Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 23/09/20...

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Fulham join Milik chase

Fulham have joined the race to sign Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik, according to reports from Italy.

The Whites are among a clutch of Premier League clubs interested in signing the Polish forward after his proposed move to Roma fell through acrimoniously earlier this week. Tottenham are reportedly the favourites to land the 26 year-old having submitted an improved offer to Napoli and various reports in Italy suggest there will be a meeting between various club officials in London tomorrow to try and thrash out an agreement.

But Newcastle, Fulham and Leeds are all interested in Milik – although there are suggestions on Italian TV that they will struggle to meet the striker's wage demands and would also need to negotiate down Napoli's valuation of a player who has refused to sign a new contract with his current deal due to expire in less than a year.

Milik, who has scored 14 goals in 51 caps for his country, burst onto the European scene when he starred on loan at Ajax, scoring 23 goals in 33 appearances for the Dutch giants, who then signed him from Bayer Leverkusen on a permanent basis. He rattled in another 24 goals in 42 matches in 2015/2016 before joining Napoli for £32m in August 2016. Milik has scored 42 goals in 122 appearances for the Italian outfit and scored the winning penalty as they beat Juventus in the Coppa Italia final in June.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/09/fulham-join-milik-chase/

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Harry Arter follows Cyrus Christie to Nottingham Forest after securing permanent move from Bournemouth

Harry Arter has followed his Ireland team-mate Cyrus Christie by making a move to Championship side Nottingham Forest.

Forest last week completed the loan signing of Fulham man Christie and now Arter, who was on loan to Fulham from Bournemouth last season but remained under contract with the Cherries, has made a permanent move.

Arter (30) signed a four-year deal with Bournemouth in 2017 but would spend just one of those seasons in the Cherries side, loaned out to Cardiff City for the 2018/19 season with another loan, to Fulham, last term.

The midfielder played little international football under Mick McCarthy last year but hoped for a revival under Stephen Kenny.



https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/harry-arter-follows-cyrus-christie-to-nottingham-forest-after-securing-permanent-move-from-bournemouth-39554651.html

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Fulham submit bid for Jean-Clair Todibo

Fulham are looking to improve their defensive options this summer and they have been linked with a move for the Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo.

According to Sport (h/t Sportwitness), Fulham have already submitted a bid for the 20-year-old French defender.

The London club are willing to pay €18 million for the player and a further €5 million in bonuses.

It will be interesting to see if they can finalise an agreement with the Spanish outfit in the coming days.

Scott Parker's side have been vulnerable at the back since the start of the season and they have conceded seven goals in two Premier League games so far.

Signing a quality defender should be a top priority for the London club if they want to survive relegation this year.

Todibo was on loan at Schalke last year and he managed to impress in the German League. He's a player with immense potential and he could prove to be a smart investment for Fulham in the long run.

The player has been linked with the likes of Everton, Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers as well and it will be interesting to see where he ends up eventually.

He needs to leave Barcelona in order to play regular first-team football and a move to Fulham could be the ideal next step in his career.



https://sportslens.com/fulham-submit-bid-for-jean-clair-todibo/314988/

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Fulham Put In Bid For Barcelona Defender, Deal Dependent On Player's View

Fulham have put in a bid for Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo and a potential deal is now dependent on the player agreeing to join the Cottagers.

Barcelona are keen to move on the 20-year-old centre-back in the ongoing transfer window in their efforts to trim down their squad and lighten their wage bill.

Several clubs have shown an interest in the defender, but going into the final weeks of the transfer window, his future remains unresolved.

The Catalan giants have received fresh hope of selling the player in the form of a bid from newly-promoted Premier League outfit Fulham.

The west London club are interested in the young Frenchman and according to Catalan daily Sport, they have slapped in an offer for him.

Fulham have offered a guaranteed fee of €18m to Barcelona and another €5m in performance-based add-ons.

Barcelona are happy to accept the bid from Fulham and are now waiting for the player to take his decision.

Todibo has other suitors in the Premier League as well with Everton, Wolves and Leicester City all credited with an interest.

But Fulham are the ones who have made a concrete bid for the Frenchman.



https://insidefutbol.com/2020/09/22/fulham-put-in-bid-for-barcelona-defender-deal-dependent-on-players-view/473632/

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Fulham And Leeds United Join Mix For Poland International

Fulham and Leeds United have also joined the race for the signature of Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur target Arkadiusz Milik, it has been claimed in Italy.

