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Saturday Fulham Stuff - 14/11/20...

Started by WhiteJC, November 13, 2020, 02:40:11 PM

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WhiteJC

International Call-Ups


Details of the Fulham players who will be representing their countries over the international period:

SENIOR SQUAD

Ola Aina (Nigeria) - Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers

Frank Anguissa (Cameroon) - Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers

Bobby De Cordova-Reid (Jamaica) - Friendlies

Michael Hector (Jamaica) - Friendlies

Stefan Johansen (Norway) - Friendly & Nations League

Neeskens Kebano (Congo) - Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers

Aleksandar Mitrović (Serbia) - European Championship Play-Off Final & Nations League

Tim Ream (United States) - Friendlies

Antonee Robinson (United States) - Friendlies

Marek Rodák (Slovakia) - European Championship Play-Off Final & Nations League
UNDER-20S

Luca Ashby-Hammond (England)

George Wickens (England)



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/november/International-Call-Ups/

WhiteJC

Twenty-five years of covering Fulham: Who was the most likeable manager?

West London Sport's Paul Warburton has covered the area's clubs for 25 years. Here he takes a trip down memory lane, recalling his dealings with Fulham's managers. Some he liked more than others.

In my years of reporting on Fulham, I've got to know the club's 19 managers during that time.

If you're in front of the boss every week, you pick up more than just quotes and post-match reaction.

Here is a wholly subjective list based not on their success in the job, but on their friendliness and agreeability.

Starting with the best and heading on down...

14/11/2018 – 27/02/2019: Claudio Ranieri
You would want to have dinner or a beer with the Italian.

He would be charming, polite, courteous and tell a raft of entertaining stories.

He likes a laugh. In fact, he often went searching for one during press conferences both at Chelsea and at Fulham.

As a man, he's top drawer.

28/12/2007 – 30/06/2010: Roy Hodgson
How could you fail to like a bloke who went to rock concerts and also liked Tamla Motown?!

He was/is friendly, likeable and ready to answer questions put to him with honesty.

He once fessed up to having been offered the Ireland job while at Fulham with: "It's not something I want to lie about."

28/12/2015 – 13/11/2018: Slaviša Jokanović
Slav is all deadpan humour.

I asked him once was he still fit? He pulled a pack of Serbian fags out of his pocket and said: 'With these?'

He rented a flat while at Fulham – his family stayed in Spain. When asked did he cook for himself, he reckoned it 'depended if there was anything in the fridge'.

He was one of those managers that took time to get to know, but once you were in his inner circle, he was priceless.

19/09/2014 – 08/11/2015: Kit Symons
Another one out of the top drawer.

Kit was as honest as the day is long. He generally wanted to help journos where possible, and it helped a great deal if one knew him as a Fulham player too.

01/03/2019: Scott Parker
The current incumbent has all but perfected the art of engaging, listening (a lot don't) and responding to questions.

In other words, he is at pains to address the point and deal with it directly.

He sees a joke and can offer one back.

Asked if he got a new tie clip for his birthday in October, he replied: "Nah, socks...again."

He gets on well with everybody as far as I can see.

30/06/2011 – 01/12/2013: Martin Jol
Another you wouldn't mind spending an evening with.

He was also open to a chat about other things outside football.

We once had a discussion about the best DJ on Dutch pirate radio station, Radio Veronica.

He also called the then head of communications, Sarah Brookes, the 'new Madonna'. You smoothie, Martin.

11/04/2007 – 21/12/2007: Lawrie Sanchez
Friendly and agreeable, and not at all crazy despite his time with the old Wimbledon.

He too was amenable and open, and insisted on hosting a pre-season lunch in 2007-08 for journos he would be dealing with.

17/04/2003 – 10/04/2007: Chris Coleman
Friendly, but could also be fiery.

If he didn't like something you wrote, he would call and tell you.

But he was available, and often called a spade a spade even as Fulham's media staff held their breath.

Also, the worst timekeeper of the whole bunch.

A press conference scheduled for midday was eventually held at 4.45pm as 'Cookie' made his way back from a Wales international the night before.

14/02/2014 – 18/09/2014: Felix Magath
Here's a surprise: the much-maligned Magath had a great sense of humour.

Going up in the lift with him at Reading's Madejski Stadium, to break that kind of uncomfortable silence I offered: "Haberdashery, first floor" and he roared out laughing.

He was still chuckling going into the press conference.

01/07/2000 – 16/04/2003: Jean Tigana
Shy and diffident, it helped one could speak a smattering of French.

