Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 12/08/20...

[WhiteJC]

Vice-chairman's response when asked if he'll sign Tottenham Hotspur 20-year-old

Fulham vice-chairman and director of football Tony Khan has told The Times that he does not want to sign Ryan Sessegnon from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window.

Sessegnon, who can operate as a left-back or as a left-winger, started his professional club football career at Fulham before making the move to Tottenham in the summer of 2019.

The England Under-21 international has had fitness issues this past season, and the talented and promising youngster failed to make a huge impact at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Earlier this month, The Telegraph reported that Fulham – who will play in the Premier League next season after winning promotion from the Championship – want to sign the 20-year-old on loan this summer.

However, Fulham vice-chairman and director of football Khan has made it clear that that is not the plan.

Khan told The Times about Sessegnon: "I am not interested. Ryan already played for us in the Premier League and he didn't do enough to keep us in there.

"We get two loans and I can't be in the business of developing other people's players when they don't have time to play them."

Tottenham Hotspur stay

Sessegnon did not have a great season in the Premier League with Fulham in 2018-19, and his time in the top flight of English football with Spurs in 2019-20 was not brilliant either.

However, the 20-year-old is hugely talented, and he will get better and find his feet.

It would make sense for Sessegnon to stay at Tottenham and work with head coach Jose Mourinho.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/08/11/vice-chairmans-response-when-asked-if-hell-sign-tottenham-hotspur-20-year-old/

[WhiteJC]

Ex-West Ham and Fulham defender John Paintsil reveals plans to transform Legon Cities into a continental giant

Former West Ham United and Fulham defender John Paintsil has disclosed plans to transform Ghana Premier League side Legon Cities into a continental giant.

The grand plan includes establishing a stadium and budling a special training facility to develop their players to excel in both domestic and international competitions.

Legon Cities' management is also putting measures in place to establish a clubhouse to ease the accommodation challenges of players.

"We have a mission to be one of the top three teams after each league in Ghana and also become one of the top five teams in Africa. This is part of our five-year development plan," Paintsil, who is also a management member of the club told Graphic Sports Online.

"There is a projected action plan to construct our own stadium to add value to the club. We are also establishing our own training facilities, and hostels to accommodate our players to motivate them to excel."

He added, "We also want to groom many of our young players to play actively for the various national teams in Ghana and at the international level."

"We have now started a football academy to develop our young and talented footballers to enable them to play prominently locally as well as for clubs in Europe and beyond."

"Within the five-year period, we should be able to complete all these laudable projects to transform Legon Cities to be one of the most attractive and successful football clubs in Africa."



https://footballghana.com/ex-west-ham-and-fulham-defender-john-paintsil-reveals-plans-to-transform-legon-cities-into-a-continental-giant

[WhiteJC]

Fulham eyeing permanent deal for Huddersfield Town's £17.5m loanee

According to Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, Fulham "appear to be overtaking" AZ Alkmaar in the chase for Huddersfield Town defender Terence Kongolo.

With Fulham's return to the Premier League confirmed, Scott Parker will be looking to add to his squad to ensure they remain in the top flight this time around. Now, it has been claimed that their pursuit of a permanent deal for loan man Terence Kongolo is gaining momentum.

As per a report from Algemeen Dagblad, Fulham's chase is growing in strength after they won promotion to the Premier League. Not only that but given that Kongolo is familiar with life at Craven Cottage and in the Premier League, a permanent Fulham switch could be more appealing.

Kongolo linked up with the Cottagers in the January transfer window, but a foot injury has limited him to only two appearances for the club across all competitions. Prior to making the move, Kongolo notched up 11 appearances for Huddersfield Town.

The 26-year-old defender signed for Huddersfield Town in 2018 after a successful loan spell at the John Smith's Stadium. Kongolo signed for a rumoured £17.5m (Sky Sports), so it will be interesting to see if the club can recoup that fee for him this summer. In total, he has played 60 times for the Terriers, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

It awaits to be seen how Kongolo's situation pans out but with both Fulham and AZ Alkmaar keen, a move away would not come as a big surprise.

Fulham fans, would you welcome a permanent move for Kongolo? Let us know what your thoughts are in the poll at the bottom of the page.



https://the72.co.uk/185763/fulham-eyeing-permanent-deal-for-huddersfield-towns-17-5m-loanee/

[WhiteJC]

Ex-Rotherham United and Fulham playmaker snapped up by League Two side

Morecambe have confirmed on their official club website that former Rotherham United and Fulham man Ben Pringle has joined the club on a free transfer.

Morecambe have moved to make their sixth signing of the summer transfer window as manager Derek Adams continues to reshape their squad.

Experienced midfielder Ben Pringle has become signing number six, joining on a free transfer after his deal with Gillingham came to an end.

Formerly of Fulham and Rotherham United, Pringle will bring a wealth of Football League experience to Adams' midfield. He has put pen to paper on a one-year deal and upon the announcement, expressed his delight at his latest move. He said:

"I'm pleased to get it done. It's been uncertain times for everybody so to get it over the line is a good feeling and I'm pleased to be here.

"I've been here for a week now so I've met all the lads and I just can't wait for the season to get going. It's going to be a bit of a strange one but hopefully the fans can come back in at some point."

Pringle, 31, joined Derby County in the early stages of his career after starting out in non-league. He spent time on loan with Torquay United before leaving for Rotherham United in 2011.