Milik has refused to sign a new contract at Napoli and is now in the final year of his deal, something which is leading the Italian giants to look to sell him.

Roma and Juventus have both shown interest in the Poland international, but look unlikely to sign him.

The Premier League has emerged as a potential destination for Milik and Newcastle and Tottenham are interested in signing the 26-year-old Pole in the ongoing transfer window.

But there is more Premier League interest in the striker and, according to Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli, Fulham and Leeds are also in the mix.

The Cottagers want to add a striker to their squad after losing their first two Premier League games back in the top tier.

Leeds have already signed Rodrigo from Valencia, but are looking for another forward and failed with a bid for Rangers' Ryan Kent earlier in the transfer window.

The clock is ticking on the transfer window, but Napoli are prepared to sell for the right price and it remains to be seen if any of the four Premier League sides that admire Milik will slap in an acceptable bid.



https://insidefutbol.com/2020/09/22/fulham-and-leeds-united-join-mix-for-poland-international/473636/

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Fulham signing this 25-year-old Brazilian ace would be a good boost to their defence

Why Fulham should go all out for Marlon Santos to bolster their defence

According to claims from Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano (h/t The Sun), Fulham have been credited with an interest in Brazilian centre-back Marlon Santos, who currently plies his trade with Sassuolo in the Italian Serie A.

As per the report, the Cottagers are set to prioritise defensive reinforcements after conceding seven goals in their first two top-flight fixtures this season, with Scott Parker's side currently in talks to sign the 25-year-old.

West Ham and Southampton had previously been linked with the former Barcelona star before he completed a move to Italy a couple of years ago. (h/t The Sun)

Profile
Marlon Santos started his professional career with Fluminense in his native Brazil and made 46 senior appearances for his boyhood club before earning a move to Barcelona back in the summer of 2016.

However, the former Brazil U-23 international made only 3 first-team appearances in his debut season at Camp Nou, although he featured regularly for the club's reserve team. Marlon was loaned out to French club Nice for the 2017-18 campaign, where he made 27 appearances in all competitions.

The centre-back was transferred to Sassuolo in 2018 and has since made 41 appearances for the Italian club in all competitions, with the 2019-20 season being the best of his career in Europe so far.

Santos would add more quality to Fulham's backline
Fulham's lacklustre start to the 2020-21 Premier League season is reminiscent of their unsuccessful battle against relegation in the top-flight a couple of years back.

Scott Parker's side conceded 81 goals in that campaign and finished rock-bottom of the standings as Fulham's lack of defensive stability ultimately cost them their Premier League status. And there seems to be a feeling of deja vu about their start to the current season – the same set of defenders failing to rise up to the challenge in the top-flight.

Denis Odoi, Tim Ream, Joe Bryan, and Maxime Le Marchand were all a part of that notorious backline from 2018-19, with Michael Hector the only fresh addition to their club's central defensive cavalry this term. However, the former Chelsea man has endured a pathetic start to his top-flight career after impressing in the Championship.

Suffice to say, Fulham are in need of defensive reinforcements before the deadline. Marlon Santos presents a decent option with considerable experience in two of Europe's top leagues. The Brazilian enjoyed a successful season at a mid-table club like Sassuolo in the Serie A last term, which is a clear indication of his talent and promise.

The 25-year-old also ticks the box as a young defender with potential and one who could be a good long-term replacement for ageing players like Denis Odoi and Tim Ream, both of whom have failed to impress in the Premier League.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2020/09/23/why-fulham-should-go-all-out-for-marlon-santos-to-bolster-their-defence/

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Bees beat West Brom on penalties in Carabao Cup

Brentford beat West Brom on penalties in the Carabao Cup to set up a potential fourth-round tie at home to Fulham.

The Bees were twice behind at The Hawthorns but with the teams level at 2-2 after 90 minutes, they prevailed in the shootout, with Christian Norgaard scoring the winning penalty after Grady Diangana's kick was saved by David Raya.

In normal time, Hal Robson-Kanu opened the scoring and then restored Albion's lead with a penalty after Emiliano Marcondes equalised with a superb overhead kick.

A penalty by Marcus Forss hauled Brentford level for the second time.

Thomas Frank's side will now face the winners of the tie between Fulham and Sheffield Wednesday.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/brentford/bess-beat-west-brom-on-penalties-in-carabao-cup

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Fulham v Sheffield Wednesday - Pressure off for Garry Monk and Owls
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY manager Garry Monk is shrewd enough to realise that the occasions when his side will play without significant pressure on their shoulders are likely to be few and far between during 2020-21.

