Thursday Fulham Stuff - 24/09/20...

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Results

EFL Cup Wednesday
Fulham	2-0	Sheff Wed
Millwall	0-2	Burnley
Preston NE	0-2	Brighton
Stoke	1-0	Gillingham
Chelsea	6-0	Barnsley
Fleetwood	2-5	Everton
Leicester	0-2	Arsenal
Morcambe	0-7	Newcastle

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Fulham 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday

Fulham have yet to win a Premier League game this season but have progressed through two rounds of the Carabao Cup

Fulham will face west London rivals Brentford in the Carabao Cup fourth round after a comfortable 2-0 win over Championship side Sheffield Wednesday.

Close-range finishes from Aboubakar Kamara and Bobby Decordova-Reid put the Cottagers in charge in the first half.

The home side should have won by more but Anthony Knockaert pulled a good chance wide and hit the bar with a lob.

The derby in round four is a repeat of last season's Championship play-off final, won by Fulham.

That game returned the Cottagers to the Premier League, where they have found it tough going so far, suffering two defeats and conceding seven goals in the process.

However, they did score three at Leeds on Saturday and once again demonstrated their sharpness in front of goal on Wednesday, despite fielding a largely second-string side.

Knockaert showed speed and awareness to set up Kamara for his goal, before Josh Onomah provided the cross for Decordova-Reid to poke in the second.

Wednesday had made an encouraging start to this season and contributed plenty to the tie, but found home goalkeeper Marek Rodak in fine form.

Adam Reach, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Moses Odubajo were all denied by good saves.

'A big game for both sides'

Fulham boss Scott Parker: "It's a derby in the next round of the cup so of course it's a big game for both sides.

"The last time we played, that game was certainly a lot bigger than the one we are going to be playing next week. That's not to put the game coming up down in any way, that's the reality.

"As always when it's a London derby and you're up against your rivals there's always a little bit more of an edge to it.

"We're looking forward to playing against a very, very good Brentford side."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54190612

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Post-Wednesday Press Conference

Scott Parker was pleased with the manner in which his side booked their place in the next round of the Carabao Cup.

First half strikes from Aboubakar Kamara and Bobby De Cordova-Reid did the damage, as a competitive Sheffield Wednesday side were professionally seen off.

"Overall it was a really good performance," Parker said. "Defensively we looked very good, a clean sheet is obviously good to build on.

"We got the two goals for the win, but on another day it probably could have been a lot more. We had some real big chances that we've not managed to put in the back of the net, but overall I'm very pleased.

"We got some minutes in players' legs who needed it, as well as still progressing as a team, so overall a lot of boxes ticked tonight.

"We realise this year we're going to have to try and move the goals around the team a little bit more than we did last year, when we relied a lot on Aleks [Mitrović].

"I'm pleased now that Bobby's got two in two, and that Abou is now off the mark tonight with a goal as well.

"Like I said, there were some good chances created by our front half players which, on another night, could have gone in."

A bonus of the evening was the performance of two youngsters, with Tyrese Francois and Fabio Carvalho impressing after coming off the bench for just their second senior appearance and First Team debut, respectively.

"I thought they were brilliant," Parker stated. "They did really well, to be fair.

"They've trained really well with us over the last few weeks, I thought they were positive when they came on, and they created a few chances as well, so I was really pleased for those boys.

"Tyrese and Fabio, two very good football players who I'm sure will have a bright future here."

Victory over the Owls means we will be renewing acquaintances with Brentford in Round Four, a mere eight weeks on from the Play-Off Final.

"It's a derby in the next round of the cup, so of course it's a big game for both sides, and we're looking forward to it," Parker said.

"The last time we played was certainly a lot bigger than the one we're going to be playing next week. That's not to put the game coming up down in any way, it's the reality.

"But as always, when it's a London derby, when you're up against your rivals, there's always a little bit more of an edge to it. We're looking forward to playing against a very, very good Brentford side."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/september/Post-Wednesday-Press-Conference/

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Report: Leeds, Southampton and Fulham-linked star set for £2m loan to Ligue 1, deal very close

A midfielder linked with moves to Leeds United, Southampton and Fulham this summer is 'very close' to joining Monaco, according to A Bola.

Leeds were reported to be 'moving forward with a plan' after meeting with representatives of the Benfica midfielder, Florentino Luis, in July (Tuttomercatoweb), while it was claimed that Southampton had entered the race to sign him from 'under the noses' of Fulham this week (The Sun).

