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Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 27/04/21...

Started by WhiteJC, April 27, 2021, 08:29:21 AM

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WhiteJC


WhiteJC

'A no-brainer' – Nottingham Forest secure safety: What next for Fulham man? The verdict

This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more

Nottingham Forest are now mathematically safe from relegation, with Chris Hughton's attention now turning towards the summer transfer window.


Of course, they will be a focus on the final two games of the season as the Reds look to end the season strongly, but the main focus will be on trimming the squad and making new signings.

With five loanees set to return to parent clubs and seven players set to be out of contract, it looks set to be another summer of transition for the Reds.

One player whose future will be considered is Cyrus Christie. The full-back has spent this season on loan at the City Ground from Fulham, and has gradually improved over the course of the campaign.

Christie's performances at the start of the season were shaky, but since the turn of the year, he has been a key player for the Reds at right-back.

Christie is out of contract in the summer, but Fulham do have an option to activate it by another year.

Here, we discuss whether Forest should look to extend Christie's deal and turn it into a permanent one...

Jordan Rushworth

During the first half of the campaign, Christie struggled with his consistency and he was guilty of making a couple of individual errors but it has to be said he has improved a lot over the last few months.

The defender has been one of Forest's best performers as they have turned around their form in the second half of the campaign and moved towards safety. As a result, he should be on their radar in the summer in terms of a potential permanent move.

Forest are going to need a new right-back, and Christie already knows the system and what Hughton is expecting from him. It would make sense therefore for him to be kept at the City Ground rather than the Reds having to bed in a new player again in his position next term.

The question will be, is Christie good enough to help Forest challenge for promotion next season? He has been involved in other sides have gone up before, so history suggests he is and therefore I would keep hold of him.

Ben Wignall

If this was being asked before the turn of the year I would have said absolutely not, but by all accounts, the Ireland international has performed really well in the second half of the season.

Christie brings a lot of senior experience at Championship level and whilst he's no Matty Cash, who Forest made a lovely bit of money on, the 28-year-old is effective when on-song.

He provides a threat when he's galloping forward and his five assists in the league this season only goes to show the kind of outlet he can provide if there's someone in the box to finish the chances he's creating.

With Christie's Fulham contract expiring at the end of this season, Forest would not have to pay a transfer fee for his services so I think it's a no-brainer to try and get him back.

Ned Holmes

Yes, if they can get a decent price for him.

Christie didn't start the season particularly well but over the past few months his quality has shone through clearly and he's become a dependable player in the Reds backline.

If they could bring him back and keep McKenna and Worrall, they'd have the makings of a very impressive defence.

Fulham look set to return to the Championship, however, and may feel he'd be a useful option for them.

That could make signing him difficult but Forest should still try, as long as it's for a decent fee.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/a-no-brainer-nottingham-forest-secure-safety-what-next-for-fulham-man-the-verdict/

WhiteJC

PROJECT Michael Dawson backs Scott Parker for Tottenham job as miserable fan asks: 'Why would Nagelsmann or Rodgers want to come?

Michael Dawson has backed Scott Parker as the next Tottenham manager.

And talkSPORT has been told he's a more realistic target for the club, as there's no way Julian Nagelsmann or Brendan Rodgers would be remotely interested in the job.

Former Tottenham midfielder Parker is one of the names linked with taking over from interim head coach Ryan Mason, despite his Fulham side being on the verge of relegation from the Premier League.

Mason was appointed on a short-term basis last week following the surprise decision to sack Jose Mourinho just one week before their Carabao Cup final against Manchester City – which ended in a 1-0 defeat at Wembley Stadium.

The 29-year-old, who is the youngest manager in Premier League history, has been tipped to be given the job on a permanent basis, but insisted to talkSPORT after Sunday's final disappointment that taking on the role full-time 'is not in my mind'.

A host of managers have already been linked, with RB Leipzig's Nagelsmann – reportedly already in talks with Bayern Munich – and Leicester City's Rodgers two of the top names, along with ex-Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri and Wolves' Nuno Espirito Santo.

Parker, who could to suffer his second relegation from the Premier League in three years in charge of Fulham, is currently the fourth favourite with bookmakers.

And Dawson says the former Spurs man could be the right man to lead a long-term project at White Hart Lane to get the north London side back competing in the Champions League.

