Thursday Fulham Stuff - 22/10/20...

[WhiteJC]

Steve Parish must convince Crystal Palace ace Gary Cahill to sign new contract

Crystal Palace may have struggled to a dull 1-1 draw with Premier League rivals Brighton in the A23 derby, but one player stood out from the rest.

What's the word?

Roy Hodgson heaped praise upon Gary Cahill following an impressive display after his return from injury at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.

He told Palace TV: "First of all he's a very, very good defender.

"His position is very good, he's exceptionally good in the air, he's a strong challenger for the ball and a very good blocker of the ball. These are the defensive qualities we don't talk about every day... They're the qualities that get you the clean sheets.

Hodgson has options at the back once again as Cahill, James Tomkins and Patrick van Aanholt have worked their way back from fitness. But the former Chelsea man showed his value as the Eagles secured a point against the Seagulls.

Bargain buy?

It's safe to say that Cahill has turned out to be one of the club's best buys in recent memory. The 34-year-old, who previously played for Bolton, Burnley and Everton, made 290 appearances for the Blues, scored 25 goals and supplied 7 assists, whilst he won the Premier League twice, the Champions League, two Europa League trophies and the FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge, via Transfermarkt.

Since then, the former 61-cap England international has played 28 games for Palace, and made 25 appearances in the English top flight last term, whilst he averaged 1 block and 4.4 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

The centre-back, who currently earns wages worth £65,000-per-week, was on the receiving end of a reckless tackle from Brighton defender Lewis Dunk, who was sent off in extra time.

SofaScore gave him a high grade of 7.1 for his efforts – if you look at his heatmap, you can see that he was most active inside the box, which explains why he made four clearances, two blocked shots, two tackles, whilst he only lost possession six times, won 100% of his ground duels, and four out of eight of his aerial duels, which shows that he was a threat in the air as well.

SkySports gave Cahill a 7/10 rating, which is fairly accurate, whilst football.london gave him the same score, claiming he "looked comfortable in the opening stages on his return, marshalling the defence well" but "could have picked up an injury late on due to Dunk's ferocious tackle."

Palace had a promising start to the season, before back-to-back defeats culminated in a 4-0 defeat to his former side Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before the international break. Whilst Hodgson's side once again failed to keep a clean sheet, Cahill seems to have shaken off any concerns, which could bode well for the future.

Once lauded as an "exceptional" professional footballer by Steve Parish, the Palace chairman must secure his future at Selhurst Park, as his current contract is set to expire in 2021. If his performance is anything to by, the £2.25m-rated veteran must start against Fulham at all costs.



https://www.footballfancast.com/crystal-palace-fc-news/crystal-palace-transfer-latest-news-gary-cahill-roy-hodgson-eagles-selhurst-park-steve-parish-statistics-fulham-brighton-pl-gossip-rumour-analysis

[WhiteJC]

Bristol City news and transfers live: Alfie Mawson injury latest, reaction to Middlesbrough loss

Bristol City suffered their first Championship defeat of the season last night at the hands of Middlesbrough as Neil Warnock's men claimed all three points at Ashton Gate


Bristol City's Alfie Mawson was carried off injured in the defeat against Middlesbrough (Image: Photo by Ian Cook - CameraSport via Getty Images)

City lost out for the first time in the Championship this season last night as Dean Holden's men were beaten at home by Middlesbrough, with George Saville netting the only goal of the game for Neil Warnock's side.

There was also an injury blow for the Robins in the game as defender Alfie Mawson went off on a stretcher.

We'll have the latest news on the injury and all the reaction from the defeat last night, as well as updates from around the Championship, with more games taking place this evening.

Keep an eye out below for Bristol City updates across the day.

Moments you may have missed last night

Bristol City fell to their first league defeat of the season last night, losing 1-0 at the hands of Neil Warnock's Middlesbrough.

In truth, it was a pretty dire display from the home side typified by their failure to register a shot on target in the 96 minutes of play.

