Friday Fulham Stuff - 28/08/20...

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Report: Aston Villa frustrated over lack of progress in Ollie Watkins deal

Aston Villa are heavily interested in signing Ollie Watkins from Brentford, with the Express and Star reporting recently that the forward is Dean Smith's first-choice target for the summer.

However, with several other Premier League clubs joining the race to sign the 24-year-old forward, Brentford holds the ace at the negotiation table.

According to reports from Sky Sports, Aston Villa are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress in their negotiation with the Bees for a deal for Watkins.

Villa, who narrowly escaped relegation last season, are desperate to sign a striker this summer and have earmarked Watkins as a potential option. He is a versatile forward who is also capable of playing in wide positions, and fits Villa's profile perfectly.

Last season, Watkins scored 26 goals in the Championship for Brentford. Villa are keen to tie up a deal soon but they are facing competition from the likes of Sheffield United, Fulham and Crystal Palace.

Brentford are demanding a fee in the region of £25m for Watkins. Villa fear they are in the middle of an auction and are reluctant to get involved in a bidding war for the Championship player of the season.

Fulham have the financial power to match Brentford's asking price, and they have been in talks to sign the striker as well. The Cottagers are looking to bolster their forward line, and are also interested in signing Callum Wilson from Bournemouth.



https://sportslens.com/report-aston-villa-frustrated-over-lack-of-progress-in-ollie-watkins-deal/310234/

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Premier League games all set to be televised as Saturday 3pm blackout lifted for season

The Premier League will resume on September 12 and with games being played behind closed doors matches at 3pm will be televised in a break with tradition

The Premier League Saturday 3pm blackout will be lifted ahead of the new season following productive talks.

It means all of the top flight games will be available to viewers until fans begin returning to stadiums.

Confirmation from the FA will allow the Premier League to change its stance and ensures matches are available from the season opening on September 12.

Initially the Premier League had looked to honour contracts it had with Sky and BT meaning 40 per cent of matches would not be televised.

However there were fears that, with fans unable to attend games, that viewers would attempt to use illegal streams, reports The Times.

The greatest obstacle was the Saturday 3pm blackout but with the FA's willingness to lift it a solution can now be reached.

Back in April the blackout was first lifted when the coronavirus pandemic meant matches had to be played behind closed doors.

It was initially imposed back in the 1980s to ensure fans continued to go to stadiums.

Televising games will allow clubs to give season ticket holders access codes to watch the matches via subscription platforms as they did with Project Restart.

Premier League club chairmen are due to meet on Thursday with a decision on televising all the matches high on the agenda.

Matches in the Championship, Leagues One and Two will look to follow a similar plan that allows fans to watch matches on various platforms.

Broadcasters are already putting things in place to adapt but will not be asked to make games free-to-air as they did when the season restart in June.

Liverpool vs Leeds and Tottenham vs Everton are among the blockbuster clashes taking place on the opening weekend.



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-games-set-televised-22589477

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Fulham pushing hard for Smith Rowe loan this season
Fulham are pushing a season-long loan move for Emile Smith Rowe this season, hoping to offer the youngster regular Premier League football.

On Tuesday, we covered the reports that Arsenal rejected a permanent bid from AS Monaco for Emile Smith Rowe, whilst also fielding interest in a loan move from Crystal Palace, Fulham and Leeds United.

It's the Fulham angle that appears to have the most legs at the moment, though. The Mirror claim Fulham are keen on the 20-year-old on a season-long loan deal.

The Cottagers are pushing the hardest for a temporary transfer, though it's not clear yet whether Arsenal are willing to let the player leave for the upcoming campaign.

The Independent also name Fulham as a club with an interest in Smith Rowe. They add that any decision on the youngster's future won't happen until a later date in the window. Arsenal are clearly trying to keep their options open.

Smith Rowe came off the bench in the friendly against MK Dons on Tuesday. Mikel Arteta is evidently keen to give him a chance to impress, speaking highly of him in interviews. You'd imagine he'll make the squad again this weekend for the Community Shield.



https://dailycannon.com/2020/08/fulham-pushing-hard-for-smith-rowe-loan-this-season/

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Leicester signing this £15m-rated Fulham star would get them a fantastic Chilwell replacement

Why Joe Bryan would be a fantastic fit at Leicester City

According to The Sun, Leicester City are interested in signing Fulham star Joe Bryan in a bid to bolster their backline ahead of the new campaign.

