Thursday Fulham Stuff (04/02/16)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Blades boss will wait for further additions

Sheffield United Manager Nigel Adkins has confirmed that he is happy with his squad after a quiet transfer deadline day for the South Yorkshire club and has stated that he is willing to wait for the right transfer targets to become available according to The Sheffield Star.

The Blades are two points behind the League 1 Play Off places and Manager Nigel Adkins has recently seen a move for Fulham centre half Dan Burn rejected by the West London club but despite the lack of recent transfer activity the United boss is confident in the players which he already has at the club.

It was previously understood that Fulham may have been willing to let Burn move to Bramall Lane providing that they could strengthen their own defensive unit but a deal did not materialise. After failing to bring any new players to the club on deadline day Adkins paid tribute to his squad.

"It's important to remember that, despite the fact we'd like to bring a couple in, we already have some very good players here," said the Blades boss. "Even though you are always looking to see where you can improve, you mustn't lose sight of what you've already got. Because those are always the most important players. Those are the ones your focus must be on."

Adkins is now expected to identify potential loan targets with the loan window set to open again on Tuesday. The Sheffield United Manager may once again be tempted to contact Fulham about Dan Burn's availability with the former Southampton and Reading boss still keen on bringing the big centre half to the club.

Sheffield United face a huge clash with Play Off chasing Wigan Athletic at Bramall Lane on Saturday.


http://the72.co.uk/47097/blades-boss-will-wait-for-further-additions/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Madl: Easy Decision

Michael Madl cannot wait to get started following his move to Fulham last week.

The 27-year-old agreed a season-long loan deal from Sturm Graz, something that he didn't need to think twice about.

"My manager gave me a call and told me Fulham was interested," he explained to the official website. "I'm really happy that it happened so it's great to be here.

"For me it was an easy decision. To get the chance to play for Fulham in the Championship will maybe only come once in your life, so for me it's a dream come true.

"I'm very, very happy to be here, and to play for a club like Fulham with so much history and great fans. I will give my best to help the team."

The Austrian captained his parent club prior to making the move, and he's hoping to contribute to the Whites cause sooner rather than later.

"I want to help the team as soon as possible," he said. "I have to learn better English, it's not the best, but I'll learn quickly. I'm happy to be here and hopefully I can help the team.

"We need some results. I've seen some games and the team played really well but the result was not the right one. When we change this I think we can get up in the table."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/february/03/madl-easy-decision?

[WhiteJC]

 
Tottenham frustrated as another club join Man Utd in striker race following failed deal

TOTTENHAM must fend off the advances of Juventus if they want to sign Fulham striker Moussa Dembele next summer, according to reports.


Juventus are reportedly interested in signing Moussa Dembele

Dembele, 19, was all set to join the White Hart Lane club on deadline day.

Spurs had beaten fellow suitors Manchester United to the young French forward.

But the deal fell through as Fulham demanded Spurs return the ace on loan for the remainder of the season.

It is thought Spurs were willing to pay Fulham's £6million asking price for the player but wanted to throw him straight into first-team action.

And manager Mauricio Pochettino may now struggle to secure the deal at the end of the season after Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport reported that Juve will pursue a move.

It is claimed the Italian giants are attracted to Dembele because he will be out of contract come the summer.

United manager Louis van Gaal was also thought to be considering an offer for the ace.

Van Gaal was unable to spend big in January as United bosses reined in spending following their £250m outlay over 180 months.


http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/640688/Tottenham-frustrated-Man-Utd-striker-race-following-failed-deal

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham new boy facing a battle on two fronts at the Cottage

Michael Madl knows he needs to get to grips with English football and the language


Battling on two fronts: Michael Madl needs to get to grips with English football and the language

Austrian arrival Michael Madl admits he must get to grips with the English language quickly in order to start marshalling the Fulham defence.

The 27-year-old last week penned a season-long loan deal from Sturm Graz with an option to make the move a permanent transfer in the summer.

Madl, who can operate in midfield or at centre-half, has very limited communication skills having only jetted into the country last week but has vowed to break down the language barrier in west London.

