Thursday Fulham Stuff (13/12/18)...

[WhiteJC]

 
January Home Games

18/19 Members can now purchase tickets for Fulham's January Premier League home fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Supporters are advised to check the full selling information for these two matches, outlined below.

Tottenham Hotspur

Marking our first home London derby of 2019, Mauricio Pochettino's side visit SW6 on Sunday 20th January, kick-off 4pm.

Existing Fulham Members are now able to purchase up to four tickets each for this fixture. Please note that in order to purchase tickets for this match, supporters are advised that their 18/19 Membership must have been purchased prior to Wednesday 12th December 2018.

Full pricing for this fixture can be viewed here.

Season Ticket Holders will be able to purchase up to an additional four tickets each for Tottenham Hotspur from Friday 14th December and, subject to availability, supporters with a Booking History will be able to buy from Monday 17th December.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Rounding off the end of the month the Whites face Brighton & Hove Albion at the Cottage on Tuesday 29th January, kick-off 7:45pm.

Official Members can now purchase up to four tickets each for this match. Full pricing for this fixture can be viewed here.

Adult Members can also take advantage of their exclusive £5 ticket discount at this match, with a £3 ticket discount available for concessions.

Season Ticket Holders will be able to secure additional tickets for Brighton from Friday 14th December (four per person), with tickets - subject to availability - on General Sale from Monday 17th August.

Fans can buy online at fulhamfc.com/tickets, by phone on 0203 871 0810 or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/december/12/january-home-games-on-sale

[WhiteJC]

 
Robert Snodgrass delighted by West Ham rebirth but fires stark warning to teammates ahead of Fulham

Robert Snodgrass has become the most unlikely of cult heroes at West Ham United this season.
The Scotland international has been reborn at West Ham this season when his Hammers career looked well and truly over before it ever began.
After failing to establish himself following a £10million move from Hull, Snodgrass was shipped out on loan to Championship Aston Villa last season.
The 31-year-old looked certain to leave the club in the summer.
But a discussion with Manuel Pellegrini and a new determination to make his Hammers career work have turned everything around.

An unlikely Hammers cult hero
Pellegrini recently revealed that Snodgrass impressed him in pre-season and trimmed down in a bid to make things work.
And work it has.
Snodgrass has seven assists already this term and scored his first Premier League goal for the East Londoners in a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace last time out.
Some goal it was too.
That win was West Ham's third on the bounce and the third game in a row they have scored three goals.
It is the first time the Hammers have managed such a feat since 1982.
Pellegrini's side have a real chance to make it four when they travel to Fulham for the late kick-off on Saturday.

McMessi: 'It means a lot'
Speaking to the club's official website ahead of the game Snodgrass – or McMessi as he is now affectionately referred to by some fans – admitted his delight at his and West Ham's turnaround.
But he sounded a stark warning to his teammates if they have any plans to keep their good run going.
"It does mean a lot to me (the turnaround)," Snodgrass told whufc.com.
"I've been waiting a long moment to score a goal in the Premier League for West Ham and to get it in that fashion and get the win was delightful.


Snoddy fires stark warning to teammates over defending
"When you lose the first four games, I don't think the fans would have thought we'd be winning three on the bounce and scoring three goals a game.

"It's really good at the moment but we must build on it.

"As a team, we need to stop conceding goals.

"There are a lot of games coming up and a lot of people in the squad who want to play. We're just trying to build the momentum through the whole squad and it's working."

Snodgrass is right to point out West Ham's defending.

It would be easy to ride the positive train after three wins in a week.

But the two goals conceded against Palace and the late strike from Cardiff before that were extremely sloppy.

Against better opposition West Ham will be punished for such lapses.

Hopefully Snodgrass will help focus a few minds before the trip to Fulham.



https://www.hammers.news/club-news/robert-snodgrass-delighted-by-west-ham-rebirth-but-fires-stark-warning-to-teammates-ahead-of-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Report boosts Ranieri's hopes of bringing Leicester duo to Fulham

Claudio Ranieri is reportedly hoping to reunite with his Leicester City heroes Danny Simpson and Shinji Okazaki at Premier League strugglers Fulham.

Since Claudio Ranieri took over at Fulham manager in November, the veteran Italian has been linked with a whole host of his Leicester City title winners.

Ranieri faces a big challenge keeping The Cottagers in the Premier League – and what better way to achieve the feet than by reuniting with a number of players who exceeded all expectations and pulled off a miracle just two-and-a-half years ago, leading the un-fancied Foxes to their first-ever top flight title.

