Saturday Fulham Stuff (04/05/19)...

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Rico Nominated For Player Of The Month

Sergio Rico has been nominated for the PFA Player of the Month award for April.

The Spaniard has been in fine form of late, keeping clean sheets in his previous three outings, and winning the official Fulham Man of the Match vote against both AFC Bournemouth and Cardiff City.

He's up against Lucas Digne, Ayoze Perez, Mohamed Salah, Jamie Vardy and Bernardo Silva for the award.

The winner is decided by the fans, so show your backing for Sergio by giving him vote below. Voting closes at 8am on Monday 6th May.




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/may/03/sergio-rico-nominated-for-player-of-the-month

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Report: Ryan Sessegnon wants Tottenham Hotspur move

Fulham wideman Ryan Sessegnon reportedly prefers a move to Tottenham Hotspur over Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

The 18-year-old was strongly linked with a switch to Spurs last summer, only for his £50m valuation to put the Lilywhites off making a move.

However, Sessegnon is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract and his price tag has dropped to £35m.

According to the Daily Mail, clubs from across Europe are lining up to speak to the versatile teenager, but he would rather stay in the Premier League with Tottenham.

Sessegnon has contributed to eight goals in Fulham's disappointing campaign, which has two games remaining before they drop back down to the Championship.

With their hand forced somewhat following their relegation, the report indicates that Spurs will finally push ahead with an offer once the transfer window opens.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/spurs/transfer-talk/news/report-sessegnon-wants-tottenham-move_358148.html

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Cottage Talk Breaking News: Tom Cairney Signs New Fulham Contract
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

This is a special episode as we discussed our thoughts on the new contract for Tom Cairney. Along with talking about Cairney, we had a conversation about Scott Parker, and we talked about if the Cairney signing is a signal that he could become the permanent Fulham manager in the near future.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2019/5/3/18528463/cottage-talk-breaking-news-tom-cairney-signs-new-fulham-contract

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Fulham completing a €6m deal for this 26-year-old would help them in the Championship next season

Fulham opinion: Should the Cottagers sign Matthias Zimmermann?

Italian news outlet Calciomercato has reported that Fulham have submitted a bid for Bundesliga star Matthias Zimmermann. The right-back has been on the club's radar for a while and Calciomercato has reported that they are set to make a €6-7million bid for the German.

Currently at Fortuna Dusseldorf, the 26-year-old has done well since his move from Stuttgart. Zimmermann spent nearly three years at the club before moving on after failing to nail down a permanent place.

He left for free to Fortuna Dusseldorf, finally finding a place for himself on their team-sheet. This season alone, the 26-year-old has made 33 appearances in all competitions, playing every single game in the Bundesliga.

This has proven to be a big help for the mid-table side, with the club rising through the ranks at a slow and yet steady pace. However, they couldn't have done it without Matthias Zimmermann.



With Fulham's relegation back to the Championship already confirmed, the Cottagers need a few new stars. They have a lot of players on loan and might not retain their services for the coming season.

This includes the liked of Tim Fosu-Mensah, without whom, the Cottagers have just the one right-back in Cyrus Christie.

The 26-year-old has done relatively well over the last few months and has played with the kind of carefree nature. both offensively and defensively that Fulham have really need.

With the heavy load of the Championship on their shoulders, the Craven Cottage side will need another option and in steps Matthias Zimmermann.

The 26-year-old has a lot of experience and is far more talented than Christie. Zimmermann's defensive nuance has been showcased game after game this season.

That combined with his athleticism and ability on the ball, makes him a good full-back for a Championship side.

Conclusion

The Cottagers need to start looking towards the future and players like Matthias Zimmermann are now the way forward. With the 26-year-old at their side, Fulham will give themselves a chance of surviving the Championship and living to fight another day.

That's what they need to focus on right now and maybe even trying to get promoted once again.



https://soccersouls.com/fulham-completing-a-e6m-deal-for-this-26-year-old-would-help-them-in-the-championship-next-season/

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'Conflict, arguments, fight... I've seen it all': Scott Parker's preparation for becoming a manager has been perfect

    Scott Parker has built up a huge amount of managerial experience in his career
    He has been able to take bits from 21 managers into his coaching work so far
    The caretaker boss at Fulham is making a case to be given the job permanently
    He has won three in a row and restored order to the club after a poor season

If the secret of moving smoothly from a playing career into coaching is being able to pick the best bits and avoid the worst from managers you worked with, then it explains why Scott Parker has taken smoothly to such a brutal business.

