Wednesday Fulham Stuff (17/04/19)...

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Dwight Gayle could have other options in the summer, and Newcastle could use it as leverage

Newcastle United may have options when it comes to Dwight Gayle in the close season

Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle is a potential summer target for Championship-bound Fulham.

Gayle will be a wanted man again in the summer but is unlikely to have a future at Newcastle if Rafa Benitez commits to the club.

Benitez wanted to move the player on in 2018 and the club even negotiated new terms on his contract to persuade him to swap clubs with Salomon Rondon – a move that has actually proved a success for both parties. Gayle indicated that he would be open to moving to West Brom permanently but that may depend on whether they are promoted or not, with Albion keen not to overspend in the battle to return to the top flight.

But Newcastle will not be short on suitors for a player who is proven to score goals in the second tier.

Even though Gayle wants to play Premier League football – either at Newcastle or elsewhere – the most important thing will be to play. And Fulham – who are looking to rebuild in the Championship – remain keen on Newcastle's former number nine.

Ex-Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic will leave Craven Cottage in the summer – with Fulham turning around a quick profit on the Serbia striker, who has hit double figures this season despite relegation – and the Cottagers will be looking for a replacement who has a track record of scoring in the second tier.

It's not widely known, but Gayle was actually their first choice before Mitrovic when they signed the latter in January transfer window of 2018. Newcastle wouldn't sell back then, so Mitrovic moved instead.

Fulham will be busy in the summer and they have some big decisions to make on their star assets. United were keen on Tom Cairney after they won promotion to the Premier League and Benitez remains an admirer of the 28-year-old.

Whether they could use that as leverage – or indeed Benitez would be able to bring in a 28-year-old given Newcastle's transfer policy – remains to be seen.



https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dwight-gayle-could-options-summer-16134978

[WhiteJC]

 
West Brom set to face battle to seal transfer agreement

Newly relegated Fulham are set to rival West Brom in the battle for a permanent deal for the Baggies' on loan striker Dwight Gayle, it has been reported by The Chronicle.

Gayle has been in outstanding form for West Brom this season, finding the net on 21 occasions to help the Midlands club to fourth place in the Championship table with four games of the season remaining.

It was recently reported that Gayle was open to making his move to The Hawthorns permanent, but that hasn't put Fulham off a move for the striker.

According to The Chronicle, Gayle is a target for the London club as they look to rebuild in the Championship following a single season in the top flight, having already demonstrated his ability in the second tier with both Newcastle and West Brom.

The report claims that Newcastle are also interested in Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney, and Gayle could be used as a bargaining chip to bring the Scotsman to St James' Park.

The verdict
You feel the future of Gayle is still in West Brom's hands.

While Fulham can only guarantee him Championship football, West Brom could still give him the chance to play in the Premier League.

This could also be interesting to see where Newcastle's own intentions lie. While Gayle could be used as a bargaining chip for Cairney with Fulham, you feel they could also offer him to West Brom in the same way in order to keep a certain Salomon Rondon at St James'.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/west-brom-set-to-face-battle-to-seal-transfer-agreement/

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Second club interested in Fulham man, set to make offer and confident of signature

A Spor claim Fenerbahce are keeping tabs on Borussia Dortmund attacker Andre Schurrle, who's currently on loan at Fulham.

The player is likely to return to Germany following Fulham's relegation to the Championship and the player has also been linked with Fenerbahce's local rivals Besiktas in recent weeks.

Fenerbahce are set to make an overhaul of their squad this summer and the Fulham loanee looks to be a target for the club.

It's reported Schurrle has decided to leave Fulham after dropping down into the English second tier and Fenerbahce are hoping they can convince the 28-year old to move to Istanbul.

According to A Spor, the Super Lig side are set to make a loan offer to Dortmund to sign the player and they are confident that they can secure his signature.

Schurrle has scored 6 goals for Fulham in the Premier League this season.

His contract with Borussia Dortmund expires in June 2021.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/second-club-interested-fulham-man-set-make-offer/

[WhiteJC]

 
Inside Vitality Stadium

AFC Bournemouth fan Alex Deutsch assesses another impressive campaign for the Cherries, and predicts what the travelling Fulham faithful can expect on Saturday.


Another season of Premier League football (all but) secured – does that mean you view this year as a success?

Absolutely! It's easy to forget that a lot of people were tipping AFC Bournemouth for relegation this year (and every other year, for that matter) and, yet again, we've proven the doubters wrong. Our blistering start and some of the football played earlier in the season prompted a few of us to dream of something bigger, but ultimately we've never looked in danger of relegation and that really is a fantastic achievement.