The report suggests that the Foxes are preparing for life after Ben Chilwell, who has joined Chelsea. It also claims that the Cottagers are willing to sell Bryan for £15m as they have already signed Antonee Robinson earlier this month.

Profile
Born in England, Bryan flourished through the ranks of Bristol City's youth system but spent the majority of his earlier career on loan spells with Bath City and Plymouth. However, he returned to his parent club in the summer of 2013 and established himself as an integral member of the squad.

After making 230 appearances for the Robins, he was signed by Fulham for £6m in the summer of 2018. Though he initially struggled with injuries at Craven Cottage, he became a key figure of the team last season, appearing in all but three Championship games.

The Englishman was the hero for Fulham in the Championship playoff final as his two extra-time goals helped them get promoted to the top-flight at the expense of Brentford. He has been in sensational form in the last few seasons and has been consistent.

Bryan – A perfect replacement for Chilwell at left-back
At the moment, Brendan Rodgers has two left-backs available at his disposal now that Chilwell has departed the club.

Christian Fuchs and Luke Thomas are the two other left-backs available. The Austrian is already 34 and has just one more year left on his contract. Thomas just broke into the senior team and did a decent job but he is inexperienced and cannot be depended upon throughout the campaign. Thus, they should consider signing a left-back this summer.

In that regard, Bryan would be a smart signing by the Foxes. The former Bristol City man seems to be in the form of his life. He scored 3 goals and 8 assists across all competitions last season. He played a key role in Fulham's promotion to the top-flight.

Moreover, he has made over 300 appearances in English football and his experience could be a massive boost to Leicester if they lose Chilwell. He is equally good while going forward and also in defensive situations. He could be a perfect replacement for Chilwell.

Verdict
With Chilwell gone and Fuchs beyond his prime, it is clear that the Foxes are in dire need of a left-back. And Bryan, who is in sensational could provide them with some much-needed quality. Thus, they should lure the Englishman to King Power Stadium this summer.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2020/08/28/why-joe-bryan-would-be-a-fantastic-chilwell-replacement-at-leicester-city/

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Fulham signing this Barcelona legend would be a fantastic boost on their return to the PL
Why Fulham must make a move for the experienced Gerard Pique

According to the Peruvian website Libero (h/t Daily Mail), Fulham are planning a sensational move for Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.

The 33-year-old centre-back and one of Barcelona's key players over the last decade was one among the many veteran players in the side who recently became the subject of heavy criticism.

The La Liga side endured a difficult league campaign this season as they lost their title to arch-rivals Real Madrid. To add to their miseries, they also got knocked out of the Champions League quarterfinals after suffering an 8-2 thrashing at the hands of eventual winners Bayern Munich.

The report claims that the Scott Parker-led side have already put an offer on the table for the £220,000-a-week defender, who has won three Champions League and eight La Liga titles with Barcelona.

Pique a good stop-gap solution for Fulham
Fulham are returning to the Premier League after a one-year gap. The Cottagers were pretty disciplined at the back under Parker, conceding just 48 goals from their overall 46 league matches last term.

However, they would be aware that this would not be enough to help them sustain in the physically more challenging Premier League and it is not a big surprise they have made a move for Pique.

At present, Fulham have four centre-backs in their side – Alfie Mawson, Michael Hector, veterans Maxime Le Marchand and Tim Ream. 32-year-old Ream has been one of the regulars in the side, making 44 Championship appearances for them last term. However, he has spent the majority of his career playing in the lower divisions.

To date, Fulham's most consistent centre-back has only made 39 Premier League appearances out of his overall 393 career matches, and this would not serve them well next season.

Only Mawson has enough experience playing at the highest level, with 80 Premier League matches to his credit. Hector and Le Marchand have a mere combined 37 matches under their kitty.

Hence, Fulham's decision to approach an experienced and World Cup-winning player such as Pique makes complete sense. Moreover, he is not someone new to England, having already played for Manchester United back in his early days.

