Friday Fulham Stuff (30/11/18)...

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Aston Villa must plot loan move for Marcus Bettinelli after Orjan Nyland's disastrous display

Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest played out a remarkable 5-5 draw on Wednesday night, with a gluttony of strikes lighting up Villa Park in the Championship's midweek action.

Yet Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland was severely culpable for many of his side's goals, highlighting the need for the club to plot a move for an experienced Championship goalkeeper in January.

Simply put, the Norwegian shot-stopper produced an absolutely disastrous performance against Forest. In the five shots on target he faced, Nyland let in five goals and did not make a single save all night.

A long range effort from Joe Lolley in the second half left Nyland stranded, beaten far too easily off a strike that was hardly in the top corner. And for Forest's final, equalising goal, the goalkeeper was poorly bested at his near post.

In the aftermath of such a disappointing display, Villa will surely be searching for goalkeeping reinforcements in January, and Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli would be an excellent loan option.

The Englishman is favoured by Gareth Southgate at international level, yet has fallen down the pecking order at Craven Cottage and is clearly second choice to Sergio Rico.

Bettinelli will be looking for consistent first team football, and with his knowledge of what it takes to be promoted from the second division, the Fulham goalkeeper would be an excellent addition to Dean Smith's side.

Marcus Bettinelli is the ideal solution to Aston Villa's goalkeeping crisis, and the Villans should swoop for the Fulham back-up come January.



https://tbrfootball.com/aston-villa-must-plot-loan-move-for-marcus-bettinelli-after-orjan-nylands-disastrous-display/

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Chelsea vs Fulham Preview: Cottagers will find Spurs hard to imitate

The fixture-laden December period is finally upon us. Chelsea begin theirs by welcoming Fulham to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Chelsea's unbeaten run ended in smoke when they visited Tottenham at Wembley last weekend. Apparently, Mauricio Pochettino had all the answers for Sarri-ball.

It doesn't take much imagination to figure out what happens next; as much as possible, the Blues will try to bounce back. Maurizio Sarri can see daylight appearing quickly between his side and table-toppers Manchester City – they're now seven points adrift.
Fulham must stop Hazard and Jorginho

Irrespective of what happened at Wembley, Eden Hazard remains Chelsea's best player in the final third. His dynamism, dribbling and shooting set him a class apart. Hazard has scored or assisted in nine matches for Chelsea this season. On each of those occasions, Chelsea won the game, save for the 1-1 draw with Liverpool.

The 9,919 points Hazard has on his attack dashboard is only bettered by Jorginho, who has racked up 10,456 points for his brilliant forward passes. Spurs stifled Chelsea by pressuring Jorginho which limited the supply to Hazard.

Claudio Ranieri has begun working his magic at Fulham. The game against Southampton, his first in charge, ended in victory. It was a breath of fresh air for a team who had suffered six straight defeats prior.

Interestingly, Ranieri plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, similar to Pochettino's style which proved too difficult for Chelsea. It turns on how well Fulham's deep-lying midfielders, Jean Michael Seri and Calum Chambers, can pressure Jorginho and Hazard.

Seri loves to attack, and with good reason. He comfortably tops Fulham's leader board with the most points for attacking actions.

While being key to Fulham's attack, Seri will need to sharpen the defensive aspects of his game to help close down those killer passes from Jorginho effectively. It's a task he can undertake; the 27-year-old Ivorian picked up 2,925 points for off ball actions in areas where Jorginho thrives. A swipe on the "Only important actions" button below reveals the full extent of Seri's coverage area.

Chelsea must contain Mitrovic

In the aftermath of his brace against Southampton, Ranieri hailed Aleksandar Mitrovic as one of the best strikers in Europe. The manager's sentiments aren't far-fetched. Mitrovic has scored seven Premier League goals, one shy of Aguero who tops the scoring chart.

From the dashboard, we can see Mitrovic loves to trouble the keeper with lots of direct shots, and be a nuisance in danger areas. This could be quite problematic for Chelsea. That's if Fulham can capitalize and play more balls into the area through Ryan Sessegnon, Seri, or former Blue Andre Schurrle.

Mitrovic didn't score in six outings prior to Southampton. There's no question, however, that the Serb will keep Antonio Rudiger and David Luiz on their toes all game.

Giroud or Morata?

It's a popular question for Chelsea fans. Neither striker has really clicked this season. While Olivier Giroud scored after coming on against Spurs, Morata was caught offside thrice and didn't muster a shot on target.

Picking between two bad choices is always tough. Let's decide based on how they've performed per minute in their last six league matches according to Twelve's algorithm.

Morata it is. Although the Spaniard is evidently low on confidence. And is more likely to be caught offside, sulking rather than hitting the target. He's obviously working hard to change that perspective. Morata is Chelsea's second-leading scorer with six goals; one behind Hazard. As we can see from the above dashboard, he gained more points than Giroud for attempted shots during the period.

