Friday Fulham Stuff - 19/09/25...

[WhiteJC]

Greedy, greedy Fulham
Anyone that has ever been Fulham away will know it is always a good day out.

Not only is it an easy stadium to get to, surrounded by many decent pubs that are not "home fans only", we have also got a huge away allocation (around 6,000 seats).

Fulham's away end is split into two sections – the normal away end and a "neutral" end. The original plastic club, under Mohamed Al-Fayed they attempted to become a "day out" for those visiting London and wanted to catch a game.

When Arsenal visited, however, the neutral end was combined with the away end, and the entire stand was for sale through Arsenal's website to away fans only. This took the allocation from around 3,000 to just shy of 6,000 in the Putney End. It was never an issue for fans to get credits.

However, with the £30 cap on away tickets, Fulham have rescinded this agreement.

The £30 price cap for Premier League away tickets was introduced at the start of the 2016-17 season following sustained campaigning by supporters. It meant that loyal away fans would no longer be affected by Category A price rises – it would cost Arsenal fans £4-500 more a season in tickets to go to every away game in comparison to smaller clubs like Burnley.

For visiting London clubs, the Putney End would be given over to the away team to sell tickets. This meant that every ticket in that end would be capped at £30.

Last season, I noticed a lot more Fulham fans under the stands, mixing with Arsenal fans. It was something I had not seen before as previously the Putney End was exclusive to Arsenal fans. This exposed that Fulham had reigned on their agreement and decided to keep the end split – 3,000 away Arsenal fans paying £30 a ticket and 2,000 "neutral" fans paying £79 (2025/26 prices).

I would say 90% of those fans in the neutral end were Arsenal. That means that they have paid £49 more for a ticket in the same end, just because Fulham have decided to re-categorise it neutral fans.

An additional £49 over 2,000 tickets is £98,000. If we assume the previous agreement was for all London clubs and Manchester United and Liverpool, this decision generates Fulham an additional £784,000 a season. And it is probably less than that if games against the smaller London clubs such as Crystal Palace and West Ham are not priced at the highest category.

So a decision by Fulham generated them an additional quarter of a million pounds. Really not much in modern football finance terms. But it then more than doubles the price of tickets.

Yesterday morning, I struggled with my 37 credits to get a ticket. Only limited tickets went on sale to 35+. I ended up with two tickets, not sat next to each other, with a restricted view. I won't complain, I am going to the game and we will all find a place to stand together.

But Fulham's decision is denying fans tickets to a brilliant away day. It is meaning that only 3,000 tickets were available (and many of them disappear into the hands of players, coaches, sponsors, box holders, et al), rather than 5,000.

A game that was never an issue to get tickets for has now become an issue. And if you miss out on the away end, you will have to pay an additional £49 to sit in the neutral end. Which is the same end as the away end, drinking in the same bars, surrounded by away supporters.

I have never really warmed to Fulham as a club beyond it being a decent away day. They have always come across as very plastic, with a fanbase of people who just want a day out at the football regardless of who it is. They are the epitome of Against Modern Football.

Their decision to no longer combine the neutral end with the away end for Arsenal fans is a decision driven by greed. They should hold their hands in shame.



https://shewore.com/2025/09/18/greedy-greedy-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

No Haaland but Mbeumo in - our FPL team of the week
Despite being burned by him last time out, we still can't find a place for Erling Haaland - fresh from two Manchester derby goals - in the FPL team of the week.

Like most weeks, it is a choice between the two big guns - Haaland and Mohamed Salah.

While Liverpool forward Salah has eight goals in 11 games against opponents Everton, Haaland faces an Arsenal defence that has yet to concede from open play. It feels like a simple decision.

What you do long term with those two assets is a different question, and FPL expert Gianni Buttice and the team from the FPL Podcast from BBC Sport will be debating that in Friday morning's Talking Point article. Keep an eye out for that one.

The team of the week is selected based on current FPL prices to fit within a £100m budget, as if you were playing a Free Hit.

Don't miss our FPL special week three Q&A with expert Gianni Buttice live on the BBC Sport website at 15:30 BST on Friday, 19 September.

How did last week's team do?
Losing Yoane Wissa to injury was a blow but captain Salah (18 points) and a clean-sheet clean sweep helped the side stutter to a respectable 57 points.

FPL team of the week for gameweek five



Keeper and defence
Sam Johnstone, Wolves, keeper, £4.5m - Leeds (h)

Wolves v Leeds feels like the most likely 0-0 draw this week. The home side have only scored in one Premier League match so far this season, while the visitors have netted just once in the top flight - and that was a penalty.

Picking Fulham's Bernd Leno against Leeds last week paid off, so we go again.

Joe Rodon, Leeds United, £4m - Wolves (a)

Leeds have struggled up front but defensively they've been solid and Rodon has emerged as a fine budget choice.