But while some Robins supporters were able to digest the action from inside the Ashton Gate sports bar, the stands were of course deserted once again.

Here are the events that the fans, many of whom were only situated a mere hundred yards away, may have missed while watching on the television.

Neil Warnock's reaction

The Boro boss was understandably delighted to get the victory at Ashton Gate last night.

But he made an admission after the game about not having City fans inside the stadium.

"I have to admit that I missed the crowd," said Warnock following the game.

"I said to the security guard when I came in, 'it's so strange not having people banging on the coach windows.'

"I was hoping I could have done a lap of honour at the end, thump the air and give the crowd a wave because it could have been my last visit here."

Worrying signs

There is no hiding away from it, it was a lacklustre performance from Bristol City last night.

Forcing no saves from the visiting goalkeeper doesn't make for good reading, and our man Gregor MacGregor has given his verdict on the defeat.

Alfie Mawson injury

After the game, Dean Holden said that it was too soon to know the extent of the injury for the City defender.

But he said it looked like something the Robins could be worried about.

"He didn't want the stretcher, and when it takes that amount of time it's obviously something of concern," Holden said.

Mawson was set to be assessed today, with the club set to find out more.



https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-city-news-live-mawson-4626530

[WhiteJC]

Roy Hodgson must unleash Crystal Palace ace Eberechi Eze against Fulham

After seeing both of his summer transfer targets disappear before his very eyes, Roy Hodgson must unleash Crystal Palace ace Eberechi Eze against Fulham.

What's the word?

Recent reports had revealed that Hodgson's side were targeting moves for Ismaila Sarr and Said Benrahma.

But the Brentford star joined West Ham instead, whilst Sarr ended up staying at Watford after the Hornets rejected a £25m bid from Palace for the 22-cap Senegal international.

Despite missing out on both their key targets, it may have a positive impact on one player who is already at the club.

Time to shine

Big things are expected from Eze after he arrived in the summer from Queens Park Rangers for a fee that could rise to £20m, becoming the club's second arrival of the transfer window.

The highly-rated England U21 international – who is valued at £16m via Transfermarkt – made quite the impression at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium last season, as he started every game for Mark Warburton's side in the English second division. scoring 14 goals and supplying 8 assists in the Championship, whilst he averaged 2.2 shots, 1.8 key passes and 3 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

Despite the fact the 22-year-old has already made four appearances in the Premier League so far, including twice featuring from the bench, it's safe to say that he would have been looking nervously over his shoulder amid Palace's interest in both players.

In the end the Eagles failed to sign an attacking midfielder, which is what Hodgson will have wanted all along, as it's an open secret that Wilfried Zaha is angling for a move away from Selhurst Park.

Once lauded as a "fantastic" player by QPR chief executive Lee Hoos, this has paved the way for Eze to stake his claim in the starting XI.

If the speedster can cement his place in the side, Hodgson could start to build a dream attack that Palace fans have been craving for so long. He just needs to be guaranteed game time, which is no easy task.



https://www.footballfancast.com/crystal-palace-fc-news/eberechi-eze-latest-transfer-news-crystal-palace-roy-hodgson-eagles-statistics-wilfried-zaha-jeffrey-schlupp-pl-gossip-rumour-analysis

[WhiteJC]

Albion U18s 1 Fulham U18s 4

Albion Under-18s suffered a setback on home soil following a 4-1 defeat against Fulham in the U18 Premier League on Saturday.

The visitors took the lead through forward Olly Sanderson. However, the Baggies responded well and were awarded a penalty shortly after falling behind when Jacob Shepherd's cross was handled in the area.

Forward Modou Faal converted from the spot to level the contest but the scores weren't level for long as Sanderson netted again to restore the visitors' advantage before they were awarded a penalty of their own,  which Adrion Pajaziti converted to give Fulham a 3-1 lead at half-time.

