Thursday Fulham Stuff (29/12/16)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham bid: should Rangers sell Rob Kiernan?

If one player has divided Rangers fans significantly over the past 18 months of Mark Warburton's reign, it has definitely been Rob Kiernan. Initially rated by many, to the extent of most defensive criticism being aimed at his partner Danny Wilson, Kiernan was cut a fair bit of slack last season for his defensive weaknesses by fans, and while he started this season unimpressively to say the least, his recent displays over the past six weeks have shown a significant modicum of improvement.

While still no Richard Gough, Kiernan has shown more bravery in the tackle, a higher willing to get stuck in with some vital last-ditch blocks, and an increased tendency to use his head, both metaphorically and literally.

While miles off the level required by a traditional title-chasing Rangers team, Kiernan nevertheless has shown a better level in recent times, and without doubt these displays have not gone unnoticed with the news English Championship giants Fulham are interested in the former Wigan defender.

A national publication has run with the story that the nomadic stopper is interesting the Craven Cottage outfit, with manager Slaviša Jokanović said to be preparing a £2M bid for a player Rangers picked up for peanuts last summer year.

The question is should Rangers sell if a Fulham (or anyone else) bid arrives? There are two schools of thought to this debate; one, where his unimpressive displays of last season and the majority of this should remain primed in the memory, and the idea of making circa £1.8M profit on him is too good to resist. Furthermore, Rangers have a theoretically ready-made replacement in Swiss stopper Philippe Senderos just sitting there awaiting his turn, so signing a replacement might not even be that critical.

The second aspect of the argument though is that Kiernan may finally be finding his career feet at Ibrox, at this level, with his well-travelled career stopping him ever settle at a single club. Suddenly over the past few matches the giant centre half has looked much more the part, and is there any point selling him. Moreover, he is a well-known Warburton favourite, so would the Hat even want to part with him? However, the contrary case to this is that Robbie has shown brief form at Ibrox before, form which did not last. Is it then worth cashing in while his stock is high?

It is a tricky one, but until Rangers are on the same footing as Celtic, we have to consider ourselves a selling club. In all fairness, even our manager has said it:

"Please don't report this the wrong way, but for every player in our squad, if the right price comes in, they'll go, every player. We're not in a position to turn down bids that are deemed to be good value. I don't want to lose anyone, but if the chairman and the board decide that it's good value for Rangers, that's the nature of the game we work in."

So if the powers that be dictate that a £2M bid from Craven Cottage for Kiernan is good value, the chances are they will sell.

The trick is for Rangers to accrue worthy replacements, be it with big money or those 'hidden gems' Warburton loves so much.

However, I will turn this one over to the readers; would you sell Rob Kiernan for £2M to Slaviša Jokanović's Fulham?


http://www.ibroxnoise.co.uk/2016/12/fulham-bid-should-rangers-sell-rob.html

[WhiteJC]

 
QPR, Wigan and Fulham want Millwall striker

A number of Championship clubs are lining up deals to sign Millwall striker Aiden O'Brien next month, according to reports from The Irish Sun.

The 23-year-old has been a key man for the Lions this season and has attracted a number of admirers from the league above. Fulham have become the most recent club to join the race for the striker.

Queens Park Rangers, Wigan Athletic and Barnsley have all sent scouts to watch and are keeping a close eye on the former Republic of Ireland U21 international. The Championship clubs will tempt Neil Harris with bids of around £750,000 next month in hope to sign O'Brien.

The young Millwall star has already amassed a huge 27 appearances for his club this season and has broken into double figures with ten goals.

O'Brien made his professional debut for Millwall in 2011 in the League Cup at just 18 years old and the English-born youngster had to work remarkably hard to break into the first-team after his League Cup cameo appearance. His next Millwall game wouldn't come until 2014, almost three years after his debut.

O'Brien had to find his way up the ranks in the mean time, playing on loan at numerous lower-league clubs including playing in the sixth-tier of English football. He had loan spells at Staines Town, Hayes & Yeading United, Crawley Town, Aldershot Town and Torquey United before breaking into Millwall's Championship team in the 2014/15 season and has kept his place since.

The striker has now played over 100 times for the London club and has bagged 25 goals.

