Saturday Fulham Stuff (10/01/15)...

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Russell Slade's Cardiff City reign truly starts against Fulham as he shapes Bluebirds squad

Following his first moves in the transfer market, Slade will hope a result against the Cottagers can truly herald the start of his era in charge

The arrival of a new manager at a football club is not always the start of a new era.

Indeed, most bosses tend to wait until after their first transfer window before they can start laying claim to the side they pick being 'their team'. So it seems we could be seeing the start of the Russell Slade era in earnest after the Cardiff City manager made his first forays into the transfer market.

Rightly or wrongly, the signing of Scott Malone and potential arrival of Alex Revell have underwhelmed in the same manner that, in the eyes of some, Slade's time in charge has.

Perhaps that is unfair both on the boss and the players, but it has to be placed into context of what has gone before at Cardiff.

The Bluebirds have not been shy in coming forward when it comes to headline-grabbing transfers over the past decade or so. Forget the Premier League signings and focus on those charged with helping the team into it over the years; without thinking too long or hard about it, the names of Craig Bellamy, Aaron Ramsey, Michael Chopra, Robbie Fowler, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Trevor Sinclair spring to mind. Go back further and the costly cult heroes Graham Kavanagh and Peter Thorne were destined to become idols on the Ninian Park terraces

Harsh or not, Millwall's Malone and Rotherham's Revell – whose deal is yet to be confirmed – have not got that same star quality and thus don't offer the same hope and excitement.

But, just as some of the big names didn't pay off, neither does the lower status of Slade's first signings mean that they won't be just what his team needs.

There is little wrong in going back to what you know and Malone has earned a hat-tip from plenty for his performances.

At 23, and bought relatively cheaply with his contract due to expire, the left-back could yet to prove a useful investment. Given that Cardiff seemingly had Fabio, Declan John, John Brayford all operating at left-back this year, you would assume it's more of an investment than a priority.

Still, having turned down advances from Sheffield United for the naturally right-sided Brayford, Slade seemingly knows what he wants at the back and simply must find a firmer back five to which to build the rest upon, with Malone part of that.

It is up front where Slade has looked to next. Revell, Slade knows well, both from his time at Orient and for the Rotherham goal that beat the O's in last year's play-off final. But, at 31, arriving via a host of non-league and lower league clubs, it can be claimed that it is more about Slade seeing a hole in his front line he needs to fill.

If it works, if Revell gets the goals – and it will need to be better than the 28 in 150 games for the Millers he managed – then few will be complaining of not knowing all about him beforehand.

But, through constraints or by choice, Slade is making his mark on this side, with Fulham the end of the beginning of his time in charge.

Further additions – and undoubtedly exits – will have to wait for now as Fulham come to town, a side that have faced their own problems since Premier relegation and are on their second manager of the season, former Wales defender Kit Symons in charge after Felix Magath's ill-fated spell ended.

In a test of defensive improvements, the Cottagers have failed to score in their last three matches, so a shut-out seems achievable as City seek to end a dismal run of Championship form that has seen them earn just two points from the last five matches.

The Cardiff City Stadium win over Fulham last season failed to spark the run the side needed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer failed to make his mark.

As Slade's era starts to begin properly, the hope is that things can be different.



http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/russell-slades-cardiff-city-reign-8409995?

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Felix Magath purchases stake in Rangers

Former Fulham manager Felix Magath has bought around a 1% stake in Rangers, it has emerged.

The 61-year-old, who has previously guided Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg to the Bundesliga title, purchased the shares at the end of last year.

Despite holding discussions with one of the groups battling for control of the club, Magath is said to have no ambition of succeeding Ally McCoist as manager of the Gers.

However, a report in the Daily Record claims that the German boss does want to help rebuild the club's football infrastructure as technical director.

