Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 23/12/20...

[WhiteJC]

Fulham's Festive Giveaway - Day 2

Fulham's Festive Giveaway continues and today sees fans able to win a pair of signed Alphonse Areola gloves!

To be in with a chance of winning, please fill out the form by clicking the button below.

The competition closes on Sunday 3rd January at 5pm with all winners contacted the following week. Full terms and conditions can be found here.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/december/Fulham-s-Festive-Giveaway-Day-2/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham among clubs linked with defender Fernandes

Fulham are among a trio of Premier League clubs keeping an eye on Portuguese defender Jorge Fernandes, according to reports.

The Mail claims Newcastle and Southampton are also interested in Fernandes who is valued in the region of £16m by his club Vitoria Guimaraes.

Fulham's defence has improved markedly in recent months after its alarming early-season problems, conceding just eight goals in their last eight games, having shipped 15 in their opening six Premier League fixtures.

The upturn has seen the Whites pick up their first win of the campaign and suffer just one defeat in their last five.

The 23-year-old centre-back could further bolster the back four, having starred this season for Vitoria who are coached by former Chelsea midfielder Tiago Mendes.

Vitoria have conceded just two goals when the 6ft 4ins Portugal Under-21 international has played this season, helping them up to fifth in the Portuguese Liga.

Fernandes, a Porto academy product, is a ball playing centre-back who had spells on loan at Portuguese side Tondela and last season at Kasimpasa in Turkey before moving to Vitoria in the summer for a cut-price £720,000.

Scott Parker's side are among a host of English sides searching for new defenders ahead of the January window.



https://londonfootballnews.co.uk/fulham/football-wls-fulham-chasing-portuguese-defender-along-with-newcastle-and-southampton/

[WhiteJC]

WALK London x London's Originals

WALK London Shoes have teamed up with three First Team Fulham players to help design and develop Limited Edition boots for their Autumn Winter Collection.

With the help of WALK London's design team, the players have each created their own signature boot which will be available for pre-order this December.

All boots are handmade in Portugal using premium leathers and come in a special edition WALK London x Fulham box.

Shoes are available to pre-order now from walklondonshoes.com/pages/walk-london-x-londons-originals.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/december/WALK-London-x-London-s-Originals/

[WhiteJC]

The encouraging Southampton trend that will worry Fulham and Scott Parker

Southampton will continue their bust festive run of fixtures with a trip to London on Saturday to take on Fulham.

Southampton will head to Craven Cottage on Boxing Day to face Fulham, where there will be very little Christmas spirit in the air.

Based in tier four London, the Cottagers are down in the relegation zone and will not be backed by supporters in their clash with Saints.

Scott Parker's side are making progress, though, and are three games unbeaten in the Premier League, albeit all were tightly-fought draws.

Last time out, Fulham managed to hang on with ten men against Newcastle United after Joachim Anderson was shown two yellow cards in quick succession.

He will miss Saturday's action through suspension - as too will Saints star Oriol Romeu after landing his fifth yellow card of the campaign against Manchester City.

But it is still Southampton who will arrive brimming with confidence thank to an encouraging trend that will worry Fulham.

Ralph Hasenhuttl's side have started the campaign in remarkable form, turning heads and attracting praise from Premier League legends along the way.

After their closely-fought battle at St. Mary's last weekend, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola described Saints as provoking, problem-creating and "so, so good."

"Firstly, I must say how impressed I was with Southampton and there is a reason they are where they are," he said.

"You can see the quality with their build-up, the four guys in the middle, the two central defenders and they put a lot of fast players into the high pressing and they play really good.

"We come from an uncomfortable situation, but it is good to get the three points. We created chances, but we have to survive being solid and put our desire and heart to do the rest.

"They [Southampton] put a lot of players inside; they provoke you to be narrow. It's difficult. They don't allow you to be compact, that's why they are so good. That's why they're creating problems.

"They have the best free-kick taker I have seen in my life in [James] Ward-Prowse. Their position in the table, Ralph [Hasenhuttl] is doing an excellent job."

But perhaps most worrying for Fulham will be how Southampton have disposed of sides below them this term.