He has 38 defensive contribution (defcon) points so far - earning the two-point bonus twice - and takes on a Wolves side with just two goals so far.

Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool, £6.1m - Everton (h)

Van Dijk is another defcon accumulator with 50 this season (21 alone in the Bournemouth game) and has clean sheets in his past two games.

Given this version of Everton is expected to be more attacking, there's a decent chance the Dutchman will be involved enough defensively to come close to the 10 defcon points needed to earn bonus points.

Joachim Andersen, Fulham, £4.5m - Brentford (h)

Notice a trend here? Andersen completes this high-chance-of-defcon trio. He has earned the bonus in his past three games and you'd hope for another low-scoring match here against Brentford to give him a good chance of a clean sheet too.

Midfielders
Antoine Semenyo, Bournemouth, £7.5m - Newcastle (h)

Semenyo has made himself almost essential with his early season form, and his statistics are off the charts.

Of all players, only Haaland has had more shots, shots in the box, expected goals (xG), goals and big chances. That's quite a list.

Among midfielders, the Ghanaian is far and away the best pick at the moment.

Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United, £8.1m - Chelsea (h)

It might surprise you, but Manchester United have had more shots than any other team - 10 more than Chelsea and Liverpool, who are next in the list.

Only Manchester City (8.41) have a higher xG than United's 8.24. Yet City have scored eight goals, Chelsea (8.17) have nine and United just four.

What does this mean? Over time, teams normally perform closer to their xG so United have been unlucky in attack.

And so far Mbeumo (xG 1.17 and one goal) has been the shining light for United. His numbers are almost as good as Semenyo (both have 12 shots, five on target) without the returns.

Mohamed Salah (captain), Liverpool, £14.5m - Everton (h)

You need at least one of Salah and Haaland this season and I'm backing the former's track record in the Merseyside derby.

Yes, this game has been tight in the past but Salah has many paths to return despite his mediocre open-play form. Back him for one more week.

Xavi Simons, Spurs, £7m - Brighton (a)

Simons is an exciting addition to this Spurs side.

There's not enough data to make this a considered choice, but the Dutchman is filling the Son Heung-min role in a 4-3-3 for an attacking Spurs side in a game that feels like it will be high-scoring.

Worth the risk.

Lucas Paqueta, West Ham, £5.9m - Crystal Palace (h)

The last time West Ham were asked to bounce back from a humiliating defeat, they did so with a 3-0 victory.

This is a huge game for the Hammers and boss Graham Potter and they will look to talismen Jarrod Bowen and Paqueta to perform.

The Brazilian is on penalties and a great budget choice in general.

Strikers
Joao Pedro, Chelsea, £7.8m - Manchester United (a)

If Semenyo is the must-pick midfielder, then Joao Pedro fills that role up front.

He has returned in three of four games and United's defence is nothing to be scared of.

Chris Wood, Nottingham Forest, £7.6m - Burnley (a)

Burnley have the worst expected goals conceded (xGC) in the league at 9.1 - a goal and a half worse than the nearest team.

They've done well to concede just seven goals but last week against Liverpool, for example, they allowed a whopping 27 shots.

Ange Postecoglou has had more time with this Forest team to stamp his mark. We expect them to be more attacking, and Wood is a man who doesn't need too many chances.

Subs' bench
Jose Sa, Wolves, £4.5m, keeper - Leeds (h)

Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool, £5.5m, defender - Everton (h)

Lyle Foster, Burnley, £5.0m, striker - Nottingham Forest (h)

Ezri Konsa, Aston Villa, £4.5m, defender - Sunderland (a)

Team total cost: £97m



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cvgj5w2w0e9o

[WhiteJC]

Jim Jefferies' Fulham story
Australian comedian & Fulham fan Jim Jefferies catches up with Ivan to discuss his journey to Fulham fandom following our victory over Leeds United on Saturday.

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/september/18/jim-jefferies-fulham-story/

[WhiteJC]

Marcus Thuram rules the roost in Amsterdam but ex Fulham star Heitinga's Ajax impress in defeat to Inter
Ajax Amsterdam 0-2 Inter Milan

Goals: Marcus Thuram 2x (42', 47')

Ajax's wait for a first win over Inter Milan since the glorious 1972 Champions League final continues as last season's finalists ran out 2-0 winners in Amsterdam on Wednesday night.

Johnny Heitinga's side paid the price for three minutes of blackout either side of half-time with Marcus Thuram scoring a pair of headers (like Hernan Crespo in 2002 on these shores) to pull under-fire manager Christian Chivu out of the mire after back-to-back Serie A defeats to Udinese and Juventus.

Ex-Fulham star Heitinga, whose playing career at the club took off following Chivu departure for AS Roma in 2003, prepared the game well tactically and psychologically. And in the end he was only undone by two set-pieces.

