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Friday Fulham Stuff (07/09/18)...

Started by WhiteJC, September 07, 2018, 07:28:20 AM

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WhiteJC

 
West Ham will regret not signing Bettinelli



OPINION

West Ham will regret not convincing Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli to join them when they had a chance to as the Cottagers are now reportedly planning to secure his future.


According to The Sun on Thursday Fulham are planning to hand the 26-year-old shot-stopper a new contract in order to end any hope the Hammers, Crystal Palace or Chelsea have of signing him anytime soon.

It was previously reported by the Daily Mail that Bettinelli had turned down an opportunity to join Manuel Pellegrini's side in the summer and the Hammers will regret failing to convince the 6ft 4in tall player (Source: Transfermarkt) to join them when they had the chance to.

The 26-year-old rejected the Hammers and Palace as he was confident that the Cottagers would give him regular Premier League football.

Fulham actually went on to sign two new goalkeepers in the summer window, Fabri and Sergio Rico, so there was an opening to convince Bettinelli to jump ship.

However the 26-year-old has featured in his side's last two Premier League games and with the Cottagers moving to offer him a new deal than it's likely that he will commit himself to staying put at Craven Cottage.

Bettinelli, who was recently called up to train with Gareth Southgate's England squad, looks set to have all the tools to develop into a keeper worthy of playing in the Premier League for the foreseeable future.

When you consider that he is 26-years-old and still improving as a shot-stopper by picking up valuable experience than the Hammers could have solved their problem between the sticks for many seasons to come.

The Hammers opted to sign Lukasz Fabianski, 33, in the summer from Swansea City and while he has done an admirable job at the club so far despite his side shipping goals, his age doesn't imply that he is a long term solution.

Also Pellegrini's second-choice shot-stopper is Adrian, 31, who isn't just the wrong side of 30 but has also failed to impress in his recent campaigns.

This all means that the Hammers will end up regretting not signing Bettinelli when they had chance to convince him to jump ship as the Cottagers look set to make a wise decision regarding the highly-rated shot-stopper by getting him to commit his future.



https://foreverwestham.com/2018/09/premier-league/west-ham-will-regret-not-signing-bettinelli/

WhiteJC

 
Summer recruit Woodrow set to return to the fold at Barnsley


Cauley Woodrow (left), in action for Fulham against Cardiff City. Picture: David Davies/PA

NEW signing Cauley Woodrow is set to return to training next week, assistant head coach Andreas Winkler confirmed....

The former Fulham forward picked up a muscle injury on his first day of training with his new team-mates, but the issue is not significant and he is expected to be in the fray later this month.

Winkler said: "It is not a bad injury. It is the first injury he has had with a muscle in his life and he wanted to make sure he does not get injured (in the same way) again. It is not a big deal."ap "He will be training with the squad next week."

Left-back Zeki Fryers is also to start training next week, but winger Ryan Hedges is still two to three weeks away from a return, with both players yet to feature this season.




Read more at: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/barnsley-fc/summer-recruit-woodrow-set-to-return-to-the-fold-at-barnsley-1-9337080

WhiteJC

 
Millwall Tickets

Tickets for Fulham's Third Round Carabao Cup tie against Millwall on Tuesday 25th September, 7:45pm, will go on sale from Friday.

Season Ticket Holders and Members will be able to purchase up to two tickets each from 10am on Friday 7th September. Subject to availability, tickets will go on General Sale from 10am on Wednesday 12th September.

A discounted ticket price will be available for Season Ticket Holders, when tickets are purchased in advance. All prices for this match are listed below:


Category   Season Ticket Holder Price*   Non-Season Ticket Holder Price
Adults   £12   £15
Over 60s   £8   £10
Under 16s  £4   £5

Official Coach Travel is also available to purchase for this game, with coaches leaving Motspur Park and Craven Cottage from 5pm. Further details are available here.

*Available to 18/19 Season Ticket Holders only, when tickets are purchased in advance of matchday.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/september/06/millwall-tickets


WhiteJC

 
Fulham set to reward goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli with new contract


Marcus Bettinelli is in line for a new Fulham contract, according to Sky sources

Fulham are to open talks over a new contract with keeper Marcus Bettinelli, Sky Sports News has been told.

On Tuesday, Sky Sports broke the news the 26-year old had received a call from Gareth Southgate to join his England squad for their UEFA Nations League opener against Spain and the friendly against Switzerland.