Their opening day defeat to Crystal Palace, in which their preparations were ravaged by an international break when many of their senior professionals arrived back either injured or lacking sharpness, has already been well and truly forgiven and forgotten.

Their record since then against sides who finished outside the top eight last season (below Arsenal) has been exemplary.

They have faced Burnley, West Brom, Everton, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Brighton and Sheffield United - winning all of them, scoring 16 and conceding only four goals along the way.

It is only against 2019-20's top eight that Saints have struggled so far to take maximum points.

Hasenhuttl's side drew with Chelsea, Wolves and Arsenal, but were beaten by Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and City.

And it is that flawless run against the division's struggling sides that should worry Fulham ahead of the weekend.

"The key is that we are believing in what we are doing. As long as we stick to what we do best then we are a strong side," explained Hasenhuttl as he raved about exactly that.

"We are competitive and you have to have this in the Premier League because the opponents are so strong.

"We take the points, wherever we can take them. It does not make a difference. Points are points. We beat [Aston Villa,] a strong side who beat Liverpool 7-2, you do not do that without quality.

He added: "I am very proud of my team."



https://www.hampshirelive.news/sport/football/football-news/southampton-fulham-hasehuttl-scott-parker-4822862

[WhiteJC]

Premier League introduce new Covid measures for Tier 4 clubs amid worrying rise in cases

Players at Premier League clubs within Tier 4 areas will now be subject to testing ever 72 hours as cases continue to rise amid a new strain of coronavirus in London and the south east

The Premier League has introduced new Covid-19 measures for clubs within Tier 4 boundaries amid a worrying rise in cases across London and the south east.

A new strain of the virus has seen millions of people plunged into a fresh lockdown, with the Premier League's six London clubs each in Tier 4 areas.

Now, those sides will test players twice a week - or every 72 hours - in what has been labelled 'an additional precaution', report the Daily Mail.

The move is set to be rolled out across all 20 top-flight sides following the Christmas period amid fears the new variant of the virus could become widespread in other areas of the country.

Several clubs have succumbed to outbreaks of the virus in recent weeks, with Premier League Newcastle, Championship Millwall and League One Ipswich, Peterborough and Sunderland all seeing matches called off as players and staff have been required to self-isolate.

Ipswich's next two league games have been postponed after manager Paul Lambert and five members of the playing staff tested positive for what has now been identified as the new strain of the virus.

Club physio Matt Byard has called on the EFL to introduce a 'football circuit breaker' in order to postpone all matches and get squads back up to full health.

"I know the EFL are looking at bringing in extra measures, with maybe more testing for example," he told the East Anglian Daily Times.

"I have always supported routine testing to secure a return to playing programme.

"Personally, with so many clubs affected by this presently and this new strain development, football may benefit from a 'circuit breaker' before a return to playing securely."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-introduce-new-covid-23206270

[WhiteJC]

What Southampton fans can expect from Ibrahima Diallo against Fulham with Oriol Romeu suspended

Southampton fans will be given their first chance to see the midfielder start for the club on Saturday against Fulham.

Southampton can expect intelligence and energy from Ibrahima Diallo when the young Frenchman gives Saints fans their first real glimpse of his talents against Fulham on Saturday.

The 21-year-old joined the club during the summer, arriving from Stade Brest with the club looking to bolster their central midfield options

Now well into his time with the club, he is yet to have been given the chance to display his true qualities.

Diallo has been called upon to add more numbers to Hasenhuttl's midfield in games against Chelsea, Everton, Aston Villa, Wolves, Manchester United and Sheffield United - but is still yet to be given anything more than a late 12-minute cameo.

But that is all about to change with Hasenhuttl confirming that the youngster, who he has called the future of Southampton, will be the man to replace suspended favourite Oriol Romeu at Craven Cottage.

Saints fan expect plenty from their new midfielder.

The France under-21 international is highly-rated in his homeland and has been a player Brest supporters have missed this season, of that they have been vocal.

While he may look small in stature, Hasenhuttl has promised plenty of yards covered from the "number six" and has in the past urged fans not to expect a like-for-like Romeu replacement.