Ajax were up for it and looked Inter in the eye, setting the ball rolling in the Italians' half. Well organized, disciplined but especially dynamic and courageous, they took the game to them in the first 35 minutes.

All they lacked was luck and a conviction that they could score. Anton Gaaei fired over on 13 minutes while Godts, through on goal, missed a one-on-one with Yann Sommer after the half-hour mark. It was a sliding-door moment that the Dutch side will look back on with regret today and in the coming days.

Who knows what may have happened had the Belgian put the ball into the back of the net?

We will never find out but what we know is that it served as a wake-up call for the Nerazzurri.

Without talisman and captain Lautaro Martinez, who was an unused substitute throughout the encounter due to persistent back problems, Thuram stepped up to the plate once again in the Netherlands.

Teed up by Esposito on the turn, he took a touch to the right to hold off Baas' challenge before smashing his effort wide.

The Frenchman also had a penalty decision overturned after a lengthy VAR check which showed that before Baas brought him down in the box, he had done it first by illegal means.

But the son of Lilian used those moments of adversity to rise to the occasion and head home a quick-fire brace.

The returning Kasper Dolberg's introduction for Wout Weghorst midway through the second period gave the Amsterdammers new impetus and hope.

And the Dane, who left Ajax for OGC Nice in 2019, came close to goal number 46.

First he tried to catch out Sommer and minutes later, disturbed by a couple of Inter players, he headed over at the far-post.

A different outcome on either of these two occasions would have set up a grandstand finish but Ajax can take a lot of heart from their spirited performance and the character they showed after falling behind.

They will certainly feel hard done by the result while Chivu's sweet memories of the city and stadium remain intact.

If Ajax play like this in "De Topper" against PSV Eindhoven on Sunday they stand a great chance of coming away with the three points.

And Heitinga's men certainly possess what it takes to get the 13-14 points they need to qualify at least for the play-offs with games against Marseille, Chelsea, Galatasaray, Benfica, Qarabag, Villarreal and Olympiacos next. They are good enough to extend their stay in the Ol' Big Ears competition beyond February. Nobody would certainly bet against this new-look and hungry side, carved in the ex-Holland star's image.

Yesterday was a free hit against one of Europe's top dogs.

And Ajax came very close to pulling off a shock.

And for the games ahead they can bank on Dolberg who is eyeing four goals to surpass Ibrahimovic's tally of 48 with de Ajacieds.

Ibra, a former teammate of Chivu and Heitinga...



Ajax Amsterdam

1 Jaros 3 Gaaei 4 Italira 15 Baas 5 Wijndal 6 Regeer 18 Klaassen  8 Taylor 17 Edvardsen 25 Weghorst 11 Godts

Inter Milan

1 Sommer- 95 Bastoni-6 De Vrij- 25 Akanji- 32 Di Marco-20 Calhanoglu22 Mkhitaryan- 2 Dumfries-94 Esposito-9 Thuram



https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/marcus-thuram-runs-the-roost-in-amsterdam-but-ex-fulham-star-heitinga-s-ajax-impress-in-defeat-to-in

[WhiteJC]

Free Fulham and Tranmere away mascot packages up for grabs
Young Cambridge United supporters can win a FREE mascot place for our upcoming away fixtures at Fulham (Tuesday 23 September) and Tranmere Rovers (Saturday 27 September)...

Both hosts have graciously offered a free away package for lucky U's fans who are aged between 6-12 years old, has tickets for the relevant match and a full replica kit.

For a chance to win, we want to see your best drawings of you and your favourite United player!

Send your drawings to [email protected] before 9am on Friday 19 September to be considered for the Fulham prize, and Tuesday 23rd September to be considered for the Tranmere prize.

The winning entries will be selected and contacted in the following days. Good luck!



https://www.cambridgeunited.com/news/free-fulham-and-tranmere-away-mascot-packages-grabs

[WhiteJC]

Villa to support PlaySafe against Fulham
Aston Villa will once again show the club's support for the FA's PlaySafe campaign this month, when hosting Fulham on Sunday, September 28 (ko 2pm).

A nationwide appeal, PlaySafe focuses attention on the vital importance of safeguarding in our national game, with a tagline this year of 'Small Talk is Bigger than you Think'.

Aston Villa Women will also support the campaign next month, when Leicester City visit Villa Park in Women's Super League action on Sunday, October 12 (ko 12pm).

When the Cottagers travel to Villa Park at the end of the month, a number of activities are planned to mark the occasion.



B6 will play host to a Children's Takeover Day, where people from Birmingham Children's Hospital will spend the day at Villa Park as mascots with the Villa players and match referee, as well as assisting with stadium announcement, match reporting and ball retrieval.

