Wednesday Fulham Stuff (12/12/18)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Ranieri and Drinkwater reunion could save Fulham this season

According to Talk Chelsea, Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri is interested in signing Chelsea's Danny Drinkwater.

The Italian managed the England international during his iconic tenure at Leicester, where they both won the Premier League.

However, since his big-money move to Stamford Bridge, the 3-cap international's career has not been particularly eventful. He only managed five Premier League starts last season under Antonio Conte, and has not played at all under Maurizio Sarri this season. This is partly due to the influx of midfielders for The Blues, as Drinkwater is now behind N'Golo Kanté, Jorginho, Mateo Kovačić, Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Cesc Fabregas. Given the wealth of midfielders that Chelsea have, Drinkwater simply must move as soon as possible if he wants to play.

The good thing is that there is still interest in him, and Fulham would be a wonderful destination. The club have struggled to establish a partner to Jean Michaël Seri in the midfield at Craven Cottage, and that has cost the club dearly. They have struggled to play the ball from the back so far this season, and have looked bereft of ideas. Drinkwater will provide the calming, creative influence that is so desperately needed to save Fulham's season. They have the players in attack, it is just about finding a player to unleash their potential.

The 23-year-old André-Frank Anguissa has showed promise, but may not be the man for Fulham yet. Drinkwater, on the other hand, is a proven winner, and was pivotal to Ranieri at Leicester, and could be again in white.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/ranieri-and-drinkwater-reunion-could-save-fulham-this-season/

[WhiteJC]

 
Club move in on Fulham outcast, 'agreement in principle' with player for transfer

Fotospor claim Turkish club Trabzonspor are interested in signing Fulham goalkeeper Fabri ahead of the January transfer window.

The Turkish club are preparing to part ways with their first choice goalkeeper Onur Kivrak, and Fotospor say Fabri is seen as a good replacement in the Trabzonspor hierarchy.

Fabri joined Fulham from Besiktas in the summer for €6m but after starting the first three Premier League games, the Spanish goalkeeper was dropped.

With Sergio Rico now installed as the Premier League side's No.1, and Fabri not even making the bench, it seems the Spaniard isn't in the plans of Claudio Ranieri.

According to Fotospor, Trabzonspor have 'agreed in principle' with Fabri and if they can sell Esteban to free up a foreign player spot, then the Turkish club will do everything they can to land the Fulham outcast.

Before moving to England the 30 year old was in great form for Besiktas, and Trabzonspor will be hoping they can bring him back to Turkey in the new year.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/club-move-fulham-outcast-agreement-principle-player/

[WhiteJC]

 
Poppy Shirt Auction

Fans can now bid on the poppy shirts worn by the Fulham players in our Premier League fixtures against AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool.

For the two matches, each of our shirts were adorned with a poppy as part of football's Remembrance Sunday activities.

Now, each one has been signed by the respective player, and is being auctioned off to raise funds for The Royal British Legion.

Bidding is now open until 5pm on Friday 14th December, so head over to the eBay page via the below link to bid on your favourite player's shirt.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/december/11/poppy-shirt-auction

[WhiteJC]

 
Lucas Perez a doubt for Fulham clash

West Ham United attacker Lucas Perez is thought to be a doubt for the team's clash with Fulham on Saturday, according to Football London.

The outlet claims that the Spaniard could miss out at Craven Cottage after he came off with an injury to his foot in the win over Crystal Palace last time out.

The 30-year-old, a summer signing from Arsenal, has played his way into manager Manuel Pellegrini's plans of late but could now be set for a spell on the sidelines.

He scored twice off the bench against Cardiff City last week, bringing an end to a frustrating period of inactivity following his switch across London.

OPINION

It would be a shame for Perez to miss out against the Cottagers because he's finally found form after swapping the Emirates for the London Stadium this summer. For whatever reason Pellegrini didn't seem to fancy him in the early goings, but he appears to have worked his way into the manager's thoughts recently. However, he could see his progress nullified if he ends up missing any significant period of time due to this setback. There has been no official word from the club on the severity of the knock so it's all conjecture at this point, but Football London have registered him as a doubt for the weekend's game. Luckily for the Hammers, Perez's fellow striker Javier Hernandez is in lethal form at the minute, while Andy Carroll is also back to full fitness, so hopefully they wouldn't miss Perez too much if he does face a spell on the sidelines.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2018/12/blogs/lucas-perez-a-doubt-for-fulham-clash/

[WhiteJC]

 
Claudio Ranieri Wants To Sign Striker He Previously Broke Transfer Record For

Claudio Ranieri is going back in for one of his old players in a bid to boost Fulham's survival chances.

Following the sacking of Slavska Jovanovic, the Italian was hired by the Cottagers and won his first game in charge before away defeats to Chelsea and Manchester United followed.

And with Fulham lurched at the bottom of the table, Ranieri is looking to add extra firepower in order to ease the burden placed on talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic - with John Percy from The Telegraph reporting that he is looking to link up with Islam Slimani once again.