"I want to help the team as soon as possible," he told the club's official website. "I have to learn better English, it's not the best, but I'll learn quickly. I'm happy to be here and hopefully I can help the team.

"We need some results. I've seen some games and the team played really well but the result was not the right one. When we change this I think we can get up in the table."

Madl rose through the ranks at Austria Vienna before signing for Wiener Neustadt in 2010 and going on to join Sturm Graz.

He skippered Graz before making the move to Craven Cottage but didn't leave with a heavy heart as he jumped at the chance to head to west London.

"My manager gave me a call and told me Fulham was interested," he added. "I'm really happy that it happened so it's great to be here.

"For me it was an easy decision. To get the chance to play for Fulham in the Championship will maybe only come once in your life, so for me it's a dream come true.

"I'm very, very happy to be here, and to play for a club like Fulham with so much history and great fans. I will give my best to help the team."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-new-boy-facing-battle-10829414?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's surprisingly good transfer window is a reason for some optimism

With the transfer window having closed with Moussa Dembele and Ross McCormack still at Fulham, and with the squad having been freshened up despite a transfer embargo, Whites fan Kris Balkin believes the club could now be heading in the right direction....

For a club under a transfer embargo, Fulham's deadline day was a joy to behold for fans previously well versed in uninspiring signings.

Last summer, under the tutelage of Felix Magath, the likes of Kay Voser, Adam Taggart and Mark Fotheringham joined the club in a window of overwhelming mediocrity.

And now January 2016 has passed, we find ourselves free from the majority of deadweight Magath brought in and, to add icing to the cake, we have a sizeable incoming of talent.

Centre-back Michael Madl was the first to join, supposedly a result of our new stats-centric approach to scouting. Rohan Ince and Zakaria Labyad joined on the final day, with Fernando Amorebieta returning from his loan spell at Middlesbrough early.

Retaining both Ross McCormack and Moussa Dembele, though, is perhaps the biggest coup of what could have been a depressing window, especially given our transfer ban.

Middlesbrough tried in vain to sign McCormack

Of course it means Dembele is free to leave in the summer, and it's almost certain that he will, but his importance so far in this campaign cannot be underestimated and there will be more heroics to come from him this year.

If we lose him to a foreign team for minimal compensation then, perhaps, you could label the club's decision to pull out of a sale to Tottenham a foolish one. But, lose him to an English club and we should receive a multi-million fee.

As for the incomings, Madl comes as a highly thought-of defender, if only in his native Austria.

The stats aficionados at the club clearly saw something in his performances to warrant a move and, with Amorebieta back as well, questions will be asked over the role Richard Stearman and Shaun Hutchinson, both of whom have featured sparsely under new boss Slavisa Jokanovic.

Brighton's Ince is the kind of player we've craved. A defensive midfielder who is tough in the tackle, he will help break up play and provide support to the more creative minds in the side.

n the absence of Ryan Tunnicliffe and the gradual decline of Scott Parker, Ince's role could be crucial as we look to climb the table during the final few months of the season.

Without the adequate protection of a battle-hardened midfielder, our defence has continued to be outlandishly porous, but that record will now hopefully begin to change.

Labyad is perhaps the most exciting signing, though – a skilful player who will hopefully add the dynamism we've been lacking since Jokanovic adapted both our system and style of play.

Comfortable on either wing or behind an attacker, his versatility could prove valuable; though you have to feel that in the absence of a right winger – Tom Cairney can play there, but he's far better in the middle – his best position will be on the opposite flank to a considerably improved Alex Kacaniklic.

All in all, we've added depth and quality to key areas without losing our most valuable assets and for that, praise must go not only to Jokanovic, but to those above him too.

Mike Rigg and Shahid Khan have found themselves under considerable pressure since the sacking of Kit Symons and prolonged saga of replacing him. Here, though, they have done well.

Let's hope it marks an upward trend in our fortunes.


http://www.westlondonsport.com/features-comment/fulhams-surprisingly-good-transfer-window-is-a-reason-for-some-optimism

[WhiteJC]

 
Arsenal will open talks over winger deal next week in hope to strike breakthrough
ARSENAL are set to restart talks with a number of Championship clubs next week in a bid to get Serge Gnabry out on loan.