Is it still hard to get your head around, considering where you were just 10 years ago?

It's still a bit surreal but as each season passes in the PL, we prove that our rise was no fluke. This year we're marking our 10 year anniversary of the Great Escape campaign, within which the club survived a 17 point deduction in League Two, while serving a transfer embargo. One can argue that with the resources available to us at the time, the Great Escape was perhaps a bigger achievement that our subsequent rise, as bonkers as that might sound. Our history, the battles we've won and where we've come from is ingrained in the soul of our football club, with our never-say-die attitude often characterised in our football displays. That attitude is arguably one of the main reasons that we're still in this league and it's incredible to look back at our journey and recognise how far we've come. But I'm excited to now to look forward and see what the next 10 years can bring us. When you think this club can't surprise you anymore, they do it once again!

Who have been your standout performers this term?

It's difficult to look past how good David Brooks has been - a real surprise package. Even at his young age, he is one of the most naturally gifted footballers that I've seen in a Bournemouth shirt and I was so happy to see him sign a new contract a few weeks ago. I genuinely expect him to go right the way to the very top. Nathan Ake is constantly colossal for us and I've never seen him put in anything under than 100 per cent. Jefferson Lerma also deserves a mention, he's the engine in midfield that we've been crying out for for years, and betting on him to get a yellow card is like printing money. Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson have picked up a lot of the plaudits this year, and rightly too. They have built up a telepathic connection with one another; combining for 10 goals so far this season, breaking Dennis Bergkamp and Nicolas Anelka's record they've held since 1999. I just hope we can keep hold of them.

Do you think Bournemouth can continue to progress, or are you happy with a mid-table finish each season?

I see no reason why we cannot progress and at least cement ourselves as a top 10 side. You only need to look at Watford's brilliant season to recognise what can be achieved with a similar budget and comparable resources. Who knows, maybe one day we could even push for that seventh spot too.

How does Howe set the side up?

With Lewis Cook, Charlie Daniels, Simon Francis and Diego Rico out for the season with injures, I'm half expecting a call-up myself. However, shifting our formation to three at the back proved really fruitful for our 0-5 win at Brighton and I'd like to think we'd give that another try. It seems that we like to keep the opposition guessing with who starts in goal, but Artur Boruc's clean sheet at the weekend means he must be likely to start. Steve Cook's reintroduction into the team after two months out with injury was a gigantic factor in our win on Saturday, and his drive, passion and application was a much needed boost to a team in poor form at the time. I'm hoping that, even though safety is assured and we have little to play for, we can continue to spread that attitude around our team. If we click, you should expect lightning fast counter attacks and strong, driven running from Fraser and Joshua King, who on their day are unstoppable. Yes, we've had a bit of a turbulent few months and when we've been bad this season, we've been really bad. But when we've been good, we've played some of the best football I've ever seen us play.

Have you seen much of Fulham?

A bit, and I'm sorry to see how the season has panned out. I absolutely love visiting Craven Cottage and our fixture there was a highlight of my season, not just because of the result. I'm no expert with Fulham so I won't be able to speculate into what quite went wrong but I genuinely hope that you can regroup and that we'll see you again in the Premier League again really soon. Strong, powerful players like Aleksandar Mitrović can cause our back four some issues so naturally I hope he doesn't fancy it.

What's the best and worst thing about a trip to Dean Court?

Best: Due to the size of the ground, you get a great, intimate view of the game no matter where you're sat. You're so close to the action that you can feel a lot more a part of it, which is a rarity in this league. Also, I think that Bournemouth fans are generally a good bunch and apparently the weather is supposed to be hotter than Mallorca this week so why not visit our award winning beach?

Worst: The sides of the ground are so small that players kick the ball over sometimes and I think people nick them. Also, due to the lack of turnstiles, it can take a little while to get into the ground - so make sure you get there with a bit of time.

Can you recommend a good place for away fans to head for a pre-match pint?

There's a few bars near Boscombe high street that allows away fans and I believe Mello Mello bar is a popular destination.

What sort of game are you anticipating?

So difficult to predict. Will our 0-5 win on Saturday propel us towards a final bit of form as we end the season? Or will guaranteed safety prompt our players to start planning their summer holidays? If the former, we could cause Fulham some real issues with our attacking potency. If the latter and there's two teams with absolutely nothing to play for, it could be a real snooze-fest.

What score prediction are you going for?

As an eternal optimist, I'm going for 3-0 Bournemouth, with the hope that the players are keen to carry on their electric display into home form.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/april/16/inside-vitality-stadium

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Easter Opening Hours

Opening hours for the Stadium Store over the upcoming Easter period.

