Wednesday Fulham Stuff (26/02/14)...

[whitejc]

 
MK Dons secure loan signing of highly-rated Fulham winger Larnell Cole


Larnell Cole only joined Fulham in January. Credit: PA

MK Dons have signed exciting Fulham winger Larnell Cole on loan until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old only moved to Craven Cottage in the January transfer window after former Cottagers boss René Meulensteen decided to bring him in from Manchester United.

Cole is eligible to make his Dons debut in tonight's match against Oldham Athletic, subject to Football League and Premier League approval.

"I'm really excited by this signing," manager Karl Robinson told the club's official website.

"We've been watching him for a while and he is a high-potential player.

"We had to react quickly to the Samir (Carruthers) injury and he's exactly the type of player I want to bring to the Football Club - a player of quality, a player of note."


http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2014-02-25/mk-dons-secure-loan-signing-of-highly-rated-fulham-winger-larnell-cole/?

[whitejc]

 
Neil Etheridge returns to Crewe Alexandra

Crewe Alexandra have re-signed goalkeeper Neil Etheridge from Fulham on a loan basis.

The 24-year-old originally joined the League One outfit in November, but a thigh injury limited him to just three appearances.

However, he has now returned to Gresty Road, where he will remain until April 13.

The Philippines international joined Fulham as a trainee in 2006, but he has gone on to make just one senior appearance for the West Londoners.


http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/transfer-talk/news/neil-etheridge-returns-to-crewe_141047.html

[whitejc]

 
Stats Create Winners

Berba at the casino

When you look at how football managers and players are tracked by their stats, we can easily see how their progress with the club is coming along. Stats have always been a way to create winners and push managers to get the best out of their players. They play their part in every sport and every card game you come across where professional players are out there grinding away to improve their performances and increase their value.

Going back to the days when baseball started to use the individual stats of players, it actually changed the way players were traded in the sport. Even when you play cards or gamble, the stats truly make a difference.

Looking at the stats on recently sacked manager Rene Meulensteen, you can see just how seriously people take these statistics: http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/a-statistical-look-at-renes-reign/. Here you will see a great report that explains the statistics of various important aspects in the teams overall performance in the league. You can deduce from each element which managers were worth their weight in gold for the club, and which managers were not performing.

The importance of statistics are also something that many poker players ignore in their own game. However, when you consider the money involved in football versus the money involved in your average online or live poker player’s bankroll, that is a low stakes player grinding the felts, then you can understand why there would be no pressure to record stats, but despite there being no pressure, it is pressure that helps you improve. Therefore, those who ignore the statistical elements of their game, business or team, are the ones that will rarely experience growth.

Premier League clubs did not get to where they are now without making sure their managers are being tracked not just by their results, but statistics that correlate to bring an overall break down of how the team performs offensively and defensively. Those stats are then put down to the manager who has been given the responsibility to improve the team. Sacking the manager then becomes no problem when you have that stats justifying the dismissal.

Poker is no different. Sacking a particular play because the stats show a particular weakness in that play is vitally important. This could be a starting hand, pre-flop raise from out of position or a value bet on the river that is commonly not working for a poker player. Cut out a statistically bad play in poker, and the chances of discovering a better play later down the line increases. This is the same in football because when the club cuts out the manager, it aims to hire a better manager.

Learning to play free poker is one of the best ways to begin to understand how stats can actually improve what you do. It takes a lot of extra effort, but as football clubs have proved: when the game is up and the stats show a down turn, it is time to move on and try something else rather than sticking with bad habits because it’s simply easier and less hassle.


https://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/stats-create-winners/?

[whitejc]

 
Newcastle Tickets

Tickets for our match against Newcastle United on Saturday 15th March (3pm) are already available to buy on General Sale.

Last season the Whites ran out 2-1 winners against the Magpies at the Cottage, with goals from Steve Sidwell and Hugo Rodallega.

Supporters can buy up to six tickets today, with prices starting from £40 adults and £20 juniors.

Buy your tickets online at fulhamfc.com or by calling 0843 208 1234 today.