He never wanted to do press and made it plain from the get-go.

But once on the inside, he was charming and handed out bottles of wine from his own vineyard to those he got close to.

His assistants, Christian Damiano and Roger Propos were more outgoing, and fun to be with socially.

01/07/1996 – 25/09/1997: Micky Adams
Likeable, personable and the only manager I had a running race with. He won!

He too could rant down the phone, but the next second he was your pal again.

Mostly generous with his time, he was another that was pretty sociable outside a press room.

02/10/1999 – 30/06/2000: Karl-Heinz Riedle
Polite, agreeable and smiley, but once past the 'hello-how-are-yous' he was all business.

I don't remember him doing small talk ever.

01/07/1997 – 06/05/1998: Ray Wilkins
The only manager I had dealings with at four clubs!

Ray toured west London during his managerial career; banned me for a while at QPR, was OK at Fulham, much the same at Brentford and Chelsea, but always chose his words carefully.

For all that, I detected a man with a wry sense of humour.

07/05/1998 – 30/06/1999: Kevin Keegan
If he called you "pal" you were in trouble.

Fortunately, that was never yours truly. But he once told a Daily Mail reporter exactly what he thought of him in front of other press.

He picked up the phone, gave a 'good line' and admitted: "I wear my heart on my sleeve."

Without prompting, and on the cusp of leaving Fulham for the England job, he said: "Please don't ask me about England."

"Oh, you're taking it then?"

"What did I just say?!"

01/07/2010 – 29/06/2011: Mark Hughes
I asked him if he deserved the moniker 'Sparky'?

He answered matter-of-factly that he didn't take nonsense from anybody.

A player told me he was the sort of bloke you wouldn't want to play poker with.

He was agreeable enough, but he never once let his guard drop either at Fulham or later at QPR.

01/12/2013 – 13/02/2014: René Meulensteen
The Dutch are generally engaging, the lugubrious Meulensteen came from a different school to Martin Jol, the man he replaced.

Perhaps he learned a thing or two from the Sir Alex Ferguson school of charm while at Manchester United?

OK, it was seven years ago, but I didn't see him once smile openly.

01/07/1994 – 19/02/1996: Ian Branfoot
Branfoot had suffered at Southampton and was dealt a poor hand of cards at lowly Fulham.

He took it out on all around him – including press.

He once told me I was the sort of person that wanted to work for The Sun. I looked at him questioningly, and he added: "You're always after a big story."

01/07/1999 – 25/3/2000: Paul Bracewell
His stock answer to almost everything was: "You never know."

When he got the sack, I couldn't resist writing: "He never knew."

Mostly unhelpful, sometimes condescending, he once asked how I got his number when I called.

I told him he gave it to me.

"But that was when I was a player," he answered to a bemused listener at the other end.

09/11/2015 – 27/12/2015: Peter Grant
In the job for such a short space of time, I'd be hard pressed to come up with an opinion either way.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/twenty-five-years-of-covering-fulham-who-was-the-most-likeable-manager

WhiteJC

Fulham loan duo at Bristol City – How have Mawson and Sessegnon fared, injury latest

Bristol City signed both Alfie Mawson and Steven Sessegnon on loan from Fulham in the summer, but how have the duo fared at Ashton Gate?

Good, then not at all is the answer. Mawson in particular stood out as a really keen summer signing by newly installed boss Dean Holden, but both he and Sessegnon have picked up injuries of late.

Mawson has missed the last five having undergone knee surgery. It was a bitter blow for the Englishman who looked as good as he has done in years at Ashton Gate, and his return is still unknown.

The club hasn't given any indication as to how long Mawson might be unavailable for, but with his Fulham move not panning out how it was supposed to, it only adds to some years of heartbreak for the 26-year-old.

Sessegnon meanwhile returned to Fulham at the end of last month to receive treatment on a hamstring injury.

The 20-year-old is another Fulham man who's been held in such high-regards, but rarely given an oppurtunity, and often struggling with persisting injuries.

He featured just four times for the Robins – twice in the Championship – before sustaining his hamstring injury and his return date is also unknown.

All-in-all though, both Sessegnon and Mawson – particularly the latter – looked to be impressive signings, and it was desperately unfortunate that both picked up injuries at roughly the same time.

If all goes well though, they could yet return to the Robins defensive line and hopefully see out what started as a hugely positive loan spell for both.



https://the72.co.uk/200326/fulham-loan-duo-at-bristol-city-how-have-mawson-and-sessegnon-fared-injury-latest/


WhiteJC

Fulham Will Spot Weaknesses In Everton Side – Former Cottagers Star

Former Fulham star Sean Davis has backed Scott Parker to identify Everton's weaknesses and stick to a plan when the Cottagers host the Toffees following the international break.