Peter Gilbert's youngsters couldn't turn the tide in their favour during the second half and Mika Biereth's effort completed victory for the away side.


ALBION: Emery; Ingram, Hall, Ngoma, Ashworth; Shepherd, Iroegbunam (Lamb), Teixeira, Richards; Malcolm (Okaka); Faal.

Substitutes: Dwyer, Hollingshead, Shaw. 



https://www.wba.co.uk/news/albion-u18s-1-fulham-u18s-4

[WhiteJC]

European Premier League: What we know about FIFA-backed plans for cross-continental super tournament

European Premier League: Clubs involved, format, impact on Premier League and Champions League, proposed start date and reaction


Liverpool and Manchester United have participated in talks over the construction of a new FIFA-backed tournament

Leaked plans for a lucrative European Premier League have sent the footballing world into frenzy and left the game on the precipice of generational change.

Liverpool and Manchester United have participated in talks over the construction of a new FIFA-backed tournament, which would be funded to the sum of $6billion (£4.6billion) by Wall Street bank JP Morgan.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham have reportedly been approached as the revolutionary proposal takes shape, but what does this mean for the future of the Premier League, the Champions League, and football as we know it? Here's what we know so far...

First things first, who's involved?
It's understood that more than a dozen clubs from England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain are in negotiations about becoming founding members of the competition.

Liverpool and Manchester United - who have faced recent criticism over their development of the controversial Project Big Picture proposals - Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham make up the contingent of Premier League clubs who have been approached, and it believed as many as five of them could sign up.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid from Spain, Bayern Munich from Germany, Juventus from Italy and Paris Saint-Germain from France are also thought to be among the candidate clubs for the new league.

The plans are said to have the backing of the sport's world governing body FIFA and are also reported to involve Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

Can other clubs join the league?
As part of the initial blueprint, founder clubs could not be relegated for 20 years, meaning that a maximum of six places would be available each season.

It's understood relegation could form part of the new competition, with the participation of non-founding member clubs subject to their domestic league position at the end of each season.

What would a European Premier League look like?
At first glance, the European Premier League makes for a fascinating prospect that would see the biggest clubs on the continent compete on a more consistent basis.

Initial proposals suggest the European Premier League would be split into two distinct sections; a league and a knockout phase.

With as many as 18 clubs involved, the league would comprise of a round-robin tournament in which clubs would play home and away midweek fixtures over 34 matchdays.

Once completed, the top-placed teams in the league would compete in a knockout phase where the European Premier League winners would be determined, although such details are yet to be revealed.

What does this mean for the Premier League?
Whereas proposals in the past for a European Super League threatened to breakaway from existing domestic leagues, European Premier League plans have been designed to work alongside competitions such as the Premier League.

Instead of forming a breakaway league, fixtures will be played in existing midweek slots that are currently occupied by the UEFA Champions League. It means a Premier League club could honour their European Premier League commitments during the week, while fulfilling their domestic schedule at the weekend.

Nevertheless, the creation of European Premier League would have profound implications for the value of domestic broadcasting and sponsorship rights across Europe, at a time when the finances of the entire football pyramid have been hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis.

So will this spell the end of the Champions League?
The long and short of it is - yes.

If discussions are successfully concluded, the European Premier League would effectively usurp UEFA's flagship Champions League competition, which has been a mainstay of the continent's football calendar for decades since its inception in 1992.

Unsurprisingly, UEFA is strongly opposed to it. It released a statement on Tuesday evening saying that the principles of open leagues were "non-negotiable". It also said that any such super league would "inevitably become boring".

When would the European Premier League start?
A provisional start date as early as 2022 has apparently been mooted for the inception of the European Premier League.

However, with the existing UEFA Champions League format in place until 2024, a number of complications stand in the way of such a swift start.

What has been said?
Neither Liverpool nor Manchester United have commented publicly yet.

In a statement released on Tuesday, FIFA said: "FIFA does not wish to comment and participate in any speculation about topics which come up every now and then and, for which, institutional structures and regulatory frameworks are well in place at national, European and global level."