Pringle's four years with the Millers saw him play 168 times across all competitions, scoring 22 goals and laying on 34 assists before leaving for Fulham in 2015. Since then, he has gone on to play for Ipswich Town, Preston North End, Oldham Athletic, Grimsby Town, Tranmere Rovers and Gillingham.



https://the72.co.uk/185801/ex-rotherham-united-and-fulham-playmaker-snapped-up-by-league-two-side/

[WhiteJC]

Vice-chairman says he's 'working' on bringing back loanee from Southampton

Fulham vice-chairman and director of football Tony Khan has told The Times that he is working on signing Harrison Reed on a permanent contract from Southampton.

Reed spent the 2019-20 campaign on loan at Fulham from Southampton and played an important role in the Cottagers clinching promotion to the Premier League.

According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old midfielder made 24 starts and four substitute appearances in the Championship for the Cottagers this past season, providing two assists in the process.

Khan has said that Reed wants to stay at Fulham, and has stated that the Cottagers have an option to make the loan deal permanent.

Khan told The Times about Reed: "I'm working on it. I have an option to buy and I think he does want to stay."

Permanent Fulham move?

Reed is a very good midfielder who did well at Fulham in 2019-20, and it would make sense for him to stay at the Cottagers next season and beyond.

The 25-year-old has been on the books of the Saints his entire professional club football career, but the Englishman has made only handful of appearances for the first team.

A permanent move to Fulham would make sense for the Cottagers and for Reed.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/08/11/vice-chairman-says-hes-working-on-bringing-back-loanee-from-southampton/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham chief rules out loan move for Tottenham full-back Ryan Sessegnon

Fulham vice-chairman and director of football Tony Khan says the club are not interested in re-signing Ryan Sessegnon on loan from Tottenham.

Sessegnon has been linked with a move back to Fulham after their promotion to the Premier League.

The 20-year-old has struggled for first-team action since joining Spurs last summer but Khan said: "I am not interested. Ryan already played for us in the Premier League and he didn't do enough to keep us in there. I can't be in the business of developing other people's players. I expect the squad to look very similar to the one that got promoted. We won't spend £100million again."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-chief-rules-out-loan-move-tottenham-ryan-sessegnon-a4521726.html

[WhiteJC]

Matchday Programme Award

Fulham's Matchday Programme, produced by Press Box Publishing Ltd, edited by Tom Harvey, and designed by Paul West, has been awarded the Northern Programme Club's (NPC) 2019/20 Championship Programme of the Year.

The latest accolade is in addition to being named joint winners of the Championship Programme of the Season by Programme Monthly.

The 100-page, A5 production was deemed to be the best by the NPC panel of programme collecting judges, who commented: "This is a remarkably well-produced programme which safely negotiated a difficult mid-season transition due to a change in publishers.

"The latter issues (including an astonishing set of programmes to cover the behind-closed-doors fixtures) were steered by Press Box Publishing Ltd under the guidance of Fulham's highly talented duo of Tom Harvey (Programme Editor) and Paul West (Designer).

"In the overall category, Fulham were voted runners-up to Wolverhampton Wanderers – that's an incredible placing and one not usually achieved by a Championship programme.

"This, our 12th Annual competition, has been an eventful one. Not only did we have the fear of clubs not producing a programme due to the EFL rule change during the close season, the current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many clubs not producing programmes for their behind-closed-doors fixtures. To their credit, Fulham are exempt from this list!

"Congratulations are due to Tom, Paul and the team for producing a superb series of programmes for one of the most difficult campaigns since out great game was inaugurated."

Upon announcing Fulham as joint winners of the Championship Programme of the Year, Programme Monthly's panel said: "This programme is absolutely packed full of high-quality reading..." and went on to list the excellent features Harvey, West and the team produce each edition, giving it a mark of 18 out of 20.

Fulham's programme was also voted Championship Programme of the Season runner-up by M60 Programmes, very nearly earning it a hat-trick of top awards this term.

Press Box Publishing Ltd's Chief Executive, Simon Milham, said: "In Jonathon Rogers (COO), Paul, Tom and all our contributors, we have a highly talented, extremely dedicated team who are proud to serve Fulham Football Club and their great fans.

"Thanks to the unswerving support of the Club as a whole, and to Bishops Printers, who continue to provide a first-class service, we all have a publication we can be rightly proud of, and we are humbled that fans of programmes, particularly the collectors, have honoured the club in this way.

"Rest assured, Fulham will again strive to ensure it has the best programme next season... in the Premier League!"

Remaining stock of this season's programmes can be purchased via our Club Shop or here via the Press Box Publishing website.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/august/11/matchday-programme-award

[WhiteJC]

Neil Critchley sings the praises of former Fulham youngster following impressive display in Blackpool's opening pre-season friendly
Neil Critchley heaped praise on Cameron Antwi after the midfielder's impressive cameo in Blackpool's friendly win against Southport.

The former Fulham youngster was Blackpool's standout performer in the opening half on Saturday as the Seasiders cruised to a comfortable 4-0 win in their opening pre-season encounter.

The 18-year-old, who signed professional terms with the club earlier this summer, was calm and composed on the ball and showed bravery to beat Southport's press on a number of occasions.

His display didn't go unnoticed, with head coach Critchley only too happy to sing his praises at the full-time whistle.

"I was really delighted with how he played," he told The Gazette.

"It's a big responsibility to play that position but he looked calm and composed on the ball. It was a really good performance from him.

"He handled the ball well, kept the ball well and he can be really pleased with those 45 minutes."