Magath was sacked by Fulham last September due to a poor start to the season following relegation from the Premier League.


http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/news/magath-purchases-stake-in-rangers_197838.html

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Fulham boss admits he could lose midfielder in transfer window

Whites' Costa Rican might cost too much


Departure: Bryan Ruiz
Kit Symons thinks Bryan Ruiz will quit Fulham - provided someone is willing to shoulder the bulk of the midfielder's £45,000-a-week wages.

The Costa Rican international was one of the surprise hits of the 2014 World Cup where he scored twice for his country.

But forced to return to life in the Championship, he was first ignored by manager Felix Magath and then restored to first-team action under Symons, but made no secret of his intent to return to top-flight football somewhere in Europe.


Adam Davy/EMPICS Sport
Fulham manager Kit Symons
He cost Fulham close to £7 million when bought from Twente Enschde in 2011, and the Whites would want to recoup at least half of that in straight transfer or broker a loan deal like the one that took him to PSV Eindhoven in the second half of last season.

In August, Werder Bremen, Ajax, Palermo and Olympiakos made noises about signing the 29-year-old, now Symons reckon he's got wind of fresh interest in his player.

The manager said: "There's not been an offer as such, but interest, and I expect there to be interest in a lot of our players, because if not it means we've got a lot of players nobody wants.

"Bryan's situation was made quite definite to me when I first took over, and he is possibly looking to move on. If it came about we would sit down and discuss it, but he is a player we have an option to add on an extra year (to his contract).

"If anything happens, we'll work out the best situation for club and player."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/fulham-boss-admits-could-lose-8408785?

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Whites have striker firmly in their sights

Rod to stay put in Cottage


Kneesy: Rodallega celebrates
Fulham intend to trigger the clause in Hugo Rodallega's contract that keeps the striker in west London for another season.

The Colombian forward is a man reborn under manager Kit Symons, scoring eight times, including the winner at Leeds in our video, compared with the solitary one under previous coach Felix Magath.

The new man in charge knows a good thing when he sees it, and admits they will hang on to the 29-year-old simply by pointing to the relevant paragraph signed on arrival in July 2012.

Symons explained: "No progress as such needs to be made with Hugo's contract, because we've got the option of another year, so no negotiations need to be done.

"It will be done before the summer because people need to know what they're doing, but a contract is in place and it's just a case of invoking the option."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/whites-striker-firmly-sights-8408960?

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Regan Poole: Newport County accept Fulham bid for defender

Newport County have accepted a bid from Fulham for defender Regan Poole.

The highly-rated 16-year-old has played five games this season and had a trial at Manchester United in September.

Manager Justin Edinburgh expects the deal to be done soon for Poole, who could have left for nothing at the end of the season.

"It's an offer that's been accepted, one we feel is right for the club and Regan," said Edinburgh.

"We have to be protective of the football club because he's only on a scholar contract and, at the end of that, he could walk away from the club for nothing or really minimal compensation.

"If things pan out the way they look, he will move on but with our blessing."

Edinburgh is hopeful of filling his defensive ranks by signing Wales defender Darcy Blake, who is training with the League Two club.

The 26-year-old former Cardiff City player, who has won 14 caps, has been without a club for six months and has been training at Rodney Parade with a view to rejoining County.

"We're extremely hopeful [of signing Blake permanently]," said Edinburgh.

"For whatever reason, he's not been in the routine of being a football player of late.

"You can lose that appetite but this last week I have seen that back in him."

Blake failed to find a club in the summer after leaving Newport at the end of the 2013-14 season, having joined them after leaving Crystal Palace in January 2014.

He made eight appearances in his last spell at Newport, but could not agree a contract to keep him at Rodney Parade, while he also failed to secure a contract at Plymouth Argyle.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30741080

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Fulham weigh up £3m bid for Bournemouth winger Matt Ritchie as Cottagers look to mount push for the play-offs
Fulham looking to add some quality to their squad for second half of the season
Matt Richie would cost Fulham around £3m
Bournemouth have had two bids for Birmingham's Demarai Gray rejected 

Fulham are weighing up a £3million move for Bournemouth winger Matt Ritchie.
The west London club are keen to add quality to their squad in a late push for the play-offs and could soon test the water by making an offer for the 25-year-old, who has scored six times this season.
Eddie Howe would be highly resistant to letting one of his star players leave with promotion to the Premier League a realistic proposition but is aware Ritchie's contract is up in 2016.


