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Thursday fulham Stuff - 11/02/21...

Started by WhiteJC, February 11, 2021, 12:07:55 AM

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WhiteJC

Adebayo: Leaving Fulham for League Two football made me a stronger player
Deadline day recruit believes he made the right call in moving from Craven Cottage

New Luton signing Elijah Adebayo believes that the decision he made to drop out of the Premier League as a youngster to ply his trade in the lower leagues was the best one he could have made.

The 23-year-old began life at Craven Cottage, joining the Cottagers as an U9 and turning pro in 2016.

However, he never made a first team appearance and with the club in the top flight and Claudio Ranieri in charge, Adebayo headed out for loan spells at Cheltenham, Swindon and Stevenage.

He notched eight league goals in his first season, with 10 following this term in just 25 games, before Luton won the race for his signature on deadline day.

Looking back at his career, on moving away from Craven Cottage, Adebayo said: "It's definitely made me stronger mentally, definitely, physically, too.

"I've had to cope with the style of play in League Two, which is quite physical, so the quicker you get your head around that, the best chance you have because it's not always pretty.

"But those loans that I had towards the end of my Fulham career really helped me.

"The last 18 months was very crucial, I learnt so much about myself as a person.

"When things weren't going right for me, I had to really knuckle down and have a chat with myself about how I'm going to get the best out of myself and just making sure I was on top of myself all the time.

"I think that made me mentally strong, which made me want to push on and know that I have to do these things in order to get to the next level because it doesn't happen by cutting corners."

While at Fulham, Adebayo played 30 times for the U23s, scoring 10 goals, but found it a whole new experience when thrust in into the hustle and bustle of first team football.

Even after a full season in League Two last term, it wasn't until just before the first lockdown in March that forward began to feel at home in his new surroundings, as he continued: "A lot of people think that when you get released from an academy that you feel like you can just waltz into somewhere and it'll be easy.

"But it's actually very difficult to go from Under-23s football to men's football. It's completely different.

"The physical and mental challenge it puts on you is completely different.

"Three points mean everything, people's lives and people's jobs are on the line, so when you do go down to that level you have to pick that up fairly quickly.

"It took me six months to finally get my head around it.

"After Christmas and New Year was when I, thankfully, started thinking, 'I need to start bucking up and doing the hard graft.'

"I think people at Walsall would've seen that in my performances.

"Before the season was curtailed last season, you could see a change in my personal performance, which then carried on when I came back. It was just about consistency.

"I would say the last 18 months definitely has put me in a good place.

"I had to knuckle down and pull my finger out, get myself ready to play at a higher level, that means working hard on and off the pitch."

Now at Luton, Adebayo is determined to continue his improvement and hopefully make the step back to the top flight once more, adding: "I know there's a development environment, that's why I felt it was the best choice for me.

"In order for me to get the best out of myself, I need to be in an environment where they want to develop players.

"I want to soak in as much as I can in order to push me to get to the next level."




https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/sport/football/luton-town/adebayo-leaving-fulham-league-two-football-made-me-stronger-player-3129890

WhiteJC

Jean Michael Seri Explains Bordeaux Choice

Fulham midfielder Jean Michael Seri has revealed that a conversation with Bordeaux sporting director Alain Roche convinced him to join the Ligue 1 club on loan.

After making just two appearances for Fulham in the first half of the season, Seri joined French top flight club Bordeaux on loan until the end of the season in the winter transfer window.

The Cottagers were claimed to be in talks with Turkish giants Galatasaray over a deal for the midfielder last month, while Bordeaux were also linked with the player.

Reflecting on his move to France, Seri has now revealed that he had not decided on which club to join until he received a call from Bordeaux sporting director Roche.

The Ivory Coast international explained that he was convinced to join the Ligue 1 side after Roche talked to him with a lot of respect, which reminded him of how Nice sporting director Julien Fournier approached him while he was at Pacos de Ferreira.