The keeper, who joined Fulham in 2011, started the season on the bench at Craven Cottage, but has now forced his way into Slavisa Jokanovic's first team.

With his starting place at Fulham under threat, Bettinelli turned down a move to West Ham in the summer and was also linked with a move to west London neighbours Chelsea.

Southgate knows Bettinelli after working with him in the U21s set up. The England boss called Bettinelli on Tuesday morning and invited him to join the squad as a fourth goalkeeper.

Bettinelli has started Fulham's last two league matches, which have resulted in a victory against Burnley and a draw at Brighton.



http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11491536/fulham-set-to-reward-goalkeeper-marcus-bettinelli-with-new-contract

WhiteJC

 
The incredible statistics that prove Fulham can cut it with the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham

Slavisa Jokanovic has brought free-flowing Fulham to the Premier League

They may have lost their opening two games of the season, but Fulham have found their rhythm back in the Premier League.

A slow start with defeats to Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur has been followed by a win over Burnley and a draw with Brighton that could, and perhaps should, have been three points.

Tougher tests will follow, most notably right after the international break when they travel to Premier League champions Manchester City.

But their four games so far show they are worthy of their place in the top flight of English football.

In fact, going by their attacking prowess so far, they don't just belong in the top tier, they are capable of mixing it with the big boys.


(Image: Henry Browne/Getty Images)

The Whites, led by Slavisa Jokanovic, have an 85% pass success rate in their four games so far, an accuracy rate only bettered by Chelsea (89%), Manchester City (89%) and Liverpool (87%).

And it's not as if they have attempted fewer passes to reach that statistic either - the free-flowing attacking football that Jokanovic implemented in the Championship has been carried into the Premier League too.

Once again, Fulham are fourth, only behind Chelsea, City and Liverpool for the number of passes attempted.

And while they may be playing the pretty stuff, it's not a case of having no end product at the end of it. The Whites have had 670 shots in their four games, putting them joint sixth on the list, with 26 of those being on target (third on the list).

More passes and better accuracy than Arsenal and Tottenham not a bad start to life back in the top flight.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/incredible-statistics-prove-fulham-can-15119353

WhiteJC

 
FFC Three Lions: Former England Call-Ups

Tuesday afternoon was rocked by the breaking news that Fulham's very own Marcus Bettinelli had been handed the privilege of a senior England call-up after showcasing his promise on the Premier League stage before the international break, a remarkable revelation that flabbergasted us all. That penalty save, aye?


Being a former England U21 international, 'Betts' is not stranger to St. George's Park. If Gareth Southgate is to gift the 26-year-old an opportunity to stamp his mark upon the Three Lions camp, and if he's to retain his starting place in Slavisa Jokanovic's matchday fold, the dependable 'keeper could seal himself a regular spot amongst the country's elite for a very long time indeed.

It's not often that a servant of our club is honoured with the privilege of representing the Three Lions, and whilst you could probably count the relevant individuals with one hand, here's a little reminder of who had also been previously drafted into the national fold for the first time whilst battling on a weekly basis for FFC.

Bobby Zamora
A shining light in Fulham's coveted Europa League run, Bobby Zamora was named in Fabio Capello's England squad in August 2010 alongside Jack Wilshere, Michael Dawson, Kieran Gibbs and Gary Cahill, who had also not been capped at the time.

A friendly match against Hungary awaited the Three Lions, and Zamora, making his international debut at the age 29, came agonisingly close to opening his account with virtually his first touch of the encounter.

Zamora was introduced after the break and disrupted throughout his lively 45 minute cameo, although despite his assertive exploits, the bulldozing hit-man was emphatically denied twice by the trouser-bearing legend himself, a fond cult hero of our own, the unmistakable Gabor Kiraly.

Having shielded the ball from his marker, Zamora unleashed a rasping missile from the edge of the 18-yard box, and though it was destined for the net, Kiraly was equal with a digit-scraping flick over the crossbar. Secondly, a tantalising ball was arced into the penalty area and met by the man himself with a full blooded header, but once again, the veteran stopper clawed danger away after the striker's viperous effort skipped menacingly off the deck.

Jimmy Bullard
Compared to his former teammate, there's little to cover regarding Jimmy Bullard's first senior call-up to the England fold, however as the charismatic playmaker was one of the Premier League's most effective midfielders, being regarded as one of the country's best was all the dressing room joker deserved.