Upgrade to a Matchday Hospitality package

Enhance your matchday experience with one of our Hospitality packages when Newcastle roll into SW6. Priced from just £125 per person (+VAT), secure your seat today – buy online, call 0208 336 7555 or emailhospitality@fulhamfc.com for more information.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/february/25/newcastle-tickets?

[whitejc]

 
Whoscored summary

This is quite revealing, isn’t it?  Whoscored.com takes the numbers from each game and makes a summary.



To be honest I’m fine with us being more direct but concerned that we lack the people to make this work.  Our defence aren’t all that in possession so it makes every sense to not have them on the ball that much, but this means you have to focus on Holtby and while he had the ball much more than anyone else against WBA this only amounted to 44 passes, of which only 2/3 or so found Fulham players.  I worry about players like this in more aggressive lineups.  We only had the ball for a third of the game, too, which is partly because we went ahead and partly because we didn’t really seem to be overly worried about keeping it. Again, fine, this is a legit approach, especially coupled with what seems to be a huge emphasis on fitness, but are we really equipped to degenerate every game into a scrap, a fight?   Just because the team has no points, it doesn’t mean you need to go all medieval.

Magath knows more about football than I do and will have had to make a lot of quick judgements.  I have these 25 players.  These ones might work in this system, these ones might be able to do this.   On balance I think I have most chance if we play like this, and while I’d prefer different personnel, this is the way I think it can work.   In truth there isn’t time for his methods to properly catch on so we’ll just have to see how astute he is at getting ideas embedded quickly.  From an early look I’m not that convinced, but then I wouldn’t expect to be by now, and really we can’t just Magath until… well, probably November.  By which time the game will be well and truly up.

I just don’t want to see us going down lobbing high balls at Hugo Rodallega.



https://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/whoscored-summary/?

[whitejc]

 
Tunnicliffe Heads For Latics

Fulham midfielder Ryan Tunnicliffe has joined Wigan Athletic on loan until the end of the season.

Tunnicliffe, who arrived at Craven Cottage from Manchester United in the final few hours of the January transfer window, has made two appearances for the Whites.

He made his debut in the 2-2 draw against United before lining up in the narrow 3-2 defeat against Liverpool.

Prior to joining the Whites, the 21-year-old made 29 loan appearances for Ipswich Town in the Sky Bet Championship.

The youngster now links up with Uwe Rösler’s Wigan, with the Latics currently residing in seventh place in the Championship and a point off the Play-Off places.

Latics manager Rosler told their official website: "Ryan is a very promising prospect player who has experience in the Championship, and I’m delighted we’ve got someone who is so football-educated, having come through the ranks at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson. He will definitely add a new dimension to us."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/february/25/tunnicliffe-heads-for-latics?

[whitejc]

 
QPR to move for Aston Villa outcast

Queens Park Rangers could be interested in signing Aston Villa outcast Darren Bent this summer, [football] direct news understands.

The 30-year-old striker, currently on a season-long loan deal from Villa to Fulham, seems unlikely to earn a permanent move to Craven Cottage, whilst also looking out of favour with Paul Lambert at Villa Park.

The former England international has not managed to make much of an impact during his time with Fulham, though he scored a notable last-gap equaliser against Manchester United at Old Trafford recently.

Bent has moved around a lot in his career, and is now being eyed by his former manager at Tottenham Hotspur, Harry Redknapp, who will be looking to strengthen his side if they manage to earn promotion from the Championship this year.

A number of players are likely to be linked with the big-spending London club in the next couple of months, but a club source confirmed that Redknapp is keen on signing Bent if he is available.

"You need a top quality striker in the Premier League and I think Harry sees Bent as a realistic option with his situation at Villa at the moment," a QPR insider revealed. "It's not quite happened for him at Fulham, but he's shown over the years what he can do."


http://www.footballdirectnews.com/premier-league-news/41397-qpr-to-move-for-aston-villa-outcast.php#.Uwz1hf0dObA

[whitejc]

 
Midfield duo must regret leaving Manchester United

Ryan Tunnicliffe and Larnell Cole have both been sent out on loan from Fulham after being with the club for less than a month, Sky Sports and the BBC have confirmed.

