Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 28/04/20...

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Cottage Talk Podcast: What Could Happen When Football Returns

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

In this episode, we talked about the different scenarios for Fulham once a decision is made when it is safe for football to return.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2020/4/26/21237473/cottage-talk-podcast-what-could-happen-when-football-returns

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European giants targeting forgotten Fulham man

Real Madrid are interested in signing Fulham midfielder Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa, a report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo has claimed.

Anguissa joined Fulham from Marseille for a reported club-record £30million following the Cottagers promotion to the Premier League in the summer of 2018, but struggled to settle in England, failing to score or provide an assist in 22 league appearances as Fulham suffered an immediate relegation back to the Championship.

This season, Anguissa has been on-loan in Spain with Villarreal, where he has scored once in 25 league appearances, helping the club to eighth place in the current La Liga standings, seemingly attracting attention from others in the division in the process.

According to the latest reports, Madrid are weighing up a move for Anguissa when the transfer window open, as they look for a cut-price deal to help cope with the financial setbacks of the current suspension of football.

It is thought that Real will offer around £17million for the Cameroon international, a fee £5million lower than the player's release clause on his Fulham contract.

Villarreal are also understood to be keen on making Anguissa's move permanent, although they would reportedly be unable to match the 24-year-old's £70,000 a week wages. Madrid are also expected to push for a salary reduction if they move to sign the midfielder.

There are currently just over three years remaining on Anguissa's contract with Fulham, securing his future at Craven Cottage until the end of the 2022/23 season.

The Verdict

This looks like a deal that would work well all-round.

It doesn't really seem as though Anguissa has much of a future at Fulham after last season, so they may be willing to let him go permanently this summer, where the fee paid by a team such as Real Madrid would certainly help them financially given the current situation.

For Anguissa himself, the chance to play for a club such as Real will no doubt be an appealing one, and it would certainly be interesting to see how big a part he would have to play at the Bernabeu.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/european-giants-targeting-forgotten-fulham-man/

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Real Madrid Eyeing A Move For This On-Loan Villarreal Midfielder: What Will He Add To Zidane's Team?


Cameroon's midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (R) shoots the ball past Ghana's midfielder Thomas Partey during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group F football match between Cameroon and Ghana at the Ismailia Stadium on June 29, 2019. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

According to a recent report by Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid are considering making an offer to acquire the services of Fulham midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who is currently playing on loan at Villarreal CF. The same source has also stated that the Yellow Submarine won't attempt to make his loan deal permanent for €25m which could open the door for Zinedine Zidane to secure a move for the Cameroonian international in this off-season. However, it is believed that Los Blancos could face competition from Levante in pursuit of the midfield powerhouse this summer (via Mundo Deportivo).

Anguissa's Impressive Loan Spell In The Spanish Top-Flight

The former Marseille midfield ace has enjoyed a dominant loan spell at the Estadio de la Cerámica after establishing himself as a regular feature at the heart of Javier Calleja's midfield. He has featured in 28 matches for the Spanish outfit this term, scoring one goal and providing one assist across all fronts. His offensive numbers could be slightly better considering the aerial threat he possesses from set-pieces in the opposition half.

To his credit, Anguissa has averaged 2.2 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 0.8 clearances, 1.0 shots, 0.6 key passes and 2.4 dribbles per game in the La Liga this season which proves that he can be an influential presence at both ends of the field (stats via whoscored).

The Yaounde-born talent has also secured 15 senior caps for the Cameroonian national team while netting two goals for his country in the process. He will once again be expected to play a crucial role for his nation in next year's African Cup of Nations which will be hosted by Cameroon.


Villarreal's Cameroon midfielder Andre Zambo Anguissa (L) vies with Sevilla's Spanish forward Munir El Haddadi during the Spanish league football match between Sevilla FC and Villarreal CF at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville on December 15, 2019. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images)

What Will The Cameroon International Add To Zidane's Team?

