Thursday Fulham Stuff - 17/09/26...

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Carabao Cup Fourth Round draw
Fulham will face Crystal Palace at home in the Fourth Round of the Carabao Cup.

The fixture will take place at Craven Cottage in the week commencing 26th October, with full details to be confirmed.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/september/16/carabao-cup-fourth-round-draw/

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Alvaro Arbeloa demands defensive improvement after Fulham survive five-goal thriller against West Ham in Carabao Cup
Alvaro Arbeloa urged Fulham to show greater defensive aggression after seeing his side edge West Ham 3-2 in a frantic Carabao Cup tie on Tuesday night. Substitute Oscar Bobb netted his first goal for the club to book their fourth-round berth, but the Spanish head coach was left frustrated by how easily his backline surrendered control.

Sloppy defending sparks concern
Arbeloa made an urgent plea for defensive improvement despite seeing his side secure a place in the fourth round with a dramatic 3-2 victory over West Ham at London Stadium. The Spanish head coach watched on as his team twice surrendered leads established through Rodrigo Muniz and Cesar Palacios due to unforced lapses at the back. His frustration was spared further escalation when Bobb emerged from the bench to stroke home a crucial 78th-minute winner in a fierce London derby.

Arbeloa demands defensive discipline
The visiting manager expressed disbelief after seeing his backline breached twice in situations he felt were entirely manageable. Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Arbeloa said: "We had a very good first half, but I'm still asking how we conceded two goals because we were in control of the game perfectly.

"We had many chances. We had the feeling the game was under control, so we were disappointed going into half-time. We need to be a little bit more aggressive when we are defending. But everything that we worked on in the last two days, we did on the pitch."

Coach urges youth patience
The result maintains an impressive cup record for the Craven Cottage outfit, who have now progressed from eight of their last nine ties in this competition against lower-league opposition.

Despite highlighting their defensive shortcomings, the tactician was quick to protect his emerging talent while pleading for patience during their development: "We have so many young players with talent, and we need to be patient with them. We need to help them, develop them, but you can see the talent they have, the quality. They understand the game, and they will grow during the season."

United clash tests progress
Safely through to the fourth round ahead of Wednesday night's draw, Fulham must now plug the gaps at the back as they search for a first league win of the season when they host Manchester United on Sunday. For West Ham, Saturday's short trip to Millwall offers an immediate chance to bounce back from their first loss of the campaign. Both clubs will be eager to sign off with maximum points before the league pauses for the autumn international break.



https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/alvaro-arbeloa-fulham-west-ham-carabao-cup-defensive-concerns/bltcd6c8b12c32cb2ea?utm_id=fa3iys5y8hyz9ezk&utm_source_platform=newsnow

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Everton and Fulham prepared to pay €30m for Tottenham wide man
Everton and Fulham have been prepared to pay €30m to sign Tottenham's Mikey Moore in the summer transfer window.

Both sides put proposals on the table for the 18-year-old this summer, but he turned them down, preferring a loan spell in Cologne.

The youngster is spending the season on loan with Köln in the hope of getting regular playing in time the Bundesliga this season. That was not on offer at Tottenham, particularly following the arrivals of Savio and Omar Marmoush.

Everton and Fulham tried to take advantage, as explained in this week's edition of SportBild magazine.

Everton and Fulham rejected
He's already demonstrating his talents, with the newspaper explaining that he was the standout performer in the recent 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen.

The youngster is also already earning praise for his ability o keep the ball close, dribble past opponents, play with his head up and create goalscoring opportunities. Köln are excited, to say the least, believing that they have a new star attraction on their hands.

They know they've done well to secure his services, although Moore specifically chose the Bundesliga this summer. He saw the league as the perfect way to make his breakthrough.

There had been Premier League interest Fulham and Everton were prepared to pay Tottenham a fee of up to €30m this summer. But Moore turned them down, opting instead to head out on loan.

Career plan set out
Moore sees the Bundesliga as the perfect league for development. Talents such as Yan Diomande – who became Real Madrid's most expensive player this summer after starring at RB Leipzig – served as proof of that.

