Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 30/03/21...

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Revealed! The NINE Premier League fixtures that could define Newcastle United and Fulham's relegation fate
Newcastle United have nine games to save their Premier League status and avoid a third relegation under Mike Ashley.

Once the international break is over, Steve Bruce's side face a relentless, high pressure and at times daunting fixture schedule in their battle to beat the drop.

Somehow, after just two wins in 18 league games, the Magpies remain in control of their own fate hands but Fulham, to their credit, are showing to be no pushovers.

Here, we take a look at the NINE games from across the top-flight that could define how the final relegation picture:

Southampton vs Burnley – Saturday, April 3 (kick-off 12pm)

It's simple, a victory for either of those two pretty much guarantees survival. Then, Bruce will definitely have to re-think his "six or seven teams looking over their shoulders" comments.

Both teams have the same number of points in the league table – a win will take one of them onto a healthy 36 points ahead of the final eight matches.

Burnley, as ever, are proving hard to beat while Southampton are desperate to stop the rut of one win in 12 games.

Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur – Sunday, April 4 (kick-off 2:05pm)

Touch wood... the visit of Jose Mourinho's side to St James's Park will be greeted by the return of Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin.

After such a damaging defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion, it is imperative Steve Bruce and his players come out fighting and show they've some fight about them.

Spurs, on paper, might be one of those games Bruce 'writes off' as he tends to do against the 'big six' but Spurs are very hit and missy. They can beaten.

Newcastle play before Fulham, who kick-off away to Aston Villa a few hours later. A big opportunity to put the pressure on.

Fulham vs Wolverhampton Wanderers – Friday, April 9 (kick-off: 8pm)

Scott Parker's side open up what could be a defining weekend at home to Wolves – a game they will almost certainly target as winnable.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side don't have too much left to play for and aren't in the best of form either with just three league wins to their name this year.

Could there be a hint of fatigue? Wolves' trip to Craven Cottage comes just a few days after their Monday meeting with West Ham United.

Burnley vs Newcastle United – Sunday, April 11 (kick-off: 12pm)

Just under two days later, the Magpies travel to Burnley, which could turn into a relegation six-pointer depending on how the games above go.

There are no two ways about it though, Bruce's will need three points and with respect, should be going to Turf Moor well capable of doing so.

United's fixture list after facing Sean Dyche's side is brutal with West Ham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester City and Manchester City to play consecutively.

Fulham vs Burnley – Saturday, May 8 (kick-off: 3pm)* subject to TV pick

On the same weekend Newcastle face Champions League-chasing Leicester City away from home, Fulham welcome Burnley.

If Parker's side want to stay in the division then they need to eradicate their awful home form of just two wins this season.

Fulham will see this as very winnable against a Dyche team that hold the fourth-worst away record in the league.

Southampton vs Fulham – Wednesday, May 11 (kick-off 7:45pm)* subject to TV pick

While Newcastle's nasty run of fixtures comes to and at home to Manchester City that night, Fulham are again presented with a favourable opponent.

The West Londoners much prefer playing away from Craven Cottage with 16 of their 26 points so far coming on the road.

Southampton, meanwhile, on current form could be slipping towards danger themselves – they're bottom of the 2021 table with just four points.

Newcastle United vs Sheffield United – Saturday, May 15 (kick-off: 3pm)* subject to TV pick

There can no excuses from Newcastle here. Not one. Sheffield United will more than likely be officially relegated by the time they visit St James's Park.

Yes, the pressure might be off for the Blades. Yes, they might be in better form. Yes, they might well have a new manager but failure to win could seal the Magpies' fate.

Asides from being the worst team in the division, Paul Heckingbottom's men also have the worst away record too. Losing home and away to the basement boys is unthinkable.

Interestingly, spectators could be present if the Premier League decide to move the penultimate fixtures to ensure all clubs get the opportunity to host one home game in front of their supporters.

Depending on Newcastle or Bruce's position, the Geordie-faithful in attendance might not be so accommodating.

Manchester United vs Fulham – Saturday, May 15 (kick-off: 3pm)* subject to TV pick

It's worth noting that Fulham are away to Manchester United on the penultimate day of the season.

Now... onto the final day showdown at Craven Cottage.

Fulham vs Newcastle – Sunday, May 23 (kick-off: 4pm)

Everything is pointing towards this being a winner-takes-all affair, as it has been for a few months now.

How's your bottle? That's what it will come down to. Even thinking about it now, the pressure is unbearable. Form – if there is any – will go out the window. It's 90 minutes to decide your fate.

Can the drama can be avoided and Bruce's side retain their Premier League status before the journey to West London?