Antwi, who moved to Bloomfield Road from Craven Cottage last summer, was a regular starter for Pool's Under-18 side prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

The midfielder, who has penned a one-year deal with the Seasiders, also featured in Pool's reserve squad at times last season.

His contract also involves the option to extend by a further year.

"I'm really pleased to have signed on the dotted line and I can't wait to get started," Antwi said after agreeing his professional deal in July.

"I've worked tirelessly since I joined the academy 12 months ago from Fulham.

"It's been a big change, but football is so important to me and I'm over the moon to have signed a professional contract with Blackpool.

"This is just the start. It's important I now continue to work hard and try and work my way into the first-team plans, which is something I'm determined to do."

The Londoner, who was born to Ghanaian parents, will continue to train with Pool's first-team ahead of the 2020/21 season.



https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sport/football/blackpool-fc/neil-critchley-sings-praises-former-fulham-youngster-following-impressive-display-blackpools-opening-pre-season-friendly-2938990

[WhiteJC]

Onomah and Kebano nominated for Fulham end-of-season awards

The Anglo-Nigerian and the DR Congo international could reap a reward for their efforts in helping the Cottagers return to the English to-flight

Josh Onomah and Neeskens Kebano have been nominated for Fulham Player and Goal of the Season awards. 

Onomah teamed up with the Craven Cottage outfit last summer from Tottenham Hotspur as part of the £25 million transfer that saw Ryan Sessegnon join Spurs.

The Anglo-Nigerian immediately became a key component of the Cottagers side and featured in 37 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing three assists.

The midfielder played 31 Championship games and made three appearances in the playoffs to help Scott Parker's men secure promotion to the Premier League.

His performances in the campaign have seen him nominated for the best player of the season, while his well-struck effort in their playoff semi-final victory over Cardiff City has been shortlisted for the best goal in the campaign.

The 23-year-old will compete for the awards with his other teammates including the Democratic Republic of the Congo international Kebano.

Kebano has been with Fulham since the summer of 2016 when he arrived from Belgian First Division A side Genk.

The 28-year-old winger scored five goals in 19 appearances, including two in the promotion playoffs as his contribution for the Cottagers in the campaign.

Kobano is shortlisted for the best player award while his strikes against Wigan Athletic and Cardiff have also been nominated for the Goal of the Season.

While the winger has represented the Democratic Republic of the Congo 19 times, Onomah is yet to make his international debut.

The 23-year-old has featured for England U16, U17, U18, U19, U20 and U21 but he still eligible to play for Nigeria.

Onomah will join the likes of Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi, Shola Ameobi and Ola Aina who previously starred for the European country before representing the Super Eagles, should he end up switching his allegiance.

The African stars will be expected to play a key role for Fulham in the 2020-21 Premier League season, which begins on September 12.



https://www.goal.com/en/news/onomah-and-kebano-nominated-for-fulham-end-of-season-awards/32aa2burfa4l1j42450fncvyx

[WhiteJC]

How the Bees were stung. Part 1: defending

Eamon Levin takes a look at Parker's Wembley tactics to uncover just how we bounced straight back up to the Premier League.

Champagne has flowed, songs have been sung and Emiliano Marcondes is now well aware that no one ever did, nor ever will, fear him. After a week of disbelief, the dust has finally begun to settle and it's time to look at the game itself and understand the master plan Parker devised.

Like most Fulham supporters, I spent the days after the final replaying Joe Bryan's heroism in my head, recovering from a few drinks, and in a constant state of euphoria. However, a week has past, and many are looking forward to the Premier League season, scouring the corners of the internet for leaks of our new kit or hints of transfer rumors. But as the celebrations began to calm, I decided to take a closer look at the final. Since Tuesday night, heaps of praise have been piled onto Scott Parker and his staff and I wanted to get a better idea of what exactly had earned those plaudits. 

Having rewound the tape, it was apparent that Fulham's defensive game plan rested on three pillars:

    Make no mistakes operating in the defensive third with the ball
    Press high up the pitch to force Brentford long
    Defend 1v1 and combination situations on the wings at a high level

If we could succeed in these three areas, then there was a high chance of success.

Parker was able to create a game plan that maximized Fulham's strengths and exploited Brentford's weaknesses, showing growth in a season during which so many times it seemed like his players were forced to stick to a system regardless of opponent, often seemingly holding the team back.

Make no mistake!
When determining a plan to face Brentford, creating a defensively-minded plan was crucial. Three reasons made this clear: The Whites have lacked offensive firepower going forward this year, Brentford have demonstrated how lethal their front three can be, and the low-scoring nature of a final – in which players and teams are scared to make mistakes – mean a single goal can be costly. Luckily, the Whites had been practicing Parker's defence-first philosophy all season and this game was the perfect culmination.

The first pillar of Fulham's defensive game plan was to not make any mistakes operating with the ball in their own defensive third. More than once this season, self-inflicted errors have led to opposition goal-scoring opportunities – all stemming from overplaying in the back. It was clear the players had instructions to play long and wide if there wasn't an immediate pass on.

Throughout the season Ream and Hector have often stood on the ball, waiting for a pass to present itself. But on Tuesday night both central defenders would take only one or two looks before pumping the ball upfield. Even Rodak had his internal clock counting down the seconds. One, two, three... still nothing? Go big. If Brentford were going to score, they would have to do it themselves and play at a high level to do so, Parker wasn't giving them anything.