Back in 2016 after guiding Leicester to an unforgettable Premier League title win, Ranieri splashed out a reported £29 million to make the Algerian international the club's record signing.

The former Sporting CP man scored 12 goals in 47 appearances and was loaned out to Newcastle in January last season, where he played just four times and failed to score.

At present he's on loan at Fenerbahce in Turkey but he's also not produced the goods there, notching just the one league goal.

It's said that the struggling club want to end his loan spell early and with his parent club not wanting him back at the King Power Stadium, Ranieri is exploring the possibility of drafting him in permanently in January.

Prior to moving to the Premier League, the 30-year old scored 27 goals in 33 league appearances for Sporting.



http://www.sportbible.com/football/news-ranieri-wants-to-sign-striker-he-previously-broke-transfer-record-for-20181210

[WhiteJC]

 
Deportivo La Coruna youngster Pedro Martelo subject of enquiry from Fulham as Claudio Ranieri lines up January transfer targets to boost side

    Deportivo La Coruna striker Pedro Martelo has emerged as a target for Fulham
    The young striker is thought to be out of contract at the end of the season
    Fulham are currently bottom of the Premier League with one win in five games

Fulham have made an enquiry for Deportivo La Coruna striker Pedro Martelo.

The 19-year-old forward also has interest from clubs in his native Portugal with his buyout clause set at a reported £903,000.

Martelo plays for Deportivo's B team and starred for Portugal U19s last summer as they won the European Championships.


Fulham have made an enquiry for 19-year-old Portuguese striker Pedro Martelo

He is understood to be out of contract in the summer. 

Cottagers' boss Claudio Ranieri has already lined up several transfer targets to revitalise his struggling club in January.

Having been promoted from the Championship as play-off winners last season, Fulham's struggles saw Slavisa Jokanovic sacked after 12 games.

He was replaced by Ranieri, but after winning his first game the Italian has yet to taste victory again.

The Premier League strugglers lost 4-1 to Manchester United on Saturday and now sit bottom of the table on nine points.


Claudio Ranieri has won just one game since taking charge of Fulham in November



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6480331/Deportivo-La-Coruna-youngster-Pedro-Martelo-subject-enquiry-Fulham.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham are there for the taking, and West Ham must keep focus

West Ham are on a roll and have no intention in stopping now. Fulham in West London is the next opponent, and the Hammers should not be phased.

3 in a row and moving on up the Premier League. This is not supposed to be a strange feeling for West Ham fans, but it feels like an age since it last happened. Not since the last season at the Boleyn have things felt this settled around the club, and we certainly haven't played this well since then.

Fulham, under the guidance of new manager Ranieri, are the next club in the Hammers' way, and they're not in good shape. Bottom of the league with 40 goals conceded, life is hard for the Premier League newcomers. And if Pellegrini's men keep on playing the way they have for the past 3 games, the home fans at Craven Cottage are unlikely to be celebrating any points when the sides meet at the weekend.

When a side is in the relegation zone they can be underestimated. They might be playing tight football and not quite have the cutting edge. Or they may not quite be strong enough at the back in order to keep the big teams out. The problem for Fulham is that they don't seem to be great at either.

Fulham have a number of significant issues in their side, and I think you'll see the boys in Claret and Blue exploiting them over the weekend. With Felipe Anderson and Snodgrass out wide, and Chicharito likely to start up front, the 'Defending against attacks down the wings' and 'Defending against through ball attacks' both being rated as 'Very Weak' it should be a productive day for the Hammers' frontline. Add to that Fulham's issue with defending against counter attacks and stopping chances being created and the Hammers are looking odds on to score 3+ goals for the fourth game in a row.

But it's not just in attack that the Hammers have an advantage. Pellegrini has drilled the high line and offside trap into the side since the first day, and it has paid dividends in recent weeks. As Fulham struggle to keep onside in their play, that's going to play into our back line's defence as well. All in all, we should be looking at this game as one where if we play well we're going to win. But there must not be any hint of complacency.

What we have done particularly well in the past few matches is keep the intensity up throughout the match. There has been no let up from the attack and despite a few late goals there hasn't been a particular drop off from the defence. Each match in the Premier League is a 90 minute challenge, and we need to remember that. Games aren't going win themselves, but West Ham have a number advantages this weekend.



https://greenstreethammers.com/2018/12/11/fulham-west-ham-keep-focus/

[WhiteJC]

 
Ranieri failed to get the best out of new Fulham target Slimani at Leicester

Claudio Ranieri was the Leicester manager when the Foxes spent big money on Islam Slimani in the wake of their historic title triumph but could not get the best out of the towering striker. With Fulham reportedly readying a January bid, why would it be any different second time around?

Fulham are readying a January bid for Leicester City outcast Islam Slimani, according to the Guardian.

The Algerian hitman was signed by the Foxes for a reported £29m back in 2016 but is currently enduring an underwhelming loan spell at Fenerbahce.

But that deal is going to badly that the Turkish outfit are willing to terminate the deal early, opening the door for Fulham to launch a bid apparently in the region of £14.5m – half of the outlay Leicester made to sign him.

