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Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 13/07/21...

Started by WhiteJC, July 13, 2021, 08:54:22 AM

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WhiteJC

Fulham transfer round-up: Antonee Robinson update, Will Hughes development, price-tag set for target

Fulham are facing a vital period over the next few weeks as they aim to get themselves ready for the start of next season after an uncertain period since their relegation.

Marco Silva has replaced Scott Parker and he will have the chance to assess the squad of players he has available to him and decide where they need to strengthen further.

It is vital that they offer him the backing he needs to make one or two key changes to the side and bring in a couple of players that might make all the difference to their promotion ambitions.

It is also important that Fulham sort out the long-term futures of some of their key players that are being linked with possible exits from Craven Cottage.

There have been a couple of transfer rumours that have emerged concerning Fulham in the last few days and it will be interesting to see how much business gets done at Craven Cottage over the next few weeks or so.

With that in mind, we round-up some of the latest transfer stories concerning Fulham...

Wolves join race for Antonee Robinson
One Fulham player who is continuing to attract attention in the summer transfer window is defender Antonee Robinson.

According to the latest report from The Sun on Sunday (11/07/2021, p61), Wolves have become the latest side to join the hunt for the left-back's signature as they seek to make the right additions to their squad.

It is believed that Wolves would been keen to come to an agreement with Fulham over the defender as long as they are willing to allow him to leave for a fee of around £10 million.

It has previously been reported by The Athletic that Premier League champions Manchester City remain interested in the defender as well this summer.

The Sun also reported Man City's interest earlier in the window and it was reported then that Fulham could be wanting around £10 million for him.

There have also been reports from Calciomercato earlier in the window that AC Milan could reignite their interest in Robinson after they missed out on signing him when he was at Wigan Athletic.

Newcastle United facing internal row over Will Hughes as Fulham circle
One player that Fulham are potentially interested in adding to their squad this summer is Watford's Will Hughes.

It has previously been reported by the Daily Mail that Silva is keen to reunite with his former midfielder and that he could be signed as a direct replacement for Tom Cairney should he be allowed to leave Craven Cottage.

It has also been reported that Newcastle United are interested in Hughes. However, according to the latest update from The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, Steve Bruce is facing a battle with the club's recruitment team over whether to move for the midfielder or not.

That might potentially be a boost for Fulham's attempts to sign Hughes this summer and it could be that they use Newcastle's confusion over their interest to their advantage and edge out in the race to sign him from Watford.

Price-tag set for Cameron Carter-Vickers amid Fulham interest
Another potential incoming that Fulham could make this summer is Tottenham Hotspur defender Cameron Carter-Vickers.

The latest report from Football Insider has now revealed that Spurs are set to demand a fee of around £5 million for him this summer with them keen to cash in on him as he enters the final 12 months of his deal after a contract extension was triggered.

Fulham were linked with a move for the defender back in June and it was believed that they were being joined by the likes of Cardiff City and AFC Bournemouth.

Reports have also suggested that Newcastle United and Celtic are interested in signing the USA international.

It will now be interesting to see whether any of the clubs that are keen on the defender will pay up the £5 million asking price that Tottenham have placed on him.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-transfer-round-up-antonee-robinson-update-will-hughes-development-price-tag-set-for-target/

WhiteJC

Man City and Wolves set to battle it out for highly-rated Championship defender available for just £10m

With the Copa America and European Championship now over, teams will be straight back into the pre-season preparations for the 2021/22 campaign, with Man City and Wolves preparing to acquire a Championship defender to boost their ranks.

Both Premier League sides are casting an eye over Fulham's America defender, Antonee Robinson, 23, according to the Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail (cited by the Daily Mirror).

The player made 24 starts out of a total of 28 appearances, as Fulham were relegated from the English top-flight, but Robinson clearly made an impression during the 2020/21 season, and may be tempted by an immediate return to the Premier League.

Apparently available for as little as £10m, his hire would represent a no brainer at that price, with the Citizens arguably able to trump any offer that the Midlanders could put on the table.




https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/07/12/man-city-and-wolves-set-to-battle-it-out-for-highly-rated-championship-defender-available-for-just-10m/

WhiteJC

2 potential knock-on effects Fulham face as Wolves enter race for in-demand star

Fulham could be facing a difficult task to keep hold of their star players this summer.

Reports from The Sun have claimed that Wolverhampton Wanderers have joined Manchester City in the race to sign Antonee Robinson ahead of the new season.