Seventh-placed Everton will be looking to bounce back from their four-game winless run in the league when they visit Fulham following the international break.

The Cottagers, who themselves go into the game on the back of a defeat to West Ham, have matches against Leicester City, Manchester City and Liverpool after hosting Everton.

However, former Fulham star Davis has stressed the need for the London outfit to focus only on the upcoming game against Everton, regardless of who they are set to face next.

Looking forward to the match against Everton at home, Davis is confident that Fulham boss Parker will identify weaknesses in Carlo Ancelotti's side and come up with a plan.

"The players can only prepare for the next game", Davis wrote in his column on Fulham's official site.

"It's international break now so the players will come back and Scott will go through his approach.

"They'll spot weaknesses in Everton and stick to a plan.

"You can't think about who you've got in the period afterwards even if that is Man City and Liverpool.

"We need to take the game to teams at home and avoid giving away silly opportunities."


The former Cottagers star also emphasised the importance of Fulham winning their home games as they look to retain their Premier League status for next season.

"I expect us to start on the front foot at home", he wrote.

"The boys will be used to not having the crowd there now.

"You have to win your home games to stand any chance of survival.

"We won our last home game, and long may that continue.

"If we approach the game in the same way of being hard to beat, we stand a good chance."


Everton will be looking to return to winning ways at Craven Cottage while Fulham will be keen to make use of the home advantage and add three points to the board.



https://insidefutbol.com/2020/11/13/fulham-will-spot-weaknesses-in-everton-side-former-cottagers-star/481632/

WhiteJC

oy For Rodák


Marek Rodák secured Slovakia's place in the 2020 European Championships on Thursday evening, with an extra-time goal courtesy of Michal Duris handing his side a 2-1 win against Northern Ireland.

Rodák made a number of vital saves to ensure Slovakia progressed to the finals and will now look forward to competing with Spain, Poland and Sweden in this summer's delayed tournament.

It was heartache for Aleksandar Mitrović, as his missed penalty in a shootout resulted in Scotland advancing and Serbia being eliminated from the competition. In a tight affair, it was a late equaliser from Luka Jovic that cancelled out Ryan Christie's opener and took the game to extra-time.

Serbia looked the most likely after that but couldn't find the crucial goal which would see them qualify into England's group. It was joy for Scotland, who qualified for a major tournament for the first time since 1998.

Frank Anguissa was on the scoresheet for Cameroon, who recorded a comfortable 4-1 win against Mozambique in the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers. Anguissa's header put the hosts out of reach and the win takes them to the summit of Group F, with seven points.

Antonee Robinson featured for The United States, who took on Wales in an international friendly. The left-back featured for the full 90 minutes and helped his side to a clean sheet, while Tim Ream remained on the substitutes bench.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/november/Joy-For-Rod-k/

WhiteJC

Fixture Changes


Fulham's next two fixtures have been amended as follows:

    Everton Home: now Sunday 22nd November 12pm (previously Saturday 21st November) - Live on BBC.
    Leicester City Away: now Monday 30th November 5:30pm (previously Saturday 28th November - Live on SkySports.



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


WhiteJC

Fulham Await Blues or Chelmsford in FA Youth Cup

Town's U18s will host Fulham at Portman Road in round three of the FA Youth Cup if they beat Chelmsford City in their second round tie.

Matches in the third round, in which clubs from the top two divisions make their entry into the competition, must be played by Saturday 14th December.

The young Blues travel to take on Chelmsford on Monday 23rd November (KO 7.30pm) with the Essex club set to stream the game live.

Goals from Harley Curtis and Liam Gibbs and one in each half from Alfie Cutbush earned Adem Atay and Jason Dozzell's side to a 4-1 victory over Southend United in the first round at Portman Road last week.

Last season the U18s exited the competition at the third round stage having lost 2-1 at Cardiff City after extra-time after defeating King's Lynn and Exeter in the previous two rounds.

The Blues have won the FA Youth Cup on three occasions, in 1973, 1975 and 2005.



https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/39154/fulham-await-blues-or-chelmsford-in-fa-youth-cup

WhiteJC

Fulham should consider selling Anthony Knockaert in January

Fulham winger Anthony Knockaert is not enjoying the best time in the Championship with Nottingham Forest and the Cottagers should perhaps consider selling him permanently in the January transfer window.

