Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 21/01/20...

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Results

Monday
West Brom	0-1	Stoke

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Duo leaving Huddersfield Town – One going to Nottingham Forest, the other between Fulham & Bournemouth

Adama Diakhaby and Isaac Mbenza joined Huddersfield Town from AS Monaco and Montpellier respectively in the summer of 2018.

Mbenza initially joined the Terriers on a season-long loan deal with an option to make it permanent, which the English club exercised before the start of this campaign.

The duo are set to leave the Championship side in the winter market, claim L'Equipe, and Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Bournemouth could be their next potential destinations.

Diakhaby has failed to find the back of the net in the league and is expected to join Nottingham Forest on a loan deal with an option to make it permanent.

Mbenza has been restricted to two starts in all competitions for Huddersfield. The Cottagers and Eddie Howe's side are set to battle it out for the 23-year-old's signature.

The newspaper doesn't make it clear who between Fulham or Bournemouth will win what is described as a 'fight'.

Diakhaby and Mbenza will be leaving Huddersfield after spending 18 months at Kirklees Stadium.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/duo-close-leaving-huddersfield-town-fulham-bournemouth-battling-one-player/

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3 things we learnt about Middlesbrough in Friday's defeat to Fulham

Middlesbrough have had the weekend to lick their wounds following defeat to Fulham on Friday night.

An early goal from Anthony Knockaert was enough to hand to points to the Cottagers, while the Teessiders will have been disappointed to be beaten with something of a whimper.

Of course it had been a busy week for Jonathan Woodgate's side who had endured a demanding mid-week trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup, but they'll still have been disappointed with how this one turned out.

But what did we learn about Middlesbrough at Craven Cottage? Let's take a look.

A sloppy display
Fulham are renowned for their passing play and Friday night was no different.

Middlesbrough will have expected to have less of the ball, but to have 38% of possession was poor for Jonathan Woodgate's side.

Add to that a pass accuracy of just 68% and you start to see why the Teessiders struggled to get a foothold in the game.

If Middlesbrough are to get results moving forward then they'll need to be less sloppy on the ball, otherwise they'll struggle to pick up results.

A lack of creativity
It ties into the lack of possession but Middlesbrough rarely looked like creating any real chances.

Rudy Gestede was an isolated figure in attack and despite trying to ruffle the feathers of the Fulham defence, he had precious little joy at Craven Cottage.

Marcus Tavernier and Patrick Roberts were tasked with creating chances but unfortunately for them it was a game that seemed to simply pass them by.

Middlesbrough missed the movement of Ashley Fletcher, and perhaps his absence cost more than just goalscoring form.

A grounding display for two young guns
Hayden Coulson and Djed Spence have been a revelation in recent weeks, but a trip to Craven Cottage will certainly have brought them back down to earth.

Both players endured a tough evening as Fulham's pace and power down the flanks caused plenty of problems for the duo who's lack of experience was clear to see.

One bad performance doesn't make them bad players, but they'll certainly be hoping to learn from a tough evening as they look to get back on track.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/3-things-we-learnt-about-middlesbrough-in-fridays-defeat-to-fulham/

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Charlton Tickets Update

Tickets for Fulham's trip to The Valley to face Charlton Athletic on Wednesday are now off sale online.

Fans can still purchase tickets over the phone by calling the Fulham FC Ticket Office on 0203 871 0810 (option 3), but will need to collect their tickets from either the Fulham FC Ticket Office or from the South Stand Ticket Office at The Valley, making their collection preference known at the time of purchase.

Tickets will go off sale completely at 3pm on Wednesday 22nd January. Subject to availability, fans will be able to purchase tickets on the evening from the South Stand Ticket Office at The Valley, however prices on the night increase by £3 across all age bands.

Current sales for this fixture are 1,945.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/january/20/charlton-tickets-update

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Darren Pratley bigs up Charlton's upcoming opponents

Darren Pratley has stated that Charlton's next opponents Fulham are 'a Premier League team'.

The Addicks head into the game with The Cottagers on an awful run of form, having won just once in their last 16 games. This means that Lee Bowyer's side have edged towards the drop zone in recent weeks.

There is now just five points between Charlton and the relegation zone and they'll be aiming to get away from any potential trouble as soon as possible.

On Wednesday, Fulham travel to The Valley, with midfielder Pratley knowing how good the opposition are ahead of the fixture.

Speaking to Charlton's official website, Pratley said: "They keep the ball for fun, they are a Premier League team.

"It will be a tough game. They have had an extra day's rest because [they faced Middlesbrough on Friday], they are a very good side. A very, very good side.

"We got a point down at their place and we're going to have to be at it, but I think our home crowd will help us to try and get something out of it."