'Edge taken off domestic leagues'
Sky Sports News' Bryan Swanson:

"Think of the impact this would have for the Premier League and other domestic competitions - think of the race for the top four and the compelling drama that can bring. The edge would be taken off it domestically if it didn't really matter because those big clubs knew they were competing in Europe's top competition anyway.

"UEFA controls the Champions League and the Europa League, but it also has competitions such as the Nations League and the European Championships. So could any players who take part in a new European Premier League be denied the right to compete in the European Championships?

"It's a possibility. This could get very messy indeed - or a compromise could be reached."

Neville: Plans 'another wound for football'
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville says the sums of money discussed to finance the new proposed league - at a time when areas of the English game are in severe financial difficulty - reflects badly on a Premier League who are yet to agree a support package for EFL teams.

He told Sky Sports News: "The big issue that I have with it, is that at this moment in time, in the middle of a pandemic and when football is on its knees at so many different levels - the FA, EFL clubs and Non-League clubs are struggling - the idea that a $6billion package is being put together to set-up a new league when lower clubs are scrambling around to pay wages and stay in existence.

What I read about this Super League idea will destroy football as we know it. It’s  all about greed and keeping the game for a few elite clubs, while killing the other clubs and leagues that fans love. Football should unite! Everyone should oppose it! https://t.co/98VC6xd2qX

— Luís Figo (@LuisFigo) October 21, 2020

"It's another wound for football. It doesn't feel like the right time to be talking about this. The leak probably doesn't suit Manchester United or Liverpool at this moment in time as they're seen as the big, bad bullies.

"I'm for progression of football, with new competitions and new formats, but we have got to look after the fabric of the game and what it means to the communities in this country.

"There is a position, potentially, for a new European League and for an amazing Premier League, a fantastically competitive EFL and funded grassroots and Non-League football. There is enough money.

"If they can pull $6bn together for a European league then they can pull together £150-£200m to save the rest of football in this country."



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/12109353/european-premier-league-what-we-know-about-fifa-backed-plans-for-cross-continental-super-tournament

[WhiteJC]

Robinson the latest US star to represent 'Fulhamerica'

Revisit the rich history of Americans who have played for the Cottagers

There is a corner of west London that has nearly always had an American influence for the last 20 years.

Since the turn of the millennium, Fulham have had more players from the United States on their books than any other Premier League club.

Summer signing of Antonee Robinson took that number into double figures, and the 23-year-old has started the last two matches.

The long-held connection between the club and the US has led to a nickname for the team stateside: "Fulhamerica".

Leading the way
In 1999, goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann became the first American to join the club, followed by Eddie Lewis the following year.

Then, from 2003 to 2007, some of the greatest players to represent the US moved to Craven Cottage, including Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride, Clint Dempsey and Kasey Keller.

Bocanegra, McBride and Dempsey combined for 445 Premier League appearances for Fulham, while becoming mainstays on the international stage for the United States Men's National Team (USMNT).

National heroes
All three captained their country, with Bocanegra wearing the armband more than any other player and Dempsey becoming the joint-highest goalscorer in USMNT history.

Bocanegra became a fan favourite during his five seasons at Craven Cottage from 2004 to 2008.

The California-born centre-back amassed 116 Premier League appearances for the club, and his five goals from defence in 2006/07 made him Fulham's second-highest scorer in the campaign.

While Bocanegra held steady at the back, McBride and Dempsey thrived up front.

In five seasons, McBride tallied 32 Premier League goals and won the club's Player of the Season award twice.

He became so loved at the club that he now has a hospitality room named in his honour at Craven Cottage.

