Thursday Fulham News 07/07/2016

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Fulham could face another tough season in the Championship - Kit Symons



Former Fulham manager Kit Symons believes the club could face another difficult season in the Championship.

Fulham sacked Symons last November and finished 20th under his eventual successor Slavisa Jokanovic.

"I'd love the club to do well, but I think it's a tough time," Symons told BBC Radio London.

"The Championship is unforgiving and is really tough, and I think with the teams that have come up and down it's going to be even tougher next season."

Symons, 45, made 129 appearances for Fulham during a three-and-a-half-year spell as a player at Craven Cottage.

He later returned to the club as a coach and was put in charge of the first team in October 2014 following the departure of Felix Magath.

"I've got a lot of history with Fulham, having been part of two promotions and stuff I did with the Under-18s and Under-21s, and then I felt I did a good job with the first team," he said.

"I hope they are very successful. It's a brilliant club and the Fulham fans deserve that."

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Luca: Good Feeling



Luca de la Torre was pleased to mark his maiden run-out with the First Team with the opening goal in Wednesday's training game against Cobh Ramblers.

The 18-year-old glanced home Matt Smith's knock-down to break the deadlock early on having made a burst forward from midfield.


Speaking to fulhamfc.com the following morning, he said: "It was a header which I don't score too many of but it was good to be in the right place at the right time, so I was really pleased with it.

"It was a good feeling just to get minutes under my belt for the First Team. Obviously it was the first game of the tour and there's still a lot more work to be done, so we're all looking forward to it."

The American youth international is one of several Academy players picked to join Slaviša Jokanović's troops in Ireland, and de la Torre believes working alongside seasoned pros can only improve his own ability.

"It will definitely benefit my game," he stated. "They play a lot faster and you have to be a lot quicker in your head when it comes to making decisions, and it's definitely the place I want to be.

"I think this is the perfect place to go on tour. It's a resort so it's kind of shut off from the bustle of the city and it's good just to focus on football.

"It's a great feeling to be involved, but obviously there's still a long time left before the first match of the season. It's my goal to be involved in the squad so I still need to show a lot more."

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Match Action: Cobh Ramblers

Watch the goals from the first pre-season match against Cobh Ramblers on Wednesday afternoon.

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2015/16 Fulham Player Profiles: Moussa Dembélé



A Potent Strike Force is broken up as Fulham loses another budding star.

Moussa Dembélé

Rank: 3 | Age: 19 | Starts: 38 | Appearances: 46 | Minutes: 3,360 | Goals: 17 | Assists: 6

Player Profile

When I think about the loss of Moussa Dembélé, a refrain from a popular Queen song comes to mind: "And another one gone, and another one gone - another one bites the dust". Fulham just can't seem to hold on to their talented Dembélés.

It was announced last week that Moussa Dembélé was set to join Scottish side Celtic on a four-year deal starting the first of July. His departure was no shock to the Fulham faithful, since clubs from all over Europe (and beyond) had been linked to the talented and prolific striker. Everyone sporting a black and white kit had been holding their collective breath that Slavisa could convince the youngster to stay at SW6, but the allure of Champions League action, and the opportunity to play alongside his friend Patrick Roberts, were too tempting for the young Frenchman. Many fans question his decision to make the seemingly lateral move to the Scottish Premier League, but in many ways the decision could favor the striker. Please see the excellent article written by Chris Gilberston for his analysis of the move.

The 19 year old arrived at Craven Cottage in the summer of 2012 at age 16 from Paris Saint-Germain, and made his debut for the club against West Ham in our final season in the Premier League. That same season, he started for the first time in the Premier League, as Fulham lost 3–1 at home to Everton. Also in that year he played a critical role for the Under-18s as they reached the final of the FA Youth Cup for the first time in club history.

Dembélé scored his first senior goals for Fulham in a League Cup defeat to Derby County in October of 2014. In a total of 64 appearances in black and white, he bulged the net 19 times. But it was last season when he truly established himself as a scoring machine with his 17 goals, as he and Ross McCormack cemented the most lethal partnership in the Championship.