Bournemouth winger Matt Ritchie has emerged as a £3m target for Fulham
Ritchie is currently believed to be on a weekly wage of around £9,000 and Fulham would likely be willing to double that figure.
Howe, however, is looking to strengthen his Championship-topping side rather than let players go. Primarily, he wants to add a winger of genuine pace to play on the left.


Bournemouth have made two bids for Birmingham's Demarai Gray - but both have been rejected
Two bids for Birmingham's Demarai Gray, the latest reaching £2million, have been rejected as 'derisory' by Gary Rowett. Wigan's Callum McManaman remains a more expensive option.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2903291/Fulham-weigh-3m-bid-Bournemouth-winger-Matt-Ritchie-Cottagers-look-mount-push-play-offs.html#ixzz3OLoBxOFe
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

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Kača: Good To Be Back

Alexander Kačaniklić is pleased to be back in familiar surroundings following his return from a loan spell at FC Copenhagen.

Fulham exercised a recall option in the 23-year-old's contract with the Danish giants, giving Manager Kit Symons another dimension in attacking midfield.

Featuring as a number 10 in behind lone striker Moussa Dembélé, Kačaniklić played the first half of Fulham Under-21s' 3-1 friendly victory over Portsmouth in midweek, and he admitted it felt good to wear the white shirt again.

"It felt very good to pull the Fulham top on again," he told the official website. "It was a nice game and we won which is always good. It was nice to get 45 minutes. I felt good, I felt sharp and ready to play.

"I was playing in a different role to what I'm used to but I enjoyed that role. It's nice to be back playing and it's just good to be back. It's nice to return to Fulham and see all the boys again."

The Sweden international featured in 13 of a possible 17 matches during his time at Copenhagen, scoring twice, and was pleased with how the brief stint away from London went.

"It was very close to home, about 50 minutes," he explained. "It was good, Copenhagen is a nice club, it's a nice place to live. I got a lot of games in the league and in the Europa League, I scored a couple of goals, so I was happy with that.

"I tried to stream some Fulham games while I was away. I had a look at a few but I wasn't able to see too many.

"I was impressed by what I did see, though. It's good to see a lot of young players featuring and mixing it up with the experienced lads.

"You can see that the younger boys who have played a lot of games have got a new confidence on and off the pitch, which is good for the Club and for them."

The second half of the 2014/15 campaign will see Kačaniklić managed by Symons for the first time – bar a couple of Under-21 appearances – and he is looking forward to working under a man he has a lot of respect for.

He stated: "I know Kit. I've been here for a few years now and I know him very well and the way he wants to play.

"Training since I came back has been good. It's only been a couple of sessions but it's been good so far and I'm looking forward to playing games. I just want to play games.

"I've been at the Club for several years in the Premier League and I know what I can do and I just want to help the team.

"I'm still young but I'm one of the older team members compared to a lot of the boys, so I'll just try to help them out as much as I can."

Due to a break in the Danish league season in December, it's been several weeks since Kačaniklić played first-team football.

Nonetheless, he's hoping to play some part in Saturday's clash at Cardiff City, and at the same time banish memories of last season.

In March 2014 Fulham travelled to the Welsh capital for the definition of a relegation six-pointer, a match in which Kačaniklić came on as a half-time substitute.

But a sub-standard team display saw the Whites slip to a 3-1 defeat which did us no favours in our ultimately unsuccessful attempt to avoid the drop.

"Last year was a big game, so we just have to make sure we do better this year," Kača admitted. "It's going to be a tough game. It was a very important game last year and this game is also important if you look at the table.

