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Thursday Fulham Stuff - 26/03/20...

Started by WhiteJC, March 26, 2020, 08:16:38 AM

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WhiteJC

7 assists: Talented Wolves winger continues to vie for a Molineux return

Fulham are hot on the tails of Championship leaders Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion behind them, leading the playoff places in third spot. The Cottagers have greatly benefitted from having on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Ivan Cavaleiro in their side, and the 26-year-old Portuguese wide man has been a sensation in the second tier.

To the point where English football was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Portuguese winger had scored six in the second tier, the third-highest total of any player for the Cottagers this season. The on-loan Wolves winger was on course to match the total he reached under Nuno Espirito Santo in the Championship two seasons ago, nine goals, and potentially continue to eclipse his best mark in the division. His eye-catching performances will undoubtedly have been bought to his manager's attention, and the Portuguese winger will be vying for a return to Premier League action next term with his parent club.

The former AS Monaco and Benfica wide midfielder has been one of the most creative players in the Championship this season, providing seven assists for the third-placed side. His speed on the wings is essential for how Fulham transition the play from defence to attack and has made him a deadly threat in the division through either scoring himself or assisting for others.

Cavaleiro has been rewarded for his incredible displays with four man of the match awards and an average match rating of 7.03, the fifth-highest of any player for the Cottagers. Furthermore, the Portuguese winger has the second most key passes per match of any Fulham player, 1.7, behind only Tom Cairney, 1.8, as per WhoScored. It just goes to show how the 26-year-old has made his mark creatively in the Championship and deserves another crack at the Premier League after making a meagre six starts in the top-flight last term.

Should Santo's side qualify for Europe again next term, they are currently sixth in the Premier League, the Wolves manager may be forced to admit that he requires Cavaleiro's services once more. So far this term Raul Jimenez has already made 44 appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the Portuguese boss is at risk of burning out his squad. If that occurs Santo may wish to reconsider his stance on Cavaleiro.



https://90maat.com/7-assists-talented-wolves-winger-continues-to-vie-for-a-molineux-return/

WhiteJC

Loan watch: How's Fulham striker Timmy Abraham been getting on at Bristol Rovers?

Timmy Abraham, younger brother of Chelsea's Tammy, is currently on-loan at Bristol Rovers.

The 19-year-old was a product of the Charlton Athletic youth academy, but joined Fulham's in 2017.

He's since been working his way through the youth ranks at the club, and after an impressive stint in the development squad in the first-half of the season, he was issued his first loan-deal.

Fans were excited to hear the news of Abraham joining Bristol Rovers.

They have a lot of faith in their current crop of young players and Abraham looks as promising as any – he shares a lot of the same traits as his brother, with a lot of physicality to his game making him a powerful, robust forward.

Abraham though is yet to start a game for the Gas. He's made four substitute appearances in League One over the past few weeks but has failed to score.

He's shown promise in the game-time he's been given but at 19, and with the likes of Jonson Clarke-Harris to compete with, substitute appearances might be the best that Abraham can hope for right now.

Ben Garner's side look safe from relegation so when and if the season resumes, Abraham might be granted a few more opportunities. Fulham fans rate him highly and believe he can be one of a host of young players who'll one day break into the Fulham first-team.

Scott Parker doesn't necessarily favour the young but he gives them chances, and if Abraham can catch his eye then he'll surely hand him his Fulham debut some time next season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/loan-watch-hows-fulham-striker-timmy-abraham-been-getting-on-at-bristol-rovers/

WhiteJC

Augustin isn't enough to fix Leeds' striker woes

Leeds United may soon be a Premier League side.

Unfortunately, the reality is that promotion isn't always what it's cracked up to be, often teams go up and get beat almost every week before coming crashing back down to earth with relegation, just look at Norwich and Fulham over the past two years.

However, the signs are there to suggest that won't happen to Marcelo Bielsa's side.

The Whites have shown their class against Premier League opposition this season, as they gave a brilliant account of themselves against Arsenal that had pundits across the land raving about their style of play.

Yet, on that day the Whites were still beaten 1-0, and that's in spite of the fact they had more possession, created more chances and had more shots on target than the Gunners.

It's all well and good playing nice football, but if there's nobody able to put the ball in the net it's futile.

Patrick Bamford's finishing has been a problem all season, with the striker massively underperforming his xG, and it's clear United need another striker.

