety. He was our second-highest scorer, behind Steve Sidwell, in a miserable campaign. That, plus a strong World Cup for Iran, saw us double our money when he went to Qatari side Al-Arabi for £5.5m. Not bad for a season's work.

Sone Aluko — 2016-17
Talking about cashing in, how about £7.5m of pure profit sound?

I'm not one for caring to much about the money that's not mine, but this one always makes me chuckle considering Sone wasn't even that great, but his 16-17 campaign made Reading feel that splashing out a high seven-figure sum in the second tier was a smart idea. And the fact he went on to score six goals in 102 appearances is even better.

Aluko scored eight league goals in 45 Championship appearances, which put him 44th on the league's top scorers chart. But Reading only had two players higher than him on that list, and he did score against the Royals in our 5-0 victory in December. So maybe it wasn't that mad after all? Nope, it was.

Ryan Babel — 2018-19
Another half-season wonder, Babel was brought into the chaos of 18-19 to help us beat the drop.

It felt like a bit of a coup at the time; he was 32, so hardly ancient, and had scored a goal every three games during his spell in Turkey with Galatasaray. He managed the same rate in SW6, scoring five in 16 games, including vital winners in games against Everton and Cardiff. In a season of big names and big earners who flattered to deceive, Ryan earned respect and his wage.

Who makes your list of one-season wonders? There are plenty to choose from - so let me know in the comments.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/six-of-fulhams-one-season-wonders

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Goal Of The Month Result: September

Oscar Bobb's solo effort against West Ham United has been voted Fulham's Goal of the Month for September.

The Norwegian's strike at the London Stadium received 28% of the votes to claim the award.

With Fulham and West Ham locked at 2-2 in the Carabao Cup third round, Bobb was introduced from the bench in the 69th minute and needed less than ten minutes to make an impact and seal the victory.
Picking up possession on the edge of the West Ham box, Bobb showed neat footwork to weave his way through the Hammers' defence before calmly slotting the ball past Finlay Herrick to put the Whites ahead.

"It's taken a long time to get that first goal but thankfully I have got it. Hopefully I can continue scoring. It just opened up for me, I managed to get it through two pairs of legs so I am happy."

Bobb's effort edged out two other contenders in a closely fought vote.

César Palacios finished second with 21% for his delightful chip from the same match at the London Stadium, while Josh King took third place with his goal vs Crystal Palace.

Bobb's goal was also his first for Fulham since joining the Club, making the moment even more memorable for the 20-year-old.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/october/05/goal-of-the-month-result--september-/

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Mourinho personally blocked Fulham signing – Deal was much closer than thought
Looks like Fulham came much closer to signing Thiago Pitarch in the summer than previously known, with the Real Madrid youngster's move to Craven Cottage described as well advanced.

Álvaro Arbeloa wanted to take the midfielder to Fulham – along with probably half of their Valdebebas' academy – after making the move from Madrid himself. The Premier League side then made a genuine attempt to get him.

José Mourinho ultimately stopped them.

Mourinho personally blocked Fulham move
The 19-year-old had a move to Fulham "well on track" before Mourinho intervened. He had received glowing reports about the youngster after returning to Real Madrid and specifically asked for him to stay.

That's significant new information for Fulham. Spain's AS now revealed the extent of Fulham's efforts for Pitarch, with their information also picked up by Bernabéu Digital and Sport.

There had been reports during the summer that Arbeloa wanted Pitarch. But it was also known Real Madrid weren't prepared to let him go.

What's clearer now is that this went well beyond Fulham just having him on a list. A deal had progressed considerably before Mourinho personally put the brakes on it.

That left Pitarch in Madrid, although things haven't exactly gone smoothly since.

He suffered a knee ligament sprain in his first pre-season training session under Mourinho. That stopped the manager from getting a proper look at the player he'd just prevented from joining Fulham.