The 23-year-old only moved to Craven Cottage last summer but enjoyed a strong debut season in which he made 32 appearances for Scott Parker's side as they battled away in the Premier League.

Unfortunately Robinson's efforts couldn't contribute to the club avoiding relegation, but they have seemingly attracted the attention of two of the top flight's most respected clubs.

If Robinson does move on then Fulham have to deal with the aftermath of the sale, so here are two knock-on effects for new head coach Marco Silva to handle.

An opportunity for Joe Bryan

If Antonee Robinson does move on then it may that he replacement is already in the building.

Joe Bryan enjoyed a wonderful campaign for Fulham in the Championship two years ago and the feeling will be that he could be the man to fill that left back role again this term.

If that is the case then it could be great for the Whites who won't have to worry about spending big money on a suitable replacement.

Funds to rebuild

A move away for Antonee Robinson will certainly be a boost for Fulham's coffers.

Any move to Wolves or Manchester City would bring a substantial fee to the club and that's something which could be a massive plus in the coming months.

Whether the club looks to reinvest those funds or not, Robinson will surely attract an 8-figure fee and for a club in the Championship that will be significant.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/2-potential-knock-on-effects-fulham-face-as-wolves-enter-race-for-in-demand-star/


WhiteJC

Brentford make transfer move for 7-goal midfielder amid Fulham and West Brom interest

Newly-promoted Premier League side Brentford are hoping to beat Championship clubs to the signing of Liverpool midfielder Harry Wilson after making an enquiry for him, per Football Insider.

The Reds are open to selling the 24-year-old this summer, according to Neil Jones of Goal, with his first-team chances at Anfield expected to be extremely limited.

Championship sides West Bromwich Albion and Fulham have been linked with the Wales international recently but with Liverpool reportedly wanting £12 million for Wilson's services, that may knock second tier sides, including Cardiff City, out of the race.

Top flight new-boys Brentford have now expressed their interest to Liverpool in Wilson according to Football Insider and they are now expected to make an official offer for the man who scored seven times for Cardiff last season.

Also linked with Wilson's signature were Portuguese giants Benfica, who were understood to have begun preliminary talks over two weeks ago, but now it looks like Wilson may remain in Britain if the Bees can meet Liverpool's asking price.

The Verdict

It looks increasingly likely that Wilson will not be heading to a Championship club next season as Liverpool seem keen to let him move on permanently.

And if Liverpool really do want £12 million to let Wilson go then you can really only see him going to a Premier League side or overseas.

Looking more into it, West Brom have a lot of attacking talent out wide as it is so it's hard to see where Wilson would fit into Valerien Ismael's system anyway, whilst Fulham could probably do with another creative talent like a Wilson but are they going to splash out an eight-figure fee on him? It's hard to see.

Brentford seem to be in pole position for his signature and only Liverpool having a change of heart will probably see him end up in the Championship for the 2021-22 campaign.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/brentford-make-transfer-move-for-7-goal-midfielder-amid-fulham-and-west-brom-interest/

WhiteJC

Pre-Season: Charlton Tickets

Tickets for Fulham's pre-season friendly against Charlton Athletic at Craven Cottage go on sale from 12pm on Monday 12th July.

Marco Silva will lead out his Fulham side for the first time in SW6 on Saturday 31st July, kick-off 3pm, and we can't wait to be able to welcome supporters back.

Tickets for this fixture will go on sale to 2021/22 Season Ticket Holders from 12pm on Monday 12th July, with Fulham supporters able to purchase in the Hammersmith End and Johnny Haynes Stand only.

21/22 Season Ticket seats will not be reserved for this fixture, however Season Ticket Holders will have a priority period to purchase, before all areas of the ground go on General Sale from 10am on Tuesday 13th July.

Tickets for our final pre-season friendly are priced at £20 for adults, £15 for concessions and £10 for juniors, with all prices increasing by £5 on matchday except juniors.

Fans will be able to secure their seats online at tickets.fulhamfc.com or by calling the Fulham FC Ticket Office on 0203 871 0810.

Please note, supporters will need to ensure they are logged in to their OneFulham Account and have linked their ticketing account in order to purchase online. For more information on the OneFulham Account, please click here.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/july/Pre-Season-Charlton-Tickets/

WhiteJC

Why Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa is a player Liverpool must consider as Gini Wijnaldum's heir

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has been linked with Liverpool this summer and his profile is one that could fit the club's model perfectly.