It is a season that will not be straightforward for any club – with the Government's announcement that the phased return of spectators into sports stadiums has been paused reinforcing that very fact.

For Wednesday, the difficulties are exacerbated. They must contend with the financial ramifications of having no supporters at home matches and no fervent 'Twelfth Man' type backing in a season which, in Monk's words, presents the biggest challenge that the club has faced 'for a long, long time.'

On the pitch, having started the English Football League season on minus 12 points after breaking spending rules, every Championship match carries extra significance for Wednesday, pitted into something akin to a relegation fight before a ball was kicked.

Respite is likely to be scant and even two opening Carabao Cup engagements at Walsall and Rochdale possessed an element of stress as the Owls sought to avoid the perils of defeat against lower-league opposition.

Tonight at Craven Cottage, expectation is lessened by the fact that they face a Fulham side who find themselves back in the top tier.

Beaten 4-3 at Leeds United in the Premier League at the weekend, Scott Parker's side have already conceded seven goals in two league matches this term – in a testing start to the campaign.

It is not Wednesday who face the questions ahead of this evening's tie by the River Thames, but the hosts.

On the notion of the Owls having little to lose this evening, Monk – whose side have kept four successive clean sheets in league and cup this season – said: "I think so, playing against a Premier League side, all we have got is our own standard.

"We want to perform to our own standard and you have seen that in the cup games so far, especially up against Rochdale and through all the league games.

"If we can keep up to our own standards, we know we have got a good chance of beating anybody.

"At the end of the day, it is a Premier League club away from home. It is a tough ask.

"We will go down there, keep on doing what we have been doing and showing the right attitude to try and win the game and play well".

With the welter of the expectation likely to be on the shoulders of Fulham, Wednesday can also play with that bit more freedom.

League points will not be on the line this evening as the Owls seek to make it into the fourth round of the competition for the first time since 2015-16, a season when they reached the quarter-finals after memorably knocking out Arsenal and Newcastle United along the way.

Monk, whose side lost 5-3 in a fluctuating league game at Craven Cottage just over two months ago on July 18, added: "It is tough, we are probably the team in the league with the biggest challenge; more than any other club.

"We know that and what it is and are trying to make the best of it.

"There will be a bit of freedom for us in terms of going to a Premier League club for a cup-tie, but like anything, we are just trying to build everything all the time.

"It is a difficult game, but one we will look forward to. We deserve to be there and we will have a good go at it.

"We have done very well in the cup in these last two rounds. We want to try and make sure that in this third round we do just as well as we have in the last two."

Monk changed his entire starting XI for last weekend's Cup win at Spotland and with Wednesday facing a long away league trip to face Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Sunday, he is likely to adopt a pragmatic approach to selection and utilise his squad again.

The likes of Ciaran Brennan, Liam Shaw, Alex Hunt and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru all started at Rochdale and Elias Kachunga, Adam Reach and Liam Palmer – who were substitutes in the goalless draw with Watford last weekend – are also likely to be given another run-out from the start.

Julian Borner and Moses Oubuajo, who have both not featured in the club's opening two Championship match-day squads, are also expected to be handed some game-time alongside Joey Pelupessy against a Fulham side who have not won at home since beating the Owls back in July.

The pair have met twice in the League Cup in its various guises with Wednesday progressing on both occasions in 2012-13 and 1984-85.

This evening's tie kicks off at 7pm.

Last six games: Fulham WLWLWL; Sheffield Wednesday LLDWWD.

Referee: L Mason (Lancashire).

Last time: Fulham 5 Sheffield Wednesday 3, July 18, 2020; Championship.



https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/fulham-v-sheffield-wednesday-pressure-garry-monk-and-owls-2980342

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Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo wanted by Fulham - report

An offer has already been made

Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo is reportedly wanted by newly-promoted Premier League side Fulham.

According to Sport, the Cottagers have offered Barcelona €18 million plus €5m in variables for the French centre-back.

Fulham are not the only English side interested in Todibo. Everton, Wolves and Leicester City are also keen on the 20-year-old.

Barcelona will surely be tempted to sell if they receive a good offer for Todibo. The center-back spent the second half of last season on loan at Schalke and appears surplus to requirements.