Force them long
Parker's second defensive pillar was to use a high press to force Brentford to play long. All season, Brentford had been praised for their swift passing, quick attacking movement and sensational technical ability up front – Parker was intent on breaking this up. Brentford's players may be technically gifted, but Hector and Ream are bigger and well-versed in winning balls in the air. With Reed sitting in front of them to sweep up any knockdowns, Parker was confident his team would be able to often win back possession and disrupt any long-ball attack this way.

Kamara and Onomah were key cogs in the press – applying pressure to the ball carrier, while always keeping a man on Norgaard, Brentford's holding midfielder. Norgaard often ran the show this year, switching the field to start Brentford's build up play, and it was crucial to disrupt his rhythm. With the ball circulating around Brentford's back four, Kamara and Onomah switched between pressing the ball carrying center-back while the other hovered over Norgaard. This key idea seems trivial, but Norgaard's threat when given time to turn was clear when he finally did so in the later stages of the second half, leading to Watkins's only shot on target.

Bryan and Odoi also pushed high up the field, cutting off wide outlets. The numbers show how effective this strategy was: In the first half, Brentford played long 12 times while attempting to pass out or dribble upfield only seven times. Only twice out of those seven did they successfully keep the ball – a testament to Fulham's determination to force the ball into the air. The second half was even better when Brentford went long 14 times compared to only six times on the floor.

Situational Defending
The last pillar of Parker's game plan was perhaps most crucial. Fulham had to keep Brentford's front three at bay. Brentford's attacking players have excelled this year at beating their defenders on the wings, resulting in uncontested crosses or shots from inside. They have great technical ability and stopping them with the first man was essential. While it was disappointing not to see Cyrus Christie on the right flank with his recent form and attacking play, Odoi was the correct tactical decision. He is a better individual defender and is less likely to be caught upfield against counterattacks.

In addition to executing great individual defense, our full-backs and wide players had to work together to defend 2v2 and combination situations. A big piece of Brentford's offence is their commitment to sending players forward – their full-backs often join the attack and their attacking midfielders often come wide. It was clear that Parker instructed his wingers to defend and had thoroughly worked on defending combination-play in training. You could see the communication when Brentford attacked wide; fingers pointed to marks and assignments were called out. Our players never crossed when defending overlaps (something I saw far too often for professionals this year), switched marks when midfielders ran forward from deep, and quickly applied ball pressure.

Going against Brentford was always going to be tricky. Admittedly, they have played some of the best football in the division and had some of the best attacking players (although not the best attacking player) in the Championship. However, Parker was without fear and dared Brentford to beat his side. His message to his players was simple: if we don't make mistakes and have good fundamentals, they're going to have to be at their absolute best to win this one. And they weren't.

Parker was able to implement a game plan drawn from previous experience, what he had learned throughout the season and some research into the Brentford team. His success shows promise for the future and demonstrates that Scott is quickly learning his trade. While I find myself worrying about the upcoming season, a galloping Joe Bryan enters my mind and reminds me to enjoy the moment. After all, we are Premier League!



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2020-08-11-how-the-bees-were-stung-part-1-defending/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham: Joe Bryan discusses his future at Craven Cottage

Fulham full-back Joe Bryan has issued a claim about his future at the west London club.

This comes after Bryan recently made an appearance on The Athletic's Ornstein & Chapman Podcast where he spoke about a range of topics regarding his club.

After being asked by David Ornstein whether he feels his future lies at Fulham or not, Bryan had this to say on the subject.

He said: "As a footballer, you are a commodity. Clubs hold no loyalty to you if things start going wrong. I've never hidden behind the fact that if a challenge comes along that I feel is too big to turn down, I wouldn't say no, but I'm still looking forward to testing myself in the Premier League with Fulham. It's going to be a good season and one that we've worked really hard to achieve, and one that we want to make sure we do well in."

Bryan signed to Fulham in the 2018 summer transfer window from Bristol City for a fee of £6.03 million, according to Transfermarkt.

Since then, the 26-year-old has gone on to make 78 appearances for Scott Parker's side, in which he has scored four goals and provided nine assists along the way.

Recently, Bryan scored a brace for Fulham that saw them beat Brentford 2-1 in the Championship play-off final to secure their place in the Premier League for the 2020/21 season.

TIF Thoughts...

It's good to hear that Bryan has aspirations for his career and is open to a big challenge should the opportunity arise, but for now, it will be great for Fulham fans to hear that he is fully focused on performing for Scott Parker next season in the top flight.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2020/08/blogs/championship/fulham-joe-bryan-discusses-his-future-at-craven-cottage/

[WhiteJC]

Leeds, West Brom & Fulham Join Ryan Fraser Race - Tottenham & Arsenal Cool Interest

Exclusive - Newly promoted trio Leeds, West Brom and Fulham have all joined the race for free agent Ryan Fraser, though Arsenal and Tottenham have both cooled their interest in the player.

The Scottish international is available on a free transfer this summer after letting his contract run down at Bournemouth. The 26-year-old also rejected a short-term deal which would've seen him represent the Cherries following the Premier League's resumption in June after his contract had already expired.

His absence in the Bournemouth starting XI as the season drew to a close was a huge blow for Eddie Howe, and the Cherries were relegated to the second tier after a five-season stay in the top-flight.

Nevertheless, free agent Fraser has been on the radar of a number of clubs so far this summer, with many looking for bargains due to financial restraints triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Sources have indicated to 90min that previously touted potential suitors Arsenal and Spurs have pulled out of the race for the diminutive Scot, opening the door for a whole host of Premier League clubs to take advantage.