Anguissa is a commanding presence who can exercise his power and quickness to cover a lot of ground and win the ball back for his side at the centre of the park. He excels at making tackles and doesn't mind putting his body on the line to block a goal-bound shot from the opposition at the back. The 24-year-old can also use his pace and power to make some driving runs with the ball going forward, which can sometimes make him an unstoppable force in midfield when he is playing with confidence on the pitch. However, he is yet to prove his worth in English football which will be a concern for any of his potential suitors.

At the same time, Real Madrid would be fully aware by now about how well Anguissa has performed in the Spanish top tier this season, so Zinedine Zidane would be wise to consider making an offer for the talented Fulham midfielder this summer. He will not only add some bite and steel to the Madrid midfield but also enhance the overall depth of Zidane's squad. Plus, the Cottagers midfielder will also provide some healthy competition for Casemiro and Federico Valverde for one of the holding midfield spots in Los Blancos' starting XI.

Having more options in midfield will help the Madrid giants cope with fixture congestion better. Anguissa's addition could also offer Zidane more variety in terms of his team selection, tactics and formations in the coming seasons.



https://the4thofficial.net/2020/04/real-madrid-eyeing-a-move-for-this-on-loan-villarreal-midfielder-what-will-he-add-to-zidanes-team/

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Tomasz Radzinski apologises to Everton supporters for 2004 exit

Tomasz Radzinski scored 25 goals in 91 Premier League appearances for Everton before joining Fulham in 2004


Everton FC new signing Tomasz Radzinski at Goodison Park in July 2001

Tomasz Radzinski has apologised to Everton supporters more than 15 years after his acrimonious departure from Goodison Park.

Radzinski handed in a transfer request and publicly criticised David Moyes - as well as urging Wayne Rooney to quit - in 2004 before joining Premier League rivals Fulham in a £1.75m move.

The Canadian went on to spend three seasons at Craven Cottage before spells with Skoda Xanthi, Lierse and Waasland-Beveren followed ahead of retirement in 2012.

Now 46, Radzinski sent a heartfelt apology to Everton fans about the manner of his exit and admitted he holds fond memories of his spell on Merseyside.

"When you are 27, 28, 30, sometimes you make mistakes," he told The Toffee Blues.

"Everybody makes mistakes. That's one of the biggest mistakes I made in my career because I loved my time there. I regret saying these things.

"It's just too bad it happens. I would have done it differently right now, as simple as that. I can't take it away anymore, it's there on the table, it's been said and everybody will remember this."

Radzinski, posing with his Everton jersey, added: "If I can take my hats off and apologise to all the Toffees fans I will, so I'm sorry about that.

"I know it means nothing right now and it's 15 years later but still, look, I have my shirt. I love this.

"I will not give it away for any money. It's part of me and who I was as I grew up. I have not only this one I even have the one with the One2One season as well!

"I have all my Everton shirts from every year and I am not going to part with them. My daughters need to know the heritage of their dad when they grow a little bit older.

"I had really fantastic years at Everton and the way it ended I wish it would have happened differently."



https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/tomasz-radzinski-apologises-everton-supporters-18152568

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'I left with a heavy heart' - Barry Hayles on Bristol Rovers exit, rejecting Bristol City and Fulham life

The Gas legend looks back on his time at the Mem and his rise through the divisions


Barry Hayles celebrates scoring for Rovers in 1997 (Image: Colin Mearns/Bristol Post)

Such is the frequency of top-class strikers that have passed through the doors of Eastville, Twerton Park and the Mem, that every generation can present a compelling case as to who Bristol Rovers' greatest-ever striker was.

Certainly to fans who watched the Gas across the mid to late 90s, the name "Barry Hayles" wouldn't be far from their lips when posed the question as to who the finest was to lead the line in the blue and white quarters.

Signed from non-league Stevenage for £250,000 by Ian Holloway in 1997, Hayles was one of those frontmen who ticked pretty much every box: quick, powerful, athletic, who made intelligent runs, with a brilliant work rate and, of course, a special first touch and finish.

It was no surprise that within two years of his departure, he was playing top-flight football with Fulham. But over 68 appearances and 36 goals, Rovers fans were treated to his talents, with the only sadness being it was an all-too-fleeting association.

In an extensive conversation with Neil Maggs, Hayles look back at his time at Rovers, why he rejected a move to City - only enhancing his popularity in north Bristol - making the step up to the Premier League and more ...