TEAMtalk claim that the former Chelsea and Roma boss is keen to bring Danny Simpson and Shinji Okazaki to Craven Cottage in the New Year. And, fortunately for Ranieri, the Leicester duo could both be made available in January.

The Mirror claims that Leicester boss Claude Puel is set to listen to offers for a number of the club's immortals with Simpson and Okazaki, who are both out of contract next summer, expected to be given the green light to go.

And don't expect Ranieri to wait around.

Simpson was Leicester's first-choice right-back in their unforgettable 2016/17 campaign and would offer Premier League experience in the place of Ryan Christie at Fulham, while Okazaki's work rate and link play could help get the best out of Alexander Mitrovic.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/12/12/do-report-boosts-ranieris-hopes-of-bringing-leicester-duo-to-ful/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham capacity to be reduced to less than 20,000 during Riverside Stand redevelopment

Fulham will play in front of a reduced capacity of less than 20,000 when work begins on the new Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage.

The Premier League side are understood to want work to start in May 2019 and expect the project to be completed for the start of the 2021/22 season.

Fulham received planning permission for the £80m redevelopment nine months ago, but only appointed a contractor - Buckingham Group - on Monday.

Craven Cottage has a current capacity of 25,700 and it will increase to just under 30,000 when work is complete.

However, between 6,000 and 7,000 seats are likely to be unavailable once the project begins. Four thousand seats in the Riverside Stand will be affected, while some in other stands will be inaccessible for safety reasons.

Fulham are keen to remain at Craven Cottage during the building work, despite the impact on capacity, rather than move to a temporary home.

Loftus Road and Griffin Park - the current homes of nearby QPR and Brentford respectively - have been deemed to be too small, while a ground share at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea is seen as unrealistic.

While Fulham are understood to want to begin work in May and expect it to last two years, they are reluctant to commit to exact timescales in light of the criticism levelled at Tottenham for the repeated delaying of the opening of their new stadium.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11578717/fulham-capacity-to-be-reduced-to-less-than-20000-during-riverside-stand-redevelopment

[WhiteJC]

 
Games for the Weekend – 15/12
On Saturday we welcome another London team, West Ham Utd to the Cottage.

The 2nd half against Man Utd showed a much better performance, certainly compared to the 1st half, so hopefully we can continue that improvement against West Ham.

West Ham have improved since their poor start to the season so I think this game will be more of a test as to how Ranieri has 'improved' Fulham.

Due to injury Ryan Fredericks, he's out for the rest of the year at least, won't get a run out against us, players always seem to have good games against their previous clubs?, his pace could have caused us problems? ...and if he's learned to cross a ball we could have been in real trouble?

Two forwards who, if fit, might be a cause for concern for the Fulham back four are Chicharito and Andy Carroll who's speed and height would be a concern even if our defenders were full of confidence. Still Mitro and Ryan Sess can/will cause the hammers defence problems, so I'm expecting a good competitive game. COYW

Games of Interest...
Saturday 15th
Palace v Leicester
Huddersfield v Newcastle
Spurs v Burnley
Watford v Cardiff
Fulham v West Ham

Sunday 16th
Brighton v Chelsea
Southampton v Arsenal


come on over to the forum and join in the discussion...
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=521

[WhiteJC]

 
Celtic must boldly swoop for Odoi



OPINION
Celtic could kill two birds with one stone and stun fans by boldly signing Fulham defender Denis Odoi in the near future.

Brendan Rodgers' side are on the lookout for a new full-back, as reported by The Scottish Sun, due to both Mikael Lustig and Cristian Gamboa's contract both set to expire.

The Hoops could also do with boosting their central defensive options as well due to centre-back Dedryck Boyata's current deal being on course to expire at the end of the season.

With this in mind, one swoop could solve Celtic's problems and it's a plausible one to say the least.

Odoi is able to play both centre-back and right-back and is currently regularly featuring for Fulham in the Premier League.

The 31-year-old has played 16 times across all competition this season for the Cottagers and despite his side's leaky defensive record, has stood out for the right reasons at times.

Odoi previously impressed for the Cottagers in the Championship in his 2017/18 campaign where he helped them get promotion by featuring 38 times in the league and he clearly has the tools needed to succeed at Celtic as a result.

Even thought the experienced defender is currently regularly featuring for a side in England's top-flight, the Hoops could stun fans by luring him to them.

According to the Chronicle  Odoi's current contract is set to expire in June 2019 and that means the Cottagers may be tempted to cash in him on January if they decide they should look for a younger option.

This will play into Celtic's hands as they would be able to potentially get the Premier League enforcer for a cheap price or they could simply wait to snap him up for free in the summer.