The north London pair do not value Fraser as much as they once did and are instead pursuing alternate options - Arsenal will confirm the arrival of Willian in the next few days themselves.

However, newly-promoted triumvirate Leeds, West Brom and Fulham have all entered the Fraser sweepstakes. The trio join long-time admirers Crystal Palace in the race for the former Bournemouth star, alongside West Ham, Newcastle and Brighton - who have all made their interest known.

Despite making his future plans clear, Fraser was a prominent member in Howe's side up until the break in March. The Scot appeared 28 times for the Cherries last term but endured a difficult campaign on the south coast, scoring just once and adding four assists.

Fraser starred the season prior, as his tally of 14 assists was topped by only Eden Hazard in the Premier League.

He's set to be an astute addition for a top-flight outfit this summer, with news of Arsenal and Spurs' dropped interest only adding to an already intriguing battle for the Scot's services.



https://www.90min.com/posts/leeds-west-brom-fulham-ryan-fraser-transfer-tottenham-arsenal-cool-interest?utm_source=RSS

[WhiteJC]

Aboubakar Kamara – A Changed Man

I was wrong about Aboubakar Kamara. Let's bring ourselves back to January 2019 when the news was breaking out of Motspur Park that Kamara and Mitrovic got into a fight during a team yoga session. To this day we don't have the full details of the bust up, but rumours of an arrest for actual bodily harm and criminal damage for the young French striker were rife at the time. And this had all come just two weeks after Kamara had refused to give the ball to Mitrovic to take a penalty in a crucial game against Huddersfield. Kamara went on to miss the spot, nearly throwing away a valuable win, only for Mitrovic to pop up in injury time with the eventual winner. It was another sign that things weren't good behind the scenes at Fulham. Jokanovic was long gone and Claudio Ranieri wasn't having the effect that Shad Khan had hoped.

When the news broke about the Motspur Park fight, my mind was made up. I wrote an article about how we needed to rid ourselves of the maverick striker. For me he was immature and having a huge detrimental effect on a team that was already badly struggling. We needed togetherness, not selfish individuals. I wanted him gone. The club sent him out on loan but I had my doubts about whether or not we would see the striker play for Fulham again. I pointed out that apart from a few impactful games in the Championship in the season before, we hadn't really seen a striker who could really make a difference in the team. Even when he was causing problems for defences in the Championship, he would ruin a good performance with a blatant dive, or too many off-the-ball incidences. I had lost all patience.

I am so glad that the club saw something that I didn't. Kamara came back from his loan stint at Yeni Malatyaspor in Turkey and we were told that the squad were happy to have him back. The club decided to nurture him rather than offload him. The combined effort of Mark Maunders, the player care manager, and the coaching staff have helped mould AK into the sort of player who we can trust. He has had an injury hit year, but has looked like a different player, and man, than he was the season before. His talent was so raw when he first came to us and his first touch left a lot to be desired, but that had massively improved. He has always had pace and strength, but now he has the game management and intelligent play that really makes a player a threat. Let's not forget that he was trusted enough for the Wembley final in 2018, but back then I guess we were still worried that he would do something daft and get himself in trouble in the most important match for the club in years. This time around I wasn't worried. Well, I was concerned about his fitness, but that was it. We had this crazy record last season were we did very well without Mitrovic in the side and AK was a big part of that early on. Despite not being used a lot, he stepped up and scored 2 against QPR, and has probably made more of an impact than Bobby Decordova Reid when asked to do the same thing.

He scored 4 and made 4 this season. Not outstanding, but those numbers don't tell the whole story really. He offers us something completely different to our other attacking players, and now that he has improved his game management I think that a solid run in the side will see him provide more goals. He is proof that if you take the time to really nurture a player who is a bit rough around the edges, you can really make a difference. Some of the videos after the final last week show a squad that is united, and AK seemed to be in the middle of everything. One video of him with his arm around Stuart Gray told me everything that I needed to know. The coaching staff have him on side, and he has returned their faith.

I think AK could have a lot of fun in the Premier League next season. He looked so sharp when he came off the bench against Cardiff at the Cottage and then at Wembley, and if we can keep him fit, he could surprise a few opponents next season. I was wrong about him, and I'm so glad about it.

#COYW



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/08/aboubakar-kamara-a-changed-man/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aboubakar-kamara-a-changed-man

[WhiteJC]

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa 2019/2020 – scout report

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa arrived at Fulham from Marseille in 2018 and never really settled at the club. From being played out of position to never having a decent run of games, Anguissa was purported as 'not being enough' and not worth the 25 million Euros Fulham paid for him.

However, at Villarreal, Anguissa has settled nicely into the La Liga and warmed the hearts of the Villarreal fans. Anguissa, unlike his days at Fulham, has been given a specific role which has brought out good performances in him. The 24-year old Cameroonian has been a starter which has given the energetic midfielder a much-needed boost in confidence coming from an underwhelming spell in England.

In this tactical analysis, I will take a look at Anguissa's attributes and how he fits into Villarreal's tactics.

Player overview and role
Anguissa is an energetic midfielder who is described by some as a pressing machine. With his physique, he's able to carry out his defensive duties with greater ease.

Apart from his defensive abilities, Anguissa is also good on the ball as he has the ability to retain possession using his standout dribbling ability and his body size in shielding the ball. Also, he's able to carry to the ball through certain distances.