"It's simple, I had a very positive talk from the sporting director Alain Roche, who was considerate and treated me with a lot of respect", Seri told a press conference, when asked why he chose Bordeaux.

"My choice had not yet been made until I received the call.

"It really touched me in the way I felt when I was in Portugal before my transfer to Nice, I had the same approach from Julien Fournier.

"I had the same feeling, so that's why I said yes."

Seri made his debut for Bordeaux in their 2-1 defeat to Brest at the weekend.



https://insidefutbol.com/2021/02/10/jean-michael-seri-explains-bordeaux-choice/494060/

WhiteJC

Parker: do we stick or twist?
Bournemouth are reportedly interested in Scott Parker, but Mike Forrest asks should we be looking for a new manager ourselves?


I saw a comment speculating that in a non-COVID world, where fans were attending games as normal, Scott Parker would have been relieved of his duties by this point.

The comment evoked the idea that three of the four stands would be baying for blood (presumably chanting, "we want our Fulham back") and the pressure would be on the board to wield the famous metaphorical axe.

Let's look briefly at Parker's rise and our recent history to see if the claim has any merit.

A brief history
As Parker's playing career was nearing its end, The Guardian's Dominic Fifield interviewed him, where he discussed his coaching aspirations.

It's an interesting insight into Scott's coaching ambitions. One of the standout quotes is Parker being self-aware regarding the difficult transition from successful player to coach, "I've played so many games, big games, but coaching is something else. And difficult, to be fair. There is an art to getting your message across, relaying the little things you have learned. What comes instinctively on a football pitch can be quite difficult to try to teach to someone else."

The interview was released in January 2016. By 2017, Parker had begun his coaching career with the youth team at Tottenham. Not much can be gleaned from coaching successes or failures at youth level, but he did steer his team to a League Cup final and the quarter-final of the UEFA Youth League.

A year later and Fulham had returned to the Premier League. Slaviša Jokanović shuffled his backroom staff and appointed Parker as his First Team Coach replacing Stuart Gray. Working under Jokanović, and then Ranieri, neither manager was able to save Fulham from relegation.

Parker oversaw the remainder of the season before being formally given the role permanently. His first senior managerial role secured, less than 18 months since taking charge of Tottenham's youth team, and his task? Promotion back to the Premier League.

Value for money?
He achieved an immediate return to the Premier League. For this accomplishment, he was rewarded with a new contract reportedly worth £5 million a season.

If the reported compensation is true, this would see Parker earn more than the likes of David Moyes, Sean Dyche and Ralph Hasenhüttl. Are we getting value for money?

Two victories in 22 league games and being at least eight points from safety would suggest not. Looking at a selection of recent Fulham managerial sackings and it appears that Scott has had more leeway than most.

Chris Coleman was booted out after three wins in 22 league games. Lawrie Sanchez was relieved of his duties following just two wins in 17 league games in his first full season. Martin Jol had a record of three wins and a draw in 13 games, but lost five straight before being let go. Jokanović had one win and two draws in 14 games before the Khans pulled the plug in favour of the "risk-free" Claudio Ranieri.

In the eight years of ownership under the Khan family, they have gone through seven permanent managers. They're not afraid of holding those underperforming accountable.

So why is Scott still safe?

This season's struggles
The lazy Susan has a medley of narratives to choose from to explain Fulham's current dire position. Dishing the blame at Fulham's recruitment structure is a frequent occurrence. Skewering the players is probably the second most popular excuse.

After Jamie Carragher's very public scathing criticism of our Director of Football, this seemingly turned public perception into viewing Parker as a sympathetic figure. Someone who was doing as well as he could due to the restrictive constraints he found himself working under.

That was not the case last season, despite earning promotion, and he had many detractors with valid criticism – as he does this season.

With arguably one of the strongest squads in Championship history, Parker failed to mount a serious challenge for automatic promotion. Coupled with cautious and tepid possession-based football, there were times when it looked like he'd not last the season.