Benfica were said to want between €20-30million (£18.3-27.5m) to part with Florentino (Tuttomercatoweb), but he is expected to leave on loan, according to A Bola.

The Portuguese website claims that Monaco will pay €2m (around £1.8m) for the privilege and will not have an option to buy the 21-year-old at the end of his deal, which 'will be settled' this week.

The likes of Leeds, Southampton and Fulham could still have another chance to sign him, however, with A Bola adding that he will either return to Benfica or be sold next summer.

Neither Leeds nor Southampton have added to their central midfield options so far this summer, in contrast to Fulham, who have brought in Harrison Reed and Mario Lemina from the Saints.

Florentino has played 32 times for Benfica and won three under-21 caps for Portugal.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/09/23/report-leeds-southampton-and-fulham-linked-star-set-for-2m-loan-to-ligue-1-deal-very-close/

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Mawson taking the lead

Alfie Mawson has stepped in to play a key role in the heart of City's defence, which has kept three clean sheets from a possible four at this early stage in the season.

Having arrived on a season-long loan from Fulham, Mawson has featured twice for the Robins: the 4-0 win over Northampton Town followed by Sunday's 2-0 victory away to Stoke City.

He took the captain's armband on his City debut, when Tomas Kalas had to depart early into the Northampton fixture due to injury and Head Coach Dean Holden made him skipper for the trip to the bet365 Stadium.

But centre-back Mawson describes himself as a natural-born leader.

"I see it as a massive honour," Mawson said, reflecting on being given the responsibility so early into his time with City. "Tomas went down injured in the Northampton game and I had a joke with him 'you're going to have to take the armband off', then he gave it to me!

"I know myself that I'm a leader, with those qualities, so what better time than to put it on then at that moment. It felt right, I took it on myself then I gave it to Tayls (Taylor Moore) when I went off. Before the Stoke City game the gaffer said 'Alfie's captain for the day' and I was ecstatic, really happy and I wore it with pride."

Having played his part in City's 100% winning run, Mawson looks on such a positive start for the team who face Premier League opposition Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup this Thursday (September 24th, 7pm KO).

He is staying grounded though is not surprised by the Robins' electric start to the 2020/21 campaign.

He said: "We can't get ahead of ourselves too much, but four games and four wins is the main thing. Being a centre-half who wasn't part of the first two [games], it's been two clean sheets so I'm very happy with that. It's a good platform to play from.

"I'm not surprised at all. When I spoke to the gaffer (Holden) and the CEO (Mark Ashton) about coming here I said I wanted to be part of a club that's pushing for promotion. I keep saying it, but I've come here to help do that. We definitely have the squad to do it, as we've shown in the performances, and it's a club definitely going places.

"I'm happy to be part of it but it's nothing you're not seeing on the training ground. Everyone wants to do the right thing, everyone is for the team, the core message is about being together and we know people will make mistakes, there will be bad games, but we have to drag each other through.

"There are no egos in that dressing room...it's a solid group of lads who know how good they are and it's a really good place to be."

And Dean Smith's Villa - who battled hard to keep their top-flight status last term - under the Ashton Gate lights presents possibly City's biggest challenge on paper so far this term.

"It will be tough one," Mawson said. "Their squad speaks for volumes with top quality players. They stayed in the league last year, they came together when they needed to and picked up quite a few points from the last games to keep them in the league, so they've shown they can go and beat teams.

"We need to test ourselves against them and ultimately, we want to be in the Premier League, we want to play these teams. It will arguably be our toughest test so far but if we can't rise to it, I don't know who else we would want to play against."

He added: "We respect them, throughout they're a very good side, so we can't give them too much respect otherwise they'll punish us. It will be a good test; we're doing well and we've got to take that into it."



https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/mawson-taking-the-lead/

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Report: Fulham and Newcastle want £23m star but £60k-a-week wages a problem

Fulham and Newcastle United are only willing to meet Arkadiusz Milik's £60,000-a-week wage demands if Napoli reduce his £23 million price tag, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Just days ago it seemed a matter of time before the Poland international swapped his baby blue shirt for the yellow and red of Roma.

The Gialorossi were all set to wrap up a deal that would see Milik leave one Serie A giant for another.