Calleja mostly employs a 4-1-4-1 system which at times switches to a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3. Anguissa plays the position of a right-sided central midfielder in the 4-1-4-1 system, or in the double pivot of the 4-2-3-1 formation.

Anguissa is tasked with the job of a box-to-box midfielder in Calleja's team. He's allowed to move forward and join in the attacks, either counterattacks or settled shape attacks while also being tasked with defensive responsibilities most around the right-sided zones of the pitch.



Technicality and attacking ability
Ball retention and ball progression are the main strengths of the 24-year-old's on-the-ball ability. Anguissa combines his quick feet, dribbling skills, and physicality which allows him to retain possession in tight spaces or move out of tight spaces. Coupled with his athleticism, this gives him the ability to move the ball and glide past opposition players.

In the build-up, Anguissa is able to receive the ball as he is comfortable in retaining possession and beating his marker in any advent of pressure. In high-pressure games, he can help his team soak in pressure as he can retain possession under pressure.


Beating his man and progressing play

Here, Anguissa receives the ball in the right half-space from the goalkeeper. Due to the previous scan of his environment, he's able to know the distance between himself and the marker which allows him to turn with the ball without much fear of pressure.

Anguissa scans and notices no real viable option and decides the take the player on his own. The 24-year-old is able to beat his marker with a sidestep move and drive the ball away from his marker while using his enormous size to protect the ball.


[/size][/i]Dribbles his marker and attacks the space

In progressions, he can be used as a route as he's able to carry the ball for long distances and sometimes affect play in the final third. In this image above, he maintains possession with a piece of fine trickery after receiving a poor pass from an off-balance teammate. He then progresses play by carrying the ball upfield.

In settled shape attacks, due to his technicality, he can be positioned between the lines as he can receive the ball to feet in a fairly comfortable manner. Apart from this, Anguissa agility gives him a decent turn radius which makes it easy to receive the ball on the half-turn.


Receives the ball in BTL

In this image above, he receives a pass on the half-turn in between the lines. As the play progresses, he dribbles away from the tight situation.

Apart from this, Anguissa also offers offensive movements during settled shapes and transitions. In certain scenarios, Anguissa makes runs in behind along the opposition channels. Other times, they could be counterattacking runs and deep runs into the box which allows him to be at the end of crosses.



Here, Villarreal is on a counterattack with the ball-carrier having one passing option in a congested space. Anguissa reads the situation and accelerates to attack the space in behind in order to have another passing option to the ball-carrier. As the play progresses, he receives a through pass from the ball-carrier and shows his finishing ability as he dribbles the backtracking opponent and places a bottom-corner finish.

Defensive roles and attributes
As an energetic and often referred to as a pressing machine, Anguissa is able to be utilised defensively. He has the ability to recover possession from all kinds of pressures. Anguissa averages a 5.5 counter-pressing recoveries per 90. 203 recoveries are counter presses from a total of 302 recoveries which is roughly about 53% of Anguissa's recoveries.

Apart from this Anguissa is also able to win duels, make tackles due to his physique, and ultimately position himself in order to block passing lanes and space.

In a settled defensive shape, Villarreal's aim is to block progression route by sitting in their mid-block. Firstly, they aim to central lanes by remaining compact in central areas. In wide areas, they shuttle their block across the ball-near areas to protect the half-spaces and wide areas. This is where Anguissa comes in. The 24-year-old Cameroonian aims to block the half-spaces and wide zone, this is why his heatmap is concentrated around the right half-space and right-wing as it is shown earlier in this scout report.



Here, Anguissa stays on Modrić as he prevents the ball-carrier from making a pass to Modric. Due to Villarreal's compact shape, Carvajal has no proper passing options and concedes the position for Real Madrid as he tries to make a risky pass.

Anguissa blocks the spaces around the half-spaces and passes to the between-the-lines player who positions himself in the half-space. In protecting the wide areas and half-spaces, Anguissa likes to close down players who position themselves on the touchline. This makes it easier for him to stop an attack or recover possession as the ball-carrier has a limited field-of-view, space, time, and decision-making options.



Here, Anguissa blocks the half-space passing lane to Hazard as he firstly looks over his shoulder to check for Hazard's positioning. This allows him to position well in order to intercept any pass towards Hazard. The Real Madrid captain, Ramos, sees the difficult situation and hesitates to make a pass at first. But he then proceeds to make a risky progressive pass which Anguissa intercepts with great ease.

In inhibiting teams from playing out the back, he recovers possession as he seeks to engage in the high press as the second line of pressure. Anguissa recovers or stops the opponent playing out from the back either to pressure regains, aerial duels, second balls, or defensive duels. Also, he shows his ability to read the game which gives him good positioning and subsequently aids him in recovering the ball effectively.



Here, Anguissa shows his spatial awareness: Villarreal engages in a narrow press with the aim of impeding central progression. Anguissa positioned in the half-space anticipates a pass towards the opposition #6. As the pass comes in, he initiates his press and recovers the ball from the Eibar player.

In defending transitions, for ball-near transitions, Anguissa prefers to protect the central areas/half-spaces as he counter-presses and guides the transition towards the flank where he makes a more timely press as the ball-carrier has limited time and space.



Here, he tracks down the ball-carrier as he moves towards the wing zone. Anguissa tracks back to defend the central areas/half-spaces and add more numbers in defence in order to counter the potential numerical advantage in the half-space zone.


Tracking back to defend the zone 14

For ball-far transitions, Anguissa tracks back to protect the central zone 14 area. This allows him to add himself as an extra body in defence. In certain occasions, it allows Anguissa to deal with crosses as he uses his height advantage.