At the end of August 2008, the straggly-haired maestro was included in Capello's 2010 World Cup qualification squad for two encounters against Andorra and Croatia in September, although the 30-year-old set-piece specialist never got the chance to showcase his expertise, although the experience would have presumably given him a huge boost in confidence. Not that he needed it, though.

Zat Knight
An absolute mountain of a centre-half, Zat Knight graduated through Fulham's youth system in the summer of 1999 and flourished into an integral linchpin at the heart of our defence, particularly in our first Premier League stint. In 2005 the 25-year-old earned himself a place in Sven-Goran Eriksson's Three Lions corps.

England faced the USMT at Soldier Field in Chicago and at half-time Fulham's sturdy centre-half was granted the opportunity to make his international bow, as Arsenal's Sol Campbell suffered a hampering ankle knock in the first 45 minutes. England were 2-0 up at the break, however Landon Donovan pressed England's rearguard and scored 10 minutes before time to give the United States a glimmer of hope, although proceedings thankfully ended 2-1 to the Swede's team.

A resolute option at the heart of any defence on his day, Knight started England's second meeting against Colombia at Giants Stadium on May 31st, a tetchy confrontation against the vibrant South Americans that was crammed with goal mouth action. Michael Owen netted a hat-trick to grant England a 3-2 victory and Knight completed his first and indeed his only full 90 minutes for his nation. At least he can forever boldly boast a 100% winning record though!



https://fulhamish.co.uk/post/2018-09-06-previous-england-call-ups/


WhiteJC

 
Profit Players: Aleksandar Mitrovic

Newcastle United supporters have been pretty downbeat in recent times after seeing their team suffer a third Premier League defeat of the season at the weekend.

Rafa Benitez's men went into their clash with champions Manchester City having managed just one point from their opening three league matches, drawing 0-0 at Cardiff City alongside home defeats at the hands of Tottenham and Chelsea. And the Magpies were unable to record their first win of the season on Saturday as well despite a spirited display at the Etihad Stadium, with goals from Raheem Sterling and Kyle Walker either side of a DeAndre Yedlin equaliser sealing all three points for Pep Guardiola's side.

Thus, there have been many disappointed Newcastle fans up and down the country in recent times, with much of that frustration stemming from the club's testing summer transfer window, which saw owner Mike Ashley fail to adequately back manager Benitez.

Yet they did make a £9 million profit on striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, and with his club career seemingly resurrected by making a reported £22 million move to Fulham, Newcastle's summer deal was exactly what the 23-year-old needed.

The Serbia international made the move to St James' Park back in 2015 for a reported £13 million, and while he showed glimpses of promise in netting 17 times for the Magpies in 72 appearances, he was never really fancied by current boss Benitez to do a job upfront in his team.

The 23-year-old only managed 25 appearances during their title-winning campaign in the Championship to underline Benitez's reservations about him, which were made even clearer the season after given Mitrovic earned just six Premier League appearances before being shipped out on loan to Fulham in January of this year.

And he began reigniting his career at Craven Cottage in the second half of last season in scoring 12 goals in just 17 Championship appearances for Slavisa Jokanovic's side, thus helping the reach the play-offs from which they earned promotion by beating Aston Villa at Wembley.

And the Cottagers splashed out £22 million to bring him to the capital permanently during the summer, from which both he and indeed Fulham have reaped the rewards given the Serbian star has already scored four times in just four league games, meaning he has netted just one goal fewer for Fulham than he managed throughout his time at Newcastle.

Magpies fans will likely be bemoaning their side's inability to get the very best out of the striker, but in making a £9 million profit on the 23-year-old, they maybe can't grumble too greatly.

And from the point of view of the forward himself, moving to Fulham has undoubtedly resurrected his career, thus underling that Newcastle's summer deal was exactly what he needed.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/newcastle-united/profit-players-aleksandar-mitrovic/

WhiteJC

 
Sessegnon: Playing for Fulham means everything

Exclusive: Fulham teenager looks back at his 10-year journey through the Academy to Premier League debut

Ryan Sessegnon has spent more than half his life at Fulham.

The 18-year-old first joined in 2008, the boy from down the road in Roehampton signing for his local club along with twin brother Steven Sessegnon.

In an exclusive video interview, Ryan talks about key moments in his 10 years of development at Fulham through the Premier League Games Programme.