Instead, Diallo will look to offer a blend of both Romeu and James Ward-Prowse in his performance. Fierce without possession but cool and composed with it.

Saints fans may be apprehensive about his concentration, perhaps worried that the penalty he conceded away at Aston Villa may be a sign of things to come.

But if his rave reviews from France are anything to go by then Saints are about to roll out a real star of the future.

"He is, against and with the ball, definitely a player who is very, very energetic and he will help us immediately, I think," said Hasenhuttl.

"Yes, he must learn our way - to work and to press - but I think he is an intelligent one and this means I am looking forward to seeing him play.

"Ibra is a player for our future and I think it is good now that he has a chance to play there. It will be a tough, tough game. We played there in pre-season and we lost there, they showed how strong they are.

"But we have a normal week now to rest and to prepare and Ibra will have the chance to step into the team and this is a good thing."

Hasenhuttl will be hoping that his midfield remains as defensively resolute without Romeu present.

No player has made more tackles in the Premier League this season than the Spaniard, who has been key to Southampton's ability to remain in possession.

And the club are also still sweating over Danny Ings ahead of the weekend with Hasenhuttl hopeful that the striker, substituted on Saturday with a hamstring injury, makes a swift recovery.

"I don't have to explain his qualities, you've all known him now for a long time and how good he is on the ball and against the ball.

"Hopefully, Ings is also fit. We'll have a look. There is a long way to go now."



https://www.hampshirelive.news/sport/football/football-news/southampton-ibrahima-diallo-fulham-news-4823501

[WhiteJC]

Southampton: Saints will be without key man for meeting with Fulham

Southampton will be without key midfielder Oriol Romeu for their next Premier League fixture against Fulham.

The Spaniard picked up his fifth booking of the 2020/21 season in Saints' 1-0 loss to Manchester City on Saturday and will serve a one-match ban after reaching this figure before matchday 19/20th January 2021.

Romeu has formed a superb partnership with James Ward-Prowse in the centre of midfield and will be missed at the weekend, but his absence provides a huge opportunity for summer signing Ibrahima Diallo to impress in his first start.

The France youth international has appeared from the substitutes bench six times but those appearances have amounted to just 22 minutes on the pitch so far since he signed from Stade Brest.

Those cameos have been bright but have come mainly in one of the attacking-midfield positions – a role that Ralph Hasenhuttl clearly thinks he can play too.

One thing that Romeu's one-game ban will highlight is the lack of options for the two central-midfield positions.

Ward-Prowse and Diallo are the only other two players who play centrally as their main positions. This will surely be an area where Saints look for one more signing.

Will Smallbone is capable of playing in a variety of midfield roles but looks to need more time to develop and work on his game before he is ready to start all the time, and he has also had injury issues this season.

The amount of work that midfielders get through in this current Saints setup means that it is unlikely that both Romeu and Ward-Prowse will go the whole 2020/21 campaign without injury problems of their own.

Both have held out so far but cover a huge amount of ground in matches – pressing to win possession back in central areas, supporting the attack and screening the defence in every Premier League fixture they play in.



https://saintsmarching.com/2020/12/22/southampton-saints-will-without-key-man-meeting-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Andersen's red card rescinded

Joachim Andersen will be free to face Southampton on Boxing Day after Fulham successfully appealed his sending off at Newcastle.

The Danish defender was sent off after being adjudged to have fouled Callum Wilson as the Magpies forward bore down on goal at St. James' Park on Saturday night. Referee Graham Scott awarded a penalty, even though the initial contact appeared to be outside the box, and showed Andersen a straight red card after consulting the pitchside monitor.

Fulham boss Scott Parker confirmed that the club would appeal the decision after the game and their success means that Andersen will be available to line up against the Saints at Craven Cottage on Saturday.




https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/12/andersens-red-card-rescinded/

[WhiteJC]

Andersen Appeal Successful

Following Fulham's 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday, the Club appealed the decision by the referee to show Joachim Andersen a red card.

We are pleased to confirm that our claim of wrongful dismissal has been successful, and Andersen will now be available for selection for our Boxing Day fixture against Southampton.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/december/Andersen-Appeal-Successful/

[WhiteJC]

Joachim Andersen: Fulham defender's one-match ban overturned

Fulham defender Joachim Andersen has had the red card he picked up against Newcastle United rescinded on appeal.