Time to change?
This season Parker has been pragmatic instead of dogmatic. Relenting his strategy of dominating the ball, he switched to five at the back. This shored things up and made us competitive. We are 12 games without a win, but we've been in with a shout of winning each match.

It's this adaptability that has probably seen Parker survive and is a testament to his skillset. He has not lost the dressing room either despite so few wins.

It's also worth noting that Peter Rutzler, from The Athletic, tweeted recently that we rank well in certain metrics. We rank 13th in expected goals (xG) for example. Statistics like this probably dampen the urge for our number-loving Director of Football from making a change.

So, yes, it's probably right that Parker remains in charge. He has seemingly "healed" a once fractured dressing room. The players are still trying, and hopefully, rewards for their efforts will come.

Future pressures
However, a word of caution: if we do go down, the pressure will be on Parker to prove himself again. Football is littered with discarded managers who had promising starts to their career.

Garry Monk achieved an eighth-placed Premier League finish with Swansea in his first full season as a manager. But he's gone on to achieve little, despite his promising start, and is now looking for his next managerial role.

Roy Keane wasn't always the ying to Micah Richards's yang on Sky Sports. He guided Sunderland from second bottom of the Championship to eventual champions in his first season in charge. He followed this up by achieving Premier League survival in his second campaign. A not-so-successful spell at Ispwich followed, before he dropped down to become a number two at The Republic of Ireland, Aston Villa and Forest, and ultimately ended up in the Sky Sports studio.

I'm very much "Parker in" – for now.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2021-02-10-parker-stick-or-twist/


WhiteJC

Brentford, Fulham highlight problem with "impotent" Championship proposal and £200m black hole

A number of EFL clubs face financial ruin and while sustainability must be the primary objective, an £18million salary cap proposal was always destined to fail regardless of PFA's successeful appeal

Championship advocates like to frame the division as the most competitive in the world. It may not have the glamour or quality of the Premier League but it does carry an unrivalled unpredictability, a competition where there really are no easy games.

Except a number of clubs are heading for financial ruin. Players have had wages deferred, staff have been laid off, points deductions have been handed down and Rick Parry, the EFL chairman, last year warned of a "£200million black hole" as a result of the pandemic in addition to more than half a billion of debt accumulated over the past decade.

Why, then, were so many of the clubs dead set against introducing a measure that was intended to preserve equality and sustainability?

Proposals for an £18million salary cap fell flat on their face following an eight-page letter jointly-composed by Bournemouth, Brentford and Norwich City that was circulated at a meeting of clubs last month.

The document was a clinical destruction of the plan, arguing that a hard cap would make clubs impotent and create an even greater chasm between those trying to reach the top tier and those who are already there.

Ensuring promoted teams can be competitive was a crucial pillar of the argument. Two of the clubs behind the letter were in the Premier League last season and the other sits second in the Championship table.

Their argument was so convincing that a significant number of rivals, perhaps half the league, indicated that they held similar views.

That meant the plans were dead in the water before confirmation arrived yesterday that the salary caps introduced for League One and League Two at the beginning of this season are in breach of the Professional Football Negotiating and Consultative Committee's (PFNCC) constitution and will be scrapped.

So where does the EFL go from here? A softer cap with a number of qualifications remains a possibility in the future, the financial fair play (FFP) rules presently in use could be tweaked.

For Brentford head coach Thomas Frank stricter regulations are required going forward but a hard cap was never the solution. His primary issue with the proposal was around the transitional arrangements for clubs changing division, meaning promoted teams would not be in a position to compete having been tied to strict spending protocols and relegated sides would need to make drastic cuts.

"It's really tricky because what do we do with the Premier League teams that are getting relegated or the teams getting promoted?" Frank told football.london . "If they can solve that solution so it is fair and even, it might be a good thing to do. But I'm in doubt."

A hard cap may be considered especially unfair for Brentford, one of the country's canniest transfer operators. They have made a habit of buying rough diamonds for small fees, polishing them for a couple of seasons and selling at a significant profit.