Thus, Moore turned down the Everton and Fulham interest – and increased wages – for regular playing time in Germany.

He has a very clear path in his mind for his career. That includes a move to a top club next summer. It is considered unlikely that he will play for Spurs, despite a contract until 2030. Moore is hoping to earn interest from elite clubs like Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal.

That also explains his decision to turn down Everton and Fulham. They simply didn't rank high enough in his grand ambitions.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/everton-and-fulham-prepared-to-pay-e30m-for-tottenham-wide-man/

[WhiteJC]

Player Ratings: West Ham United 2-3 Fulham
All the individual scores after the Whites progressed in the Carabao Cup.

The Arbeloa experiment is working! What were we all worried about?

I jest, of course. We were far from perfect yesterday, letting our lead slip twice, but we were comfortably the better side at the London Stadium, beating the side that's 21st in the Premier League away from home. Here's how the boys did in East London.

The man described by someone on X last month as looking like a "French ghost" (don't ask me why, but it just makes sense) signed a new deal at the club to little fanfare this week. He could do little about Morato's close-range header for West Ham's first, despite getting a touch on it. Palmed the ball into the path of Pablo for his second - but there were others who must shoulder more blame for that debacle. 6/10

Antonee Robinson
Was involved in a lot as 95% of our attacking output went down the left. Had decent chemistry with Palacios, with a pre-assist for our first and some decent interplay with the Castilla grad that saw Jedi shoot narrowly over the bar. Was far too slow to get to Walker-Peters, setting up WHU for their second and his crossing still leaves a lot to be desired. But if he could do it all he'd be playing for AC Milan, wouldn't he? 6.5/10

Jorge Cuenca
A solid, if unremarkable night in the increasingly less problematic LCB role. Didn't notice much from him, despite us conceding twice - unsure what that means to be honest. A decent understudy to Captain Calvin. 6/10

Joachim Andersen
His perfectly-pitched diagonal ball to Palacios was his biggest contribution and showed Joa at his best. No one covered themselves in glory for West Ham's second just before half-time, but overall, not a bad showing. Half a point off for a clumsy challenge on the edge of the box that really should've been a pen from where I was sat. 5.5/10

Timothy Castagne
Timmy continues to adapt well to Arbeloa's edict to stay tighter to his fellow defenders, even if it throttles our attacking potency on the right. Did ever so well to stop Manor Solomon in the second half after Angel was bashed off the ball - and saved the game with a block from Castellanos late on. The right-back berth is seemingly his whatever the competition. 8.5/10 - man of the match

Hugo Larsson
The Swede was the player everyone wanted to take a look at tonight as he made his first start in White. I'm not entirely sure what I think yet. Some good moments are peppered with some misplaced passes - like a cat with trimmed whiskers he seems to lose his sense of position. Did OK, but not enough to challenge for a starting place in the league yet. More to come, I suspect. 6/10

Harrison Reed
Ah, Harrison. His contribution to the game will be remembered for his misplaced clearance that ultimately led to West Ham's equaliser in the dying embers of the first half. But for the rest of that half he was typically solid and industrious, showing his importance to this squad that's getting increasingly younger. I still love ya, Reedy. 6.5/10

Cesar Palacios
Say what you want, but Cesar keeps growing into this Fulham side. Another decent performance from him, capped by a assist and a goal. First, his cut-back for Muniz's opener was cool as a cucumber, and his finish from Andersen's pinpoint ball was even cooler. Yes, he's not the most heavyweight of players, but he's got a footballing brain and feet to match. I think he'll be just fine. Have to dock half a point for his late miss; so many extra touches - I thought he was going to run it to the corner flag. Look up, son! 7.5/10

Emile Smith Rowe
I don't want to pile on, so I'll keep this one short. I don't think I even know what an on-form ESR looks like anymore. It's more than a lack of confidence; it feels like a lack of drive. He had that drive at Arsenal, so why not here? My garden gnome would have done more to try and beat Mavropanos in the air in the build up to West Ham's first. 5/10

