Saturday Fulham Stuff - 12/06/21...

[WhiteJC]

Merson likens England to Fulham as he rates their Euro chances

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson thinks England will "blow teams away" at Euro 2020 if they "play like it's the Premier League".

Gareth Southgate's squad are preparing for their opener against Croatia on Sunday after winning both of their pre-tournament friendles against Austria and Romania.

With an abundance of attacking talent in their ranks England go into the competition as one of the favourites to go all the way.

However, Merson thinks England will get found out at the Euros if they "play the Fulham way" like they have been doing in their last couple of matches.

Merson told Sky Sports: "We have to play at a tempo. If we play like it's the Premier League, like Man City and Chelsea did against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, PSG, they cannot live with it, the other countries.

"That is why everybody around the world wants to watch the Premier League. It is a hundred miles an hour, there's a shot at one end, a corner at the other 30 seconds later, we have to play that way.

"What I have found in the last couple of games, is we kick-off, and then play the Fulham way! We roll the ball back to the centre-half, he takes one, two, three touches, he rolls it across to the next centre-half, he rolls it back to the goalkeeper, and we are playing the Fulham way. If we do that, we have not got a chance, not a chance.

"We have to close down from the front, play with pace and energy, and we will walk it. Over 90 minutes, of that many games of a tournament in a month, we would blow teams away.

"The Scotland game might suit us, it will be like a Premier League game. They are not going to mess about rolling out from the back, but Croatia are going to let us pass it around all night long if we want.

"Gareth's tried to get his team full of pace and energy. It was not long before Wayne Rooney was out, not because of his talent, because of his age. He has got that pace and energy in now. If he is not going to play that way though, Wayne Rooney could still be in!

"No one's got better vision than him, we saw it the other day with (James) Ward-Prowse, he can spray the ball all over the place, but we have to play at a high tempo.

"I do not think it is Gareth slowing it down, I think it is the players. You heard the other day he went mad at the players not closing down, and the second half was much better, we went after them and they could not cope.

"I know how Gareth wants to play, it's the players playing safe, not wanting to give the ball away, let someone else give it away. If that happens, we will be chasing shadows."



https://www.football365.com/news/merson-likens-england-fulham-rates-euro-2020-chances

[WhiteJC]

Fulham dealt transfer blow in race with Watford for 17-goal Chelsea hotshot

Fulham are said to have missed out on the chance to sign Chelsea striker Ike Ugbo this summer, with All Nigeria Soccer reporting that Watford and two other clubs are the only sides left in the race.

The 22-year-old has spent the duration of the 2020/21 campaign out on loan at Cercle Brugge in Belgium and has hit a hot streak on the continent, hitting 17 goals in 34 games.

Plenty of clubs have shown an interest in signing the player in recent months, with Fulham, AS Monaco, Rostov, CSKA Moscow and Bologna all eyeing a move for the player.

However it now appears that the quintet have missed out on the Nigerian frontman, with the report going on to state that only Watford, Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany and Racing Genk are in for the player's signature, with Fulham said to be one of the clubs that have missed out.

Ugbo has been on Chelsea's books since he was a youngster and was originally born in London.

The player is yet to have made his first team debut for the Premier League side and has previously spent time out on loan with the likes of Barnsley, MK Dons and Scunthorpe United among others.

The Verdict

It is a minor blow for Fulham in reality as they still have one of the most proven Championship goal scorers at their disposal in the form of Aleksandar Mitrović.

The West London side possess plenty of solid attacking options at present and it would be hard to see where Ugbo would have fit in.

Scott Parker may well be looking at other areas of his squad that need strengthening, particularly as several of his key players have been linked with moves away from Craven Cottage in recent weeks.

Recovering from relegation will be tough, but I have every faith that the Whites can bounce back well next season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-dealt-transfer-blow-in-race-with-watford-for-17-goal-chelsea-hotshot/

[WhiteJC]

Harrison Reed to Leeds United: Is it a good potential move? Would he start? What does he offer?

Fulham's relegation back into the Sky Bet Championship means that the club are facing a summer of speculation, with their star men linked with moves back into the Premier League.

Included in that is Harrison Reed, who has enjoyed a couple of outstanding seasons at the base of Fulham's midfield, looking at home at the top of the Championship and then in the top-flight.