Perhaps Sarri favours Morata because Giroud doesn't show the same level of enthusiasm. Whichever the case, both players are cut from the same tree and depend heavily on the service they get.

Ranieri once called the shots from the Stamford Bridge dugout. He'll try to follow Spurs' example and tactically choke Chelsea in midfield with a plan to find Mitrovic as much as possible. But Chelsea should dominate proceedings and create those chances. Getting the Blues to drop points in consecutive games would be an uphill task for Fulham. What do you think?



http://blog.twelve.football/2018/11/29/chelsea-vs-fulham-preview/

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Arsenal join Leeds United in race to seal agreement for Premier League player

Premier League clubs Arsenal and Fulham are rivalling Leeds United in the race to sign Newcastle United goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, according to reports from the Daily Mirror.

Reports emerged from The Chronicle on Wednesday, that the Whites had approached the Magpies to sign Woodman on loan after back-up goalkeeper Jamal Blackman was sent back to Chelsea after breaking his leg a fortnight ago.

Youngster Will Huffer made his debut for Leeds against Bristol City last week due to the absence of Blackman and preferred choice Bailey Peacock-Farrell through injury, with the Yorkshire club also reportedly looking at signing Burnley's Tom Heaton.

But Woodman, who has won the FIFA World Cup with England under-20s, is attracting interest from Arsenal and Fulham as well as Scottish champions Celtic, who have all reportedly watched the in-demand goalkeeper.

Marcelo Bielsa have risen back up to 2nd in the Championship table after two wins in a week, and prepare to take on Sheffield United in a crunch match on Saturday afternoon.

The Verdict
This could be a big blow to Leeds. Woodman is the goalkeeper Leeds need to rival Peacock-Farrell – he's young, he's hungry, and wants to prove a point after being frozen out at St. James' Park.

If further interest from Premier League teams or Celtic does materialise, then Leeds could have a real battle on their hands to lure Woodman to Elland Road.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/arsenal-join-leeds-united-in-race-to-seal-agreement-for-premier-league-player/

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Why Tim Ream's Fulham career may be coming to a close

Just over six months ago, Fulham triumphed at Wembley in the play-off final, led by an extraordinary defensive stand engineered by Tim Ream. Shortly thereafter, the American was voted Fulham's player of the season — no small feat in a side full of promotion heroes.

Yet it appears Tim Ream's Fulham career may be coming to a close, with the defender not in the first team plans of Claudio Ranieri and without an appearance in the last three matches.

The centre-half endured a nightmare start to the Premier League season, with a mysterious back injury ruling Ream out for the Whites' first six matches.

In his absence, Fulham struggled mightily at the back, and the return of Ream was widely expected to shore up the Cottagers' leaky defence.

But when Ream came back to the first team fold, the centre-half looked far from his dominating self and Fulham perhaps were even more porous.

A rusty display at Goodison Park, dreadful marking versus Arsenal, a high-profile slip against Cardiff, and poor positioning against Bournemouth categorised Ream's four league starts to date — in those four matches, Fulham shipped 15 goals.

Slavisa Jokanovic dropped the American for the Huddersfield and Liverpool fixtures, and in Ranieri's first match in charge, Alfie Mawson and Denis Odoi were the favoured centre-half partnership.

Unfortunately for last season's player of the year, it appears Tim Ream has fallen down the pecking order at Craven Cottage, possibly indicating his Fulham career may be coming to a close.



https://tbrfootball.com/why-tim-reams-fulham-career-may-be-coming-to-a-close/

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Fulham made favourites by bookies to sign Chelsea midfielder but deal unlikely to happen

The Chelsea midfielder has been linked to the club but a deal is unlikely to happen

Fulham have been made favourites by the bookies to sign Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater in the January transfer window, although a deal is unlikely to happen.

A flurry of bets have been placed on Claudio Ranieri making a move to reunite with his former player, who was instrumental in the Italian's Leicester City side that won the Premier League in unlikely fashion in 2016.

The 28-year-old has only made one appearance for the Blues this season and that came in the Community Shield at the start of the season, with it looking likely that the midfielder could soon be on his way out of Stamford Bridge.

According to Oddschecker, he's now 4/7 to move to Craven Cottage with 95% of bets placed on in this market going on Fulham being his next club.

However, the Cottagers can't sign him on loan because the club are only allowed two loans from fellow Premier League clubs, with both of their loan spots being already taken up by Timothy Fosu-Mensah of Manchester United and Calum Chabers from Arsenal.

It's also unlikely they'll sign him on a permanent having splashed big on Jean-Michael Seri and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa in the summer, with Drinkwater likely to cost a substantial amount of money to secure him from Chelsea.