Kevin
Rough night for Kev. Similarly to Bobb at Anfield, our new defensive set-up leaves our right winger a bit isolated. Then Morato did the rest, keeping the Brazilian quiet all evening. The talent is there and time is on his side, so I'm not too worried. 5.5/10

Rodrigo Muniz
How sweet it is to see everyone's favourite Samba star double last season's tally in just his second start of the campaign. I said earlier this week that we need both strikers contributing equally this term and now they've both got two goals each. I'm not sure I'd start him in the PL just yet, but our boy is warming back up. 7/10

Substitutes and manager
Shea Charles
I'd love a team of Shea Charleses. He's so silky, so composed, and simply slots in wherever and whenever he's asked. Look forward to seeing him back in from the start against United. 7/10

Manuel Angel
Mami pequeño! Unbelievably small, but like Palacios, looks like his footballing brain offsets what he lacks in height. Got bodied more than once, including before he'd even touched the ball, leading to Solomon's chance, but had lots of tidy touches - and you can see the almost telepathic relationship he has with his fellow Madristas, which is exciting. 6.5/10

Josh King
The big winner of the Arbeloa era so far, Josh provided fresh legs at a crucial time, and capped off his cameo by nudging the ball into the path of Bobb, who did the rest. 7/10

Gonzalo Garcia
A couple of half chances he'll have wished to have done better with, but he looks like a forward who's ready to bag a few. Perhaps on Sunday. 6/10

Oscar Bobb
Bobb has arrived! It was a joy to see his drive into the box and finish with aplomb - it's what we've been asking for since arrival. It'll give him much-needed confidence ahead of Sunday's crucial game. Delighted. 7.5/10

Alvaro Arbeloa
His two wins as Fulham boss have come in the League Cup, but this one will buoy him more than the W over the Dons in the previous round. I keep mentioning Manchester United on Sunday, but honestly the draw at Anfield followed by a confidence-boosting win on Tuesday really puts us in a good spot against a United side that is also struggling in the league.

I'm still not convinced by AA's in-game management. Some of his substitutions in particular baffle me. Obviously that sounds odd when one of his changes bagged the winner, but I'm not sure changing both central midfielders at the same time just after the hour mark was the best use of a double substitution. Nit-picking probably. Overall, I'm feeling good about our Spanish ruler. 7/10



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/player-ratings-west-ham-united-2

[WhiteJC]

Ex-Leeds United, Fulham and Aston Villa star joins 9th-tier football club
Former Leeds United, Fulham and Aston Villa frontman Ross McCormack is highly regarded as one of the greatest Championship goalscorers of all time, and has now added Northern Counties East Premier Division side Knaresborough Town to his list of clubs.

The former Scottish international sits fourth all-time in the second-tier scoring ranks, with only Billy Sharp, Jordan Rhodes and David Nugent scoring more than his 120 in the division.

To many, McCormack is one of the best Championship players to never play in the Premier League, with three 20+ goal campaigns in the division and two moves to recently relegated sides totalling £23 million.

Aged 40, his career hasn't ended just yet, though. After two years away, McCormack has returned to semi-professional football, joining a ninth-tier side in the English pyramid.

Ross McCormack signs for Knaresborough Town
 McCormack had taken a couple of years away from playing until this summer, when he signed for Scottish amateur side Giffock North. One month later, he's on the move again and is now plying his trade in the county leagues in the NCEL.

Indeed, Knaresborough Town have announced the arrival of the 40-year-old striker, in what has been one of the more high-profile signings in the ninth tier this season.

The Boro have been a staple of the NCEL Premier Division since semi-pro football got started up again after the pandemic. This is their ninth consecutive campaign at the level, and they have finished between eighth and twelfth in the last four seasons.

Evidently, Knaresborough are looking to push towards being a play-off side this season, after beginning the campaign with 13 points through seven games. They sit two points off the top five, and they'll hope the addition of the veteran striker can help push further towards it.

How football fans have reacted to Knaresborough Town's Ross McCormack addition
 With Knaresborough being 18 miles north of Leeds, the addition of a former Whites captain and someone who won the Championship's Golden Boot while at Elland Road has generated some fanfare.