Season Review

Statistics don't always tell the full story (and many times they come under fire), but in this case they do a pretty good job of stating Dembélé's worth to the club. In his final season with Fulham, he truly came into his own:

Total appearances: 46
Minutes played: 3,360
Total goals: 17
Assists: 6
Man of the Match awards: 2
It can be debated as to whether or not Fulham would have survived in the Championship another year without Dembélé, but without his goals and assists it's very likely we would have lost this latest relegation battle. Think back to the stoppage time goals against Blackburn, Burnley, and MK Dons. How about the brace he netted in the 4 – 2 comeback victory versus Reading? Or the 65th minute strike against Sheffield Wednesday? These are just a few of the times he scored in key matches, which in turn likely earned Fulham an additional 13 points: we ended the season at 51. Charlton was relegated with 40. The math isn't complicated.

2016/17 Best Case

The best case scenario for Fulham is done and dusted - if he was going to leave, we collectively hoped that he would be picked up by another English team. As it stands, however, the transfer fee the club will earn is at most £500,000, and perhaps even less when an undisclosed fee to PSG is paid out. It's impossible to gauge how much Fulham could have earned from the sale of one of our most prized assets to another English club, but it certainly would have been in the millions – millions that could have been used for another strike partner for Ross, or to shore up the leaky defense. Now we'll never know.

Regardless, with Dembélé's departure we close the door on yet another talented player to cross the threshold of Craven Cottage for the last time. He joins Patrick Roberts and Emerson Hyndman as recent bright stars that we couldn't hold on to. We may never know for sure why Moussa chose to leave, especially since in his case it wasn't for lack of playing time, or that his pay packet wasn't full enough (I'm pretty sure we were tossing buckets of money at him in the end). But he's gone, and we move on.

Despite all this, we need to wish the young lad well, and to thank him for his time and effort at the club. We can only hope that at the end of the upcoming campaign his absence won't have us singing Queen's refrain again – this time about another lost season.

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Pre-Season Begins, The U's v Fulham XI

Saturday 9th July

We intend to have at least one turnstile open this Saturday from 1.30pm and also plan to have one turnstile dedicated to season-ticket holders. If you haven't yet bought your season-ticket, there will be a stall inside the main entrance and if you buy yours on Saturday your admission fee for this game will be deducted from the price of your season ticket.

It will be a free car-park this Saturday but we will hold some places back so that anyone that has already bought an annual pass can be assured of a space.  If you have bought a pass, you will be able to collect it from the ticket kiosk by the main office. Passes not collected will be posted out. We still have a few available for sale, at £50 for the season.

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Cauley and Ryan's Diary: Day 2

Cauley Woodrow and Ryan Fredericks provide a recap of day 2 in Fota Island after the first pre-season match.

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Fulham hit five in first pre-season friendly



Fulham began their pre-season camapign with a 5-0 win over Cobh Ramblers in Cork on Wednesday.

Stephen Humphrys scored twice, while Luca de la Torre, Matt Smith and Michael Madl were also on target in the training game.

Smith, Tim Ream and Richard Stearman were the first-teamers who started in an otherwise youthful line-up and the Whites needed only eight minutes to go in front.

Humphrys delivered a ball in for Smith, whose header was diverted in by de la Torre.

The lead was doubled in the 16th minute when a cross from Sean Kavanagh fumbled by the Cobh keeper and Smith turned home the loose ball.

Another cross from Kavanagh created the third goal, which Humphrys headed in, and the young striker made it 4-0 with a firmly struck shot.

Smith also hit the post before the break, when Fulham made 10 changes, including introducing Madl, Fernando Amorebieta, Ryan Fredericks, Lasse Vigen Christensen, Tom Cairney, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Ross McCormack and Cauley Woodrow up top.

There was only one further goal, with Cairney's cross nodded in by Madl.

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Cobh Ramblers 0-5 Fulham



Fulham's first taste of pre-season action ended in a convincing 5-0 victory over Cobh Ramblers at Fota Island in Cork on Wednesday afternoon.

Goals from Luca de la Torre, Matt Smith, Stephen Humphrys (2) and Michael Madl secured victory for the Whites in the training game.