In the past eight years the West London side have made more than £150m from player transactions and their latest published accounts remarked that "it is the only way the club can currently remain financially sustainable."

Several members of their current squad are on more than £20,000 per week but that should not be an issue when they are turning big profits in the transfer market.

Another central argument is that wage bills do not correlate to league places in the Championship to the same extent as the Premier League, where there is a great gulf in resources.

According to research from offthepitch.com, wages have explained 42 per cent of the variation in Premier League clubs' final ranking since 2008 but in the Championship, wages explain just 16 per cent.

As Chrs Winn, head of the UCFB's MSc in Football Business, tells football.london: "In the Championship the relationship between wage and success is pretty minimal over the past 10 years or so.

"The Championship is a competitive battleground. There are a lot of clubs with dwindling parachute payments, others have stadia and resources behind them, a lot of teams are of a similar size and as a result it turns out more than 50% of the factors are not wage related - it's about quality of infrastructure, quality of managers, other qualitative measures such as fanbase size.

"There are a lot of different aspects but in the Premier League you have a much wider array of resources, especially at big six level, which leads to a bigger ability to spend on wages and ultimately success on the pitch."

Unsurprisingly, agents are firmly against wage restrictions. Speaking to the Mirror last week, Jonathan Barnett said that a hard cap would have been an "absolute disaster" for a division "heading for doom".

"No good young players will want to go to those clubs," he added. "The standard will drop dramatically and I guarantee that if we didn't have these spending rules, you would see big hitters buying Championship clubs."

In 2018/19, the last full campaign pre-coronavirus, only two clubs spent less than £18m on wages and the average across the division was about £35m. But it is a far bigger sum than the £2.5m cap that had been introduced for League One, exacerbating the concern over transitional arrangements.

Promotion and relegation is still a problem under the current FFP rules, which have been relaxed this season because of coronavirus but are set to be reintroduced in their previous guise come August.

Since the 2016/17 campaign, second tier clubs have had to abide by profit and sustainability (P&S) regulations in an attempt to align with top flight clubs.

They are assessed across three seasons with clubs required not to record a loss of more than £39m. A club that spends one campaign in the Premier League can record a total loss of £61m and that figure rises to £83m for two seasons in the top flight plus one in the second tier.

The impact of those parameters has been painfully clear at Fulham, with director of football Tony Khan saying that recent transfer business was carried out with the priority of not "damaging ourselves irreparably on FFP."

Should Fulham fail to stay up this season they would need to record a loss of less than £61m across the three seasons including 2021/22. The lack of matchday income plus significant hits to broadcast and commercial revenue as a result of the pandemic has made their challenge even greater, while it is unclear if there will be further leeway given because of the unprecedented economic situation.

"The last thing I'd want as a club is to have a future points deduction or the kind of things we've seen happen to our former competitors, teams that were around us when I got here. I've tried to manage FFP really closely while still investing in the squad," Khan said on transfer deadline day having trimmed the squad of fringe players while adding Josh Maja on loan from Bordeaux.

"It presents huge challenges. There are tighter restrictions and less room to manoeuvre for teams that have spent time in the Championship.

"That makes it more difficult but it's further compounded that our promotion season was the year of Covid-19. Hopefully there won't be many more years of sustained impact from Covid-19 but it's made it more challenging for us to know what numbers we need to stay within.

"I'm still not sure if there will be additional relief from the league, I have to assume the worst. Without knowing that and the difficulties the teams being promoted face, we've had to face tighter restraints."

Frank feels the P&S rules are partially effective but there needs to be a uniform approach across the leagues to avoid the issues facing the likes of Fulham, should they be relegated again, and Norwich. "Financial fair play is a fair way of doing it but we need something [equal] that's going across the country," Frank added. "That's the tricky thing."

Winn, however, does not believe FFP is working as intended for Championship clubs.

"The crux is for clubs to be sustainable," he says. "Look at the Premier League, the broadcast payments have shot through the roof and helped significantly but a combination of P&S and short-term wage controls has led to a dramatic drop off of losses in that league.