"Bloody hell😂 what a player he was for Leeds 🥹," one Leeds fan commented in the replies on X. "Whites legend!" another said.

"Amazing! Saw him many, many times at Elland Road - be good to see him again with his boots on," a Leeds fan, who evidently supports Knaresborough as a local non-league side, commented.

Some weren't as excited over the arrival, though, flocking to the comments to warn the Step 5 side about his time at their clubs in non-league for the likes of Doncaster City, who dissolved on Tuesday, and Liversedge, the side he spent five months with in 2023.

"He never moved out of the centre circle when I watched him play for Doncaster City in step 7 and got dragged on 50/60 min 😂," one fan commented, while another stated, "Don't forget his glittering career at Liversedge. Won't last till Christmas."

Knaresborough Town will hope Ross McCormack can make an impact in the ninth tier
It's not uncommon for former professional players to continue their careers in the semi-professional game in their late 30s and early 40s, as they look to keep their competitive nature alive while their bodies still allow them to.

The likes of Martyn Waghorn and David Nugent were involved in Midlands-based semi-pro side Anstey Nomads last season under former Leicester City goalkeeper Conrad Logan, and former professionals play amateur football all across the country.

Ultimately, it's all about whether those former pros are still in the game for the right reasons, to contribute in a way that still allows them to enjoy the game, rather than just looking for a final pay cheque at a club looking to bolster their status by having a former professional at their side.

McCormack evidently doesn't have too many glowing reports of his time on the non-league circuit since he left Aston Villa, but after two years away from football entirely, you'd hope the reason for his return is that he's missed the game and wants to play it more before his body stops letting him.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/ex-leeds-united-and-fulham-marksman-finds-new-club-in-the-ninth-tier/

[WhiteJC]

Arbeloa: 'We deserve to be in the next round'
The head coach felt Fulham earned their cup progression in an all-London affair.

Alvaro Arbeloa discussed a 3-2 victory for Fulham against West Ham in the Carabao Cup.

The Cottagers continue their good work from last week, having drawn 0-0 with Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday. They are now into the fourth round of the domestic cup competition after an evening that involved more positive contributions from the young players in their dressing room.

·'We have to be patient with the young players'

Cesar Palacios assisted Rodrigo Muniz before scoring himself after a long ball from Joachim Andersen. Oscar Bobb then settled the score in the second half, and Arbeloa is pleased with the performances from the group. Talent can take time to be nurtured, but he is seeing green shoots.

"We could have scored more goals. I was a bit upset at half-time because we conceded two goals. In the second half we did much better. We scored one goal, and we could have scored some more.

"At the end, they had a very good chance, but we were a better team, and we deserve to be in the next round. Before the match, there were so many questions about how we didn't score in away games. We scored three, but obviously we conceded two goals in situations where we shouldn't concede.

"But we did a very good job defensively. We have players with a lot of talent, and we create so many chances. We had ideas and how we wanted to play the game. And we did it.

"I said in the press conference yesterday that for us it is an important competition. I think we performed very well and we are in the next round, and I am happy.

"I think we have to be patient with the young players. We have to develop them and help them to reach their level. We have many, many young players. They are under 22 years old, so I think we will have to be patient. You can see the quality and talent that they have."



https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2026/09/16/fulham/1271683-arbeloa-we-deserve-to-be-in-the-next-round.html

[WhiteJC]

"It's not up to me" – Player talks up future after Crystal Palace and Fulham interest
Crystal Palace and Fulham were interested in Tiago Gabriel during the summer transfer window. The player has now talked about his future.

The centre-back is currently one of the best
young defenders in Serie A. He joined Lecce for around €1m in January 2025 and has slowly become one of their most important players.

Towards the end of the summer transfer, there was a clamour for his signature. Fulham made an approach and were competing with AC Milan for a deal. In the end, he stayed at Lecce, and Crystal Palace were also interested some weeks ago.

The player has now revealed his intentions regarding his future.

