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Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 04/08/21...

Started by WhiteJC, August 04, 2021, 12:14:08 AM

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WhiteJC

Swans wait on Fulham and Watford for Russell Martin's first transfer news
The first business of the new season is on its way at Swansea City with George Byers about to get his wish to leave the club for Sheffield Wednesday this week. And secondly, and far more importantly captain Matt Grimes is also waiting for confirmation that the club will let him move on to Fulham or Watford.

The four man team brought in to Swansea City from MK Dons has cost the swans far more than the agreed £365,000 clause to get Russell Martin's services. With Luke Williams not far in to his contract, and Matt Gill and Dean Thornton also arriving the costs have added another £140,000 to an already stretched Swansea City budget. Steve Cooper is believed to have walked away with £120,000. Mike Marsh and Martyn Margetson although both costing far less will also receive compensation. It isn't peanuts when all added together.

The swans have managed to pass on all loan signings available to them to date, sensibly in the interim whilst the new management team were put in place, and have added Kyle Joseph, Joel Piroe for an estimated £1,600,000 initially - and Liam Walsh coming in free, but adding another £6,000 a week to the club budget. We shouldn't forget ex Derby County prospect Morgan Whittaker came in January for around £720,000 amd Jamal Lowe for £850,000 before last season started.

Getting to know you, Martin and Williams

It isn't a defence of the swans we report this, it's just the wage bill until the end of last season was £340,000 a week for all the clubs playing staff and office support, so with Ayew and the loans leaving, about £100,000 a week is freed up. We haven't even blinked at running costs. So we wait today and potentially moving in to tomorrow for the opinion of Russell Martin on Matt Grimes future at the club. We believe Martin is flexible but will choose first his own players to replace him before talking Grimes around to a new contract at the Liberty. Those conversations we understand will happen over the coming few days, but Grimes who is another player on around £12,000 a week, and is keen to get the most from any transfer away. He is expected to be asking any new club for three times that amount.

Swansea did accept an initial bid from Fulham pending their talks with Grimes but a Covid issue in the swans squad delayed talks. Then an alleged injury to the player also held up any chance of a successful medical last week. We should say any reports of him being available for £1,500,000 are far wide of the mark. Grimes cost the club more than that when signing from Exeter City. Grimes has also worked very hard whilst at the swans, he wasn't flavour of the month for a long while going out on loan to Northampton and Leeds to find his feet, It was only after his Leeds experience, when on his last chance as a professional at Swansea that he displayed his real quality.

That quality over the past three seasons has got him noticed hence this weeks big decision for him and his future. We believe he wants to go, the lure of a far bigger pay day elsewhere will be the final incentive, you can't blame him. And of course Swansea City need the cash to fund the next chapter in the story for the coming season. It should get resolved this week, Grimes isn't out there training one hundred percent, and is pretty conspicuous by his absence from recent training days and friendly games. So it all points to a move, and hopefully some more money in the kitty for Russell Martin to designate to the players he has already earmarked ( we suppose with Andy Scott ? ) to strengthen what is a very small professional squad.

It's always nice to see players coming in and to thank players for their service, and it looks like we will get both experiences this week.



https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/swanseacity/news/55364/swans-wait-on-fulham-and-watford-for-russell-martin%E2%80%99s-first-transfer-news

WhiteJC

Barry Fry reveals whether the likes of Fulham, Stoke City and Bournemouth are still keen on Siriki Dembele

Peterborough United's director of football Barry Fry has insisted that Stoke City, Bournemouth and Fulham have not shown any recent interest in forward Siriki Dembele this summer.

Reports over the weekend had emerged that Dembele was a player that was on the radar of all three of Stoke City, Bournemouth and Fulham ahead of the start of the new Championship campaign.

It had been reported that all three sides were interested in making a move for the 24-year-old, but would only be willing to offer a fee of around £2.5 million to Peterborough for his services.

That is thought to be below the newly-promoted club's valuation of the attacker and therefore was expected to prove to be a stumbling block to any deal.

However, speaking to Peterborough Today, Fry has now revealed that neither Stoke City nor Bournemouth have shown an interest in Dembele this summer. While he did confess that Fulham have been keen on the attacker in the past, but have not made contact over a potential deal for him recently.

He said: "As for Siriki I suspect that's his agent trying to drum up interest. I've heard nothing from any of those clubs. Fulham have been interested in Siriki for a while, but I've had no contact from them recently."

The verdict

This is a major positive for Peterborough ahead of the start of the new Championship season with Dembele a player that they could really do with keeping hold of if they are going to have a real go at surviving and re-establishing themselves in the English second tier.

Stoke and Bournemouth could both have benefitted from adding a player with the ability that the 24-year-old has to both drive at defenders and also offer goals and assists in the final third.