Meanwhile, reports have stated that Ranieri also wants to sign Danny Simpson, Christian Fuchs, Shinji Okazaki and Robert Huth in January


Danny Drinkwater hits the bar (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Huth is without a club while the other three are struggling for game time, but again, a move for any of these is highly unlikely as a result of the club's U28 policy on transfers, which is likely to be enforced more heavily after the previous two signings over that age (Ragnar Sigurdsson and Fabri) failed to impress at Craven Cottage.

Like with former boss Slavisa Jokanovic, Ranieri won't be responsible for signing players, but will work under the club's recruitment department which is headed by Director of Football Operations Tony Khan.

Khan, along with James Lovell and Brian Talbot, will give Ranieri a list of players that have been scouted by both data models and scouts which he will be able to choose from.

Speaking at his unveiling, Ranieri said: "I spoke with the chairman about this.

"There are some people that are working (on recruitment) and then they put to me some players.

"They show me the name and after I have to choose who is the right player for us. I am happy with that."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-made-favourites-bookies-sign-15480948

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Games for the Weekend 01/12
We're off to the dog track this weekend

So the 2nd game in  Claudio Ranieri's term in charge of the "Mighty Whites" is against one of his previous teams. Having got the win against Southampton, the team showed more fight having gone behind and in previous games we would have capitulated against the strong Saints finish? but we held on for our 2nd win.

Chelsea's unbeaten run came to an end against Spurs, what are the chances Ranieri can get the lads to get a result against most expectations?

Games of interest...
Friday 30th Nov
Cardiff v Wolves

Saturday 1st Dec
Palace v Burnley
Huddersfield v Brighton
Newcastle v West Ham

Sunday 2nd Dec
Chelsea v Fulham


COYWs

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Fulham Supports Stonewall Campaign

Fulham Football Club will again show our support for Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign across the next week.

The initiative aims to make football a game for everyone, and to ensure that LGBT+ supporters feel welcome and included, with a three-week campaign seeing teams showing their support for the LGBT+ community.

Fulham's home fixture against Leicester City next Wednesday is our official Stonewall fixture, where rainbow branding will be seen on corner flags, on the matchball plinth, and substitutes board.

Tom Cairney will also sport a special rainbow armband against both Chelsea and Leicester, and spoke to fulhamfctv about the importance of supporting the campaign.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/29/fulham-supports-stonewall-campaign

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Fulham predicted starting XI against Chelsea as Claudio Ranieri returns to Stamford Bridge

Fulham news includes a look at how the side will line up when they face Chelsea on Sunday in the Premier League

Claudio Ranieri returns to Stamford Bridge this weekend in his second game as Fulham boss where he'll be hoping to get one over his former club.

Chelsea haven't lost at home to their neighbours from down the road in SW6 since 2006 and this game will be a huge challenge for the Whites, who still sit bottom of the Premier League despite a victory in Ranieri's first game in charge against Southampton.

There's a new Italian in charge of Chelsea too - Maurizio Sarri joined in the summer and suffered his first defeat of his reign in the blue half of SW6 thanks to a 3-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, although his side remain in fourth place.

It's a huge task for Fulham who are still clearly getting to terms with Ranieri's style of play and tactics after he was appointed three weeks ago in place of Slavisa Jokanovic, with the Italian saying after the 3-2 win over Southampton that it will 'take him all year' to sort out the defensive issues at the club.

Ranieri didn't make many changes in terms of personnel last week, making just one change as the injured Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa dropped out of the squad to be replaced by Jean-Michael Seri, but it was the set-up and tactical side of things that saw the most tinkering.

Fulham went 4-2-3-1 in possession but changed to a 4-4-1-1 when defending, ensuring Southampton had to play through a defensive two-banks of four, and it looks likely that the side will go with that again against Chelsea.

Here's how our reporter, Ryan O'Donovan, thinks Fulham will set up at the Bridge on Sunday.


(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

"Ranieri only made the one change from Jokanovic's last game in charge of the club, which surprised many of us in the press room before the Southampton win.

"There was a whole debate about what system he would play, but it was the 4-2-3-1 in possession and 4-4-1-1 out of it that came through, and it looked to suit the side.

"Alfie Mawson and Denis Odoi played well together while Maxime Le Marchand had a good game at the left, while Calum Chambers and Seri complimented each other in the holding role.


(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

"Tom Cairney was played in a more advanced role and seemed to enjoy himself, while Aleksandar Mitrovic was a handful when he got the service.

"With this being only his second game in charge, I don't think that we'll see more changes from Ranieri, with him wanting to make sure his side are taking on board his tactics and implementing them into the games.

"So in goal, we'll once again see Sergio Rico who is proving why he's the number one at the club.