"It was heavily helped along by the broadcast revenue but in the Championship the losses have got marginally worse in that same time period.

"It hasn't had the effects that were hoped to regulate clubs' excesses. A tweak is needed because it's not worked. Covid has acted as a trigger point but it was rumbling before that and Derby, Sheffield Wednesday attempting to circumnavigate the rules [with controversial deals around their stadiums] has exacerbated it."

A solution that all stakeholders agree with needs to be found. Every club must aspire to be sustainable in the long-term but ambition has too often led to overspending and, consequently, financial trouble for a litany of clubs who pursued a higher level.

Hard caps have already proven unsuitable, not least from a player perspective. The PFA says it "hopes to open constructive dialogue to agree reasonable and proportionate cost control measures for the future" but the union will clearly act in the interest of maximising players' income.

An imperfect alternative would be a soft cap in line with UEFA's recommendation of a maximum 70% of annual revenue being spent on salary. "That seems more appropriate," Winn says. "And it is more straightforward to implement."

One left-field option, inspired from American sports where promotion and relegation do not exist, would be a luxury tax where clubs who spend over the salary cap are required to pay an additional tax as punishment which is then spread equally among the other teams in their league. But, again, the mere existence of a pyramid means that is very difficult to implement.

"We've never seen that here, it's confined to closed leagues so there is no precedent, but the concept of redistributing revenues across the league from some teams over-investing is generally focused on enhancing competitive balance," Winn adds.

"It would discourage some clubs but it could be a mechanism for others to overspend and not solve the inherent problem of cumulative losses."



https://www.football.london/football-league/brentford-fulham-championship-salary-cap-19807252

WhiteJC

Under-17 PL Cup report: Chelsea 0 Fulham 2

Our Under-17 Premier League Cup run came to an end with defeat against Fulham on Wednesday afternoon.

Two second-half goals were the undoing of our young team on Wednesday afternoon as the chances for the Blues came and went. Ronnie Stutter and Jimi Tauriainen were the brightest sparks for Ed Brand's side but a clinical Fulham found the net on the two occasions that mattered and took the points to progress in to the quarter-finals of the competition.
Cagey first half

Brand's young Chelsea team started the game strongly. Bringing the game to Fulham from the first whistle. Ronnie Stutter had fired over form Richard Olise's low centre within two minutes of action.

After Chelsea's opening chance, Fulham switched on and grew into the game with each passing minute, although their possession was nothing more than just that.

The best chance of the first half came at the midpoint. Tauriainen burst in to the box after some neat midfield play and unleashed a powerful shot with his favoured left foot, and only the crossbar would deny us an opener.

To end the half Chelsea were asked to defend strongly by Fulham's rapid attack. Teddy Crud made a flying save to keep out the first shot before Brodi Hughes was alert to cover his keeper and make a block on the line from the resulting effort.


Visitors strike twice

Chelsea were back out for the second half and almost found the goal within minutes, Stutter again with the chance after Tauriainen's accurate pass but the young forward saw his shot stopped by the Fulham keeper.

As we entered the final 20 minutes a place in the next stage was up for grabs for either Fulham or Chelsea and the end-to-end action reflected what was at stake. Lively forward Stutter saw our best chance pass by as he could only find the side netting.

Just as the majority of play was in Chelsea's favour, a Fulham counter provided the visitors with the break-through goal. An attempt from just inside the area was slammed into the roof of the net for the advantage.

The second Fulham goal came two minutes from time. The visitors pounced on a loose defensive pass and converted the chance to double the lead and with that, our Under-17 Premier League Cup run ended at the group stage.