All in all, Anguissa utilises his engine-like abilities and intensity to delay transitions and ultimately win back possession using counter presses. He uses his positional awareness, spatial awareness, and athleticism to block passing lane and spaces.

Issues and areas of improvements
In this scout report, we have been able to show Anguissa's dribbling ability as uses it to retain the ball. However, in this course of doing things, Anguissa tends to take heavy touches which make him susceptible to losing possession. Although he's able to recover using his long legs and ball skills, more often than not it would lead to loss of possession that could also lead to dangerous transitions.



Here, he makes a poor touch which goes behind his body. He scrambles back to recover the ball and he does it due to his athleticism.

Another way he loses possession is the decisions he tends to make while trying to retain the ball or during his ball-carrying moments. Anguissa tends to do too much as he overly-dribbles rather than make a simple pass or try to make that extra yard during a ball carry when a simple combination play would have helped.



Here, after successfully carrying the ball and attacking the space, he finally loses it. Anguissa tries to make one more dribble which is highly unlikely as he's closed down from almost every angle. However, there's a passing route to Gerard Moreno and Santi Carzola which Anguissa ignores.

Although his passing is decent, improving on the final ball could give him an edge against other midfielders. His final ball could give him another dynamic to his creativity other than ball-carrying and trickery.

Conclusion
This analysis highlights the Cameroonian's abilities and the role he thrives in during his loan spell at Villareal. The doubts about his ability and impact are now diminished as he puts up exemplary performances which could raise money for the club if they decided to sell.

Irrespective of the transfer circumstance next season, I believe Anguissa should choose a manager that can help him continue his development by putting him in a position and system that fits his attributes.



https://laligaanalysis.com/analysis/player-analysis/andre-frank-zambo-anguissa-20192020-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics

[WhiteJC]

Fulham plotting £12m Chambers move

Fulham are mulling a £12m move for Arsenal's Calum Chambers, who starred on loan at Craven Cottage two seasons ago, according to the Sun.

The 25 year-old former England international was voted Fulham's player of the season during their desperately disappointing last season in the Premier League, impressing when predominantly used as a defensive midfielder by Claudio Ranieri and current boss Scott Parker. The former Southampton defender is considering his future at Arsenal, having made just one appearance under Mikel Arteta before rupturing his cruciate, and it is thought that Chambers would be allowed to leave the Emirates as part of a reshaping of the Gunners defence.

Parker is known to be a keen admirer of Chambers' work ethic, although his initial performances both at centre back and as a right back in a dreadful defeat by Cardiff were not impressive. His deployment in midfield turned his loan spell with the Cottagers around – and Chambers has previously spoken in glowing terms about his experiences on loan at Fulham. He scored twice, once against Brighton when his strike sparked a memorable comeback from 2-0 down and also in Parker's first game in charge against Chelsea.

Chambers, who made 33 appearances for the Whites during his time on loan, is expected to be fully fit within a couple of weeks having stepped up his rehabilitation from injury over the course of the summer. It remains to be seen whether Fulham would make him one of their big-money signings, with defensive reinforcements believed to be Parker's priority.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/08/fulham-plotting-12m-chambers-move/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fulham-plotting-12m-chambers-move

[WhiteJC]

Arsenal defender Calum Chambers subject of £12m interest from Premier League rivals

Chambers could be on his way out of the Emirates this summer, with the Gunners set for a clearout to free up funds for targets such as Thomas Partey and Gabriel Magalhaes

Arsenal defender Calum Chambers is reportedly wanted by Premier League new boys Fulham in a £12million transfer swoop.

The Gunners are planning a clearout this summer to raise funds for manager Mikel Arteta to make improvements to the squad.

Arsenal's targets include centre-half Gabriel Magalhaes, midfielder Thomas Partey and winger Willian - while they also want to tie down Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on a bumper new deal, and sign Dani Ceballos permanently following his loan spell from Real Madrid.

Chambers could be one of the players to make way in Arteta's squad overhaul, with Fulham boss Scott Parker keen on strengthening his defensive options after guiding his side to promotion from the Championship.

Fulham took Chambers on loan two years ago, and the versatile defender impressed in a central midfield role after Parker took over from Claudio Ranieri as manager.

And according to The Sun, Parker is preparing a swoop that could see Arsenal recoup the £12m they paid Southampton for Chambers six years ago.

Chambers has rarely been a regular for the Gunners since arriving at the Emirates, and has been sidelined since suffering a ruptured cruciate ligament in his only game so far under Arteta, back in December.

The 25-year-old centre-half is back in training and is expected back in action by the end of September.

But that could well be for Fulham if Arsenal are willing to part company with Chambers.

Other players who could be leaving the Emirates this summer to free up transfer funds include Mesut Ozil, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Matteo Guendouzi, Sokratis, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Sead Kolasinac and Lucas Torreira.

Arsenal are ready to offer Ozil a pay-off or at the very least subside his extortionate £350,00-a-week wages.

Maitland-Niles, meanwhile, could be sold by the board against Arteta's wishes.

Guendouzi has fallen down the pecking order in north London following his petulant display in the defeat by Brighton.

He is not short of admirers, and like Lucas Torreira, could be snapped up this month.

Sokratis and Sead Kolasinac, meanwhile, have fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates in recent months and have found minutes harder to come by.

