Thursday Fulham Stuff - 19/09/19...

[WhiteJC]

Three reasons why latest Fulham transfer talk would make perfect sense for all involved

Villarreal could be open to the permanent signing of on-loan Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, a report from Spanish outlet El Periodico Mediterraneo has claimed.

Anguissa only joined Fulham from Marseille last summer, but left Craven Cottage for Spain on a deal until the end of the season during the most recent transfer window.

Since then, the 23-year-old has helped his temporary club to a tenth place position in the early La Liga standings, having apparently impressed after reinventing himself as a box to box midfielder.

It is now thought that a continuation of those performances could tempt Villarreal to try and make the midfielder's move permanent.

That is something that would surely appeal to everyone involved, and here, we take a look at three reasons why that would surely be the case.

Fulham could make their money back

It's probably fair to say that Fulham didn't make their money's worth out of Anguissa during his short spell at Craven Cottage.

After joining from Marseille last summer for a reported £25million, the midfielder made 25 appearances in all competitions for the club, but failed to score or assist a single goal in that time.

With the likes of Tom Cairney, Stefan Johansen, Harry Arter, Anthony Knockaert and Harrison Reed all among their midfield options, it doesn't appear that Scott Parker's side will miss Anguissa anytime soon.

As a result, Villarreal's apparent willingness to pay the €25million option to buy clause in the loan deal is something Fulham will surely be glad to accept, since his record at Craven Cottage suggests there may not be many others willing to do so.

The chance for Villareal to strengthen on and off the pitch

As much as Anguissa struggled at Fulham, it does seem as though he is settling in well at Villarreal.

With the club apparently considering paying €25million for him, you can argue that the midfielder must be doing something right in Spain, so this could be a smart move for the club to make while they are in pole position to do so.

Indeed, with suggestions even being made that they could eventually look to sell Anguissa on for a profit, it seems as though Villarreal are confident they can get the best out of the Cameron international from both a football and financial perspective.

It could help Anguissa resurrect his career

When you look at his record from his first spell at Fulham, and the options they currently have available in midfield, it is hard to see Anguissa being able to force his way back into the starting lineup were he to return to Craven Cottage next summer.

As a result, it does seem as though the midfielder would be better off moving somewhere such as Villarreal, where he is much more likely to enjoy regular game time, and a permanent move would mean he would not have to worry about returning to Fulham.

Indeed, with Villarreal competing in Spain's top flight, there could yet be plenty of time for Anguissa to make a name for himself in the game, especially when you consider he is only 23-years-old.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/three-reasons-why-latest-fulham-transfer-talk-would-make-perfect-sense-for-all-involved/

[WhiteJC]

Why latest setback should have Fulham fans worried: Comment

Fulham are without a win in three Championship games ahead of the weekend trip to Sheffield Wednesday.

Scott Parker's side started the season as favourites for promotion due to their hugely talented squad and you can understand why. With the likes of Ivan Cavaleiro, Anthony Knockaert and Aleksandar Mitrovic operating in the final third, they are the envy of many in the league.

Yet, after seven games, the Cottagers are sitting in 11th and have won just two of their league fixtures in this campaign. Clearly, that's not good enough.

And, the 1-1 draw against West Brom last time out perfectly encapsulated their mixed start to the season.

Firstly, there are undoubted positives. They dominated possession against a good Albion team and there was a nice balance to the team in the way they moved around and the attacking trio looked dangerous – as you would expect.

However, for all their good play, the only goal they scored against the Baggies came courtesy of a cross by Knockaert that deceived keeper Sam Johnstone.

That was the first issues with Parker's side, they just weren't clinical enough despite the talent they have.

Even though 11 goals in seven games is a respectable return, four of those came against Millwall and they only have three in their last three.

Opponents are facing Fulham with the same game plan, to sit deep, contain and break at speed and it's becoming a slight issue in the way they struggle to break them down.

It's not an exaggeration to say that the team should be able to blow most away, the quality in the final third, backed up by the classy Tom Cairney in midfield, is arguably the best we have seen at this level on paper for some time.

Another more alarming problem is that they just aren't keeping enough clean sheets.

The Londoners are regularly controlling possession but they are lacking game management right now and are making silly mistakes. On Saturday, it was conceding from a ball into the box and there is a real soft aspect to this team.

There needs to be more fight to keep the ball out and there needs to be more control and intelligence in how they try and see games out.

Of course, the manager needs to take responsibility for that and his substitutions will be questioned as he can often appear to be reactive as opposed to proactive when it comes to changing the dynamics of a game.