Chelsea Teddy Curd; Luke Badley-Morgan (c), Brodi Hughes, Billy Gee; Richard Olise; Lewis Hall, Leo Castledine Jimi Tauriainen; Edwin Andersson (Louis Flower 83); Aleksi Heino (Zain Silcott-Duberry 55) Ronnie Stutter (Emran Soglo 88)
Unused subs Max Merrick
Booked Hughes 62



https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2021/02/10/under-17-pl-cup-report--chelsea-fulham?cardIndex=0-4

WhiteJC


Cottage Talk Special Episode: Fulham And Mental Health

Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

In this special episode, we discussed how results for Fulham positively and negatively can affect our mood and our mental health. The second half of the show dealt with how social media plays a role in our Fulham experience, and how being on these platforms can affect positively and negatively our mental health.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2021/2/10/22277087/cottage-talk-special-episode-fulham-and-mental-health


WhiteJC

Club Statement: Harvey Elliott

The Professional Football Compensation Committee has today given its decision with regards to the compensation payable following Harvey Elliott's move to Liverpool in 2019.

Under the Youth Development Rules, the PFCC is tasked with assessing the compensation due for a player who leaves an Academy at the end of his registration, if the parties cannot agree the figure between themselves. 

After a full hearing, the PFCC has decided that Fulham should be entitled to substantial compensation.

The award (undisclosed) is a record amount for a 16-year-old player and, in the circumstances, Fulham is very pleased and thanks the PFCC for its careful consideration of the arguments we put forward.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/february/Club-Statement-Harvey-Elliott/

WhiteJC

Fee Liverpool To Pay Fulham For Harvey Elliott Set, Sell-on Clause Included

Liverpool are to pay Fulham a fee of £4m, plus a sell-on clause, for Harvey Elliott, according to the Sun.

The Reds captured the highly rated teenager in the summer of 2016 from Fulham, but were unable to agree a fee with the Cottagers, sending the matter to a tribunal.

The tribunal has now ruled that Liverpool will have to pay Fulham £4m for wide-man Elliott.

Fulham will also be entitled to a 20 per cent sell-on clause, meaning that the final total they end up banking for Elliott could eventually be higher than £4m.

It is claimed that Fulham are happy with the outcome.

Elliott is a highly rated talent at Anfield and made his Premier League debut for Liverpool in January 2020 against Sheffield United.

Liverpool shipped Elliott out on loan to Championship side Blackburn Rovers in the last summer transfer window in order to provide him with regular first team football.

Tony Mowbray has handed Elliott regular game time at Ewood Park, with the winger so far turning out in 22 games for Blackburn.

Elliott, 17, is set to turn 18 years old before the end of the current campaign.



https://insidefutbol.com/2021/02/10/fee-liverpool-to-pay-fulham-for-harvey-elliott-set-sell-on-clause-included/494209/

WhiteJC

Harvey Elliott tribunal sees Liverpool pay bargain fee to Fulham

Liverpool are to pay up to £4.3 million to Fulham for the transfer of Harvey Elliott after a tribunal reached its decision, a year-and-a-half on from his move.

The Reds signed then 16-year-old Elliott back in the summer of 2019, but after the two clubs failed to agree a fee for the starlet it was sent to a tribunal.

Such a move is taken for players under the age of 24 who have reached the end of their contract and the two sides could not sign off on a compensation fee to suit all parties.

Elliott, meanwhile, was not a professional player at the time due to his age but his high ceiling ensured the two clubs were poles apart in their demands.

The teenager had already made his first-team debut for Fulham prior to his switch to Anfield, making three appearances for the Cottagers – the second of which him the Premier League's youngest-ever player at 16 years and 30 days old.

It was reported that Fulham were demanding in the region of £8 million while Liverpool were in the £750,000 value mark – and they have now settled for a maximum fee of £4.3 million.

The breakdown provided by the Times' Paul Joyce will see the Reds pay an initial sum of £1.2m, which will be followed up by £500,000 when he signs two professional contracts and further additions based on first-team appearances.

And Fulham have a sell-on clause of 20 percent for the youngster who has now demanded the highest fee decided at the tribunal for a teenager.

The fee is to represent his value at the time of his move back in 2019 as opposed to the steps forward he has made since his switch, which includes signing a professional deal with the Reds and making nine senior Liverpool appearances and 23 for Blackburn on loan to date.