Their manager when Slimani arrived at the King Power Stadium was Claudio Ranieri, who of course has just taken over the hotseat in west London and is understandably keen to work with players he has worked with before in order to get his new club out of trouble.

Slimani was brought to the Midlands to add more star attacking quality to a side who had just won the Premier League but Ranieri was unable to get the best out of him on a consistent basis.

He scored just eight times in 28 appearances in that 2016/17, which he started off by working with Ranieri before the Italian was sacked and replaced by Craig Shakespeare.

There is no reason to believe Ranieri could get more out of him at the Cottage, especially as he appears to be very similar to current talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic.



https://tbrfootball.com/ranieri-failed-to-get-the-best-out-of-new-fulham-target-slimani-at-leicester/

[WhiteJC]

 
December Woes

My Uncle asked me recently what life was like as a Fulham fan right now and the only word that came to mind was, "Grim." I'm pretty sure that I thought the Premier League would be much more fun than it has turned out so far. If the increase in prices wasn't bad enough, we have had to deal with some abject performances from a team that promised so much. We find ourselves in danger of being bottom at Christmas, something that teams rarely survive from. It's going to take one momentous effort from the squad to get us out of this mess, and we as a fan base need to keep up the support.

I do believe that the team has looked much more organised under Ranieri, and 4points from four games isn't bad considering we have been away to Chelsea and Manchester United in that time. The games between now and the end of December could either give us the hope that we need, or could essentially relegate us. There are no easy games in this league, but being at home to West Ham, Huddersfield and Wolves alongside a trip to St James Park to face Newcastle is a run of games that could take us off the bottom of the table. It's an opportunity that has to be taken if we are to stay in the Promised Land next season.

Unfortunately for us West Ham have come in to a little run of form of late and have found there scoring boots. They have already scored 12 goals in the month of December with three in each of their wins over Newcastle United, Cardiff City and Crystal Palace, so we can expect our defence to be tested. It doesn't bode well for a side still yet to keep a clean sheet this season. Another concern is that those 12 goals have been scored by five different players, none of which are Marko Arnautovi?, who has for so long been West Ham's main threat. They have quality throughout their squad so there is no room for the silly mistakes that keep hampering our progress.

Ranieri made five changes last time out but I'm not sure that anyone would say that it worked. Denis Odoi was poor at right back while Tim Ream just doesn't look Premier League ready. Hopefully Chambers will have gotten over whatever kept him out last weekend because he has been one of the positive things about Fulham over the past few weeks. Anguissa will be suspended but his performance wasn't anything to shout home about so I'd imagine he wouldn't have been in Ranieri's plans any way. The next four games need to give us a spring board to something that Ranieri can work with over the January transfer window. It will be easier to attract players if we can show that we have a bit of fight about us. I think little Freddie here has the right idea...

All in all we need some Christmas joy around the Cottage, and soon. Grim times can turn very quickly into joyous times in football. Saturday night is huge.

#COYW



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/12/december-woes/

[WhiteJC]

 
Emirates FA Cup Tickets

Join us at Craven Cottage for Emirates FA Cup action when Fulham take on Oldham Athletic on Sunday 6th January, kick-off 2pm.

Tickets are now available for all supporters on General Sale, priced from just £10 adults and £1 juniors!

Full ticket pricing information can be found below.

Category	Riverside & Johnny Haynes	Hammersmith End & Putney Stand
Adults	£15	£10
Over 65s	£10	£5
18-21 Years	£10	£5
17 & Under	£5	£1

Fulham Season Ticket Holders will also have the opportunity to secure their normal seat for this game. Seats will be held until 10am on Friday 14th December.

All supporters who have signed up to the Home Cup Scheme will have had their credit/debit cards charged automatically and will be sent a paper ticket.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/december/11/fa-cup-tickets

[WhiteJC]

 
New Fulham stadium: Craven Cottage will have just three stands for two seasons during £100m redevelopment


Craven Cottage's capacity will rise to 29,600 ( )

Fulham will spend two seasons with just three sides of Craven Cottage open during their £100million redevelopment of the Riverside Stand.

Work on the new stand is scheduled to start at the end of this season and Fulham will be forced to have a reduced capacity until it is finished.

The plans will see the existing stand demolished and replaced by a new two-tier structure to increase the capacity of Craven Cottage to around 30,000,

Fulham estimate the project will take two years to complete. Crystal Palace's Main Stand will remain fully operational during their redevelopment of Selhurst Park but Fulham will close the Riverside Stand.

The Riverside Stand currently has 4,689 seats so from next season the full capacity of Craven Cottage will be reduced to around 20,000 until the new stand opens in 2021-22.

Fulham have announced Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd as lead contractor for the project. The plans by Fulham owner Shahid Khan will see a riverside walkway created along the Thames from Putney to Hammersmith.

The club say they are working on "transition plans" and "will be consulting with the Fulham Supporters' Trust [FST] in regards to relocating supporters currently situated in the existing Riverside Stand".