Date	Times
Good Friday	10am-5pm
Saturday 20th April	9am-5pm
Easter Sunday	Closed
Easter Monday	11am-4pm

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/april/16/easter-opening-hours

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Andre Gomes to serve three match suspension for stamp on Aleksandar Mitrovic after accepting FA charge of violent conduct

    Andre Gomes' stamp on Aleksandar Mitrovic was missed by the officials
    FA decided to charge Everton midfielder retrospectively with violent conduct
    Gomes has accepted the charge and will serve a three game suspension 
    Gomes' final game of season-long loan is at Tottenham on last day of season

Andre Gomes will serve a three match ban after accepting the FA's charge of violent conduct following a stamp on Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Referee Lee Probert missed the incident during Everton's defeat by Fulham on Saturday.

But Gomes, on loan from Barcelona, was served with retrospective action after losing his head in an irate confrontation with the striker.


Andre Gomes stamped on the ankle of Aleksandar Mitrovic and will now serve a ban

Gomes stood on the exposed ankle of Mitrovic but none of the officials saw it at the time of the incident.

Television footage highlighted the incident and FA chiefs charged the Portuguese with violent conduct on Monday.

He will play the final game of his loan spell at Tottenham on the final day of the Premier League season.

In the match itself, Everton suffered a 2-0 defeat by the relegated Cottagers. 

Tom Cairney broke the deadlock and there was a superb atmosphere despite the fact that Fulham had already been consigned to Championship football next season.

Everton almost managed to get back on level terms through Dominic Calvert-Lewin but the striker could only direct his shot onto the outside of the post.   

Former Liverpool man Ryan Babel put one past the Toffees to put Scott Parker's side in control at 2-0 up.

And Marco Silva's men failed to muster a response, sliding to defeat after a strong run of recent form.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6928735/Andre-Gomes-serve-three-match-suspension-stamp-Aleksandar-Mitrovic.html

[WhiteJC]

'Money Doesn't Buy Success' Fulham's Downfall

After securing promotion via the playoffs last season, Fulham arrived back in the big time for the first time since being relegated in 2014. With money in the bank, they decided to strengthen their squad to prepare for life in the Premier League. It was a good idea in theory. Over a £100 million spent and eight months later they were condemned back down to the Championship. Fulham have succeeded in showing promoted teams how not to stage a Premier League campaign.

Fulham's Premier League Downfall
Big Money, Big Problems
There's only one place to start, with their summer transfer business. On paper, the signings looked good. Good enough to turn people's heads with many people fearing Fulham could stage a successful season for that of a promoted club. Whilst the pedigree of the players was good, the transfer policy in hindsight was a touch over exuberant. Almost as if they felt that they had to spend money and ended up buying for buying's sake.

The higher profile name signings included former Chelsea winger André Schürrle, Jean Seri and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa. With young loanees like Calum Chambers, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Sergio Rico also looking to make impacts as well – the squad was building nicely.

Combine those with the team that brought them into the league – young talent such as Tom Cairney, Ryan Sessegnon and Aleksandar Mitrovic who helped fire them to promotion in the second half of the previous season, it all looked like it was a squad too good to go down right? Wrong.

The Problems
Bringing in over a £100 million worth of talent, in the end, took away from the core group that brought them into the Premier League. Successful promoted teams of the Premier League era look to keep the core group together because that's the identity of the team. Having a settled team starting from minute one gives the team a much better chance of settling into the league quicker. However, you have to acknowledge the step up in quality from the Championship to the Premier League.

The youthful team they had should have been strengthened in the right areas in the summer. What followed was a combination of the manager's open style of play and a lineup that seemed to change every week. His open style of play lead to the second highest goals in the league with 79. But in the Premier League, its lead to them conceding the most goals. They have sorely missed experience in this team. Combining the youth with some much-needed experience in defence and midfield would have given more stability.

However, Slaviša Jokanović could have managed this team a whole lot better in terms of keeping a much more consistent lineup. Chopping and changing the team week in week out did not help. Especially with the defence, which never looked settled and that resulted in this team conceding the goals they have.

Trying to play open, expansive football without a settled defence has been arguably their main issue. Defeats lead to more defeats and a lack of confidence spread through the club. It felt as if they didn't start the season with that hunger that you typically expect from a promoted team. Either way, the future could be even more problematic.

What Next
Coming back around to the talent brought in, a lot of players will feel they are too good for the Championship and some may have a point. In a poor season, players such as Cairney, Seri, Mitrovic and Sessegnon are the players most likely to gain a move. Players on loan will return to their former clubs. Out of Fulham's starting eleven, we could be seeing a large majority of them not at the club next season.