This culminated in his Premier League debut last month and setting up the club's first goal back in the top flight against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium.

"You can see it in my face, it means everything," he says about a photo of him celebrating that goal with the scorer, Aleksandar Mitrovic.

"Whenever I play for the club, whenever I put the jersey on I give 100 per cent. In the photo you can see there is a lot of pride and passion there."



https://www.premierleague.com/news/845074

WhiteJC

 
Dropped Fulham player says he's had 'good dialogue' with Jokanović about situation

Fulham midfielder Stefan Johansen has found game time hard to come by this season.

He's had just 41 minutes of Premier League football, spread out over substitute appearances against Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Brighton.

There's been a full match in the EFL Cup against Exeter, but it's clear that Johansen has been dropped as a first pick having featured so often last season in the Championship.

A victim of Fulham's summer recruitment as the club rightly strengthened ahead of a tough Premier League season, Johansen will get some game time with Norway during the current international break and he'll hope things improve on his return.

Being the country's captain, Johansen's lack of football has been a theme in the Norwegian media and he's been asked by VG about his 'situation at Fulham'.

The 27 year old was open and explained he's already had a chat with Slaviša Jokanović who has tried to put his mind at rest: "If you return to two years ago, I had to fight for a place on the team as well. I have a good dialogue with the manager, and he has explained the situation. It takes some time to settle the team when you have picked up so many new ones, and I'm sure I'll get my chances."

By bringing Johansen on as a substitute in three Premier League matches so far, Jokanović has shown he wants to give the midfielder minutes where possible.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/dropped-fulham-players-says-hes-good-dialogue-jokanovic-situation/


WhiteJC

 
Vietto: Settling In

Under a month on from his arrival, Luciano Vietto is beginning to find his feet as a Fulham player.


Having never before played in a non-Spanish speaking country, the transition was clearly going to take time, but the exciting forward is beginning to feel at home.

Speaking to fulhamfc.com at our Murcia training camp, he said: "It was a very difficult change for me to settle in, but slowly, slowly I am settling, with the help of everyone in the team, my colleagues, and everyone else at the Club.

"I'm very comfortable playing in this side because I have an attacking style, but I also like to help the defenders. It's good to attack but we have to defend as well and work all together."

The 24-year-old excelled on his full debut for the Club, making up one third of the dangerous Vietto-Mitrović-Schürrle triumvirate which caused Burnley so many problems.

At least one of the trio was involved in each of the four goals, with Vietto claiming two assists.


"I feel very comfortable playing with both of them," he stated, "but I think the more we play and the more we get to know each other, we'll do better and better.

"I'm here to help the team and do well for the team, so the assists were very welcome. Hopefully I can contribute more for the team, because my goal is to keep the fans happy all season.

"I really liked Craven Cottage because when you are there you can see that it really breathes football. That's important when you are playing, to have that atmosphere."

After the current international period, the Whites head to Premier League holders Manchester City.

And while it represents one of the most daunting trips of the season, Vietto believes that it's the sort of high-calibre fixture that makes us love football.

"Yes it is difficult, and so we will need to concentrate even more than ever, be more focused, and work harder than ever," he admitted. "But that is what we are going to do because these games are why we are in the business."­



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/september/06/luciano-vietto-settling-in

WhiteJC

 
Marus Bettinelli – 100 not out

What a week it's been for Marcus Bettinelli. The Fulham man saved a crucial penalty against Brighton in his 100 game for Fulham and then got his first call up to Gareth Southgate's England squad for the games against Spain and Switzerland. It's once again proof that persistence and patience pays off as Bettinelli has so often found himself having to fight to regain the first team shirt because of managerial changes and new signings.

The Fulham Academy graduate signed his professional contract back in 2011 and spent much of his first few years as a professional on loan at Dartford and Accrington Stanley. It's fair to say that he has tasted both the highs and the lows at Fulham, with his debut coming in our first season after relegation. Fulham had lost their first the opening four league games, but Betts was thrown between the sticks for the Capital One Cup win over Brentford- our first victory of the campaign. Bettinelli kept his place for the next game, a draw against Reading, but was dropped for Hungarian Gabor Kiraly the week after. Felix bingo, eh? It wasn't until Felix Magath was replaced by Kit Symons that Fulham had anything like a structured back line and Bettinelli got his first proper run in the squad. He made a total of 45 appearances that season, conceding 73 goals in a disappointing year for Fulham. We just about avoided being relegated to League One, and his first year playing senior football for Fulham was certainly a learning curve.