"We need to get back to winning games – we lost two in a row in the league which is never good so we need to get back to winning games and I'm hoping to feature on Saturday and make an impact.

"If we get three points we'll go level with them and then we'll be looking up again. In this league if you get two, three wins in a row you're right up there again, so that's what we need to do.

"The aim I had when I came back to help the team was to get us into the Play-Offs. Like I said, if we get a couple of wins and get back into that winning mentality then we can aim high."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/january/09/kaca-good-to-be-back?

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Two in for Bluebirds

Cardiff are set to hand debuts to two players when they host Fulham.

Left-back Scott Malone joined the Bluebirds earlier this week from Millwall and striker Alex Revell arrived from Rotherham.

And the duo are likely to be involved as 12th-placed Cardiff look to climb up the table against a Fulham side they met in the Premier League less than 12 months ago.

Russell Slade shuffled his pack for the FA Cup tie with Colchester last weekend with the likes of David Marshall, Kenwyne Jones, Sean Morrison and Bruno Manga all hopeful of earning recalls to the starting line-up.

Fulham will have Ryan Tunnicliffe and Alexander Kacaniklic available.

Midfielder Tunnicliffe is back with the Cottagers after a loan spell with Blackburn and winger Kacaniklic has returned from his stint with FC Copenhagen.

Lasse Vigen Christensen is an injury doubt after coming off early on in the goalless draw against Wolves last weekend with a recurrence of a hamstring problem.

Defenders Tim Hoogland (hernia) and Fernando Amorebieta (knee) are still on the sidelines.


http://www.espnfc.co.uk/english-league-championship/match/395160/cardiff-city-fulham/preview?

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Cardiff v Fulham

SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium Date: Saturday, 10 January Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Coverage: Watch highlights on The Football League Show; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website

TEAM NEWS

Cardiff's new signings, left-back Scott Malone (from Millwall) and striker Alex Revell (Rotherham), are in the squad.

David Marshall, Kenwyne Jones, Sean Morrison and Bruno Manga are all set to start after missing last weekend's FA Cup tie with Colchester.

Fulham have Ryan Tunnicliffe and Alexander Kacaniklic back in the squad after completing loan spells.

Lasse Vigen Christensen may miss out after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury last time out.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
The earlier meeting this season ended as a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage in August.

Cardiff are unbeaten in the last three meetings, winning two. Fulham's last win was 2-1 away in the League Cup in August 1998.

Cardiff won the last meeting at home 3-1 in the Premier League in March last season - their only win in the last four meetings in Wales.

Cardiff
Cardiff have not won any of their last five games in the Championship, losing three. Their last league win was 1-0 at Watford on 29 November.
City have lost their last two home games in the Championship, against Brentford and Watford.

Fulham
Fulham lost their last two games in the Championship, against Bournemouth and Brighton.
The Cottagers have won two of their last three away games, winning 2-1 at Brighton and 1-0 at Leeds.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30663312

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Fulham eye £3 million move for AFC Bournemouth's Matt Ritchie

Fulham are lining up a £3 million move for Bournemouth star Matt Ritchie, according to the Daily Mail.

Fulham are keen to make a second half push for the play offs, after a very slow start to their first season back in the Championship. Ritchie has been a star in Eddie Howe's season this year, scoring six goals.

Howe would probably be adverse to letting Ritchie leave, with the Premier League within touching distance. He'd be keen to keep Ritchie, but knows he only has a year and a half left on his contract.

Ritchie is reportedly earning £9,000 a week, and Fulham's main negotiating tool will be to double those wages. Howe wants to strengthen his side this January rather then weaken it.

He has already had two bids rejected for Demarai Gray of Birmingham, and has the more expensive option of Callum McManaman of Wigan on his shortlist.

Bournemouth's last league game was away to Millwall. The last time the two played, Bournemouth went two up and ended up drawing 2-2. There was no such mistake this time round, as Bournemouth won 2-0.