When a 17-year-old boy stepped on the field in a trial game in Yaounde, the odds were against him. This was his first step into professional football. His family were reluctant to support his pursuit. And he was up against Cameroon's very best.

But Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa is a fighter. He produced the performance of his life and captivated the coaches watching on from the sidelines.

Eight years later, he's on the radar of Liverpool, and the Cameroonian international could be the perfect profile for the club in their quest to replace the departing Georginio Wijnaldum.

"The memory I remember first is his hard work and his will to succeed," is how his first coach, Djibrilla Alain remembers his former protege speaking to First Time Finish.

That mentality and fighting against the odds is present throughout Liverpool's squad. From Mohamed Salah's long journey to football training across Cairo to Roberto Firmino climbing out of his window to play on the streets of Maceió and Sadio Mané running away from home to Dakar in order to pursue his dream.

Klopp values players with mental fortitude, so-called 'mentality monsters. But it is not just Anguissa's hard work and ability to perform under pressure that makes him a prime candidate to fill Wijnaldum's void. One of the most fundamental elements of Klopp's geggenpress is the ability to press frequently and effectively, especially in the opposition's final third.

To compare Anguissa directly to the player he would be replacing, the Cameroonian international measures up well in this metric. Last season Wijnaldum averaged 13.01 pressures per 90 according to Fbref and 2.69 pressures per 90 in Liverpool's attacking third. Anguissa averaged 19.52 pressures per 90 for Fulham in the Premier League and 4.00 per 90 in the final third.



https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/transfer-news/liverpool-zambo-anguissa-gini-wijnaldum-21029942


WhiteJC

Rapid transitions and vertical possession: How Fulham are likely to set up under Marco Silva – tactical analysis

Amid the extensive managerial merry-go-round in Europe at the moment, one of the most intriguing, if not surprising, appointments has been Marco Silva to Fulham on a three-year deal.

The Portuguese boss has had mixed results in English football and tends to undergo a Jose Mourinho-type self-destruction with every club he has been with so far.

At Hull City, the young coach arrived from Greece having won the Greek Super League with Olympiakos with a 79 percent win record over the course of the 2015/16 season. At Hull, things got off to a flier and it looked as though the Tigers were miraculously staying up for another season until it eventually fell apart and they were ultimately relegated under Silva.

Then, at Watford, the Hornets were shooting up the table early on after some truly excellent results, and Silva found himself heavily linked with the Everton job. Within the next few months, Watford fell off the boil and Silva was sacked in the end.

Finally, there was Everton, his most recent job in football. In the 2018/19 season, the Toffees finished eighth, a very respectable finish, but like always, by December of the 2019/20 campaign, Everton were sitting in the relegation zone and Silva was relieved of his duties.

The 43-year-old still has a lot to do to prove his critics wrong and helping Fulham to bounce back up to the Premier League, following their feeble relegation last season, would be the perfect way to do so.

This article will be a tactical analysis in the form of a managerial scout report of Marco Silva. It will be an analysis of the tactics he tends to use as well as how he will implement his philosophy into the Cottagers.

Predicting Fulham's starting eleven and main formation
Predicting Fulham's starting eleven will be quite difficult considering the fact that Silva was appointed as the manager of Fulham on July 1, just over two weeks ago, meaning the Portuguese boss has had very little time to get a full understanding of his squad's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses.

However, in terms of what formation he is likely to deploy, Silva has typically stuck with a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 throughout his career. When in possession though, it is difficult to pinpoint which midfield system Silva's sides are playing with as the three central midfield rotate constantly.

Sometimes his teams use a '6' with two more advanced '8s' who push between the opposition's midfield and backline, but merely a few minutes later they could be using a double-pivot of two '6s' to receive the ball from the backline and one '8' pushing between the lines.


Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 of Massimiliano Allegri's UEFA Pro License Thesis 2004/05

The midfielders can be classified as the most important aspect of any footballing system and this is certainly the case for Silva's teams. The three central midfield players in the manager's systems always have different player profiles.

Typically, one midfielder will be the sitting midfielder with the sole purpose of protecting the backline such as Idrissa Gueye at Everton, or Etienne Capoue/Nathaniel Chalobah at Watford. Harrison Reed could certainly occupy this role and most likely will in the new campaign.

The other two central midfielders are generally more progressive with the ball, one making runs from deep as a box-to-box midfielder while the other is the team's main creator. At Everton, Tom Davies/Andre Gomes and Gylfi Sigurdsson occupied these roles whilst Abdoulaye Doucoure and Tom Cleverley/Roberto Pereyra were tasked with fulfilling these roles by Silva at Watford.

