Tuesday Fulham Stuff (04/07/17)...

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Bitter blow for Benitez as midfielder signs new deal

Fulham have rejected Newcastle's £20m bid for Tom Cairney and he has signed a one-year contract extension with the Championship club.

Cairney has been given a significant wage increase after a stellar campaign in which he won Fulham's Player of the Season award and attracted interest from Premier League clubs.

The Magpies tried to swoop for the Scotland international and are reported to have tabled a bid which could have broken the club's existing 11-year-old transfer record of £17m for Michael Owen.

But Cairney chose to remain with the London outfit who are assembling a squad capable of challenging for automatic promotion.

His new deal keeps him at the club until 2021 with a club option to extend by a further 12-months.

Last season, the 26-year-old midfielder was the only Championship player to provide over 10 assists and goals – netting 12 times and assisting on 10 occasions.

The news will be a bitter blow to Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez as he attempts to bolster his squad this summer.



https://www.clubcall.com/newcastle-united/bitter-blow-for-benitez-as-midfielder-signs-new-deal-1855749.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Brentford, Fulham and QPR avoid televised games but Sunderland, Leeds, Aston Villa, Derby and Hull on twice

West Londoners avoid televised games

Brentford, Fulham and QPR have not been selected for television in the opening month of the season.

While one further fixture is still potentially going to be selected it appears that the west London trio will be playing on a Saturday at 3pm for the first few weeks of the campaign.

Sunderland, Leeds, Aston Villa, Derby and Hull all, however, feature twice in the opening weeks of the campaign in league fixtures.

However, most fans are relieved their side isn't on television as it means they can plan their seasons in more detail as the Saturday games make it easier for travelling fans to get to.

The televised fixtures for the rest of September will be announced on July 14 with each Championship club guaranteed at least two home games in a season to be on Sky Sports.

Fixtures moved for television

Friday 4 August Sunderland v Derby County 7.45pm

Saturday 5 August Aston Villa v Hull City 5.30pm

Sunday 6 August Bolton Wanderers v Leeds United 4.30pm

Saturday 12 August Middlesbrough v Sheffield United 5.30pm

Friday 18 August Burton Albion v Birmingham City 7.45pm

Saturday 19 August Sunderland v Leeds United 5.30pm

Friday 25 August Bristol City v Aston Villa 7.45pm

Saturday 2 September Bradford City v Bristol Rovers 12.30pm

Sunday 3 September Blackburn Rovers v Fleetwood Town 12.15pm

Sunday 3 September Portsmouth v Rotherham United 2.30pm

Friday 8 September Derby County v Hull City 7.45pm

Saturday 9 September Sheffield Wednesday v Nottingham Forest 5.30pm




http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/brentford-fulham-qpr-avoid-televised-13273648

[WhiteJC]

 
Cairney Reaction

Slaviša Jokanović and Tony Khan give their thoughts on Tom Cairney's contract extension.

Jokanović: "This is great news for the Club. Tom was deservedly named in the PFA Team of the Year and his performances as Fulham captain last season saw him receive a lot of praise. He has been a big player for us, and I'm sure that if he keeps working as he has been he will continue to be next season and for the next few years."

Khan: "This extension of Tom's contract speaks to our respect for him as our captain, our belief in Tom's ability to help lead us to the Premier League, and our commitment to field a First Team that Fulham supporters everywhere will be proud of. Tom was spectacular last season, and therefore attracted a lot of attention from clubs elsewhere, but keeping Tom with us at Fulham has been our top priority. Tom Cairney is a man of great character and extraordinary talent, and I'm so thankful to Tom for his loyalty. We'll go back to work this week to continue to make our Club better, but there is no doubt that this is a big day for Fulham."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/july/03/cairney-reaction

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham agree to sell Jozabed

Fulham have agreed to sell Jozabed Sanchez to Celta Vigo for £4.5m.