The 31-year-old would no doubt jump at the chance to play for his side battling for honours rather than one fighting for their lives in a relegation battle.

Therefore given that Odoi is on course to be a free agent and due to the fact he could play right-back as well as centre-back, Celtic should stun fans by swooping for a player currently in Fulham's first-team plans.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2018/12/blogs/scottish-premier-league/celtic-must-boldly-swoop-for-odoi/

[WhiteJC]

 
Report: Hull's Jarrod Bowen targeted by Fulham and Cardiff

Fulham and Cardiff City are both said keen on the '£5million-rated' Hull City star

The Hull City forward, Jarrod Bowen, is a target for Fulham and Cardiff City, according to the Sun.

Bowen has scored or assisted nine goals in 21 games for Hull this season and is said to be valued at around £5 million.

That could make the 21-year-old a sensible investment for Fulham or Cardiff, each of whom will have fears over an immediate return to the Championship.

And the Sun claims he could move clubs when the transfer window opens in January, with Hull facing relegation danger themselves.

Bowen moved to Hull from Hereford United four years ago and could favour a move to Cardiff, which is less than a two-hour drive from the player's native Leominster, over Fulham.

His Tigers deal still has 18 months left to run, and contains an option to extend it by a further year according to Transfermarkt.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/12/12/report-hulls-jarrod-bowen-targeted-by-fulham-and-cardiff/

[WhiteJC]

 
[Image] Predicted 4-2-3-1 Fulham XI to face West Ham – can the Cottagers stop an in-form Hammers?

Predicted Fulham line-up to face West Ham in the Premier League

Fulham will be desperate to get a win under their belt when they face West Ham United at Craven Cottage this Saturday in the Premier League. Claudio Ranieri's men were close to atrocious last week against Manchester United, losing the game 4-1. They stay at the foot of the table, three points behind the safety zone.

Things won't come easy this weekend as the Hammers are in fine form at the moment, winning their previous three league games on the spin. Hence, the Cottagers need to come up with a special performance to topple their London opponents on Saturday.
Team News

Andre Anguissa got a red card against United and is suspended for this match. Floyd Ayite has a groin problem and is probably out for this match. Calum Chambers looks like will be ready to start this weekend, while Kevin McDonald has a hamstring strain and could remain out.
Probable Fulham XI
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Manager: Claudio Ranieri
Sergio Rico (GK)

The Spaniard has done well but his defence hasn't helped him at all. As a result, keeping a clean sheet continues to be a distant dream. He would be hoping for a chance on Saturday.
Cyrus Christie (RB)

He was left out of the previous game and Fulham looked weak at right-back. Expect Christie to come back into the team.
Denis Odoi (CB)

He struggled at right-back against United, hence, he should return to his favoured centre-back position.
Alfie Mawson (CB)

The summer signing needs to step up and lead that shabby defence to some sort of stability.
Joe Bryan (LB)

Bryan must concentrate on defending as a left-back before thinking of bombing forward on every occasion.
Calum Chambers  (CM)

The loanee from Arsenal had an injury but he should be fit to start on Saturday.
Jean Michael Seri (CM)

The Ivorian must step up in the midfield to protect the back-line and also support the attack.
Ryan Sessegnon (LW)

Fulham fans will be hoping the youngster's pace causes trouble to the West Ham defenders in the wide areas.
Tom Cairney (CAM)

The skipper has played decently but he is lacking the final product while operating behind the striker. He needs to improve on that.
Andre Schurrle (RW)

The Cottagers would do well if Schurrle gets some goals and wins them important points.
Aleksandar Mitrovic (ST)

The Serb has a good record at home this season. He would be aiming to score at least once this weekend.





https://soccersouls.com/2018/12/12/image-predicted-4-2-3-1-fulham-xi-to-face-west-ham-can-the-cottagers-stop-an-in-form-hammers/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham – 3 Necessities Required To Beat West Ham

Four games into the reign of Claudio Ranieri and Fulham are still rooted to the foot of the Premier League.

Those four games have produced just four points with Ranieri overseeing a win, a draw and two defeats.

This Saturday, Fulham welcome West Ham United, to Craven Cottage, for a London derby.

If Fulham are to gather sufficient points to retain their Premier League status then this is the kind of game we need to win.

West Ham are a team that have had troubles of their own this season but appear to be emerging from their own poor run of form.

But, if we are to win this Saturday, what do Fulham need to do?

Here at Vital Fulham, we've identified three areas we must concentrate on.