That way, we can all enjoy a summer day next to the River Thames.

That, however, is a pipe dream right now.



https://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/newcastle-united/revealed-the-nine-premier-league-fixtures-that-could-define-newcastle-united-and-fulhams-relegation-fate-3179866

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Charbonnier: Areola needs to play at higher level than Fulham

Former France goalkeeper Lionel Charbonnier says Alphonse Areola needs to leave Fulham.

On-loan with the Cottagers from Paris Saint Germain, Areola's form has earned him a recall to the France squad. The deal with the Cottagers runs to June and carries a permanent option for Fulham.

But for Charbonnier, Areola should be playing at a higher level.

Now 54, Charbonnier made his name with Auxerre and was capped by France before making the move to Scotland to join Rangers, where he spent three years.

On Areola, he told Le Parisien via Le 10 Sport: "Alphonse Areola must play the European Cup, he remains at the very high level.

"Even if only to play the Europa League, in order to show throughout the season his mental capacities."

After a year on-loan with Real Madrid, where he acted as cover for their No1 Thibaut Courtois, Areola joined the Cottagers this season and has produced an outstanding campaign with the Premier League strugglers.

His form has convinced France coach Didier Deschamps to recall him for this past week's World Cup qualifiers. So far this season, Areola has played 30 games and kept 10 clean sheets. His contract with Paris Saint Germain runs to 2023.



https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/charbonnier-areola-needs-to-play-at-higher-level-than-fulham-4364505#popup-sso

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Former Watford no.2 challenging Jokanovic for Sheffield United job

Former Fulham and Watford assistant manager Javier Pereira is 'one of' the names challenging for the vacant Sheffield United job.

Pereira was the no.2 to Slavisa Jokanovic at both Fulham and Watford. Now managing Chinese Super League side Henan Jianye, Sheffield Star report that he's applied for the Bramall Lane job.

The Blades saw their long-standing and beloved manager Chris Wilder depart after nearly five years at the helm earlier in the month. They look destined for Premier League relegation after a torrid term in the top flight, with a new manager set to be in place by the end of the season.

But Pereira, 54, seems a long-shot for the job as it stands. Jokanovic has been a front-runner since Wilder's departure having proved effective at both Fulham and Watford, taking both into the Premier League.

Both times, the Spanish coach Pereira was by his side and he could yet beat Jokanovic to the vacant job in Sheffield, with United owner Prince Abdullah and his adviser Jan van Winckel reportedly working through applicants.

Watford fans will certainly remember Jokanovic as the man who took them into the Premier League back in 2015, and they may well remember Pereira.

He's a man with expansive football knowledge having managed and coach right across Europe, and to varying degrees of success as he looks to make his name as a no.1 rather than a no.2.

Time is running out for United to find the ideal manager before their inevitable relegation though, and so neither Jokanovic or Pereira could head to South Yorkshire yet.




https://the72.co.uk/229153/former-watford-no-2-challenging-jokanovic-for-sheffield-united-job/

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Fulham offer Biereth and Bowat professional contracts

ulham have rewarded Mika Biereth and Ibane Bowat professional contracts after their outstanding performances for the club's under 18 side this season, according to the Athletic this morning.

Biereth has scored thirteen goals in sixteen league appearances for Fulham's under 18s this term, notching hat-tricks against Aston Villa and Tottenham. The Motspur Park coaching staff are particularly pleased with his development and the forward has also made four appearances at under-23 level this season. The teenager, who moved to Craven Cottage in the summer of 2019, has attracted interest from Brighton and Hove Albion but Fulham are confident he will put pen to paper on a professional deal.

Bowat, a composed ball-playing centre back who has captained Steve Wigley's side this year, has made twelve league appearances for the under-18s this season and earned a call-up to Scotland's under 19 side earlier this year. He scored in this weekend's 5-0 win over Norwich City. Arsenal, West Ham and Everton have all expressed in signing Bowat – as reported earlier this month – but Fulham have not received an official approach and believe they are in pole position to keep hold of one of their prized assets.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/03/fulham-offer-biereth-and-bowat-professional-contracts/

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Joa Continues to Grow

Joachim Andersen continued to grow back into the Denmark setup with a convincing showing in their 8-0 victory over Moldova.

The defender played the entirety of the game in a comfortable win in their World Cup qualifying group as their perfect record continues. Nice forward Kasper Dolberg hit a double with a host of players getting in on the act.

Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson moved closer to home to Belfast, and a Northern Ireland side. Both defenders made up half of the States' back four and played the full 90 minutes.

Ream added to his assist tally providing the pass for Giovanni Reyna's opener. USA survived a late Irish rally to hang on to a 2-1 win after Chelsea's Christian Pulisic had doubled the lead.