TALKS: Arsenal are set to re-open talks with Championship clubs next week over Gnabry

Brighton, Charlton and Fulham were all in talks over a deal for the 21-year-old before the transfer deadline but a move failed to materialise.

The loan window for Football League clubs opens on Tuesday and, according to Football Insider, Arsenal will resume negotiations as they are looking to get Gnabry regular minutes following a disastrous spell at West Brom.

He played just 12 minutes of Premier League football for the Baggies and his last taste of senior action came in a Capital One Cup tie in September.

Gnabry was recalled early and Arsene Wenger is hoping he can enjoy a fruitful spell in the second-tier like Francis Coquelin had at Charlton last season.

"I am tempted to give him some competition because at the moment he has not played at West Brom," Wenger said said.

"So I'm tempted to let him go somewhere to do with him what I did with Coquelin, somewhere one month or two months."

The Daily Mirror claim Arsenal offered Fulham the chance to take Gnabry on loan in exchange for Whites wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon.

Charlton snapped up Arsenal striker Yaya Sanogo just before Monday's 11pm deadline.


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/492242/Arsenal-talks-winger-deal-next-week-hope-strike-breakthrough

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Zakaria Labyad - five things you need to know about Whites newest signing like his best pal is at Stoke City and a man called Jesus has faith in him

The Championship strugglers swooped to bring a promising 22-year-old to Craven Cottage hours before the transfer window shut - here's the lowdown on him


New kid on the block: Zakaria Labyad

Zakaria Labyad was a deadline day signing for Fulham - and if little is known about him his parent club boss, one Jorge Jesus at Sporting Clube de Portugal thinks the world of the attacking midfielder.

No Zac - no Jesus
A condition of Jorge Jesus taking the boss's job at Sporting CP last summer was the return of Labyad from his loan spell at Vitesse Arnhem.

Jesus took on the job believing the midfielder could be a 'pillar' of the team.

Clearly, something hasn't quite worked out since for Fulham to snap him up on loan.

Stoke City star is Labyad role model
The new White reckons he will do well to follow in the footsteps of Dutch international Ibrahim Afellay.

As Labyad put it: "Ibrahim is my friend. I have a lot of respect for him, not only because he plays in the same position as me, but also because as a person, he's someone I look up to."

He is fond of trains - or maybe home cooking
During his time at PSV Eindhoven from 2010-12 where the 18-year-old made 45 senior appearances, Labyad had to commute by train every day to Eindhoven - a 200k round-trip from his home in Utrecht where he and his family live.

He was the second Dutchman of Moroccan origin and also an attacking midfielder to sign for a west London club on deadline day
How's that for coincidence?

As for Zakaria Labyad at Fulham, read Nasser El Khayati at QPR. Both are practising Muslims, and here is El Khayati's five things you need to know. Peas in a pod or what?

Unlike Nasser El Khayati at QPR - Labyad has already represented his chosen country at senior level.
The Rangers midfielder has yet to get a call-up from either Morocco or the Netherlands, but the Fulham player has played for Morocco against Burkina Faso in 2012, as well as 17 appearances at U23 level and three for the U17s.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulhams-zakaria-labyad-five-things-10833034?

[WhiteJC]

 
Next Up: Derby

The Whites are back in action for the first time in two weeks as we take on Derby County at Craven Cottage this Saturday, 6th February, kick-off 3pm.

As Slaviša Jokanović reinforced his Fulham side for the remainder of the season in the winter transfer market, there's still time for you to secure your seat to welcome the new boys and watch all the action in SW6.

Tickets for the match are now on General Sale, priced from £25 adults and £15 juniors.

Supporters can purchase online today at fulhamfc.com/tickets, by phone on 0843 208 1234 (opt. 2) or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/february/03/next-up-derby?

[WhiteJC]

 
Scout Report: Moussa Dembele | French Striker lighting up the Championship

Alex Lynch provides a detailed scout report on French striker Moussa Dembele, who seems to be hot property right now with the likes of Spurs after him.

