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Tottenham now shock favourites to sign Liverpool's no.1 LB target

Spurs are now leading the race for 17-year-old left-back Ryan Sessegnon, reports the Times.

The teenage wonderkid scored seven goals for Fulham in the Championship this season just gone, and is likely attainable as his side failed in their bid for Premier League promotion.

Liverpool are very interested in the Londoner, making him our no.1 target to arrive and challenge James Milner for a starting spot, with Alberto Moreno expected to depart after enduring a season on the bench.

But the fact Mauricio Pochettino's side are based in London could boost Tottenham's chances, due to the player's age and the fact he wouldn't have to leave home.

In truth, many Reds are hoping we sign a more experienced, renowned left-back when Moreno departs, perhaps on top of a deal for Sessegnon.

But if Spurs do acquire the youngster, we'll have no choice but to turn our attention elsewhere.

Theo Hernandez looks a fine prospect, but Real Madrid appear to have won the race for his signature, while Barca's Frenchman Lucas Digne may be available.



http://www.empireofthekop.com/2017/05/30/tottenham-now-shock-favourites-to-sign-liverpools-no-1-lb-target/

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Odds shorten on former Fulham, Liverpool and West Brom boss taking Crystal Palace job

Is this former England boss heading back to Croydon?

Former Fulham, Liverpool and West Brom boss Roy Hodgson could return to management for one last time to take control of his hometown club, Crystal Palace, according to reports.

This morning [Tuesday] both the Guardian and the Sun have tipped Hodgson, who has been out of work since leaving his role as England manager last summer, for the vacant position at Selhurst Park.

It is believed that Hodgson was interviewed for the job at Leicester City earlier this year but didn't get the position and now considers Palace the perfect last role in football for him, with the Croydon-born boss set to turn 70 in August.

And the Guardian report says not only is Hodgson "widely tipped" to be the next Palace boss but according to their sources, they are in "no position to correct" the rumours.

Subsequently, the odds on Hodgson being announced as the next Palace boss have shortened dramatically this morning with several bookmakers now offering 8/1, making the 69-year-old the third favourite behind Sean Dyche and Garry Monk.




Read more at http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/former-fulham-liverpool-and-west-brom-boss-widely-tipped-for-crystal-palace-job/story-30361171-detail/story.html#y5hViWysgvUTxIWv.99

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Report: Liverpool fear missing out to Tottenham Hotspur in Ryan Sessegnon race

Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool have both been tracking Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon.

According to The Times, Tottenham Hotspur are now the favourites to sign Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham this summer.

Spurs have been keeping tabs on the 17-year-old, who has enjoyed a remarkable breakthrough campaign at Championship level this season.

Sessegnon has been an important part of Fulham's side this season, helping the Cottagers reach the Championship play offs.

Although Fulham ultimately fell short in the promotion deciding fixtures, Sessegnon's form has not gone unnoticed.

And Mauricio Pochettino is said to be keen to bring the youngster, who is valued at £12 million (The Express), to Spurs.

Tottenham did face competition from Liverpool for the left-sided player's signature but, according to the Mirror, Jurgen Klopp now fears that he has missed out.

Tottenham are believed to be closing in on snapping up Sessegnon, who they feel could be Danny Rose's long-term replacement.




http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/05/30/report-liverpool-fear-missing-out-to-tottenham-hotspur-in-ryan-s/

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How the Fulham players sold by Slavisa Jokanovic fared - including an invincible and a disappointment

Did the moves work out for Fulham and the players? We have a look at the players who departed the Cottage last summer

Slavisa Jokanovic oversaw a massive overhaul of the Fulham squad last summer after guiding the side to a 20th placed finish in the Championship in 2015/16.

It was his first chance of cutting and changing the squad to his liking after coming in to replace Kit Symons at the end of December and making sure the side remained in the Championship.

It was a big summer and one that many saw as weakening the team, rather than improving it with the departures of both Ross McCormack and Moussa Dembele.

As it turned out, that wasn't the case and Fulham finished in a very respectable 6th place, losing out on contesting the final at Wembley courtesy of a 2-1 aggregate defeat to Reading.

There's the possibility that the bigger clubs will come looking for Fulham's best talent again this summer, with Newcastle hovering about Tom Cairney while Tottenham are looking to turn Ryan Sessegnon into the next Gareth Bale.

If the worst does come to pass, Fulham fans can take hope that despite losing a lot of talent last summer, the squad did a lot better than most of those that left.

Except that invincible, of course.

Here's how they all got on away from Craven Cottage this season.

Ross McCormack (Aston Villa, £12million)


What happened? Fulham parted ways with their top scorer for a hefty fee, with McCormack wanting to play in the Premier League - Villa was his way to do so.