In the summer of 2015, Fulham brought in Andy Lonergan from Bolton meaning that once again the role of Fulham's number one was up for grabs. Lonergan started the season as first choice, but Bettinelli was soon back in the frame. However, early that season Bettinelli faced the first main challenge of his career- coming back after an awful injury. A collision between Bettinelli and Fulham striker Matt Smith resulted in both players having to be replaced, with Betts having sustained a serious knee injury and faced 7 months on the sidelines. It was a testing time for the 23 year-old, but the determination and desire shown to get back is one of the many qualities that I love so much about him.

After fighting his way back as Fulham's main man, Bettinelli then went through a season of only playing 11 times for Fulham in the 2016-17 campaign. However, he was the man called upon for the Fulham run in that saw us clinch a play-off spot. The 2017-18 season was similar, with David Button being preferred. But no one can doubt that when Bettinelli was eventually recalled to the side in December of last year, Fulham's results took a turn for the better. He conceded just 21 goals in 30 appearances as Fulham got promoted through the play-offs, and the Fulham man was caught running around Wembley with a flare. Beautiful scenes.

For me Bettinelli has been a shining light for Fulham over the past few years. He has time and time again had to wait for a chance, but every time he has proved that he is worth that chance. His positive attitude throughout those difficult seasons down in the depths of the Championship was what we needed to see as fans, and for that we have to appreciate the character that we have in Marcus Bettinelli.

But it hasn't all been plain sailing. There are aspects of his games that he needs to work on, but I feel that some of the criticism of him recently has been unfair. The main criticism of him has been on his distribution, but in the two games that he has played this season he has a higher percentage of successful long passes than 18/22 keepers who have featured in the league so far. With Fulham bringing in two goalkeepers during the summer window, there has been a raging debate about who should be our number one this season in the Premier League. Earlier in the summer I wrote a piece suggesting that as Betts had won the jersey, he should really be given the opportunity to defend it. However, this did become more difficult when we signed a goalkeeper with a calibre of Sergio Rico. I don't think there is much between Bettinelli and Fabri in terms of ability, but the fact that Bettinelli doesn't have the communication issues that Fabri has, then for me it's a no brainer that Betts should be starting ahead of him.

In terms of the England call up, I am thrilled that Betts got the nod. It was Southgate who gave him his U21 England chance, so we perhaps shouldn't be surprised that it is Southgate who has opted for the Fulham player again for the senior side. Along with his positive attitude, one of Bettinelli's best qualities is his drive to learn and to improve. I have no doubt that he will come back from England training even better having had the opportunity to learn from England's best. What an honour for the 26 year-old, and I hope that this call-up is the first of many.

Marcus Bettinelli, what a guy!

#COYW



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/09/marus-bettinelli-100-not-out/

WhiteJC

 
FA blazers hold the key to billionaire Fulham owner Shahid Khan's £600m bid to buy Wembley

    October 24 looks like being pivotal to Shahid Khan's hopes of buying Wembley
    The FA council will hold a specially convened meeting on the proposed deal
    There are understood to be a lot of unhappy blazers about the £600million sale
    The percentage of those in favour of selling Wembley will influence Greg Clarke

A specially convened FA council meeting on October 24 looks like being pivotal to the proposed £600million sale of Wembley to Fulham owner Shahid Khan.

The FA blazers no longer have the power to make a defining decision, but the percentage of those in favour of selling Wembley at that summit will influence FA chairman Greg Clarke and his board. Clarke has said he will not go ahead with the sale to the billionaire Pakistani-American, who also owns NFL franchise Jacksonville Jaguars, if the FA council have a majority against it.

Only one major objection about selling Wembley was raised from the floor at the last council meeting, but there are understood to be a lot of unhappy blazers. The number of rebels won't be clear until the meeting, because it's customary for the blazers to talk up an issue in advance and then keep quiet in the chamber.


Billionaire Fulham owner Shahid Khan is looking to buy Wembley in a £600million deal


A special FA council meeting on October 24 looks like being pivotal to the proposed sale


Another obstacle is that the Football League are yet to agree to their mooted £150m share of the sale proceeds going into grass-roots community pitches via the Football Foundation, a joint initiative between the FA and the Premier League.

