Friday Fulham Stuff (08/09/17)...

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Fulham and Newcastle tipped to do January deal for attacking star

Championship outfit Fulham are expected to renew their interest in Newcastle United forward Dwight Gayle, when the transfer window reopens in January, according to the IB Times.

The Cottagers reportedly tried to prize the former Crystal Palace star away from St James' Park in the summer, but could not agree a deal with the Magpies.

Fulham have seemingly not been put off in their pursuit of the striker, who fired Newcastle to the Championship title last season, and are expected to return for him in January.

The 26-year-old banged in 23 goals for the Tyneside outfit, but is yet to find the back of the net in the current campaign. After starting the first two Premier League matches, he was left out of the side against West Ham United last time out, and Rafael Benitez is expected to want to cash in on his asset.

Newcastle managed to add Spanish striker Joselu to his strike force last month, and with Aleksandar Mitrovic among the goals, Gayle could see himself sliding down the pecking order the longer the season goes on.

While Fulham were not able to bring the former Peterborough ace to London in the summer window, they were able to add Lucas Piazon, Sheyi Ojo and Jordan Graham on loan while Rui Fonte and Aboubakar Kamara were brought in permanently.

It is said that Slavisa Jokanovic had agreed a fee with Newcastle for Gayle last month, but Newcastle could not find a replacement and so the deal did not go through. With an extended period for the Magpies to scout new targets it could be that the Cottagers get their man in January.

Fulham will look to push on without the striker when they return from the international break when they host league leaders Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon. They may then take the time to check if the Newcastle man makes Benitez's starting line up for their game at Swansea City on Sunday.



https://ninetyminutesonline.com/fulham-newcastle-tipped-january-deal-attacking-star/

[WhiteJC]

 
Labour Take Stand On Betting Shirt Sponsorship

Some would argue maybe Labour have better things to concern themselves with, but deputy leader Tom Watson has said the party would ban betting shirt sponsorships.

With the Football Association announcing over the summer that following a three month review, that wasn't sparked by Joey Barton, his ban and subsequent criticism about perceived double standards on betting in football, their association with gambling firms would come to an end - that announcement did not come with a mandate to end gambling companies being a main shirt sponsor of sides in the game.

Last year there were eleven clubs with a betting company as main shirt sponsor although this year it has dropped to nine top flight clubs, with a further three in Scotland and of course others in the EFL divisions and figures in May showed that over a 12 month period gambling on football was worth a record £1.4billion to bookmakers across the country.

Deputy leader and shadow culture secretary Watson yesterday said that football had to 'play its part in tackling Britain's hidden epidemic of gambling addiction' and claiming that shirt sponsorship deals game gambling companies 'massive exposure' something had to be done to address that.

The BBC quote Mr Watson as saying.

'Shirt sponsorship sends out a message that football clubs don't take problem gambling among their own fans seriously enough. It puts gambling brands in front of fans of all ages, not just at matches but on broadcasts and highlights packages on both commercial television and the BBC.'

Labour's plan would be to apparently extend the current ban on gambling adverts for U18's replica shirts and they want to extend that across all Football Association levels, but Mr Watson explained they would work with the FA to achieve this before considering legislation.

Now, I doubt few will be against this as an idea as it seems a natural progression anyway for football to take when it comes to gambling following the FA's decision over the summer, but there's very much a case of sabre rattling here from Labour to get a bit of good PR.

Any party who can claim to have won the last election whilst demonstrably losing knows how to play the PR game and the bottom line is, it's a soft touch move to placate and would in the grand scheme of things be as useful as deregulation of banks - and that worked out well for us didn't it!

Football is saturated with gambling, but gambling is part of life and it's a part of sport and removing 'names' from the front of shirts won't change the impact of inner stadium advertising, ground hoarding advertising (which will still be seen on television) and it certainly won't do anything to stop Ray Winstone bellowing through the TV in advertisements.

Many would accept it as another step in 'controlling' the saturation of the industry, others would like stronger steps from the getgo - but PR and sabre rattling won't help as betting is a legitimate industry and no doubt a vital source of income for clubs further down the football food chain.

