Saturday Fulham News 18/06/2016

[Friendsoffulham]

Albert: Fantastic Times



With Philippe Albert an established top-flight defender, it was some coup by Fulham when he arrived on loan midway through the 1998/99 season.

But the presence of his former Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan at Craven Cottage made it an easy decision for the Belgian to drop down two divisions.


"I wasn't playing a lot with Newcastle at the time," he told fulhamfc.com. "Kevin was the [Fulham] manager so he asked me if I would like to join for a few months on loan, and I said, 'okay why not?'

"Because I knew him very well, I knew that if he'd gone down to Fulham it was to make something special. That's what he did and that's why I went there, and I enjoyed three really good months.

"Unfortunately I had to go back to Newcastle, but I played a good number games and it was a good experience. Fulham finished as champions and it was the start of a very good era."

Albert's class shone through in the old Division Two, but unfortunately the prospect of joining on a permanent deal never materialised.

He explained: "I know there was some contact but Ruud Gullit was the manager at the time at Newcastle and didn't want me to go to another English club.

"Not even a club in Scotland, because I had some chats with Kilmarnock, but finally I came back to Belgium and I finished my career one year later."

Speaking to him, it's abundantly clear the admiration that Albert has for Keegan.

"He was the best manager I've played under because he gives you such confidence," he explained. "When you go on the pitch you are more or less certain that you are a lot better than your opponents.

"You have to respect your opponents, of course, but when you go on the pitch you know you're going to win the game, every game.

"He used to train with us every day as well, so as a player you have to have a lot of respect. He was 49 I think at the time and he used to train with us every day.

"It's unbelievable, and that's why I have a lot of respect for him, for the career he had as a player, but the career he had as a manager as well, and as a human being. He was such a great leader for his players."

While he enjoyed some superb times on Tyneside under Keegan as part of the team nicknamed The Entertainers, it's in SW6 where Albert sampled the best atmosphere in a squad.

"The atmosphere between the players at Newcastle was very good but between the players at Fulham, I never really knew something like this," he revealed. "Everybody was on good terms with everybody.

"When we used to play at home I can remember there being something like 12,000 supporters, which was unbelievable at the time for that division. So I have only good memories of my time over there, on and off the pitch."

One of the more surreal memories will surely be the day Fulham beat Wigan Athletic 2-0, with Albert scoring the opening goal.

Nothing out of the ordinary there, except that a certain King of Pop was watching on from the stands.

"It was something special, of course," Albert said. "It's not every day you meet somebody like Michael Jackson, so we were lucky that the chairman had a very good contact with him.

"He invited him and we met him after the game in the dressing room and we took a picture with him on the pitch.

"I can't say a bad word about my time at Fulham. I only spent three months there but, honestly, it was fantastic."

[Friendsoffulham]

Is Fernando Amorebieta Heading Back To La Liga?



The Venezuelan International never quite lived up to the hype, but should the club let him go for free?

Reports from GetWestLondon.co.uk suggest that Spanish outfit Sporting Gijon are interested in signing Fernando Amorebieta.

Fulham will be looking to get a small return for the 31 year old Venezuelan, who is into the last year of his contract.

The club will be looking to offload some of the big wage earners ahead of the new season after the club was hit with a transfer embargo last season.

Gijon insists that they will only pursue the Centre Back if they can acquire his services on a free transfer.

According to Spanish website El Desmarque, Sporting have offer a three year deal for the veteran Centre Back, Who has had previous La Liga Experience with Athletic Bilbao before joining The Cottagers in 2013.

The 31 year old has been hot and cold over his 3 sporadic years at Craven Cottage, more so the latter. Including two spells away from the club on loan at Middlesbrough.

Amorebieta's disciplinary record has been brought to question after picking up 8 yellow cards and 1 red card this season.

Should the club let Amorebieta leave on a free to relive some of the wage budget?

[Friendsoffulham]

Why Bournemouth's capture of Emerson Hyndman is such a blow for Fulham

The departure of a well regarded young player is always devastating for a club, and Emerson Hyndman's exit from Fulham on Friday was no different. Hyndman signed for AFC Bournemouth on a four year deal, ending months of speculation that he was considering a move away from Fulham.

Yet the American will still be sorely missed at the Cottage, and Fulham fans will rue a missed opportunity at cultivating a start on the banks of the Thames.

Emerson Hyndman joined the Cottagers back in 2011 as a skilled, 15-year-old central midfielder from Texas. He was a vital part of the Fulham team that made the finals of the 2014 FA Youth Cup, featuring alongside Moussa Dembele and Patrick Roberts.

Unlike the other two academy graduates, Hyndman never made a Premier League appearance during the Whites' relegation campaign. He made his Fulham debut on the opening day of the 2014/15 season against Ipswich, and featured early on during the club's return to the Championship.

Unfortunately, Hyndman was prematurely thrown into a very physical and demanding league by Felix Magath, and Fulham proceeded to pick up one point from their opening seven matches. Magath tossed the youngster into the first team fray before he was truly ready, harming the midfielder's confidence and also hurting his stock in the eyes of Magath's replacement.

After Kit Symons was hired on a permanent basis in late October, Hyndman only made three appearances the rest of the season, and none after December 29. Frozen out of the first team picture, the future looked bleak for the promising youngster.

Kit Symons continued to overlook Hyndman at the start of the 2015/16 season, but the American was handed a lifeline during the festive period. He performed impressively when handed a start away to Derby on Boxing Day, and showed guile and strength in a tough environment.