Transfer decision down to club
The lanky centre-back spoke to Lecce's official website about his time at the Apulian club. While he praised his time, he was also asked about the speculation around Crystal Palace and Fulham that surrounded his future in the summer.

He pointed at a special relationship between himself and Eusebio Di Francesco's side.

The Portuguese said: "It's special for me and for my family too. You can't think about the transfer market; it's secondary, it's not up to me. That's why 1 always had my mind on Lecce, and I'm so happy to have stayed."

Gabriel also hailed the fans of his current club, suggesting that they're a key part of their season.

"We feel them on the pitch, and they mean a lot to us, they're special. All the teams that come here feel them. There's an incredible atmosphere at home. We hope it stays that way."

Our take: Big move incoming
Lecce have made significant money from the sales of Patrick Dorgu, Morten Hjulmand and Nikola Krstovic in recent years. Gabriel is next in line, especially as his stock is clearly growing, with the defender scoring against Monza at the weekend too.

This should give hope to Crystal Palace and Fulham, who could yet sign the 21-year-old.

Since he joined Lecce for very little money, the defender would be a very accessible target. His physical traits make him quite a fit for Premier League football. He could yet improve on the ball but there is enough time to add that to his growing skillset.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/its-not-up-to-me-player-talks-up-future-after-crystal-palace-and-fulham-interest/

[WhiteJC]

Royal Caribbean Legend of the Match Result: West Ham

César Palacios has been named Royal Caribbean Legend of the Match for his highly influential performance against West Ham United on Tuesday evening.

After setting up the opening goal of the game with a perfect clipped cross onto the head of Rodrigo Muniz, the midfielder restored our lead when his exquisitely timed run was picked out by a fabulous Joachim Andersen pass.

Palacios then brought the ball out of the sky on his chest before advancing and dinking an accurate finish beyond Finlay Herrick and inside the far post.

It was something of a landslide victory for Palacios, who ended up with more than three-quarters of the vote, dwarfing the figures obtained by the also-excellent full-back pairing of Antonee Robinson and Timothy Castagne.

🥇 César Palacios 76.6%

🥈 Antonee Robinson 7.3%

🥉 Timothy Castagne 5.1%

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/september/16/royal-caribbean-legend-of-the-match-result-west-ham/

[WhiteJC]

Carabao Cup fourth-round draw in full: Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool learn next opponents
Some fascinating ties are on the docket for the next stage of the tournament

Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are among the Premier League sides to have learnt their next Carabao Cup opponents tonight, with the competition's fourth-round draw now complete.

The Gunners breezed past Ipswich 4-2 on Tuesday evening to continue their progression in this competition, where they were beaten in the final last season. Liverpool were also in the thick of the action this week, dispatching Tottenham 3-1 at Anfield thanks to a thunderous goal from Dominik Szoboszlai.

His hit threatened to steal the headlines for this matchday, but the nine-goal thriller which saw Chelsea edge past Leeds will surely feature most prominently in the season recaps. The Blues trailed 2-0 early in the second half before roaring back with four unanswered goals. The match eventually finished 6-3.

Perhaps the most notable result of the round came as Brighton overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford. Shea Lacey and Mason Mount drew first blood early on, but Charalampos Kostoulas, Pascal Gross and Maxin De Cuyper all had their say in the second half to send the Seagulls through. Everton and Aston Villa both edged narrow defeats of Wolves and Coventry, respectively.

Fulham came out on top in a narrow contest with West Ham to move on, while Brentford did the same, with Fabio Carvalho's first-half strike condemning Reading to elimination.

There is one fourth-round tie yet to be fully confirmed, with Manchester City and Norwich not due to play their third-round fixture until Thursday night.

Fourth-round matches will take place during the week commencing October 26, 2026.

Carabao Cup fourth-round draw in full
Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal

Man City/Norwich vs Brighton

Everton vs Newcastle

Sunderland vs Brentford

Liverpool vs Chelsea

Bradford City vs Peterborough

Fulham vs Crystal Palace

Bournemouth vs Aston Villa



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/carabao-cup-fourth-round-draw-in-full-arsenal-fc-cheslea-liverpool-b1297239.html