The Frenchman only joined Fulham on a permanent deal in the summer, having spent the 2019/20 season on loan with Scott Parker's side in the second division.

After he contributed to nine goals last season, the West London club opted to make his loan stay a permanent one but it seems as if Parker quickly decided that the 28-year-old wasn't going to be a regular starter in the Premier League, as he was sent on loan to Forest in October, and is currently set to stay there until January (per Transfermarkt).

The winger did feature in all three of Fulham's League Cup fixtures earlier in the season and grabbed an assist in the 2-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday (per WhoScored) but he failed to play a single minute in the top-flight.

Unfortunately for both Fulham and Forest, the former France U'21 international has not impressed in his first five games for the City Ground outfit, as he has contributed to no goals and has averaged a less than impressive 6.61 rating (per WhoScored).

The decision to sign Knockaert for £10.53 million in the summer already looks to have been a costly mistake by the Fulham board, as he is now valued at just £4.5 million by Transfermarkt.

He also currently earns £35,000 per week at Fulham, which is a hefty wage for someone who seemingly isn't going to be playing for them in the Premier League anytime soon, so perhaps the Cottagers should just admit their mistake and cash in on him in January, rather than continuing to pay his wage for the duration of his contract which runs until 2023.

During his time at Brighton, the winger was sent off for a horror tackle in a 5-0 defeat against Bournemouth, which led to Match od the Day pundit Danny Murphy slamming him, saying:

"Sometimes you try to have an understanding and I can't have any for this. It's dangerous and irresponsible and more importantly he's let everyone down." (per Brighton and Hove Independent)

The decision to sign Knockaert permanently looks to certainly have been a strange one by the board at Fulham and considering his poor start to life at Nottingham Forest, it would perhaps not be a surprise if the Cottagers attempted to cut their losses on the winger in January.



https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-fc-news/fulham-anthony-knockaert-nottingham-forest-scott-parker

WhiteJC

Vultures circling around Fulham already – Exit pushed forward for midfielder

André Zambo Anguissa's good start to the season with Fulham seems to be already drawing attention from other leagues.

Italian website Calcio Mercato features a story today where they praise the midfielder's form, claiming that despite the Whites' difficult mission to stay in the Premier League, he's been standing out for the club.

And they bring some interesting information on his future, as according to their sources, Fulham don't see Anguissa as untransferable, and Italian sides are keeping an eye on the situation.

It's claimed that it would take 'an important investment' for Serie A clubs to get the 24-year-old, but that wouldn't be an impossible mission for them.

Even January is seen as possible.

Signed in a €25m deal from Marseille in 2018, Anguissa spent his first season with Fulham and, following relegation, was then loaned to Villarreal last season, where he made 39 appearances.

Now back at Craven Cottage, the midfielder has only played eight Premier League games, but that was enough to convince European clubs and media that he could soon move to a place with bigger aspirations.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/vultures-circling-around-fulham-already-exit-pushed-forward-midfielder/


WhiteJC


Ex-FA chief wins libel judgment over corruption allegations
Martin Glenn sued former Fulham executive Craig Kline over a series of unfounded claims he made on Twitter.

The ex-chief executive of the Football Association has won a High Court judgment against a disgruntled former Fulham FC executive who accused him of corruption on Twitter.

Craig Kline, previously a director of football at the Cottagers, made a string of claims against Martin Glenn after quitting the club in December 2017.

Some of Mr Kline's allegations against Mr Glenn related to the decision by American billionaire Shahid Khan to withdraw his £600 million offer to buy Wembley Stadium.

He further alleged Mr Glenn – who has since been made chairman of the Football Foundation charity – was instrumental in covering up corruption, child abuse and fraud at Fulham between 2014 and 2017.

Mr Glenn strongly denies the claims and sued Mr Kline for libel.

The allegations prompted the FA to launch an investigation, which reported in December 2018 that it found no evidence of any wrongdoing.

It also found Mr Kline himself had produced no evidence to support his allegations.

At a remote High Court hearing on Friday, Mr Justice Nicklin refused Mr Kline's application for an adjournment of the hearing and said he would deliver "judgment in default" in favour of Mr Glenn because Mr Klein had not filed a defence.



    "My client's first aim is for the allegations to stop - the damages are very much subsidiary but they will be important by way of vindication"
    Alexandra Marzec, for Martin Glenn

Mr Kline described himself as a "whistleblower" but admitted failing to read all the documents served on him by Mr Glenn's legal team, and failing to prepare a defence himself.

Mr Kline said he had stopped making allegations about Mr Glenn on social media, but said he refused to retract his comments.