Pre-match activations will include face painting, a Topps card giveaway and a penalty shoot-out, with a cheque presentation to Acorns Children's Hospice also planned.

And at half-time, children selected by the Aston Villa Foundation will take part in a game on the hallowed Villa Park turf, with a seat raffle also set to take place.

Then, next month, when Villa Women host Leicester in WSL action, more activation in support of PlaySafe is planned, with children conducting the post-match interview, asking a question in the post-match press conference and walking out as a mascot with the match referee.

Ahead of the match, there will be face painting, electronic activities in the Fan Zone and a dedicated FC26 van, while the half-time break will see a seat lottery carried out as well as our Prize Where It Lies game. 

PlaySafe is led by The Football Association and endorsed by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

It is supported each year by the Premier League, EFL, Barclays Women's Super League and Barclays Women's Championship, with every level of English football and its participating organisations getting behind the campaign.

The Fulham fixture will also see the Villans warm up in dedicated PlaySafe t-shirts, with the Villa captain wearing a one-off PlaySafe armband.

To find out more about PlaySafe 2025, taking place over the weekend of Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28, click here.



https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2025/september/18/villa-to-support-playsafe-against-fulham-/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham's season really begins against Brentford this Saturday
The prologue to 2025/26 has been a mixed bag, but chapter one starts against the Bees.

You get the feeling that the 2025/26 season really gets going for us this weekend.

Maybe it's the inconveniently-placed international break; maybe it's the frustrations from the Stamford Bridge VAR-ce; or maybe it's the fact that, bar Kevin's 15 minutes of fame against Leeds, we're yet to see our summer recruits.

Getting our first three points of the campaign on the board this weekend was vital. We feel upwardly mobile ahead of the West London derby - and that's crucial, if only for supporter excitement leading into the game.

And excited we most certainly are. Kevin's arrival has given us all licence to dream. Saturday really felt like the Kevin show - and he was only on the pitch for the length of time it takes to drink a coffee. The word 'aura' is bandied about too often in football by the youths on social media, but whatever aura is, Kevin has it.

A re-established rivalry
It's been 11 years now since we renewed our battles with Brentford. And in the 19 games since, the Bees have edged it. We've won six and drawn four, while Brentford have won nine. We won the big one, of course. Not that they will ever admit they care.

I, alongside many other Fulham fans, rejoiced in the vultures picking the Bees' bones this summer. With Mbuemo, Wissa, and Frank all departing for pastures new, I assumed their Premier League dream was over and they'd be a shoo-in for the drop.

Anything can still happen, but the early signs are that they are developing a siege mentality under the unfancied Keith Andrews, who's determined to prove the pundits wrong.

Last weekend's draw with Chelsea showed a resilience and dogged determination that we should be wary of. A repeat of the insipid first hour against Leeds is likely to See Brentford seize the initiative.

New blood?
For what it's worth, I think Kevin should start. Alex Iwobi will be the obvious casualty for this, but you must capitalise on the wave created by his debut - and as is constantly discussed, Iwobi's future at the club is not tied to the left wing. This could be the moment that causes a domino effect in Fulham's midfield make-up.

But what of Samuel Chukwueze? The pesky international break put paid to any sort of debut against Leeds (the Nigerian winger only returned to Motspur Park on the Thursday before the game, with Marco joking he didn't know all his teammates' names yet), but he should be in contention for Brentford. He's unlikely to displace Harry Wilson on the right, not immediately anyway, but we can surely expect him to come on at some stage. Marco is the master of substitutions, after all.

Then there's the fascinating situation surrounding Jonah Kusi-Asare. Though the 19-year-old is only here on a season-long loan, Silva said before the Leeds game (in a video that has mysteriously disappeared from the official website) that JKA will take a while to adapt and that "he's not a signing that is ready to help us right now at all". It indicates that the gaffer might not use him much, if at all, and begs the question: who pushed for the youngster's arrival?

Settling down
Much like it takes a few games for the league table to shake out, we're yet to see what a settled and best Fulham XI looks like. Ryan Sessegnon has had a mixed time filling in at left-back for Antonee Robinson in the past few games, and has enjoyed a spell on the wing too. A returning Jedi and influx of wingers leaves his path to the starting XI less clear, despite some nice link-ups with Kevin on Saturday.

It's illustrative of the state of our first-team squad at the moment. It might not be the deepest, but boy - player for player, it's strong. The next 34 games will offer twists and turns that will test that depth, but for now we're looking close to full strength, just in time for a game that we're all looking forward to - and a game that marks the true start of our season.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/fulhams-season-really-begins-against

[WhiteJC]

Next Up: Brentford & Cambridge United
Don't miss the chance to secure your seat for our upcoming action at Craven Cottage.