Ultimately, Fulham have a squad that should be more than good enough to finish in the top two but they are showing worrying traits right now that need to be addressed quickly before they give themselves too much to do.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/why-latest-setback-should-have-fulham-fans-worried-comment/

[WhiteJC]

REVEALED: Fulham launched bid to hijack Nemanja Vidic's 2005 Manchester United move before he became a legend at Old Trafford

    Fulham tried to sign Nemanja Vidic before he joined Manchester United
    Chris Coleman wanted to sign him after selling Louis Saha for £13million
    Vidic would instead move to Old Trafford and win the 2008 Champions League

Chris Coleman has revealed how he tried to snatch Nemanja Vidic from under the nose of Manchester United while boss of Fulham in 2005.

The Welshman had been given £500,000 to invest in the squad after selling Louis Saha and targeted the Serbian centre-back.

However, Sir Alex Ferguson would seal a deal for Vidic in January 2006, who went on to win five Premier League titles and one Champions League with the club.


Defender Nemanja Vidic was targeted by Fulham before he moved to Manchester United

Coleman told The Athletic: 'We sold Saha for £13million and I got £500,000 to reinvest.

'The rest of it went on [Craven Cottage], because it was deemed not fit for Premier League football. We were playing at QPR, Loftus Road.'

Coleman was determined to try to land Vidic with that £500,000, but found the defender, then at Spartak Moscow, had already caught the eye of Manchester United.


Chris Coleman revealed how he was beaten to the Serbian centre-back's signature

Coleman added: 'I'd spoken to the agent and Mohamed Al Fayed was on board. He was sensational, only young but already a man.

'I knew Jim Lawlor, United's chief scout, because we'd done our Pro Licence together out of Belfast. He's a top boy.

'I said to him, "You can't take him, he's not ready for you, let him come to me for a few years, do well, then you can take him".

'He was laughing. "No we're taking him now".'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7477277/Fulham-launched-bid-hijack-Nemanja-Vidics-Manchester-United-club-legend.html

[WhiteJC]

Games for the Weekend 21/09
We travel to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday this Saturday for a 15:00 kickoff.

So after last weekend's dropped 2 points Scott's boys will be trying to get back to winning ways on the road.
Harry Arter will have completed his ban however Harrison Reed's man of the match performance will give Parker food for thought.

Wednesday are currently 2 places and 1 point above us, should be a good game.

COYW's

Games of Interest...
Saturday 21st
Leeds v Derby
Brentford v Stoke
Bristol City v Swansea
Millwall v QPR
Sheff Wed v Fulham
Wigan v Charlton


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



https://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=930

[WhiteJC]

Jasper: Loving My Football

Sylvester Jasper is thoroughly enjoying his time on the pitch at the moment as he notched up his fourth and fifth goals of the season in the thumping of Southampton.

The tricky winger converted to frontman and is relishing his time under Steve Wigley stressing that his side have developed an expectation to win football matches.

"We have an amazing work ethic as a group." He told fulhamfc.com. "We work as a team; we know our jobs every week and all play our part to execute that perfectly. We've got a winning mentality about us at the moment which is why we keep winning.

"I'm loving my football at the moment. I'm scoring a lot more goals which is nicer for me to be higher up the pitch in or around the box to make my mark on the game. Creating and scoring to help the team is what I want to do."

Jasper has formed a formidable partnership with Jay Stansfield and Fabio Carvalho but insists that his tussle with the former for the golden boot is all healthy competition.

"I don't mind who gets more goals out of myself and Jay, as long as we keep winning games and moving forward as a unit then I'm happy. If we keep working as hard as we have been on and off the pitch and doing the right things, then we can win the league."

The Under-18s travel to face mid table Aston Villa on Saturday with 13 points from a possible 15, the only draw coming at lowly Norwich. Jasper isn't letting his excellent form distract him away from his Under-18s duty.

He continued: "The Norwich game was very frustrating you only have to look at the stats. But that's behind us now, all we can do is look forward to winning games. Wherever they play me I will give my all - a 23s call-up isn't in my mind right now, I'll just keep focussing on what's going to help my development."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/september/18/sylvester-jasper-post-saints

[WhiteJC]

Fulham signing this influential 24-year-old ace permanently is an absolute no-brainer – Here's why

Why Fulham should consider signing Harrison Reed on a permanent deal

It has been a topsy-turvy tale for Fulham thus far in the Championship and the Cottagers are yet to hit the ground running in full force upon their return to the second tier.