Once again, a summer rebuild will have to take place as they deal with the financial repercussions of not being in the Premier League and all the riches they are now going to be missing out on. As well as the financial hit they will take with most of their players being risks that have failed.

The goal of being an established Premier League team has now been replaced with promotion once again. They must learn from their mistakes that success cannot be gained overnight. Failing to rebuild correctly could result in something like this happening again.

Look to the likes of Bournemouth, Stoke City, Swansea City and Wolverhampton Wanderers who have all came through the ranks and built well from the Championship to the Premier League. A rebuilding job now has to take place over summer. This could give a young English manager, Scott Parker, a chance to flourish and gain experience.

However, Fulham will be hoping that this summer can go a long way in rebuilding this club to give them the foundation to spring back to where they want to be.



https://lastwordonfootball.com/2019/04/16/money-doesnt-buy-success-fulhams-downfall/

[WhiteJC]

 
Tottenham Hotspur 'winning Ryan Sessegnon race'

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly at the head of the queue for Fulham teenager Ryan Sessegnon.

Sessegnon has made 31 Premier League appearances for the Cottagers this season, scoring twice and contributing six assists.

The 18-year-old has attracted attention from the likes of Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, but Tottenham have been consistently linked with the left-sided player.

According to The Sun, the pulling power of Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino means that the capital outfit are at the head of the queue entering this summer's transfer window.

Sessegnon - an eight-time England Under-21 international - scored 15 times for Fulham during their 2017-18 Championship campaign and has gained some valuable top-flight experience this term.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/spurs/transfer-talk/news/tottenham-hotspur-winning-ryan-sessegnon-race_356466.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Tottenham ready to make cut-price move for Fulham star Ryan Sessegnon

The 18-year-old could now be available for a lot less than the £25million the Whites demanded last year

Tottenham Hotspur feel they will finally get their hands on Ryan Sessegnon after holding off on a deal in the past three transfer windows.

Fulham's teenage winger has been linked with Spurs since he burst onto the scene.

But they now think the summer is the right time to bring the 18-year-old to the club following the Whites' relegation back to the Championship.

Borussia Dortmund are also watching and would take him on a free transfer at the end of next season if he runs his contract down, report The Sun .

Fulham want to avoid losing him for nothing and will listen to offers at the end of the season.

Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked with the player, despite not hitting the heights in his first top flight season.

It is claimed Sessegnon favours Spurs because he can stay living in west London - and because manager Mauricio Pochettino has a great track record of improving young English talent.

Meanwhile Spurs have been linked with a £40million deal for Belgian international midfielder Youri Tielemans .

The Monaco midfielder is on loan with Leicester City - and they want to keep him at the King Power.

The 21-year-old has proved a big hit with the Foxes and is already on the radar of a number of top clubs.

Tottenham's manager has meanwhile told his players to enjoy the pressure of being in the Champions League quarter-finals.

They go to Manchester City in the second leg on Wednesday night with a 1-0 advantage.

The winner of that tie will play Ajax in the last four after they beat the odds again to end Juventus ' interest in the competition.



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/tottenham-ready-make-cut-price-14383609

[WhiteJC]

 
Opinion: Ryan Sessegnon's market value, likely wage demands, chances of joining Tottenham

According to Mike McGrath of The Sun, Tottenham are leading the race for Ryan Sessegnon. The Mirror say he wants to remain in London. Spurs have competition from Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund for Sessegnon's signature, but how much will the Fulham wide-man cost?

The 18-year-old had a £50m asking price before Fulham's relegation was confirmed, but Transfermarkt and Capology say his market value is currently £31.5m. Sessegnon could be sold for much cheaper, however, as his contract expires in 2020 and he's turned down the chance to sign an extension.

He'll leave Fulham for nothing next year if he's not sold this summer or in January, so the ball is in Tottenham's court. Mousa Dembele is Fulham's record departure, joining Spurs in 2012 for £15m, but that could be broken by Sessegnon. Tottenham won't overpay for a player not guaranteed a starting place.

The midfielder's transfer fee shouldn't be affordable, and his wage demands won't break the bank either. Sessegnon signed his first professional contract in 2017 and hasn't agreed an improved deal, so he's not going to be on a lot of money compared to the average Premier League player.

Spotrac say he's the lowest earner in the Fulham squad on £416k-a-year/£8k-per-week, but FIFA believe he takes home closer to £20k-per-week. Regardless, Tottenham won't break the bank to bring him to the club – £20m-£30m (transfer fee) and £1m-a-year (wages) approx.



https://spurs.vitalfootball.co.uk/opinion-ryan-sessegnons-market-value-likely-wage-demands-chances-of-joining-tottenham/