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Sunday Fulham Stuff - 30/05/21...

Started by WhiteJC, May 30, 2021, 04:17:55 AM

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WhiteJC


Results



Saturday
Brentford
2-0
Swansea

WhiteJC

A Phonse Farewell

Fulham have gained a new supporter for life in the form of Alphonse Areola.

The goalkeeper shone during his season on loan in SW6 and always had a smile on his face around the Training Ground.

And when asked if he would be keeping an eye out for our results in the future, he immediately replied: "Of course, of course.

"Following my time here, I feel like the Club is a part of me, so I am going to watch them and be one of the first fans there to support them.

"Since the first day I did my medical and signed here, I've really enjoyed my time here.

"Every day, every single day I came to training there was always a positive mood, so I really enjoyed getting to share lots of time here with my teammates and the staff.

"I hope I will see them soon, and I'd just like to say all the best to them."

The Fulham faithful clearly enjoyed having the French World Cup winner between the sticks, voting him as their Player of the Season.

And from speaking to Areola, it's clear that the respect is mutual.

"It was my first season in the Premier League," he said. "I think I did a good job, I tried to give my best every day at training to make sure that I was ready for every game.

"That's why it was nice to receive the Player of the Season award at the end, because it shows that the fans think I did a good job. I have to thank them for that.

"The few fans that I've met in the city always gave me positive vibes, there was always a positive atmosphere.

"We were unlucky that they were not in the stadium this year. The game against Liverpool there were 2,000 fans there and that was a good, good help for us.

"I think if they had been in the stand then they would have had an important role in helping the team.

"I hope they're going to be back soon and be there for the team to help them to come back to the Premier League."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/may/A-Phonse-Farewell/

WhiteJC

Slavisa Jokanovic has perfect opportunity for Sheffield United reunion with Fulham promotion hero

The new Blades boss will already be scouting fresh talent

Slavisa Jokanovic will be looking to shape his squad in the coming months ahead of next season.

The new Sheffield United boss has been installed in time to dictate the club's transfer plans, as he bids to take the Blades back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

In moulding United from Chris Wilder's vision to his own, Jokanovic may opt for a formation change given his success at Fulham.

The Cottagers went up through the play-offs in 2017/18 with an exciting, attack-minded brand of football, playing 4-3-3.

United have exclusively operated with a three-man defence under Wilder's reign and a switch to 4-3-3 highlights obvious holes in the squad.

The biggest is a lack of wingers within the current United ranks. Playing with wing-backs means the club have not recruited in that area of the field for several years.

Of those currently in the squad, Oliver Burke is the only natural option, though Jayden Bogle, Luke Freeman and perhaps Ben Osborn could occupy that role, if called upon.

It means that if Jokanovic is keen to usher in a new era with a change of tactics, recruiting wide players will be essential.

Looking back at previous connections and potential availability, United might be in pole position to land Ryan Sessegnon from Tottenham Hotspur.

The Englishman has struggled since his £30million switch from Fulham in 2019 under Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine was dismissed shortly after Sessegnon's arrival and never got a look in under Jose Mourinho.

Sessegnon is still trying to find his way back to top form after breaking onto the scene with Fulham under Jokanovic's guidance.

He was a player the Serbian rated highly, likening the Englishman to Real Madrid star Marcelo.

"He can play in two positions, as left-back or at left-wing, and that is why he is being compared to Bale," he said in 2018.

"Bale also started in that position before he made the switch to become a more attacking player. From my point of view, Sessegnon can play in different roles but I honestly think he could be more like an offensive back of a big team, like Marcelo.

"He has no physical resemblance to Marcelo but he is a player that can cover a lot of ground, needs space and can attack that space. I'm using him in the position that I am, but he can perfectly cover two positions."

The 21-year-old endured a difficult season in the Bundesliga last year on loan with Hoffenheim, starting 17 times and netting only twice, with three assists.

A domestic loan seems more likely this time around and finding the right environment to get Sessegnon on track will be key, making Bramall Lane a possible destination.

At the age of 18, Sessegnon netted 16 goals and registered eight assists in his last Championship campaign, given a free role down the left-hand side to cause havoc to the opposition.