Ronald Araujo has moved ahead of Todibo in the pecking order at the Camp Nou, while the Catalan giants also want to bring Eric Garcia back from Manchester City.

If Barcelona do get their way then their center-backs for next season will be Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet, Araujo and Garcia.

Samuel Umtiti is available for transfer but Barca are struggling to offload the Frenchman.



https://www.barcablaugranes.com/fc-barcelona-transfer-rumors-news/2020/9/23/21451167/barcelona-defender-jean-clair-todibo-wanted-by-fulham-report

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Fulham prepared to loan out Francois

Fulham are ready to listen to loan offers for their talented Australian midfielder Tyrese Francois, according to Sky Sports.

The 20 year-old, who made his professional debut as a late substitute in Fulham's 1-0 defeat by Southampton in the League Cup at the start of last season, captained the club's under-23 side last year, making eight appearances. Francois has impressed Scott Parker having trained with the senior squad and appeared in both of Fulham's pre-season friendlies. The Fulham boss has now given his approval to a potential loan deal designed to give the youngster, who was previously voted the club's young player of the year in 2018, a taste of regular first-team football.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/09/fulham-prepared-to-loan-out-francois/

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Fulham join the race for Arkadiusz Milik

Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik is a man in demand this summer.

According to Gazzetta Dello Sport (h/t Sportwitness), Fulham have now joined Newcastle United in the race to sign the 26-year-old.

The London club are ready to discuss the transfer with Napoli now.

Apparently, Milik is valued at €25m and his suitors want the asking price dropped. It will be interesting to see if Napoli are willing to lower their demands in the coming weeks.

Milik is not a key player for the Italian outfit and he will be a free agent next summer. It would be wise of Napoli to sell the player now instead of losing him for free next year.

Fulham and Newcastle are certainly negotiating from a position of strength and they will be hoping to bring down the asking price.

Milik scored 14 goals last season and he would improve both teams immensely. He would be a significant upgrade on Joelinton at Newcastle. As far as Fulham are concerned, they are overly reliant on Mitrovic and Milik's arrival will help share the goalscoring burden.

It will be interesting to see where the 26-year-old ends up eventually. He has been linked with a move to Tottenham as well this summer.



https://sportslens.com/fulham-join-the-race-for-arkadiusz-milik/315064/

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Scott Parker urges Fulham to bounce back with dominant Carabao Cup performance

Fulham manager Scott Parker urged his side to try to dominate their midweek Carabao Cup third-round tie against Sheffield Wednesday.

The west London club marked their Premier League return with a 3-0 home defeat to Arsenal earlier this month, before being edged out by Leeds in a seven-goal thriller.

Parker had already admitted that it was going to be a difficult challenge in the top flight this season before his side lost 4-3 to Leeds on Saturday, but there were some signs of encouragement.

Notably, Holland defender Kenny Tete, who – after joining Fulham on a four-year deal on September 10 – has made two assists, both for Aleksandar Mitrovic, in his first two matches.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday night's match, when asked whether he was relishing the opportunity of a cup run, Parker said: "Yes definitely.

"We've got a home tie now against Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday and we'll go into that game hoping to try and progress – be dominant in the competition really."

He added: "It's a competition that obviously, if you're involved in, you want to try and win and that's the way I look at it.

"If you're involved in a competition of course you have priorities but at the same time you want to try and field the best side.

"It's a competition that really, after two, three games, before you know it, you're into the back end of it and we're at the nitty gritty of it."

Parker could also use the match to rotate his squad amid the packed fixture schedule this season.

In the previous round – a 1-0 victory over Ipswich at Portman Road – the former England international handed debuts to Alphonse Areola, Tete and Antonee Robinson.

This time around, Ola Aina could be in line for his first appearance since joining on a season-long loan deal from Torino.



https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/scott-parker-urges-fulham-to-bounce-back-with-dominant-carabao-cup-performance-1600792854000

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Match preview: Fulham v Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday head to Craven Cottage tonight in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

So far, the Owls have overcome Walsall and Rochdale in the competition.

An Aleksandar Mitrovic goal earned Fulham the win away at League One side Ipswich in the previous round.

Aside from the Carabao Cup, the Cottagers have tasted defeat in both their Premier League games since promotion, losing to Arsenal (0-3) and Leeds (4-3).

Meanwhile, Wednesday are in good spirits after their positive start, which has included a win and draw in the Championship, two cup victories and clean sheets in all four.