The 26-year-old Spaniard was signed from Rayo Vallecano last summer for £3.4m but failed to settle at Craven Cottage.

After just eight appearances, he joined Celta Vigo on loan in January and scored twice in 22 games for the Spanish club.

He had scored nine goals in 27 appearances for Rayo during the 2015-16 season.



http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-flop-looks-set-leave

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham make a profit on Spanish flop as club agree fee with Celta Vigo for Jozabed

The 26-year-old failed to make an impact at Fulham but looks set to complete a permanent move to loan club

Get West London understands that Fulham have agreed a deal with Celta Vigo over the sale of midfielder Jozabed.

The Whites signed the midfielder from Rayo Vallecano in the summer of 2016 but he found the going tough at Craven Cottage making just seven league appearances for the club.

Jozabed failed to make an appearance since October last year and the club felt it was time for him to move on.

He was allowed to join Celta Vigo on a loan deal in January and the Spanish side have been keen to make a move permanent, although baulked at the original asking price.

However, the Whites have now accepted an offer in the region of £4.5 million.

It has been a busy day on the transfer front at Craven Cottage with Tom Cairney signing a new deal and the White clinching their first summer signing as Marcelo Djalo completed his transfer to the club.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/fulham-make-profit-spanish-flop-13274920

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Midfielder Of Nigerian Descent Stars, Chelsea's Mount Scores As England

England U19s kicked off their participation in the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship on a winning note, beating Bulgaria 2-0 at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi on Monday afternoon.

Fulham midfielder of Nigerian descent Tayo Edun started and put in a full shift for the Young Lions in his second major tournament for his country of birth.

At the end of the first forty five minutes, England were 1-0 up courtesy of Chelsea teenage sensation Mason Mount, who converted a low cross from Dujon Sterling.

Three minutes after the restart, Fulham wonderkid Sessegnon slotted low past Dimitar Sheytanov after holding off two defenders.

Edun was solid defensively though he was penalized for fouls on Yordanov and Krastev in the first and second half respectively.

Keith Downing's side face the Netherlands in their next Group B fixture on Thursday, July 6.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel




http://allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=23628

[WhiteJC]

 
Bulgaria 0-2 England U19

Young Lions make winning start to U19 Euro group stage

Mason Mount and Ryan Sessegnon helped get the Young Lions up and running at the UEFA U19 European Championship in Georgia.

Goals at the start of either half saw off Bulgaria in this Group B opener on a sweltering evening in Tbilisi.

Chelsea's Mount got the scoreboard rolling with barely a minute on the clock before Sessegnon deservedly doubled that lead three minutes into the second half.

It was a solid performance in difficult conditions from England against a Bulgaria side who had knocked out reigning champions France en-route to these Finals.

Head coach Keith Downing could not have asked for a better start with his side's first goal of the tournament coming after just 39 seconds. Dujon Sterling made inroads down the right before cutting a ball back for Mount to calmly dispatch a low drive across Dimitar Sheytanov and into the far corner.

Mount is known for his attacking prowess but attracted plaudits for his defensive duties just five minutes later. From a right-side corner, Petko Hristov's bullet header looked to have Aaron Ramsdale beaten but Mount was in the right place on the line to clear the effort to safety.

In the baking hot Georgian sun – with temperatures close to 40c – England looked composed but aggressive Bulgaria remained a threat and AFC Bournemouth's Ramsdale was called into action to make an outstanding save in the 33rd minute.  Ivan Tilev's free-kick from deep was flicked goalwards by the head of Hristov but Ramsdale was alert to tip the effort over.

The Young Lions started the second half as they did the first –with a goal. A delightful move down the left between Ben Brereton and Sessegnon gave the Fulham starlet only goalkeeper Sheytanov to beat and he made no mistake.

The Bulgarians huffed and puffed but could not find a way past their opponents at the Mikheil Meskhi-2 Stadium.