The EFL would prefer to distribute their share through their 72 clubs, who operate at grass-roots levels themselves. FA statutes decree that money from such a sale are shared equally between the amateur and professional games through an established funding formula.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6140517/Blazers-hold-key-Shahid-Khans-600m-bid-buy-Wembley.html


WhiteJC

 
Ryan Fredericks says joining West Ham United from Fulham this summer was a "no-brainer"

The right-back joined on a free transfer from Fulham

West Ham right-back Ryan Fredericks has claimed it was a "no-brainer" to join the Hammers in the summer from Fulham.

The 25-year-old made a huge impression in the Championship last season for Slavisa Jokanovic's team, playing a huge role in helping the west London side win promotion back to the top flight for the first time since 2014.

Linked with a number of clubs in January, the ex-Spurs man elected against signing a new deal at Craven Cottage and instead signed on at the London Stadium.

Following a tough Premier League debut in the 4-0 defeat at Liverpool on the opening weekend, the right-back returned to the side two weeks later and caught the eye in the defeat against Arsenal.

Speaking ahead of last weekend's home defeat by Wolves, Fredericks opened up on his move across the capital in the summer.

"It was always going to be tough leaving a club you've been at three years," the right-back told Sky Sports . "I've got good friends who I'm still friends with there now.

"It was a great season last season, just win after win really and I think after Christmas we only lost one game.

"It was a hard decision leaving, but football's a tough game, and you've got to make tough decisions, and that's one I made.

"It was a bit of a no-brainer really, when West Ham came in.

"The size of the club, the fanbase they've got, the manager they brought in.

"I felt like it was going to be best for me, to improve under this manager and having these type of players around me.

"They've brought in some class players, I'm not saying Fulham haven't got class players because they do, but I thought it was time for a new challenge for me and this is the place I'll improve best at."



https://www.football.london/west-ham-united-fc/players/west-ham-transfer-news-fredericks-15095913

WhiteJC

 
Chelsea's Tomas Kalas explains why he didn't sign for Fulham or Middlesbrough before joining Bristol City

The Robins have captured the Chelsea defender and he has spoken about why he headed to Ashton Gate

Tomas Kalas has already demonstrated his quality for Bristol City after joining on loan from Chelsea last month.

Kalas featured at the heart of Lee Johnson's defence as they secured victories over Swansea City and Blackburn Rovers to move into the top six in the Championship.

The 25-year-old has previously won promotion from the Championship with Middlesbrough and Fulham with the defender playing a key part as the Cottagers secured a place in the top-flight via the play-offs last season.

He was in action for the Czech Republic last night playing 90 minutes as they lost 2-1 Ukraine.

Kalas has now spoken about his interest from Fulham, why he signed for Bristol City and what he expects from the season. We have translated the interview from his native tongue.

"To tell the truth, I do not even know how Fulham and Chelsea were at all," he explained about Fulham's reported interest.

"The last thing we heard was that they did not apply the option and they would wait for the market to develop.

"I do not even know if they wanted to buy me later.

"It's football life and I can not force myself to where I do not want to."

The Chelsea man has also gone into detail about why he was persuaded to sign for Bristol City with Lee Johnson clearly playing a major part as well as the opportunity to play in central defence.

"It was only important to pick a team where I could see interest," he added. "More specifically, the coach's interest was important to me. At Bristol, he was ultimately the greatest.

"There were more clubs. With a bit of exaggeration, almost everyone wanted me from the second league.

"But mostly it was that I would want that and that the management team to bring, but when I was asked to coach, so it turned out that he is either still undecided or that does not know about it.

"Once I felt the coach was not convinced, I dismissed it.

"Bristol watched other players as well, but the coach went behind them to bring me, even if it would be beyond their budget.

"If anyone has such an interest, it is decisive for me. He wanted me to be an important player for them to be successful."

Middlesbrough had been keen on bringing him back at the Riverside Stadium but boss Tony Pulis wanted him as a right back and Kalas decided against the move.

He added: "That was another reason why I refused some clubs. I was interested in Middlesbrough where I could come back.

"That would be nice, because I have a beautiful memories in the city. A coach I disagreed with at the time was not there anymore. It would be nice to play again.

"But they wanted to be a true defender. There I can catch up, but I do not want it to be the opposite, I would have played the right stick and occasionally snapped like a stoper. There were a few other offers left over."