O'Brien, who is highly-rated especially in Ireland, has a further two and a half years left on his contract at The Den.


http://the72.co.uk/70375/qpr-wigan-and-fulham-want-millwall-striker/

[WhiteJC]

 
Transfer news: Fulham set to loan out striker
Whites happy to see young England star get games - but insist he's not for sale unless a huge offer gets slapped on the table

Fulham are looking to loan Cauley Woodrow - but have never told him he can go permanently.

Contrary to reports, the 22-year-old striker will leave only if a big fee is waved in Whites faces.

The club insists it will only be like-for-like trade on all players in January- or at least the ones they want to let go.

Woodrow has been starved of chances with boss Slavisa Jokanovic opting for a lone hit man - in this case, Chris Martin.

Neither fringe forwards, Woodrow nor Matt Smith, got a look in last week's draw with Derby or Boxing Day's win over Ipswich even though against the Rams they were shorn of Martin's services by terms of the loan from his parent club.

Instead, 19-year-old Stephen Humphrys was given his first runout in the final minutes.

Woodrow burst into Whites first team as a 19-year-old playing 75 minutes of Fulham's 3–1 Premier League defeat to Cardiff City in March 2014.

However, The England U21 international has made only made one Championship start this season along with 48 more outings over five years.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/transfer-news-fulham-set-loan-12371478

[WhiteJC]

 
Jaap hoping to return the favour against Fulham

Royals boss previews Friday's visit from the Cottagers

The Royals will face Fulham for the second time this month when they visit Madejski Stadium on Friday – and Jaap Stam explained that his players know what they need to do if they want to exact some vengeance for the defeat in West London.

An impressive showing from Fulham at Craven Cottage resulted in a 5-0 win for the hosts against 10-man Reading – but with five straight wins at Madejski Stadium going into the match, the Royals boss is hopeful of a better performance and result from his side.

"We'll train on Tuesday with the players that didn't play today, and then we'll have a day off on Wednesday," the gaffer said after the final whistle on Boxing Day, after the Royals ran out 3-1 winners against Norwich. 

"On Thursday we'll do tactical work and look at the videos from Fulham – we know how they like to play, although they might change a couple of things.

"I think for the players that played over there and anyone that saw the result over there, you don't need to say anything – you want to do better than you did over there and make it difficult for them, rather than them making it difficult for us.

"Fulham have got a great side with quality players – not just a decent side, but a great side with a lot of quality within that squad.

"They want to play football as well, like we do.  They made it very difficult for us over there, especially when Danny Williams got sent off, and you don't want to lose by a score like that.

"But we need to improve from that and come back stronger from the game over there.  Everybody knows what they need to do to get a result."


Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/jaap-stam-match-preview-fulham-madejski-stadium-3488876.aspx#8d51Hg4qYLeGZJ0R.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Ipswich in for Woodrow
by DAN on DECEMBER 28, 2016

Ipswich Town have made Fulham striker Cauley Woodrow their number one transfer target, according to a report from The Sun this afternoon.

Woodrow has been told he can leave Craven Cottage in the new year after falling behind Matt Smith and teenage academy graduate Stevie Humphrys in Slavisa Jokanovic's pecking order. The 22 year-old has made just one league start for Fulham this season and saw his first team chances evaporate after missing a penalty against Bristol City in the EFL Cup. His two goals this campaign have come in that competition – against Leyton Orient in the first round.

Mick McCarthy has identified the former England under-21 international as a possible solution to Ipswich's striking woes. Town lost 2-0 to Fulham at Portman Road on Boxing Day and have struggled for goals from their forwards, with midfielder Grant Ward leading the club's scoring charts with five. McCarthy plans to tempt Woodrow to Suffolk on an initial six-month loan deal, with the possibility of a permanent transfer to follow.


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2016/12/ipswich-in-for-woodrow/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Player Included in Sky Bet Team of the Day

The fine 2-0 away win, against Ipswich Town, on Boxing Day, has set Fulham up nicely for the remainder of the festive fixtures.

Following on from the 2-0 victory at Portman Road, one of those in the Fulham side has received individual recognition.