A report from the Daily Mail has confirmed that Leeds United are amongst the clubs interested in offering Reed a chance to stay in the Premier League, with the Whites tracking the 26-year-old and liking what they've seen.

On the back of those links, we run through a couple of lingering questions surrounding the potential transfer:

Is it a good potential move?

Reed impressed on loan at Fulham during the 2019/20 season, running the midfield for Scott Parker's side in the Championship as they won promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs.

25 appearances across the regular season were backed up by a starring role in the play-offs, with Reed helping Fulham to a 2-1 win over Brentford in the Wembley showpiece.

On the back of that came a £6m permanent move from Southampton, with Reed then proving to be a consistent performer in the Fulham midfield in the Premier League, despite their eventual relegation.

The level of his performance at Fulham has been really consistent and that's what has convinced Leeds he might be a good option for them this summer.

On the face of how he's played since pulling on a Fulham shirt, he'd be a shrewd piece of business for Marcelo Bielsa's side.

Would he start?

This is the issue for Leeds if they are indeed serious about getting Reed on board.

A key target for Leeds this summer is sourcing some form of cover for Kalvin Phillips in the midfield. Reed is that man, but is he going to oust the England international from the base of Bielsa's midfield when he's fully fit? That's a question that doesn't really need an answer.

Reed, though, would be outstanding cover for Phillips and fits a similar profile to someone like Adam Forshaw, who has been struggling with injuries over the course of the last two seasons.

Player of the Year, Stuart Dallas, has been utilised in midfield because of that, whilst Mateusz Klich remains a prominent figure in the engine room. Leeds are also said to be interested in an '8/10 hybrid' to ease the burden on the Polish international.

When you start to look at Leeds' options and targets this summer, you realise Reed would be up against it to muscle his way into the starting line-up.

What does he offer?

As mentioned, Reed is the desired cover for Phillips and offers depth to a position that is crucial to the way Bielsa plays.

An 86.2% pass success rate (whoscored.com) underlines how Reed looks after the ball and matches up nicely to Phillips (84.7%).

Both also average over two tackles per game, again, matching up fairly well as like-for-like alternatives.

Yet, it must be underlined again that the chance of Reed muscling Phillips out of Bielsa's starting XI is highly unlikely.

Whether they can sell themselves to Reed without the promise of a regular place in the side remains to be seen. And, on the flip side of that, whether Leeds are willing to pay what the 26-year-old is worth to Fulham, given he'd only be back-up, is another burning question.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/harrison-reed-to-leeds-united-is-it-a-good-potential-move-would-he-start-what-does-he-offer/

[WhiteJC]

Tosin Adarabioyo to Arsenal: Is it a good potential move? Would he start? What does he offer?

Tosin Adarabioyo has recently emerged as a transfer target for Premier League giants Arsenal ahead of the 2021/22 season, according to The Daily Mail

The defender has been with Fulham since 2020, and has gone on to catch the eye with a number of impressive performances with the Cottagers.

He made 34 appearances for Scott Parker's side last season, although his efforts weren't quite enough as Fulham were relegated back into the Championship after just one year in the top flight.

The Daily Mail have also reported that Adarabioyo can leave Fulham this summer for a fee of £10million after their relegation from the Premier League was confirmed, which is likely to heighten interest in his services ahead of the new league campaign.

We take a look at some of the potential questions that might be surrounding Arsenal's interest in signing Adarabioyo this summer.

Is it a good potential move?

This could turn out to be a smart bit of business by the Gunners, as Adarabioyo has a point to prove in the Premier League at the moment.

It wouldn't be fair to judge him completely on performances for Fulham last season, as they were only in the top flight for one year. But he was one of the few players to catch the eye with some strong performances in this year's campaign, and that seemingly hasn't gone unnoticed.

Arsenal are a club with a sizeable stature in world football, and you would imagine that Adarabioyo will be tempted by a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

For a fee of just £10million, it could turn out to be a shrewd signing by the Gunners, especially if the defender can hit the ground running with them next season, providing an agreement is reached.

Would he start?

It seems hard to believe that he'd be a regular starter straight away.

Adarabioyo has impressed in his first full season in the Premier League whilst with Fulham, and I'm not surprised to hear that a club in the top flight are keen on signing him after the Cottagers' relegation this term.