Asked how Bristol City differs from the two Championship sides where he won promotion, Kalas added: "It is different. There are no such stars in the team as they were in the previous clubs.

"There are more talented boys. But again we have a good team in the sense of holding together. It will depend on each individual player.

"Once one or two get out of hand, the team may not be performing. If someone had to play a longer time under their options or get hurt, it would probably be a problem. But if we play steadily in the same composition, hunger for success and talent, we can play at least to play-off."

Kalas admits that a hat-trick of promotions from the Championship is less likely with Bristol City.

"It will be difficult to reach those direct points. We have to admit that there are better teams, but that does not mean they really will.

"Stoke did not start well, Preston, who was always uncomfortable, started well. The second English league is a very specific competition and who has not tried it, so maybe it will not believe how balanced and challenging it is. There can really be anything. Not always the best team succeeds."



https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/chelseas-tomas-kalas-explains-didnt-1979375

RaySmith

Feel a bit sorry for Kalas - mucked about really by Chelsea, being on loan all the time, and it seems that Fulham, where he'd done so well, didn't make a firm offer, as we all thought we would., but then we got in other quality cb's.


Roberty

Quote from: RaySmith on September 07, 2018, 08:53:18 AM
Feel a bit sorry for Kalas - mucked about really by Chelsea, being on loan all the time, and it seems that Fulham, where he'd done so well, didn't make a firm offer, as we all thought we would., but then we got in other quality cb's.

By the end of the season he was our third choice CB - behind Reem and Odoi - only ahead of Djalo - so bringing in Mawson and Le Marchand would make him fifth in line if we had signed him.

I seem to remember that Chelski wanted £8 - £10m from us for him - so no brainer - we got Bryan for £6m and he looks to have more promise
It could be better but it's real life and not a fantasy

Andy S

Chelsea want these players and push them out on loan. If the players are happy with that why should we be concerned

cookieg

Quote from: Roberty on September 07, 2018, 10:59:39 AM
Quote from: RaySmith on September 07, 2018, 08:53:18 AM
Feel a bit sorry for Kalas - mucked about really by Chelsea, being on loan all the time, and it seems that Fulham, where he'd done so well, didn't make a firm offer, as we all thought we would., but then we got in other quality cb's.

By the end of the season he was our third choice CB - behind Reem and Odoi - only ahead of Djalo - so bringing in Mawson and Le Marchand would make him fifth in line if we had signed him.

I seem to remember that Chelski wanted £8 - £10m from us for him - so no brainer - we got Bryan for £6m and he looks to have more promise

He could have asked for a transfer at anytime while at Chelsea or refused to sign a contract extension (I think both him and Piazon both extended around the time we first enquired, I could be wrong though). Unless he thought we were definitely going to buy him, he needs to be responsible for his own career and make a move away from Chelsea on a permanent basis.


RaySmith

I still feel a bit sorry for him - I'm sure he wished he was with Fulham in the Prem, though as a pro accepts what's happened.

He was our number 1 choice as cb for a time, but Odoi stood in for him and was a success - and Odoi is still playing a role in the first team squad, despite the quality players we've bought in.

But I don't just see Fulham players as commodities, so I do empathise with them to an extent as a fellow human being, although I know they are very well compensated, and  that's the way it goes  as a pro player - think of all the promising youngsters who never manage to make their living in the game.

Roberty

Quote from: cookieg on September 07, 2018, 02:50:58 PM
He could have asked for a transfer at anytime while at Chelsea or refused to sign a contract extension (I think both him and Piazon both extended around the time we first enquired, I could be wrong though). Unless he thought we were definitely going to buy him, he needs to be responsible for his own career and make a move away from Chelsea on a permanent basis.

Both he and Piazon extended their contacts before (being allowed) to go out on loan to us last season. Since neither is on any other premier leagues shopping list their salaries are likely to be as high as they are ever going to be and Chelski can afford to consign them to groundsman duties if they don't toe the line.

Chelski have more than 40 players out on loan this season and as a lot of players before them have found out the only way out is to take the risk of running down their contracts - this is likely to make them poorer but probably offer them better job satisfaction

One of the last players I remember us buying from Chelski was Jon Harley who apart from scoring a blinder from 40 yds against Villa failed to justify his £3.5m fee - so as with all of their loan squad it is buyer beware

It could be better but it's real life and not a fantasy