It ensures the ruling has proved to be a bargain price for the Reds.

The now 17-year-old has lit up the Championship and has blossomed with regular football at Ewood Park, scoring four goals and setting up another eight as he looks to help push the Rovers into the playoff places.

In fact, no player has amassed more assists than Elliott in England's second division, with Reading's Michael Olise a joint leader.



https://www.thisisanfield.com/2021/02/harvey-elliott-tribunal-sees-liverpool-pay-bargain-fee-to-fulham/


WhiteJC

Chris Wilder hopes Sheffield United can take FA Cup momentum into Premier League after Bristol City win
Chris Wilder hopes Sheffield United can use the momentum of their FA Cup run in their Premier League survival bid after they booked their place in the quarter-finals by beating Bristol City tonight.

The Blades sealed their last-eight spot courtesy of Billy Sharp's penalty, awarded after a VAR review for handball after Alfie Mawson deflected David McGoldrick's shot onto the crossbar with his hand.

Mawson saw red before Sharp emphatically scored the only goal of the game, his fifth in 14 appearances so far this season.

United had more chances against the Championship side, with Max Lowe clipping the crossbar in the first half and David McGoldrick curling wide after pouncing on a loose pass straight from kick-off after Sharp made the breakthrough.

And Wilder said: "They were stubborn opposition, we've had some good battles with them in the Championship and there's some quality in there. They're game and stubborn and made it difficult for us, but we always felt comfortable and dictated the game.

"I was happy with the performance, and I believe we deserved to get through to the quarter-final for the second year on the spin. Now the key is to make sure we use the momentum going into an incredibly competitive next few games."

On Mawson's red card and the penalty, Wilder added: "I've not seen it back, I'm more disappointed we didn't stick it away because it's one of a number of chances we had in the first and second half.

"I was surprised when it was given and the boy was sent off, but there's a reason behind the decision and the decision was made."



https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-united/chris-wilder-hopes-sheffield-united-can-take-fa-cup-momentum-premier-league-after-bristol-city-win-3131067

WhiteJC

Liverpool to pay £4m fee for Elliott

Liverpool will pay £4m to Fulham for England youth international Harvey Elliott, a tribunal has ruled today – settling a long-running dispute between the two Premier League clubs.

The Premier League champions signed Elliott in the summer of 2016 after his Fulham contract had expired, but the two sides could not agree on a fee. Liverpool reportedly had offered around £750,000 in compensation, whilst Fulham were rumoured to be holding out for £10m. Elliott, who had joined Fulham aged eleven, had made three senior appearances for the west London side, making his professional debut at fifteen when he came on as a substitute in the 3-1 League Cup win at Millwall in September 2018. He subsequently made two substitute appearances under Scott Parker in the league defeats by Wolves, where he became the Premier League's youngest ever player aged 16 years and 30 days and Newcastle United.

Elliott has gone to make two first-team appearances for Liverpool and is currently on loan at Blackburn Rovers, where he has amassed the highest number of assists in the Championship this season. The tribunal is unable to take his post-transfer performances into account as it has to assess an appropriate fee at the time of the deal in question. This fee would be the highest assessed by a tribunal for a teenager in English football. As well as the £4m fee, £1.2m of which is believed to be payable up front, Fulham would be entitled to a 20% sell-on clause should Elliott leave Liverpool.

Fulham released a statement this evening, which reads:

"The Professional Football Compensation Committee has today given its decision with regards to the compensation payable following Harvey Elliott's move to Liverpool in 2019.

Under the Youth Development Rules, the PFCC is tasked with assessing the compensation due for a player who leaves an Academy at the end of his registration, if the parties cannot agree the figure between themselves. 

After a full hearing, the PFCC has decided that Fulham should be entitled to substantial compensation.