1 – Defending is crucial, not once this season have Fulham managed to keep a clean-sheet, it's an unwanted statistic but a clear example of why we are in the predicament we are in now. Now, I'm not saying we've got to start keeping clean sheets every game but we must cut out the errors and lapses that are costing us so dearly and Saturday is as good a day as any to start.

2 – The home support needs to keep giving the side their wonderful support, we need to remember where we were last season and how far we've come. There's no place for dissenters inside Craven Cottage, let's get behind the team, give them 100% and don't waiver, even in the face of adversity.

3 – Let's hope we get a lucky break, the rub of the green, whatever you wish to call it. One such incident could be the catalyst for a run that lifts us out of the relegation pack. Now whether that'll be an own goal, an offside goal that's given or something of a similar ilk, I'll not be complaining.

COYW's



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/fulham-3-necessities-required-to-beat-west-ham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Saturday Could Be The Day When Fulham Start To Turn Things Around

With the mid-point of the season fast approaching, Fulham are not in a position, table wise, we anticipated they would be when the 2018 / 2019 season kicked off back in August.

Those pre-season dreams have been dashed by a string of results that have seen the team win just two Premier League games all season.

Accumulating a mere eight points at this stage of the season is, make no mistake about it, relegation form.

With the festive period almost upon us, we're well aware of the abysmal record teams who find themselves in our position have when it comes to avoiding relegation.

But, with there being just three points between us, at the bottom, and the side who sit just above the relegation zone, we acknowledge a couple of wins could work wonders with regards to our league position.

However, will the first of those wins come this Sunday, against West Ham United, at Craven Cottage?



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/saturday-could-be-the-day-when-fulham-start-to-turn-things-around/

[WhiteJC]

 
Wolves should use Portuguese links to rival Fulham for Pedro Martelo

Pedro Martelo is wanted by Fulham.

Fulham have made an enquiry about Deportivo La Coruna striker Pedro Martelo, according to The Daily Mail.

Martelo is out of contract in the summer and has a bargain buyout clause of just £903k.

Many clubs across Europe are keeping their tabs on Martelo, who currently plays for Deportivo's B team.

So should Wolves enter the race for the youngster? Given their Portuguese links, this could be a shrewd move.

The Portugal under-20 international has five goals in six games at that level, according to transfermarkt.

And he previously netted three in seven games for Portugal's under-19 side.

That included the winning goal in Portugal's successful under-19 European Championship campaign.

And the 19-year-old might be tempted to join the strong Portuguese contingent at Wolves.

With Nuno Espirito Santo and a number of his backroom staff being Portuguese, as well as having eight senior players and four youth players from Portugal, Martelo would have help settling in.

Martelo has failed to score yet for Deportivo B as he looks to make the step up to senior football.

But with an asking price of below £1m, he is worth a gamble for Wolves, who could snap up one of the talents of tomorrow.



https://tbrfootball.com/wolves-should-use-portuguese-links-to-rival-fulham-for-pedro-martelo/

[WhiteJC]

 
Cardiff in pole position to sign Ligue 1 ace amid interest from Palace, Fulham and West Ham

Several clubs have been linked with a move to sign Argentinian striker in January

Cardiff City have emerged as the favourites to sign in-demand Nantes forward Emiliano Sala in January, according to reports.

The 28-year-old has been attracting interest from the Premier League after scoring 12 goals so far this season in Ligue 1, putting him alongside Paris Saint-Germain and France forward Kylian Mbappe as the joint top scorer in the division.

As such, several clubs are understood to be interested in signing the Argentine, who has averaged a goal every 92 minutes so far this season.

Crystal Palace , Fulham , Southampton and West Ham are among the clubs reportedly interested in signing Sala, but France Football are reporting that Cardiff are leading the race to sign him.

That's after Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock watched Sala score a goal in Nantes' 3-2 win against Marseille last week, with speculation that Cardiff will make a swoop to sign Sala in January.

Reports in France suggest talks have been held over a potential €15million move in January, as Cardiff look to add more goals to their side in their bid for Premier League survival, with Sala having a contract until the summer of 2020.

Cardiff are not the only club looking to add firepower to their squad in January, with fellow strugglers Southampton and Crystal Palace among the lowest scorers in the Premier League so far this season.

Meanwhile, Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri has previously worked with Sala during his time in charge at Nantes, while West Ham are understood to be weighing up potential options in January, with Sala thought to be one of the forwards they are considering.

Half of any fee that Nantes could possibly receive for Sala will be due 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/premier-league/cardiff-pole-position-palace-fulham-15540418

[WhiteJC]

 
Bryan: Make It Count

Now he's back fighting fit, Joe Bryan is keen to start playing his part in the accruement of some Fulham victories.