The winners will head to Brentford in round four.

Here's all you need to know ahead of the game;

MATCH DETAILS

- Date: Wednesday 23 September
- Kick-off, 7.00pm
- Carabao Cup
- Craven Cottage

Watch live

The stream is on a different platform from the regular iFollow service as a Premier League club faces a Championship club.

The game will be hosted at: carabaocup.live

CLICK HERE to buy your match day pass now for Fulham v Wednesday.

PENALTIES

In the event of a draw after 90 minutes, the game will go straight to penalties.

TEAM NEWS

SWFC: If round two is to provide any clues into team selection, it is highly likely manager Garry Monk will ring the changes again for tonight's trip to the capital.

Wednesday made 11 changes for the 2-0 win over Dale last time out in the cup.

Elias Kachunga scored on his maiden start for the Owls, while Josh Windass came off the bench late to add a second.

Youngsters Liam Shaw, Ciaran Brennan, Alex Hunt and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru all started in the last round and after solid performances, will be pushing for more game-time in round three.

Fulham: Scott Parker is likely to make changes also.

Mitrovic, who bagged his first Premier League goals of the season last weekend at Leeds, could be rested with Aboubakar Kamara ready to step in.

Fulham have no fresh injuries but made nine changes in their previous cup outing, and Parker has indicated it will be a similar case in terms of selection for the Owls.

Owls boss on Fulham: "We will be going down there trying to give a good account of ourselves. The standard we have set ourselves is really high and we want to win games. You can see the lads are desperate to win games."

Fulham manager Scott Parker said: "We played against them last season, not too long ago at the Cottage, so we're familiar with Sheffield Wednesday. They're a strong side, we know that, we saw that last time we played against them. We had some good moments, but they showed that they can cause you some problems."

LAST MEETING – 18 July 2020 | Fulham 5-3 Owls

LAST FIVE V FULHAM

Fulham 5-3 Owls - 18 July 2020 - Championship
Owls 1-1 Fulham - 21 September 2019 - Championship
Owls 0-1 Fulham - 7 April 2018 - Championship
Fulham 0-1 Owls - 19 August 2017 - Championship
Owls 1-2 Fulham - 7 May 2017 - Championship



https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2020/september/match-preview-fulham-v-wednesday/

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Everton Feel Asking Price For Fulham Target Is Too High

Everton believe Barcelona's asking price for Fulham target Jean-Clair Todibo is too high, despite the Toffees actively looking to sign another centre-back.

Barcelona are keen to move the 20-year-old defender on before the window slams shut as the club continue to try and bring their wage bill down amidst reduced income.

The Frenchman has several suitors in the Premier League and Ligue 1 outfit Rennes are also interested in getting their hands on him.

Fulham have reportedly tabled a bid for the defender and are now waiting for the player to decide whether he would be open to a move to west London.

Everton are also interested in the young centre-back, but according to Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo, the Toffees do not want to pay the price Barcelona want.

The Catalan giants have set an asking price of €15m and Everton feel that is too high for the young defender in the current market.

The Merseyside club want to sign a centre-back and Todibo is a player they admire and rate.

Todibo has other suitors in England as well with Wolves and Leicester City also believed to be tracking the young Frenchman.

He shone on loan at Schalke last term.



https://insidefutbol.com/2020/09/23/everton-feel-asking-price-for-fulham-target-is-too-high/473706/

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Sheff Weds Matchday Preview

Fulham v Sheffield Wednesday | Craven Cottage | Wednesday 23rd September 2020 | 7pm | #FULSHW

The opposition
    Wednesday began the season some way behind the rest of the Championship after having a 12-point deduction imposed for breaching spending rules. A positive start to the campaign means they now sit on -8 points, having beaten Cardiff City and drawn with Watford so far.
    For a side that shipped five goals on their most recent trip to Craven Cottage, their defence has been much improved this season. They are yet to concede a goal in the four matches they've played so far in all competitions.
    There was a change of captaincy at Hillsborough over the summer, with boss Garry Monk giving the armband to Barry Bannan in an attempt to take the midfielder's game to the next level. Previous skipper Tom Lees has vowed to use it as motivation.

Fulham team news

Scott Parker made a raft of changes at Ipswich Town last time in the competition, but it was still a strong XI that he put out. With several players now fitter than they were going into the Portman Road game, it will be interesting to see who gets the nod this week.