The Verdict

Pratley will know how important this game is for Charlton as it's an opportunity for the side to move further away from any relegation trouble.

Fulham seem to be back in-form having stuttered and been inconsistent throughout December. Now they're full of confidence and playing their stuff with a real spring in their step, even though they are without the injured Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Cottagers will bring a large away contingent and Charlton will have to be at their very best to keep Fulham out. It looks as though, unless the Addicks can bring in some more players by Wednesday, then Fulham should have the better of them at The Valley.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/darren-pratley-bigs-up-charltons-upcoming-opponents/

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The reason Chris Solly missed Preston game – as Charlton boss hopes three injured players back for Fulham

Chris Solly could come back into the Charlton squad for Wednesday's home game against Fulham.

The experienced right-back felt unwell before Saturday's Championship fixture at Preston North End.

Addicks manager Lee Bowyer was only able to name six substitutes on the bench.

"He [Solly] just wasn't feeling the best," said Bowyer. "So that killed us.

"Jake [Forster-Caskey] was meant to start at the weekend and Josh Cullen was meant to be on the bench. Then on Thursday Jake just jarred his knee or something and it stiffened up on the Friday.

"Josh took one on the end of his toe and jarred his ankle a little bit and he couldn't travel with us. That was all on Friday.

"The U23s played – they'd already travelled – so we couldn't bring anyone."

Bowyer is hoping to have Cullen, Lyle Taylor and Sam Field available for the derby against Fulham.

"I'll find out on Josh today – I'm hoping him and Lyle train today. Sam Field will train today – he played 30 minutes behind closed doors at West Brom. He'll train today and hopefully be okay. He could be involved against Fulham."



https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/the-reason-chris-solly-missed-preston-game-as-charlton-boss-hopes-three-injured-players-back-for-fulham/

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Talking Points: Middlesbrough

Coping without Mitro and flying out of the blocks are two of the Talking Points to emerge from Friday's win over Boro.

1. Blistering start

Fulham absolutely flew out of the blocks on Friday, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say we could have been 4-0 up with just half an hour on the clock. After Anthony Knockaert had put us in front, gilt-edged chances passed Ivan Cavaleiro and Josh Onomah by, whilst visiting goalkeeper Aynsley Pears also saved from Onomah and Tom Cairney inside the opening 30 minutes.

2. Not your average Joe

Knockaert's winner was put on a plate for him by Joe Bryan, with the Fulham left-back having former Academy lad Djed Spence on toast before whipping across an inch-perfect delivery. That moves Bryan ahead of Knockaert and Stefan Johansen to five assists for the season, just one shy of Cavaleiro who currently tops the charts in that department.

3. Change of system

With Aleksandar Mitrović out, Scott Parker opted to play Bobby Decordova-Reid as a deeper striker – a tactic that worked brilliantly. Decordova-Reid linked the play to excellent effect, and ended the night having made three interceptions, played two key passes, and embarked on four successful dribbles.

4. Consecutive clean sheets

Friday's shutout followed another 1-0 victory at Hull City six days earlier, giving us our first back-to-back clean sheets of the season. Scott Parker was understandably pleased to see his troops show two different sides to their game: "First half you've seen a team that moves the ball well, a dynamism about us. Second half you've seen a grittiness about us where we can see a game out."

5. TC's technique

Watch our winning goal and just admire the technique from Tom Cairney in the build-up. He spreads the play out to Bryan with a lovely pass, hitting across the ball with the top of his boot. Twitter user Fulhamatto described it as "a pool table pass," which we think is pretty spot on.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/january/20/talking-points-middlesbrough

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Two things Fulham could make even better after Middlesbrough win

Fulham narrowed the gap on the automatic promotion places to just four points over the weekend after they beat Middlesbrough 1-0 at Craven Cottage on Friday night.

In the absence of the injured Aleksandar Mitrovic it was Anthony Knockaert who stepped up to net the winner, firing home in the seventh minute following Joe Bryan%u2019s cross.

It moved them up into third place and confidence will now be high heading into Wednesday night%u2019s clash with Charlton Athletic at The Valley.

Here, though, are TWO things they could make even better ahead of that match%u2026

Accuracy
Considering they only found the net once on the night, Fulham%u2019s total of 17 shots can only look rather wasteful in hindsight.

It would be harsh to expect them to be scoring from every shot they take, but for a team with aspirations of winning automatic promotion, they should be hitting the target more often than not.

On Friday night, only six of them forced Aynsley Pears into a save, so some more shooting practice may be in order ahead of Wednesday night.

It is something that has troubled them throughout the seasons, with sloppy set-piece defending costing them goals and points on more than one occasion.