Fulham host Brentford this Saturday 20th September in the Premier League, followed by our Carabao Cup Round Three tie against Cambridge United on Tuesday 23rd September.

Join us for an 8pm kick-off this Saturday against west London rivals Brentford, as Marco Silva's side aim for back-to-back Premier League victories after last weekend's 1-0 win over Leeds United.

Next Tuesday 23rd September, kick-off 7:45pm, Carabao Cup action returns to SW6 as we face Cambridge United in Round Three.

Junior tickets for this fixture are just £1 while Adults start from £20!

Tickets are on General Sale with fans able to purchase up to four tickets per person.

Supporters can secure their seat online at fulhamfc.com/tickets, by calling 0203 871 0810 or in person from the Fulham FC Ticket Office.

BUY TICKETS

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/september/18/next-up-brentford-cambridge-united/

[WhiteJC]

Marco Silva: tactics and style of play

Marco Silva
Fulham, 2021-

When Marco Silva arrived at Fulham in 2021 they were a yo-yo club. The club had won two promotions via the Championship playoffs, going straight back down twice. Silva duly guided them back to the Premier League in his first season, except this time as champions having scored 106 goals in 46 games. He then kept them in the top flight for the first time in a decade with an impressive 10th place finish. Silva's Fulham followed this with another two comfortable Premier League campaigns – including the club's record points total in the competition – plus two FA Cup quarter finals and a League Cup semi final.

Just as he hit the ground running at Craven Cottage, so too Silva had made an impressive start to his managerial career as a whole. Shortly after his playing days ended he entered management at second division Estoril in 2011. After winning the league in his first season and impressing in the top flight, he stepped up to manage Sporting, where he won the Portuguese Cup. Next he led Olympiacos to the Greek title and a notable Champions League win against Arsenal. His first Premier League jobs came with six-month stints at Hull City and Watford, followed by 18 months at Everton, before he settled at Fulham.

Below, our UEFA-licensed coaches have analysed Silva's tactical approaches from his time at Craven Cottage...

Progressive passing
Throughout Marco Silva's managerial career in England he has prioritised a 4-2-3-1 structure. Although his teams have tended not to dominate possession – averaging almost exactly 50 per cent of the ball across his first six Premier League campaigns – they have progressed the ball forward with purpose. Particularly at Fulham, where, across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, only Liverpool bettered their total of progressive passes. That despite Silva being in charge of clubs that could not take Premier League survival for granted.

From his 4-2-3-1 base at Fulham, the centre-backs have split quite wide at times during build up, allowing the goalkeeper to enter the space in between. Although his sides can build short, they have also shown a penetrative side, with central defenders such as Joachim Andersen and Calvin Bassey playing passes that have often bypassed the double pivot ahead. These passes have sometimes looked for an onrushing full-back, moving as wide as possible as they run forward. Their movement drags the opposing winger with them, freeing space for the centre-backs to split wide.

Silva's teams have also played directly into the front line with regularity – connecting without the need for shorter passing support from the two pivots. When the pivots have dropped short they have often lured opponents with them. With the number 10 moving slightly wider, clearing central spaces, Fulham have then had more room to access the front line.

Raúl Jiménez, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Carlos Vinícius and Rodrigo Muniz have all played as target forwards, dropping away from the opposing back line to secure, hold and link with those around them. The closest winger has provided maximum width, while the far winger narrows – often with opposite movements to the number 10 – giving Silva's centre-forward options to connect with (below).



Wide rotations
Accessing the front line quickly can turn average amounts of total possession into forward play and goalscoring chances. Under Silva, Fulham have turned progression into goals via their centre-forward initially coming deeper. When this centre-forward – one of Jiménez, Mitrovic, Carlos Vinícius or Rodrigo Muniz – has dropped to secure the play, a feature has been for the 10 to swap with them, attacking high and central. Both wingers have then joined the inside channels to create a tight attacking unit. When the play has quickly progressed into the final third, Fulham have looked to incisively attack, with the 10s and wingers providing a steady goal return from such fast attacks.

When the opposition have prevented quick progression into the final third – especially centrally – Fulham's adapted, narrowed front unit have been capable of attacking around, usually to cross. Or they have attempted tight combinations to break through the central defensive pressure. In these moments, the centre-forward's delayed support works well with the other forwards, who are adapting to the opposition blocking a quick attack. With the centre-forward eventually joining from deep, they have often been well placed to make unmarked runs for crosses, or to be the final receiver in tight, central combinations. Mitrovic and Jiménez in particular have benefitted from this attacking pattern – the former (below) scoring a record 43 goals in a 46-game English league season in the 2021/22 Championship.