But Alvaro Morata's sudden and unexpected return to Juventus has broken the chain. As a result, Edin Dzeko won't be heading to Turin after all and, in turn, the door to Rome has slammed in Milik's face.

That doesn't mean the former Ajax youngster will be forced to stay in limbo in Naples.

Gazzetta reports Milik has a number of offers on the table from England, although only one of those, Jose Mourinho's Tottenham Hotspur, are willing to pay the £23 million Napoli owner Aurelio de Laurentiis wants for his Coppa Italia-winning striker.

Fulham and Newcastle are keen too.

But the Cottagers and Magpies can only afford to meet the 26-year-old's £60,000-a-week wage demands if Napoli are willing to accept a lower fee for a man who would blow a sizeable hole in the budget of two underperforming Premier League clubs.

Milik has refused to extend a contract that expires in 2021 and Napoli have made it clear he will be sold sooner rather than later as they look to avoid losing a star player for free.

"If he doesn't want to remain, he will go on to the transfer market," sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli told Sky Italia in June.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/09/23/report-fulham-and-newcastle-want-23m-star-but-60k-a-week-wages-a-problem/

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Amartey pops up on Fulham's radar

Daniel Amartey has reportedly emerged on Fulham's transfer radar.

According to Football Insider, Fulham have approached Leicester City to suss out the availability of the Ghana international.

Amartey hasn't played a competitive fixture since undergoing ankle surgery in October 2018. He only recently returned from injury and found the back of the net in a friendly match against Blackburn Rovers earlier this month.

The 25-year-old has made 64 appearances for the Foxes since moving to the King Power Stadium from FC Copenhagen in January 2016.

According to the report, the Cottagers could fork out around £5 million to secure Amartey's services. The versatile midfielder can play at both centre and right-back.

Amartey has been capped 25 times by the Black Stars and was part of the Leicester team that won the 2015/16 Premier League title, playing five times.



https://africanfootball.com//news/780621/Amartey-pops-up-on-Fulhams-radar

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Fixture Changes

The Club can confirm details regarding two changes to our upcoming fixtures.

Firstly, Monday's meeting with Aston Villa will now kick-off at the slightly earlier time of 5.45pm, so that Liverpool versus Arsenal - which follows our game - can also kick-off earlier and conclude prior to the 10pm curfew.

Our trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers has also been moved. It will now kick-off at 2pm on Sunday 4th October, and will be shown live on Sky Sports.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/september/Fixture-Changes/

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Win a Signed Home Shirt!

Following the launch of the new fulhamfc.com, we'd like to get your opinions on a range of topics regarding the Club's digital output.

This is your chance to have your say on what you would like to see more or less of on the website, and across our other digital platforms.

The survey only takes around five minutes to complete, with every fan who submits a response automatically entered into a draw to win a brand new 2020/21 Home Shirt, signed by the Fulham First Team.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/september/Win-a-Signed-Home-Shirt-/

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Terence Kongolo to Fulham: Scott Parker comments, Huddersfield Town stance and how it stands

The centre-back has been linked with a return to Craven Cottage in the summer transfer window

Who is interested in a move for Terence Kongolo?

Fulham certainly are. They took him on loan from Huddersfield Town earlier this year, only for him to break his foot less than ten minutes into his second appearance for them.

There were reports earlier in the current transfer window that AZ Alkmaar and Fenerbahce were also interested, with our counterparts in the Netherlands and Turkey respectively confirming to us that those clubs were looking at him.

But those trails have run cold and as it stands a move back to London looks most likely for Kongolo, especially after Fulham boss Scott Parker all but confirmed they are in the market for defenders.

Would Town be happy for him to leave?

Terriers head coach Carlos Corberan has indicated as much, saying at his press conference last week: "I think he is going to be one of the players that has options to not stay with us in the next year."

Kongolo is believed to be on pretty substantial wages at Town and his current deal runs to 2022, so getting him off the wage bill would take a fairly hefty commitment off their financial projections.

Even with Kongolo gone Town have plenty of options at centre-back with Christopher Schindler, Richard Stearman, Tommy Elphick, Naby Sarr, plus youngsters Rarmani Edmonds-Green and Romoney Crichlow all on the books.

Though the club and Corberan alike insist every player has a clean slate under the new boss, it is also worth mentioning that Kongolo fell out of favour under former boss Danny Cowley last season after some poor performances, hence his move to Craven Cottage in January.