Clive Hawkswood, Remote Gambling Association, responded to say the industry would await the proposals following the publication of the current review and whilst he admitted the association were 'mindful' of the issues surrounding shirt sponsorship and younger people, he had to question what real effect a blanket ban would have.

He's right to, it would have no meaningful effect on it's own - but it would be hugely symbolic, especially for those fans who object to being a walking billboard but that applies to all types of sponsorship.



Read more: http://www.brentford.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=503744#ixzz4s4NAgkEw

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We deserve greater recognition outside Northern Ireland, says Oliver Norwood

Ongoing: Oliver Norwood says NI are being underestimated. Photo: William Cherry/Presseye

Midfielder Oliver Norwood has claimed that outside Northern Ireland the national team are not given the credit they deserve.

Norwood was a consistent presence in Northern Ireland's successful Euro 2016 qualifying campaign and he has continued to be an instrumental figure.

On Monday it was his assist for Jonny Evans that set Northern Ireland on their way to a 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic that secured second place in the table and surely a spot in the play-offs.

As the players left the Windsor pitch, they were cheered to the rafters by 18,000 exuberant fans.

Clearly, though, there is a feeling among the squad that while they are loved at home, there is not enough respect shown elsewhere. On the eve of the Czech match, O'Neill made the point that his side 'got our usual 15 seconds on Football Focus' in relation to coverage across the UK.

"We are definitely still underestimated by people outside of Northern Ireland," stated Norwood. "We're not begging people to give us credit but we didn't get the credit we deserved for winning our Euro qualifying group as a Pot Five team. We have been going under the radar but we just get on with it.

"We're a humble group and we'll always be humble. This is a special group of players and people. It's a pleasure to be part of.

"I've never had better times in my career than I'm having with Northern Ireland. Winning promotion to the Premier League with Brighton was special but having not played so much, for me I didn't feel as much a part of it as I do with Northern Ireland.

"Apart from my wife giving birth to my boy, I don't think there is any better feeling in the world than what we are achieving."

Germany have won all eight of their group games in the World Cup qualifiers. It's amazing to think that Northern Ireland could still overhaul them at the top.

Norwood believes the October 5 clash at Windsor is a 'free hit'.

"We look forward to welcoming the World champions next. That's a massive task," he said. "Although it might sound silly, we can still catch them. They are only five points ahead of us and there are six points to play for.

"We don't fear anyone. There is a real confidence in the group. I can't speak highly enough of this group and the backroom staff who play a massive part.

"The Germany game is now a free hit for us. We've nothing to lose."

On the prospect of the play-offs, Norwood said: "None of us will get carried away, there is still a way to go before we get to a play-off.

"We've two games to go in the group and we might need to pick up some points in those games."

Norwood likes to have the ball, but understands that isn't always the way for Northern Ireland.

"We are comfortable with the other team having the ball," he said. "We do our jobs, we've been well drilled for the past six years about playing without the ball. Against the Czech Republic they had lots of possession but never had a shot on target.

"When we had the ball we were clinical. We scored two goals and the result was never in doubt."

Belfast Telegraph



http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/we-deserve-greater-recognition-outside-northern-ireland-says-oliver-norwood-36108161.html

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Away Days - Travel Guide: Fulham vs. Cardiff City

Over 3,000 away tickets have already been sold for our trip to Craven Cottage...

Travel Tips

Fulham is located in the Hammersmith and Fulham Borough of Southwest London. The journey by car takes almost three hours from the Welsh capital, although matchday parking close to the stadium is extremely limited. There is a one hour maximum stay policy for non residential pay-and-display visitors between 9am and 9:30pm on all matchdays.

Disabled parking is also limited, and as such must be arranged in advance by contacting Fulham's Disability Liaison Officer on 02083367477. Spaces are finalised on a first-come, first-served basis to home or away supporters.

The closest Tube station to the ground is Putney Bridge, in Fare Zone 2. There is a direct service from Paddington Station on the District Line, which takes nineteen minutes. The walk from Putney Bridge Station to the stadium is approximately 10-15 minutes. Fans should be advised that due to railway improvement work in the Bristol area on Saturday 9th September, train services between Cardiff and London will be diverted and reduced to hourly. Fans should plan their journey at GWR.com.