However, it seems like neither side is going to come in for the attacker at this stage, with Fry believing that they are both not showing any real interest.

While Fulham have already added Harry Wilson to their squad and they might therefore feel that Dembele is not needed at this point.

Although, that might well change with them clearly being the side that are most interested out of the three sides to have most recently been linked with a potential move for Dembele this summer.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/barry-fry-reveals-whether-the-likes-of-fulham-stoke-city-and-bournemouth-are-still-keen-on-siriki-dembele/

WhiteJC

Silva's selection headaches

The clock ticks closer to the big kick off as Fulham's first Championship fixture against Middlesbrough at Craven Cottage looms large. Marco Silva has had to work quickly since his appointment as Scott Parker's successor, navigating a global pandemic and the difficulties of spending his first week in the job in isolation, rather than overseeing training at Motspur Park. He clearly has a different approach to the game than his predecessor and, hungry as he is to prove his point in English football, will want to play on the front foot.

Our first glimpse at what that might look like came in Saturday's final friendly against Charlton. There should, of course, be a caveat that you can't read too much into a pre-season fixture and that the opposition were a League One outfit. There were signs of little tactical tweaks, with the centre backs attempting more direct forward passes rather than rolling the ball to one another, and an attempt to support the lone centre forward with bodies from midfield in an enterprising 4-2-3-1. The other eyebrow raisers were some of the inclusions – Tyrese Francois and Fabio Carvalho quickly vindicated their selections, whilst the sight of Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa playing a prominent part teased the prospect of the Cameroonian midfielder playing a part in the Championship campaign. Whether that's actually probable remains to be seen.

Antonee Robinson, preferred to Joe Bryan at left back, had a challenging afternoon against the tricky Diallang Jaiyesimi, almost gifting Charlton an opening goal in the first half and risking a couple of rash challenges in close proximity to the penalty area after the interval. The American's rapidity is a real asset – both in terms of recovery speed and going forward – but must be balanced against the regularity which Joe Bryan found Aleksandar Mitrovic last time the Whites were in the Championship. That is probably Silva's first serious selection dilemma.

In goal, Paula Gazzaniga got to introduce himself to the Fulham faithful without having to do a great deal – although Marek Rodak was understood to be resting a minor knock in the expectation that he will be available for selection this weekend. The Argentine showed his ability when deputising for Hugo Lloris at Tottenham but he has never managed more than 22 first appearances in a decade in English football. Rodak broke through brilliantly at Championship level two seasons ago before being jettisoned in favour of Alphonse Areola and has a strong claim on the number one shirt. What message would it send to the Slovakian to bench him again – and to the young goalkeepers in Fulham's academy set up currently for that matter?

There's an interesting set of permutations possible in midfield. Harrison Reed may still be fit to face Boro, in which case he should reprise his water carrying role in front of the back four, but Francois' fine summer – referenced by Silva in glowing terms after the final whistle – makes him a genuine contender to start on Sunday. There was a rare sighting in a Fulham shirt of the lesser spotted Jean Michael Seri, although you'd suspect he will be plying his trade somewhere else when the transfer window closes at the end of the month. Josh Onomah didn't get off the bench, but his magnificent form at the tail end of the last promotion-winning campaign shouldn't be forgotten.

Carvalho is the clear contender to start at number ten in the continuing absence of Tom Cairney, who is still having to manage a return to training with his troublesome knees. The youngster looked more than comfortable in the Premier League last term and took his goal effortlessly – that sort of composure should serve him well when the campaign kicks off in earnest. He showed a commendable ability to withstand any physicality from Charlton's defenders and will obviously add something different to an attack that had become painfully predictable.


What a bold Silva selection might look like on Sunday

The identity of Fulham's two wingers remains an open question. Anthony Knockaert did what he does: a few promising dribbles, feint inside and deflected shot wide. He missed a very presentable header in the second half, kicking the Hammersmith End post in frustration, worked hard but also underhit a number of crosses and passes. You'd think Harry Wilson would be line to start against Middlesbrough, although the Welsh winger also missed a glaring chance to crown his first Fulham appearance with a goal from close range. Neeskens Kebano was a willing runner down the left, but I fancy Silva will restore his compatriot Ivan Cavaleiro to the starting line-up after the former Wolves winger was rested for this one.

The biggest plus for Fulham of the close season is that Silva has made clear that Mitrovic will be leading the line. Whilst the Serbian, who returned to pre-season after an extended break following his honeymoon, didn't look at his sharpest against Charlton, there's simply no downplaying his importance to the Whites' promotion push. Playing in an offensively-minded side, set up to feed his considerable strengths, Mitrovic should be looking to exceed the 26 goals he scored last time at this level. Should he do that, the Whites will fancy contending right at the top of the Championship.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/silvas-selection-headaches/


WhiteJC

The72 predicts the final 2021/22 Championship table – Derby woes? Fulham to prosper? Luton dark horses?