Did it work out for Fulham? They received a decent fee for their top scorer and after the season McCormack has had, it has probably worked out well for the Cottagers. Despite losing him they were the joint top scorers in the division, so it has to be said the effects of losing McCormack weren't nearly as bad as first feared.

Did it work out for McCormack? In a word, no. He was dropped by Steve Bruce for not being fit enough to play for Villa and was then shipped out to Nottingham Forest in February until the end of the season.

Konstantinos Mitroglou (Benfica, £6million)

Konstantinos Mitroglou of Benfica (Photo: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images)

What happened? Fulham signed Mitroglou in January 2014 for £12million, but never played under Felix Magath before being loaned to Olympiacos. He was then loaned to Benfica, where he scored 34 goals in 2014/15 which moved the Lisbon club to sign him permanently.

Did it work out for Fulham? Well, after a horrendous time at Craven Cottage he was never really happy at the Cottage, and despite signing him for a hefty fee it was a case of cutting their losses with Mitroglou and getting him off the wage bill.

Did it work out for Mitroglou? Big time - the Greek was in the form of his life this season and banged in 16 goals for Benfica as they won the Portuguese first division by six points. He's even been linked to a big money move to China.

Maarten Stekelenburg (Everton, Undisclosed fee)

Martin Stekelenburg of Everton

What happened? The Dutchman signed for Everton having spent two seasons away on loan, firstly at Monaco and then at Southampton. Everton came in for him and on July 1 he signed for them on a three-year deal.

Did it work out for Fulham? Stekelenburg hadn't played for the Cottagers since losing his place in the side under Magath, who favoured Marcus Bettinelli and Jesse Joronen over the Dutch international. Having not played for the side for so long, it made sense that Fulham moved him on, with David Button arriving from Brentford.

Did it work out for Stekelenburg? He had a decent season but a mixed one at that and could only be their second choice next season. He produced a heroic display at the Etihad where he saved penalties from both Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne.

Matt Smith (QPR, £500k plus incentives)

Joy: Matt Smith (Photo: Press-Photos.com)

What happened? Smith was sold to QPR in January on the final day of the transfer window, having only scored twice for Jokanovic's side. He wasn't the type of player the Serbian liked and it caused a bit of uproar around the Cottage when it was announced.

Did it work out for Fulham? Smith wasn't getting games, and despite the need for a striker he wasn't going to get games in the side - especially with Fulham scoring as many goals as they did. All in all, I think it probably did work out for Fulham.

Did it work out for Smith? He's found a new lease of life at QPR, where he is starting regularly and managed to get himself four goals since signing, so it's worked out well for him.

Ben Pringle (Preston, Undisclosed fee)

Preston North End's Ben Pringle (right) and Newcastle United's Paul Dummett battle for the ball (Photo: PA Wire)

What happened? Pringle signed for Fulham from Rotherham in 2015 after a very good season for Rotherham, but he didn't suit the style of play Jokanovic wanted the side to play and he was eventually shipped off, first to Ipswich on loan and then to Preston permanently.

Did it work out for Fulham? Pringle wasn't really good enough for Fulham, so selling him to Preston was the best move for the club. They didn't miss him either and he was never going to get into the side this season.

Did it work out for Pringle? Not particularly - he was a bit part player in the Preston side and only played 14 games this season, without scoring a single goal for the club. He's been linked with a move back to Rotherham this summer.

Fernando Amorebieta (Sporting Gijon, 300k Euros)

Fernando Amorebieta (L) of Sporting Gijon (Photo: Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

What happened? Having failed to lock down a regular starting place, Amorebieta found himself shipped out on loan to Middlesbrough twice before being sold to Sporting Gijon.

Did it work out for Fulham? Although he played in the Premier League with the club and nearly got promoted with Middlesbrough, he wasn't favoured by the management and with Tim Ream and Tomas Kalas in front of him, as well as the arrival of Ragnar Sigurdsson, he was never going to get a game.

Did it work out for Amorebieta? He had a decent season personally in Spain where he played 27 times as Gijon finished 18th in La Liga, but he couldn't help them avoid the drop.

Jazz Richards (Cardiff, swap deal for Scott Malone)

Jazz Richards of Cardiff City wins the ball from David McGoldrick of Ipswich Town (Photo: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

What happened? Fulham swapped Richards to Cardiff for Scott Malone, with Jokanovic preferring Ryan Fredericks at right back instead of the Welshman.

Did it work out for Fulham? It sure did - Fulham got a great deal and Malone proved to be one of their best signings, going on the make it into the team of the season.