Away End

Craven Cottage is the 16th biggest stadium in the Sky Bet Championship, with a capacity of 25,700. The Stadium is idyllically located alongside the River Thames, and still contains the original Cottage Pavilion dating back to 1905.

Away fans are located in the Putney End, which has a full capacity of around 7,800 spectators. The stand is divided into two sections; one 3,000 allocation for away fans and a separate 'Mixed' area for home, away or neutral spectators – one of the few grounds in the country to have such an area.

The nearest cashpoint is located at TESCO Express on Fulham Palace Road, although this carries a service charge. The closest free cash machines are located at the Putney Bridge Underground station. The club's Matchday programme 'We are Fulham' can be bought on Stevenage Road or in the Putney End concourse for £3.50.



Pies and Pints

There is a wide range of catering facilities at Craven Cottage, serving a variety of matchday meals including cheeseburgers, pies, sausage sandwiches and hot dogs. A salt beef sandwich is available from a specialist mobile unit on the Riverside Terrance.

Carlsberg, Tetley's and Guinness are all available to purchase inside the ground, although supporters should note that alcoholic drinks must not be consumed within sight of the pitch and cannot be taken into your seat in the stand. Refreshment units stop serving alcohol 10 minutes prior to Kick-Off and resume again 15 minutes before Half-Time.

There are shared facilities along the length of the Putney End concourse and visiting fans can also take advantage of the larger space on the riverside terrace, which has a number of catering units, TV screens and betting facilities. Particularly at Half-Time, queue times are often shorter in this location than at the fixed units along the back of the stand.



Food for Thought

A number of locations have been recommended which enjoy a friendly mix of home and away fans, including The Crabtree and The Eight Bells. Another popular pub, The Spotted Horse has welcomed both City and Fulham fans for pre and post-match use via their social media accounts.

There are also plenty of alternative food options in Fulham, including the renowned Claude's Kitchen which offers high quality food in an excellent location or the River Café with good value pub grub just outside the Putney Bridge Tube Station.



Tourist Time

One incredible attraction that most supporters will visit without realising is Bishop's Park – those using the Tube service at Putney Bridge will walk through the park to get to Craven Cottage. Within the Park is the spectacular Fulham Palace, a Grade 1 Listed building with over 800 years of history.



https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/2017/september/away-days---travel-guide-fulham-vs.-cardiff-city/

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Squad Number Update

The Club can now confirm the squad numbers allocated to our three most recent signings. Left-back Rafa Soares will take 5, the lowest available number, while wingers Jordan Graham and Yohan Mollo have taken 17 and 22 respectively.

Full squad list:

1. Marcus Bettinelli

2. Ryan Fredericks

3. Ryan Sessegnon

4. Denis Odoi

5. Rafa Soares

6. Kevin McDonald

7. Neeskens Kebano

8. Stefan Johansen

9. Rui Fonte

10. Tom Cairney

11. Floyd Ayité

13. Tim Ream

15. Michael Madl

16. Oliver Norwood

17. Jordan Graham

19. Sheyi Ojo

20. Lucas Piazon

22. Yohan Mollo

23. Marcelo Djalo

26. Tomas Kalas

27. David Button

44. Ibrahima Cisse

47. Aboubakar Kamara



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/september/07/squad-number-update

[WhiteJC]

 
What Aston Villa fans thought about £12m McCormack then and now

Ross McCormack cost Aston Villa £12m from Fulham a little over 12 months ago - what the thoughts on him were then and now.

On 4 August 2016 and in a bid to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, Aston Villa paid Fulham £12m for Ross McCormack (BBC).

With a decent scoring record with Cardiff City, Leeds United and the Cottagers on his CV, many fans viewed the move as a positive one - despite the hefty financial outlay.

A goal and an assist in his first three Championship matches was a solid start to McCormack's Villa career, but as results faltered so did the forward's form.

By October Roberto di Matteo had been sacked and replaced by Steve Bruce and in January things turned sour being player and manager.