Parker played for more than 20 managers if you include the caretakers as he savoured the thrill of the Champions League, the gloom of relegation and the whirl of international football.

Among his five England bosses were Sven Goran Eriksson who 'seemed very chilled', Stuart Pearce, who made him captain, and Fabio Capello who was 'very, very scary' and ran the show 'like a dictatorship'.


Scott Parker has taken bits of more than 20 of his managers into his coaching career so far


He has guided Fulham to three wins in a row and has become a candidate for the full-time job

Parker marvelled at the force of personality when Jose Mourinho first swept into Chelsea, the 'tough love' of Graeme Souness at Newcastle and the man-management charms of Harry Redknapp at Tottenham where he first started to think like a coach.



'At the back end of my career I'd put myself in the situations you see in changing rooms,' said Parker. 'Where there is conflict, arguments, fights, players refusing this and that, players kicking off. I was constantly working out how I would have coped with that.

'On the field, I was probably coaching more, helping players and doing my coaching badges.

'John McDermott was at Spurs and he probably pushed me into it, and there was the fear of being 31 and not knowing what I was going to do next.'

Parker has been a Premier League manager for little more than two months, since Claudio Ranieri was sacked and he was summoned from the backroom to lead Fulham to the end of this dismal campaign.

In terms of full-time experience, there was a year coaching Spurs' Under 18s and seven months working with Slavisa Jokanovic and Ranieri... but now there is sense of destiny at play.

He could not save Fulham from relegation — three of his first five games were against top six teams — but as he goes to Wolves on Saturday on the back of three wins, making positive noises about a swift return to the Premier League, the club seems at ease with itself again.

'I wasn't expecting to be in this position,' said Parker. 'But have I planned and prepared over the last six or seven years so that when I was in this position I could be successful? Yes, I believe I have. And I'm glad I've done that. I did it because when the time came, be it now or in a year's time sitting in an interview trying to get a job to be a manager, I didn't want to sink.


He could not save Fulham from relegation but the club seems at ease with itself once again

'Claudio left and the owners said, it's over to you, take a deep breath and go. Then the challenge starts. Parts of football are not nice and don't sit right. Claudio was losing his job and 15 minutes later you're out there trying to prepare a team.

'But that's the reality, it's what you're used to seeing. The hard cold light of it. I've seen it with Slav and Claudio and I've seen it with managers when I played for them. You become hardened to it. I realise that. Claudio realised that. Claudio was superb.'

Parker reflects with appreciation on his own football education. He was a child prodigy, paid £600 to star as a keepy-up kid in a McDonald's advert ahead of the World Cup in 1994. His father Mick was tough on him after games, but this was nothing compared to Keith Blunt, his coach for two years at the FA's School of Excellence in Lilleshall.

'Keith was possibly the hardest man for six months of my life and made it hell,' said Parker. 'I would walk off the training field crying. He was horrible to me. Bless him, he's passed away now, but it was possibly the best grounding.

'It gave me an understanding and a self-perception, a way to understand how I looked to other people. Keith probably took a judgment on me. I was the McDonald's kid and he made me more self-aware of that fact.

'I don't know whether you'd have that now. It's all very nice and clean. And that's not a good thing. That's society. I've got four boys. They're different animals to what I was like.

'Everything is instant. The click of a button. That's my worry. There's no realism in the world at times. Certainly as footballers.

'When my boy has lost 4-0 on a Sunday morning, I'm the Dad in the car saying: "OK mate, don't worry, we can do this or do that". When I got in the car after losing a game I sat in the backseat and had to keep my mouth closed.


Among England bosses, Fabio Capello was 'very, very scary' and ran things 'like a dictatorship'

'People might think the way my father was acting was disgraceful but ultimately I am so appreciative because that made me what I am today. I often ask myself those questions. "Am I doing right by them? How can I instil in them what I had in me? Was it down to the people close to me? Was it the lack of opportunity?"