A forward-passing style forces opposing players to track back more, sometimes into a block that they may not want to be in. By playing forward passes regularly, it forces opposing players to recover or back-press more. After a while, they may choose to concede space higher up and stay in a block to conserve energy. In these moments, Silva's teams have had to show a different side to their play, making shorter connecting passes, with rotations in the wide areas to disrupt the opposition block.

Silva has done a good job of coaching this flip of attacking style and ideas. His wide attackers have moved inwards, mostly on the left side, where they have often allowed space for the overlapping and crossing threat of left-back Antonee Robinson. Silva has worked clever rotations around Robinson's advances, with Alex Iwobi particularly clever at timing his movements inside. Andreas Pereira or Emile Smith-Rowe as the 10 have often complimented these movements and supported the left-side rotations. When a more traditional winger than Iwobi has played on the left, Robinson has provided high support via delayed forward runs. There, he has waited for the ball to progress into the front line, before overlapping or underlapping in support.

Either way, Silva has ensured that Fulham's attacking play provides an outlet for Robinson's advances. The left-back was in the top four for total crosses in the three Premier League seasons from 2022/23, with Silva utilising Robinson's advances and crossing. This has been ideal for powerful centre-forwards who thrive on attacking crosses, or midfielders crashing the box. The latter has provided Robinson with options around the centre-forward, which is where most of his assists have come from (such as below).



When Fulham have kept the ball for long enough, they have often built with a single pivot. One of the two deeper midfielders then moves higher to support right-sided play (below). For the most part, the winger has held the width on this side – Willian, Dan James, Adama Traoré, Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Kebano have all attacked from the right during Silva's tenure, using their 1v1 talents and in some cases raw pace. The right-back supporting underneath – Timothy Castagne or Kenny Tete – has usually provided secondary cover behind the winger, giving space for one of the pivots to advance, especially when the number 10 has cleared the central space.



Having a more reserved right-back has helped the two centre-backs to shuffle across to form a converted back three, building higher up against an opposing block – the game state often dictating this switch.

Silva is also comfortable pushing both full-backs higher. Especially if the double pivot – two from Tom Cairney, Sander Berge, João Palhinha, Harrison Reed and Sasa Lukic – have remained deeper to bounce the ball wide, play around corners or make simple but consistent passes and switches across the pitch.

Compact defending
Without the ball, Silva's sides have shown flexibility and compactness, almost always with a back four structure. He has either stuck with a 4-2-3-1, or moved into a 4-4-2, usually via the number 10 jumping to defend alongside the centre-forward. His teams aren't known for aggressive high pressing, instead defending high when appropriate. His preference has been for more of a mid-block, defending in and around the halfway line, with a consistent defensive presence in the middle third.

From the mid-block, the structure often flips between 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2, depending on how and when Fulham force the ball wide. Initially the 4-4-2 covers central access, with the front-two zonally covering access through the middle of the pitch – especially against attempted passes into the opposing single pivot. From here, Fulham show the ball around and wide, with the closest winger ready to jump when they are set in the middle third. If play continues around after the winger has jumped, Silva's full-backs are also aggressive to press out of line. There, they are happy to continue showing the touchline, being full-backs who can match runs out wide and attempted carries on the outside shoulder.

For any opposing runs or movements from within their block, Silva's double pivot is key to their defending. This pair will often track narrower runs aimed at exploiting Fulham's jumping full-backs – ideally keeping the centre-backs narrow and in close contact to one another (below). This works best when the winger on the far side is extremely narrow, pushing the midfield further across. The number 10 can then drop back to fill in any central midfield holes created by the covering midfielder, who is helping to keep the ball locked on one side. This is the best example of Silva's mid-block shifting between structures.



During higher pressing, Silva's team again aims to force the ball wide, using the touchline as a wider pressing trap. The centre-forward will begin the press by showing the play one way, with the closest winger supporting by jumping any resulting wide passes to the opposing full-back.

When Fulham try to lock the play with their high press, many teams, especially at Premier League level, will look to bounce the play back out and across to the spare centre-back. From here, Fulham's opposite winger will be ready to jump at this spare, opposing centre-back, trying to stop a switch across the back line (below).



Fulham's aim is to force the ball back into the centre, where they form a new trap using their midfield three. The number 10 is now deeper – as opposed to being higher in the first line in a mid-block – and prioritises the opposing midfield. Silva's full-back on that side will also jump, moving to their opposite number – which can be a significant pressing distance if they haven't already established appropriate positioning. The midfield unit track any forward runs, with the opposite winger on the far side no longer needed to narrow as significantly as seen with the mid-block. This creates better opportunities to transition to the opposition goal, especially if Silva's side work a quick switch after a regain, even from within the middle third.

Silva's tactical nous has certainly helped Fulham to establish themselves in the Premier League after they had struggled to do so for a decade. In doing so, he has established himself among the leading head coaches in English football.



https://learning.coachesvoice.com/cv/marco-silva-tactics-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Watch Fulham U21s on Friday evening
Fulham Under-21s' PL2 clash against West Bromwich Albion will be shown live on FFCtv on Friday evening.

