Sunday Fulham Stuff (08/01/17)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham hold talks with Standard Liege to sign Ibrahima Cisse

Ibrahima Cisse is a Belgium U21 international midfielder at Standard Liege

Fulham are in talks with Standard Liege to sign midfielder Ibrahima Cisse, according to Sky sources.

The Whites want to sign a combative midfielder in January and, despite playing only 13 times for Liege since a summer move from KV Michelen, Cisse has performed statistically well.

Cisse - a 22-year-old Belgium U21 international - impressed in the Europa League despite Liege failing to qualify from Group G.

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic, who is again without want-away striker Chris Martin when they travel to Cardiff in the FA Cup on Saturday, also wants to sign another striker and a centre-back in the January window.

It is understood the Whites also have an interest in Middlesbrough striker David Nugent, who is surplus to requirements at the Riverside after Boro bought Rudy Gestede from Aston Villa for £8m last week.


Nugent is believed to be considering his options amid interest from a host of Championship clubs including Leeds.

Fulham have targeted the Belgian top-flight for new players in recent months, signing Dennis Odoi from Lokeren and Neeskens Kebano from Genk last summer.


http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/10720468/fulham-hold-talks-with-standard-liege-to-sign-ibrahima-cisse

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss makes promise on signings as replacement for Derby loanee needed
Martin strike will not stop Fulham from trying to find a replacement in the transfer window

Slavisa Jokanovic suggested that Fulham will act quickly and show ambition as they look to sign a striker.

The Whites loaned in Chris Martin at the end of the summer transfer window but the Derby man refused to play against Reading and wants to return to the iPro Stadium.

The Scot is unlikely to line up for the Serbian again this season and the Whites are currently set to eat the remaining £1million loan fee and a hefty chunk of his wages in order to stand by their principals.

But that will not stop them from trying to find a replacement to Martin in the transfer window and Jokanovic will look to add more quality to his squad.

When asked if the Martin situation forced the club to look for a striker, Jokanovic replied: "Our obligation is to show ambition. We are in healthy competition. Nothing is done.

"We have to be fast and we have to show ambition and try another team.

"We want to be competitive for what is in front of us and we have to move in this transfer window to get stronger."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/fulham-boss-makes-promise-signings-12418746

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's early morning trip to Cardiff: who's bright idea was that?

Playing an FA Cup tie at the ungodly hour of 11.30am on a Sunday seems crazy – but there have been some even earlier kick-offs

Cardiff's FA Cup tie against Fulham today kicks off at 11.30am? Whose idea was that?
BBC Wales. It's a hard sell for the BBC – marketing the FA Cup's fan-led magic and tradition at the same time as moving a game to late morning. It means Fulham fans have the choice of one train on Sunday, which arrives in the city centre 31 minutes before kick-off.

How has that gone down?
The Fulham fans' trust called it "insulting to supporters who are the lifeblood of the game", and added: "The third round was once a special weekend for football supporters up and down the country, but this decision highlights just how little 'magic of the Cup' remains ... [and] just how low down in the game's priority list match‑going supporters now feature."

So is this the earliest big match ever?
Not quite. Back in 2009 the Cardiff versus Swansea south Wales derby started half an hour earlier, at 11am – a plan to avoid crowd violence. It could have worked, too, had local pubs not opened at 8am. And in the top flight, a 1993 Manchester derby at Maine Road also began at 11am, for the same reason.

What about moves just for TV?
A 2005 Manchester City v Everton game kicked-off at 11.15am because both clubs wanted the TV money and Sky had no other slots. The City defender Richard Dunne wasn't happy: "I was talking to my dad about it, he couldn't believe we were playing so early on a Sunday morning. We reckoned the last time I had to do that was aged 12. What you have to bear in mind is that most footballers are superstitious about their pre-match meal. I just have toast but some people are going to have to have chicken and pasta for breakfast at half past seven." It could be worse, though.

Worse than pasta for breakfast?
Yes, spare a thought for Singers FC (now Coventry City). In 1892 they were drawn against Burton Swifts in the FA Cup. Burton, as the higher-ranked side, were given the chance to arrange the game for whenever they felt it would cause least disruption to their league campaign. It kicked off at 8am.


https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jan/07/fulham-fans-up-in-arms-against-morning-fa-cup-tie-in-cardiff

[WhiteJC]

 
Williams brace keeps Fulham in touch
Premier League 2



George Williams scores twice to earn Cottagers' eighth win of campaign

Fulham completed a 2-0 PL2 Division 2 victory over Stoke City at Motspur Park on Saturday afternoon thanks to a double-strike from George Williams.

Peter Grant's side took the lead in the first half when Elijah Adebayo was brought down in the area by Harry Isted and Williams converted the penalty.

The Cottagers held on to their lead and doubled it in stoppage time when Williams pounced on a defensive error.