But Arsenal already have some strong options available to them in defence, and it seems unlikely that he'd be able to force his way into the starting XI ahead of the likes of Gabriel and Rob Holding.

However, at the age of 23, he could be the ideal long-term replacement for either of them in future seasons.

What does he offer?

Adarabioyo is a player that can operate in the middle of a defensive four, or in a defensive three if required.

That versatility could make him a smart addition for Arsenal in the near future, as it'll give them depth in different areas of Mikel Arteta's team.

Adarabioyo has shown that he can perform to a high standard in the Premier League as well with Fulham in the 2020/21 season, so there won't be too many concerns as to whether he'd be good enough to play in the top flight.

He offers a calm head when in possession as well, with the defender having a pass accuracy of 88.7% from his 2552 attempted passes in all competitions this term.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/tosin-adarabioyo-to-arsenal-is-it-a-good-potential-move-would-he-start-what-does-he-offer/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham: Scott Parker to join Bournemouth?

Fulham fans have been reacting on social media to the latest news surrounding their club.

This comes after Fulham reporter for The Athletic, Peter Rutzler, tweeted an article suggesting that despite reports, there has been no approach for Scott Parker by Bournemouth as yet and Fulham are still 'planning as normal'.

Many Fulham fans were quick to comment their thoughts on this and weren't shy in letting their feelings be known.

"The phrase 'Fulham planning as normal' is worrying enough"

Credit: @Georgewarrenesq

"Bournemouth and Fulham both playing the long game here. It will be detrimental to both clubs aspirations of promotion next season."

Credit: @SportWizz

"Planning as normal". Okay. Zero plans for the whole of the summer as TK runs his wrestling show. Panic sign some loans on last day of window and hope we manage to hobble into the play-offs."

Credit: @Tendou1879

"Planning? What under current DoF? I think that's pushing it a fair bit!!"

Credit: @1troggy_ffc

"Planning as normal is a concern."

Credit: @Apjh19

"Come on!!!!! Let's get on planning for a successful season!!! Stop wasting time Fans will NOT accept last-minute signings anymore it shows a total lack of correct planning."

Credit: @Mitro_docffc

Judging by the replies, many Fulham fans are growing impatient with their club.

Scott Parker's Fulham were relegated from the Premier League back to the Championship this season after finishing 18th, whilst Bournemouth finished 6th in the Championship before being beaten by Brentford in the Championship play-off semi-final under interim manager Jonathan Woodgate.

After some linking Parker to the vacant role at Spurs, reports have suggested that Bournemouth target Parker may leave Craven Cottage and join the Cherries this summer, but would Parker jump ship to join a Championship rival?



https://thisisfutbol.com/2021/06/blogs/premier-league/fulham/fulham-scott-parker-to-join-bournemouth/

[WhiteJC]

BARGAIN Newcastle and Arsenal target Tosin Adarabioyo available for cut-price £10million fee

Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo will be available this summer for a cut-price fee.

The 23-year-old would be available for just £10million, according to the Daily Mail, following Fulham's relegation, with Newcastle and Arsenal interested.

The former Manchester City centre-back was impressive in the Premier League this season despite the team being relegated to the Championship.

His defensive prowess has him being compared to the likes of Ruben Dias, John Stones and Harry Maguire.

He tallied the most clearances in the league with 193 and also recorded the fastest sprint time of any central defender.

Scott Parker would be keen to keep the defender at the Craven Cottage, however a stay in the top flight seems inevitable.

The centre-back has interest from Arsenal and Newcastle, with both teams keen on bolstering their defensive options.

Mikel Arteta is reportedly looking to bring in several reinforcements this summer, and a £10m fee would represent a bargain.

The Cottagers received praise for their defence, which was led by Joachim Andersen, who joined on loan from Lyon, with Adarabioyo helping out.

Remarkably, six teams conceded more goals than Fulham this season despite their bottom-three finish.

It could be a difficult 2021/22 campaign for Fulham in the Championship, though, with Andersen returning to Lyon, while Adarabioyo looks set to depart too.



https://talksport.com/football/893482/

[WhiteJC]

Oxford City sign right back Zico Asare from Fulham

OXFORD City FC have confirmed the signing of former England youth international Zico Asare.

The 20-year-old right back joins the club after 12 years with Fulham.

He has made appearances for the England under-16s, playing alongside the likes of Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and Liverpool's Curtis Jones.