"In my opinion he is not fit enough to play and he will not play unless his attitude towards training and missing training improves," Bruce was quoted by the Guardian in January after revealing McCormack had missed training after claiming his electric gate would not open.

By the end of that transfer window the 31-year-old was on loan at Nottingham Forest having scored three goals in 22 games for the Villans. The attacker was also disappointing at the City Ground, finding the net once in seven appearances.

This summer McCormack was being linked with former club Leeds and Sunderland, having failed to convince Bruce he was now up to the challenge.

"I've opened the door in pre-season for Ross but he hasn't done enough to warrant a place in the side," the 57-year-old told the Birmingham Mail.

"There's others above him in the side right now."

So what do the supporters think of McCormack 12 months on?



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/09/07/what-aston-villa-fans-thought-about-12m-mccormack-then-and-now/

[WhiteJC]

 
Match Preview | Fulham vs. Cardiff City

City head to Craven Cottage looking to continue their faultless start to the campaign...

Cardiff City return to action this Saturday as they travel to Fulham following the international break.

The Bluebirds will be looking to retain their remarkable 100% win record - attempting to win six games from six for the first time in the club's history.

What to expect from Fulham...



The Cottagers have had a mixed start to the season, losing just once so far against Sheffield Wednesday. But draws against Leeds, Reading and Norwich see Slaviša Jokanović's side occupy 14th place in the Sky Bet Championship table.

The West Londoners did manage to end Ipswich's 100% record before the international break, with an impressive 2-0 win at Portman Road. Goals from Neeskens Kebano and Rui Fonte gave the Whites the victory and their first league win of the season.

Captain Tom Cairney was subject to interest from a number of Premier League clubs in the summer transfer window and the Scotsman has been the talisman for Fulham for some time. With the ability to dictate play in the midfield, the 26-year-old also displays strong leadership skills and wears the captain's armband.

New signing Fonte has also impressed since his move from Braga at the end of August. The 27-year-old made his mark as he doubled Fulham's lead in that win against Ipswich, scoring in just his second appearance in Championship football.

Jokanovic also did extremely well to retain the services of young full-back Ryan Sessegnon. At just 17 years old, the youth graduate has already made 26 senior appearances, scoring five goals. Known for his pace and agility down the left side, Sessegnon has the potential to cause problems.

The host's transfer window...



Fulham were one of the busiest sides during the transfer window in August, bringing in a total of ten players. As previously mentioned, Fonte signed from Portuguese side Braga, while Jokanović also brought in Aboubakar Kamara (SC Amiens), Ibrahima Cissé (Standard Liège), Marcelo Djaló (CD Lugo), and Yohan Mollo from Zenit St Petersburg on permanent deals.

The Cottagers also made five loan signings, with Sheyi Ojo (Liverpool), Rafa Soares (FC Porto), Tomás Kalas (Chelsea), and winger Jordan Graham (Wolves) all arriving on loan until the end of the season.

Previous meetings...



Both fixtures last season saw each team take a point away from the encounter. The first coming at Craven Cottage as two outstanding efforts from Joe Ralls and Anthony Pilkington secured a 2-2 for the Bluebirds.

The reverse fixture at Cardiff City Stadium also had the same outcome. However, it was Kenneth Zohore who stole the show as he scored two important goals for Neil Warnock's side.

Club connections...



City's current no.6, Jazz Richards, is the most notable current name to appear for both clubs in recent years. Richards was involved in a swap deal with Scott Malone which saw the now Huddersfield full-back move in the opposite direction to West London.

Former Bluebird Ross McCormack has also run out for both clubs, as well as defensive midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi, and Icelandic forward Heidar Helguson. Other names to line up for both sides include former Japanese international Junichi Inamoto and City cult hero, Eddie Johnson.



https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/2017/september/match-preview-for-fulham-vs-cardiff-city-on-09-sep-17/

[WhiteJC]

 
Goalkeeper Marek Rodak could make Rotherham debut against Bury

Rotherham could hand a debut to new goalkeeper Marek Rodak when they host Bury in Sky Bet League One.