Given United's vacancy in wide areas and Sessegnon's to find his best form again, a Jokanovic reunion may suit all parties. Solving the conundrum of his wages may be the biggest obstacle but United should be in a position to contribute to his pay packet.



https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/football/news/jokanovic-reunion-sheffield-united-promotion-20702189


WhiteJC

Injury and wages will ensure Sheffield United won't be signing Tom Cairney

Tom Cairney is already being linked with a move to Sheffield United, just days after Slavisa Jokanovic was confirmed as the new Blades manager.

It was always going to happen, in fairness. So it wasn't a surprise to see FootballLeagueWorld report that Cairney is on the radar of the new Blades manager.

The link is an obvious one. Cairney shone under Jokanovic before and with Fulham relegated and the midfielder out of the picture through injury, his name was always going to crop up.

Indeed, sources suggest that Cairney could want out of Fulham. Along with Aleksandar Mitrovic and others, the midfielder could lead a mini exodus at Craven Cottage this summer.

However, despite the obvious links and the fact Cairney is a good player, there are more reasons to suggest United won't be signing him.

We already touched on his injuries in our initial report. And that, coupled with other factors, will probably ensure we don't land the Fulham man.

As mentioned, Tom Cairney has only featured sporadically this season for Fulham. He's played just the ten games due to injury. But even before that injury, he was on the bench in four out of six games. Indeed, he didn't even come on in those games.

In addition, Cairney is now 29. Obviously, that isn't the end of the world and players can play well into their 30s. But given who United have signed in recent seasons, the Fulham man doesn't quite fit the bill.

It would be a risk for United to give Cairney a three or four year contract at that age. Especially if, as mentioned, his injury problems persist.

Another issue is the wages on that potential contract. Spotrac claims Cairney earns around £40k-a-week at Fulham. Put simply, there's just no way United are giving those sorts of contracts out this summer.

Finally, it's also been documented that United will seek to utilise the loan market this summer. That means younger players are more likely to come in, rather than 29-year-old midfield players.

So, while the links to former Fulham stars will inevitably continue. The likelihood of us signing Tom Cairney, for now, remains a slim one.



https://www.sheffieldunited.news/opinion/injury-and-wages-will-ensure-sheffield-united-wont-be-signing-tom-cairney/

WhiteJC

Josh Maja breaks his silence on Fulham exit as club face up to Championship return

Fulham's departing striker, Josh Maja, has issued a message to the club after offering him the chance to play in the Premier League last season.

Maja made 15 appearances for Fulham after joining on loan from Bordeaux, scoring three goals and briefly offering hope for Scott Parker that he could be the man to fire the Cottagers to safety in the top-flight.

Ultimately, that hasn't proved to be the case.

The 22-year-old scored a brace on his first start in a 2-0 win over Everton and then scored again in a 1-1 draw with Arsenal. However, that goal at Arsenal on April 18th was his last, with Maja not scoring in his final four appearances for Fulham as they suffered relegation back into the Championship.

With Maja's loan now up, he's expected to return to Bordeaux, who the former Sunderland striker is contracted to until the summer of 2023.

He still, though, found the time to issue a parting message to Fulham, thanking them for offering him an opportunity in the Premier League, before backing them to get back to the top-flight:

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The Verdict

Maja will have mixed feelings about his loan at Fulham, you feel.

He showed that he could mix it in the Premier League and scored three times, which isn't bad going for a player that's previous experience in England came with a Sunderland side in turmoil.

However, he couldn't score the goals to keep Fulham in the Premier League, which is going to be irritating for him.

He's an ambitious striker and will have wanted to be the man to drag Parker's side out of trouble. Against Everton, he looked like the guy to do it, but it hasn't proved to be the case.

You imagine that will play on his mind over the summer.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/josh-maja-breaks-his-silence-on-fulham-exit-as-club-face-up-to-championship-return/

WhiteJC

McDonald's kidney transplant successful

Fulham midfielder Kevin McDonald successfully underwent a kidney transplant yesterday, the club have confirmed.

A short message on Fulham's official Twitter account revealed that both McDonald and his brother, who was his donor for the transplant, 'are both doing well as they begin their recovery from surgery'. The Scottish international thanked supporters for their messages of goodwill as he prepared for the operation.

McDonald has made 128 appearances in five years at Craven Cottage and has been part of two Championship-winning promotion sides with Fulham.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/05/mcdonalds-kidney-transplant-successful/


WhiteJC

Sheffield United: Clarke-Harris can be Jokanovic's next Mitrovic

Sheffield United have been linked with a move for Jonson Clarke-Harris recently and he could prove to be Slavisa Jokanovic's next Aleksandar Mitrovic at Bramall Lane.