Did it work out for Richards? He got injured in September for three months but returned in January, but made 29 appearances in all for the Welsh side. There are still arguments as to why got the better deal between Cardiff and Fulham in this deal.

Dan Burn (Wigan, free transfer)

Dan Burn of Wigan (Photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

What happened? Burn was released at the end of his contract despite becoming a first team regular under Jokanovic, making 35 appearances before going to join Wigan.

Did it work out for Fulham? Another one who probably wasn't good enough to hold a regular starting spot in Fulham's XI this season - the side never missed him so it worked out well for Fulham.

Did it work out for Burn? He won the club's Player of the Year award, but despite that couldn't help Wigan as they were relegated back to League One.

Moussa Dembele (Celtic, £500k)

Brendan Rodgers & Moussa Dembele

What happened? Fulham's sought after teenager signed for Celtic when his contract expired having scored 17 goals in all appearances for the club.

Did it work out for Fulham? Not really - he was going to leave but Fulham missed out on a huge transfer fee for the youngster and Dembele is now being tipped to leave the club for fees of 30m.

Did it work out for Dembele? It did - he went on to make history as he became an invincible with Celtic, winning the treble without losing a single game all season. He's now being linked with Europe's best clubs as he looks to go on and make a real name for himself.

Others who departed: Andy Lonergan, Emerson Hyndman, Jamie O'Hara, Alexander Kacaniklic, Sakari Mattila, Shaun Hutchinson, Ange-Freddy Plumain and Adam Taggart.




http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-players-fulham-sold-slavisa-13110177

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de la Torre Tops Group

The USA topped their Under-20 World Cup group with a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia in the Korea Republic, after getting sent down to 10 men just before the halftime whistle.

Luca de la Torre made another vital contribution to the United States' World Cup campaign inside the first half by helping set up their only goal, claiming his second assist of the tournament and having got on the scoresheet once himself in their opening match.

de la Torre found some space 11 yards from goal in the 40 minute, and aimed a hard shot at the bottom right of the net.

The Saudi keeper made a good save however Brooks Lennon was on hand at the back post to poke the ball home.

Four minutes later disaster struck as the Stars and Stripes were sent down to ten men, a harsh second yellow was awarded to centre back Cameron Carter-Vickers.

The American jumped to compete for a goal kick in midfield, and colliding with a Saudi Arabian the ref viewed the coming together as reckless and brandished his second yellow of the match, giving Carter-Vickers his marching orders.

The USA had to hold on for 45 minutes being a man down, a draw was enough to top the group but losing would have seen Saudi Arabia qualify over them. The USA conceded from a corner in the 75th minute, but were able to keep Saudi Arabia's attack at bay for the remainder of the match.

The game finished and the USA secured top spot in Group F, and with Senegal v Ecuador finishing 0-0 in the other group match the African team finished second to also progress.

The USA will now face Group E Runners-up New Zealand in the Last 16 on Thursday at midday (BST).

You can watch the highlights from USA v Senegal here, and you can see how the group table looked below.


Pictures by US Soccer YNT

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/may/30/de-la-torre-tops-group

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Championship: fans from all 24 clubs review their season

Our Birmingham fan is happy for Harry Redknapp, our Newcastle fan wants more spending, and our Brighton fan is excited to face some big teams – and Palace

(C) Newcastle United, 1st

At the start of the season I thought we would finish with more than 100 points but I underestimated just how difficult the Championship is. But it also has to be said we bought spectacularly for this level. Dwight Gayle, Ciaran Clark and Matt Ritchie have all been superb this season.

I was skeptical of Rafa Benítez's constant rotation, but in the end it paid off. We finished strongly while Brighton crumbled. Benítez must now stay and build on the squad. The team is perfect for the Championship but it will be a very weak Premier League team as it stands. Many of our players such as Isaac Hayden, Jamaal Lascelles and Gayle will relish the challenge, but have they got the ability? I think we need a new centre-back, left-back, centre midfielder, left-winger and striker. We don't ask for much in the North East! Richard.

(P) Brighton and Hove Albion, 2nd

The disappointment of last season gave the whole club the resolve to gain promotion this year. The fact that automatic promotion was achieved with three games remaining means the season can be seen as nothing but a success. Missing out on the title when so well placed did leave a sour taste, but overall we did excellently.