The Slovakian joined the club on a season-long loan from Fulham last week but could not feature at Portsmouth on Sunday because of international duty.

Another loan signing, midfielder Richie Towell, could also get some game-time after a brief debut as a substitute at Portsmouth.

Millers boss Paul Warne is still hoping to add to his squad with a free agent after losing summer signing Jamie Proctor with a serious knee injury.

Bury anticipate having Nathan Cameron available after his latest injury scare proved to be nothing more than cramp.

The centre-back has only played three times since last August and came off against Scunthorpe on Saturday but boss Lee Clark has confirmed it is not a recurrence of his recent knee issues.

Michael Smith could make his full debut after training all week, while teenager Mihai Dobre, signed on loan from Bournemouth, is available for the first time having returned from international duty with Romania.

The Shakers still have a long injury list, though, that includes Craig Jones (groin), Jay O'Shea, Eoghan O'Connell (both knee), Danny Mayor (hip), Tom Heardman (leg) and Stephen Dawson (knee).



https://www.clubcall.com/bury/goalkeeper-marek-rodak-could-make-rotherham-debut-against-bu-1862106.html

[WhiteJC]

 
What heavy Championship spending might mean for English football's future

Premier League cash is creating a new class of club that exists somewhere between the top two divisions – but is it necessarily a bad thing?

Do you know which team spent the 10th most out of all English clubs in this summer's transfer window? Go on, have a guess.

It was recently relegated Middlesbrough, who currently sit ninth in the Championship after five matches.

In an attempt to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, Garry Monk outspent West Ham, West Brom and Burnley, and forked out almost as much as Arsenal, with over half of the £47m spent by the Teessiders going on two strikers: Britt Assombalonga from Nottingham Forest and Toulouse's Martin Braithwaite.

Of course, Middlesbrough aren't the only big-spending Championship club in recent years, but they do represent an emerging subdivision of sides; those that span the top two tiers of English football and have either rich owners, parachute payments or both. Let's call it the Premiership.

Six of the best

Sky Sports would never admit it, but outside of the Premier League's top six there are a lot of very average teams. Last season, there were just six points between Watford in 17th and Southampton in eighth, with Everton 15 points ahead of the Saints but still eight points behind Manchester United.

The aim of these clubs at the start of the season is simple: don't get relegated. The likes of Stoke, Southampton and West Brom probably have more reasonable expectations of achieving that than the rest, but even then-champions Leicester showed last year how easy it can be to slip into trouble when you don't belong to that elite group of six.

These 'Premiership' clubs don't only exist in the bottom half of the Premier League. In terms of quality, the teams at the top end of the Championship aren't much worse, but the division remains competitive from top to bottom. Put in our best Mick McCarthy drawl: on their day, anyone can beat anyone.

But England's second tier has changed in recent years. Not the bit about anyone being able to beat anyone – that's still true – but the money spent can now reach Premier League levels. Last season Aston Villa had the most expensively assembled squad in Championship history, having shelled out £72m across the two transfer windows – and that doesn't take wages into account either. They finished 13th.

This summer's transfer window only served to shift things further. Huddersfield spent biggest of the promoted clubs, parting with £45m to sign the likes of Steve Mounie, Tom Ince and Aaron Mooy; Brighton spent the least, missing out on two strikers as the minutes ticked away on deadline day. Despite two of the three teams breaking their transfer records (three times in Brighton's case), none of them spent enough for even one Kyle Walker.

Those figures are comparable to the clubs they need to beat to survive. Outside of the top six, clubs spent an average of £46.3m – and that's with Everton's £135m push to join the elite skewing the figures. Take the Toffees out and the number falls below £40m – still less than Boro's summer spending spree.

Best of the rest

Parachute payments were brought in to stop clubs going out of business when they drop out of the Premier League. That theory is still sound, but combined with the extra TV money they receive upon making it to the so-called 'Promised Land', it's becoming harder to tell the difference between a bottom-end Premier League club and promotion-chasing Championship one.