Cole will now play on loan at MK Dons in League One while Tunnicliffe will join up with Nick Powell at Wigan Athletic in the Championship.

The pair left Manchester United on a frantic deadline day in permanent deals to go and play under Rene Meulensteen again but it was a very short-lived partnership as Meulensteen was sacked not long after.

It means the midfielders have left Manchester United on a permanent deal to join Fulham and been shipped out on loan all in the space of four weeks.

Both players took a gamble by moving to Fulham because of how unstable Meulensteen‘s position was at the club and it has proved to be a decision they will likely regret because their careers now are in limbo as Felix Magath has made it clear he does not want them.

There’s no way that Cole should be playing in League One and Tunnicliffe was playing pretty well in Fulham‘s first side before Magath decided to ship him out. It’s a real fall from grace for the pair of them.



http://thepeoplesperson.com/2014/02/25/midfield-duo-left-to-regret-leaving-manchester-united/?

[whitejc]

 
Both Former United Youngsters Go On Loan!
   
Earlier today we commented on how Ryan Tunnicliffe seemed destined to leave Craven Cottage.

Well since we reported that fact things have happened very quickly.

It would appear that Felix Magath has decided that neither of the two youngsters Rene Meulensteen brought to Craven Cottage are deemed part of the present furniture by the German.

As well as it being confirmed that Ryan Tunnicliffe has gone to Wigan Athletic on loan for the remainder of the season, it has also been confirmed that the other of the duo to arrive on transfer deadline day has also gone out on loan.

Larnell Cole, who played for us against Manchester United, has been allowed to go out on loan to the League One side, MK Dons.

It`ll be interesting to see what progress the duo make away from Craven Cottage, we`ll endeavour to keep you informed.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=350906#ixzz2uMkIjtoQ

[whitejc]

 
Fulham face competition from Russia for striker


Luc Castaignos of FC Twente (R) fights for the ball with Hector Rodas of Levante (C) and Papa Diop (L) during their Europa League Group L soccer match in Enschede November 8, 2012.
REUTERS/Michael Kooren

Fulham will face competition from Russia for FC Twente striker Luc Castaignos.

The relegation-threatened Cottagers have monitored the highly-rated forward's progress in recent years and were keen on a summer bid for the Dutchman.

However, Fulham will face competition for Castaignos from Russian outfit Rubin Kazan, according to Sport.ru.

Kazan are set to offer around €12 million (£10 million) for the 21-year-old striker which will come as a blow to bottom of the table Fulham.

The Cottagers could lose striker Darren Bent in the summer with reports that Wigan are closing in on a bid.

If Kazan’s bid is successful then the transfer could be delayed by a Fifa investigation into claims that a Croatian negotiator tried to engineer a move for Castaignos to Tottenham Hotspur last year.

Fifa and the Dutch football federation are looking into club claims that chairman Joop Munsterman's signature was forged.
Castaignos has scored 14 goals and got 7 assists in the Dutch Championship this season.


http://www.footballdirectnews.com/premier-league-news/41423-fulham-face-competition-from-russia-for-striker.php#.Uw1z1v0dObA

[whitejc]

 
It doesn’t get any easier, does it?

While it’s a home game, pretty much the last thing we need now is to be playing Chelsea.

Chelsea are, with Liverpool, joint top of the Premier League form guide, but in many ways are a tougher proposition because their strength is at the back.  They have the stingiest defensive record in the league and for a team like Fulham that’s bad news.

I have mentioned it a number of times but one of our biggest issues has been maintaining any control in the middle of the pitch.  Since Dembele and Diarra were playing together this has been sorely lacking, and we’re left with a sort of broken runaround approach that has been neither fish nor fowl.  Meulensteen broke up Parker and Sidwell but Magath restored them at WBA, but that felt like a backwards step, particularly as Kvist seeemed to have settled in quite well.