Head Coach Slaviša Jokanović started the match with a youthful side, featuring a sprinkling of First Teamers. Marek Rodák, Dennis Adeniran, Tayo Edun, de la Torre and Humphrys all started, alongside the more experienced heads of Smith, Tim Ream and Richard Stearman.


The Whites started the game brightly with Smith the target early on. With his superior height advantage and physical presence he was a menace to the Ramblers backline from the get-go, and linked up effectively with Humphrys who was playing just off the target man.

The breakthrough came in the eighth minute after the two front men combined. A whipped Humphrys cross was met by Smith whose header was directed home by de la Torre past a stranded goalkeeper.

The young American featured heavily in the early stages and his slaloming runs and neat footwork created space and enabled effective link up play with Jack Grimmer down the right wing. A cross from the Scot was cleared directly into the path of Sean Kavanagh in the 14th minute, but his blistering shot from 30 yards out whizzed over the bar.

The lead was doubled in the 16th minute when a teasing cross from Kavanagh fizzed across the six yard box and was fumbled by the Cobh keeper. An aware Smith reacted quickly to pounce on the loose ball and prod it home.

The buoyed Fulham team continued to press and harry from the back through the entire spine of the side. A vocal Stearman organised his troops and shut down any advances alongside his centre-back partner Cameron Burgess, while Edun and Adeniran were marshalling the centre of midfield.

The dominance opened up space on each flank, and it was another pinpoint cross from Kavanagh that created the third goal for the Whites. In the 28th minute his sublime delivery was met by Humphrys, who produced an equally delightful glancing header that nestled in the bottom right hand corner.

The young striker was at it again seven minutes later when more tidy link-up play found him in space just outside the box. After composing himself he unleashed a rasping, dipping drive that left the keeper with no chance.

A rampant Fulham side were in no mood to slow down and Smith was denied grabbing his second when his header hit the base of the post and went wide. The half played out without Rodák being troubled in the Fulham net.


At the break, Jokanović rung the changes and replaced everyone except for Adeniran in the centre of the Whites midfield.

Michael Madl and Fernando Amorebieta came in at the heart of the Fulham defence, with Ryan Sessegnon and Ryan Fredericks at full-back. Lasse Vigen Christensen and Tom Cairney moved on to the wings, with Ryan Tunnicliffe moving into the heart of the midfield alongside Adeniran. Ross McCormack took the Captain's armband from Stearman and partnered Cauley Woodrow up top.

The blistering pace provided by the insertion of Fredericks and Sessegnon caused problems for the Ramblers early in the second half. A powerful run from the young left-back in the 51st minute saw another opening, however his cross was just out of the reach of Woodrow.

Moments later, neat link up play between Cairney and Christensen opened up some space for Woodrow just inside the box, but his thundering drive was well blocked and cleared by Cobh.

There was nothing that they could do to prevent the fifth, though. Cairney whipped in an inch perfect cross and it was Madl who rose the highest to head home from six yards out. The Austrian looked sharp on his introduction and was on hand to snuff out any danger, with the Ramblers pushing higher and higher up the pitch.

The 66th minute saw the re-introduction of an impressive de la Torre for Adeniran. He was involved immediately when a neat touch past a retreating defender saw the American surge down the left wing. His cross fell to Madl who sent a rasping shot inches wide.

With new signing Floyd Ayité and Club Captain Scott Parker watching on, the Whites closed out the match and ran out deserved winners in their first outing of pre-season.

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Fulham offer lifeline to want-away Fernando Amorebieta



Whites man in dispute is ready to offer an olive branch and knuckle down to work if an acceptable offer eludes him and club

Fulham have taken Fernando Amorebieta with them on their pre-season training camp to Ireland.

Previous reports claimed the Venezuelan international has refused to play for the Whites again - and has demanded a transfer.

But GWL has learned no toys have been thrown out of the pram across the Irish Sea, and Amorebieta understands he has to toe the line - at least until an acceptable offer has been received, or a third loan deal brokered.

If not, he is expected to be included in playing squads or face a fine.

Tweet: Amorebieta (R) in Ireland from his Twitter account
Amorebieta has twice had spells with Middlesbrough - but the new Premier League side has made it plain they have no place for the man who made 13 appearances on Teesside last term.