There are eight teams in the second tier with parachute payments (around £60m paid over four seasons): Cardiff, Hull, Middlesbrough, QPR, Fulham, Villa, Sunderland and Norwich. Of the 20 teams in the Premier League today, six of them have spent time in the Championship since Cardiff went down in 2014.

Middlesbrough have made back a lot of what they've spent by offloading players they bought with their Premier League cash, but without those parachute payments that money would surely have gone towards making up the shortfall.

Add in teams such as Wolves, Reading, Derby or Sheffield Wednesday – with rich owners who are willing to bankroll their clubs' pushes towards the Premier League – and the sleeping giants of Leeds and Forest. That leaves a host of teams that, thanks to Financial Fair Play, have minimal hope of joining the upper reaches of the Championship, plus far more difficult circumstances for teams coming up from League One.

The little guys

There will always be exceptions. Huddersfield truly broke the mould last season, and while it's true that there was money behind Brighton's eventual promotion, the Seagulls didn't spend on players in a way that promoted sides have done previously.

Even so, this increasingly inverted Premier League replica leaves little hope for teams such as Preston, Burton and Barnsley, who spent a combined £2.2m this window (and half of that going on North End's new goalkeeper Declan Rudd).

There are other ways to raise funds, of course, and Barnsley have done well in recent years through good old-fashioned player sales; Burton, meanwhile, pocketed around £2m from the sale of Jackson Irvine to Hull. But selling your best players won't win you games. 

Preston's mid-table finish last season should certainly provide hope, but these teams – all looking to David Wagner's Terriers for inspiration – start each season merely hoping to survive while the moneyed clubs above them fight for their turn at the top table. Each season, three clubs come down supported by parachute payments and the whole process starts again.

Cushioning the blow

Premier League chiefs would argue that they are simply sharing the wealth, and without parachute payments there's no doubt relegated clubs would be in serious trouble. The average income in the Championship last year was £22m, while a club coming down from the Premier League is likely to have a wage bill of £40m+. You don't need to be Carol Vorderman to work out that those numbers don't go.

Despite the inequalities, not everyone believes parachute payments are causing more problems than they solve. As Kieran Maguire, an expert on football finance from Liverpool University tells FFT: "The alternative is financial meltdown as clubs struggle to pay wages.

"Parachute payments do allow relegated clubs to spend more on player recruitment, but it still needs to be spent well. With so many clubs in the Championship under new or foreign ownership there is already plenty of competition, regardless of parachute payments."

There's no going back. The genie's out of the bottle – and with Financial Fair Play effectively putting an end to any club just spending its way into the elite, ultimately the logical (if not entirely palatable) conclusion for many fans is for the Premier League's top teams to break away and join Europe's other free-spending clubs in a so-called Super League.

That's usually seen as detrimental to the health of the clubs left behind, but in terms of competitiveness it might not be the worst thing that could happen.

Shuffling the pack

Depending on how many of the top six departed, those clubs that can drop £75m+ on a single player would be gone, with more of the 'Premiership' teams able to compete in the country's newly established top division. Restructuring below would arguably help those teams that currently struggle in the Championship, and allow space for more competition from League One.

Provided attendances were maintained, financial expert Maguire believes the new league would be still be attractive to broadcasters and do reasonably well – although revenues would take a serious hit. "The international rights, which are currently worth £3bn over three years, would collapse to next to nothing," he predicts, "and the domestic rights – currently £5bn over the same period – would drop to less than £1bn."

Nobody in the Far East and beyond really wants to watch Watford or Crystal Palace, then, but given the popularity of the Football League in this country there's no reason to believe the appeal for match-going fans would suddenly evaporate just because Manchester United have denied those left behind the opportunity to see Chris Smalling play.

With plenty of fans already feeling pretty disillusioned by the actions of the top six, supporters of clubs like Newcastle, Leeds and Everton might even welcome the opportunity to compete for the title of English champions once again.

Beats spending £45m just to get relegated, doesn't it?



Read more at https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/what-heavy-championship-spending-might-mean-english-footballs-future#2TSD2soK9b6fYgQO.99

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Fulham provide injury update ahead of Championship clash with Cardiff City

Speaking to the club's official website, the manager of first team medical and sports science, Marco Cesarini gave an update on the fitness of a number of first team players, with the news being generally positive.