"In defence, I think we'll see the same back four once more, with Cyrus Christie, Odoi, Mawson and Le Marchand taking those spots, although there may be an argument to be made for having Timothy Fosu-Mensah come in at right back in order to do more of a defensive shift against a Chelsea side that will dominate the ball.


Ryan O'Donovan's team to face Chelsea

"In midfield, Chambers and Seri are likely to start together again - they did well against Southampton and it looks like there's potential there.

"In front of that, Ryan Sessegnon enjoyed a fine game out on the left and he will start again at Stamford Bridge - his ability going forward and getting back will be vital, while I reckon Andre Schurrle will start on his return to his former club out on the right, although I want to see more of a defensive effort from him.

"Cairney will most likely play in behind Mitrovic again - I think this is a good position for the skipper, it allows him to influence games and unlock defences further forward while not having to worry too much about the defensive work, and when Fulham countered last week having Cairney further forward seemed a very good idea.


(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

"And up top, it has to be Mitrovic.

"He's back in the goals and his physicality up top should cause Chelsea's defence problems, if David Luiz plays the Serbian will definitely feel he can do some damage to the Brazilian centre back.

"Fulham: Sergio Rico; Christie, Odoi, Mawson, Le Marchand; Chambers, Seri; Sessegnon, Cairney, Schurrle; Mitrovic"

Do you agree with our reporter's starting Xi? Use the team selector below to pick your Fulham team to take on Chelsea and share it with your friends on social media.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-predicted-starting-xi-against-15481159

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The nine Fulham wonderkids who will be keen to impress new manager Claudio Ranieri

There are plenty of talented youngsters coming through the ranks at Hotspur Park

Fulham's talented youngsters have a new man to impress at the club after Claudio Ranieri was appointed as the new man in charge at Craven Cottage.

Former boss Slavisa Jokanovic regularly gave chances to the Academy stars at Fulham, blooding the likes of the Sessegnon twins, Tayo Edun, Matt O'Riley and the side's youngest ever player, Harvey Elliott, in the first team.

Sessegnon is the Academy poster boy at Motspur Park these days having made his first team debut for Jokanovic in the 2016/17 season, he's the one the that the youngsters coming through the gates at the training ground on a Saturday morning all want to be.

He's got nearly 100 appearances in all competitions for Fulham at just 18 years old, scoring 24 goals - not bad going as he enters just his third year of professional football.

It's testament to Fulham's Academy that despite having such a young player holding down a regular place in the Premier League, the talk of 'who will be next' is never too far from conversations on the terraces and in the pub.

Harvey Elliott recently become Fulham's youngest ever player at 15 years and 174 days when he came on during Fulham's 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Millwall, while the likes of Steven Sessegnon, Tyrese Francois and Matt O'Riley are also on the cusp of the first team.

But now there's a new manager at Fulham in Ranieri and Fulham's talented youngsters will have a new man to impress as they look to break into his first team plans in the future.

Here's who we think are the ones to keep an eye on at Craven Cottage.

Harvey Elliott

I thought that Fulham's youngest ever player might be a good start with this.

By now, I think most of the UK has heard of Elliott after his appearance in the Carabao Cup, with the papers the next day full of pictures of him and how he had been taking tests in the day at school before playing for the side in the evening.

We probably won't see much more of him in the first team this season - certainly the Premier League is far too soon for him, but he's playing seven years above his age group with the U23s at Fulham, as well as playing for the U18 side.

I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or what, but the age at which footballers start to make their marks on senior sides seems to be becoming younger and younger nowadays.

Technically gifted, able to beat players for fun and with a lovely shot on him, Elliott has the makings of a star and has been linked with the likes of Chelsea and Barcelona already.

But he's in a very good place at Fulham and everyone will be looking forward to seeing more of the 15-year-old (still can't believe I'm typing that).

Luca Ashby-Hammond

One of Fulham's most promising goalkeepers in the Academy, Luca Ashby-Hammond is a regular for the U23 side at just 17-years-old.

He's trained with the first team in the past, most notably at the end of last season, and has been gained international recognition after being called up by the England U17s and, most recently, U18s.

Ashby-Hammond is everything you want in the modern keeper - he's comfortable with the ball at his feet while his distribution is one of his standout chracterisitcs.

And let's not forget his penalty taking skills - he's more than happy to step up to the spot and smash a spot kick into the top corner, doing so with both Fulham U18s last season and England U17s in the Euros.

There's a strong goalkeeping pedigree in Fulham's Academy, and Ashby-Hammond could certainly be the next to follow in the footsteps of Marcus Bettinelli.

Mortiz Jenz

A 19-year-old defender who arrived at Fulham from Tennis Borussia Berlin, where scouts noticed him after the two sides competed in the Sparkasse & VGH Cup - an indoor tournament that the Academy regularly competes in.