We will obviously be prime candidates for relegation in the eyes of many, but with a couple of decent signings and Chris Hughton still in the dugout we'll surprise a few. Fans are already looking forward to next season and are excited to see how we get on against some of the best teams in the world. And Crystal Palace. S Barlow

Reading, 3rd

I was angry when Brian McDermott was sacked (again) at the end of last season, because I had a lot of residual faith in him from his first time in charge. Bringing in the relatively inexperienced Jaap Stam didn't make a lot of sense. But apart from a few embarrassing defeats (Norwich and Fulham away), we've ground out a lot of narrow victories and remembered how to see games out. Stam has galvanised the team in the way McDermott did back in 2010. We've often been fragile in big games this season, and it showed yet again in the play-off final. But keeping Stam should allow us a decent tilt at automatic promotion next season. James Wyper

Sheffield Wednesday, 4th

We might have been edged out of a trip to Wembley in the end, but fourth place in this super-loaded Championship is a brilliant result and an improvement on last season. Carlos Carvalhal is a low-key, pragmatic manager who brings the best out of his players. The rumblings he might be sacked if we fail to achieve promotion via the play-offs were really stupid and I'm delighted he's sticking around.

Improving on last season's finish, despite big spending Villa and Newcastle joining the Championship, shows how much Carvalhal is getting out of the squad. All we need to do is keep the manager and the core of the team, add a couple of Premier League calibre signings and a return to the top tier won't be that far away. Roger Canfield

(P) Huddersfield Town, 5th

With promotion through the play-offs, we achieved well beyond expectations. After four seasons of Championship apathy, chairman Dean Hoyle's bold move to appoint David Wagner has really paid dividends. Along with exemplary season ticket offers, the club has been reinvigorated both on and off the pitch.

So where has it all gone right this season? Signs of a change in style towards the back end of the 2015-16 season gave cause for optimism. A full pre-season, including a much talked about "survival" bonding trip to Sweden, some shrewd signings from Wagner's native Germany and a complete overhaul of playing style has given the club a sense of identity the manager clearly felt was missing. 17,000 season tickets have already been snapped up for next season, thanks to another superb offer from Hoyle, and with Premier League football coming to the John Smith's Stadium next year many more will surely follow. We have a chairman who loves the club and knows this is just the start of a very exciting period in the club's history. Alex Taylor

Fulham, 6th

I feel like that guy from The Great British Bake Off who had his Baked Alaska removed from the fridge too early by another contestant. Our glorious little season was reduced to wet mush, cake mix and tears by Reading in the play-off semis. The late flurry into the play-offs was more of a dream than a serious expectation, and overall it's still been a thoroughly enjoyable season.

Slavisa Jokanovic has worked wonders to instil a winning mentality on such a youthful, inexperienced side. Ryan Sessegnon, who is still just 16, has been key to the great atmosphere around Craven Cottage all season. Added to the quality of players such as playmaker Tom Cairney and stylish centre-half Tomas Kalas and we have something really special taking shape. It's imperative we keep the squad together. Edward McCambridge


Midfielder Stefan Johansen played a huge part in Fulham's late surge for the play-offs Photograph: John Patrick Fletcher/Action Plus via Getty Images

Leeds United, 7th

The #SignGarryMonk hashtag didn't work after all! His resignation last week has put the future of the club up in the air once again. We needed to limit the departures out of the club and build on the foundations of this season, but when the main man is first to jump ship, there are already huge question marks hanging over the summer. New owner Andrea Radrizzani needs to have the answers. The football we played under Garry Monk was much better than recent seasons. We just seemed to run out of steam at totally the wrong time. The togetherness and belief the coaching team instilled in the club, fans and players was terrific. But as it stands now it's back to square one. Dan

Norwich City, 8th

We were aiming for automatic promotion, or the play-offs at the very least. We had a decent start and looked a good bet for automatic promotion, before a truly legendary run of bad form around Christmas dropped us to 12th in the table in January. Since then form has been average.

Alex Neil should have been sacked much earlier. He has to take responsibility for a large but very unbalanced squad. We have a glut of attacking midfielders, but no senior left-back at the club. Our defending has been atrocious – we conceded more goals than relegated Wigan and Blackburn. At times we were able to disguise this with our own goalscoring prowess. Neil's aversion to using Alex Pritchard, one of his own expensive signings, was bizarre. The midfielder has started every match since his sacking and looks like a player we need to build the team around. Ian

Derby County, 9th

This was another bizarre season where we've spent big and underperformed. The only highlight is this time we didn't leave it as late as usual to collapse. The season seemingly hinged on whether Chris Martin would return in January, while record signing Matey Vydra just never fitted in after being signed by Nigel Pearson. It's further evidence that money won't necessarily get you out of the Championship.