The last two seasons haven't been very memorable for Fulham FC. They first got relegated from the Premier League after a 19th place finish, and their 13 year stay in the top flight was suddenly over. For a London based club like Fulham that has a fair amount of resources, relegation was an embarrassment. But then came last season, where they went from favorites to return to the Premier League, to being in the bottom half of the Championship all while losing wonder kid Patrick Roberts to Manchester City. Clearly Fulham haven't had many positives in the last two years but there is positive that does surface from the pool of negativity: his name is Moussa Dembele and he is lighting up the Championship this season.

Who Is Moussa Dembele?
Moussa Dembele is a 19 year old footballer who hails from France, specifically Pontoise, a suburb of Paris. Dembele clearly has small town roots, which might help explain some of his decisions later in his career. He joined local club Paris Saint Germain in 2004, and while PSG were good back then, they weren't the dominant force in French Football like they are today. After becoming one of PSG's top prospects, he was capped for the French U-16 team in 2011 and 2012. He managed to impressed with the youth national team and got noticed by clubs around Europe. Without much of a chance of getting into the PSG team as a young player, he decided to leave the club. After having a host of European clubs interested in him, Dembele stuck to his small town roots and decided to join Fulham.

After Dembele joined Fulham in 2012, he made his France U-17 debut and went on to make his Premier League debut in the following year. Making his Premier League debut at 17 helped him get noticed by Fulham supporters and French Football fans as a player for the future. Dembele managed to feature in the FA Cup as well. Fulham ended up getting relegated (as mentioned previously), and the loss of quality players that resulted from relegation made Dembele a regular at 18. Fulham supporters got a proper chance to see Dembele play in the following season. After making 11 appearances in the Championship last season, 15 in all competitions, Dembele started to show flashes of what he could do. He scored an impressive brace against Derby County in the League Cup, he showed in his two Championship starts that he could hold the ball up well and help out his team mates. During the summer, Dembele represented the France U-19 team in the European Championships, where Dembele impressed with a couple of goals in the group stages. His impressive Euro performance and the flashes that he showed last season led to him getting a chance in the first team this season. Dembele took full advantage of this opportunity, showing Fulham supporters that their hype was justifiable. He has 9 goals in 18 starts, which is 10th in the Championship and to add to this, Dembele has 2 assists to go along with the goals. He has shown that he is able to go for an aerial duel and come out on top, with over 3.5 aerial wins per game this season so far. His goals have mattered for Fulham, who are once again in the bottom half of the Championship at the time of this writing.

Style Of Play, Strengths and Weaknesses
Moussa Dembele has all of the characteristics that you would want in a great young striker. But his best trait is his terrific finishing ability. All of his goals this season have come from inside of the box and a lot of his goals are close range finishes that are either products of his teammates build up or his own. His finishing was on display in his brace against Bristol City. Both of Dembele's goals in that match were first time finishes from inside of the six yard box, after getting a low delivery from a teammate. Dembele scored a similar goal against Blackburn Rovers, as he scored from around 8 yards out after the goalkeeper mishandled the ball. And Dembele managed to finish the goal off despite multiple Blackburn players standing on the goal line. His impressive finishes against Blackburn Rovers and against Bristol showed his ability to be a true poacher from inside of the box. Most young strikers don't have the calmness that Dembele displayed in these instances. And Dembele only averages two shots per game this season despite his high amount of goals, which proves that he has been finishing off his chances.

Besides his great finishing ability, Dembele also has terrific leaping ability and physical traits. He stands at exactly 6 feet tall, which is fairly average for a striker. But what separates him from most strikers physically is his vertical leap and his pace. Dembele's leaping ability was shown off in a goal he scored against Queens Park Rangers. A teammate crossed the ball up to Dembele, and before the ball even started going downward, Dembele jumped to reach the cross and found the back of the net.

His aforementioned pace has been on display throughout the season for Fulham so far. Fulham's website described Dembele as having "pace to burn", and they couldn't be more spot on.  One example of his great pace was a goal he scored against Reading, where his teammate delivered a low ball into the box, and Dembele ran at full speed to get the ball and put it into the back of the net. He scored a similar goal in a game against MK Dons, when the ball popped up into the air, his teammate brought it down and passed it right in front of the net toward Dembele, who had been running at full speed to get there, and he ended up with an easy tap in goal as a result. He used his pace to get away from the defender and that gave him the easy finish inside of the box. One of the reasons why he's been such a great finisher this season, is because his excellent pace and leaping ability give him clear sights of the goal. When he gets the ball, he often can get a good look at the goal because of the space he creates for himself. His athletic ability gives him a lot of potential and even more room to grow.