Luckily they have a €21m (£19.12m) deal lined up for a forward who has scored goals in the Champions League for when they get promoted.



https://www.footballfancast.com/leeds-united-news/augustin-bamford-update-transfers-whites-elland-road


WhiteJC

The best Fulham XI since the Millennium – full-backs

The past 20 years have been pretty successful for Fulham, who have spent the majority of their time in the Premier League.

As we look to piece together the best Fulham XI since 2000 we move onto full-backs. We've listed four of the best since the Millenium and will ask you to vote for the best below.

Steve Finnan (1998 – 2003)
The Irishman helped Fulham secure their place in the English top-flight in the first season following the Millenium and was a key man over the next few seasons.

Finnan was a real battling full-back and always gave everything for the west London club.

He made 219 appearances for Fulham before his impressive performances earned him a move to Liverpool in 2003.

Rufus Brevett (1998 – 2003)
Another man that was key in the very early part of the 2000s, Brevett was a mainstay in the side that achieved two promotions in three years and eventually made it into the Premier League.

As reliable as they come, the left-back featured more than 200 times for Fulham during a period that built the foundations for their successes in the past 20 years.

Chris Baird (2007 – 2013)
A real utility man and in many ways a manager's dream, Baird was a fantastic servant to Fulham during his six-year spell in west London.

He made 172 appearances and primarily featured as a right-back for the Cottagers but was comfortable all along the backline and in defensive midfield.

Baird was a mainstay in the side during Fulham's most successful period since the Millenium – helping them to battle in the top half of the Premier League and, of course, in their run to the 2010 Europa League final.

Paul Konchesky (2007 – 2010)
Konchesky would be deserving of a place on this list for his performances on the run to the 2010 Europa League final alone but in reality, the left-back was a quality performer for Fulham throughout his three years with the club.

He was a key member of the side during a three-year period in which the Cottagers finished 7th in the Premier League, reached the Europa League final, and twice reached the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup.

Konchesky may have the fewest club appearances of any player on this list (122) but there is certainly an argument to be made that on his day, he could outperform the other three.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-best-fulham-xi-since-the-millennium-full-backs/

WhiteJC

Steve Wigley: Player and Manager

Under-18s Head Coach Steve Wigley has had his side playing fantastic football so far this season and, in many ways, it's no surprise when you take a look at his impressive CV.

From playing under Brian Clough, to managing the England Under-21s alongside Stuart Pearce, we sat down with Steve to take a look at his extraordinary career.

Our Under-18s boss started his playing days as a tricky winger at local side Curzon Ashton. At the age of 21, he received interest from a number of clubs, but just couldn't turn down a move to a formidable Nottingham Forest side.

"It was quite strange actually," Steve admitted. "I played for Curzon Ashton and received interest first from Crewe Alexandra. They offered to sign me after a game and then I went to Wigan the following week and a similar thing happened.

"We just decided to wait and I went into Forest, played a game, went back for a week and then I was fortunate to have a choice of two or three clubs. One was Manchester City but we chose Forest. They'd won the European Cup the year before I joined."

Perhaps the main factor influencing Steve's decision was the opportunity to work with Clough.

"He was a man you felt could walk on water really. He had that type of presence and was probably the most famous manager in football at the time. What he'd done at Forest to win the league and two European Cups with a provincial side was unheard of."


It would be easy to be overawed joining the European Champions and working with a personality as strong as Brian Clough, and Steve admits that he found it difficult initially. His experience as a young player taught him lessons he has since taken into management.

"When I joined, it was overwhelming at first, for the first four months if I'm honest. I always bear that in mind today when young players join the group. It's not easy to settle in. I'd gone from a non-league club to a club that had won the European Cup and I was thinking to myself, what am I doing here?"

His Football League debut came against Arsenal in October 1982 but his best season under Clough came a year later. He featured in 39 games in all competitions in a season which saw his side finish third in the First Division and a Semi-Final spot in Europe.

"I played in the Forest reserve side for a good two-and-a-half years before I got my opportunity and wondered if I'd ever be good enough. He seemed to sign at least 10 right wingers before I ever got the chance, so I think I was a last resort!"

He continued: "But I got my chance and played in a good side that finished third in the league and qualified for Europe two or three times. We got to the Semi-Finals of the UEFA Cup which in itself was a story.

"We came up against a very good Anderlecht side and we knew we'd been robbed on the night. We found out five or six years later that the referee had taken a bribe. That was probably the closest I came to winning anything there."

The volatile and transient nature of life for a professional footballer then became very apparent to Steve as his time at Forest came to a sudden end.