Next season we can hopefully stick with one manager, rather than three, and one vision. The club is crying out for stability. The Championship is getting richer and harder to escape. Owner Mel Morris has to display some patience, and if a squad overhaul needs to take place then so be it. Oh, and don't send our best player out on a season-long loan to another Championship club ever again please. Geared Coleman

Brentford, 10th

The first half of the season was disappointing. Too defensive and just hoofing it up to Scott Hogan at every opportunity. Since January we have looked a different side. Getting Sergi Canos back and Jota fit again made us a good attacking side. For all his goals I'm pleased Hogan left as we are now far more balanced and threatening. We need to hold on to our players and sign another attacker to compete with Lasse Vibe up front. If we do that, I see no reason why we can't compete for promotion in the near future. Dave Floyd

Preston North End, 11th

Same procedure as last year: finish 11th in the Championship with 62 points. For only our second season back in the the second tier, and with one of the smallest budgets in the league and one of the lowest average attendances, it's been an excellent campaign.

A tremendous team spirit and an excellent manager in Simon Grayson has been key. We managed to keep our young, rising stars in the transfer windows and added young ambitious players to the squad. Although we had small attendances, those who did come supported the team and created a wonderful atmosphere both at home and away. Peter G

Cardiff City, 12th

The first half of the season under Paul Trollope was dreadful. The worst City side I've ever seen: bereft of ideas, talent and pace. The second half was much better. Neil Warnock worked some magic with free transfers and getting the most out of previously fringe players. He got us back to basics, bringing some pace out wide and some strength and experience at the back. Kenneth Zohore and Sol Bamba both had excellent seasons. We can push on next year and challenge for the play-offs – if we carry on like we have since Christmas. Dylan

Aston Villa, 13th

The season has felt like a complete non-starter. Every time our season has begun to flicker into life the lights have swiftly been turned out again. Without the goals of Jonathan Kodjia, we would have fared even worse. Roberto Di Matteo was a very poor managerial appointment. Poor signings made it difficult for Steve Bruce to turn the club around immediately and neither Di Matteo nor Bruce managed to find the right balance between attack and defence.

For next season Steve Bruce has to find a way to motivate Jack Grealish to perform every week. Goals against Wigan and Fulham have shown his capabilities and, if we can get the best out of him, he has the ability to form a genuinely fruitful partnership with Kodjia. Hutton Sherwood

Barnsley, 14th

If you had offered us 14th at the start of this season, we would have snatched your hands off. Hopes were raised by a fantastic first half of the season, tempered by having to sell the family silver to retain our status in January. Any team losing their captain, main striker and best full-back in one transfer window would suffer.

We need to keep hold of Paul Heckingbottom for next season. It's also important we appoint a new CEO as soon as possible to assist the back-room staff in acquiring the numerous new signings we need. A large part of the squad will be departing: loanees to parent clubs and others at end of their two-year contracts. This is how Barnsley have to operate to compete in the Championship. Matthew Spencer

Wolves, 15th

Aside from a memorable FA Cup run, which included a brilliant 2-1 win at Anfield, and the emergence of Helder Costa, its been a fairly forgettable campaign. Only Wolves could finish 14th on 58 points last season, get taken over by Chinese investors, spend £27m, break our transfer fee twice and finish 15th season on 58 points. We jettisoned a steady hand in Kenny Jackett before the season started and went for the baffling choice of Walter Zenga.

A large number of new signings resulted in a poorly managed, bloated squad who struggled to string together any real consistency. By the time Zenga was replaced with Paul Lambert we were languishing in the lower half of the table and, although Lambert has stabilised the team, we've not really kicked on from there since. The squad needs a massive overhaul. But with a full pre-season behind him, Lambert can be the man to take us onwards and upwards. Joseph Jennings

Ipswich Town, 16th

It's not been great to be honest. A lower mid-table finish, national embarrassment at being knocked out of the FA Cup by Lincoln, and season-long refusal from the manager to play the kind of short, passing football that the earned club its proud name under Bobby Robson and George Burley.

This is our lowest finish since 1958-59. Season ticket sales are expected to drop below 10,000 for next season. We have consistently sold our best player every season for high profit. Manager Mick McCarthy has not helped himself with awful, safety-first, long-ball stuff. He's probably our most divisive manager for decades. Charlie Rozier

Bristol City, 17th

It was all going well in late September, when we thrashed Fulham 4-0 at Craven Cottage. Tammy Abraham was scoring for fun and we looked slick and full of energy. The shock of a last-gasp defeat against Sheffield Wednesday seemed to hurt us badly for several months. Then at the end of the season we found out how to win games again. We need to make sure we don't have such a dramatic plummet again though. If we hang on to Abraham and instil a tougher mentality when the going gets tough, we'll have a better time of it next season. Steve

Queens Park Rangers, 18th

A season that started with such promise following a 3-0 home win over eventual promotion chasers Leeds turned sour before we had even hit the halfway point. While even the play-offs looked a bridge too far back in August, you can't fault us for hoping for mid-table mediocrity at the very least. What we were left with was a squad languishing in 18th place and six losses from our final seven games. After six or seven seasons of promotions, relegations and last-minute Wembley winners, 2016-17 will go down as the magnolia wallpaper of Championship seasons.