FST chair Tom Greatrex said: "The reiteration of work being scheduled to start at the end of the current season is a hugely positive step."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham/new-fulham-stadium-craven-cottage-will-have-just-three-stands-for-two-seasons-during-100m-a4014466.html

[WhiteJC]

 
The Sean Davis Column

I don't want our fans to be too downbeat about coming away from Manchester United empty handed. Our last two home games we've got four points, so home form is what's going to keep us up. Our last three away matches were Liverpool, Chelsea and Man United – we're not expected to get anything from those games. We beat Southampton, great, Leicester we draw, you take that, so losing on Saturday is not the end of the world. We're not out of sight – two wins and we're up to 15th or so. If results go your way, you can really shoot up the league, so it's not as bad as some are making out. There's no disgrace in losing 4-1 to Man United.

We were much better in the second half, but when you start how we did then you're not giving yourself a chance. When you concede three goals in the first half at Old Trafford then it's unlikely you're going to be able to respond with four goals. It's an uphill battle straight away. Getting clean sheets is tough, especially in this league with so many world class players. But Ranieri's been there and done it before. He still needs time to work on the shape of the team and work out which players fit best in each position. These things take time, but once we start tightening up and making ourselves harder to beat, then we'll be looking a lot better because we know we've always got it in us to score a couple of goals.

A positive from last week was Aboubakar Kamara scoring his first Premier League goals in consecutive matches. It's good to score goals from different sources as it takes a bit of the pressure off Aleksandar Mitrović and André Schürrle. I'm pleased for Kamara – he's very determined and enthusiastic, and that's what you want to see from a player when they pull on the Fulham shirt.

United away was Ryan Sessegnon's 100th appearance for Fulham, and that's nothing short of amazing. To bring up a century of matches at just 18 years old is a credit to him and his family, and the Academy. He's so humble and is a fine example to all the up and coming young players throughout the country. If you're a hot prospect who's playing for a side outside the top six or seven, then it can be tempting to move away for the quick money. But Ryan's got his head down at Fulham, worked hard, listened, and he's been rewarded by playing 100 times at such a tender age. The biggest thing you hear when you speak to people in the Academy, especially Huw Jennings, is that he's such a humble lad who wants to learn, who wants to improve, and a lot of kids can look at him as a shining light. He's a fine example, and now he's played 100 first team games. He's young, but he's already an experienced player.

West Ham United come to the Cottage in really good form on Saturday having won their last three. They may have started the season very slow but I've watched their last couple of games and they're really settling into how Manuel Pellegrini wants them to play. He's a great manager who won the league with Man City, he knows his stuff, and they've got a lot of talented players going forward. However, they do concede goals as well, so we can certainly get at them.

It's going to be a great atmosphere, a London derby, and these are the games that we need to take points from and begin on the front foot. If you start the game well, it's easier to carry the game on in that way. When you start badly it's hard to pick up and get that momentum. I know it's a cliché but the first 20-25 minutes of a match are so important, especially to get the crowd on side. Win a tackle, win a header, get a good move going, get the crowd on their feet. But I think they'll be up for it anyway; it's a London derby, Christmas is coming, and I think the atmosphere will be great.

Before the month is out, we've got West Ham, Wolves and Huddersfield all at home – three chances to get some serious points on the board. You don't want to go into January needing to string four or five wins together to get out of the relegation zone. We're still in touch, we're only three points off 17th. Winning your home games is vital because it's so tough for teams like Fulham who have just got promoted. We may be bottom of the table but it's not as downcast or horrific as people are making out. Keep the faith!

Tickets for Saturday's London derby are still on sale to Season Ticket Holders, Members, and supporters with a booking history.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/december/11/the-sean-davis-column

[WhiteJC]

 
Report: Reading interested in former Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic

Slavisa Jokanovic has earned promotion from the Championship with both Fulham and Watford but could he repeat the trick with Reading?

It is almost a month since Slavisa Jokanovic was sacked by Fulham, but could he be set for an immediate return to management?

According to the Mail (live blog, 12.19pm), Reading have put Jokanovic on their shortlist as they look for a coach capable of replacing Paul Clement at Moline.

And it should be no surprise that the Serb is one of the Royals' top targets. After all, Jokanovic led Fulham to the Premier League as recently as May, while bringing arguably the most exciting attacking football anywhere in the division to Craven Cottage.

The 50-year-old also guided Watford to promotion back in 2015, only to be replaced by Quique Sanchez Flores before the new Premier League season kicked off. So to say Jokanovic has a proven track record in England's second tier would be an understatement.

The Mail adds that Reading were hoping to appoint Luis Castro, who led Vitoria to fifth in the Primeira Liga last season despite barely spending a penny, but talks broke down on Monday evening.