"Look, Scotty knows the football club and I went strong on this one, because I believe they need a project, they need a plan," the former Spurs captain said on Monday's talkSPORT Breakfast.

"They had that when Mauricio Pochettino went there, a long-term plan. You can't just say: 'Right, we want to win a trophy'.

"When they sacked Mauricio I thought they're going to bring Jose Mourinho and they're going to win a trophy, I was one of the first to say that. He's a serial winner and we all thought, whatever trophy it will be, he can win it.

"But I think now they've sacked Jose, whether it was right or wrong a week before the cup final, that's to be discussed, but they need a long-term plan now.

"Look, I would love to see Brendan Rodgers there, but he's doing an incredible job at Leicester, why would they let him go?

"So I think, right, you look at Scott Parker at Fulham, yes it looks like they're going to get relegated, but he played there as a player, he was there as a coach and did all this work at Tottenham.

"I just think we have to get a younger manager with the backing of the owners and say we have a plan, we have a five-year plan, can we get to the level they were under Pochettino?

"I believe they've gone back in that time and they have to rebuild again and try and get into the Champions League, because you look at the top-four teams now and it looks like real big ask for Spurs to get in there."

And it appears Parker is a realistic target for the north London club, according to one disappointed fan.

Ben the Spurs supporter joined ex-striker Darren Bent on the Boot Room on Sunday after the final defeat, and he insisted neither Nagelsmann or Rodgers would be remotely interested in taking charge at Tottenham.

"I'm not sure where we go now," he told talkSPORT.

"Kane will go in the summer, it's not even a case of 'if', If he's got any sense about him he'll be the first one out of the club. We haven't got a manager, and the owner has delivered one trophy in 20 years.

"Everyone talks about Nagelsmann and Rodgers, but why would they want to come? They're at better clubs!

"We've got owners who have built an unbelievable stadium and they've got a huge business. If you go to South Korea now, every other person is a Tottenham fan.

"But what have we got to show for it?"



https://talksport.com/football/871854/


WhiteJC

he Tony Gale Column

With no Fulham playing last week, the main topic of conversation was the European Super League, and I'm absolutely delighted that it has hit a brick wall. It frightened the life out of me for one day but then it quickly became apparent that everyone else was on the same page and felt as strongly about it as I did. All the other clubs were completely opposed to it, and you could see from the fans' reactions how they felt about it.

The reason our journey to the Europa League Final in 2010 was so special was because it was completely unexpected, and was earned through hard graft. The idea of taking that away from the game is scandalous. Currently, the top four in the Premier League qualify for the Champions League, and then three teams below that qualify for the Europa. It's based on merit, not which clubs are involved and how successful they've been in the past. Don't forget that Man City were in the doldrums not that long ago! Football is a competition, but this would have been going completely against what makes football competitive.

It's the SW6 derby on Saturday and I think the best way to play them is to get on the front foot, pressing high. Okay, that can be risky against a side like Chelsea, but that's where we are now. We need to be looking at getting three points from games, so I'd like to see us go at Chelsea, who have got Real Madrid either side of our match. They might be playing a slightly different team with those Champions League ties in mind, but they've got good strength in depth so even if they do chop and change it, they will still have plenty of quality on the pitch. A win would really give everyone associated with the Club a shot in the arm, especially away at Chelsea.

A Fulham win would also do my other team – West Ham – a favour in the race for the top four! I actually thought West Ham were quite good against Chelsea at the weekend, and that was with four key players out. That should give us a bit of a fillip because we're not that far behind West Ham in terms of quality, believe it or not. They may be fifth in the table, but there's not a lot of difference between Fulham and West Ham, I would say.

This weekend there will be a social media blackout for all the games. I really want to see some change on this front, as it's ridiculous what people get away with online. If you want to be say what you like, then put your name to it. We don't want to stop freedom of speech, but people have to be accountable for what they say. I'd like to think this will force the social media companies to act but I'm not sure it will. I expect change will only come through government legislation. You can't investigate every single abusive account, because it takes so long to get the IP address and things like that, so you can't trace these people. The way around it is, if you want to go on social media, say who you are and be accountable for what you say. As pundits, we speak our mind and some people won't agree and will slag us off, but we own what we've said, we're not hiding behind a fake name or fake profile.