Jenz was with the first team during pre-season and played for the first team during the early stages of their summer schedule.

He's 6ft 2ins, strong in the air and extremely talented on the ball - he had one of the best pass completion rates for the U18s and U23s a couple of seasons ago.

Jenz could probably be called the Denis Odoi of the U23s (not for his height though) - he is comfortable playing across the back four and has featured and both right and centre back during this current campaign.

There's a lot of time for Jenz to develop, but he's certainly one to keep an eye on in the defensive side of things.

Matt O'Riley

Fulham fans will be familiar with O'Riley - he's been on the radar of the first team for the past couple of seasons and has travelled with them numerous times in the past.

He made his first team debut for the side last season against Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup and played again for the first team this season during the 3-1 win over Millwall.

He's a creative midfielder who likes to get on the ball and makes things happen - his touch is exquisite while his eye for a pass is just as good.

O'Riley suffered an injury last season that put the brakes on what was an otherwise positive campaign, and this season he'll be really looking to kick on once more.

There are high hopes for O'Riley at Fulham - he signed his first professional deal last year when he turned 17 and was another of the young guns that travelled to Murcia with the first team in September.

Tyrese Francois

It's only right to go from a player who is over 6ft to one that is far, far shorter at 5ft 5ins.

But don't Tyrese Francois' height fool you - he's one of the most technically gifted footballers the Academy has on their books at this moment in time.

The 18-year-old likes to sit in the hole in midfield, pick the ball up from the centre backs and distribute it, much like the role that Tom Cairney plays in the first team.

pic.twitter.com/GT0LGhYe3F

— Tyrese Francois (@tyrese_francois) November 14, 2018

He's pacy, while he has a strong reading of the game that means he is able to win the ball and be in the right place at the right time in the deep lying midfield role.

Francois impressed in two mid-season friendlies with Southampton last season and travelled with the squad to Murcia during the last international break as Jokanovic gave him more exposure to the first team, alongside the likes of Elliott and Matt O'Riley.

Riley Warland

Fulham secured Riley Warland's signature from A-League side Perth Glory over the summer after a trial spell at the club at the end of last season.

At 16-years-old, it's a massive move to make, but he's shown a maturity beyond his years and has settled in well to the U18 side at Motspur Park.

He's a defender by trade and is strong in the tackle while also being comfortable with the ball at his feet and has put in a number of solid showings for the U18s so far already this season.

Warland made the bench for Perth's game against Wellington Phoenix in December of last year at just 15 years and 166 days and was only 13-years-old when he toured Malaysia with Perth's U18 side.

He's some way off Fulham's first team but it'll be interesting to watch his career develop.

Fabio Carvalho

Another youngster playing well above his age group, Fabio Carvalho is a regular for the U23s despite being just 16-years-old.

He's been capped by England at both U16 and U17 level, but also qualifies for Portugal through his family who chose to relocate to England when he was young.

A very capable number 10, Carvalho possesses a great touch as well as possessing all the necessary technical skills to flourish in that midfield role for the Fulham youth teams.

He's been tracked with some of the giants of Portuguese football, including Benfica, but he signed a scholarship deal at Craven Cottage at the start of this season to commit his future to the club.

Like Elliott, Carvalho is a very exciting prospect at Fulham.

Sonny Hilton

While we're on the subject of young, exciting prospects that are already playing for England, let's talk about Sonny Hilton.

Fulham fought off Premier League suitors to sign Hilton from Tranmere Rovers two years ago and he has impressed in the youth teams ever since.

He's now a regular at both U23 and U18 level and his ability to dictate games and grab a match by the scruff of its neck and turn it into his side's favour are real standouts.

Hilton has represented England at U16 level and is another that the club have high hopes for - he signed his first pro deal in 2017 and signed another deal in the summer of this year.

Oh, and did I mention he's a black belt in Taekwondo?

Cody Drameh

Another 16-year-old who has been featuring regularly for Fulham's U23 team - Cody Drameh got himself noticed by the wider football world with a stunning goal against Norwich U23s.

Drameh regularly plays at right back and is gaining plaudits for his performances in Mark Pembridge's squad this season, with it being believed that he's attracting the interest of a number of other Premier League clubs.

He can't sign a professional deal until he turns 17, which he does so on December 8, but it's likely that Fulham will offer him one when he's eligible.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/nine-fulham-wonderkids-claudio-ranieri-15301416

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Foundation Matchday Shirts

Fulham FC Foundation is delighted to share that last week's FFC Foundation Matchday against Southampton raised more than £16,000 – and counting!

A heartfelt thanks goes to FFC supporters, Club partners, and volunteers who helped make the day a success. Donations are still coming in, and an update will be shared in due course.