Alphonse Areola and Kenny Tete weren't involved in their games against Kazakhstan and Latvia respectively.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/march/Joa-Continues-to-Grow/

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Life Magazine: Harlan Coben on 'The Jew, the Wasp the Long Arm of the Law'
Jenni Frazer gets to the heart of the top author writing success, having 75 million books in print worldwide, and familial love of Fulham FC!

Harlan Coben says he only has two main interests – "writing and family".

The multi-award-winning novelist – with a staggering 75 million books in print worldwide  – is very clear. "I think it's tough to be a writer with a hobby. Part of writing is guilt: so every time I would want to do something more enjoyable – or classically more enjoyable, I don't know, collect vases or whatever people do – I think, nah, you should be writing. 

"I feel like that most of the time. If I'm doing the car pool, or taking a hike in the woods, there's always a part of me that says I should be writing. There's a lot of guilt involved in doing what I do. I don't relax well, so if I go on a family vacation, I always write in the morning, because otherwise I'm not balanced. I'm not good with downtime."

oben's devotion to his craft has paid off handsomely. He began writing while still working in the family travel firm run by his mother and grandfather, and, in 1990, when he was just 26, his first thriller, Play Dead, was published, followed by Miracle Cure in 1991.

But Coben really hit pay dirt in 1995 with Deal Breaker, the first in his series of Myron Bolitar novels, which attracted a huge audience of fans as the series built.

The Bolitar books, of which there are 11 to date, feature the eponymous Myron, a former star basketball player who has been forced into other work – a sports agent with a law degree – after an on-court injury terminates his career.

Like Coben, Myron is Jewish, with a warm, loving family. Unlike Coben, however, Myron gets into some terrible, and frequently violent, situations, from which he is often rescued by his long-time best friend, Windsor Horne Lockwood III, fabulously rich and the Waspiest of Wasps (white Anglo-Saxon Protestants).

There is a long-standing cast of characters in the Bolitar books, who crop up not only in the series, but occasionally in Coben's equally popular stand-alone novels, several of which have become TV or feature films.

And the hard-working Coben has also written three young adult novels featuring Myron's nephew, Mickey Bolitar. He's even published a book for children, The Magical Fantastical Fridge.

But now Windsor Horne Lockwood III, frequently introduced to readers by his trademark way of answering the phone – Articulate", he commands his caller – gets a book all of his own, the perfectly-titled Win, Coben's newest novel.

It is, as fans have come to expect, an exciting thriller, full of twists and turns. Coben leaves the reader guessing until the very last page. It has to be said that Win is an unlikely hero – he's more of a sociopathic anti-hero, really, with a worrying fondness for over-the-top violence and equally over-the-top sex. But the genial Coben, who couldn't be less like Win if he tried, reveals that the character is actually based on his real-life best friend and former room-mate at Amherst College, the prestigious university the pair attended in the mid-80s.

"Yeah, the Jew and the Wasp", laughs Coben. He knows they couldn't be more different, and yet his unnamed template – who, apparently, has just such an aristocratic, upper-class lineage – remains his best friend to this day. And, Coben thinks, his friend enjoys the preposterous situations with which his fictional counterpart has to deal.

"I always loved the idea of a sidekick," he says, citing Holmes and Watson and Batman and Robin. So that's why he created Win for Myron. "I took my college roommate, who has an equally obnoxious sort of name, and built on that."

Coben – whose family name was Cohen before he was born, but changed by his lawyer father Carl when he married Coben's mother Corky in the early 1950s – is the middle son of three brothers. He is named Harlan, or Chaim, for his paternal grandfather, who died before he was born.

He has early memories, as a little boy, of huge Passover events with more than 100 people, made up of the "patriarchs" – a group of five or six close friends of his maternal grandfather and their extended families. The "giant" seder used to take place at Goldman's Hotel in New Jersey, now a very fancy and spacious establishment called the Wilshire.

From the way he tells it, almost everyone in his family either studied law or became lawyers. Both his older and younger brothers attended Harvard Law School, although they became successful businessmen, and law was his original destiny, too.

"I had applied to, and was accepted by, Chicago University Law School. But my grandfather said he needed someone to help him in the travel business, and he knew I wanted to write, so he said: 'Why don't you defer your place for a year?'"

The year became two years and eventually Coben stayed for eight years in the family business, never went to law school, but had a good time travelling the world on behalf of Club ABC Tours, setting up specialised trips for the company's clients.