Three days later at home to Rotherham, Hyndman was again brilliant in the centre of the park, propelling Fulham to a 4-1 victory. Nevertheless, new boss Slavisa Jokanovic utilized Hyndman sparingly until early April, when Hyndman undoubtedly enjoyed his best moment in a Fulham shirt.

On his 20th birthday, with the score level at 1-1, Hyndman latched on to a cutback in the penalty area and thrashed home the 93rd minute winner. The emphatic finish marked his first goal for Fulham, sparking delirious celebrations and riotous scenes at Craven Cottage. Many felt that this was the moment that a Fulham legend was born.

Nonetheless, as the season drew to a close, rumors swirled that Emerson Hyndman had rejected a new contract and was on his way out of the club.

In the end, the story of his first goal is the reason why Hyndman is not ready to move on yet. Hyndman only made 24 appearances for Fulham over two years, scoring just the solitary strike. It is clear that the American, despite his under-23 accomplishments at international level, is not prepared for a Premier League move.

There is no doubt that if Hyndman stayed at Fulham, he would have nailed down a starting spot, matured as a player, and been guaranteed playing time and experience. The situation is comparable to that of Patrick Roberts.

How can a player who is not even an established starter at Fulham succeed when making a move to a Premier League club? Roberts learned his lesson the hard way, becoming isolated at Manchester City and being loaned out to Celtic, plying his trade in a league that is arguably of a lesser quality than the Championship.

Unfortunately, it seems all three of Fulham's superb academy graduates will have left the club by the start of the season. It is a shame, but it is nevertheless the reality of the modern game.

Players strive for immediate, instant success, and sticking around at a club mired in the Championship is simply not an appealing option. Club loyalty and love for the badge are becoming increasingly rarified, and it seems as if we have seen the end of the days of one-club men.

The departure of Emerson Hyndman is yet another example of this new attitude permeating football. Every supporter dreams of idolizing a player who was brought up through the youth ranks and is Fulham through and through.

Many pinned their hopes on Emerson Hyndman, but unfortunately these hopes have been dashed.

In a refreshing touch, Hyndman posted a message to Fulham fans on Twitter, where he wished the club well and thanked the Fulham family for their support. A nice gesture, but one that feels a tad meaningless after his departure.

Hopefully he can become a success at Bournemouth, but for now Fulham fans will be left wondering what might have been if the American stayed in SW6.

[Bronaldinho]

Hyndman officially joins AFC Bournemouth, with others linked with moves away.

Another week, another departure at Fulham with Americanmidfielder, Emerson Hyndman agreeing terms with Premier League side, AFC Bournemouth.

Hyndman's departure has split opinion between the Fulham faithful, with the young starlet impressing on his cameo appearances for the club. Unfortunately for Fulham, the young midfielder had his head turned nearly a year ago, and reports surfaced that the American midfielder would actively be looking for a new club during the season, so any real chance of renewing the midfielders deal were very low.

Personally, I can see him becoming a star in the next two to three years if he is given the game-time he desires. Although, he is quite thediminutive figure in the centre of the park, but his passing range and vision is impressive for someone his age. He reads the play very well and if he could add some more muscle to his frame, he could become a very capable central midfielder for Bournemouth. But, the good news for Fulham is that the club will be entitled to a healthy compensation package as he has joined another English club – More money for Slavisa's summer overhaul secured.

While it may be sad to see one of our better prospects leave the club, some reports suggest that Fulham have made an improved contract offer to Moussa Dembele to keep him at the club for at least another season. If the board managed to persuade him to re-sign for the club and sell him the same vision they sold to Ross McCormack, there may be a chance we could see that formidable partnership again next season.

In all honesty, I have no idea if he will stay or go, considering the reports that he had agreed terms with Galatasary are now a week old and nothing seems to have happened- maybe that story was all agent talk to force Fulham into making a better offer?


Another rumoured departure is Fernando Amorebieta, who has reportedly been offered a 3 year deal at Spanish club, Sporting Gijon. The problem with the transfer at the moment is that Gijon want to sign the Venezuelan on a free transfer, while Fulham are holding out for a fee. If Amorebieta did leave on a free transfer, it wouldn't be the end of the world for the club as he is one of the club's top earners and failed to find a level of consistency with his performances. But, I will miss Nando if he does leave the club, in the right setup I'm sure he can flourish but 17 yellow cards & 4 red cards during his time in England proves he's someone you can't rely upon every game.

In other news, Fulham's reported transfer target, Anthony Stokes has joined fellow Championship side Blackburn Rovers on a three year deal, but Fulham have now been linked with a move for Naim Sliti. Whether or not these reports are true, the young midfielder would have heard about the club after playing alongside Plumain last season at Red Star. Then again, this story was leaked by the same news outlet that linked QPR with interest in our former loanee, Seko Fofana and in all honesty out of Sliti and Fofana, I'd choose the latter to come to Fulham this summer if there was ever a choice.

Just like most seasons (except last summer's chase for a centre-back) I expect the club to be fairly quiet with their approaches for players, with many of them just being announced when everything is signed, sealed and delivered. Which, in my opinion is the best form of business – rather than having the media potentially wreck a deal with false reports. The only downside of that, is that the fans don't get that pre-hype of a player signing, but if it benefits the club then so be it!

To conclude, the summer has started and the squad will continue to go through wholescale changes in every position, but I truly believe in the club and Jokanovic to build something special this summer. While, I'm more focused on building the foundation this summer, I am well aware that the club want to mount a serious promotion charge next season.

Thank you for reading – Please feel free to tweet your thoughts to me @ABronsSmith