Sheffield Wednesday team news

Monk made 11 changes to his starting XI for their Round Two win over Rochdale, so it could be difficult to predict the side that will turn out on Wednesday. Two who are almost certain to miss out, though, are defenders Chey Dunkley and Osaze Urhoghide who are still recovering from injury.

Permutations

If the score is level after 90 minutes, the match will go straight to penalties. The winning side will travel to Brentford in Round Four.

Coverage

No game this season will be shown live on FFCtv, but the EFL have launched a streaming service allowing fans to watch Carabao Cup matches. You can purchase a match pass for £10 at carabaocup.live to watch the tie. Gentleman Jim and Jamie Reid will be at the Cottage to provide live commentary for FFCtv's seasonal and monthly subscribers.

Pre-match quotes

"They've started the season very well, so we won't be taking them lightly. We realise the quality they have and what they possess, so we'll prepare the best we can."

Scott Parker
Fulham Head Coach

"We will be going down there trying to give a good account of ourselves. The standard we have set ourselves is really high and we want to win games."

Garry Monk
Sheffield Wednesday Manager

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GW3 Ones to watch: Aleksandar Mitrovic

The Scout reckons Fulham forward can get among the goals against an Aston Villa side who struggled on the road last season

he Scout is tipping five players to produce big points in Gameweek 3 of Fantasy Premier League.
Aleksandar Mitrovic (FUL) £6.0m

A home encounter with Aston Villa gives the Fulham frontman a chance to build on his fine start to 2020/21 FPL.

Mitrovic got off the mark in his first start of the season against Leeds United in Gameweek 2.

He scored twice at Elland Road to emerge with a 12-point haul.

Mitrovic will now look to take advantage of a Villa side that were poor in defence on their travels last term.

Indeed, Dean Smith's men were the only team who failed to keep a single clean sheet away from home in 2019/20.

Main man

His performances in last term's Championship highlight the importance of Mitrovic to the Cottagers' attack.

He was the top scorer in the division, netting 26 goals and also supplying three assists.

The underlying statistics suggest that if Scott Parker's side are likely to score, Mitrovic will be involved.

His total of 151 shots ranked second in the Championship and was at least 70 more than any other Fulham player.

And, as shown against Leeds, he is also on penalty duties for the Cottagers.

The west London club's upcoming run of opponents further boosts Mitrovic's potential for points in Fantasy.


According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), five of his next seven matches score just two.

That gives Mitrovic the platform to get more goals, starting with Villa.



https://www.premierleague.com/news/1839239

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Report: Fulham table £16.5m bid for defender labelled 'the best' by Lothar Matthaus

Two defeats in two games is not the start Fulham would have hoped for on their return to the Premier League. The Lilywhites have their backs against the wall already, but a few good signings before the window closes could change their fortunes.

Scott Parker currently has Tim Ream, Michael Hector and Maxime Le Marchand as his senior centre-halves. Denis Odoi featured there against Leeds United at the weekend, but a new defender has to be their priority.

Fulham are in the market for a new centre-back and it looks like they have found one. Spanish outlet Sport claim that the Lilywhites have tabled an offer for Barcelona's Jean-Clair Todibo.

The Cottagers have offered £16.5 million for the Frenchman plus £4.5 million in potential add-ons. The report claims that Barcelona like Fulham's offer and it is now up to Todibo to decide his future.

The 20-year-old is among the top defensive prospects in world football. Todibo spent the second half of last season on loan in Germany at Schalke where he earned plenty of plaudits from some of the biggest names in the game.

Germany legend Lothar Matthaus labelled him as 'the best defender' he had seen in a long time.

He told Sport: "Todibo is the best centre back I've seen in a long time. He would be a good reinforcement for Schalke and an enrichment for the Bundesliga. At 20 he is incredibly calm, he always finds interesting solutions."

That is some compliment for the young defender who doesn't have a place at Barcelona anymore. The Spanish giants want him out this summer and, if the report is anything to go by, Fulham have met their demands.

If Parker and co can convince Todibo to make the switch, it would be an incredible signing for them. However, the likes of Everton, Wolves, Leicester and Napoli are also said to be in the race which makes it very difficult for Fulham.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/09/23/report-fulham-table-16-5m-bid-for-defender-labelled-the-best-by-lothar-matthaus/

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The Tony Gale Column

It's a little while ago now, but I cannot begin this column without commenting on the Play-Off Final. Everything about that performance was top drawer, the tactics spot on, we stopped them playing. We weren't just thinking about our game, we had clearly done an incredible amount of homework on the opposition. It was a great, great result, I just wish I was there, as the rest of the fanbase do. It's just a gutter that the fans weren't there.