On top of all that, new signing Sarr is left-footed - like Kongolo - and Corberan has said he would ideally like to have a centre-back pairing of one right footer and one left footer.

Would a move to Fulham be permanent or another loan?

Football Insider have claimed that it's a permanent deal on the table this time.

That would make sense for all concerned with Fulham looking to prop up their Premier League credentials, Town looking to raise funds and Kongolo himself naturally wanting to play at the highest level he possibly can.

The Dutchman remains Town's record signing having arrived at the club for a reported £17.5m fee in 2018 and any money they can recoup on that investment would be a welcome addition to the club coffers.

Aren't Fulham signing someone else at centre-back?

So reports suggest, with the Telegraph claiming on Tuesday that Sassuolo centre-back Marlon - formerly of Barcelona - was on the verge of a move to Craven Cottage.

However, we understand that Fulham's defensive overhaul is unlikely to stop at one player.

Their interest in Kongolo is therefore likely to remain strong even if and when the Marlon deal gets over the line.

Is a deal likely to be done?

This is one of those moves that makes sense for everyone so all parties will be hoping it can get done.

We understand things are progressing, so as it stands our hunch is that it looks more likely than not barring some late hitch.



https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/terence-kongolo-fulham-scott-parker-18985059

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Liverpool v Arsenal: Kick-off brought forward in line with UK pub curfew

Liverpool's home match against Arsenal has been brought forward by 15 minutes, with all midweek Premier League games to finish before the new UK pub curfew.

The game at Anfield on Monday will now kick off at 20:00 BST.

The other match taking place that evening - Fulham against Aston Villa - has also been brought forward by 15 minutes to 17:45.

They are the last midweek fixtures in September, with none yet to be scheduled for October.

The Premier League has also announced that every game over the weekend of 3-5 October will be shown live on Sky Sports or BT Sport.

All the matches that weekend will now be behind closed doors after the UK government scrapped plans to allow spectators to return to sports venues on a socially distanced basis from 1 October.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54270865

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Milik Linked With Fulham, Spurs, Newcastle: Who Will Secure Him?

Arkadiusz Milik has been at the center of Napoli's transfer talk for the past couple of weeks. But with his publicized moved to Roma seemingly breaking down, is he about to make the step into English football?

For so long the Premier League has been deemed the overseas players' dream. But in past seasons we're seeing more and more players fleeing from the English top-flight, and a lot of them joining clubs in Italy.

Milik though could be about to ditch the Serie A. Despite his 11 league goals last season he's been deemed surplus to requirements by the ever-stern Gennaro Gattuso and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, who is keen to cash in on some of the club's most prized assets in this window.

It seemed nailed on that Milik would be joining Roma in a deal which would in-turn see Edin Dzeko join Juventus. But after Milik rejected the offer from Roma, Dzeko's deal has since fallen through – reports claim that he's happy to stay in Rome.

Also seemingly happy to stay at his club is Milik, but Napoli won't allow it. Milik is out of contract next season and therefore able to discuss terms with other clubs from January. Napoli are desperate to sell him in this window, and that hope has just been given a new lease of life.

Both Fulham and Newcastle United have recently been linked with the striker. Spurs were keen on the 26-year-old last month but after their loan signing of Gareth Bale, it seems unlikely that José Mourinho will have the wage budget for Milik as well.

As for Fulham and Newcastle, these could be two very interesting options for Milik.

Fulham won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs for a second time in three years this summer. Under Scott Parker, they defied the odds against Brentford and fans will tell you that they couldn't have done it without a certain Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Serb is prolific, but Fulham have been over-reliant on him. They're in the market for a striker and Milik fits the bill, but reports claim that they'll only move if Napoli budge from their 25M euro valuation.

Newcastle on the other hand have recruited well this summer. Callum Wilson looks to be a strong signing in place of the under-performing Joelinton, and Steve Bruce could well do with another name up top.

Chairman Mike Ashley might not be inclined to spend much more after the summer they've already had though, and so a deal for Milik looks unlikely unless they can barter the price.

All in all, it seems like Milik's most likely destination might be Fulham. But even that's a stretch. The club has a lot of names on the wage list and after their failed spending spree ahead of the 2018-19 season, their budget might still be recovering.