Sky Bet, in selecting their Championship Team of the Day, have considered the performance of Tom Cairney as worthy of inclusion in their starting eleven with the full eleven reading as thus:

• Murphy - Cardiff City
• Bree - Barnsley
• Loovens - Sheffield Wednesday
• Yiadom - Barnsley
• Bacuna - Aston Villa
• Cairney - Fulham
• Hourihane - Barnsley
• Adeyemi - Rotherham United
• Van La Parra - Huddersfield Town
• Kermorgant - Reading
• Costa - Wolverhampton Wanderers

Our congratulations go to Tom on his inclusion



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=473636#ixzz4UDQLHoN3

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Floyd Ayite reveals why he has taken time to hit form
French speaker believes it's no surprise learning da lingo goes hand in hand with great performances on the pitch


Palm of his hand: Floyd Ayite

He missed a couple of sitters against Ipswich - but Floyd Ayite reckons he now misses very little else barked at him on a pitch.

In fact, Fulham's man in form says progress that has brought him four goals in just four performances has gone in hand with learning English.

The Togo international could have added to his haul at Portman Road, but after a slow start that included injury - he admits he's finally hit stride.

"There is a more aggressive way in the English game in terms of challenges and the speed at which the game is played," he said.


Foot up: Bartosz Bialkowski of Ipswich denies Floyd Ayite

"But it is not a matter of needing to be fitter to play in England, more a question of adaptation and listening to your coaches.

"I'm feeling a lot better about the challenge and that I am making progress all the time."

Another step towards mastering the challenge for the 28-year-old involves understanding the nuances of a new country after spending all his playing career in French football.

He also believes there are times when football transcends the language barrier, but there is no substitute for a bit more fluency.

"When you play on the pitch there are certain codes that you understand as football is a global language," he added.

"But I would rather speak English a lot better and I feel I am making progress with this every day now."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulhams-floyd-ayite-reveals-taken-12378678

[WhiteJC]

 
I'm adjusting to the English game, says Ayite
by DAN on DECEMBER 28, 2016

Floyd Ayite feels he is slowly adjusting to English football – and believes picking up more of the language has really helped.

The Togo international has had to get used to the rough and tumble of the English game but has given great credit to Slavisa Jokanovic and the rest of the Fulham coaching staff for helping him settle in. The 28 year-old was disappointed to miss a number of excellent chances to wrap the game up at Ipswich on Boxing Day, but his impact at Craven Cottage in recent weeks has been shown by a return of four goals in as many games.

Ayite told GetWestLondon after the win at the Portman Road:

There is a more aggressive way in the English game in terms of challenges and the speed at which the game is played. But it is not a matter of needing to be fitter to play in England, more a question of adaptation and listening to your coaches. I'm feeling a lot better about the challenge and that I am making progress all the time.

When you play on the pitch there are certain codes that you understand as football is a global language. But I would rather speak English a lot better and I feel I am making progress with this every day now.


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2016/12/im-adjusting-to-the-english-game-says-ayite/

[WhiteJC]

 
Head Coach Reaction

Slaviša Jokanović was pleased to see his team's fluid football overcome Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Boxing Day.

A Chris Martin free-kick had put his side in front, and although a number of chances were missed before Ragnar Sigurdsson headed in to make it 2-0, it was a comfortable win in the end for Fulham.

"We are very happy with how we played today, it's a very good Boxing Day for us," Jokanović stated. "We won a very important three points to continue fighting towards our targets.

"We secured another clean sheet, we dominated the game, and Ipswich didn't have any shots on target. This is good news for us.

"We created many, many chances but didn't score the second goal in the moments where we were dominant. But in the end we scored this goal to close the game out. We changed the system when we started to have some kind of problem, and it's a great day for us.

"We tried to put the ball on the floor. We tried to be brave, tried to move the ball, and tried to follow our style. I believe my team has this kind of quality, so we tried to show our strengths and not our weaknesses."

The victory moved the Whites to within a point of the Play-Off spots, but Jokanović reiterated his stance that he is not looking that far ahead.

"I know what the targets of this Club are, I know what our supporters want, but I prefer thinking about short steps," he explained. "I prefer to think about the Reading game which is in front of us.

"This is the new chance to fight for three points. We'll know in May if we're in the top-six or not, but right now we are working and preparing for what is immediately in front of us."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/december/26/head-coach-reaction