In the meantime, you can continue your support by placing a bid on the squad's shirts from FFC's 3-2 win over Southampton.

Each player's matchworn shirt can be won, and will be signed by the relevant player.

To place a bid in the silent auction, please complete the below form. Starting price for each shirt is £250.

Bidding ends at 11.59pm on Monday 10th December



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/november/29/foundation-matchday-shirts

[WhiteJC]

 
Report: Newcastle United and Fulham weighing up January bids for Nottingham Forest's Joe Lolley

Newcastle United and Fulham are the latest clubs linked with the Nottingham Forest star

Newcastle United and Fulham are 'weighing up January bids' for the Nottingham Forest winger, Joe Lolley, the Daily Mirror reports (November 29th liveblog, 16:42).

Lolley set up four of Forest's five goals and scored the other himself in Wednesday's draw at Aston Villa, and is already attracting interest from Cardiff City, Watford and West Bromwich Albion, according to the Daily Mail.

But the trio could face competition from Newcastle and Fulham for the £450,000 January signing.

The Daily Mirror claims Nottingham Forest will want to keep hold of the 26-year-old, who is under contract until 2022 at the City Ground.

But the Daily Mail report suggests Lolley is valued at around the £5 million mark.

Nottingham Forest are currently fighting for promotion back to the Premier League after two decades away, and that could have a bearing on Lolley's desire to jump ship - especially with Newcastle and Fulham battling relegation this season.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/11/29/report-newcastle-united-and-fulham-weighing-up-january-bids-for/

[WhiteJC]

 
Freddie Woodman swapping Newcastle for Fulham would make no sense

Newcastle United's young goalkeeper Freddie Woodman is reportedly a target for Premier League rivals Fulham ahead of the January transfer window.

Freddie Woodman has been viewed as Newcastle United's future number one for what seems like forever. But the fact that the 21-year-old goalkeeper is yet to make his Premier League debut, and remains behind Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow and even Rob Elliot in the pecking order, has not gone unnoticed.

According to the Chronicle, Fulham, Celtic and Arsenal have been keeping a close eye on Woodman, who is out of contract in 2020 and understandably frustrated with his lack of opportunities at St James' Park.

There is no doubting the potential of Woodman, who saved a penalty in the final as England won the U20 World Cup in 2017. But a move to Fulham hardly seems like the best decision for a player desperate for first-team football.

Summer signing Fabri is expected to depart Craven Cottage in January, with Fotomac claiming that Fulham will let their £5 million shot-stopper return to former club Besiktas.

But Sergio Rico has impressed since establishing himself as Fulham's number one and, as it stands, it seems likely that Claudio Ranieri's side will attempt to make his loan deal from La Liga leaders Sevilla permanent.

And the West London side already have a highly-rated homegrown goalkeeper on their bench in Marcus Bettinelli.

So, if Woodman swaps Newcastle for Fulham, he could find himself in a very similar situation.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/11/29/do-freddie-woodman-swapping-newcastle-for-fulham-would-make-no-s/

[WhiteJC]

 
Newcastle United and Fulham join Premier League duo in the chase for Nottingham Forest winger

Premier League sides Newcastle United, Fulham, Cardiff City and Watford are all in the chase for Nottingham Forest star Joe Lolley, according to The Mirror.

Nottingham Forest's Championship promotion rivals West Bromwich Albion have also been credited with interest in winger Joe Lolley, after the former Huddersfield Town man impressed once again versus Aston Villa last night.

Earlier on Thursday morning, West Bromwich Albion, Cardiff City and Watford were linked with a January move for Lolley after his stunning performance at Villa Park last night. However, The Mirror are now reporting that 26-year-old Lolley is on the radar of Newcastle and Fulham as well.

After making his name at non league side Littleton F.C. for scoring a stunning 88 goals in 83 games, Lolley moved to Kidderminster Harriers after a successful trial period. He moved on to Huddersfield Town halfway through the 2013/2014 season, where he then went on to spend four years, making 91 appearances and scoring 11 goals.

On deadline day of the January transfer window earlier this year, Lolley switched to Championship side Nottingham Forest on a four and a half year deal for an undisclosed fee. The 26-year-old is thoroughly enjoying his time at the City Ground, scoring 10 goals and assisting 10 goals in 39 appearances – with six goals and six assists coming in this campaign.

Nottingham Forest are unlikely to want to let Lolley leave, and will demand a lot more than they paid in the January window. The Daily Mail suggest that they will demand a fee of around £5m for the winger, but are keen to keep him at the City Ground to help their promotion push in the second half of the season.




https://the72.co.uk/119984/newcastle-united-fulham-join-premier-league-trio-chase-nottingham-forest-winger/

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Fulham's Andre Schurrle says he might celebrate if he scores against former club Chelsea
Watch live coverage of Chelsea vs Fulham on Sunday from 11am on Sky Sports Premier League

Fulham forward Andre Schurrle says he might celebrate if he scores against his former side Chelsea on Sunday, and does not understand why people have a problem with players doing so.