Either way, Napoli need to get rid of Milik this summer, or engineer a new contact. Both the club and player are in a difficult position, and it'll be interesting to see where, or even if he's playing next month.



https://cultofcalcio.com/milik-linked-with-fulham-newcastle-spurs-who-will-secure-the-napoli-man/

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Everton and Fulham keen on Jérôme Onguene

Everton and Fulham are interested in signing Jerome Onguene from RB Salzburg.

Both clubs need to improve their defensive options this summer and it is no surprise that they are keen on signing the 23-year-old centre back.

Everton have been linked with the likes of Gabriel and Fikayo Tomori already and it will be interesting to see if they can agree on a deal with the Austrian club for Onguene.

Clearly, Fulham need to tighten up at the back as well and they have already conceded seven goals in their two Premier League games.

If they want to stay up this season, they will have to improve their defence and the signing of the Salzburg defender could prove to be a smart move for them.

According to reports, both clubs could soon present an offer for the Cameroon international and it will be interesting to see if RB Salzburg are willing to do business.

Everton have improved their midfield considerably this summer and they should look to bring in a quality defender before the transfer window closes.

Onguene is still quite young for a defender and working with a manager like Ancelotti could help him develop as a player. A move to Everton could be very tempting for the player.



https://sportslens.com/everton-and-fulham-keen-on-jerome-onguene/315202/

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Fulham player ratings: Antonee Robinson impresses as Fabio Carvalho shows flash on debut cameo

The full back put in an established display.

Rodak

Very vocal presence from the first minute and pulled off a number of good saves. Being harsh, the location of where he pushes the ball too could cause Fulham problems however. 7.

Denis Odoi

Showed his versatility and fitness to once again take to the pitch at right back. Picked up a yellow card stopping an attack from the away side. 6.

Michael Hector

His header provided the penetration past the Owls backline Fulham had lacked. Took a no nonsense role when needed at the back but still a little ragged in his play. 6.

Tim Ream

A confident performance from the American who seem pretty comfortable with the ball ahead of him and in behind. 6.

Antonee Robinson

Very solid in everything he does and showed a rapid change of pace. Had a good effort on goal in the first period to show a flash of what he can offer going forwards. Will pose Scott Parker with a big decision if he continues. 7.

Stefan Johansen

Slow start as the midfield trio struggled to get involved during the opening stages but interlinked well with wingers later in the game. 6.

Josh Onomah

Quiet in the opening stages of the match but beat his man before delivering the ball for Bobby de Cordova-Reid's second goal. Looked full confidence going forward before being substituted in the second half. 6.

Neeskens Kebano

Some nice touches and interchanges with Robinson and Johansen. Looked better cutting in after running the ball out of player and losing possession keeping wide. 6.

Booby de Cordova-Reid

Certainly seems to have found his shooting boots with a second goal in as many games. Struggled to find his way into the game early doors however. 6.

Anthony Knockaert

The first Fulham player to create any danger in the match and remained very composed to assist Aboubakar Kamara. Delivery lacked at times but still full of trickery. 7.

Aboubakar Kamara

Struggled to connect to the team for large parts of the game but made no mistake when his opportunity came. Looked better when interchanging roles with Knockaert. 6.

Subs

Jean-Michael Seri - Did the simple passes well and looked for the ball often. 6.

Tyrese Francois - Looked more comfortable taking to the right wing after Knockaert was substituted. Done well to supply Cordova-Reid with a chance. 6.

Fabio Carvalho - The 18-year-old earned some valuable minutes and the few in the stands thought he was going to mark his debut with a goal as he chipped narrowly wide. Pressed the defence really well. 6.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-player-ratings-antonee-robinson-18987162

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Fulham to face Bees after Carabao Cup win

Fulham eased into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup – where they will be away to Brentford – with a strong and professional display at Craven Cottage.

Abou Kamara and Bobby Decordova-Reid grabbed the goals that mattered for Scott Parker's side in the first half. The Whites never looked in any significant danger, despite keeper Marek Rodak being forced to make a number of early impressive saves.

It was both a welcome win and diversion from what has been a taxing restart to life back in the Premier League.

The hosts got off to the perfect start against their Championship opponents by going ahead after only nine minutes.

Wednesday failed to attend to a long ball down the right which Anthony Knockaert picked up – and the winger slipped the ball across the penalty area where Kamara was unmarked and on hand to touch home.