Yann Kermorgant scored a 32nd minute penalty and Harry Arter scored his fifth goal in five games to give the Cherries the three points, as they move four points clear at the top of the Championship.

Howe said to BBC Sport after the game: "It was a very hostile atmosphere but we dealt well with the challenge that was posed and concentrated on the football.

"We always felt if we could keep a clean sheet, we'd have a good chance to win the game. We've been 2-0 ahead against Millwall before, so it was a good test for us to learn from the previous game."

Bournemouth are currently top of the Championship, after accumulating 48 points so far this season.


http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-eye-3-million-move-for-afc-bournemouths-matt-ritchie/?

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Trotta Departs

The Club can confirm that Marcello Trotta has joined Italian Serie B side AS Avellino on a permanent deal.

The striker made three appearances during his time with the Whites, and also took in loan spells at Wycombe Wanderers, Watford, Brentford and Barnsley.

We would like to thank Marcello for his efforts during his time at Fulham, and we wish him all the best in his new challenge back in his homeland.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/january/09/trotta-departs?

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Kit Symons plays down talk of £3m Fulham move for Bournemouth winger Matt Ritchie
KIT SYMONS has played down speculation linking Fulham with a move for highly-rated Bournemouth winger Matt Ritchie.

Reports this week suggested the Cottagers were preparing to offer their Championship rivals £3m for Ritchie, 25, but Symons admits a new wide-man is not high on his January shopping list.

He said: "At the moment we don't play with wingers so that's not a huge concern. There are other areas that are more important for us to look to strengthen.

"He's an excellent player, without a doubt, but that's not an area we're really looking to strengthen.

"Obviously we've got Kaca [Alex Kacaniklic] coming back as well now and he's a player who can play in those wide positions so we've got one in already."

Symons has set his Fulham side up to play a narrow midfield diamond formation since taking over from Felix Magath in September.

Their failure to score in the last three games has led to some fans calling on the boss to play with more width and Symons is willing to mix things up if he has enough options at his disposal.

He said: "I like having the option to play different ways. We've played a way that's suited us to get us moving up the table. We had one point from the first seven games so it wasn't a great return and in the 17 league games since we started working together, we'd be sixth in the form guide so there have been huge improvements.

"But that's not to say I'm set in playing a certain way, I will look to play what I think is the best way for the football club and the players we have available.

"I'm quite flexible and I want to be fluid in the way we do things but it's also good that people have an understanding of what's expected of their roles and responsibilities within the team."


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/419273/Kit-Symons-plays-down-talk-3m-Fulham-move-Bournemouth-winger-Matt-Ritchie

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Loan Updates

-    The Club can confirm that Josh Passley, Ryan Williams and Lyle Della Verde have returned to Fulham following the natural expiry of their respective loan deals with Shrewsbury Town, Barnsley and Bristol Rovers.

-    18-year-old goalkeeper Marek Rodák has joined up with Conference South outfit Farnborough on a two-month youth loan. Boro currently sit just outside the relegation zone.

-    Shrewsbury manager Micky Mellon has paid tribute to Jack Grimmer, who spent time on loan with the club earlier in the season. "Jack will play for Scotland – and I mean that," he stressed. "If Scotland have a better attacking right-back than him then we're going to be some team. From the minute he walked through the door he was pure class. He became a massive favourite here. You knew because of how well he was doing – and he was brilliant for us – Fulham weren't going to not want him in their team. He returned to Fulham and went right into the Championship with them. He's going to be some player. He's only going to get better."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/january/09/loan-updates?

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Fulham youngster Emerson Hyndman linked to Borussia Dortmund - report

Fulham teenager Emerson Hyndman is a reported target for a host of European clubs, including Borussia Dortmund.

Fulham midfielder Emerson Hyndman's recent rise to prominence has caught the eye of Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, according to a report from Goal USA's Ives Galarcep.