Named after Brazilian football legend Zico, the youngster has been training with City, impressing coaching staff while at the club.

He said: "It feels good to be here. Now it's time to start the hard work.

"I'm looking forward to having my first taste of senior football now, it's much more different than academy football, it means more.

"I'm just looking forward to starting the season now." 



https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/sport/19366376.oxford-city-sign-right-back-zico-asare-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

GETTING TO KNOW: Fulham

We take a look at the final team to be joining us from the Premier League...

After finishing 18th in the Premier League last season, it was Fulham were the final team to succumb to the drop, as they return to the Championship next season...

Fulham:

Stadium: Craven Cottage
Capacity: 25,700 (19,000 temporarily)
Year Formed: 1879
Nickname:  The Cottagers, The Whites 
Most League Appearance: Johnny Haynes – 594
Most league Goals: Gordon Davies – 159
Record Win: 10-1 vs Ipswich Town – December 26th 1963
Record Defeat: 0-10 vs Liverpool – September 23rd 1986


Last Five Years

2020/21: 18th in Premier League – 28 points

2019/20: 4th in Championship – 81 points

2018/19: 19th in Premier League – 26 points

2017/18: 3rd in Championship – 88 points

2016/17: 6th in Championship – 80 points

Manager – Scott Parker

Having initially impressed as caretaker manager in early 2019, Parker was announced as Fulham Head Coach prior to the last game of the 2018/19 season and has gone on to impress, earning plaudits throughout the English game.

Parker had a successful career as a player culminating as a regular in the England Euro 2012 squad and amassing over 350 Premier League appearances with the likes of Charlton, Chelsea, West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham. Stepping into coaching upon his retirement from Fulham in 2017.

He joined Tottenham Hotspur's Academy coaching team in 2017 and took charge of the U-18's side before joining Fulham as part of the coaching team a year later. Half a year after joining the Whites Parker stepped into an interim role following the departure of Claudio Ranieri later taking on the job permanently.

The Englishman excelled in his first full year as head coach guiding the Cottagers back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Squad:

With still a relatively young crop of players to hand, Parker will be looking to emulate the success that he had in his first year in charge and take Fulham back to the Premier League.

The experienced Anthony Knockaert will look to be a big part of that, aiming for his fourth promotion from the Championship having enjoyed successes with Leicester City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham in 2020

Top scorer Bobby Decordova-Reid will hope to carry on his scoring exploits in the championship and Parker will hope Aleksandar Mitrovic will recapture the form that saw him win the Championship Golden Boot last time the Whites played in the division. 


Connections:

There have been several people to feature for both the Sky Blues and the Cottagers over the years either as a player or as a manager, with noticeable names such as: Jimmy Hill, Cyrus Christie, Jack Grimmer, Steve Kean, Micky Adams, Chris Coleman, James McIntyre.

Coventry City vs Fulham Head-to-Head:

Won: 12
Drawn: 9
Lost: 16

Familiar Face:

A familiar face in the Fulham camp and a player well known by the Sky Blue fans is former Academy graduate Cyrus Christie. Having been Cov born and bred Christie joined the Sky Blues youth ranks rising through to the senior team, making his debut aged 18 in 2011.

The fullback had short loans away with Nuneaton Town and Hinckley United before breaking into the City first team, making 37 appearances in his breakthrough season. Whilst with the Sky Blues Christie would star playing as a fullback on either flank, making over 100 appearances for his hometown club before joining Derby in 2014.

Three seasons at the Rams and a six month spell with Middlesbrough preceeded his move to the Cottagers whom he joined in January 2018 where he helped Fulham reach the Premier League, defeating Aston Villa in the Playoff Final.

The Irish international has enjoyed a successful spell during his three seasons with the London club achieving promotions to the Premier League on two occasions, 2018 and 2020.


We Last Met – Coventry City 0 – 0 Fulham – October 05 1982 – League Cup

It's been almost 40 years since our last meeting with Fulham, where we met each other in the second leg of the League Cup at Highfield Road.

With the scores tied at 0-0 and level on aggregate after the first leg ended in a 2-2 draw thanks to a Jim Melrose double for the Sky Blues, it was City that went through to the next round by way of the away goals rule.