Reading are also allegedly interested in the former Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce while Alan Pardew, who started his managerial career with the Royals 20 years ago, is under consideration.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/12/11/do-report-reading-interested-in-former-fulham-boss-slavisa-jokan/

[WhiteJC]

 
The struggling seven: Why they'll stay up/why they'll go down



The relegation battle appears to be between seven teams, with a seven-point gap already opened up between Cardiff in 14th and Brighton one place above them. Here are the reasons for the bottom seven to be optimistic. And why they should fear the worst...

Cardiff
Why they'll stay up: Neil Warnock's strategy is neither new nor sophisticated, but it is proven to get results. The Cardiff boss has assembled a group lacking the quality of many of their relegation rivals and one which has seen less of the ball than any other Premier League team, but few sides will out-graft the Bluebirds. It may be unkind to label their squad as Championship standard but Warnock's players are all hungry to prove themselves at this level. That will go a long way in a relegation scrap against better-quality opponents who can't match their application.

Their survival will be built upon their home form. Cardiff have won three off their last four on their own patch and they sit in the top of half of a Premier League table based on home results. They have, though, already hosted four of the other six relegation contenders.

Why they'll go down: Cardiff have gathered some momentum in recent weeks following a wretched start but that could come crashing down over Christmas. Their home form is crucial but their two games at the Cardiff City Stadium see Man Utd and Tottenham arrive in south Wales. There are also trips to Watford, Palace and Leicester.

As reliable as their home form is, Warnock's men have been dire on the road. Fulham are the only other side yet to win away. Only one side has scored fewer goals and their best striker is a right-back. So yeah.

Newcastle
Why they'll stay up: Rafael Benitez. He can't perform miracles but getting Newcastle into the top half at the end of last season had St James' Park wondering what he could do with a basket of bread rolls and a couple of battered cod.

Rafa has been working with one hand tied behind his back ever since he arrived on Tyneside and his presence is the only thing between the Toon Army and mutiny. But Benitez will get on with the job of making the best of what he's got and, in such circumstances, the quickest way to improve any team's prospects is to make them hard to beat. Only six sides in the Premier League have kept more clean sheets and their defensive record is that of a top-half team.

Newcastle are a streaky side and they could do with some confidence-rebuilding wins in the coming weeks before a Christmas programme which looks as tough as their start. Four points against Huddersfield and Fulham before Christmas would take them halfway to 34 – the minimum required for survival last season. This term it seems unlikely those who stay up will need much more.

Why they'll go down: It's a good job their defence is solid, because up front they are as limp as a soggy copy of the Chronicle. Only Huddersfield have scored fewer goals this season.

Newcastle are unbeaten against four of their relegation rivals but they've beaten only one of them and goalless draws against the others sum the Magpies up. Mike Ashley is unlikely to open his wallet in January so Benitez will have to make the best of what he has got, all the while teams around them look to strengthen.

Crystal Palace
Why they'll stay up: Palace missed an opportunity to push on in the summer when they were content to spend only £10million, despite losing Yohan Cabaye and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Roy Hodgson paid cash for only one player, Cheikhou Kouyate, who has formed a solid partnership with Luka Milivojevic. That adds another layer of security to a goal better protected by Wayne Hennessey and a stubborn back-four.

And at least Hodgson and Palace managed to keep hold of Wilfried Zaha. The attacker so often looks like he can win games on his own for the Eagles. Which is handy...

Why they'll go down: Despite Zaha's threat, Palace are still woefully short in attack. It took them until December before they scored their first goal at Selhurst Park from open play. The Eagles are 10th for chances created but third-bottom when it comes to shot conversion. Christian Benteke's return isn't likely to right that wrong.

That home form is a concern. Two of their three wins have come on the road and at least the Eagles are in the habit of turning over the teams around them, with Fulham, Huddersfield and Burnley all beaten. But Hodgson has to find a way of making Palace a less welcoming place for visitors.

Burnley
Why they'll stay up: This is the same squad playing the same way which earned a European place last season. They almost certainly overachieved but not so much so that this term's results can be considered a more accurate assessment of Sean Dyche's side.

Burnley based their defensive game last season on restricting the quality of chances. They were happy to allow shots – the second highest number in the league – but their organisation and shape meant that Ben Mee and James Tarkowki were generally in place to block them. If their defence was penetrated, Nick Pope was fielding most of whatever came though. This season, Burnley's opponents have been treated to better opportunities more regularly, with Joe Hart earning praise for his performances, despite Dyche's side conceding an average of two goals per game compared to one per game last term.

Being one to accentuate the positives, Dyche will emphasise that this defence has proved it is capable of vast improvement. Burnley need to see it, sharpish.

Why they'll go down: Of course, there is a chance that Burnley's defence so spectacularly over-performed last season that they will find it impossible to achieve similar levels.

But Dyche will be more concerned at what is going on at the other end. Burnley have created by far the fewest number of chances in the Premier League – 15 fewer than the next worst-performing attack. Dyche wanted a wide man in the summer to improve the supply line and though the Clarets are in the top half for shot-conversion rate, they simply are not creating the number of chances to compensate for the deterioration in their defence.

So Burnley currently have a leaky defence and an attack that is being starved of service. At least one of those problems needs to be remedied swiftly.