Hyndman, 18, only made his professional debut in Fulham's Championship opener against Ipswich Town in August, but has already earned his first US national team cap, while also establishing himself as a regular in the first-team squad at Craven Cottage.

The Texas-native's passing prowess even earned him comparisons to Andrea Pirlo from former manager Felix Magath earlier this season, and US head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has also sung his praises in recent months.

"Emerson is phenomenal. This kid came to our first game after the World Cup, and in our first training session he played like he was always with us," the German told the Telegraph.

"He's barely 18. I said to my coach: 'Are you seeing what I'm seeing?' Everyone was like 'woah'."

The talent which Klinsmann has spoken of has not gone unnoticed across Europe, and Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund are now reported to be keeping close tabs on the teenager, along with clubs in both La Liga and the Eredivisie.

Hyndman himself is ignoring the speculation at this point, however, and is more than content to continue his development in west London.

"I'm getting some time with Fulham and I've been linked with a few other clubs," he said. "It's been really exciting to hear some of the clubs I've been linked to, but I have a year and a half left on my contract so anything can happen. Right now I'm concentrating on Fulham and playing with the U.S.

"For all of us young players at Fulham, and quite a few of us stepped up, we had that sense that there was a chance to play here after we got relegated," he continued "We saw a lot of players leave pretty soon after we were relegated and I saw an opportunity here, where if we had stayed in the Premier League I don't think we would have had that same opportunity."


http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2015/01/09/fulham-youngster-emerson-hyndman-linked-to-borussia-dortmund-rep/?

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Kit's Cardiff Affinity

Kit Symons hopes his return to Cardiff sees Fulham take three points from their encounter in the Welsh capital.

With family ties to the country – for whom he made 37 international appearances during his playing days – the trip to Cardiff City on Saturday is one the Whites Manager is looking forward to making.

"I've got a strong affinity to the place," he said. "My nana lived in Sudcroft Street which was literally a stone's throw from Ninian Park.

"All my family are from Cardiff so I love going back to the city and it would be nice to go there and get a result that's for sure."

To help him get that desired victory – which would see Fulham move level on points with their opponents – he will have Ryan Tunnicliffe and Alexander Kačaniklić available following their return to the Club from respective loan spells.

"They're both back, both fit and have both done well in training," Symons stated. "Obviously Ryan's come in from playing regularly for Blackburn. Alex is slightly different – he's not started a game for about six-and-a-half weeks now due to their season finishing over at FC Copenhagen.

"So they're different sort of levels physically, but both are looking good and both will come back in and be available."

In Thursday's pre-match press conference, he was also quizzed about his options at centre-back.

The last five matches have seen Shaun Hutchinson and Nikolay Bodurov acting as the preferred pairing at the heart of defence, a run which has seen Fulham keep three clean sheets.

It's form which has forced Dan Burn to settle for a place on the substitutes' bench, but Symons is sure the 22-year-old will be raring to go if called upon.

"Dan's a fantastic lad, a very good player," he explained. "I had a chat with him in the week about that and he's understanding that the boys are doing well, and all the time they're doing well it's unfortunate that someone's got to miss out, and that's Dan at the moment.

"Things change very, very quickly in football, with injuries and suspensions and loss of form so, like Hutch was, he needs to keep himself fit, keep himself ready – which he will do – so when he gets his opportunity I'm sure Dan will be ready to take it."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/january/09/kits-cardiff-affinity?

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Ditching the diamond?
by FPTAYLOR on JANUARY 9, 2015

An old fashioned system, some would say, but the simplicity of 4-4-2 has served Fulham well over the years, particularly under Roy Hodgson, as we added a Europa League run to a Great Escape in his tenure. Largely using the two banks of four, which provided defensive stability, aided by exceptionally setting up his team, Roy managed to find a cute balance between defence and attack – which admittedly would frequent towards the defensive side of the game.