Among the places Coben travelled was the UK, for which he plainly has a particular affection: at least one of his books has a London setting and he also speaks fondly of Manchester, where filming is currently taking place for the Netflix version of his book Stay Close, whose starry cast includes Eddie Izzard, Cush Jumbo, James Nesbitt and Sarah Parish. If not for Covid, he says, he would have been in Manchester during the filming; as it is, he has to content himself with viewing the rushes remotely.

He has another reason for his Anglophilia: his younger brother, Craig, has lived in London for 20 years and is a fanatical Fulham football fan. Coben last spent serious time with him four years ago to celebrate Craig's 50th birthday. The pair marked the occasion with a birthday visit to a home match at Craven Cottage, together – for the first time – with that other dedicated Fulham fan, Pointless presenter (and now novelist) Richard Osman. The three had a great time, not least because Fulham, unusually, won that day by 5–0, prompting Coben to suggest the club should pay to have him flown over more often if his presence resulted in that kind of score.

"I've never seen two guys so happy, they were kid-like in their joy," notes Coben.

He speaks of himself as "a very practical person" building his dream of writing in small, but realisable, steps. At first, he says, he wanted to get published. Having done that, he tried to get another published.

"I never dreamed that you could make a living as a novelist" – though, with 32 books under his belt, including Win, he surely has little left to prove. "I would achieve an ambition in small ways. Could I be on the bestseller list? Could I be number one on the bestseller list? My goals were always incremental, enjoying the moment I was at."

His writing routine, he says, "is not to have a routine. Before Covid, I would leave the house a lot, and go to a coffee shop to write, or the library, or even the back of an Uber. These days, I have to go to different rooms in my house". But he has a new writing colleague, one of his four children, Charlotte, who has written episodes of The Stranger for the Netflix series based on his novel, and who, he says, is "very funny". His other adult children are "more science-y", perhaps taking after their mother, who is a paediatrician.

Future Coben plans include a companion to his stand-alone novel, The Boy From The Woods, a book in which he deliberately left unexplored the wild child origins of his main protagonist. And we may even, he says, see a televised version of Myron Bolitar – though nothing is set in stone.

If that happens, however, casting for Windsor Horne Lockwood III, the quintessential patrician Yankee, is going to be fun. I'm thinking Eddie Redmayne with a New England drawl.

Harlan Coben –  the man behind Safe, The Stranger, The Woods and The Five – is back with a new mystery series. The Innocent premieres on 30 April



https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/life-magazine-harlan-coben/

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Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish returns to training

Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish is pushing for a place in the squad for Aston Villa's clash with Fulham - after the club released images of the 25-year-old back in training.

Grealish has been sidelined since February with a leg injury, keeping him out of the last six fixtures, of which Villa only managed one victory.

Villa released video and pictures of the skipper back in full training at Bodymoor Heath, with the club confirming that the England international had started back in full training on Monday.

Dean Smith previously stated that he was very hopeful that Grealish would be able to feature following the international break, with Villa's first game back against Fulham on Easter Sunday.

Villa's recent poor run has seen their chances of a push for the European paces severely dented. The club now sit 10th, seven points short of sixth-placed Spurs.

Following the game with Fulham, they face Liverpool before hosting derby rivals West Bromwich Albion.



https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/aston-villa/2021/03/29/aston-villa-skipper-jack-grealish-returns-to-training/

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"It's nice" – Fulham player discusses recent transfer rumours, proves he's 'doing his job' properly

As we near towards the end of the season, the future of Alphone Aréola remains a big question mark at Fulham.

Loaned from Paris Saint-Germain with an option to buy at the end of the season, of which the amount has yet to filter, the goalkeeper has been in fine form under Scott Parker this season.

While the results haven't mirrored his performances, the France international has managed to keep a lot of goals at bay, conceding just 35 in 29 appearances, all the while securing nine clean sheets.

Currently with the national team for the games during the international break, the player gave an interview to RTL in France, relayed by Paris Team, who asked him about his future.

He said: "I've seen two or three things, but it's a lot of rumours. Things are said left, right and centre, especially at the moment. It's nearly the end of the season. The transfer window will soon open. It's nice, it proves that I'm doing my job and that I can be performant despite the results, that I can show what I know and that I'm still here".

Contracted to the Ligue 1 side until 2023, the goalkeeper has been linked, most likely due to his agent being Mino Raiola, with a move to Italy.

The likes of Milan and AS Roma are said to be keeping an eye on the Fulham loanee due to their current uncertain goalkeeping situations, but all could depend on whether the Cottagers stay up in the Premier League.