Hi Barry, how are you keeping active during the coronavirus lockdown?

I have been out for a run once a day, and am doing a lot of sit ups, and watching TV. I am trying to keep occupied. We just watched Forest Gump this morning.

What are you up to these days?

I am living in Epsom in Surrey now, and I am assistant manager at Merstham FC who play in the Isthmian Premier League, which is a step 3 non-league club. I also still play for them, at the ripe old age of 47.

In terms of Bristol, I have been down probably about a dozen times over the years, mainly for charity games, like the Martin Belsten Memorial Match, which Ashley Belsten organised, which I've played in a couple of times.


Barry Hayles in action for Chesham United against Bristol Rovers during their FA Cup first round tie in 2015

How is it managing at a step 3 non-league club, can it be frustrating for someone that has played at the top at times?

As an assistant manager, I can lack patience, and I demand a lot of them. The manager will say to me that I expect too much, and I need to realise why they are playing at this level. And I say yeah I get that. So I do have to reign myself in a bit.

It's sometimes the phone calls, to say I can't make training, or can't make a Tuesday night game because they got work, it's annoying.

When was the last time you saw Rovers play?

It was at QPR, a while ago. A mid-week cup game, and I saw a few of the directors and had a chat and that.

When did you retire from professional football?

I was 38 when I retired, and my last club was Cheltenham Town in League Two and was in 2010.

You made your professional debut at Rovers aged 25, why were you not picked up as a kid you think, and why did it take you so long to make it?

At the school I went to from the age of about four or five my teachers used to say to me, 'you are going to be a footballer.'

But when I went to secondary school we got banned from playing football, because the year above me had a massive fight during a game. So I never played at school level to be seen. I played in local youth clubs but mainly 5-a-side back then.

In some ways my style of play, enjoying playing in tight spaces, and dropping a shoulder and then banging a shot off, came from being schooled in that. In fact, I didn't play 11-a-side club football until I was about 16.


Barry Hayles took part in the Martin Belsten Memorial Match at Mangotsfield last September

I joined a team in West London, and then got spotted to represented Middlesex county and then Hertfordshire county at aged about 19, and me and my mate were the only two players that weren't getting paid. And the Stevenage manager was the Hertfordshire manager, so he pulled me and my mate and said, 'do you want to get paid? Come and play for me.'

We won the league straight away and got promoted into the Conference. But I wasn't a striker then, I played full-back. I had a ban coming up, so he said I can stick you up front and keep you out of the way. And I scored two and he put me up front when I came back!

How did your move to Bristol Rovers come about?

Well as I said I was playing in the Conference with Stevenage for a while, and in those days you couldn't go up, so coming to Rovers was a major step for me. It was one game for Stevenage that was the catalyst. We played Birmingham in the Third Round of the FA Cup and they were in the Championship then, and we lost 2-0. I played well.

When people saw the highlights on Match of the Day they were saying, 'oh this lad has a future in the game'. From that one match people started taking note. And then Rovers came in for me that year and couldn't agree a fee.


Barry Hayles, manager Ian Holloway and Peter Beadle pictured in 1998

Ian Holloway the manager at the time called me, and said if he couldn't get me that season, hook or by crook he would come back for me next year.

And as true to his word he did, and as soon as he did a lot of other clubs came in. The initial fee was loads, but Rovers weren't paying much in wages then, and other clubs were offering more. But I thought fair play to this manager to come back for me. I remember him saying, 'I am going to build a team around you to score goals'. So, I joined Rovers.

What was your favourite moment with the Gas?

There's been a few. Scoring on my debut is up there and getting the man of the match [against Plymouth]. I was so overwhelmed on the day and being taken into the Sponsors Lounge to be given it was a very special moment for me. I was asked to speak, and I couldn't, there were no words there.

I think I scored in my first three ot four games, so it was a good start to my professional career. It turned out to be a fantastic season all around.

You turned down a move to Bristol City when at Rovers didn't you?

Yes. Well I played about 60 games in total for Rovers, less than what many people think, and as soon as the first season finished Bristol City came in with a £2 million bid.