The form of Kieran Tierney at left-back and the incoming William Saliba, will only make game time even more elusive for Sokratis and
Kolasinac next season.

Mkhitaryan spent last season on loan at Roma, and Arsenal are hoping the Serie A club will stump up the cash to make the deal permanent.



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenal-transfer-calum-chambers-fulham-22506508

[WhiteJC]

Leeds offer £400,000 for teenage Fulham starlet – A great futuristic move by Bielsa?

Why Leeds United must sign Cody Drameh as soon as possible

According to Daily Mail, newly-promoted Premier League side, Leeds United have offered £400,000 for Fulham youngster Cody Drameh.

The 18-year-old full-back has been a long-term target for Leeds, having failed to bring him to Elland Road in January. The report also claims that the Whites have added a 20% sell-on clause as a part of the deal in an attempt to persuade Fulham to part with their teenage talent.

Meanwhile, Drameh is a regular feature within Fulham's under-23 side and has excelled this season in the Premier League 2 with seven assists from 17 appearances. However, he is yet to feature for the Scott Parker's senior team and Leeds are keen on bringing him to the side as soon as possible.

Drameh a good back-up option for Leeds at right-back
Leeds, on the other hand, have secured Premier League promotion after a long gap of 16 years under manager Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentine tactician has played a major role in helping Leeds emerge as Championship winners this season, thus marking their return to the top-flight.

A major reason for Leeds' success this season has been a rock-solid defence. The Whites have the best defensive record in the league this season after they conceded a mere 35 goals from their overall 45 league matches.

One of the key players in the Leeds defence this term has been right-back, Luke Ayling. The 28-year-old has not only excelled defensively but also offensively, registering four goals and five assists from 37 league games.

Apart from Ayling, Leeds just have academy graduate Bryce Hosannah as a back-up in the right-back role. However, he has not made a single appearance for the senior side and this will not serve them well next season in the top-flight.

That said, Leeds's interest in rising full-back Drameh makes complete sense as he could prove to be a good cover for main man Ayling.

Primarily a right-back, Drameh is, however, comfortable playing across both the flanks and has done so while playing for Fulham's under-23 side. Hence, Leeds must not waste much time and land him at Elland Road as soon as possible.

Verdict

It is evident that Leeds lack depth at right-back and Drameh's arrival will only offer boss Bielsa an extra option next season. Moreover, he is still in his teens and can develop under the guidance of the Argentine coach. Having already proved himself at Fulham, the youngster could also turn out to be an excellent future investment for Leeds.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2020/08/12/leeds-offer-400000-for-fulham-starlet-cody-drameh-a-great-move/

[WhiteJC]

Tottenham Hotspur: Fans react to comments from Fulham chief regarding Ryan Sessegnon

Many Tottenham Hotspur supporters have flocked to a recent post from @thespursweb on Twitter in which they relayed some comments from Fulham's vice-chairman and director of football Tony Khan regarding Ryan Sessegnon.

The comments, originally published by The Times, had Khan, when discussing the possibility of the player returning to Craven Cottage on loan, saying: "I am not interested, Ryan already played for us in the Premier League and he didn't do enough to keep us in there."

Sessegnon completed his move from Craven Cottage to North London in August 2019 in a deal reportedly worth £24.3m (as per Transfermarkt). However, we believe it's fair to say the move hasn't quite gone as planned for the left-sided player who has been limited to just 12 appearances for the Lilywhites so far.

With that in mind, it may not be too surprising to see that the player has been linked with a loan move away from Tottenham this summer, with The Guardian recently reporting that Fulham, as well as Ajax, are interested in a loan move for the Spurs man. However, it appears that a return to his former club is off the table, judging by Khan's comments.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2020/08/blogs/premier-league/tottenham-hotspur-fans-react-to-comments-from-fulham-chief-regarding-ryan-sessegnon/

[WhiteJC]

Exclusive: Door opens for West Brom & Fulham to sign striker after Celtic bid

The door has opened for West Brom and Fulham to seal the signing of Ivan Toney as he has set his heart on a dream Premier League move, Football Insider understands.

The Peterborough United striker, 24, was all set to join Brentford before they suffered promotion heartache in the play-off final last week.

A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Toney's preference is to join a Premier League club and prove himself in the top flight.

The striker, 24, was let go by Newcastle United two years ago after failing to convince Rafael Benitez he had the quality to shine in the top tier.

Toney has reignited his career with 49 goals in two seasons at Peterborough, including 26 in the prematurely-terminated 2019-20 campaign.

The League One outfit have made it clear they will let the front man go but are holding out for a fee rising to £9-10million.

Bids have already been tabled from Brentford of around £5m and from Celtic of £2.5-3m.

Director of football Barry Fry claimed his club have also knocked back a New York Red Bulls offer.

West Brom also have a strong interest in Toney and Football Insider has been told that Fulham have also now joined the chase.

The newly-promoted duo have one big advantage over the others in that they can offer top-flight football next season.

They are also both in the market for a proven goalscorer who can provide competition for their current forwards.

Toney was on fire before the March lockdown, netting 24 league goals – nine more than anyone else – among 26 in all competitions this season.



https://www.footballinsider247.com/west-brom-target-toney-sets-his-heart-on-pl-move-after-celtic-brentford-bids/

[filham]

While I don't disagree with Tony Kahn's comments about Ryan Sess I do feel he is speaking out of turn and playing at team manager.

In my book it is Parker who should be saying whether or not he would like to have Sess. back in the team while Kahn's duties should be limited to saying if it is financially viable.