With both goalkeepers in fine form throughout the opening half, Fulham, however, proved to be particularly clinical by doubling their lead on 32 minutes.

Decordova-Reid tucked in simply from a couple of yards out when Josh Onomah did well to make space to fire straight across the Owls' exposed goalmouth for the hungry striker.

Fulham grew in confidence and had a firm territorial grip across the second half.

Knockaert went close on 71 minutes when his audacious chip came off the bar, with Wednesday increasingly labouring.

A third goal failed to arrive for all the Whites' dominance, but it mattered little in the end.

A reasonably straightforward victory, therefore, for Parker's men, although a clearly more difficult examination awaits when Aston Villa visit the Cottage in the Premier League on Monday.

Fulham: Rodak, Hector, Odoi, Johansen, Knockaert (Carvalho 77), Kebano, Ream, Decordova-Reid, Onomah (Seri 61), Robinson, Kamara (Francois 70).



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-to-face-brentford-in-efl-cup-after-easily-seeing-off-sheffield-wednesday

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Fulham 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday

Fulham cruised into the Fourth Round of the Carabao Cup with a routine win over Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday evening.

First half goals from Aboubakar Kamara and Bobby De Cordova-Reid had the Whites in firm control of the tie which now sets up a Fourth Round clash against rivals Brentford.

Scott Parker aimed to mirror the fortune of the side that had beaten the Owls merely two months earlier in the Championship, with just four changes for the Carabao Cup tie.

An accomplished Wednesday side came out of the traps with a blend of youth and experience that looked comfortable on the ball. Garry Monk's side had a plan to keep Fulham disjointed, which was effective in the opening stages.

Fulham then took the lead in the simplest of circumstances. Michael Hector attacked a high clearance which Anthony Knockaert ran onto in the final third and squared to Kamara with an empty net. The goal settled the nerves and slick patterns of play began to emerge.

The Owls were far from out of the tie with Adam Reach looking to add another wonder strike to his name – Marek Rodák equal to the dipping effort.

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru was the latest to be thwarted by Rodák with the visitors' clearest chance of the game. The Slovakian stood tall to repel his shot from the penalty spot.

Fans will be keen to see the impact speedster Antonee Robinson can make from left-back, and his direct run nearly doubled the lead. He turned Liam Palmer with ease and sent a shot to the near post that Joe Wildsmith was equal to.

Moments later the lead was extended. Josh Onomah's bullish strength gave him a yard to fire in a cross that De Cordova-Reid duly obliged to tap home on the stretch.

Pace was proving a problem for Wednesday as Kamara was unleashed through the middle again. His square pass to Knockaert pushed the wide man into traffic.

However, Rodák was earning his keep. His strong palms this time kept out Moses Odubajo from close range in the last first half action.

The second half presented another scare as Odubajo ventured forward again forcing a third Rodák stop.

A chance to kill the game came and went as Kamara's deep cross found Michael Hector who overran the ball and could only shoulder his finish across the six-yard box. Just after the hour Jean-Michaël Seri was introduced for his first appearance of the season.

De Cordova-Reid has had an appetite for goals at the start of the season and he should've doubled his tally for the evening. A sprawling Wildsmith the barrier. Another opportunity passed to kill the game as Knockaert skewed a one-on-one wide on his weaker right foot.

Young Australian midfielder Tyrese Francois was given his second first team nod with 20 minutes to play in place of Kamara. Fabio Carvalho was given his first team debut following his string of impressive PL2 displays.

Knockaert was keen to atone for his miss and almost made up for it audaciously. His cheeky dip, not dissimilar to that against West Brom, clipped the top of the bar.

The closing stages were quiet as Fulham saw out a comfortable victory.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/september/Fulham-2-0-Sheffield-Wednesday/

[WhiteJC]

Kamara and Decordova-Reid fire Fulham into fourth round

First half strikes from Aboubakar Kamara and Bobby Decordova-Reid saw Fulham past a spirited and enterprising Sheffield Wednesday side as the Premier League outfit booked a tantalising tie with local rivals Brentford in round four.

Scott Parker fielded a strong side despite the spectre of another vital league fixture against Aston Villa on Monday night looming, but it was Sheffield Wednesday who made the early running at a damp Craven Cottage. The Owls, who had made an unbeaten start to the campaign without conceding a goal in their first four games, settled quickest even though Garry Monk had made eleven changes from the side that drew with Watford on Saturday. They played pretty football from the outset, but struggled to find the penetration in the final third to hurt Fulham.