The Cottagers were leading 1-0 on Saturday when the Dane was judged to have brought down Callum Wilson, conceding the penalty from which the Magpies forward equalised.

Referee Graham Scott sent 24-year-old Andersen off after checking replays of the incident on the pitchside monitor.

Andersen is now available for Fulham's 26 December game against Southampton.

The initial contact by Andersen - who faced a one-match ban - was made outside the box and, speaking after the game, Fulham boss Scott Parker had accused England striker Wilson of simulation.

"From what I have just seen, the contact was made outside of the box and he then goes into the box and dives," Parker told Sky Sports.

"I don't know whether he [the referee] is looking at the same angles I am. I just don't understand. The game has changed drastically and not for the better, in my opinion. It's a bit of a mess, to be honest."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55417599

[WhiteJC]

Fulham receive boost ahead of Southampton clash as Joachim Andersen's red card for challenge on Callum Wilson that led to Newcastle winning a VAR penalty is overturned... after Scott Parker accused the Magpies' top scorer of diving

    Callum Wilson converted his spot-kick after Joachim Andersen had been sent off
    Andersen was given his marching orders after Graham Scott had consulted VAR
    Newcastle were unable to find a winner on Saturday after Wilson had made it 1-1
    The Dane can now play Southampton as Fulham aim to exit the relegation zone

Fulham have been handed a boost ahead of their match at home to high-flyers Southampton on Boxing Day after Joachim Andersen had his red card from Saturday's 1-1 draw at Newcastle rescinded.

The centre back, who arrived at Craven Cottage in October on loan from Lyon, was chasing Magpies striker Callum Wilson back towards his own goal and after a couple of swipes at the former Bournemouth man's shirt outside the box, Andersen was deemed to have clipped Wilson in the area as Newcastle's top goalscorer this season went to ground.

Referee Graham Scott pointed to the spot, but was soon called over to the pitchside monitor, raising hopes among the visiting players that the decision might be overturned.


Joachim Andersen was deemed to have fouled Callum Wilson as the striker bore down on goal


Andersen is astonished after Graham Scott dismisses the 24-year-old having given the penalty


Newcastle were unable to find a winner after Wilson slotted home from the spot to make it 1-1

However, it got worse for the south-west Londoners, as after hesitantly reaching for his pocket before making his way over to the monitor again, Scott returned to give the 24-year-old a straight red for denying a goalscoring opportunity, to Fulham's fury.

Wilson dusted himself off before beating Alphonse Areola from the spot in the 64th minute to bag his eight league goal of the campaign and level the scores after Matt Ritchie's first-half own goal.

Apoplectic Fulham boss Scott Parker accused Wilson of diving after the match and fumed that VAR had made the Premier League 'a bit of a mess'.

However, the FA announced on Tuesday that Andersen's one-match ban for wrongful dismissal had been overturned and he is now free to face the Saints.

The point Parker's side had gained meant they moved out of the relegation zone on goal difference on Saturday evening by leapfrogging Burnley.


A furious Scott Parker tore into VAR and fumed that Wilson had conned the referee by diving


The reversal of Andersen's one-match suspension means he can now face Southampton


Danny Ings was forced off against Manchester City on Saturday with a hamstring problem

However, the Clarets considered their impressive recent run of form by defeating Wolves at Turf Moor on Monday to move above both Fulham and Brighton into 16th, dropping the Cottagers back into the bottom three.

Southampton will travel to the capital on Boxing Day looking to an end a two-game winless run, with a 1-1 draw at Arsenal followed by Saturday's loss to Manchester City.

However, they could well be without talisman Danny Ings, who went off against Pep Guardiola's men after sustaining a hamstring injury.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9080227/Fulham-handed-boost-Joachim-Andersens-red-card-ban-challenge-Callum-Wilson-reversed.html

[filham]

The fact that Anderson can play against the Saints must give us an enormous boost. We can all now look forward to picking up three points with a degree of confidence.
COYW