He is a Premier League (2007-08) and Champions League (2008) winner with the Red Devils, suggesting it would not take him much time to adjust to the new surroundings if a move happens. Thus, Fulham must continue their pursuit of Pique as he could prove to be an excellent stop-gap solution for them.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2020/08/28/fulham-signing-this-barcelona-legend-would-be-a-fantastic-boost-on-their-return-to-the-pl/

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PL newbies preparing move for Tottenham's 28-year-old South American ace
Fulham interested in signing Paulo Gazzaniga

According to The Telegraph, newly-promoted Premier League outfit Fulham are preparing a summer move for backup Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.

The 28-year-old Argentine joined Tottenham from Southampton in the summer of 2017. However, he has largely played second-fiddle to first-choice custodian and club captain Hugo Lloris.

Gazzaniga did get an extended run in the starting XI in the first-half of the 2019/20 season with Lloris was sidelined with an elbow injury. However, he failed to make the most of his opportunities.

In total, the Argentine international has featured 37 times for Spurs, conceding 43 goals, while managing only 10 clean sheets. (h/t Transfermarkt)

Tottenham recently signed veteran goalkeeper Joe Hart on a free transfer, after his contract with Burnley had expired last month. With the arrival of the former England international, there is a good chance that Gazzaniga could be pushed further down the pecking order at the club.

And Fulham are now seemingly hoping to capitalise on the situation. The Cottagers' boss, ex-Spurs midfielder Scott Parker, is keen on adding Premier League experience to his squad and is now lining up a move for Gazzaniga. (h/t The Telegraph)

Gazzaniga still has two years left on his current contract with Tottenham. However, with the 28-year-old likely to play a bit-part role at best, cashing in on him this summer could be the right way to go about things.

Hart can cover for, and even challenge Lloris, while Jose Mourinho could push someone from within the youth club's ranks as third-choice.

Former Spurs' star Paul Robinson has tipped the Argentine to leave the club this summer. With Fulham now showing interest, we may very well see him depart before the transfer window closes.



https://tothelaneandback.com/2020/08/28/pl-newbies-preparing-move-for-tottenham-28-year-old-paulo-gazzaniga/

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Big transfer decision on former Derby County loanee as fans send firm message to Fulham

WILSON LATEST

Liverpool are not looking to loan out Harry Wilson again this coming season, according to reports.

The Reds will only consider a permanent exit for the 23-year-old former Derby County loanee otherwise he will be part of Jurgen Klopp's squad for the 2020/21 campaign.

FANS VERDICT ON FEE

Derby County defender Jayden Bogle is being linked with a £10m move to Fulham.

The 20-year-old right back is a summer transfer target for newly-promoted Fulham, according to Football Insider.

SCATHING ATTACK

Simon Jordan has launched a scathing attack on the EFL over the Derby County saga.

The former Crystal Palace chairman has been speaking in the wake of the Rams being cleared of breaching the Football League's financial rules.

Derby were hit with two charges by the EFL in January but those charges were dismissed by an independent disciplinary commission this week.

MADDISON TALK

The name of Marcus Maddison has cropped up again as a possible Derby County transfer target.

Maddison is been linked with the Rams on a number of occasions in the past.

Now the attacking midfielder finds himself out-of-contract and waiting on his next move.

NEW DEAL

George Evans has signed a new contract with Derby County.

The 25-year-old has put pen to paper on a deal that runs until the summer of 2022.

BOGLE IN FULHAM LINK

Derby County defender Jayden Bogle is once again being linked with a move to the Premier League.

The 20-year-old full-back is a summer transfer target for newly-promoted Fulham, according to Football Insider.

The report claims that the Rams have set a £10m asking price for the England Under-20 international.



https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/big-transfer-decision-former-derby-4464249

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Fulham x Pizza Hut was the last shirt of a golden era

Our shirts don't need saving – Part 4

We've covered some aesthetically pleasing ground in this series. Sharp and United, Xbox and Seattle, Mars and Napoli; the one consistent thread throughout has been the beauty of a team's threads when a top tier sponsor is involved.

For part 4 of Our shirts don't need saving we'll be looking at a tasty team x sponsor combination that also happens to symbolise a seismic shirt in the world of shirts.



Fulham fans had to be patient. After spending the entirety of the 70s, 80s and 90s outside the top division, they finally won promotion to the Premier League (then Premiership) just after the turn of the Millenium.

Looking back on their shirt history pre-Premiership, there were a number of highlights including multiple spells with Umbro and a pleasing run with adidas. Sponsor wise though things were relatively uninspiring, bar one exception.