After Adam Reach and Fikayo Dele-Bashiru had shown early glimmers of their creativity, Fulham opened the scoring from their very first attack. Michael Hector, once voted Wednesday's player of the year during a successful loan spell at Hillsborough, nodded a ball through for Anthony Knockaert, who burst through the visitors' defence far too easily. The Frenchman might have gone for goal himself but unselfishly squared for Aboubakar Kamara, who rolled home the simplest of finishes from eight yards out.

Wednesday kept pressing despite that early setback. Joey Pelupessy picked out Adam Reach with a clever ball down the left and the versatile forward produced a neat turn to wiggle away from two challengers before forcing a fine reaction save from Marek Rodak when he unleashed a trademark left-footed drive from the edge of the box. The visitors were posing serious problems down the Fulham left and were unfortunate not to level when former Brentford full-back Moses Odubajo burst into space and produced a great pull back that Dele-Bashiru couldn't fire past Rodak, who made another good save. The Slovakian international was kept busy throughout and certainly made his point to Scott Parker, who dropped him for defeat by Leeds last weekend.

Fulham were nowhere near as sharp in their passing as they would have liked to be – their opportunities were limited to largely individual efforts. Antonee Robinson demonstrated his rapid pace as he surged clear down the left flank and almost matched an eye-catching burst with a fine finish, but Joe Wildsmith clawed the American international's rasping drive away for a corner. The Whites were gradually moving through the gears and grabbed a second goal just after the half hour. Decordova-Reid was on hand to snaffle his second goal in as many games after brilliant work from Josh Onomah down the right – an inviting cross was perfect for the Jamaican to fire home.

A two-goal deficit was harsh on Wednesday, who continued to come forward without reservation. The lively Dele-Bashiru sauntered into a great position down the left but Rodak palmed away Odubajo's attempted finish. They almost halved their arrears straight after the break but Rodak made another stunning save to deny Odubjao and, just to show that the Owls' luck was definitely out, Liam Palmer's effort from the rebound was turned wide by Elias Kachunga.

Fulham were far more fluent in the second half and should have put the game to bed well before the end. Hector made a horrible mess of a header when he was picked out by a beautiful cross from Kamara, heading the ball away from goal rather than towards the Wednesday net. Decordova-Reid then fired straight at Wildsmith when clean through and Kamara's wonderfully weighted through ball unlocked the visitors' defence for Knockaert, who drove wastefully wide with Wildsmith committed to narrowing the angle.

Knockaert nearly made amends for that glaring miss when an audacious chip from outside the box clipped the top of the crossbar after a spellbinding period of Fulham possession, but the ruthlessness that characterised Fulham's finishing in the first half had deserted them. Decordova-Reid should have had a hat-trick but he blazed over after Tyrese Francois had laid one on a plate for him eight yards out. There was a rare sighting of Jean-Michael Seri in a Fulham shirt and a senior debut for Fabio Carvalho, who almost stole the headlines when he seized on a short backpass in the dying seconds only to lift his finish over Wildsmith and wide.

Parker, being the perfectionist that he is, will have plenty of bones to pick out of this curious display. Fulham were casual at times in possession and horribly wasteful with their finishing, but prevailed over dangerous opponents by virtue of that touch of top flight quality. Plenty of these players will now have much-needed minutes in their legs and the Fulham boss will turn his attention to coming up with a winning formula ahead of the visit of Aston Villa on Monday. Planning for a tasty trip to Hounslow will have to wait.

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Odoi, Robinson, Hector, Ream; Johansen, Onomah (Seri 62); Kebano, Knockaert (Carvalho 78), Decordova-Reid; Kamara (Francois 81). Subs (not used): Fabri, Le Marchand, Bryan, Cavaleiro.

BOOKED: Odoi.

GOALS: Kamara (9), Decordova-Reid (32).

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (3-5-2): Wildsmith, Brennan, Shaw, Börner; Odubajo, Palmer (Penney 71), Dele-Bashiru, Pelupessy, Waldock (Rhodes 79); Reach, Kachunga (Hagan 82). Subs (not used): Dawson, Iorfa.

BOOKED: Odubajo.

REFEREE: Lee Mason (Lancashire).