Our team lacked any kind of identity. We spent last summer bolstering our squad with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's "extended scouting network", picking up the odd combative midfielder from Poland or a tricky winger from France's second tier. But it's difficult to pinpoint any signing that worked. Jimmy's days were soon numbered. The slide had already begun when Ian Holloway took charge, and it was just his job to stop the rot. You could argue either way whether or not he has done that successfully. Liam Baxter

Birmingham City, 19th

I never thought I would ever find myself saying this but thank goodness for Harry Redknapp! While we were arguably overachieving under Gary Rowett in the first half of the campaign, the disastrous four-month reign of Gianfranco Zola obliterated our season, leaving us needing yet another final-day escape.

Under Rowett our football was often dire but it was both pragmatic and effective. There was also a good bond between the players, the manager and the supporters. The way in which Rowett was removed, the day after a win which left us three points from third, was laughable. The club's unwillingness to remove Zola when we were in free fall was hard to take.

The lack of communication from the owners to the supporters also fostered a huge amount of negativity, exactly when we should have been celebrating the fact that the Carson Yeung days were finally over. Zola's inability to recognise the weaknesses in the squad was worrying. Using players out of position and asking them to play in formations they didn't understand cost us on several occasions.

The club evidently want more exciting football than Rowett was able to offer, something echoed by many supporters, however this cannot be pursued at the risk of the club's identity, nor should it be allowed to jeopardise the club's status in the Championship in the short term. Richard Summerfield

Burton Albion, 20th

The club exceeded expectations by a huge margin this season. Any pre-season doubts of our Championship credentials has been crushed by a great team spirit, excellent signings and a superb managerial team. Nigel Clough needs to stay if we're to continue progressing in the league though. Jel

Nottingham Forest, 21st

If our season were a movie, it'd be one of those where Eddie Murphy plays every role except for the two played by Adam Sandler and David Slade. The last-gasp, season-saving 3-0 win against Ipswich may leave fans with a touch of exhilaration but it's a false positive. There's a genuine suspicion that we only stayed up due to some mysterious mathematical anomaly. It's been more than awful.

It all starts and ends with the owner. Fawaz has turned the club into a joke. The nightmare started with selling Oliver Burke to RB Leipzig in Germany and it just kept getting worse. Philippe Montanier and Mark Warburton both fought admirably, but events behind the scenes just seemed to undermine everyone. Stability at the top next season and giving Warburton time to implement his way of playing would give us every chance of a more positive 2017-18 campaign. MCG

(R) Blackburn Rovers, 22nd

After ending the season with Paul Lambert's resignation, we knew we were in for another calamitous year and we weren't wrong. Owen Coyle's appointment was wrong on so many levels. His connections to rivals Bolton, Wigan and most importantly, Burnley, meant he was in a battlefield from day one.

Big-money departures Grant Hanley, Shane Duffy and Ben Marshall were replaced by bargains and freebies. We couldn't concentrate for long spells and had no consistency. Having done the double over Newcastle, Brentford and Derby, we failed to defeat Burton Albion, Birmingham (under Zola) and Ipswich. A good cup run masked nothing and the fans showed their displeasure, with our average attendance 12,871 (41% of Ewood Park's capacity). It beggars belief that we were once in talks to sign Ronaldinho and Beckham.

The owners needs to take responsibility and secure a future for the club. Tony Mowbray needs to stay. He has created a brand of football that works for our club and he has our players working as a team. We need to remove big earners and deadwood. No more has-beens who don't have hunger. We need established League One players who are ready to challenge for a title. We're not the club we once were, but we are capable of bouncing back. Nick

(R) Wigan Athletic, 23rd

We had too many inefficient signings in both transfer windows. Manager Gary Caldwell panicked and went too defensive after a 4-3 defeat at Forest in August, which ultimately led to his sacking. We then made the wrong choice in Warren Joyce, who looked totally out of his depth in first-team football and set us up to draw 0-0 every week. We sacked him too late for manager No3 Graham Barrow to have any realistic chance of keeping us up. At least we started to score a few goals.