The West Londoners have won just 3 out of their first 7 games in the Championship this term and a 1-1 draw against promotion-rivals West Brom meant that Scott Parker's side finished Round 7 placed 11th in the standings, five points behind pace-setters Leeds United.

After sanctioning a few high-profile departures in the summer following their relegation from the Premier League, Fulham plugged the gaps with loan deals for proven Championship players like Harrison Reed, Harry Arter, Bobby Reid, Ivan Cavaleiro and Anthony Knockaert.

Parker's mini squad overhaul, however, is yet to pay the dividends, with Fulham struggling to lay down an early marker as a promotion favourite in the Championship this season.

Agreed, there is still a lot of time left in the season but the Cottagers would need to pull up their socks sooner rather than later to try and stay within striking distance of an automatic promotion place.

Yet, there are some players who have impressed early in the campaign. Ivan Cavaleiro has scored and assisted three apiece in the league thus far, Mitrovic has already found the net on 5 occasions in 7 outings, Knockaert has also hit the ground running and Harrison Reed was the latest addition to that list on Saturday.

Fulham failed to make the most of their territorial dominance against the Baggies but Parker will be happy with some of the individual performances, with Reed bagging the man-of-the-match award for his superb all-round display at the weekend.

The Southampton loanee, who only played a couple of cameos off the bench in Fulham's league victories over Huddersfield Town and Blackburn Rovers last month, has found himself in the thick of things in the last two outings against Cardiff City and West Brom.

The 24-year-old was an influential presence in a holding midfield role in Parker's 4-3-3 system and his effective shielding of the backline allowed others like Bobby Reid and Tom Cairney to venture forward and wreak havoc through the opposition's defence.

Reed registered a total of 44 passes at an accuracy rate of 95.5, including 4 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 clearances, 2 dribbles, 9 ball recoveries and 2 key passes, one of which was a through ball to Cairney that almost led to a goal.

The former England U-20 international, who is on his third loan spell in the Championship after productive stints at Norwich City and Blackburn Rovers, might have struggled to cement a regular starting role at Southampton but he has already proven his credentials as a tough-tackling versatile utility player in the middle of the park with a good eye for goal.

To put things into perspective, Fulham should consider a permanent deal for Harrison Reed later on in the season of the 24-year-old continues his rich vein of form in the Championship.

He is certainly good enough to start every week in the second-tier and, although he hasn't had too many opportunities in the Premier League in the recent past, Fulham can afford to look at him as a utility squad player in the top-flight next term if they manage to secure promotion.

Reed is way down the pecking order at Southampton and with his contract at St.Mary's set to expire next summer, the Saints could be willing to do business if Fulham put up a modest offer on the table.

With that in mind, Fulham going forward with a permanent deal for Harrison Reed apparently makes perfect sense for parties involved, although that might depend on how the 24-year-old goes about things in the latter stages of the campaign when the race for promotion goes down to the wire.



https://soccersouls.com/why-fulham-should-consider-signing-harrison-reed-on-a-permanent-deal/

[WhiteJC]

Club Brugge 0-0 Galatasaray: Cosmopolitan Galatasaray fail to live up to expectations

Galatasaray's new boys failed to deliver on the European stage, drawing 0-0 with Club Brugge in an uneventful night in Belgium.

The Turkish giants have a new-look side this summer as the likes of Falcao, Steven Nzonzi and Jean-Michael Seri made their European debuts for the Lions.

Galatasaray's eventful window: Five things to know...

    Galatasaray won the Turkish league last season.
    They signed 14 players in the summer transfer window.
    But they only spent £4.3m in transfer fees.
    Falcao and Ryan Babel joined on free transfers.
    While the likes of Seri, Mario Lemina and Florin Andone all joined on loan from English sides.

This influx of stars meant that the Turkish champions started Wednesday's match with no Turkish players in their XI, the second time this has ever happened – Besiktas' 1-1 draw with Napoli in 2016 being the first.

However, the new stars flattered to deceive. They struggled to break down a Club Brugge side who would have potentially hoped for more in a game which appears to be their best chance to pick up points from in what is a very hard group.

The Belgian side could easily have beaten the Galatasaray too: Fernando Muslera produced a couple of great saves, as well as Federico Ricca hitting the bar and Emmanuel Bonaventure Dennis wasting a golden-headed opportunity.

Sofiane Feghouli clipped the top of the bar but the Lions had limited chances and will hope to improve when the challenges of PSG and Real Madrid arrive in the coming gameweeks.

Brugge's unbeaten run in the Champions League has now stretched to five games, an impressive run on paper, but one that has yielded little in terms of chances of progressing into the later rounds.