Huddersfield
Why they'll stay up: Town demonstrated they have what it takes to survive in the Premier League and it seems little has changed. The Terriers have retained their spirit under David Wagner and since their first win on Bonfire Night, their form hasn't reaped the points it has perhaps deserved. They gave Arsenal a fright last weekend.

Town's strength is in defence. Four of their relegation rivals have conceded more goals than the 27 Town have allowed – and a third of those were in the first two games against Man City and Chelsea. Since August, Wagner's men have been harder to beat, but...

Why they'll go down: They can't score goals. Even Newcastle have netted three more than Wagner's men and prior to the defeat at Bournemouth last week, they were the only side in the Football League yet to reach double figures.

Laurent Depoitre and Steve Mounie have shared the front man duties but between them they have mustered two assists. Their 10 goals have come from midfield or their centre-backs. The stats show Town are failing to make chances and those they are creating are not being taken – they have the lowest shot-conversion rate in the top flight.

Southampton
Why they'll stay up: Saints are off the bottom only on goal difference but at least they have been decisive in their response to a dire start. Mark Hughes is gone and in his place, the club have appointed a manager with a track record of improving teams quickly at both ends.

Christ knows they need improving. Saints have won only once this season and though they have kept a credible four clean sheets, too often they have been the masters of their own downfall. No side has made more errors that have led to goals, as Ralph Hasenhuttl saw for himself when Jannik Vestergaard gifted Cardiff victory in the new manager's first game. In attack, they have created the fifth-highest number of chances but their conversion rate is the second worst. Improving their finishing is a simpler task than increasing creativity.

Training under the Austrian coach is already said to be 'far more intense' than it was under Hughes and Hasenhuttl is getting his message across. We can expect to see a different Saints side after the New Year – one that should survive if it stops shooting itself in the foot and begins turning draws into victories.

Why they'll go down: Hasenhuttl can only work with what he has got and the former RB Leipzig boss needs to mastermind improvement across the board. They only escaped relegation on the final day last season and failed to significantly strengthen in the summer despite spending £56million. Around the dropzone has become their natural habitat.

Hughes chopped and changed with nothing he tried having the desired effect. Hasenhuttl's methods are vastly different to what the Saints players are used to and his changes will take time.

Fulham
Why they'll stay up: We'll be honest: it doesn't look good, for the reasons stated below. The only positive thing we can say about the state of affairs at Craven Cottage is that they have got a proven Premier League manager in with time still to turn things around.

Fulham signed 12 new players in the summer and it is hard to believe that some of them won't offer more as they settle in. Their two biggest signings, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Jean-Micheal Seri, have briefly demonstrated that they are far better players than they have shown so far. They simply have to improve as they become more accustomed to the demands of the Premier League.

Why they'll go down: Fulham were widely credited for their summer recruitment but too many signings made too late in the window have failed to make the desired impact. Jokanovic chopped and changed the formation of his team and those playing within it but there was no sign of improvement before the Cottagers pulled the trigger.

Most worrying of all is the insight offered by one of their veterans. In October, while doubting his team-mates' 'grit and determination', the USA international said: "There are not enough guys who want it, who want to fight for each other, for themselves, for the club."

Claudio Ranieri can tweak tactics but there is little any manager can do with a squad which lacks the minimum levels of desire and appetite required in the top flight. Given the Italian was bemoaning the absence of exactly those traits during the defeat at Man Utd last weekend, it seems little has changed.



https://www.football365.com/news/the-struggling-seven-why-theyll-stay-up-why-theyll-go-down-newcastle-southampton

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ALAN SMITH TO BE PATRON OF FULHAM SUPPORTERS' TRUST

The Fulham Supporters' Trust are delighted to announce that Alan Smith, former football manager and lifelong Fulham fan, has agreed to become a patron of the Trust.

Alan, who had an illustrious managerial and coaching career at a number of Clubs, including as Fulham's Academy Director under Kevin Keegan, and was instrumental in developing the Club's training academy at Motspur Park is often to be found at Fulham matches with friends and family.

Alan said: "I am delighted to become a patron of the Fulham Supporters' Trust - I know first hand of the work they do, and particularly the efforts over the years to ensure Fulham and Craven Cottage remain synonymous. Even when my time in football took me elsewhere, I was always looking out for the Fulham results and I am proud to be a lifelong Fulham fan along with my family. I look forward to getting involved in supporting the Trust's activities, and would encourage fellow Fulham fans to join up , getting involved and make our voice stronger."

Tom Greatrex, Chair of the Fulham Supporters' Trust, added: "We are very pleased that Alan has agreed to become a patron of the Trust - his help, both front of house and behind the scenes, with the recent TOOFIF book launch demonstrated to everybody there that Alan cares deeply about our club and our fans. We look forward to working with Alan on our future Trust activity."



http://fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2018/12/11/alan-smith-to-be-patron-of-fulham-supporters-trust.html

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Referee confirmed for Fulham vs West Ham and Hammers fans will be rolling their eyes

The official who will take charge of the Premier League game at Craven Cottage has been announced

West Ham take on Premier League basement boys Fulham this weekend at Craven Cottage and Mike Dean will be the man in the middle for the game on Saturday evening.