They sent for the Chairman and he said, 'it's a good deal for you, you will earn a lot more money, and for us it's a fantastic deal', and I said, 'no, I can't, I cant do it, am a Gashead now, no way I can do it'.

I had played enough to already feel that. And at that time, there wasn't any other club that had bid for me, so I turned them down. Rovers then gave me a new contract, and then in November, Fulham made an enquiry for me.

Was it the right move for you at the time?

Yes I think so. Being a Londoner, and I was expecting my first daughter at the time as well, and it was good money, I decided to go. So I was happy, but left with a heavy heart.

It was a club record when I went to Fulham, for about £2 million, and a League One club record at the time too. I think it still stands. And I stayed there for six-and-a-half years.

I joined in League One, and we won the league in our first season I left Rovers, then went up into the Championship and had one season there, and then following year we won the title and went into the Premier League.

It was when Mohammed Al Fayed was Chairman, and he was putting a lot of money into the club to get to the Prem. So I spent three brilliant years playing in the Premier League.

How was it going very quickly from non-league crowds with a few hundred, to playing at packed grounds in the Premier League?

I have been asked this before, and always say the crowd is the crowd. I always focus on what's happening on the pitch regardless.

Our first game in the Premier League was away at Man United, the biggest crowd I ever played in front of, around 70,000 I think it was. And I didn't come out thinking, 'oh, my god I am at Old Trafford,' I came out thinking this is a game, they were last year's champions, so we better give a good account of ourselves.

And we played well and narrowly lost 3-2, and came back feeling like we won the game.

You are in a select band of players that have played in both Conference and the Premier league - like Jamie Vardy and Ian Wright - does it make you appreciate it all the more, and what's the difference?

More than that as I actually played in every division in the Football League from Conference up.

And the real difference is the day-to-day training standards. The level. The manager that took us to the Premier League at Fulham was Jean Tigana, the former French World Cup star, and he demanded a level and standard in training that the boys would have to produce in a game.

That's why as a squad when we got to the Premier League, we were ready. We all knew our jobs, what we had to do, what to expect from each other. And we ended up being comfortable and finishing 13th in our first season.

You played England C as a non-league player, and went onto represent Jamaica, what was that like?

Playing for Jamaica was one of the biggest highlights of my career. I remember making my debut in a World Cup qualifier coming up against one of our biggest rivals Trinidad and Tobago. We won the game 1-0. Amazing experience.

You almost almost played for the Cayman Islands before then, but there was some controversy, what happened?

Well back then if you had a British passport you could play for pretty much most countries. So, the Cayman Islands approached a few of the Fulham boys, and said if you have got a British passport you can play. So, we said yes.

I was due to play for them, also against Trinidad and Tobago. Sepp Blatter's assistant at FIFA was the Trinidad and Tobago chief Jack Warner. We arrived on the Sunday, trained for it and prepared for a week for the game on following Saturday.

Warner had got wind of the Fulham and a few Everton players we had, and suddenly Friday comes and FIFA has brought a new rule in saying if you haven't played football in that country for the past five years, you cannot represent that country.

We were like where has this came from? So none us could play – and I ended up never playing a game for them. It was clearly a play by Warner, and several years later when all the FIFA corruption was exposed it made me think, 'wow its him, that guy!'

What was your favourite moment of your entire career?

Being a Tottenham fan growing up it has to be going to White Hart Lane and beating them with Fulham. We won 3-0, with me scoring two and setting up the third. And on a personal note it was great picking up all the papers on Sunday, reading all the headlines and seeing all the photos of me the following day.

What was the lowest part of your career?

Being relegated from the Championship with Leicester City in 2008, probably. I went there at Christmas, and there was a lot of changes personnel wise and some very experienced faces, but it just didn't gel.

It came down to the final game of the season, and we needed to win at Stoke, and we only got a draw. It was a very low moment.

Who was the best player you ever played with?

Louis Saha at Fulham – head and shoulders better than anyone else. Not just the best striker, but the best player. And barring injures he would have been a real legend at Manchester United.