It's hard enough to win promotion back to the Premier League, but when you consider this is Scott's first senior job, you've got to give him credit. He handled himself impeccably all season, but I thought especially during his post-match interviews at Wembley. He reaffirmed what everyone knew, that heads were down when he first took over, and that his first job was to get morale back up. He spoke about having to change that losing mentality to a winning one, which is such a hard thing to do, so for him to manage it so quickly is something that must be applauded.

We might have lost our first two matches back in the Premier League, but there's no need to panic. The Arsenal game I think we got suckered a little bit. We had a lot of the play in the first half but then got caught out once and they punished us. The Premier League is so ruthless that any little mistake can cost you goals. There's no shame in losing to Arsenal, though, an improving team that will do well this season, one with really good finishers.

The Leeds game was totally different. It was end to end stuff and could have gone either way. We were a bit unlucky to be 4-1 down I thought, but the way we finished the game and the spirit we showed, should give the boys and Scott plenty to be confident about. We definitely deserved a point from that one.

We're back in cup action next. Against Ipswich Scott rotated his squad, and I think he will again this time. We want to progress, but Sheffield Wednesday will make loads of changes as well, mark my words. I've been covering the Carabao Cup this season and it's not just the Premier League teams, the lower league sides have been making lots of changes too. I went to Gillingham last week for their tie against Coventry; Gillingham made seven changes, and Coventry made 11, so that seems to be the theme at the moment. Because the seasons have been so close together, teams have got to be very careful with their players' fitness.

We're only a few games in but next Monday against Aston Villa is already looking like a big one. It's one that we can't afford to lose, because Villa will be one of the teams in the bottom half of the league. These are the games, ideally, that we'll be targeting for three points. But Villa are no mugs, they stayed up last year, have strengthened the squad, and won their first game this week.

I don't think anyone believes we're in for an easy season, but the lads need to keep their spirits up when they lose games, because we are going to lose some football matches this season. Scott has spoken about not letting defeats cripple us, and he is spot on. If we can keep our chins up, we'll be fine. It's all about how you react. It's easy to react when you've won, but it's when you've lost that you need to show some character. You can't afford to go and lose five or six games on the bounce. If you've had a two game reverse, then get a draw because at least it stops the run. It's really pleasing to have already heard Scott talk about addressing this.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/september/The-Tony-Gale-Column/

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Scott Parker sends stark warning to Fulham stars ahead of Sheffield Wednesday showdown

The Premier League side are big favourites to reach the Carabao Cup fourth round

Scott Parker has issued a stern warning to his Fulham players ahead of tonight's Carabao Cup third round meeting with Sheffield Wednesday at Craven Cottage.

It will be the second time the two clubs have faced each other in a little more than two months.

The Cottagers came out on top in an eight-goal thriller but the Owls have tightened up at the back since then, recording four consecutive clean sheets in all competitions this season.

Fulham boss Parker told the club's official website: "We played against them last season, not too long ago at the Cottage, so we're familiar with Sheffield Wednesday.

"They're a strong side, we know that, we saw that last time we played against them. We had some good moments, but they showed that they can cause you some problems.

"They do look solid. They play with a back-five that's hard to break down, and they do have quality in their side, I think we've seen that.

"They've started the season very well so we won't be taking them lightly. We realise the quality they have and what they possess so we'll prepare the best we can.

"It's going to be a tough game, as always, but it's another opportunity for us to get out there, get some football in players' legs, and for us as a team to continue working on what we're trying to do."

It is highly likely Parker will shuffle his pack this evening. He handed debuts to Alphonse Areola, Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson in the previous round against Ipswich Town.

Ola Aina could be in line for his first appearance since joining the Premier League newcomers on a season-long loan deal from Italian club Torino.

Parker, who has no new injuries to contend with heading into the tie, said: "It's a competition that obviously, if you're involved in, you want to try and win and that's the way I look at it.

"If you're involved in a competition of course you have priorities but at the same time you want to try and field the best side.

"It's a competition that really, after two, three games, before you know it, you're into the back end of it and we're at the nitty gritty of it."

The winner of the tie will head to Brentford in the fourth round.



https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/football/news/scott-parker-fulham-sheffield-wednesday-18981665