The game, which kicks off at 7pm, will be available to all FFCtv subscribers. Gentleman Jim will be providing the commentary from Motspur Park.

Despite defeat at Truro on Tuesday evening, our U21s have started the PL2 campaign with two straight wins.

Hayden Mullins' side have battled to victory in thrillers at Arsenal and Everton – and will be looking to continue the fine form at Motspur Park on Friday.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/september/18/watch-fulham-under-21s-on-friday-evening/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham vs Brentford injury news as 2 ruled out for West London derby
A look at the injury news surrounding Fulham and Brentford ahead of Saturday's West London derby.

Fulham and Brentford are back in Premier League action on Saturday evening when they face off at Craven Cottage. Fulham required a late own goal to defeat Leeds United last weekend, while the Bees scored late to snatch a draw against Chelsea before going on to defeat Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup wit the help of a penalty shootout.

Saturday's London derby should be an interesting one given these two sies will have similar ambitions this season, and they are currently side-by-side in the table with Fulham one point better off so far. Here we round up the latest injury news surrounding the two sides.

Edmond-Paris Maghoma - Out
Maghoma is back in training, with Keith Andrews having said last week: "Paris is still building fitness as he recovers from a hamstring injury." He is not expected back just yet.

Gustavo Nunes - Out
Nunes is also working his way back to full fitness before being played. Andrews said last week: "Gustavo will return to team training next week. The forward will be monitored over the coming weeks, having missed a block of pre-season."

Issa Diop - Fit
Diop returned to the bench against Leeds last week, and after not being used and had another full week, he is likely viewed as fully fit going into this one.

Andrews on Villa win
Speaking after Brentford's Carabao Cup win over Aston Villa, Bees boss Andrews said: "Even though we made a lot of changes tonight, I feel as though we're growing as a group, we're taking steps, in terms of what we do with the ball, and we're definitely getting there.

"We mentioned the steps we wanted to take as a group, compared to a few weeks ago when we played against them here, when we were forced low; that was really early days for us as a group. After the first 10 minutes of the game, we started to dictate a lot of it, we caused a lot of problems down the right, and we looked really, really, dangerous.

"I was very happy with the reaction after that, and then the reaction after going a goal down. I wasn't worried at half-time. To be honest, I felt confident that we'd get back into the game."



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/fulham-brentford-injury-news-derby-5323707

[WhiteJC]

🎟 Watch National League Cup action from just £1!
Fulham FC Women have made the perfect start to their National League campaign, with four wins from four, Steve Jaye's side are the only team to maintain a 100% record in the early stages of the season.

The Whites will be aiming to extend their winning run in an exciting series of upcoming home fixtures. They host Brighton (PGA) in a cup clash on Sunday 28th September before returning to league action against Chesham United, AFC Sudbury, and London Bees in the coming weeks.

Don't miss out on a fantastic day of football for all the family, with adult tickets just £5 and juniors £1.

Supporters can purchase their tickets online at fulhamfc.com/tickets, by calling the Fulham FC Ticket Office on 0203 871 0810 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm) or in person from the Fulham FC Ticket Office (Monday-Friday, 9:30am-4:30pm).



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/september/18/watch-ffcw/

[WhiteJC]

Independent Football Regulator update
At our Board meeting on 2 September we were joined by Martyn Henderson, Interim Chief Operating Officer of The Independent Football Regulator (IFR).

We were given a presentation which covered the following:-

    Scope of the IFR,
    Update on implementation and next steps,
    What does this mean for fans

The IFR will be responsible for licensing Clubs.

What is the scope of the IFR
What's in the IFR's scope?

    116 clubs in top 5 leagues
    Financial Regulation
    Strengthened Owners and Directors Tests
    Fan engagement requirements – see further comment below
    Corporate Governance Code
    Protections for club heritage (stadium, badge, kit colours)
    Prohibited competitions (eg. European Super League)
    Distributions – the IFR will have backstop powers if the PL/EFL/NL cannot agree on distribution payments 

What's not in the IFR's scope?

    Clubs competing in Step 6 and below
    Women's football. This may well be something that comes on board in the future if there is found to be a case for regulation.
    Match scheduling
    VAR
    PSR/ FFP
    Sporting sanctions, e.g. points deductions
    Customer service

Fan engagement and consultation – the meeting of requirements will be a condition of club licences – each club will need to have a licence. Each club will also have an IFR Supervisor attached to them who will monitor performance against the "in scope" requirements. If clubs do not meet the licence conditions, then the IFR can act by working closely with the Club concerned to move towards  compliance.