For Fulham, looking at the profile of players in the team, perhaps Tom Cairney and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa could fulfill these responsibilities, although with talks of Anguissa leaving in the summer, the club may be forced to dip into the transfer market.

This could potentially be the starting eleven that Silva deploys when his team hosts Middlesbrough on the first day of the season.



It looks likely that Tosin Adarabioyo may be leaving the club in the summer as interest has been attracted from Premier League clubs including Newcastle United and Arsenal so another centre-back may be needed too as well as possibly a goalkeeper and another centre-forward.

Play in possession

There seems to be a notion that Marco Silva implements a possession-based style of football with all of the sides that he coaches. While this is partially true, the 43-year-old is very much from the Portuguese school of coaching which still puts heavy emphasis on attacking transitions as a primary source of chance creation.

Nonetheless, Silva's sides are decent in possession and usually build up with a 4-2 structure against the opposition's first line of pressure.



In this structure, the fullbacks move quite high and the double-pivot drop rather low. Fulham are used to using this structure when building out from the back under Silva's predecessor at Craven Cottage, Scott Parker, now of Bournemouth.

The 4-2-3-1 formation was Fulham's most used formation last season and Parker deployed it in exactly 33 percent of their games.



There were slight differences with Fulham's setup in that the double-pivot were generally more stretched and that the fullbacks were quite low as opposed to how Silva's teams set up.

However, the structure was still similar and for Silva, one of his priorities will be to help his new team perfect their ability to play out from the back, an area that they tended to struggle in last season during their relegation campaign.

Further up the pitch, when Silva's teams have established possession in a positional attack, his players are tasked with being as vertical as possible in their attacking play. This means one of two things. Firstly, all of Silva's teams have rapid players along the frontline, typically with the exception of the centre-forward. The forward line is tasked with making runs to attack the depth of the pitch as this stretches the opposition's backline vertically but also allows for a chance to get in behind the backline.



Secondly, being vertical in possession also means that Silva wants his players, particularly his midfielders and defenders, to break the opposition's line quickly while the players further up the pitch try and create good passing angles to play through.

In order to do this, Silva usually pushes a lot of bodies forward to position themselves between the lines and create positional superiority within the opposition's defensive block.

This is where the switch from a double-pivot to a single-pivot comes into play, which was spoken about in the first section of this article. One of the midfielders in the double-pivot will become an '8' rather than a '6' and push up between the lines to give extra bodies in this area of the pitch.

The fullbacks also advance high and keep the width which allows the wingers to invert inside too.



As already stated, the instructions that Silva bellows to his players are to ensure that they are not stagnant in possession. When in positions, such as the one seen above, the emphasis from the manager is to play the ball forward to the players between the lines or to runners in behind.

This can be very risky at times but also has major rewards and is very entertaining for fans to watch.



Here is a wonderful example of this vertical possessional play by a team managed by Marco Silva. Hull City centre-back Andrea Ranocchia played a pass into the feet of Tom Huddlestone which broke their opponent's first line of pressure.

The former Spurs midfielder turned on the ball and played another pass forward into Alfred N'Diaye, who pushed up between the lines, which broke the second line. It must be noted that their opponents in this game were Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, one of the best pressing sides in European football.

Silva's teams are generally rather fearless in possession, taking risks, but sometimes these risks don't always reap rewards and can leave the backline exposed in defensive transition when the ball is overturned.



Here, Ranocchia tried to play a pass straight to N'Diaye but it was cut out and Hull were left exposed to a rapid transition.

In terms of how Fulham will fare playing this type of vertical possession, signings may be needed in the summer window to help them bring in central defenders and a goalkeeper who is more comfortable in possession and playing a riskier style of football.

In terms of how Fulham will look to create opportunities to score, Marco Silva's sides tend to put crosses into the box when they reach the final third. In Silva's only full season with a team in English football, the 2018/19 campaign with Everton, the Toffees were the fifth-highest crossing teams in the top-flight division.



Everton were averaging 15.43 crosses per 90 and more what is more interesting is that 35.1 percent of these crosses were accurate which was the highest in the Premier League that season, showing clear signs that crossing was worked on quite a lot in training under Silva.

Last season, Fulham were the ninth-highest crossers of the ball in the league and had the fifth-highest accuracy from these crosses, a solid base for the Portuguese manager to work with ahead of the new EFL Championship campaign.