If they do, that clause could be triggered, and then it'll be up to the player himself to decide if he wants to stay in London or try his luck elsewhere.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/nice-fulham-player-discusses-recent-transfer-rumours-proves-hes-job-properly/

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Jack Grealish fitness latest as Villa star could be back to face Fulham on Sunday

Newcastle fans will be hoping the England star is fit to take on relegation rivals Fulham for Aston Villa this weekend

Newcastle United's relegation rivals Fulham could face an Aston Villa side with talisman Jack Grealish back in the starting XI this weekend.

While the Magpies entertain Tottenham after the international break in Sunday's afternoon's early clash, Scott Parker's Cottagers host Villa a few hours later.

And while Dean Smith's side have struggled without England star Grealish, they have confirmed the influential playmaker is back in training ahead of this weekend's clash.

Fulham are currently two points behind Newcastle, who also have a game in hand on the Londoners, but their improved form since the turn of the year has many pundits backing them to escape the drop.

However, taking on Villa with Grealish in the side will be a very different prospect. The Villans won just once without their key man, but the England star has been a vital part in the Birmingham outfit's push up the Premier League table.

It remains to be seen whether a full week of training will be enough to persuade Smith to start Grealish at Craven Cottage on Sunday, but speaking before the international break, the Villa boss was confident he would be fit for Fulham.

"There was definitely a chance (of Grealish returning to face Spurs), I wouldn't have said it if there wasn't," Smith said last week.

"He had not trained up until Friday when I had done my press conference, but he is pain-free now and he is running. So he will definitely be back after the international break for sure."

Newcastle fans will be hoping that is the case as they look for Fulham to slip up with just nine games of the season to go.



https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jack-grealish-fitness-latest-villa-20280297

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Plans laid out for fans return including Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup final

Recreational sports including golf and tennis were permitted again on Monday with plans starting to take shape over when crowds will be allowed to return to football

The FA Cup semi finals at Wembley could see the return of crowds - but they may not be fans.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has confirmed the start of a trial programme and it is likely to be for just ONE of the two ties next month with potentially as few as 2,000 allowed in.

But it will be classed as a test event rather than the return of fans which means it is likely to be local residents in Wembley under strict coronavirus guidelines.

Government officials are still talking to the Football Association and Brent Council with full details and a list of events due to be confirmed later this week.

Chelsea play Manchester City on Saturday April 17 which is live on BBC while Leicester face Southampton the following day.

It is understood Brent Council are being very cautious about a sudden influx of fans into their borough while the Government are keen to pave the way for fans to return so there may yet be some push back.

There is a hope that if the first test event goes well then the Carabao Cup final on April 25 could have more than 4,000 spectators in and building up to 10,000 fans for the FA Cup final on May 17.

Premier League clubs want to have fans in for the last two rounds of this season's fixtures and are hoping stadiums will be full from the start of next season while UEFA want to see limited crowds even before legal restrictions are lifted in England on June 21.

Local safety groups are planning one-way filter systems at Wembley, they want to see if people maintain social distancing and there may also be a need for vaccination passports and Covid tests.

Dowden said: "We want to make it as simple and convenient as possible for people. That's why we are conducting these pilots.

"The plan is to look at factors like one-way systems, ventilation within a stadium and how you interact in terms of getting to and from the venue.

"The purpose of this is not so much the overall number, it is how they interact with each other. So it's the social distancing that they have from each other. It's the behavioural factors.

"We will be testing them before and after to look at spread and look how they behave in the stadium.

"We're not just chucking everyone into the stadiums, it is being done in a very controlled way and the purpose is to get the rules set can so it can be as safe as possible from the 21 June."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/plans-laid-out-fans-return-23817027

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Report: Fulham expect Ibane Bowat to sign new deal, weeks after holding Arsenal talks

According to The Athletic, Fulham are now expecting Ibane Bowat to stay at the club after talks with Arsenal.

It's claimed that Fulham have offered professional deals to both Mika Biereth and Bowat in the hope of tying both down for the coming years.

Centre back Bowat is a Scotland Under-19 international, and Fulham now expect him to stay put at Craven Cottage.

Bowat has made 11 appearances for Fulham's Under-18's this season, and has attracted considerable interest off the back of his displays.

TEAMtalk recently reported that Bowat had held talks with Arsenal of a move from West London to the north of the capital.

Brighton, Everton and West Ham United are also thought to have held talks with Bowat, whilst Koln wanted to take him to the Bundesliga.

Arsenal and many others clubs look to have missed out now though, with Bowat set to commit his future to Fulham in the coming weeks.

Bowat will now look to become a Fulham first-team player in the coming years, and leave Arsenal to rue missing out on his signature – much like they have with many other young players over the years.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/03/29/report-fulham-expect-ibane-bowat-to-sign-new-deal-weeks-after-holding-arsenal-talks/