According to Yorkshire Live, Sheffield United are keen on signing the Peterborough United man this summer after his superb campaign in League One this season, which helped the Posh earn promotion back to the Championship.

The former Bristol Rovers man, who joined Darren Ferguson's side in the summer as a replacement for the outgoing Ivan Toney, would score 31 goals in 45 League One appearances, winning the Golden Boot and the Player of the Season award.

Therefore, it is no surprise to see him attracting interest ahead of the summer transfer window, especially after former Peterborough United chairman Barry Fry hinted that the London Road Stadium outfit may be forced to cash in on him.

If he were to join, then he could prove to be a real focal point in Jokanovic's side next season in the mould of Mitrovic, who featured as a target man under his Serbian compatriot at Fulham.

During his time in charge at Craven Cottage, Mitrovic would make 33 appearances and contribute an impressive 17 goals, which helped them earn promotion to the top-flight through the playoffs.

With Ollie McBurnie looking likely to leave this summer, Sheffield United will arguably need a new target man to fill the void and play a role similar to Mitrovic at Fulham, and Clarke-Harris could be the ideal man.

His 4.9 aerials won per game would rank him second at Sheffield United this season behind only McBurnie, whilst his 2.9 shots per game in League One is comfortably more than any other Blades player.

Under Jokanovic in the 2017/18 season, Mitrovic would average 4.1 aerial duels won per game and 4.1 shots per game, which certainly suggests that the Serbian manager can have a lot of success with an effective target man who is also deadly in front of goal.

Therefore, Sheffield United should definitely consider bringing in the "brilliant" Clarke-Harris this summer, as he could be the natural goalscorer that the Blades are missing and could help kickstart the Jokanovic regime.



https://www.footballfancast.com/sheffield-united-news/sheffield-united-clarke-harris-aleksandar-mitrovic-fulham-blades-slavisa-jokanovic

WhiteJC

Liverpool Attacker Attracting Fulham, Stoke And West Brom Interest

Fulham, West Brom and Stoke City have shown an interest in signing Liverpool forward Taiwo Awoniyi ahead of the summer transfer window, according to The Athletic.

Liverpool signed the forward in 2015, but the lack of work permit meant that he has spent the last six years out on loan at several clubs, including Union Berlin last season.

The Nigerian recently obtained a work permit in England, but he is not part of Jurgen Klopp's plans at Anfield moving forward.

The Reds are looking at Awoniyi as a player who could bring in significant cash to their coffers from his departure this summer.

And it has been claimed that the forward has been garnering significant attention from clubs in the Championship.

Recently-relegated sides Fulham and West Brom are interested in signing the Liverpool striker and Stoke City are also keen on the player..

The Reds are keen to move him on as well and would consider selling him for a fee of around £8m this summer.

It remains to be seen whether any of his suitors would be willing to pay such sums for a player who has no experience of playing in England, despite being on Liverpool's books since 2015.




https://insidefutbol.com/2021/05/29/liverpool-attacker-attracting-fulham-stoke-and-west-brom-interest/510194/

WhiteJC

'A move that would make perfect sense' – Fulham eye deal for powerful forward: 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...

Fulham's interest in Daryl Dike has been noted, with TEAMtalk reporting that Scott Parker's side are amongst a host of clubs interested in the former Barnsley loanee.


Dike, 20, struck nine goals for Barnsley during the second-half of the season, helping Valerien Ismael's side into the play-offs.

That play-off campaign ended in disappointment for Barnsley, with Dike's future now unclear, although it seems unlikely he will be heading back to Orlando after a successful stint in the EFL.

Our writers discuss links to Fulham here:

Jordan Rushworth

This seems like exactly the right sort of signing that Fulham should be aiming to make this summer and it would be a major statement of intent from them if they were to secure a move for Dike. That is something that is not going to be easy, though, given the amount of teams interested in him.

Dike is a player that has already shown he can be a major threat in the Championship during his excellent spell with Barnsley in the second half of the campaign. He would be able to flourish in Fulham's side and with the amount of chances that you would expect them to be creating in the English second tier next season.

The 20-year-old offers a real physical presence upfront and that is something that Fulham do not have when they do not play Aleksandar Mitrovic. Dike is one of the best alternatives they could get in the current market for the Serbia international and you could see him adding a lot of extra quality to their attack.