To bounce back we need to make a good managerial appointment and think about the players before we recruit one. Too often since we dropped out of the Premier League we've appointed managers whose style of play is at odds with the squad we've had and it has given them little or no chance of success. quint

(R) Rotherham United, 24th

It's been a record-breaking season for all the wrong reasons. Despite narrowly missing out on having the worst points tally of all time, we still set a personal worst and were probably one of the worst teams in the entire Football League. Kenny Jackett leaving after just 39 days shows the terrible state of the club this season.

Many fans will say Alan Stubbs is the reason for our dismal season. It's hard to argue with them, but the biggest reason was the club's scattergun approach to signing players. There were more than 50 ins and outs this season. Many of these players were signed by Stubbs, but the January arrivals haven't had as big an impact as hoped. We clearly weren't the biggest club in the division, but we had similar resources to Huddersfield. Manager Paul Warne has done a good job in uniting the club after the disastrous start to the season, but he will need to learn quickly to win promotion back to the Championship. Garry




https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/may/30/championship-fans-24-clubs-review-season-football-league

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Bristol City interested in signing Fulham keeper Marcus Bettinelli

The club have been watching the keeper for some time, with Bristol's goalkeeping coach David Coles watching Fulham's Play-off defeat from the stands

Bristol City are interested in signing Fulham keeper Marcus Bettinelli ahead of the new Championship season.

The 25-year-old had been back-up to David Button since his arrival from Brentford in the summer but regained his place in April as Fulham defeated Ipswich Town 3-1.

He then started the remaining games as Fulham got to the Championship Play-off semi final, one they lost to Reading 2-1 on aggregate.

Bettinelli, who is a fan's favourite at Fulham, would like to stay at his childhood club, but exclusively told GetWestLondon after the Reading defeat that he needed to be playing regularly as he celebrated his 25th birthday .

And it is believed that Bristol are monitoring the keeper, with goalkeeping coach David Coles watching the Play-off defeat from the stands, wit the club contemplating making an offer for the 25-year-old as they look to strengthen their goalkeeping department.




http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/bristol-city-interested-signing-fulham-13110790

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Fulham second favourites to win the Championship next season

Bookmakers SkyBet are already offering prices on next season's Championship winners, with Fulham right up amongst the early favourites

The 2016/17 season has only just finished but the bookies are already giving odds on who will win the Championship next season, with Fulham second favourites.

SkyBet have them as 9/1 to win the division next season, which is the second favourite behind Aston Villa, who are 8/1 to win the title.

Recently relegated Middlesbrough are third favourites at 10/1, and beaten Play-off finalists Reading are only 20/1 to win the division.

Meanwhile, Fulham are also second favourites to win promotion and are priced as 3/1 to find their way back to the Premier League, with Villa the favourites again, with odds of 11/4 being offered on them.

In case you're wondering, Fulham are 25/1 to get relegated, while their west London neighbours QPR are 9/2 and Brentford 13/2.

Looks like the bookies are predicting that west London will belong to Fulham once again next season.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-second-favourites-win-championship-13111187

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Liverpool have ended their interest in Ryan Sessegnon

According to Paul Joyce of The Times, Liverpool have now ended their interest in signing highly-rated Fulham teenager, Ryan Sessegnon.

Liverpool are in the market for a new left-back with Alberto Moreno expected to leave the club in the summer and Sessegnon was amongst Jurgen Klopp's top targets.

The 17-year-old, who was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year, has recently signed his first professional contract with Fulham following a tremendous breakthrough season, making 30 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing five assists.

Klopp's side were leading the race for England U19 international but have now ended their interest in the teenager, with Tottenham now in pole position to land him.

Joyce also reports that Liverpool will be signing Chelsea striker Dominic Solanke when his contract expires at the end of next month.

The England U21 international has made just one senior appearance for Chelsea to date and is eager to pursue opportunities elsewhere. The compensation fee for the 20-year-old will be decided by a tribunal but is expected to be in the region of £2-3m and he will earn just under £20k-a-week.



http://readliverpoolfc.com/2017/05/30/liverpool-have-ended-their-interest-in-ryan-sessegnon/

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Fulham's proposed Riverside Stand redevelopment was put on hold by Shahid Khan to maximise revenue in new stand

The club had planning permission and a team in place to start work on the stand, but Shahid Khan put it on hold to review the design of the stand

Fulham's proposed Riverside Stand redevelopment was put on hold by Shahid Khan in order to fully increase revenue from hospitality and kiosks, as well as making the design more 'iconic'.

Speaking to Construction News , Kevin Underwood, director at Buckingham Group, revealed that Mr Khan put a hold on the redevelopment of the new stand just two weeks before the company were due to start on the site in order to review the whole design.

Coming from an NFL background, Mr Khan wanted to maximise the revenue Fulham could get from hospitality and kiosks in the new stands, something that is principle to new NFL stadiums in the United States.