Roy had two wide players (Duff, Davies or Dempsey) who would happily track back and help their full back – arguably making John Pantsil and Paul Konchesky look like better full backs then they were. What Fulham did excellently back then was to have a point of reference in attack with Bobby Zamora, where Andy Johnson would then attack the behind of the opposition defence, leaving your opponents with a dilemma to press Zamora and risk leaving Andy Johnson with space behind you; or drop to prevent AJ with space, but giving Zamora the space to do whatever he wanted, pop it back into the midfield, play out wide or have a shot from distance.

With Bryan Ruiz's future in the balance, as well as Chris David and Thomas Eisfeld being nowhere near the plans of Kit Symons, as well as the return of Alex Kacaniklic and rumours with regards to moves for Bournemouth's right winger Matt Ritchie and Ricardo Vaz Te who can play on either flank; a switch towards Symons' favoured 442/4411 at youth level looks likely, aided by the ability for Kit to make this team his own rather than working with the dribbles left by Felix Magath's metaphorical teabag.

Onto some possible issues with the system, when one of the two strikers drops – as normal, creating a 4411, the distance between the striker and his two will be further apart, and a longer ball into the now lone striker could (and usually will) leave him vulnerable. However, if you are skilful enough to use the middle, like Pirlo, Gattuso and Totti – now three – and you can play your way into the final third of the pitch, you'll likely use one of your two wide men, but by the time they are in a position to place in a cross, there's just the one striker in the box, and possibly your second one running in from deep. To increase your chances of scoring from crosses, you should really have 3-5 players in the box; something Sam Allardyce's sides have always been excellent at was commitment of players in the box. Aided by long-term players Kevin Nolan being adept at picking up knockdowns via crosses from the likes of Kevin Davies and Andy Carroll when they're not busy nodding them in by themselves.

The four-four-two, a formation that provides a partnership of twos, balance between defence and attack, and looking elsewhere, the once written off system has a place in modern day football, as the shape has been tweaked for much success by Manchester City and Atletico Madrid. Manchester City have used the same shape, but with wide-inside playmakers, David Silva and Samir Nasri integral facets of the way they play, as they consistently dominate games with excellent possession play. Atletico on the other hand, have their wide players take up the spaces in between the two strikers and the central midfielders, almost "half spaces." A strong pressure game usually rewards the Spaniards, as opponents can't keep up with the energy, or movement that they're front four provides. The beauty of Atletico's squad is that it allows them to attack in different ways for different games, two exceptional talents in Koke and Arda Turan allow them to use them in inside roles like Manchester City, or as wider components of their offense.

Now, what would this change mean for our group of players? It'll be interesting to see. We'll likely see Alex Kacaniklic as our first choice left sided midfielder, with George Williams challenging him, that's probably sorted. As for the right side, Patrick Roberts is arguably too young to be starting games consistently, and unless Adil Chihi escapes the Felix Magath's secret cabinet, we have no actual wingers for that side; we do however, have makeshift options in Ryan Tunnicliffe and Lasse Vigen Christensen being capable deputies on that side, however, likely to have the tendency to tuck in and revert into a "wide central midfielder." That's where the signings come in; and particularly interesting when we look at possibly signing Matt Ritchie who has 4 assists and 5 goals in his last 7 matches. Our main starting central midfielder is Scott Parker until the season end at least, and the other options are the aforementioned Lasse Vigen Christensen and Ryan Tunnicliffe, alongside Seko Fofana (whose loan is coming to an end) and Emerson Hyndman.

I would relish seeing the return of a system that has served Fulham well in the past years, and inspecting how Kit assembles a new system, and in the long term, squad in his image. Interest in encouraging and positive players is promising for our club in the long run, as Kit Symons and Mike Rigg work in conjunction to provide us with the best quality players. Symons would clearly like to make this football club his own, and I don't think we can judge him until he does. A change of shape, and the addition of a quality player or two could be very positive move in the time-line for Fulham FC.



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