Team: Les Sealey (GK), Gary Gillespie, Steve Jacobs, Brian Roberts, Danny Thomas, Ian Butterworth, Paul Dyson, Gerry Francis (Whitton), Jim Melrose, Garry Thompson, Steve Hunt

Subs: Steve Whitton


Facts:

Fulham's match vs Luton Town in 1939 was the last league match to be played before the season was abandoned due to the outbreak of World War Two.



https://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/2021/june/getting-to-know-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham turn down £16m bid for Mitrovic

Fulham have turned down a £16m offer from Dynamo Moscow for Aleksandar Mitrovic, according to the Sun.

The Cottagers are adamant that the Serbian striker is not for sale even after Scott Parker's side were relegated from the top flight. The Fulham hierarchy want to keep Mitrovic, who proved so prolific in the Championship in 2019/20 scoring 26 goals, to spearhead their attempt to make an immediate return to the top flight.

But the tabloid claims that Mitrovic is keen to leave Craven Cottage after making just thirteen starts as the Whites went down – with Ivan Cavaleiro often preferred by Parker as a lone striker. There are no shortage of suitors for the 26 year-old who is known to be admired by new Roma boss Jose Mourinho and the West Ham manager David Moyes.

Mitrovic, who has scored 53 goals in 151 appearances for Fulham since joining from Newcastle in January 2018, still has three years to run on his current contract in west London.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/06/fulham-turn-down-16m-bid-for-mitrovic/

[WhiteJC]

Fresh report surrounding Aleksandar Mitrovic's potential Fulham exit emerge

Fulham have reportedly knocked back a £16m bid for the service of Aleksandar Mitrovic from Dynamo Moscow.

Mitrovic has cut a frustrated figure under Scott Parker over the course of the last 12 months, with the Fulham boss not favouring the Serbian striker despite his side's ongoing troubles in the Premier League that have eventually led them to relegation.

The 26-year-old scored three goals and registered three assists last season, but started only 13 times in the Premier League, with a further 14 appearances coming from the bench.

A report from The Sun has revealed that Fulham have had Dynamo Moscow table a £16m bid to sign the striker already, but that has been swiftly knocked back by the Cottagers.

They want to keep Mitrovic on board ahead of their return to the Championship, with the view that he can be the man to fire them back into the top-flight.

The message coming out of Fulham is simply that Mitrovic is not for sale.

Mitrovic has twice fired Fulham out of the Championship, scoring 12 goals in 20 appearances in 2017/18 under Slavisa Jokanovic, as Fulham won the play-offs.

As the club yo-yo between the Premier League and Championship, the Serbian then struck 26 times in 2019/20, with Fulham again play-off winners.

They have won two promotions and suffered two relegations in the space of the last four seasons.

The Verdict

There's clearly a little bit of unrest between Parker and Mitrovic that needs to be monitored, but it is little surprise to learn that the Fulham board don't want to lose the striker this summer.

He has consistently scored goals in the Championship and has proved to be the catalyst to the club winning promotion twice in the last four seasons.

If he sticks around, there's every chance that he will again break the 20-goal mark and fire Fulham somewhere near in the promotion race.

That kind of guarantee isn't worth £16m to Fulham.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fresh-report-surrounding-aleksandar-mitrovics-potential-fulham-exit-emerge/

[WhiteJC]

Hodgson honoured with CBE

Former Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has been made a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

The ex-England manager, 73, has received his honour in recognition of his services to football. Hodgson, who left Crystal Palace at the end of last season, memorably led Fulham out of a relegation battle after taking over at Craven Cottage from Lawrie Sanchez to the final of the Europa League in 2010. He also achieved Fulham's highest ever top flight finish.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/06/hodgson-honoured-with-cbe/

[WhiteJC]

Cottage Talk Special Episode: The Robert Wilson Interview

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

This episode is an in depth interview with Fulham legend Robert Wilson.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2021/6/11/22530167/cottage-talk-special-episode-the-robert-wilson-interview

[filham]

So Merson has the cheek to say that England must not play the Fulham way, I always find it hard to agree with Merson but in this case we can all see where he is coming from and grudgingly I have to say he is right.

[The Cravenette]

So Merson has the cheek to say that England must not play the Fulham way, I always find it hard to agree with Merson but in this case we can all see where he is coming from and grudgingly I have to say he is right.

So right. Watching England lately is like watching Fulham, and that is not pleasant!