Their eighth victory of the campaign takes Fulham up to third place in PL2 Division 2, a point behind second-placed Newcastle United, while Stoke remain in 12th place.

The Londoners next travel to Norwich City on 16 January, two days after Stoke host West Bromwich Albion.


https://www.premierleague.com/news/257751

[WhiteJC]

 
Report: Emerson Hyndman to head on loan to Rangers

Emerson Hyndman's move from Fulham to Bournemouth hasn't worked out so far. At all.

Once a regular starter in Fulham's midfield in the Championship, he forced a move from Craven Cottage by refusing to sign a new contract. Now, he's gone six months without so much as an appearance on the Bournemouth bench in Premier League play, and started Saturday as the Cherries were beaten soundly by League One side Millwall.

"The manager [Eddie Howe] told me that I might need a bit of time," Hyndman told The Guardian on Friday. "which is OK. He doesn't want any transition process when I do go into the side.

It seems there may be a way out. A report in the Scottish Sun says that Hyndman is set to move to Rangers for the rest of the season, sent to Scotland for match experience under manager Mark Warburton. The article mentions that clubs like Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, and Celtic were all watching his progress, although it highly doubtful that those teams would be interested in the same loan type of short-term deal.

One motivation for Hyndman to look for immediate game time is the USMNT situation, with Bruce Arena recently named head coach. "We've seen guys like Lynden Gooch have good success this season by playing a bit and he's fully deserved to go on from there," Hyndman said to The Guardian. "I hope to get a break pretty soon, and obviously I want to be part of this US team as quickly as possible."


http://soccer.nbcsports.com/2017/01/07/report-emerson-hyndman-to-head-on-loan-to-rangers/

[WhiteJC]

 
Why Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic believes the FA Cup is the best competition in the world
The Whites boss has experience of being involved in the cup final when he was an unused substitute for Chelsea against Arsenal

Slavisa Jokanovic has described the FA Cup as the best competition in the world as it allows Fulham to compete with both the likes of Manchester United and Stourbridge FC.

The Whites boss has experience of being involved in the cup final when he was an unused substitute for Chelsea against Arsenal.

And the Serbian has a lot of love for the competition and its rich history.

"It's the best cup competition in the world and our ambition is to win at Cardiff. We're going to arrive at this game with the same ambition as the games before," Jokanovic said.

"It's organised very well. There's so much history behind this competition. We're thinking we can win the game in front of us and we can try and compete with Man United, Man City and Chelsea and make some kind of surprise.

"Generally, it's only five games to play at Wembley. It's a different competition. Our ambitions are similar.

"Am I going to experiment? No. I try and organise ourselves in the best way we can at this moment and we can try and be stronger for the game ahead of us."

Jokanovic admitted that he hadn't expected such a large crowd to be there for his FA Cup debut where Chelsea, eventually, beat Peterborough United 5-0 although four goals came in the second half.

He explained: "I remember my first game with Chelsea against Peterborough in 2001. (Claudio) Ranieri changed the squad and put players who hadn't been a regular like me in the starting XI. We were playing at Stamford Bridge in front of a full ground.

"At the start, I thought it may have been like a pre-season game but Stamford Bridge was full with 8,000 away fans.

"The first half was complicated and we were 1-0 up but we resolved it at the end. It was my first experience and my last at Chelsea was with this final we lost."

Jokanovic was part of the Chelsea squad that reached the final in 2002 but they were beaten 2-0 by Arsenal at the Millenium Stadium.

He added: "I remember playing in it. I was on the bench in one final (in 2002). I remember full grounds home and away. I remember we had replays with West Ham and Norwich.

"We played seven to reach the final against Arsenal where we lost. I got a medal. I wasn't involved in this game."

Jokanovic then joked: "Claudio made a mistake (in not picking me)."

It will also mark the first time the Serbian has come across Neil Warnock but he insisted he has full respect for the Cardiff manager.

He revealed: "I don't remember coming across him. He's a well known coach in this country. I'll try and find a way to win the game.

"I have my style, he has his style. At the end, I have to respect a long career and many games that he's coached in this country.

"He has a lot of experience and he won't make it easy for me but I expect that."

Fulham fans, though, are facing an early start as BBC Wales have elected to make the game a televised contest at 11.30am. The first train from London arrives in the Welsh capital at 10.59am, although Fulham have laied on free coaches.

Jokanovic, though, will be unaffected, saying: "We are working more or less at this time. I understand our supporters have complained about finding connection to Cardiff.

"We're going to try and support them in some way to give them a chance of easier transport for going to Cardiff.

"We don't have so many changes. We're going spend the day before in Cardiff and have enough time to prepare for the game in front of us."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-boss-slavisa-jokanovic-believes-12418742

[WokinghamWhite]

The only train is currently expected to arrive in Cardiff at 11.30, i.e. just as the match starts, due to signal problems at Severn Tunnel. The whole idea of an 11.30 kick-off is clearly the bright idea of someone who couldn't care less about the supporters.