Chelsea on the other hand managed quite a coup with the signing of Nemaja Matic, a player who instantly gave them presence in the middle of the pitch and who, I think will probably clinch the league for them.  He’s a sort of arch-spoiler who can play, too.  Fabulous player to compliment the underrated Ramires.

Can we find a way through them?  Can we negate Oscar and Hazard?  Can we get near Oscar and Hazard?

In many ways you can see why Magath has been thinking “direct”. Try to play in a game like this and we’ll be slaughtered.  We’re going to have to reduce it to a rugby match, lower the overall standard, level the playing field.  It might not be pretty but it’ll be a good yardstick as to how much Magath can do and what lengths he might go to.   We match up awfully with Chelsea so anything other than a heavy defeat will be progress.   But of course we need more than that, don’t we?

Check out this weekend’s football odds to see what we might expect.  I’d be surprised if we caused a surprise.



https://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/it-doesnt-get-any-easier-does-it/?

[whitejc]

 
Scots could meet Super Eagles in Craven Cottage friendly

SCOTLAND could face Nigeria as part of their preparations for the 2016 European Championship qualifying campaign.

Gordon Strachan's side have the chance to play the Super Eagles in a friendly at Fulham's Craven Cottage in May.

The countries last met in 2002 at Pittodrie. The Scots took an early lead through Christian Dailly but lost 2-1.

Scotland open their bid to qualify for the 2016 finals away to Germany.

They will also face the Republic of Ireland, Poland, Georgia and Gibraltar.

Strachan's side have a friendly against Poland in Warsaw a week today.


http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/scots-could-meet-super-eagles-in-craven-cottage-friendly.23539696?

[whitejc]

 
Confusion at Fulham?

The news coming out of Fulham on Tuesday afternoon was the double departure of Ryan Tunnicliffe and Larnell Cole on loan.

Having signed for the Whites only 25 days ago, the decision to loan both players out was met with confusion and mixed opinion by fans of the club.

Authority

For me, this statement of intent by new manager Felix Magath is a way of stamping his authority upon the squad, with the idea of warning players that nothing is guaranteed.

The German is known for his tough demeanour, and it seems as if he isn’t taking any prisoners in a bid to keep Fulham in the Premier League.

You only have to look at his previous tenures in his home country to see how he operates, with squads being chopped and changed on a frequent basis.

It also explains why he is the master of short-term problem solving, but tends to waiver as his methods prolong at respective clubs.

Confused

I have to say that the news was met with some confusion by myself, as I found it hard to fathom the reasoning behind this latest move.

Many have suggested that they are young, but I feel that should not have any bearing on whether they are equipped to help the team survive the drop.

25 days is nowhere near enough time to showcase your talents in my opinion, and seems relatively rash in the circumstances.

Evidently we cannot witness what happens behind closed doors, but with Tunnicliffe in particular, he was very much part of previous manager Rene Meulensteen’s first team plans.

Old guard

In this instance, it looks as if Magath will favour experience over youth, which can be understood considering the extent of the task.

However, despite the fact the moves are only loan deals, a lot is likely to change between now and the end of the proposed spells.

Without necessarily indicating they will leave at the end of their loans, you can only feel that this will not put Magath in Tunnicliffe and Cole’s good books.

Both players have huge futures ahead of them, and this will do a lot to damage the possibility of them fulfilling their potential at Fulham.

Strange

The latest development is another in a long line of strange decisions being made up top, with CEO Alistair Macintosh bearing the brunt of it.

Not only have the club sieved their way through three managers before March, but were willing to part with money for the pair under four weeks ago.

Many fans have become disillusioned by the thinking going on upstairs, with Meulensteen’s surprising sacking contributing towards this.

However, there is a positive in that both will receive valuable playing time, and here’s to hoping they come back to Fulham as a Premier League club and better than before.


http://www.touchlinetalk.com/confusion-fulham/86427/?

[alfie]

I don't have a problem with this, these guys are very young just starting out, the new man at the helm has a big job to do and probably feels that they just do not have the required level of experience for this battle, they are talented chaps but will benefit more from playing regular competitive football, they are players for the future.