PL stats for Americans at Fulham

Player	Apps	Goals	Clean sheets
Clint Dempsey	189	50	37
Brian McBride	140	32	16
Carlos Bocanegra	116	8	24
Tim Ream	30	0	5
Eddie Johnson	19	0	1
Kasey Keller	13	0	5
Antonee Robinson	2	0	0
Eddie Lewis	1	0	0
Marcus Hahnemann	0	0	0
Luca de la Torre	0	0	0

After McBride left, Dempsey assumed the goalscoring duties and never looked back.

The Texan bagged 50 goals in six seasons for Fulham, including a 17-goal campaign in 2011/12, the highest tally in a Premier League season for an American.

With Dempsey becoming a mainstay, the Whites finished as high as seventh in 2008/09 and qualified for the UEFA Europa League, going all the way to the final in May 2010.

Dempsey, who emulated McBride by winning two Player of the Season awards, left for Tottenham Hotspur in 2012. But a new wave of Americans arrived.

Next generation
The most impactful came in 2015, when St Louis native Tim Ream joined from Bolton Wanderers.

Ream cut his teeth in MLS in the earlier part of the decade and has since established himself in both his national and club sides.

He was named the Player of the Season in 2017/18 as Fulham achieved promotion, and earned 14 caps for the USMNT in 2019.

In the past six years, the club have also been home to Eddie Johnson, Emerson Hyndman and Luca de la Torre.

And with Fulham now back in the Premier League this season, it's only right that they have added another US national to the squad.

New signing Robinson could look to Ream as a role model, being a fellow left-footed American defender. But, if not, there is certainly no shortage of inspiration to be found in the history of Fulhamerica.



https://www.premierleague.com/news/1869973

[WhiteJC]

Full cost of each 25-man Premier League squad - with entire total almost £6bn

Every Premier League club has named their 25-man squad for the season, and while some key names that are missing have attracted headlines, the overall cost shows the disparity from top to bottom

Premier League clubs spent almost £6billion to assemble their recently announced Premier League 25-man squads.

Top flight clubs have submitted their squad lists for the 2020-21 season.

Each sides' 25-man list of players - as well as an unlimited number of under-21 players - have now been confirmed by the Premier League.

Players in those lists cost their clubs a combined total of aproximately £5.9billion in transfer fees.

Manchester City have the most expensive squad in the division.

The club spent £810.9m in transfer fees assembling the squad they've submitted to the Premier League.

That's almost £200m more than the next most expensive squad in the division.

Manchester United's squad cost the Red Devils a combined total of £628.1m in transfer fees.

Chelsea have the next most expensive squad (£577.1m), followed by Arsenal (£454.8m), Liverpool (£454.3m), and Everton (£388.1m).

Liverpool would be higher up this list had it not been for the injury to Virgil van Dijk in the Merseyside Derby.

With the Dutch centre-back facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury, Liverpool have chosen not to include him in their 25-man squad.

If you were to include his £75m transfer fee in Liverpool's total then Jurgen Klopp's side would be fourth in the list at £529.3m.

Similarly, Arsenal's £42million outcast Mesut Ozil is also written off, with the German persona non grata on matchdays at the Emirates.

Burnley have the cheapest squad in the league.
Just £82.6m was spent on transfer fees assembling their current squad.

Fulham come next at £94.4m, followed by West Brom (£97.7m), Leeds (£120.3m) and Sheffield United (£120.7m).

Full cost of each 25-man squad in the Premier League

    Manchester City - £810,870,000

    Manchester United - £628,130,000

    Chelsea - £577,100,000

    Arsenal - £454,800,000

    Liverpool - £454,250,000

    Everton - £388,050,000

    Tottenham Hotspur - £385,300,000

    Leicester City - £317,450,000

    Wolverhamton Wanderers - £241,980,000

    Aston Villa - £229,350,000

    West Ham United - £218,500,000

    Newcastle United - £198,100,000

    Southampton - £170,550,000

    Brighton & Hove Albion - £159,100,000

    Crystal Palace - £149,860,000

    Sheffield United - £120,700,000

    Leeds United - £120,300,000

    West Bromwich Albion - £97,700,000

    Fulham - £94,350,000

    Burnley - £82,600,000



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-transfers-full-cost-22884283

[WhiteJC]

Fulham's decision to loan out Mawson has been justified

A number of eyebrows were raised when Fulham loaned Alfie Mawson out this summer.