The left-back made his return to action late on in the draw against Leicester City, before lasting the entirety of our trip to Manchester three days later.

"I'm happy to be back on the pitch but obviously disappointed that we couldn't pick up a win," he told fulhamfc.com. "But it's nice to be back and feeling fit, fast and strong.

"I think getting the 15 minutes in against Leicester was important because it kind of threw me back into a high pressure scenario with it at 1-1, even if it was just for quarter of an hour.

"So that was good, and then to get 90 at the weekend was a step up from that, which I think was my first 90 minutes in the Premier League as I got subbed in every other game!

"First half wasn't good enough from us but we've evaluated and went through all the goals and we've worked out what went wrong.

"And from that we've put the work in on the training pitch to make sure it doesn't happen again.

"I know they sat back in the second half but I think we took the game to United, so we need to carry that on and try and get the fans on our side.

"They were great on Saturday and they're massively important for us, especially when you're struggling at the bottom of the league.

"When you've got them all screaming you on it just gives you a little bit of extra motivation to run that extra yard or make that extra tackle."

Three of our four remaining fixtures in 2018 come at Craven Cottage, something Bryan is keen to make the most of, starting with the visit of West Ham United at the weekend.

"We've got to pick up points from these ones," he said. "We've got a good run of games to try and pick up some vital points.

"West Ham are a good side. They went and bought a lot of quality players in the summer.

"They've had some injury problems but even then they've still got good players out there, the same as any team in the Premier League.

"We'll look at the videos and see where their threats are and try and put in a good performance and get the result on Saturday."

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/13/joe-bryan-make-it-count

[WhiteJC]

 
Phil Jones could get back on track with a move to Claudio Ranieri's Fulham

Fulham remain bottom of the Premier League following a 4-1 thrashing against Manchester United at the weekend.

The Cottagers got off to the best worst possible start with Ashley Young opening the scoring after just 13 minutes with Juan Mata doubling their advantage not long after. The victory was secured for the Red Devils before half-time with Romelu Lukaku scoring at Old Trafford for the first time since March. Aboubakar Kamara scored from the spot, but Fulham were reduced to ten-men when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa was given a second yellow before Marcus Rashford sealed the win late on.

The result leaves Fulham bottom of the table having conceded 40 goals in just 16 games. Their woeful defensive record will of huge concern for new manager Claudio Ranieri who has been unable to steady the ship so far. To avoid an instant return to the Championship, the Italian must look to bolster his defensive ranks during the upcoming January transfer window.

One man who should be of interest is Manchester United defender – Phil Jones. Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, the England international joined the Red Devils from Blackburn Rovers in 2011 for £15m emerging as one of the country's brightest talents. Sir Alex Ferguson believed Jones could go on to be one of United's best ever players but injuries have hampered his progress at Old Trafford. The 26-year-old has also fallen out of favour with Jose Mourinho, starting just three Premier League games this season.

If he can keep his fitness levels high, Jones would prove to be a wonderful addition to the Fulham back line. The Englishman is strong in the tackle and dominant in the air – his arrival would add some much-needed stability in the back four. With a vast amount of experience in the Premier League, Jones could be just what Ranieri needs to save the Cottagers from relegation.

Jones' current contract expires at the end of the season meaning Fulham could grab themselves a bargain in January.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/fulham/phil-jones-could-get-back-on-track-with-a-move-to-claudio-ranieris-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

 
Should Jack Wilshere or Mark Noble start alongside Declan Rice against Fulham?

As reported by Football London, West Ham have seen their injury crisis somewhat eased by summer signing Jack Wilshere's return to fitness after an ankle problem, which will no doubt give Manuel Pellegrini a selection headache in the middle of the park as the former Arsenal man is expected to be ready for the weekend's action.

The pairing of Declan Rice and Mark Noble has been an effective one for the majority of the current campaign, notably helping the Hammers to three straight Premier League wins from the last three games.

However, this weekend's opponents Fulham, who are currently propping up the Premier League, will be a different kettle of fish for the Irons.

Both Noble and Rice are rigid, defence-minded midfielders with little creativity between them, so against a side playing as poorly as the Cottagers are, Wilshere's creativity and vision could be a more useful weapon than what the Hammers' captain offers alongside Rice.

Who do you think should start in midfield alongside Rice against Claudio Ranieri's men? Have your say down below and keep an eye out for the published results...



https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/west-ham/should-jack-wilshere-or-mark-noble-start-alongside-declan-rice-against-fulham