The award (undisclosed) is a record amount for a 16-year-old player and, in the circumstances, Fulham is very pleased and thanks the PFCC for its careful consideration of the arguments we put forward."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/02/liverpool-to-pay-4m-fee-for-elliott/

WhiteJC

Harvey Elliott: Liverpool to pay Fulham 'record' compensation fee

Liverpool have been told that the fee they must pay Fulham for Harvey Elliott will be a record for a 16-year-old.

Fulham said they were "very pleased" with the undisclosed amount, awarded by the independent Professional Football Compensation Committee following a tribunal.

Liverpool were unable to negotiate a compensation package with Fulham when they signed Elliott, then 16, in 2019.

The fee for the England youth winger is reported to be around £4m.

Elliott signed a three-year deal with the Premier League champions in 2020, once he was eligible to sign a professional contract after turning 17 on 4 April.

He became the youngest player to feature in the Premier League when he came on as a substitute for Fulham against Wolverhampton Wanderers in May 2019, aged just 16 years and 30 days.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56018426


WhiteJC

PL ANNOUNCES NO ROOM FOR RACISM ACTION PLAN

COMMITMENTS AIMED AT CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITY ETHNIC GROUPS IN FOOTBALL AND ERADICATING RACIAL PREJUDICE.

The Premier League has launched its No Room For Racism Action Plan, outlining a series of commitments aimed at creating greater access to opportunities and career progression for Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups in football, and actions to eradicate racial prejudice.

The commitments build on the existing action taken by the Premier League and clubs to promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: "Football is a diverse sport, which brings together communities and cultures from all backgrounds. This diversity has made the game stronger on the pitch and it is vital we ensure this is reflected across all areas of the game.

"The No Room For Racism Action Plan underpins the Premier League's continued commitment to promoting equality and tackling discrimination. It builds on the wide-ranging work undertaken by clubs, aiming to ensure that everyone can achieve their potential, regardless of background.

"There is no place for racism in our sport and the Premier League will continue to take action against all forms of discrimination so that football is inclusive and welcoming for all."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/february/PL-Announces-No-Room-For-Racism-Action-Plan/

WhiteJC

Fulham welcomes CAE Technology Solutions as Official Partner


Fulham Football Club is delighted to welcome CAE Technology Solutions (CAE) as Official Partner for the next three seasons, until the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

CAE is a leading IT infrastructure solutions provider with a purpose of transforming people's experiences, attitudes and lives through technology. By having a unique approach, based on understanding and promoting a combination of amazing technology and dedicated people, every opportunity is explored to bring the most suitable and innovative technological solutions.

Bringing together solutions encompassing Network, Datacentre, Workforce and Security, CAE is able to work with both private and public sector organisations across the globe so that organisations can be connected, have better opportunities and deliver better outcomes.

During the term of the partnership, CAE will be assisting the Club in targeted investments like the design and deployment of the network, Wi-Fi and IT infrastructure for Fulham Pier, whilst also focusing on cost optimisation on day-to-day IT needs.

The Club's IT supply will be consolidated into a single point of contact to assist with overall business requirements.

CAE will, in return, receive brand exposure, access to Fulham FC's Business Club, as well as the opportunity for staff and clients to watch games live at Craven Cottage. Future rights will involve a product showcase around the opening of the new Riverside Stand and Fulham Pier.

Justin Harling, Chief Executive Officer of CAE, said: "Our organisations share a passion for results, for making a global impact and for developing talent that promises a long and successful future. Fulham have demonstrated dedication on and off the pitch can inspire the club to greater heights and give the fans a remarkable experience of top-class football. We are committed to supporting Fulham in cementing their place in the top tier and a future that will continue to bring success for the club and everyone connected with them."

Jon Don-Carolis, Sales Director at Fulham FC, added: "We are delighted to bring CAE Technology Services on board as Official Partner of both the Club and Fulham Pier development. Through shared values of innovation and sustainability we look forward to working in collaboration with CAE to drive our technology vision and to deliver a world class customer experience 365 days per year."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/february/Fulham-welcomes-CAE-Technology-Solutions-as-Official-Partner/