'I do think in life at this particular moment we've lost that discipline. And I don't think it's a good thing when you're trying to develop hard, elite sportsmen. That's a constant challenge for a manager.'

Parker recalled how, when he broke into the Charlton first team manager Alan Curbishley was assured a captive audience but the game is evolving fast.

'When he addressed the changing room, he knew 28 from a squad of 30 were listening to him. When you're in front of 30 players now you're often looking and thinking, "he's not understood me" or "I'll have to pull him later" or "I've got to communicate it to him in a different way".

'Everyone has a motivation and if it's money, I don't think that's wrong. Not everyone wants to win the Premier League so badly that every Saturday at three o'clock they go out and give everything.

'I understand that. Players earn a lot of money. He's got a four-year contract, what's his motivation? Is it winning the Champions League? Is it having four days off to be with his family? Whatever it might be you need to tap into that. And 20 years ago it wasn't like that.'

Some things, however, don't change. Relegation hurts as it always did whether that comes from a sense of responsibility, lost status and injured pride or financial setback.


Parker admits he has to find new ways to communicate with players in the modern game

'Definitely it does,' said Parker. 'There's a squad of players here who are gutted with the way the season has gone. It has been pretty poor to be honest.' He talks of the 'haze' of new signings, new league and new manager with a new philosophy, all enhanced when the fear of relegation takes a grip.

'All of a sudden it's all a bit blurry,' said Parker. 'I experienced it when I was relegated with West Ham. There have been mistakes and we'll sit down at the end and ask where it went wrong, but the way football works, all the changes have probably emphasised it.'

His eight games at the helm have helped to restore clarity and Fulham's identity as a team playing adventurous football. Fans have reconnected and are positive about the future. There have been talks planning pre-season, transfer targets... and whether he will take the job on a permanent basis.

'It is probably best that is ironed out one way or another in the next few days,' said Parker.

'Two or three weeks ago I would have said I need to focus solely on the team because we were in a bit of a bad way. We needed to galvanise and get some results.

'But now, with a week to go before the end of the season, do I want to be a manager? One million per cent I want to be a manager.

'Do I want to be manager of Fulham Football Club? Yes, I do.'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6990165/Scott-Parkers-preparation-manager-perfect.html

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West Ham want Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic as Andy Carroll replacement as SEVEN head out

WEST HAM boss Manuel Pellegrini is eyeing a move for Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic to replace Andy Carroll as he begins a squad overhaul this summer.


West Ham want Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic as Andy Carroll replacement in a mass exodus (Pic: GETTY)

West Ham's season can be summed up in one word - average.

Hammers fans have endured another season of mid-table mediocrity.

And manager Pellegrini appears to have had enough, planning a mass clear-out in an attempt to get rid of the dead wood.

So who is at the top of his list of replacements to mount a charge for a Europa League spot next season?

With three strikers potentially heading out of the London Stadium this summer, Pellegrini is plotting to raid relegated Fulham, according to the Daily Mail.

The injury-plagued Andy Carroll will finally bring his disappointing spell at the club to an end with his contract expiring.

Lucas Perez could also leave West Ham just 12 months after joining, having failed to impress in his debut season.

While star name Javier Hernandez could complete an £8m move to Valencia, with Pellegrini looking to free up funds to revamp his squad.

That would leave Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio as the club's only recognised strikers.

But reports suggest the pair could be joined by Fulham and Serbia hitman Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The 24-year-old is the Cottagers' top scorer this season with 11 goals.

But his goal scoring antics weren't enough to prevent the southwest London side from the drop with five matches to spare.



https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/776574/West-Ham-transfer-news-Fulham-Aleksandar-Mitrovic-Andy-Carroll-Javier-Hernandez?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-star-football+%28Daily+Star+%3A%3A+Football+Feed%29

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Potential blow for Newcastle United as reported target Tom Cairney signs new Fulham deal

Fulham's Tom Cairney has been linked with Newcastle United.

Fulham ace Tom Cairney has penned a new five-year deal at Fulham, the club's official site confirm.

The 28-year-old midfielder's future had been in doubt in recent weeks as reports in the Northern Echo claim Newcastle United had a strong interest in signing the player this coming summer.

Fulham's relegation to the Championship will certainly see several of their better players wanted elsewhere. Cairney fits into that category, having featured in 29 Premier League games this term.