Last month Sporting Gijon reportedly offered a three-year deal to the player who joined Whites in summer 2013 from Athletic Bilbao - but the La Liga outfit want him for free.

Fulham want a fee for Amorebieta - even a small one despite the fact he is in the last year of his contract.

The 31-year-old has been more miss than hit in his three years on and off at Craven Cottage, while picking up 17 yellow cards with Boro and Fulham as well as four reds.

He was cruelly exposed in the penultimate match at Brentford where both he and Richard Stearman were exposed for pace in a 3-0 defeat with Bees in the lead by the same score at half time.

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Smith: Mental Strength



Matt Smith believes the groundwork he and his teammates are putting in this pre-season will reap more than just the obvious physical benefits.

The Whites are currently being put through their paces in Cork, and the big striker insists their efforts will also help psychologically further down the line.

"As difficult as it is physically, it's also a test of your mental capabilities, which I think is crucial," he told fulhamfc.com. "The Championship's a gruelling division and it's as much a mental test as it is a physical test.


"So I think the runs we do and the intensity of the sessions are not just for the miles you put into your legs, it's also meant to toughen you up mentally. And that's crucial because mentally it's a gruelling division."

The squad will get their first taste of match action on Wednesday afternoon when they face local side Cobh Ramblers in a behind closed doors training game.

"We've been preparing for our first match this afternoon and we're all looking forward to getting some minutes under our belts which will be good preparation going into the rest of the pre-season campaign," Smith stated.

"The intensity has been high from the get-go but fair play to the lads, we're all working our socks off and giving it all we have.

"Everything here has been great. The facilities that the Club have laid on for us are top notch so there's really no excuses in terms of preparation over the course of pre-season.

"So far it's been very intense, you're working long days, but it's what's needed to get you fit and raring to go for the start of the season."

While the team will no doubt be looking to secure some positive results in the upcoming friendlies, Smith knows there are far more important things to take from pre-season.

"I wouldn't always read too much into how pre-season results pan out," he said. "I've had some terrific pre-seasons before and then had a slow start to the campaign, but likewise I've had some pretty poor pre-seasons but then got off flying.

"So I think it's as much to get the team bonding element going and enjoying the camaraderie between the lads, make sure we get the fitness element to it, and match minutes under the belt.

"But also just make sure we all know our roles and responsibilities going into the season, because it's a marathon not a sprint, you need to maintain your performance throughout the course of a very long season."

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Elstone Pens Scholarship Deal with Fulham



Young forward Michael Elstone puts pen to paper on a two-year scholarship deal with Fulham FC

Bangor City FC is pleased to announce that Michael Elstone has put pen to paper on a two-year scholarship deal with Fulham FC.

Elstone, 17, joined The Citizens at the start of the 2015/16 season having previously been a part of the Crewe Alexandra youth set-up.

Used sparingly at the start of the campaign, the talented forward's patience paid off as he made an instant impression during the latter half of the Dafabet WPL season, netting 3 goals in a total of 7 (+8 substitute) WPL appearances.

Citizens manager Nev Powell said "it's a fully deserved deal for a talented young player who we hope will go on to do well."

"Bangor City FC gives players the opportunity to progress. If the players put the effort in, look after themselves both on-and-off the field, then they have a chance to improve and play at the highest level."

On behalf of Bangor City FC, we wish Michael well with his move to Craven Cottage and the Fulham FC Academy. All the best, Mike!

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Saturday Friendlies



Fulham take on Cork City at their Turner's Cross stadium on Saturday 9th July (3pm), with tickets priced at €13 for adults, €8 for 13-18 year-olds, and €5 for under-13s and OAPs.

These can be purchased in advance via this link and printed at home, or bought from the ticket booths outside the ground from 1.45pm on the day of the game.

While the First Team are in action in Ireland, a Fulham XI side will be getting some game time closer to home when they take on Sutton United at the Borough Sports Ground, also at 3pm on Saturday.

Tickets can be bought on the gate, priced at £10 for adults, £5 for over-60s and £2 for under-16s.