The Championship gets underway this Friday night, with Bournemouth welcoming West Brom in the inaugural game of the new 2021/22 season.

Another Championship season is upon us and the roster is looking as fierce as ever. Dropping down from the Premier League are West Brom, Sheffield United and Fulham whilst Hull City, Peterborough United and Blackpool arrive from League One.

We've asked our writers to predict the final 2021/22 Championship table, and here's what they've come up with:

Luke Phelps (@lukephelps72)

1. QPR
2. Fulham
3. Sheffield United
4. West Brom
5. Barnsley
6. Bournemouth
7. Millwall
8. Luton Town
9. Middlesbrough
10. Cardiff City
11. Stoke City
12. Birmingham City
13. Blackburn Rovers
14. Coventry City
15. Preston North End
16. Blackpool
17. Peterborough United
18. Swansea City
19. Reading
20. Nottingham Forest
21. Bristol City
22. Hull City
23. Huddersfield Town
24. Derby County

Harry Mail (@harrymail99)

1. Fulham
2. Sheffield United
3. West Brom
4. Nottingham Forest
5. Cardiff City
6. Bournemouth
7. Barnsley
8. Middlesbrough
9. QPR
10. Luton Town
11. Stoke City
12. Birmingham City
13. Bristol City
14. Swansea City
15. Millwall
16. Preston
17. Reading
18. Coventry City
19. Blackpool
20. Blackburn Rovers
21. Hull City
22. Huddersfield Town
23. Peterborough United
24. Derby County

James Ray (@_jamesrray)

1. Fulham
2. Bournemouth
3. West Brom
4. QPR
5. Sheffield United
6. Swansea City
7. Luton Town
8. Middlesbrough
9. Cardiff City
10. Nottingham Forest
11. Birmingham City
12. Barnsley
13. Stoke City
14. Millwall
15. Bristol City
16. Preston North End
17. Huddersfield Town
18. Coventry City
19. Blackpool
20. Blackburn Rovers
21. Peterborough United
22. Reading
23. Hull City
24. Derby County

Tom Rodgers (@TomRodgersFJ)

1. West Brom
2. Sheffield United
3. QPR
4. Bournemouth
5. Fulham
6. Middlesbrough
7. Swansea City
8. Cardiff City
9. Reading
10. Preston
11. Barnsley
12. Stoke City
13. Bristol City
14. Hull City
15. Forest
16. Millwall
17. Huddersfield Town
18. Blackburn Rovers
19. Luton Town
20. Peterborough United
21. Derby County
22. Coventry City
23. Birmingham City
24. Blackpool


Notes:

All our of writers have got Fulham finishing in the top-six, with all but one backing Marco Silva's side to claim an automatic promotion spot.

The Whites return to the Championship with a quality side and with a change in manager, hopefully the west London club can find a new lease of life as they vie for yet another immediate return to the Premier League.

At the other end of the table, all but one of our writers have predicted that Derby County will finish rock-bottom of the upcoming Championship season.

Wayne Rooney's side are in a perilous position – just a few days away from their Championship opener v Huddersfield Town, they've barely got enough players to field a squad and look likely to be relying on youth players to make up the numbers throughout the course of next season.

Elsewhere, Luton Town could once again be dark horses after their 12th-place finish last season.

Nathan Jones' side have put together an impressive summer transfer window bringing in the likes of Carlos Mendes Gomes and Allan Campbell to name a couple of shrewd signings, and all but one of our writers have backed them to finish inside the top ten next season.



https://the72.co.uk/243769/the72-predicts-the-final-2021-22-championship-table-derby-woes-fulham-to-prosper-luton-dark-horses/

WhiteJC

Injuries & transfers means Middlesbrough's starting XI could look very different at end of August

The gradually increasing squad has a positive feel about it, writes Eric Paylor

Neil Warnock faces the prospect of kicking off the season at Fulham on Sunday without his completed team in place.

Boro may still sign a striker during the week and may even finalise another deal.

Yet time is running out to get new signings integrated into the squad, while even Martin Payero may be sidelined as he completes his self-isolation period.

Add that to the injuries of busy creators Marcus Tavernier and Sammy Ameobi, and suddenly the line- up looks potentially half a team short of the envisaged final product.

Boro have still had a good summer, Warnock has got five players in, and the gradually increasing squad has a positive feel about it.

So you wouldn't put it past Boro to go to Fulham and come away with a positive result.

That's despite the fact that the Cottagers have retained much of their Premier League squad and are the bookies' favourites to go straight back up again.