But the attacking midfielder has opted to remain at Craven Cottage, with one eye on finishing his career at the club.

"The Club's been amazing to me, and to extend my contract again is an amazing feeling. I want to stay for a long time, and hopefully finish my career here," Cairney told Fulhamfc.com.

The confirmation of his new deal spells bad news for Newcastle as they have been dubbed long-time admirers of the Scotland international. In the report in the Northern Echo, it even claimed they were willing to offer Fulham Dwight Gayle as part of a deal to bring Cairney to St. James's Park.

A report in the Sun claim Fulham rated Cairney at £30 million amid previous interest from West Ham United in 2018 – a remarkable fee considering the West London club only paid £3 million for him back in 2015.

Newcastle will likely be on the lookout for a new midfielder this summer as the futures of Isaac Hayden, Mo Diame and Jonjo Shelvey are all uncertain heading in to the final games of the season.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/05/04/potential-blow-for-newcastle-united-as-reported-target-tom-cairn/

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Tottenham signing this 18-year-old Englishman from London rivals would be a win-win situation for all parties

Tottenham Hotspur opinion: Ryan Sessegnon to Tottenham Hotspur will be beneficial to both clubs

According to the Evening Standard, Tottenham Hotspur are looking to bring in Ryan Sessegnon in the summer. After getting promoted to the Premier League with Fulham, expectations were massive, as it is for most young English players.

The fact that he was awarded Championship Player of the Year meant that even more was expected of him. It hasn't helped that he's played under 3 very different managers in one season.

It gets overlooked that he's still young and is tasked with playing Premier League football regularly.

The Englishman still has some promising stats for an 18-year-old, scoring 2 goals and providing 6 assists in all competitions.

Why he'd fit in at Spurs

Mauricio Pochettino has built a reputation for nurturing young talent and Sessegnon will benefit greatly from working under his tutelage. Other England internationals like Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Harry Winks and Eric Dier are a testament to that.

Unlike Sessegnon, most of the above-mentioned players came from complete obscurity, suggesting how a reputed youngster like Sessegnon will benefit from the Argentinian. He could see this as a move that would help him in the England set-up for the years to come.

Spurs don't have natural wingers since they instead opt to use inside forwards like Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura. They depend on their full-backs and wing-backs to provide width by hitting the byline.

It would allow them another option and Sessegnon could learn a lot from the likes of Son and Rose, two very experienced professionals.

It's imperative that Tottenham do more to excite their fans. Having not spent anything in two transfer windows, the North London side have compensated for it by finally moving into their new stadium and qualifying for the Champions League semi-final.

Spurs can't compete with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea for finances. They need to look into the market for young talent or bargains. Sessegnon would not cost a lot, as his price wouldn't have increased massively based on his performances this season.

For Fulham, this is an opportunity to cash in on one of their own players and reinforce other areas. Fulham desperately need defensive reinforcements and could use the money that they'd avail from Sessegnon's transfer to bolster that area of the team.



https://soccersouls.com/ryan-sessegnon-to-spurs-good-move/

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Three Players to Watch: Matchday 36 vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
This Will Be an Interesting Last Away Day for 2018/19

Somehow the good news couldn't stop ending for Fulham after already suffering relegation. Tom Cairney decided to commit his future with the club by signing a five-year contract that will last until 2024. Add in the fact that the players have bought into the belief that manager Scott Parker is instilling and it could only be positive vibes heading into the Championship, right? Not really, just yet.

I still can't help but think about what has happened to teams like Middlesbrough and West Brom who decided to keep the whole band together just to try to get back up. Eventually, those respective squads turned stale and are now in a corridor of uncertainty heading into next season. Fulham could be in the same predicament if they don't get younger, at least. This is a squad that is finally developing a bit of a spine in the back after some stellar play these past few games.

What does need to improve is the play of Fulham's supporting cast next to Aleksander Mitrovic. Ryan Babel has carried the load greatly, but is there any way the club even brings the 32-year old back on a reasonable contract while dealing with a budget fit for a Championship club? And while Cairney is here to stay, there has almost been no peep of Ryan Sessegnon coming back next season. Even if you were to say that his 2019 is awful, the dude is still 18 years old and is leading a Premier League side in assists. That's not a feat to scoff at at all, regardless of the circumstances. Surely, Andre Schürrle isn't coming back and who knows if Neeskens Kebano or an aging Floyd Ayite can contribute at a top level to guide Fulham towards promotion.