"The following year I found myself on my way to Sheffield United, which was a shock. I bought a house in Nottingham and then got that call telling me I was being sold. Even though I didn't want to go, the gaffer could be very persuasive and I was soon on my way to Sheffield."

The Yorkshire outfit were on a strong run when Steve joined and he found himself on the outskirts of the squad early on. He picked up a groin injury which kept him off the pitch for over a year and at one point, it looked career ending.

"Stuart Gray, who was one of my best friends from my time at Forest, kept advising me to see this physio. I went to see the physio; a blind man in Barnsley who had a great reputation. I was on the verge of having an operation and he saved my career basically.

"I've never been in so much pain in my life and I can honestly say I could never have gone back to see him again! His thumbs and his hands were that strong but following his diagnosis and treatment I was back playing in six weeks. I thought he was crazy but he saved my career basically."


Steve later had spells with Birmingham City, Portsmouth (where he was signed by World Cup legend Alan Ball) and Exeter City. Throughout his career, he made 340 appearances, scoring 20 goals in the process.

He spent half a season playing for Bognor Regis before making the decision to venture into management in January 1995. He became manager at non-league side Aldershot Town and enjoyed a successful first season at the Surrey based club.

"I enjoyed that spell, it was a smashing club," he said. "We missed out on promotion in the first year on goal difference and then I got the opportunity towards the back end of that second year to work with Paul Hart, who had done a fantastic job at Leeds United. He put in place a superb youth system with players like Harry Kewell, Alan Smith and Jonathan Woodgate coming through.

"He was going back to Forest to do a similar thing and he asked me to join him. I really wanted to learn from somebody who was the best in the business in my eyes. It was the best decision I ever made," he added.

"I'll be forever thankful for that year.  It was frustrating just standing there watching but I would advise anyone to take up the opportunity to learn from the very best. I had three years with Paul and we had a very successful youth team which saw a lot of good talent come out of it. Players like David Prutton, Andy Reid, Michael Dawson, Marlon Harewood, so we had a productive time there."

After a stint with the Forest Under-23s, Steve moved up to the First Team with David Platt but the management team soon went their separate ways. Luckily for Steve, the stars aligned, and another great opportunity arose.

"There was a lot of staff leaving Forest and at the same time, Stuart [Gray] became manager at Southampton. He offered me the opportunity to go in and do a similar job with the reserve side and I was fortunate enough to do the England Under-21s at the same time with David [Platt]. These were all great experiences.

"We had a very successful period at Southampton and worked with a lot of players that went on to have great careers. We had players like Andrew Surman, who still plays for Bournemouth today, Theo Walcott, Adam Lallana and Gareth Bale, so I was at the right club at the right time."

Steve worked with [Stuart] Pearce at Manchester City as Assistant Manager/First Team Coach before the pair went on to work together for the England Under-21s. Our Under-18s Head Coach has fond memories of his time working for the national team.


"I was lucky enough to do it for six years in total and, in that time, I went to four European Championship Finals where we always qualified. Any chance you get as a coach to work with the best players in the country, you take. We qualified for the Euros with players like John Terry, Woodgate and Ledley King. There's your three centre halves."

He added, "I look back on that time and think, wow."

He joined the Whites in 2012 and got off to a strong start, winning both the Dallas Cup and the U18s Premier league.

"When I came in we had some good young players and had a successful period with players like Moussa Dembélé, Marek Rodák, Patrick Roberts. I've also been very fortunate to come in with some really good staff.

"The most rewarding thing about my job is the volume of people you meet and work with.  I keep bumping into players that I coached 20 years ago who have now got families and kids and have stayed in the game for a long time with success. You constantly reminisce and that's the beauty of this game."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/march/25/steve-wigley-player-and-manager

WhiteJC

48 apps for Fulham: What's Fernando Amorebieta up to these days?


Fernando Amorebieta made 48 appearances for Fulham between 2013 and 2016.

The now 34-year-old joined Fulham from Atletico Bilbao in April 2013. He'd been a mainstay in the Bilbao side for several years but was released following the expiration of his contract, and joined a Fulham side who'd just achieved a 9th-place finish under Martin Jol.

Though in Amorebieta's first season with the club, Fulham were relegated. They finished 19th under Felix Magath – their third manager of the season – and Amorebieta went on-loan to Middlesbrough the following campaign.

He did so again the year after but was recalled midway through. The following summer he left Fulham after a subdued three-year stint to join Sporting Gijon.

The Venezuelan spent a season there before a season at Argentinian side Independiente, before linking up with Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno last year.