With a centre-forward leading the line such as Aleksandar Mitrovic, crossing will be very important for Fulham, particularly in games where the opposition is proving difficult to break down.



Defensive phases – proactive and compact blocks

Silva's teams do press high when the opposition are in the build-up phase but typically the objective of the high press that his teams apply is to contain the opposition as opposed to being aggressive and trying to win the ball back.

Generally, the 43-year-old instructs his teams to sit compact, narrow, and deeper on the pitch, in either a mid-level block or a low block. However, unlike a lot of teams who sit in low blocks, Silva's teams are very proactive, constantly working to shut off space, force the opposition wide and be aggressive with their challenges when a chance appears to regain possession.

Rapid transitions and vertical possession: How Fulham are likely to set up under Marco Silva - tactical analysis



En route to winning the Greek Super League in the 2015/16 season under Silva, Olympiakos had a Passes allowed Per Defensive Action of 5.62 over the course of the entire league campaign, which was one of the lowest in Europe.

At Everton, the PPDA under Silva was 9.53 while during his time at Watford, the Hornets registered 10.69 PPDA. There is a clear emphasis from Silva that he wants his sides to be active and engage in defensive duels all the time, despite not pressing too high up the pitch.

Like all of Silva's teams when a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 is deployed, Fulham will defend in a 4-4-2 shape out of possession. The former Estoril and Sporting Club de Portugal boss likes his sides to stay compact between the lines and to hold a mid-level block for as long as possible before dropping deeper.



In this image, an example of this mid-to-low block can be seen. The 4-4-2 block is very narrow and compact between the lines, making it extremely difficult for Liverpool to play through.

The reason Silva likes his sides to be compact between the lines in a mid-level block is that the players have solid connections between each other and can suffocate ball-receivers with numerous bodies. This can be achieved in a low block too, but it is much more difficult to counterattack from the defensive third than the middle third.



Here, Liverpool have found Coutinho in a tiny pocket of space between the lines but Ranocchia aggressively leaves his position as a central defender to come out and close him down and force the Brazilian back outside.

Hitting teams on the break

As already stated earlier in this article, whilst Silva likes his side to have possession of the ball, his teams can be very conservative too, particularly in bigger games, sitting deep and soaking up pressure.

In the previous section, we analysed how he demands that his teams are proactive when defending. Then, when they win back possession, Silva instructs his players to counterattack with pace, verticality, numbers, and precision.

The wingers are particularly important in this phase of play as they are usually the fastest players on the team. They provide the width, stretching the opposition's backline during the transition, and also provide runs in behind the backline.



In this scenario, Watford have just regained possession of the ball and are looking to transition rapidly. Richarlison and Andre Carrillo are wide on the flanks, making runs in behind the Southampton defensive line whilst Andre Gray is also attacking the depth.

As can be seen in this image, Southampton's defensive line is quite stretched which makes counterattacking much easier and more effective because defenders will be left in 1v1 situations.

Rapid attacking transitions are something that will become commonplace at Fulham. Bobby Decordova-Reid and Cavaleiro could be vital to these fast counterattacks with their pace in behind. Richarlison played some of his best football under Silva playing a similar role so these two could become major cogs in the new coach's wheel.

Last season, Fulham averaged 2.35 counterattacks per 90 in all competitions under Scott Parker with 29.8 percent ending in shots. It is likely that this number will be higher with even more efficiency in the 2021/22 season when Silva gets his side playing the style of football that he wants them to play.

In contrast to Everton in 2018/19, the Toffees averaged 3.21 counterattacks per 90 with 31.2 percent ending in a shot on goal.

Conclusion

Overseas, Silva still has a reputation as a very good young manager. However, in England, this reputation is extremely damaged. Failure with Fulham could signal the end for the Portuguese manager at an English club.

On a more positive note, helping Fulham to bounce straight back up to the Premier League would severely mend the damage put on his name from previous jobs within the country. Silva needs to be backed though in the summer transfer market if this is to become a reality. While there is still a strong core of players in the squad, there is a number of positions that need strengthening if the Cottagers are to compete this season.

One would argue that an entire spine is needed and there is still quite a lot of deadwood within the squad too that needs to be rectified. Should Silva bring in a couple of players in the coming weeks, they will surely be one of the favourites to win the division come May.



https://totalfootballanalysis.com/head-coach-analysis/marco-silva-fulham-2021-22-tactical-analysis-tactics-efl-championship