That name is often enough to strike a bit of an eye roll into both sets of fans as the official can be somewhat notorious for making the game more about himself than about the other 22 players on the pitch.

Dean has already dished out five red cards this season in 14 games so far this season which is only one less than what he brandished in the enitre 2017/18 season, for example.

The Wirral official is probably the most high-profile referee on the list who take charge of Premier League games and has only officialled one West Ham match so far this season.

That was the 0-0 draw with Chelsea at the London Stadium back in September as the Hammers were in the middle of a four-game unbeaten stretch.

He only took charge of two Hammers matches last season and they were both against Tottenham Hotspur, the 3-2 win in the EFL Cup and a 1-1 draw in the Premier League. So you could say it's good news for the Hammers fanbase as they haven't lost when Dean has been in charge of their last three games.

Dean did have a run in with West Ham and the supporters the season before last though when he sent off Sofiane Feghouli just 15 minutes into a 2-0 loss to Manchester United at the London Stadium, a decision which pundit Gary Neville called "disgraceful."



https://www.football.london/west-ham-united-fc/fixtures-results/fulham-west-ham-referee-news-15537403

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Youngster Pedro Martelo is worth a gamble for Fulham during January window

Pedro Martelo may not be a big-name target to get the Fulham fans excited but he is a promising young player and does not represent another high-risk gamble after a summer of mixed success in the transfer market at Craven Cottage.

After a summer of expensive gambles in the transfer market, Fulham are looking to make a cut-price bid for Deportivo's teenage striker Pedro Martelo, according to the Daily Mail.

The report claims the 19-year-old's current buyout clause is £903,000, which is in stark contrast to some of the lavish spending that went on at Craven Cottage following promotion from the Championship.

Aleksandar Mitrovic is always going to be the main striker at the Cottage this season, so recruiting alternatives is always going to be a difficult task.

That's why going for a promising young hotshot who was part of the Portugal under 19 side that won last summer's European Championship makes sense, especially at a low price, with his contract expiring in the summer.

It is at the other end where Fulham need to do the bulk of their improving but if Martelo can strike up a rapport with fellow teenager Ryan Sessegnon at the Cottage, then it could provide that extra burst of firepower to haul them to safety.

Ranieri needs to reserve the majority of his funds for defensive improvement, so a low-risk, low-cost gamble up top – where Mitrovic, Aboubakar Kamara and Luciano Vietto are all currently options – is a wise move.



https://tbrfootball.com/youngster-pedro-martelo-is-worth-a-gamble-for-fulham-during-january-window/

[WhiteJC]

 
West Ham in race for £20m Nantes hotshot Emiliano Sala with Crystal Palace & Fulham

The Hammers are reportedly keen on the frontman, who is the joint top-scorer in Ligue 1

West Ham are going to have to fight off strong competition from Cardiff, Crystal Palace and Fulham for Nantes striker Emiliano Sala in January if they wish to sign the player, according to France Football .

They claim that it is the Bluebirds, who West Ham beat 3-1 last week at the London Stadium and certainly looked desperate for a new frontman, that are in pole position to sign the Argentinian.

Sala has banged n 12 goals in Ligue 1 so far this season for Nantes and tops the goalscoring charts alongside PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe.

The Nantes hotshot has struck 12 goals so far this season at a rate of one goal every 92 minutes of action which is better than Neymar, who has scored 11 goals so far this season for the runaway French league leaders.

Sala has a reported £15-£20m price tag on his head and with his contract up at the end of the 2019/2020 season, Nantes may be keen to cash in now before his value inevitably drops the further his contract reaches its conclusion.


Emiliano Sala (Image: ROMAIN LAFABREGUE/AFP/Getty Images)

The Hammers have been credited with an interest, along with the usual suspects of Crystal Palace while Fulham are also apparently keen on the striker. The report also claims that Cardiff have already begun talks with Nantes over a transfer.

Half of the fee that Nantes could possibly receive for Sala will then be handed to Bordeaux as part of a sell-on clause so the French side will want to get as much cash as they can for their star product so they don't lose out too much if he does leave.



https://www.football.london/west-ham-united-fc/transfer-news/west-ham-transfer-news-sala-15538096

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Fulham to demolish Riverside Stand in £100m redevelopment of Craven Cottage to raise capacity to 30,000

    Fulham will have to play the next two seasons in front of just three stands
    The capacity at Craven Cottage will drop to 20,000 while the work takes place
    Club will consult with Supporters' Trust over relocating fans in existing stand

Fulham will have to play the next two seasons in front of just three stands with the Riverside Stand demolished during a £100million redevelopment.

Craven Cottage's capacity is rising by 5,000 to 30,000 - although that will be reduced to 20,000 while the work takes place.

Fulham say they 'will be consulting with the Fulham Supporters' Trust in regards to relocating supporters currently situated in the existing Riverside Stand'.