The Whites didn't have the most depth in the world at centre-half, and they just loaned out a £20m signing who has been deemed good enough for the England squad in the past.

Mawson certainly has the quality to shine in the Premier League, Spurs chased him after he was relegated with Swansea, so when he is at his best he's good enough to impress some of the biggest clubs in the division, his main problem is staying fit.

Mawson has struggled with injury ever since joining Fulham, he appeared just 15 times during his first season with the Cottagers after sadly injuring his knee trying to put on his boots, an issue that had to be resolved with surgery, while last season he only managed 27 appearances, with injury again never too far away.

He's had two surgeries on that knee, and it's been a problem that's plagued him for years at this point.

He was sent out on loan to Bristol City this term, and he started his career with the Robins brilliantly.

The centre-back was given the captain's armband after just two games and he played a massive part in helping them to four wins in a row to start the season, but after just 418 minutes of action, everyone's worst fears were confirmed.

Mawson went down against Middlesbrough and he had to be stretchered off, and while we still don't know the extent of that injury, suffice to say it didn't look good at all.

It seems as though Tony Khan was right to not rely on him this season, his body seemingly can't keep up with the rigours of being a professional footballer week in, week out, and that is a massive shame.

Just look at Khan's words when Mawson was announced as a Fulham player, and you'll see just how highly he was thought of at the time, and how injuries have hampered his development.

"Alfie is an exciting young player with a strong future at a position of major importance to our club," Khan said.

"Alfie is also very highly regarded by our scouting department and our data analysts, giving us great confidence in our back line as we prepare long term for Premier League competition."

That bright future that Khan once spoke about is in danger of being ripped away from Mawson, and that's incredibly sad, but fortunately for Fulham, they haven't fallen into the trap of relying on an injury-prone player in a key position.



https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-fc-news/fulham-alfie-mawson-update-loan-injury-tony-khan-scott-parker

[WhiteJC]

I Know How Ruben Likes To Play' - Aina Delighted To Link Up With Former Chelsea

Torino-owned fullback Ola Aina is delighted to link up with his former Chelsea teammate Ruben Loftus-Cheek at Craven Cottage.

The Nigeria international has known the England midfielder most of his life as they both rose through the ranks at Chelsea and were key members of the Blues side that won the UEFA Youth League in 2015.

Aina and Loftus-Cheek were handed starts as Fulham were held to a 1-1 draw by Sheffield United on Sunday, October 18, with the Super Eagles star playing at right-back, behind the Chelsea loanee.

"Yes exactly, literally most of my life with Rueben and I know how Ruben likes to play, I know what type of passes he likes," Aina said to Fulham's official website.

"It was kind of familiar and comfortable just having Reuben there on the right side a little bit, it was good as well, it was a good feeling."

Aina was excited when news broke that Loftus-Cheek was set to join him at Fulham on transfer deadline day.

He said : "When I saw it on Sky, I texted him and I didn't get a reply for a couple of hours so I just put two and two together - he's definitely here so that was good".

Aina, who is on loan at Fulham until the end of the season, is poised to make his home debut for the Cottagers in a London derby against Crystal Palace this coming Saturday.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=37779

[filham]

that we are second from bottom in squad value, those figures should hep team spirit against the higher valued teams.
Difficult to se how we are valued at only £94m. I would have thought Loftus Cheek, Anquissa, Mitro , Cairney and Lookman together would have reached the £94m.

[Jim©]

that we are second from bottom in squad value, those figures should hep team spirit against the higher valued teams.
Difficult to se how we are valued at only £94m. I would have thought Loftus Cheek, Anquissa, Mitro , Cairney and Lookman together would have reached the £94m.

I doubt that loan players are counted.