Just before their return to the top flight, Demon Internet sponsored the Cottagers, becoming quite possibly the best named sponsor in all of football. For a name as outrageous as Demon Internet, the logo of the company was surprisingly understated, but nonetheless the Demon kits remain some of my personal favourites amongst Fulham's history.

We're not focusing in on Demon Internet though. We're here to talk about your favourite unlimited pizza buffet provider.

Fulham arrived to the Premier League in style in 2001/02, transitioning from Demon Internet to none other than Pizza Hut.

It goes without saying that food and drinks sponsors are top tier, but there was something about Fulham x Pizza Hut which hit a particularly good note.

The red "hat" of the Hut logo matched up nicely with the small but tasteful red details of the collar and cuffs, whilst the black text equally matched up nicely with the black throughout the kit. Even the green and yellow details of the logo didn't look out of place, given the clean white base of the shirt.

It was the perfect example of a big name sponsor that actually looked good on the kit, as well as being one of the most recognisable logos from an industry which is very welcome. Alongside this new sponsor, the Fulham crest was rebranded to the badge that we know today. It truly was a busy summer in West London.

It helped that Fulham had something of a cult side on their return to the top of English football too. Edwin van der Sar was between the sticks, a reality which feels increasingly odd as time goes on. At the other end of the pitch things were just as continental, as Louis Saha, Luis Boa Morte and Steed Malbranque stretched defenses and dazzled opponents on a weekly basis.

In 2002 though, football shirts changed forever, and it was all thanks to Fulham.

The Pizza Hut era at Craven Cottage was as short as it was sweet, lasting only 1 season, and in its place arrived a partnership featuring a company from an industry never seen before on the front of a football shirt in English football.

It seems unimaginable now, but Betfair became the first gambling sponsor in English football, replacing Pizza Hut on exactly the same shirt design from 01/02. This change provided an interesting case study, as although the Betfair logo was relatively innocuous, it would be hard to argue that it was more aesthetically pleasing than the Pizza Hut logo that preceded it.

Of course, the rest is history when it comes to betting sponsors. Approaching the 2020/21 Premier League Season, we'll see the majority of teams sponsored by a betting company. The 'problem' runs even deeper as you move down the leagues, and indeed public pressure will likely lead to an end of main betting sponsorship in football within the next couple of seasons.

Fulham's switch from Pizza Hut to Betfair serves as a symbol of when things started to change, and it seems fitting that the transfer was not simply to a betting sponsor, but also from a memorable food and drinks sponsor like Pizza Hut. Food and drinks sponsors were much more common in the 90s and early 00s than they are today, and for various reasons I would love to see more sponsors like Pizza Hut.

As always, Ifrha's gorgeous designs have illustrated my argument perfectly.

Our shirts don't need 'saving' from sponsors, they just need saving from bad sponsors.



https://footballshirtcollective.com/2020/08/28/fulham-pizza-hut/

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Top Premier League clubs 'lobby to reintroduce five substitute rule' ahead of new season

Premier League clubs voted 13-7 in favour of reverting to three substitutes, but the issue is back on the agenda after clubs lobbied to retain five changes

Top Premier League clubs are reportedly lobbying for the five substitute rule to be reintroduced ahead of the new season.

Top-flight clubs were allowed to make five changes at three separate intervals - not including half-time - when the 2019-20 season restarted following the coronavirus pandemic.

Football's law-makers, the IFAB, gave leagues the opportunity to continue with five subs if they wished for the new campaign, but Premier League sides voted 13-7 in favour of reverting to three.

However, according to The Sun, both Manchester club along with Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are among clubs keen for the option of making five changes to continue.

The unhappy leading clubs have found enough support to raise the issue again with the conversation now back on the agenda.

Some clubs have reportedly changed their minds since the vote, despite concerns keeping the increased number of substitutions would disproportionately benefit the bigger sides due to the talent on their benches.

If the lobbying clubs get their way, it will be the latest in a string of rule changes for the new season.

Officials will now be encouraged to use the pitchside monitor for VAR decisions while goalkeepers will be penalised for encroachment on penalties, leading to potential retakes.

Assistant referees will still be encouraged to keep their flags down on marginal offside infringements, while there will be no leeway when it comes to VAR making the decisions.



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/top-premier-league-clubs-lobby-22591207