Transfer Window: As it happened, and discussion

[Mince n Tatties]

I got that wrong I was listening from other room,it was Wigan and 2 US clubs not us.

[AnOldBrownie]

Probably not seriously taken but: https://sportslens.com/report-fulham-eye-move-for-antonio-valencia/257814/

He's strong and quick...but I'm not sure how his conditioning would be if they used him like they use Cyrus Christie.     He's third on United's depth chart for a reason at RB, and if he's expected to cross (which he doesn't do well) and also track back and assist with closing down attackers...


Because if his experience and pace he's an upgrade over Christie.    That doesn't mean he'd work out.   It just means that he SHOULD work a little better.   


CB is still a much bigger need than RB.   Valencia would have allowed the same game winning cross that Christie allowed last week...so, imo it's not much of an upgrade other than the pace.   

He's 33 I think, is he still quick? A bit of an injury risk for a player that needs to cover a lot of ground.

If he were racing someone for 50 meters..yes, he's faster than Christie and would win that race.   He carries a lot of muscle though, so he's not going to do that for an entire 90 minutes.   Not even for 60 minutes the way Christie/Fosu Mensah were used as right backs.   Not going to happen.

He's a good starter/depth player...but not on the wages he's commanding.  You could get two players to cover two spots for that $$$.

I'll leave that to the finance guys at the club to determine, but in general it is probably not as clear cut as saying "if we get this player we cannot get the other one". Of course there are limits, and for good reason, but there is nothing suggesting that if (a big if) we go for Valencia then a CB is out of the question. It is going to be even more difficult to speculate if we are going to invent a number of additional possible problems in my opinion.

As I stated before, I believe Valencia even at 33 would be a massive upgrade on Christie.

Based on what?  I've seen every game both have played over the last two years (well...every game Christie has played as a White)...and saying Valencia is a massive upgrade is an overstatement.   Upgrade, yeah...ok, but neither can cross...at times neither is positionally sound as a defender.    Valencia is a winger converted to a FB...so maybe that would work...but you're still going to expect that there are going to be huge gaps on the right hand side between Valencia and Odoi when Valencia bombs forward...they haven't played together enough.

A 25 year old Valencia is a massive upgrade over Christie as a winger.   As a FB?   He's not a massive improvement at 25 or 33.  A more accurate passer and a better finisher (well, he USE to be a better finisher).

[Sting of the North]

Based on what?  I've seen every game both have played over the last two years (well...every game Christie has played as a White)...and saying Valencia is a massive upgrade is an overstatement.   Upgrade, yeah...ok, but neither can cross...at times neither is positionally sound as a defender.    Valencia is a winger converted to a FB...so maybe that would work...but you're still going to expect that there are going to be huge gaps on the right hand side between Valencia and Odoi when Valencia bombs forward...they haven't played together enough.

A 25 year old Valencia is a massive upgrade over Christie as a winger.   As a FB?   He's not a massive improvement at 25 or 33.  A more accurate passer and a better finisher (well, he USE to be a better finisher).

Based on having had to watch too much Man Utd because of my brother. Admittedly, haven't seen much this season. I think the biggest difference to me is that Valencia's decision making offensively is much better than Christie's. One of our biggest weaknesses is that our fullback in general but Christie specifically fails time and time again to make the correct decisions with the ball in the final third. How many times have we not seen Christie bomb forward, get in a good position and then just stop and do nothing until he looses the ball or passes to a teammate that is now under too much pressure. We cannot continue to play 5 at the back (plus a very offensively challenged defensive MF in Chambers) if our fullbacks can't contribute. Bryan can at least whip in a decent cross now and again.

But would agree that it was an overstatement to say "massive".

[AnOldBrownie]

Valencia is an upgrade...but the move would scream "oh, crap...we couldn't get in anyone else...better at least get THIS guy who isn't playing for anyone".



I doubt Valencia is coming.   I doubt it a LOT.

I also think the people are too harsh on Tony Khan when it comes to closing deals.   Gary Cahill is unsigned right now because GARY CAHILL didn't want to sign.   Not because Tony Khan didn't want to sign him 3 weeks ago.

If it were about the amount of $$$ offered...why the hell is Cahill still unsigned by ANYONE?


Tony Khan lacks experience...and I think a lot of teams see that inexperience as an opportunity to make TK wait in his deals.    I mean, every other team with a player we want comes at Fulham from a position of strength.    They don't need a deal with Fulham.  Fulham need a deal with the opposing clubs....and the PLAYERS all have contracts and have to agree to the deal.   Why wouldn't these players make the Khans wait to the very last minute?

Rumors have linked Cahill with Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Fulham...and yet Gary hasn't chosen to sign with any of them.

[Riversider]

Time to start forward planning methinks,  it will upset some people but we've got to accept that Mitrovic will be gone this summer for a huge amount of money, so let's start planning for next season before that money is in our account and visible to other clubs,
Two strikers are currently available at their present club and would do a good job in The Championship,  Che Adams at Birmingham and Charlie Adams at Southampton bring them both in and give them a chance to bed in before next season, their combined cost would be a fraction of what Mitrovic is worth,
I would also throw in the names of Maupay and Watkins of Brentford, imperative that we start planning now , we are so slow at bringing players in that we can't afford to be in early August and still waiting for arrivals,
It's going to be a summer of massive upheaval time to start planning for it now.

[Matt10]

Based on what?  I've seen every game both have played over the last two years (well...every game Christie has played as a White)...and saying Valencia is a massive upgrade is an overstatement.   Upgrade, yeah...ok, but neither can cross...at times neither is positionally sound as a defender.    Valencia is a winger converted to a FB...so maybe that would work...but you're still going to expect that there are going to be huge gaps on the right hand side between Valencia and Odoi when Valencia bombs forward...they haven't played together enough.