During his Fulham career, he never really sprung up any surprises – he was a fairly mediocre player who was used on occasion, and after a few tough seasons in the Championship he decided he'd had enough of English football.

Now in his native South America, and in his second season with Porteno, Amorebieta is still making the odd appearance, and he remains prone to a red card – he picked up one in each of his seasons at Fulham, and picked up his career 13th in the last campaign with Porteno.

A fairly uninspiring player, but one that Fulham fans will remember.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/48-apps-for-fulham-whats-fernando-amorebieta-up-to-these-days/


WhiteJC

'Simply not good enough', 'Has to start' – Fulham attacker has worked wonders changing fan opinions so far this season

Aboubakar Kamara's time with Fulham has been anything but plain sailing since his arrival in the summer of 2017.

Aboubakar Kamara's time with Fulham has been anything but plain sailing since his arrival in the summer of 2017.

Last season saw him both score at Old Trafford and sent away from the club after a reported training ground bust-up, so it is safe to say that he still had plenty to prove this time around as well.

But there have been definite improvements, scoring four and assisting four, largely from the bench, as Fulham continue to push for an immediate return to the Premier League.

Here, we take a look at the fan tweets which best sum-up his season so far...

Things this season started in a similar way to how they ended last, with Kamara under fire from the fans for his poor performances.

He was surprisingly given the chance to start during the opening day defeat to Barnsley, with Anthony Knockaert benched, but it clearly did him not favours.

Fans begrudged his apparent lack of technical prowess and his season at Craven Cottage looked set to be another disappointment.

However, as the season progressed, he seemed to find his place coming off the bench. He always looked like he had a point to prove when Parker called his name and he started to frequently change things.

An excellent cross for Mitrovic late in the day against Swansea and goal against Preston North End in recent weeks have rubber-stamped his surprising new status as a bit of a fan favourite at Craven Cottage.

Fulham will still be hopeful of breaking into the top-two when the season restarts and Kamara will certainly play a big part in that run-in.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/simply-not-good-enough-has-to-start-fulham-attacker-has-worked-wonders-changing-fan-opinions-so-far-this-season/

WhiteJC

Fulham: Fans react to John Paintsil's message

Former Fulham defender John Paintsil has shared a message with the club's supporters via their official Twitter account urging people to follow the instructions set out by the authorities in the fight against the viral outbreak.

The Championship, along with the rest of English football has been suspended until at the earliest, 30 April meaning the Fulham faithful will need to wait significantly longer to learn whether or not their side can earn automatic promotion up into the Premier League.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2020/03/twitter/fulham-fans-react-to-john-paintsils-message/

WhiteJC

'In the tier above elite', 'Take a blow' – The Fulham man that has received plaudits despite playing a reduced role this season


Despite his Fulham side sitting third in the Championship with nine games left to play, the 2019/20 campaign will likely have been a somewhat frustrating one for Kevin McDonald.

The 31-year-old has started just seven times in the league this season and appeared only seven more times from the bench.

The Scottish defensive midfielder was a key figure last time Fulham were in the Championship – playing 42 league games in 2017/18 and not missing a minute of their play-off run, which would eventually see them promoted to the Premier League.

Injuries hampered him during Fulham's brief spell in the English top-flight, reducing him to just 15 appearances in total last term.

McDonald provides a physicality and an element of calm to the Cottagers midfield, allowing them more control in games, but the signing of Harry Arter from Bournemouth ahead of the season appears to have knocked him down the pecking order at Craven Cottage.

He returned to the starting XI around the turn of the year and helped Fulham go on a five-game unbeaten run, which included four wins, but has been included from the off just once in the six games since.

When the Championship season resumes, Fulham will be looking to close a six-point gap on the top two as they look to secure an automatic promotion place but if they're unable to do so, they will face the lottery of the play-offs once again.

We've scoured Twitter to find the best tweets from Fulham fans about McDonald this season and judging from these, they want the Scotsman to be part of the run-in.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/in-the-tier-above-elite-take-a-blow-the-fulham-man-that-has-received-plaudits-despite-playing-a-reduced-role-this-season/


filham

What is this speculation about Cavy. returning to Wolves, havn't we just signed him on permanent terms or was that just me dreaming again.

WhiteJC

Quote from: filham on March 26, 2020, 12:13:00 PM
What is this speculation about Cavy. returning to Wolves, havn't we just signed him on permanent terms or was that just me dreaming again.

it may well have been a dream  :dft011: however the loan move was made permanent in January

Mickeyboro

On elf our stranger moves. Both signings (BDR) have bellyflopped form wise.