While most of Dembele's goals are because of his teammates' build up, he's also good on the ball himself. He has two assists this season, which is a fair total given the lack of attacking talent in Fulham outside of Ross McCormack. Dembele also passes at a 70% clip according to Whoscored.com, which is quite decent for a young striker who doesn't have many passing options at his disposal. He also showed his ability on the ball against Reading, where he used his pace to draw the defenders towards himself, and then he delivered a perfect through ball to the aforementioned McCormack who finished off the goal. That assist against Reading showcased Dembele's passing ability, as most strikers, and almost all teenage strikers, don't make that kind of ball towards a teammate. They would likely hold onto the ball and try to start something from there.

While Dembele has a lot of good traits as a player, he has weaknesses in his game as well. The lack of quality teammates might have something to do with this, but Dembele, like most young players, has been very inconsistent. He had a period in the season where he scored six goals in three games, with two braces during that time. However, Dembele has only scored once in his last 8 games at the time of writing, after scoring two goals in three games prior to his goal drought. His team's form has dropped as well during this period, but Dembele needs to find consistency if he wants to become a truly great striker. 

Another weakness in Dembele's game is his weight. Dembele only weighs 162.9 pounds according to Fulham's official website, which is very light for any player, much less a striker, making it hard for him to hold the ball up. He's going to have a hard time avoiding injury if he doesn't add weight, because physical leagues such as the Premier League will be tough for someone who's so light.

What Does the Future Hold?
With the way that Dembele had performed so far this season, he has an incredibly bright future ahead. Since strikers, and particularly young ones, are such a hot commodity in Football these days, Dembele is surely going to be wanted by big clubs. His contract runs out in the summer of 2016, which means that he won't be at Fulham for much longer. And when he does leave Fulham, he's going to have the chance to show the French National Team what he's made of. With his great physical traits and his finishing ability, he's bound to succeed at the higher levels of world Football. Even though there are a lot of great French forwards at the moment, Dembele has the potential to become undroppable for the French National Team.


http://outsideoftheboot.com/2016/02/04/scout-report-moussa-dembele-french-striker-lighting-up-the-championship/?

[Hoppus]

Slavisa - Kline 1-0
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/12141179/Fulham-data-analyst-Craig-Kline-sent-back-to-the-USA.html

[bill taylors apprentice]

Slavisa - Kline 1-0
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/12141179/Fulham-data-analyst-Craig-Kline-sent-back-to-the-USA.html

Thanks for highlighting yet another episode of the ongoing farce otherwise known as Fulham FC.

[ScalleysDad]

Slavisa - Kline 1-0
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/12141179/Fulham-data-analyst-Craig-Kline-sent-back-to-the-USA.html

Thanks for highlighting yet another episode of the ongoing farce otherwise known as Fulham FC.

True enough but at least this time there appears to have been a reaction and the current manager seems to have won the day . . . . . . .  statistically speaking of course

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

Slavisa - Kline 1-0
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/12141179/Fulham-data-analyst-Craig-Kline-sent-back-to-the-USA.html

Thanks for highlighting yet another episode of the ongoing farce otherwise known as Fulham FC.

Why do you see this report as another negative?

[bill taylors apprentice]

Slavisa - Kline 1-0
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/12141179/Fulham-data-analyst-Craig-Kline-sent-back-to-the-USA.html

Thanks for highlighting yet another episode of the ongoing farce otherwise known as Fulham FC.

Why do you see this report as another negative?

Well, as far as I'm concerned it could be the start of the owner bringing good people together to work for the common good rather than the evolution up to now which clearly isn't working.

But don't hold your breath!

[HatterDon]

Spurs wanted Dembele to get into action immediately? Really? This is the hottest, most attacking side in the Premier League over the last few months. The last thing they need is an underdeveloped 19 year old to mess up their serious mojo.