The Netherlands are next up for the Young Lions in Group B on Thursday (6 July, 2.30pm BST kick-off) at the larger Mikheil Meskhi Stadium.

England: 1 Aaron Ramsdale (AFC Bournemouth), 2 Dujon Sterling (Chelsea), 3 Jay Dasilva (Capt; Chelsea), 4 Tayo Edun (Fulham), 5 Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea), 6 Easah Suliman (Aston Villa), 8 Andre Dozzell (Ipswich Town),  9 Ben Brereton (Nottingham Forest), 10 Mason Mount (Chelsea), 11 Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham), 14 Marcus Edwards (Tottenham Hotspur)

Substitutes: 7 Isaac Buckley-Ricketts (Manchester City) for Sessegnon 75, 12 Lukas Nmecha (Manchester City) for Brereton 78, 17 Jacob Maddox (Chelsea) for Edwards 83

Substitutes not used: 13 Nathan Trott (West Ham United), 12 Lukas Nmecha (Manchester City), 15 Josh Dasilva (Arsenal), 16 Darnell Johnson (Leicester City), 18 Reece James (Chelsea)

Goals: Mount 1, Sessegnon 48

Head coach: Keith Downing



http://www.thefa.com/news/2017/jul/03/bulgaria-v-england-u19-report-030717

[WhiteJC]

 
Sessegnon On Target

Ryan Sessegnon was on target and Tayo Edun played the full 90 minutes as England began their Under-19 European Championship campaign with a 2-0 victory over Bulgaria.

It took just 39 seconds for the Young Lions to make the breakthrough in the sweltering Georgian sun, with Chelsea's Mason Mount finding the net with a low strike after good work down the right by his club teammate Dujon Sterling.

Sessegnon then doubled the lead three minutes into the second half with a cool finish after breaking through one-on-one having linked up with Ben Brereton of Nottingham Forest.

The Fulham man was replaced by Manchester City's Isaac Buckley-Ricketts with quarter of an hour remaining.

The team are next in Group B action on Thursday when they take on the Netherlands.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/july/03/sessegnon-on-target

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon scores for England under-19s as the Liverpool and Tottenham target's stock continues to rise

The 17-year-old, who has recently put pen to paper on a new contract at Craven Cottage, wrapped up the victory after 48 minutes, giving England the best possible start in group B.

Fulham youngster Ryan Sessegnon got himself on the score sheet as England Under-19s recorded a 2-0 victory over Bulgaria at the European Under-19 championships.

The 17-year-old, who has recently put pen to paper on a new contract at Craven Cottage, wrapped up the victory after 48 minutes, giving England the best possible start in group B.

His finish followed Chelsea youngster Mason Mount's opener within the opening minute.

England have been handed a tricky group, as they are still to face the Netherlands and Germany in group B, making the result against Bulgaria all the more important.

Sessegnon has been tipped for an exciting future in football, and reportedly turned down deals from Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in order to commit his future to Fulham.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulhams-ryan-sessegon-scores-england-13275989

[WhiteJC]

 
Does Tom Cairney's new contract mean Fulham are promotion favourites this season?

Fulham confirmed on Monday that midfielder Tom Cairney has agreed to a one-year contract extension with the club. The Scottish international now has a deal that will keep him at Craven Cottage until 2021 and there is an option to extend it by a further 12 months.

Although he has been attracting interest from Newcastle United, the 26-year-old has decided to commit himself to the Cottagers and attempt to win promotion to the Premier League this season. After the disappointing play-off experience in May, the club will be desperate to go one better this year and their captain is central to those hopes.

How important was keeping Cairney this summer?
It was crucial that the club kept hold of their star midfielder this summer, as it would have been near impossible to find a like-for-like replacement that possesses his ability on the ball. Last season, the former Blackburn Rovers player contributed 13 goals and 10 assists from the centre of the park.