A 25 year old Valencia is a massive upgrade over Christie as a winger.   As a FB?   He's not a massive improvement at 25 or 33.  A more accurate passer and a better finisher (well, he USE to be a better finisher).

Based on having had to watch too much Man Utd because of my brother. Admittedly, haven't seen much this season. I think the biggest difference to me is that Valencia's decision making offensively is much better than Christie's. One of our biggest weaknesses is that our fullback in general but Christie specifically fails time and time again to make the correct decisions with the ball in the final third. How many times have we not seen Christie bomb forward, get in a good position and then just stop and do nothing until he looses the ball or passes to a teammate that is now under too much pressure. We cannot continue to play 5 at the back (plus a very offensively challenged defensive MF in Chambers) if our fullbacks can't contribute. Bryan can at least whip in a decent cross now and again.

But would agree that it was an overstatement to say "massive".

I'm pretty sure the only thing missing from Christie is his crossing ability. He needs to work on it. Fosu-Mensah came in against Arsenal right after a terrible cross from Christie. You could see Ranieri was upset about that.

The good thing is Christie's crossing against Spurs was improved. He also shut down Danny Rose multiple times.

All that said, I like Valencia because he can actually score goals and assists throughout his career. I'm just not sure what his stamina looks like as Christie's is quite high.

[General]

Noticed the topic of transfers wasn't alluded to in the press conference, which is against our usual way of working.. I'm wondering if that's because the club put an embargo on those sort of questions and if so whether that's because there's nothing in the pipeline or there's a bit but they just simply don't want to mention it as January is more tricky for getting deals over the line?

With stories of a fire sale of a lot of our championship playoff winning team, do we think it's a question of dominos and if they go we get in the likes of Cahill?

Had the club been more proactive would we have already got our business done and could we currently be with a back four including the likes of Antonio valencia, Victor moses and/or cahill and a midfield including drinkwater... those points could've proven so crucial.

[General]

I stand corrected. Only saw the stuff posted on the official.

[fulhamben]

I stand corrected. Only saw the stuff posted on the official.

well do tell you tease, what was said

[Hoppus]

Fulham target Mehdi Benatia is off to Qatari side Al Duhail.

[YoungsBitter]

I also think the people are too harsh on Tony Khan when it comes to closing deals.   Gary Cahill is unsigned right now because GARY CAHILL didn't want to sign.   Not because Tony Khan didn't want to sign him 3 weeks ago.

If it were about the amount of $$$ offered...why the hell is Cahill still unsigned by ANYONE?
Tony Khan lacks experience...and I think a lot of teams see that inexperience as an opportunity to make TK wait in his deals.    I mean, every other team with a player we want comes at Fulham from a position of strength.    They don't need a deal with Fulham.  Fulham need a deal with the opposing clubs....and the PLAYERS all have contracts and have to agree to the deal.   Why wouldn't these players make the Khans wait to the very last minute?

Rumors have linked Cahill with Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Fulham...and yet Gary hasn't chosen to sign with any of them.

The problem is as you say, Gary has not chosen and currently as there are still discussions going on with us and others Chelsea are putting no pressure on Cahill, or on Drinkwater. The fact that neither even made the FA Cup Squad says they are going but this is a massive game of chicken. We want players now but if we want either of those now the cost will be permanent move ( no space for English loans) at his current salary with no relegation clause. If we wait until 10.00pm on 31st both Cahill and Chelsea get reasonable - the risk is he goes somewhere else, true, but if we settled last week or now it will break the bank.

[Mince n Tatties]

Nobody loves us😥😥😥😥😥😥

[JoelH5]

Any rumours today? We have 2 days..

[General]

I think or get a feeling that we're holding out for cahill and valencia and those two arrivals depend on our ability to offload players and their wages etc.

Ayite, Kamara, Kebano etc... and ideally TFM.. we need those two in at the very least to stand a chance. Give our forward players a solid foundation to work from and I believe they have more than enough quality to score the goals we need..

It really is a question of cahill, valencia and maybe drinkwater to survive. Get those players in and we could in my opinion start seeing a lot of the remaining games as ones we can get point from or even win.

[JoelH5]

I'm sure this has been said but basically what Ranieri said in his pre-game yesterday is we are still trying to get Cahill in but we also have an alternative. So basically, he wants the 18 month, we wont do it, we're hoping on the last day he will just take a shorter deal. If not, we have an alternative. Risky game of roulette but let's hope it works.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Nobody loves us😥😥😥😥😥😥

Can you blame them ?

[Sting of the North]

I got that wrong I was listening from other room,it was Wigan and 2 US clubs not us.

Well, that was at least almost a rumor, which is better than most days now :)

[filham]

Nobody loves us😥😥😥😥😥😥

Can you blame them ?

Not sure that we even love ourselves any more.

[filham]

Fulham target Mehdi Benatia is off to Qatari side Al Duhail.

What is the point of having targets if we are not prepared to pull the trigger.

[f321ffc]

Galatasaray'da kadro dışı bırakılan Serdar Aziz için Premier Lig ekibi Fulham devreye girdi. Fulham, kadro dışı olması nedeniyle Serdar'ın 2.4 milyon Euro Galatasaray'dan alacağını ödemeye hazır olduğunu iletti.(Futbol Arena)
Galatasaray off-stage Serdar Aziz for the Premier League team was engaged in Fulham. Fulham, due to the off-team Serdar'ın 2.4 million Euro Galatasaray is ready to pay that he was willing to pay.
?????