Read more at https://www.squawka.com/en/news/brugge-cosmopolitan-galatasaray-draw#3pHr2Jbp31sZf6px.99

[WhiteJC]

Fulham FC players surprise Iraq war veteran in Surbiton

Two football stars from Fulham FC paid a surprise to a fan currently living at a veterans' care home in Surbiton.

Midfielder Kevin McDonald and defender Cyrus Christie dropped in to meet die-hard Fulham fan Stephen Vause, 32, at The Royal Star and Garter Home in Surbiton yesterday (September 17).

The visit was arranged by staff at the renowned care home, and took Stephen totally by surprise.

The Surbiton resident was presented with a Fulham shirt signed by the squad, and a signed book featuring press cuttings from Fulham matches over the years.

He was also promised two tickets to a match of his choice this season.

The players were meanwhile taken to the Physiotherapy room where Stephen regularly works out.

"I had no idea they were going to turn up. I'm feeling very grateful," Stephen said after the visit.

"It was amazing," he added.

Stephen was 19 and on his first tour in Iraq, serving with the 4th Battalion The Rifles, when he suffered brain injuries in a mortar explosion near Basra.

The attack left him severely disabled, and he is currently being cared for at the specialist veterans' home in Surbiton.

Scotland international Mr McDonald spoke of his admiration of the Home and Stephen in particular.

"Every day we get a lot of kicks that cause a bit of pain, but then we meet guys who put their lives on the line for their country.

"It puts everything into perspective to meet people like this. When you consider what Stephen's been through it's an honour to meet him."

Mr Christie's brother was in the Army for 10 years and served in Afghanistan.

The Irish international said it was "humbling" to meet Stephen.

"He's a true inspiration," he added.



https://www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/17911492.fulham-fc-players-surprise-iraq-war-veteran-surbiton/

[WhiteJC]

Man of the Match Result

Harrison Reed has won his first Man of the Match award for Fulham for his performance against West Bromwich Albion.

Shielding the back four so that his fellow midfielders Tom Cairney and Bobby Decordova-Reid could operate further forward, Reed did an excellent job of picking up scraps and starting moves for his side.

His four tackles won was matched only by Joe Bryan, while he also won possession nine times, made two interceptions, went on two successful dribbles and played two key passes. One of these was a sublime through ball to Cairney who was denied the opener when Sam Johnstone tipped his shot onto the crossbar.

Reed also enjoyed his best pass success rate of the season, finding a teammate 95 per cent of the time, making him the most accurate passer in the side alongside Tim Ream.

Sky Sports also awarded Reed Man of the Match, with 57 per cent of Fulham fans agreeing with that decision. Goal scorer Anthony Knockaert came second in our vote with 16.2 per cent, ahead of Ream on 11.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/september/16/man-of-the-match-result

[YankeeJim]

Fulham FC players surprise Iraq war veteran in Surbiton

Two football stars from Fulham FC paid a surprise to a fan currently living at a veterans' care home in Surbiton.

Midfielder Kevin McDonald and defender Cyrus Christie dropped in to meet die-hard Fulham fan Stephen Vause, 32, at The Royal Star and Garter Home in Surbiton yesterday (September 17).

The visit was arranged by staff at the renowned care home, and took Stephen totally by surprise.

The Surbiton resident was presented with a Fulham shirt signed by the squad, and a signed book featuring press cuttings from Fulham matches over the years.

He was also promised two tickets to a match of his choice this season.

The players were meanwhile taken to the Physiotherapy room where Stephen regularly works out.

"I had no idea they were going to turn up. I'm feeling very grateful," Stephen said after the visit.

"It was amazing," he added.

Stephen was 19 and on his first tour in Iraq, serving with the 4th Battalion The Rifles, when he suffered brain injuries in a mortar explosion near Basra.

The attack left him severely disabled, and he is currently being cared for at the specialist veterans' home in Surbiton.

Scotland international Mr McDonald spoke of his admiration of the Home and Stephen in particular.

"Every day we get a lot of kicks that cause a bit of pain, but then we meet guys who put their lives on the line for their country.

"It puts everything into perspective to meet people like this. When you consider what Stephen's been through it's an honour to meet him."

Mr Christie's brother was in the Army for 10 years and served in Afghanistan.

The Irish international said it was "humbling" to meet Stephen.

"He's a true inspiration," he added.



https://www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/17911492.fulham-fc-players-surprise-iraq-war-veteran-surbiton/

Good on the lads.

[Fulham 442]

Exactly what I thought.