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/09/kamara-and-decordova-reid-fire-fulham-into-fourth-round/

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Scott Parker relishing the upcoming clash with Brentford

Fulham manager Scott Parker is relishing the prospect of another west London derby with Brentford after dispatching Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup.

The Cottagers set up a rematch of last month's Sky Bet Championship play-off final following first-half goals from Aboubakar Kamara and Bobby Decordova-Reid in a 2-0 third-round success over the Owls.

Parker's side overcame their near neighbours 2-1 at Wembley to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

While he acknowledges there will be far less at stake in next week's last-16 tie, the 39-year-old is looking forward to once again locking horns with Thomas Frank's Bees.

"It's a derby in the next round of the cup so of course it's a big game for both sides," he said.

"The last time we played, that game was certainly a lot bigger than the one we are going to be playing next week.

"That's not to put the game coming up down in any way, that's the reality.

"As always when it's a London derby and you're up against your rivals there's always a little bit more of an edge to it.

"We're looking forward to playing against a very, very good Brentford side, which they are."

Fulham had little trouble overcoming a fully-changed Wednesday side after Kamara and Reid each struck within the opening 32 minutes.

Kamara tapped Anthony Knockaert's pass into an empty net in the ninth minute, before Reid scored for the second successive match by turning home Josh Onomah's centre.

After being beaten 3-0 by Arsenal and losing 4-3 at Leeds in their first two top-flight fixtures of the season, Parker is eager for his side to tighten up defensively.

He believes keeping clean sheets is crucial to the club's chances of staying in the Premier League and, following the shutout against the Owls, hopes they can become a habit, starting at home to Aston Villa on Monday.

"We are not the only team in this league at this moment in time that's letting in a lot of goals," said Parker, who made seven changes for the visit of the South Yorkshire club.

"There are a lot of teams in this situation, that's the division you're in.

"But certainly it's always key to build on clean sheets and get into the habit.

"They're going to be crucial for us this year. It's a good thing tonight that we've managed to keep a clean sheet and score a couple."

Owls boss Garry Monk changed his entire team for the trip to the capital.

Wednesday enjoyed greater first-half possession but, having gone close to an equaliser through Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, faded after the break.

Monk was satisfied with the display and felt inexperience proved decisive.

"I don't think there was any shame in the performance at all," said Monk.

"We were competitive for large parts of it. I think what it came down to in the end was a little bit of naivety in the two goals we conceded.

"With young players on the pitch, unfortunately that can happen.

"On the other side of it, if we had taken one of our big chances in the first half it could have made it a different game."



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/league-cup/news/scott-parker-relishing-the-upcoming-clash-with-brentford_415602.html

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Fulham Coach Reacts To Reports Linking Club With Move For RB Leipzig's Lookman

Fulham boss Scott Parker faced the cameras shortly after his side's 2-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday and one of the subjects he addressed was speculation linking the club with a move for ex-Everton star Ademola Lookman.

It has been suggested that the Cottagers are working on a deal to bring the 2017 England U20 World Cup-winning winger to Craven Cottage on loan for the remainder of the 2020-2021 season.

Lookman has struggled for form since his permanent switch to RB Leipzig last summer, making only two starts from a possible 47 in all competitions in 2019-20.

But he still has a good reputation in England and Fulham are reportedly interested in signing him because he offers pace and directness.

When asked about the rumours liking the club with Lookman and Marlon Santo at Wednesday's post-match press conference, Parker told reporters including Football. London : "It's all speculation really and players are owned by other teams so I wouldn't want to comment on them.

"I think it's clear we want to do some business but as for those individuals it's not for me to comment really."

Fulham have loaned in another London-born Nigerian player in the ongoing transfer window, bringing in Ola Aina from Torino.

Igho Kingsley



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=37488

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Fulham set to to complete Marlon signing on Thursday: the latest

Fulham are in the closing stages of a deal to acquire Marlon. The transfer for the Brazilian defender from Sassuolo will be finalized on Thursday morning, he will then leave for the UK to undergo his medicals and sign for the Premier League club. The offer for the outright purchase of Marlon was close to €15m. Barcelona held the right to match the offer and were informed of the bid. Marlon will move to Fulham after his experiences at Fluminense, Barcelona, Nice, and Sassuolo.



https://gianlucadimarzio.com/en/fulham-set-to-to-complete-marlon-signing-on-thursday-the-latest