Fulham will have to play the next two seasons in front of just three stands at Craven Cottage


The Riverside Stand is set to be demolished during a £100million redevelopment

The work is due to start this summer. It will take place despite Fulham's precarious Premier League status.

The Cottagers are bottom of the table with just nine points from their opening 16 games.

Despite bringing them back to the top flight via the play-offs last season, Slavisa Jokanovic was sacked last month and replaced by Claudio Ranieri.


Capacity will drop to 20,000 during the work but increase to 30,000 when complete



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6485537/Fulham-demolish-Riverside-Stand-100m-Craven-Cottage-redevelopment.html

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Freddo: Only Good Memories

After making 114 appearances for the Whites, Ryan Fredericks joined West Ham United in the summer after playing a key role in our promotion to the Premier League. A shin injury will deny him a Craven Cottage return on Saturday, but we caught up with our former right-back to see how he's been getting on.

The injury aside, how have you settled in at West Ham?

I've settled in well. All the lads here are proper good. It's a good bunch of lads, like it was at Fulham. There's a good core of boys who have been here for a while. Obviously it would have been nice to get a few more games, but I've settled in with the lads well.

You've won your last three and sit 11th – are you fairly happy with how the season is going?

Definitely. It was a tough start, we had a lot of new players so it takes a few games. But we showed signs of it at the start even when we were losing, it just took a few games to start getting the wins under our belt. I think everyone's seeing now what we're capable of.

How gutted are you to be missing out on Saturday?

It's frustrating because that was the first game I looked for when the fixtures came out. But these things happen, it's part of football. I'm sure both teams are going to be in the Premier League for a long time, so there'll be plenty more occasions for me to come back and play at the Cottage.

Are you still in touch with people from Fulham?

Yeah I'm still in touch with the lads; Kev, Betts, Stefan Johansen, I speak to Cyrus still. You share a season like that together and go through so much that you're not just going to never speak to them again. There's a lot of memories there, and they're good guys as well.

Was it a difficult decision to leave?

Of course it was tough. I've only got good memories of Fulham, I met only good people, and I've not got a bad word to say about the Club or anyone there. Everyone was amazing to me, it's just I was at the stage of my career where I wanted to push myself, and I thought going to West Ham would be best for me and my football, to improve as a player, not resting on my laurels thinking most weeks that I was going to be playing no matter what because of what I'd done in previous years. It was a fresh start and a chance for me to kick on again. I'm always best when I'm tested and backed up against a wall, so that's the decision I made.

Your final match was the Play-Off Final, so you couldn't really have left on a bigger high?

Exactly. It's probably the best moment of my life, not just footballing life, but in general. That and the weeks surrounding it; Derby in the Semi-Finals, and going away as a team together after winning. It was just amazing.

What was the Wembley experience like for you?

It was amazing to be honest. The day went so quick. You can't really sleep in the morning so you wake up at the crack of dawn just thinking about the game and how you want the game to go. We wanted to get an early goal but most of us, if we're honest, thought the game was probably going to be a long fought-out one. I thought it could have been a 0-0 until extra-time and then someone was going to nick it, but scoring so early made it comfortable for us straight away. It was amazing, everything just went to plan. Even when things got tough towards the end when Denis got sent off, I always still thought we were going to win, no matter what.

And what about those celebrations with the fans after the final whistle?

It was a great time. I think we were out on the pitch for something like an hour, but it honestly felt like about 10 minutes! There was so much relief that you could see on everyone's face after grafting like that for a year. We went on that run and the enjoyment everyone had on their face was just amazing.

The team got continually better in your three years here – what was that journey like?

It was so good. It ended with everyone talking about how good we were with our style of play, and that was down to the manager really. He brought players in who wanted to play in that way, and it just got better, and better, and better. It will be tough for something like that to be repeated.
The fans were sad to see you go – you had a good rapport with them during your three years...

Yeah they were always great with me. I think any fan is going to warm to you if you just do your best – and that's what I tried to do, run up and down in every game and give my all for 90 minutes even if things weren't going my way. Even if I wasn't having the greatest game I'd still put a good shift in, and I think they appreciated that. They understood what I could and couldn't do, and they were good about it.

Are you still keeping an eye on our results?

Yeah of course. Obviously after West Ham, that's the next team I want to do well. I've got so many close friends there that I feel like part of the Club almost and I'm always going to look out for them and want them to do well, no matter what happens. Except from when we play them!


What sort of game are you expecting on Saturday?

An open one, like it normally is down at the Cottage. Fulham will want to dominate, and we're going to want to do the same thing. We're a ball-playing team as well. Obviously the new manager's come in and he wants to play in the same way as you guys want to play, so I can see it being an open one.

Finally, you always said you were the best finisher at the Club, so were you sad not to get on the scoresheet before you left?

I am, to be honest, I am. The pre-season one [against Darmstadt] doesn't count and the one against QPR got taken off me. It would have been nice, but it wasn't meant to be!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/december/12/ryan-fredericks-only-good-memories