Each club will need to have 'adequate and effective' means by which it regularly consults its fanbase and takes those views into account when making decisions on the relevant matters, which are defined as:

    The club's strategic direction and objectives.
    The club's business priorities.
    Operational and match-day issues, including ticket pricing: Although the IFR has no control over pricing it will monitor that this issue is discussed with fan groups.
    The club's heritage.
    The club's plans relating to additional fan engagement.

Clubs will have flexibility in the range of fan engagement measures they can utilise, but the IFR will publish guidance outlining expectations for the standards clubs should meet.

The IFR as a regulator of football is here to keep clubs in line and prevent failures. A prevention not a cure.

Implementation
The IFR role is to build an agile, skilled and efficient organisation that can deliver a world class regulatory regime for football

    The Shadow Football Regulator was announced by the previous Government in March 2024.
    A transition team, comprising legal, economic, regulatory and policy specialists, based for now within Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
    Operates separately from the "Bill" team, recognising the future independence of the IFR.

Work is broadly split up into four main areas: organisational set up; research and analysis; scoping of regulatory policy; and engagement with industry

Next steps

    The Football Governance Bill received Royal Assent in July. (NB The IFR will not begin to regulate immediately; for now, it has no powers).
    Legal establishment of the IFR is now underway and will conclude in October.
    Preferred IFR Chair candidate is media rights expert David Kogan OBE, who has been endorsed by the DCMS Select Committee.
    Further senior appointments expected to follow shortly, including the CEO and Non-Executive Directors.

This will be an evolving process.



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2025/09/independent-football-regulator-update/

[Bill2]

Greedy, greedy Fulham
Anyone that has ever been Fulham away will know it is always a good day out.

Not only is it an easy stadium to get to, surrounded by many decent pubs that are not "home fans only", we have also got a huge away allocation (around 6,000 seats).

Fulham's away end is split into two sections – the normal away end and a "neutral" end. The original plastic club, under Mohamed Al-Fayed they attempted to become a "day out" for those visiting London and wanted to catch a game.

When Arsenal visited, however, the neutral end was combined with the away end, and the entire stand was for sale through Arsenal's website to away fans only. This took the allocation from around 3,000 to just shy of 6,000 in the Putney End. It was never an issue for fans to get credits.

However, with the £30 cap on away tickets, Fulham have rescinded this agreement.

The £30 price cap for Premier League away tickets was introduced at the start of the 2016-17 season following sustained campaigning by supporters. It meant that loyal away fans would no longer be affected by Category A price rises – it would cost Arsenal fans £4-500 more a season in tickets to go to every away game in comparison to smaller clubs like Burnley.

For visiting London clubs, the Putney End would be given over to the away team to sell tickets. This meant that every ticket in that end would be capped at £30.

Last season, I noticed a lot more Fulham fans under the stands, mixing with Arsenal fans. It was something I had not seen before as previously the Putney End was exclusive to Arsenal fans. This exposed that Fulham had reigned on their agreement and decided to keep the end split – 3,000 away Arsenal fans paying £30 a ticket and 2,000 "neutral" fans paying £79 (2025/26 prices).

I would say 90% of those fans in the neutral end were Arsenal. That means that they have paid £49 more for a ticket in the same end, just because Fulham have decided to re-categorise it neutral fans.

An additional £49 over 2,000 tickets is £98,000. If we assume the previous agreement was for all London clubs and Manchester United and Liverpool, this decision generates Fulham an additional £784,000 a season. And it is probably less than that if games against the smaller London clubs such as Crystal Palace and West Ham are not priced at the highest category.

So a decision by Fulham generated them an additional quarter of a million pounds. Really not much in modern football finance terms. But it then more than doubles the price of tickets.

Yesterday morning, I struggled with my 37 credits to get a ticket. Only limited tickets went on sale to 35+. I ended up with two tickets, not sat next to each other, with a restricted view. I won't complain, I am going to the game and we will all find a place to stand together.

But Fulham's decision is denying fans tickets to a brilliant away day. It is meaning that only 3,000 tickets were available (and many of them disappear into the hands of players, coaches, sponsors, box holders, et al), rather than 5,000.

A game that was never an issue to get tickets for has now become an issue. And if you miss out on the away end, you will have to pay an additional £49 to sit in the neutral end. Which is the same end as the away end, drinking in the same bars, surrounded by away supporters.

I have never really warmed to Fulham as a club beyond it being a decent away day. They have always come across as very plastic, with a fanbase of people who just want a day out at the football regardless of who it is. They are the epitome of Against Modern Football.

Their decision to no longer combine the neutral end with the away end for Arsenal fans is a decision driven by greed. They should hold their hands in shame.



https://shewore.com/2025/09/18/greedy-greedy-fulham/

If you click on the link you will see that a number of Fulham and Arsenal fans have shown her to be completely stupid.