As a result, Mr Khan ordered a complete review of the stand which has come up with a revised proposal of the Riverside Stand.


Fulham's Riverside Stand

In his chat with Construction News, Mr Underwood said: "The chairman wanted to review the whole of the design, and went to a different designer.

"I understand there's now been a complete review, with a revised proposal that will hopefully go forward in the coming months. We were pretty disappointed that, two weeks before we were due to start on site, [Fulham owner Shahid] Khan decided he wasn't going to proceed."

Fulham are still hoping to redevelop the Riverside Stand, but the owners are making sure that the new design fully utilises the revenue streams that hospitality and the kiosks provide to the club and hope to continue with the development as soon as possible.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulhams-proposed-riverside-stand-redevelopment-13112644

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Fulham legend Sean Davis and QPR Director of Football Les Ferdinand lead race to Amsterdam in the name of Prostate Cancer UK

Other high profile football stars taking part in the Football to Amsterdam event include Terry Butcher, Viv Anderson, Alan Smith and Simon Grayson.

Fulham legend Sean Davis and QPR Director of Football Les Ferdinand are preparing for a 145-mile bike ride in the name of Prostate Cancer UK.

Football to Amsterdam, which runs from June 9 to June 11, is a bike ride which will see 400 football fans, staff and legends of the game taking part in the mammoth ride from London to the Dutch capital.

Other high profile football stars taking part include Terry Butcher, Viv Anderson, Alan Smith and Simon Grayson.

An event backed by the English Football League and the League Managers Association, it's an event football fans can't ignore.

Ahead of his first Football to Amsterdam ride, Les Ferdinand said: "I'll admit prostate cancer wasn't on my radar a decade ago; I knew nothing about it at all. Now I do. I lost my grandfather to prostate cancer and it's also affected other members of my family too. I'll be 50 in December, and need to set an example to my family and my peers, so I go and see my doctor every year without fail."

Fulham legend Sean Davis added: "I'm delighted to have joined the Fulham team for the Amsterdam cycle.

"I've been involved with Prostate Cancer UK at various points over the years, and the work they do is so important. So to contribute in a small way like this, I was more than happy to get involved. It should be a great few days, too. I've had friends who have taken part before, and there's a good group of Fulham supporters signed up now, so I'd encourage anyone who's considering it to get involved."

For more information on Football to Amsterdam, visit https://prostatecanceruk.org/get-involved/football-to-amsterdam-2017.




http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-legend-sean-davis-qpr-13113552

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Opportunity knocks for McCormack
In General Villa

Reports suggest that there could be around 10 players departing as Steve Bruce looks to get rid of the deadwood from the squad, but it appears Ross McCormack will not be one of them. He and Bruce recently held clear the air talks which met went positively according to Chief Executive Keith Wyness.

McCormack is now 30 and was loaned out to Nottingham Forest earlier this year where he struggledMcCormack will get another chance to prove himself at Villa. to make an impact, scoring once in just seven appearances. The player undoubtedly has talent having scored 116 goals in 307 appearances in English football, before he signed for Aston Villa for £12.16 million (according to Transfermarkt.co.uk) last summer. The Scotland international has failed to make any real impact since he made the move to B6.

I believe this is because McCormack hasn't been played in his best position. Although he can play as a number 9, he is far better suited to orchestrating the play from deeper. His attributes make him more effective as a support striker role or as an old fashioned number 10. Being deployed in a wide position as part of a front 3 leaves him unable to dictate the play and cause defences problems with through balls or clever interchanges. His lack of mobility and pace aren't suited to him beating opponents down the flank either.

To get the best out of McCormack would mean Bruce reverting back to a 4-4-2 formation or for him to play in a 4-2-3-1 as the central figure in a trident behind the main striker. Bruce seems to have settled on a 4-3-3 formation, something which didn't gain the wins or points that a team of our quality should yield. Perhaps, it's time to try switch things up.

With Kodjia injured, this presents McCormack's best chance to wrestle his way back into the team. He could well find himself playing with Scott Hogan, another player with a point to prove at Villa Park. Hogan likes to get in behind defences and is crafty in the penalty area. With McCormack pulling the strings from deep, he may have a perfect foil in Hogan, to link up with.

There is already a number 10 at the club. It is Jack Grealish's preferred position yet he is yet to hold down a regular place in the first team let alone make a position his own. After two disappointing seasons, he is another player who needs to prove a point. Competition for places is healthy and options are needed in the long, gruelling campaign, where promotion is the key objective.




http://www.avillafan.com/25804/opportunity-knocks-mccormack/