Fulham have provided an injury update on a number of their key stars, saying that the players are progressing well.

Speaking to the club's official website, the manager of first team medical and sports science, Marco Cesarini said: "Everybody came back fit from international duty.

"We have some slight problems with two players, (Sheyi) Ojo was subbed with an ankle problem and (Neeskens) Kebano didn't play any games when he was away, but we were pleased with the communication with the medical team at Congo, because they were very professional, they shared information with us, and he picked up a slight injury so they didn't risk him and sent him back for Fulham assessment.

"It's not easy to find a national team who can be so comprehensive, and willing to rest a player for their country, because there's a risk that you can make the situation worse."

Cesarini also gave an update on some of the other players in the Whites' squad.

He said: "We've got some good news; Floyd Ayite came back with the group and then we've got (Rui) Fonte making progress but we need to make sure he's fully fit before he joins the team.

"(Lucas) Piazon is a player that has a parent club, and we've got a good relationship with Chelsea who have amazing facilities so we agreed that the first part of his rehab could be done with them, and then in the next few weeks he'll be back here. He's progressing well but we need to wait a few weeks to say something more."

Cesarini was then asked about new signing Rafa Soares who arrived at Craven Cottage with an ankle injury, to which he replied: "He's getting better.

"We expect next week to start some functional work on the pitch to allow him to step up his rehab. We knew that and knew that when we signed him we were dealing with a knee injury that could leave him out for a few weeks but we are happy with the progress and are looking forward to having him with the group."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-provide-injury-update-ahead-13588417

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham star demands this factor from his team-mates ahead of Cardiff clash

The Championship returns this weekend and Fulham have arguably one of the toughest tests of all as they take on high flying Cardiff City at Craven Cottage.

It's been a pretty steady start to proceedings this season for Fulham with them chalking up more draws than anything else in their games and so they need to start being that bit more clinical.

Certainly, if they can find the form of last season they'll start winning games and after an impressive 2-0 win away at Ipswich Town last time out, they might feel as though things are going to click.

Certainly, they'll need to be on their mettle against the table toppers but Tomas Kalas sees no reason why they won't be able to take them on with him demanding that the club picks up from their win over the Tractor Boys.

Indeed, he's been saying plenty ahead of the game via the club's official Twitter account:

Kalas feels, then, that if they can beat Ipswich – who have been in good form – they can give anyone a game and now it remains to be seen if the men from west London manage to do just that.

The Verdict

Fulham have had a steady start this season and now really need to kick on from their win at Portman Road.

It won't come easy with Cardiff the team to beat right now but they'll know that they have the firepower to take on the Bluebirds, particularly at home.

Win this game, and suddenly their campaign could really take off.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-star-demands-this-factor-from-his-team-mates-ahead-of-cardiff-clash/

[WhiteJC]

 
Security A Team Effort

Three points isn't the only priority on matchdays. Making sure everyone goes home safe is the most important result.

Fulham Football Club has been working closely with the police and the EFL over the summer to review security at Craven Cottage. Now we are asking you to do your bit.

Following the dreadful Manchester Arena bombing in May, stadium managers from clubs have been briefed by counter terrorism police.

It is vital that everyone - players, staff and supporters - remain vigilant and report any concerns to stewards or police.

Attacks might be rare, and the chance of you being caught up in one unlikely, but the message is #ActionCountersTerrorism.

Here's a quick reminder of what you can do to help keep yourself and others safe:

•        Arrive early, allowing more time for security checks

•        Minimise what you carry, fewer bag searches will speed up entry to the ground

•        Be vigilant at all times and if you see anything suspicious, tell a steward right away

•        If you see anything that could pose an immediate threat to safety, call 999

•        In an emergency, listen to the Public Address instructions and follow them

•        If told to evacuate, do so immediately, do not wait around to film events on your mobile

•        Move right away from the stadium as quickly as possible for your safety and to allow clear access for any emergency vehicles

•        Once you are safe, follow the local police force on Twitter for updates




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/september/08/security-a-team-effort