Although he mainly played as a number ten, he was also used in a deeper position and on the right wing. Wherever he was on the pitch, Cairney made Fulham tick with his intricate passing and quick thinking on the ball.

His pass success rate of 92.5% underlines how reliable he is in possession. Although this is great news, Fulham will have to learn from last season as they were too reliant on Cairney at times.

Across the play-off semi-final against Reading, the midfielder was pressed quickly and given no time to think on the ball. This led to the team struggling to create chances as their best player was shut down superbly. It was a great move from Jaap Stam and the rest of the Championship will have learnt from that.

It can be argued that the Cottagers were the best team to watch last season and a big reason for that was Cairney, but they did finish 6th. When the season kicks off in August, they need to learn from that and provide the club captain with support if they want to get the best from him.

Will Fulham be promotion favourites next season?
At the beginning of July, it is difficult to make too many predictions regarding the new season, but this announcement from Fulham puts them among the favourites to win promotion to the Premier League.

Tom Cairney was seen as one of the best players in the division last season and it would have been expected that he would have moved on this summer to test himself in the top flight. He is now 26 and time is running out for him to have a sustained run in the English top flight.

However, he is clearly a fan of the project at Craven Cottage under Slavisa Jokanovic and he will have received assurances about the future direction of the club.

After coming so close last season, Fulham will know that they have a great chance this season if they kept their best players. This new contract keeps Cairney for at least one more year and maintains the positivity around the club. They will be a force to be reckoned with a promotion is well within their grasp.



http://tbrfootball.com/does-tom-cairneys-new-contract-mean-fulham-are-promotion-favourites-this-season/

[WhiteJC]

 
Turkish giants join Fulham in race for prolific Uruguay international

Turkish giants Fenerbahce are set to rival Championship outfit Fulham in the quest to land Bordeaux striker Diego Rolan this summer, according to GetWestLondon.

The 24-year-old forward moved to the French side back in 2013 after coming up through the ranks and then embarking on his professional career at Uruguayan club Defensor Sporting, and has since gone from strength to strength in Ligue 1.

Rolan bagged 16 goals in just 38 matches back in the 2014/15 campaign for Bordeaux, before securing back-to-back ten-goal plus campaigns to further underline his credentials in front of goal.

He scored ten goals in 33 games last term to help the club secure sixth place in the French top-flight, and thus a place in the third qualifying round of the Europa League, and his prolific form for the Ligue 1 outfit has reportedly attracted interest from Slavisa Jokanovic's Fulham.

The Cottagers reportedly submitted an offer for the 24-year-old a fortnight ago but nothing has happened since then, and recent reports suggest that Fenerbahce are looking to take advantage of any uncertainty by also seeking a move for the Uruguay international.

The Turkish side finished third in the Super Lig last term but 13 points adrift of champions Besiktas, and having scored 13 times fewer than the top side, it's clear which area they need to bolster to sustain a challenge at the summit next time round.

And this news will surely come as a blow to Jokanovic's Fulham, who now know that they must up the ante in pursuit of Rolan, or risk losing out on their man to the Turkish giants this summer.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/turkish-giants-join-fulham-in-race-for-prolific-uruguay-international/

[WhiteJC]

 
The Fulham defender who'd be stupid to move to the Premier League at this stage in his career

There are some real talents currently playing in the Championship and for Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic, he has one of the most promising at Craven Cottage.

Despite losing in their play-off semi-final to Reading last month, the Cottagers showed some seriously promising signs that they will certainly be amongst the chasers next season.

Free-flowing football, pace and a real attacking instinct saw them fly up the table, particularly in the second half of the campaign.

They pipped Leeds United to the play-offs, which in itself is a decent result considering the Whites' early-season domination.

But back to that talent and of course, we're talking about Ryan Sessegnon, who remains one of the brightest players we've seen in the Championship for years.

Playing beyond his years, the defender stuck out for all the good reasons in the Fulham first-team last season, playing game-after-game despite not even signing his professional documents with the club.