The arrival of Michael Hector, and the aerial dominance he tends to bring with him, should help sort that problem in time in the second half of the season, however it is unlikely to happen straight away.

They conceded eight corners against Middlesbrough but, when playing teams who are perhaps stronger in the air, they are much more likely to get punished.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/two-things-fulham-could-make-even-better-after-middlesbrough-win/

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'This would be a pointless signing' – Fulham weigh up move for Championship midfielder: The verdict

This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Fulham manager Scott Parker is looking to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window, with a move for West Brom midfielder Rekeem Harper being considered, according to the print edition of the Sun on Sunday (January 19, Page 65).

The Cottagers will face competition in the race to sign the 19-year-old though, with Leeds United, QPR and Charlton Athletic all reported to be interested in the youngster who has made nine appearances for the Baggies U23's so far this season.

So would Harper be a good signing at Craven Cottage and is he needed by Scott Parkers side?

We discuss..........

Chris Gallagher

"This would be a pointless signing.

"You can't imagine for a second that West Brom would entertain doing a deal with a promotion rival but even if they did, it's still a move that doesn't make sense.

"Fulham are well-stocked in the middle of the park with the likes of Harry Arter and Stefan Johansen not in the XI for the previous game.

"So, there's no way Harper gets into the team straight away and any move he secures this month has to be about playing regularly and that won't happen at Craven Cottage, so he needs to resist a move to Scott Parker's side and find a club that will make him a regular."

Luke Phelps

"Harper has been unlucky to play barely any football for West Brom this season, but he remains a player that the Baggies rate highly, and one who could better another Championship side on-loan for the remainder of the season.

"Fulham have made full use of the loan-market this season, and whether they could sign another on-loan player is unknown. But if they can make their way around whatever rules and regulations that they may need to, Harper would be a solid signing for them.

"The likes of Tom Cairney and Stefan Johansen have had the central roles at Fulham on lock-down, but neither have really set alight the Cottage. Both could do with some more solid, youthful competition and Harper would provide that and then some.

"Extra numbers are always needed and Fulham are no different. I can see Harper playing a good amount of football under Scott Parker, and I can see the ex-England man getting the best out of the 19-year-old."

Ben Lang

"Fulham have now started to show strong signs of closing the gap on West Brom in the top two following their win over Middlesbrough, and this means the Baggies could be making a mistake by sending Harper on loan to them this month.

"Harper could enhance his development by picking up more game time at Craven Cottage, but this should not be prioritised over West Brom's promotion push, with Harper then potentially helping to jeopardise the Baggies' top-two hopes.

"The Cottagers would certainly benefit from another midfield option given their firm promotion push will require depth during the remainder of the campaign, but I don't think they should put too much effort into signing Harper.

"The fact he has only made one appearance for West Brom this season suggests they have not deemed him good enough to feature regularly for a promotion-challenging side, and I'm unconvinced he is any better than what Fulham already have."



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/this-would-be-a-pointless-signing-fulham-weigh-up-move-for-championship-midfielder-the-verdict/

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Ibrox Exclusive: McNamara drools over in-demand Rangers player who he'd be surprised to see exit

Jackie McNamara heaped praise on Rangers defender Connor Goldson with Leeds United and Fulham chasing his services.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider correspondent Laura O'Leary, the former Scotland international admitted that Goldson had really improved since arriving at Ibrox.

Football Insider recently revealed that Fulham are plotting a move to sign the 27-year-old centre-back before the transfer window shows on January 31st.

It was also recently revealed by Football Insider that Leeds United are also keen on Goldson and were eyeing a move for him either this month or in the summer.

McNamara admitted he'd be surprised to see the Gers centre-back leave anytime soon as he can't imagine Steven Gerrard parting with anyone he wouldn't want to let go.

When asked if Goldson's stock has risen with Leeds and Fulham wanting his services, McNamara told Football Insider: "Yeah possibly.

"Obviously players are linked here there and everywhere in January, but he has improved quite a bit since he has come in.

"But I'd be surprised if Rangers let him go as I don't think they'll let anyone they want to go."

Goldson has featured 36 times across all competitions for the Gers this season and has racked up four goals as well as one assist.

The English enforcer arrived at Ibrox after joining the Gers from Brighton in 2018 and he is contracted to stay with Gerrard's side until 2022.



https://www.footballinsider247.com/ibrox-exclusive-mcnamara-drools-over-in-demand-rangers-player-whose-exit-would-surprise-him/

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Cottage Talk Post Match Show: Fulham vs. Middlesbrough

Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

In this episode, Yannis Tjanetis shared his views on all of the key moments of Fulham's 1-0 victory against Middlesbrough.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2020/1/21/21074612/cottage-talk-post-match-show-fulham-vs-middlesbrough