I used to cringe at the things he used to do to players in training. We used to say to him, 'come on you need to give them a bit confidence, you can't be doing that to you're own teammates in training'.


Barry Hayles celebrates with Fulham striker partner Louis Saha in 2000

Who was the toughest opponent that marked you?

Probably Sol Campbell, when he was at Arsenal. He read everything and was big and strong. Getting any joy out of him was non-existent really. That Arsenal team were the only Premier League team I played against and never won a game, everyone else we managed to at some point.

They were the best team I had played against, unbelievable that team of invisibles. The best, collectively from back to front, as painful as it is for me to say as a Tottenham fan.

Lots of players that make it as a professional from non-league retire at the top, why did you carry on and come back down to non-league in your later years?

When I left Cheltenham in 2010 I said, that's it. I am 38 and if no one else comes in for me I will quit, and just play with my mates. And then I got a call from Truro City down in Cornwall, whose manager was an old team mate from Plymouth, and they were in the Southern League at the time.

They offered me half decent money for non-league, and that season we ended up winning league and I scored 20 goals. So I thought yes I can still do this, and I have carried on playing non-league ever since!

Do you still have friends you are in contact with from playing at Rovers?

I was best mates with Jamie Cureton when at the club, and we are still in contact to this day. And we also play in the same league now. Also Jason Roberts, we used to hang out a lot, and I speak to Peter Beadle every now and again.

Any interesting stories about times out with players?

One springs to mind. We were all out several years ago – me, Jamie Cureton, Jason Roberts, and Daniel Dichio, the former QPR striker. When at Rovers, Roberts always said I didn't pass to him, and I knew I wasn't like that.

So, when we were out, I asked him, 'who was your favourite striker out of all of us?' And he turned to me and said, 'definitely not you, you were greedy'. Curo laughed and said 'nah, he aint' and Dichio, who I played with at Millwall, turned around and said 'no way I played with Barry, me and him between us scored 30 odd goals, and we balanced it out.' So there you go!

But it was ironic on the day of the game I got sold to Fulham, Rovers had an FA Cup game, so I had to pretend to be injured, so I couldn't be cup tied. And Jason Roberts played and scored a hat-trick.

And he came back after the game, saying, 'see told you it was you, I can score more now' and am thinking yeah it wasn't like that you know. And then he kind of stepped into my shoes and didn't look back then.

What's your final message to Rovers fans?

Once a Gashead, always a Gashead. 100 per cent. And I always look out for Rovers score on matchdays. They were the club that gave me my first chance in league football and for that I will always be thankful. I have lovely fond memories down at Bristol, and wish everyone all the best.



https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/i-left-heavy-heart-barry-4082150

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Hamburg Relived

To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Fulham's epic win over Hamburg in the Europa League, we'll be treating this Wednesday 29th April like it's 2010 again.

As we did for Juventus, all of the Club channels will be going back in time by a decade, with the website featuring plenty of preview content ahead of the main event at 8.05pm.

We will be showing the Second Leg in its entirety – complete with Peter Drury's iconic commentary from ITV's footage of the tie – and we encourage fans to press play bang on 8.05pm so as to take in the match exactly 10 years on from the original, and also to enjoy the live updates across Twitter and Instagram that will accompany the game.

That will be followed by the official match report, highlights, and reaction from Roy Hodgson.

Before the night is out, we will also have the penultimate instalment of our 10 Years On series. Roy Hodgson, Ray Lewington, Zoltan Gera, Simon Davies, Bobby Zamora, Brede Hangeland, Aaron Hughes and Erik Nevland all contribute, casting their minds back to a night that still holds fantastic memories for each of them.

Finally, we caught up with a couple of media personalities who were there that night; ITV commentator Peter Drury, and Phil McNulty, the BBC's chief football writer.

Peter, the man behind legendary lines such as, "Hamburg will host the Final, Fulham will play in it!" casts his mind back to the night there was a tidal wave on the Thames, and discusses his fondness for Fulham, in an audio interview that we'll be publishing on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Phil recalls sitting in the press box and witnessing a Craven Cottage like never before, as well as Roy Hodgson receiving a round of applause upon attending his post-match press conference.




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/april/28/hamburg-relived