The 28-year-old played for Chelsea between 2013 and 2015, and will return to Stamford Bridge with Fulham on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League.

Schurrle, who has scored five league goals for the Whites since joining on loan from Borussia Dortmund in July, says he hopes he will not cause offence if he is to score and celebrate.

"I didn't really think about it. I don't understand why even fans get angry for a player celebrating," Schurrle told Sky Sports News.

"If I celebrate at Stamford Bridge, it would never be against Chelsea fans or against the club, it will be just for me and the Fulham fans.

"If I should score it will be spontaneous and I hope no one will take offence.

He added: "Every time scoring against a former club is special because you know everyone around the place."

Fulham secured a 3-2 win over Southampton in new manager Claudio Ranieri's first game in charge, and Schurrle believes bottom-placed Fulham have a chance of Premier League survival if they stick with the boss' plan for the season.

Schurrle said: "I think he is a really nice guy, an amazing football teacher, like almost a father to the players. Even after extra-time you get the feeling he enjoys being around the players.

"He loves getting a clean sheet and everyone working hard together."

He added: "He has big experience, he has trained a lot of teams, big and small, and knows what to do.

"The most important thing is to follow his plan, to follow what he wants and then I think we'll have a big chance of being safe at the end of the season."

The former Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg player also revealed how Ranieri has implemented a rule of the players eating together after training, but says it's too early to see if it has had any effect on the team.

"He wants us to eat together after training, you start together and just have a chat and be together for an extra half an hour," added Schurrle.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11567029/fulhams-andre-schurrle-says-he-might-celebrate-if-he-scores-against-former-club-chelsea

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Manager openly criticises Fulham loanee, 'not satisfied' with what he's offered so far

Following a disappointing first season with Fulham, Rui Fonte wasn't part of Slavisa Jokanovic's plans in the Premier League, and was swiftly shipped out on loan to Lille.

Getting to play alongside his brother, José, the 28-year-old was given a second chance to impress by Christophe Galtier, while the Cottagers will have hoped the man they paid over £8m for would be able to find some form either to secure a move elsewhere upon his return or reintegrate the club next year.

Unfortunately for all parties involved, that has yet to happen, as Fonte has yet to find the back of the net in eight appearances in all competitions.

Hindered for around a few weeks because of a hamstring injury, the former Portugal U21 international could be excused because of his setback, but that's not how the Lille manager approaches things, speaking of his striker options in a press conference on Thursday.

He said, relayed by Le Figaro: "To be very honest, there's no hierarchy in that position, and they know it. As of yet, no one has made that spot their own. They know what I'm looking for and that I'm not satisfied of their output for various reasons".

Competing with a 31-year-old Loic Remy and 19-year-old Rafael Leao, that's not what Fulham will have wanted to hear, seeing as Fonte is tied to Craven Cottage for another year upon his return, meaning they could struggle to offload him if this continue.

However, there's a long time left in the season, and plenty of time for the striker to turn things around.

He'll just need to help his team a bit more than he has so far, as Lille have hit a bit of a blip after a surprisingly strong start to the season.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/manager-openly-criticises-fulham-loanee-not-satisfied-hes-offered-far/

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Shola Ameobi reveals his Aleksandar Mitrovic theory – but does anyone actually agree with him?

Shola Ameobi believes the only reason Aleksandar Mitrovic failed to become a success at St James' Park was because of his "raw temperament" – feeling this was the reason Rafa Benitez refused to play the Serbian.

I see what Shola is getting at given he was a loose cannon at times, but I am a firm believer that Benitez felt it was his style of play and lack of mobility that simply didn't fit his 4-2-3-1 system.

After all, it wasn't long ago that Jonjo Shelvey had real disciplinary problems, but Benitez has never looked like freezing him out of the side over the last few years.

Here's what Shola's said when sharing why he felt he failed to succeed at Newcastle:

    "I think Newcastle fans liked his tenacity,"
    "Obviously, as a young player coming into the Premier League, he got himself a little bit excited at times on the pitch.
    "The way he played, he's always playing on the edge with his style of play, and he just got himself caught out a little bit when he first came into Newcastle.
    "He was out of a lot of games due to suspension, and I think that meant the trust wasn't there with the manager. But I think he's learned that.
    "He's gone to Fulham and he clearly feels right at home there. I liked him as a player at Newcastle, but I just thought he was very raw in terms of his temperament, and that's something he's obviously worked on and is paying dividends for Fulham now."