"What they are requesting me to do is pay some money and potentially they want to put some words in my mouth taking back my allegations, only I don't want to take them back," he said.

He repeated his claims about witnessing cover-ups of child sex abuse, racism and organised crime while working at Fulham FC.

Alexandra Marzec, for Mr Glenn, said Mr Kline had more than 1,700 followers on Twitter including several journalists and MPs.

"This is because he has sought to present himself as a football insider and he trades on his status as a former football executive," she said.

"It is a recurring theme in his tweets and as a result of that his allegations have been taken seriously.

"A number of organisations and individuals have contacted my client to look into these allegations including quite recently, for all of these reasons we say this case is a very strong case of defamation."

Mr Glenn is seeking £25,000 in damages from Mr Kline.

Ms Marzec said: "This (sum) is not in reference to the gravity of the threats, it simply indicates that my client's first aim is for the allegations to stop – the damages are very much subsidiary but they will be important by way of vindication."

She added Mr Glenn had allowed Mr Kline's claims to go unchallenged for some time in the hope he would stop, but said the court should be in no doubt the allegations had "taken its toll" on him.

Mr Kline was given seven days to agree to undertaking not to make further defamatory claims about Mr Glenn, or his lawyers will ask the court for an injunction.

PA



https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/ex-fa-chief-wins-libel-judgment-over-corruption-allegations-39744185.html

WhiteJC

Brazilian Defender Open To Everton Move Amid Interest From Fulham: Does Ancelotti Need Him?

According to a recent report by Italian newspaper TuttoSport, as clarified by Football Italia, Premier League giants Everton have been credited with an interest in acquiring the services of Torino's Brazilian defender Gleison Bremer. The 23-year-old centre-half is reportedly on the radar of both the Toffees as well as Fulham, with the English duo tipped to make a move for his signature in the upcoming January transfer window. The report claims that the defender is open to making the switch across the channel, and that he is keen on the prospect of working under an experienced manager like Carlo Ancelotti.

Although the report has clarified that Everton are interested in Torino's Brazilian defender Bremer, whether or not they actually end up signing him in the winter remains to be seen. The centre-half's current contract with the Serie A club runs until the summer of 2023, which effectively means that Torino needn't rush into offering him a new contract. Despite this, they are reportedly considering giving him a renewal, just ensure that Bremer remains at the club beyond the current season. The defender is said to be flattered by the interest that Carlo Ancelotti has personally shown in potentially acquiring him.

What Is Everton's Current Defensive Situation?

The Toffees actually have four distinct centre-half options to choose from, and at least on paper, aren't in immediate requirement of any new acquisitions in that role. However, their apparent inability to keep clean sheets has come as a concern to the manager's long-term ambitions. As good as their defensive options are individually, they haven't been able to form any sort of stable partnership, and taking that into account, this link to a new defender doesn't come as too much of surprise.

Ancelotti's men have managed just a single clean sheet in the Premier League so far, in what is sure to come as a worrying stat to the manager and backroom team alike. Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate are the four players that they have to choose from, although the combination of Mina and Keane is the one that has been preferred so far this season. It wasn't until the last fixture against Manchester United that Ancelotti switched things up by bringing Mason Holgate into the mix. Despite that welcome change, it seemed to make next to no difference on their defensive fragility.

What Makes Bremer A Good Option For Everton?

One of the Brazilian's biggest strengths is the general intelligence and technical ability that he shows in dangerous defensive situations. Capable of passing him way out of any mess, the 23-year-old would add some much-needed composure to the Merseyside club's stuttering back-line. Moreover, the Torino man also tends to be a solid goal threat from set-piece situations and otherwise. Capable of driving forward with the ball at his feet or finding that killer cross-field pass, Bremer can be best described as the quintessential modern-day defender.

Everton Are Interested In Torino's Brazilian Defender Bremer: Should Ancelotti Make A Move?

At 23-years-old, Bremer would fit into the system that the Italian manager is trying to build at Goodison Park, as he would likely be partnered up by the more experienced head of Yerry Mina. Although this is the case, the fact that the Toffees already possess four proper centre-half could put them off in the long run. Signing Bremer would be a rather risk-free purchase, as he offers the composure and collectedness that is expected from a centre-half. However, with promising names like Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey still in the Merseyside club's roster, it would be a better option for them to try out other combinations before making a drastic move of this sort in the winter.




https://the4thofficial.net/2020/11/brazilian-defender-open-to-everton-move-amid-interest-from-fulham-does-ancelotti-need-him/