There's loads of questions that need to be answered, but for now, Fulham would like to get one last away win against a very good Wolves side. While the visitors might have caught Everton, Bournemouth, and Cardiff at their worst, I doubt they will be catching any shade of badness on a side gunning for seventh in the table. It's been a tremendous season for Nuno Santos' side, though they would like to get a bit more attacking production in the long run. After all, this is only a club that has used 14 players play over 800 league minutes and keeps the ball just 47.7% of the time this season. That will be discussed for another time soon, but for now, their defense is stout and their starting midfield and attack take advantage of their opportunities.

So on that note, who could be three players that will prevent Fulham from capturing a fourth straight victory.

Diogo Jota
First up is the young Portuguese sensation that we're still kind of waiting for him to fully break out. That said, Diogo Jota's nine goals and five assists are still a great total in his age-23 season. His chance creation and shooting rates has gone down significantly since leaving the Championship, but his expected production hasn't deviated too far from the actual totals he's put up this season. Those are good signs as Jota could be an even better version of himself heading into 2020 if Wolves make all the right moves in next summer's transfer window.

Ruben Neves
Next up is another Portuguese starlet trying to get his feet wet in the Premier League. While five of Ruben Neves' 10 Portugal Caps have come in 2018, none of them have occured in 2019. If anything, it seems like Joao Moutinho has been stealing the headlines of who's been bossing the Wolves' midfield thanks to all his years of experience. But that doesn't mean that Neves has been a slouch overnight either. The 22-year old has found a way to rack up four goals and three assists per game while still pinging long balls at an elite level and contributing to almost four defensive actions per 90 minutes. Like Jota, the fact that his production hasn't deviated too much from what levels he was performing back in the Championship are enough to think that Neves can take his game to another level.

Matt Doherty
Lastly, we take a look at one of the "old-timers" in 27-year old Matt Doherty. Amazingly, the almost one-club man is still producing at a strong level thanks to another four goals and four assists from the right wingback position. In fact, this will be the third straight season Doherty will deliver those same goal contribution numbers or better. Honestly, I'd argue he's been a better fullback than Seamus Coleman has been and he should be the out-and-out starter for Ireland. For now, let's appreciate a player that hasn't missed a beat playing in England's top flight and actually seams to get better with each and every game.



https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2019/5/4/18528376/three-players-to-watch-matchday-36-vs-wolverhampton-wanderers

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Pochettino should stay away from Ryan Sessegnon in the summer transfer window

Ryan Sessegnon could be one of the names leaving Craven Cottage in the summer but Mauricio Pochettino should stay well clear of the Fulham man.

After ongoing reports continue suggesting that the 18-year old could be on his way to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, Pochettino should consider his other options carefully before making a decision regarding the Fulham youngster.

According to the Dail Mail, Fulham are expected to demand around £35million for the forward, should he leave the club before his contract expires next year.

Although there is no doubting Sessegnon's talent, the price tag being put on his head seems slightly steep considering he's relatively unproven in the Premier League.

Granted, the 18-year old has played 33 games this season in England's top division for Fulham, but he has only managed to register two goals and six assists.

Sessegnon has definitely impressed this season for his current club, but after their relegation to the Championship it seems unlikely that the forward would be ready for the step up to Tottenham Hotspur.

Although it could be argued that he would be more effective surrounded by better players, it still seems like an unjustified risk for a club like Spurs to spend such an amount on a player who is relatively new to the Premier League.

Arguably, the risk could pay off and turn out to be a bargain in the long run, however at this moment in time Pochettino already has world class attackers at his disposal, therefore Sessegnon would not receive the game time in which he would more than likely desire.

If his price tag was more realistic, then maybe it wouldn't be such a risky move, but for the price of £35million it seems like Pochettino could instead bring someone in who is well-proven at the top level.

So with that mind in Spurs should halt their reported pursuit of Sessegnon as his price tag makes him too risky.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2019/05/blogs/premier-league/pochettino-should-stay-away-from-ryan-sessegnon-in-the-summer-transfer-window/