Yes he was sent off on the final day of the season (after our relegation was confirmed) in the 5-1 win over Spurs in 2016 – meaning he then missed the start of our Championship campaign – but I'm pretty sure this is the only time he's been sent off since Rafa took over?



http://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2018/11/29/shola-ameobi-reveals-his-big-aleksandar-mitrovic-theory-does-anyone-agree-with-this/

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Premier League predictions: Lawro v Creed II star and Everton fan Dolph Lundgren

Mark Lawrenson is a true heavyweight when it comes to Premier League predictions - but how will he fare against Ivan Drago?

His guest this week is actor Dolph Lundgren, who is reprising his famous role as the ruthless Russian boxer in his new film Creed II - and has told Lawro "I will break you with my football scores".

In Rocky IV, Drago got his one prediction correct when he famously told Apollo Creed "you will lose" before his first fight - but will he do as well at picking who will win this weekend?

As Drago, Dolph went toe-to-toe in the ring with Sylvester Stallone - who later adopted Everton as his English team - and it turns out Lundgren is also a Toffees fan.

Lundgren, who was a goalkeeper as a boy, explained: "Everton were my team back in the day - this was a long time ago in the late 1970s when I lived in Sweden and before I moved to the United States aged 17.

"I used to watch the World Cup too, when Germany were very good and Franz Beckenbauer and those guys were the stars.

"Sweden did very well in Russia last summer and I watched quite a bit of that, but they had quite a boring team. I liked the Sweden team in 1994 in the US - they were good.

"With the English Premier League, I don't have that many memories. I have to re-watch stuff to remember who I was rooting for."

LAWRO'S PREDICTIONS
SUNDAY

Chelsea v Fulham (12:00 GMT)

New Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri goes back to Stamford Bridge, and he is sure to get a good reception.

Ranieri got a very good, and very important, win over Southampton last week in his first match in charge - but this is a much tougher assignment.

Fulham's biggest problem is that they have got such a soft centre and Ranieri is unlikely to be able to change that without bringing in some new personnel in the January transfer window.

As I predicted, Chelsea suffered their first defeat of the season when they went to Wembley to play Tottenham, but I don't see it as a serious setback, or the start of them struggling.

The Blues just put in a poor performance, against a very good Spurs side. If they play like they have showed they can on Sunday, then they will bounce back with a win.

Lawro's prediction: 2-0

Dolph's prediction: 0-0



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46362040

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Fulham ask after Candreva

Claudio Ranieri's Fulham have reportedly asked after the availability of Inter winger Antonio Candreva.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, the Italian tactician would like the 31-year-old to join his team in London.

Although the Nerazzurri paid €22m to sign him from Lazio in the summer of 2016, and he only extended his contract last month to June 2021, Candreva gets very little playing time.

The Cottagers have made an initial approach to see if the deal is possible, particularly on a six-month loan.

With Keita Balde Diao and Lautaro Martinez pushing to play more, Candreva could be the one to make way.

However, he already rejected a move to Monaco over the summer and insisted he wanted to prove himself at Inter.



https://www.football-italia.net/131391/fulham-ask-after-candreva

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Chelsea fringe players impress in 4-0 win but Sarri to revert to first XI for Fulham

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri believes Thursday's convincing win over PAOK will have little bearing on his Premier League thinking.

The Blues responded from a first competitive loss under Sarri, after 18 matches unbeaten, to Tottenham last Saturday, with a fifth win from five Europa League Group L games.

Olivier Giroud scored twice, 18-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi netted his first Chelsea goal and Alvaro Morata was also on target against 10-man PAOK.

But Sarri is set to revert to his first-choice line-up against Fulham on Sunday.

"In the last match the problem was the team, not one or two players," Sarri said.

Giroud's performance may not dislodge Morata as first-choice striker, particularly as the Frenchman appeared to suffer an ankle knock in the second half.

Eden Hazard should be available following an ankle injury, while Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Antonio Rudiger, N'Golo Kante and Marcos Alonso should be restored to the starting XI as Sarri seeks a response to the Spurs loss.

Despite an impressive performance against PAOK, Sarri reckons Hudson-Odoi is not ready for the rigours of the Premier League.

He says the teenager benefited from the early dismissal of Yevhen Khacheridi, for a professional foul on Giroud, which provided Chelsea with more space.

Sarri said: "I want to see him in a match where we need also the defensive phase."

BATE Borisov's win over Hungary's Vidi earlier on Thursday meant Chelsea were already confirmed top of the group before kick-off and ahead of the December 13 trip to Budapest.



https://sport360.com/article/football/english-premier-league/311572/chelsea-fringe-players-impress-in-4-0-win-but-maurizio-sarri-to-revert-to-first-xi-for-fulham