But of course, with the good form came the rumours linking him with a move away from the club.

Fulham's rise up the table last season had a lot to do with his form, and you only had to look at his performance for half an hour during the 3-1 win over Newcastle at St James' Park to see that this boy really does have talent.

A move had been tipped this summer but he's a player we think would be much better served continuing his development at this level for at least another season.

A move to a top club will undoubtedly come for the young defender – that much is a given but right now, he's shining and playing so well for Fulham, it would be a strange decision to move.

The likelihood of being sent back out on-loan if he does move on to a Premier League side is likely but he's much better off playing week-in, week-out for Jokanovic right now.

The fans love him, the stats suggest he's doing fantastic work and whilst the bright lights of the top flight are certainly on, right now, continuing to shine in the Fulham first-team should be a priority.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-fulham-defender-whod-be-stupid-to-move-to-the-premier-league-at-this-stage-in-his-career/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Malone close to joining Huddersfield

Fulham are close to agreeing a deal to sell Scott Malone to Premier League new boys Huddersfield.

The two clubs are in talks and the Whites are prepared to let the left-back leave.

Terriers boss David Wagner has moved for Malone, 26, having been impressed with him in the Championship last season.

Fulham thrashed Huddersfield home and away and Malone was influential in both games, scoring the opener in a 4-1 away victory and also standing out in a 5-0 win at Craven Cottage.

He scored six goals in 36 Championship appearances in total as Slavisa Jokanovic's side reached the play-offs.

Malone joined Fulham from Cardiff City last summer. He began his career at Wolves before spells at Bournemouth and Millwall.



http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/football-news-huddersfield-close-signing-fulham-man

[WhiteJC]

 
Huddersfield in talks to sign Scott Malone from Fulham


Scott Malone could be heading to the Premier League with Huddersfield

Huddersfield are in talks to sign Fulham left-back Scott Malone, according to Sky sources.

The newly-promoted Premier League club are locked in negotiations with the Whites, who are prepared to sell the 26-year-old.

Malone joined Fulham from Cardiff City last summer and was instrumental in the west London club's play-off push.

He enjoyed a fine season in all and shone as Fulham twice thrashed Huddersfield home and away in the Sky Bet Championship.

Terriers boss David Wagner has stepped up Huddersfield's recruitment in the last few weeks and Sky sources understand they are also in discussions to sign free agent Danny Williams.

They are also working on deals for Derby's Tom Ince and Montpellier forward Steve Mounie, Sky Sports News HQ understands.

Reports have also claimed Huddersfield are close to re-signing two of last year's loan signings from Chelsea; Kasey Palmer and Izzy Brown.

They have already made last season's loan deals for Elias Kachunga and Aaron Mooy permanent, and signed Porto striker Laurent Depoitre and goalkeeper Jonas Lossl on loan.

Malone is also in the process of a move to the John Smith's Stadium, after six goals in 36 Championship appearances last season.

He began his career at Wolves before spells with Bournemouth, Millwall, and 18 months at Cardiff.



http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11740/10935822/huddersfield-in-talks-to-sign-scott-malone-from-fulham

[WhiteJC]

 
Huddersfield Town 'open talks with Fulham defender Scott Malone'

Huddersfield Town are attempting to agree a fee with Championship club Fulham for full-back Scott Malone, according to a report.

The Whites are said to be willing to offload the 26-year-old if the price is right, 12 months after landing him from Cardiff City as part of a swap deal that saw Jazz Richards head the opposite way.

Sky Sports News claims that negotiations are ongoing between Fulham and Huddersfield for Malone, who started 36 games in the Londoners' run to the playoff semi-finals last season.

Huddersfield have stepped up their recruitment drive in recent days and are also understood to be close to signing two other players familiar with Championship football.



http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/huddersfield-town/transfer-talk/news/huddersfield-open-scott-malone-talks_301799.html