Pitarch later returned and made the squads against Inter Milan, Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Atlético Madrid. He didn't play a minute in any of them. In fact, AS says he went 73 days without playing after being declared fit.

Mourinho now seeing why he stopped transfer
The international break finally gave Pitarch his opportunity. With Real Madrid facing three weeks without a game, the club agreed a temporary plan with Mourinho.

Instead of training with the senior squad, Pitarch would drop down to Castilla and get competitive minutes. He's made the most of it.

Pitarch assisted against Sant Andreu and then played 90 minutes against Alcorcón. He followed that by scoring for Spain's U20s in a 2-0 win over Mexico.

Then came an impressive display against Atlético Madrileño. This one was particularly important because Mourinho was watching from the stands.

Castilla manager Julián López de Lerma was delighted with what he saw.

"He's shown the player he is. And not just today, he's been showing it for a long time in Primera Federación [Spain's third division] or [Youth] Champions League games," he said.

"The lad put in an enormous shift and dominated so many areas of the game. Just watching the physical effort he puts in is a spectacle."

López de Lerma later added that Pitarch "has shown he has the ability and potential" to eventually play for Real Madrid's first team.

That is now the plan again. AS says Mourinho wants Pitarch back with the senior squad after the break. The Portuguese manager has finally been able to see for himself why those initial reports on the midfielder were so positive.

For Fulham, there's probably some frustration attached to that. Arbeloa clearly knew what he wanted when he pushed to reunite with Pitarch in London. Fulham got much further with that idea than anyone realised at the time.

Mourinho got in their way – and Pitarch is now giving him every reason to feel he made the right call.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/mourinho-personally-blocked-fulham-signing-deal-was-much-closer-than-thought/

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Arsenal, Liverpool in transfer tussle to sign Josh King
Arsenal and Liverpool are interested in a future move for the impressive Josh King, with Fulham likely to hold firm in the short term.

According to 4-4-2, Josh King is attracting considerable interest from Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool. The young attacking midfielder has impressed with his performances for Fulham, and the club are expected to stand firm on their stance regarding the 19-year-old wonderkid, while there is also emerging interest from elsewhere in Europe.

Josh King has been one of the most talked-about names at Fulham this season, with the teenager scoring twice in five Premier League games so far. The Cottagers are well protected by a long-term contract, which will make it extremely difficult for suitors to make progress in future windows.

The report names Arsenal, Liverpool, and a few continental clubs as admirers of the Fulham star. It also claims that the West London outfit are likely to demand at least €60 million for the attacking midfielder, although that figure could rise if his performances continue to improve over the course of the current campaign.

The interest from Arsenal and Liverpool will be a concern for the Cottagers moving forward, though they have already ruled out a January exit. However, the chance to play for a team capable of challenging for the Premier League title will be tempting for the 19-year-old homegrown wonderkid, and those clubs will be on alert in the months ahead.

Why are Arsenal and Liverpool chasing Josh King?
Arsenal are seemingly looking at attacking midfield options in the market amid reported links with Dani Olmo, although Mikel Arteta might lean towards a younger player who can grow into the team's style. Given their reported interest in Eli Junior Kroupi as well, King fits the kind of profile Arsenal appear to be targeting for the future.

The same goes for King, who has shown plenty of promise in his short spell with Fulham so far. The English youth international could, in theory, be developed into a top-level performer for the Gunners, who are now facing the prospect of competing with Liverpool.

Liverpool are anticipating offers for Florian Wirtz, according to reports, and even though they are expected to keep the German playmaker, the long-term picture looks less certain. Should they part ways with Wirtz, the idea of signing King could move higher up the list, as they remain keen to have a player of that type in the squad.

Overall, King has plenty of suitors pursuing his signature, although Fulham are set to stick to their stance and underline his importance to the squad. A big enough offer could tempt the Cottagers, although that may not happen in January.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2026/10/06/arsenal-liverpool-in-transfer-tussle-to-sign-josh-king/