He is a player that should only get better over the next few years and he might therefore prove to be a bargain signing for whoever manages to get it him this summer. Fulham should go all out to make sure that it is them who secure his signature.

Phil Spencer

This is a move that would make perfect sense.

Daryl Dike has been the find of the season in the Championship and what he did with Barnsley was nothing short of extraordinary.

I can't see him heading back to Oakwell but a move to Fulham could be ideal.

Scott Parker's side will be frontrunners to secure promotion to the Premier League and with the addition of the young American, they could be a real force.

Aleksandar Mitrovic looks set to move on and I can't think of a better like for like replacement than Daryl Dike, that's why I think that this is a link with real legs.

Alfie Burns 

The way that Aleksandar Mitrovic has fallen out of favour with Scott Parker is quite remarkable really, so if Parker is sticking around, we might well see the Serbian move on.

In that eventuality, Dike is a player that could come in at Craven Cottage and plug a gap.

He had a real impact at Barnsley after arriving at the club, with his ability to mix it physically, as well as show composure with his finishing.

There are similar qualities in his game to Mitrovic, but Dike has age on his side and so much more room to grow, which will only add to excitement surrounding a potential transfer.

What you've got to note, though, is that Fulham are heading back into the Championship now and, given Dike's quality and potential, you'd imagine that there will be Premier League interest.

Whether Fulham can land him, then, I'm not so sure.

They will hope they can convince Dike that Craven Cottage is the right place for him, but that's easier said than done, with a vast variety of clubs in pursuit.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/a-move-that-would-make-perfect-sense-fulham-eye-deal-for-powerful-forward-the-verdict/


WhiteJC

3 qualities Daryl Dike will bring to Fulham if they land deal for Barnsley star

Fulham are facing a hugely important summer transfer window where they will need to show their intensions to bounce straight back after being relegated from the Premier League.

Scott Parker's side will be needing to address key areas of the squad where they came up short last season and will also need to replace a couple of their loan players that have returned to their parent clubs. The forward area is certainly a place that Fulham have to improve in the summer, with them already having opted not to take up their permanent option on Josh Maja.

It has been reported by TEAMtalk that Fulham are one of a group of sides interested in making a potential move for Orlando forward Daryl Dike this summer. That comes with the 20-year-old having enjoyed an excellent spell with the Tykes in the second half of this term.

With Fulham entering the race for Dike, we take a look at THREE qualities he could bring to them if he arrives this summer...

Much-needed extra goal threat

The most obvious quality that Dike would bring to Fulham is a much-needed added extra goal threat in the final third. The main reason why Parker's side dropped down from the Premier League this season was because of the lack of cutting edge they had upfront. The club's top scorer was Bobby Reid with seven, then came Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ademola Lookman with four.

Mitrovic and Reid should be able to score goals in the Championship next term for sure and have both proven their pedigree in the second tier in their careers. However, Fulham will need more from elsewhere. Dike could be the man to provide those with him having already shown he can find vital moments of quality in the second tier with nine goals in 21 games for Barnsley.

The 20-year-old has shown that he can score different types of goals with his finishing in the box very good when he gets chances, whilst he can also find the back of the net with longer-ranger efforts as well. Those are qualities that might be pivotal for Parker's side.

Physical presence upfront if Mitrovic is not in Parker's plans

Mitrovic has already been linked with a potential move away from Fulham this summer, with Roma having been linked with a move for him. That comes with the forward having fallen down the pecking order at Craven Cottage this season and being limited to just 13 league starts.

If Parker decides to cash in on the Serbia international or continue to place him on the bench if he does stay, then Fulham will need someone else upfront to provide a physical presence in the English second tier. Dike has already proven that he brings that to the table and his physicality proved difficult to handle for a host of Championship defenders during his time with Barnsley.

Mobility and tenacity in the final third

Another quality that Dike would bring to the table for Fulham is his mobility off the ball and his willingness to run into the channels and run in behind defences to create chances for his himself. Those qualities also help him to create space for his team-mates in the final third as well and help them find better scoring chances in their opponent's penalty area.

Dike also has the ability to lead the press from the front and can help to constantly put defenders under pressure when they are in possession. That could help Parker get his side further up the pitch, which is something he had tried to do at times in the Premier League this season when he deployed a higher defensive line.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/3-qualities-daryl-dike-will-bring-to-fulham-if-they-land-deal-for-barnsley-star/