The season is not over yet. Nobody is giving up because in football you just never know. With 15 points still to play for, there's not a chance that Scott will be letting any heads drop. That's not his style. It wasn't his style as a player, and it's not his style as a manager.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/april/The-Tony-Gale-Column/

WhiteJC

West Ham United Keeping A Keen Eye On This French Keeper: Decent Option For Moyes?

In a recent report, The Daily Express has mentioned that West Ham United are keeping a keen eye on Paris Saint-Germain keeper Alphonse Areola who is currently playing on loan at Fulham. It is believed that the Hammers are monitoring the French custodian's progress ahead of a potential move for him during the summer transfer period (via The Daily Express).

Areola's Impressive Loan Spell At Craven Cottage This Season
Areola is having a solid loan spell at the English capital as he has been responsible for performing at a high level despite Fulham's struggles to get out of the relegation zone. The 28-year-old has participated in 33 matches for the Cottagers this term, conceding 40 goals and securing ten clean sheets across all competitions.

The Paris-born goalkeeper deserves a pat on the back for averaging 1.2 clearances and 4.5 long balls per game in Premier League football this season. However, he needs to work on improving his accuracy when distributing the ball from his penalty box after he completed just 67.1% of his attempted passes in the English first division (stats via whoscored).

The France international is still under contract at PSG until the summer of 2023, so the Hammers would have to make a sizable offer to stand a chance of acquiring the keeper's services in this off-season.

Will Areola Be A Decent Option For West Ham?
Areola is a good handler of the ball and can cover a lot of distance with his goal-kicks. He has quick reflexes that allow him to make some instinctive saves at the back. Furthermore, the French custodian reads the game well and can position himself ideally to make a few clearances when needed. Standing at 1.95m, he is a towering presence in goal and can be a dominant figure inside his six-yard box when coming out to collect crosses and loose balls.

Hence, a player of Areola's skillset could be a massive coup for West Ham as he ticks the right boxes in terms of what David Moyes is looking for in a keeper. He would serve as a great successor to Łukasz Fabiański, who is way past his prime at the London Stadium.

Areola has already proven his worth in the Premier League which makes him a good and safe option for the Hammers to consider when the transfer window reopens later this year. At 28, the three-time France international is currently playing at his peak, so Moyes will fancy getting the best out of him if he manages to convince PSG to sell their prized asset this summer.



https://the4thofficial.net/2021/04/west-ham-united-are-keeping-a-keen-eye-on-areola/

WhiteJC

Edu could reportedly sign £20m player who snubbed Raul Sanllehi at Arsenal in 2019 – our view

Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Joachim Andersen.

According to The Mirror, £20 million-rated Andersen, on loan at Fulham from Lyon, is on Edu's radar this summer as Arsenal look to bolster their centre-back options.

And if they do wind up signing him, it'll be a case of second-time lucky for the Gunners.

That's because the 24-year-old was previously on Arsenal's shopping list in 2019 when Raul Sanllehi was calling the shots in North London – and he turned them down.

Asked by Foot Mercato if he regretted turning down a switch to the Emirates Stadium, Andersen said two years ago: "There were some good clubs, but Lyon was the best choice for me. I wanted to develop as a player, to play in the Champions League, to be in a top team fighting for the title and Lyon was the best solution."

Going by those comments, it seems like Champions League football was a big deciding factor in Andersen's decision to snub Arsenal.

Interestingly, Mikel Arteta's side are potentially three games from returning to Europe's elite competition, being in the semi-final of the Europa League, and their hopes of signing the Denmark international may just hinge on whether or not they go all the way.

It's also worth pointing out that there's a different behind-the-scenes team at the Emirates now.

When Andersen said no, Unai Emery was head coach and Sanllehi was still head of football, but Arteta and Edu represent a different regime and it'll be interesting to see if that too makes a difference.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/04/26/edu-could-now-sign-the-20m-player-who-snubbed-raul-sanllehi-at-arsenal-our-view/


filham

Talk of Arsenal being interested in Andersen at £20m is irritating, they should be made to pay at least twice that amount for him.

alfie

Quote from: filham on April 27, 2021, 10:06:14 AM
Talk of Arsenal being interested in Andersen at £20m is irritating, they should be made to pay at least twice that amount for him.
Well that's down to Lyon.
Story of my life
"I was looking back to see if she was looking back to see if i was looking back at her"
Sadly she wasn't

AJW48361

Loved Tony Gale has a player he reckons there is not a lot of difference in quality bet WH and us.Something has gone wrong then!