In fact it's an ideal time to go to Fulham, largely because the players are full of adrenaline. The home side must try to deal with Boro's guaranteed early season vibrancy and will struggle to get the ball down and play.

The longer the game goes on without Joe Lumley needing to pick the ball out of the net the more that Fulham will feel the pressure – and Boro's confidence will hit the ceiling.

It will also help with the competition for places when Warnock gets his other players in place.

The arrival of the league season means that Warnock will be working on all fronts as he works hard to get results on the pitch and also complete his squad by the end of August.

Boro desperately need another striker if they are to be promotion contenders. Hopefully Boro will manage to attract this striker who has been playing in Europe who we are told will "pleasantly surprise" many fans.

It's a shame that Boro could not entice Rodrigo Muniz to Teesside. The player appears to have been attracted by the bright lights of London.

In many respects the Brazilian will be under much increased pressure to "do the business" in the capital city. He'll be under greater scrutiny.

However Muniz has made his choice. He would no doubt have been a hit on Teesside, but at the age of 20, maybe not in the short term.

Martin Payero is a couple of years older and a full international. This suggests he is much more likely to adapt more readily to his new surroundings.

If Payero stays on Teesside for a few years then the player will surely blossom and I suspect we will see a very good signing.

Juninho was also 22 when he arrived at the Riverside. He blew hot and cold in his first season so we should expect Payero to need a bedding-in period.

It's great that Boro coach Leo Percovich has been able to create these avenues in South America.

Fingers crossed, there will be more players to follow Payero in the foreseeable future.

We know Warnock is concentrating his efforts on finding a left-sided player.

It's quite possible that the left-sider will arrive on loan, now that clubs are beginning to issue lists of players they are prepared to loan out.

Warnock has revealed that he recently looked at a list of Watford's potential loanees and was not interested in any of them.

No doubt he will be more interested when the likes of Manchester City, United and Liverpool release their lists. There will certainly be a lot of half decent players up for grabs.

The object is to get targeted players signed as quickly as possible so that Warnock gets his completed team on the playing field on a regular basis.

C'mon Boro. Let's see you produce something special at Fulham which creates an eye-opener for the rest of the Championship.



https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/injuries--transfers-means-middlesbroughs-21213624

WhiteJC

3 Fulham players to watch out for in the 2021/22 season

After the disappointment of relegation back to the Championship, Fulham will be hoping for an instant return to the top flight – new manager Marco Silva brings an impress reputation and has already added two former Premier League players in Harry Wilson and Paulo Gazzaniga.

Optimism is already high around the club and following a recent victory over Charlton in pre-season, Fulham will be itching to get off to a positive start at home to Middlesbrough on Sunday.

Here's three Fulham players to watch out for in the 2021/22 season:

Fabio Carvalho
Fabio Carvalho is a bright, energetic young midfielder who has has progressed through Fulham's Academy.

After an impressive U23 season where he grabbed 11 goals in 13 games, the 18-year-old appeared in the final three games of last season and was able to score his first goal for the club in a 3-1 defeat to Southampton.

Having started and scored in the last pre-season game against Charlton, Fabio could become an important factor of Fulham's midfield and could easily become a fans' favourite.

Tosin Adarabioyo
A powerful and athletic defender, Tosin Adarabioyo is a commanding centre-back who appeared 32 times in Fulham's last campaign.

Arriving from Man City for a fee of £2 million, the 23-year-old formed a strong partnership alongside Danish defender Joachim Andersen and earned nine clean sheets in a challenging debut season in the Premier League.

With previous experience in the Championship with West Brom and Blackburn, the 6″5 defender should really come in to his own next season.

Harrison Reed
Harrison Reed is an energetic, box-to-box central midfield who is not afraid to put his body on the line.

Another one from the Southampton youth academy, the 26-year-old has had loan spells at Norwich, Blackburn and Fulham before making the permanent £6 million move to the Whites last summer.

If Reed can keep fit and avoid injuries, he could play a major role in helping guiding Fulham back to the Premier League.



https://the72.co.uk/243809/3-fulham-players-to-watch-out-for-in-the-2021-22-season/


WhiteJC

Fear and loathing at Craven Cottage – Volume 1: Charlton (h)

I was somewhere around Stevenage Road at the ridiculously early time of 1.25pm on Saturday when the anticipation began to take hold. The clean slate of a new season coupled with the fact I hadn't seen a live game in eighteen months had led me to grossly overestimating my time of arrival.

With the exception of programme sellers setting up shop and a few souls clearly as desperate as me to return to a place that inadvertently causes us such pain and suffering, the outside of the stadium remained deserted.

I attempted to waste time with the obligatory purchase of a new home shirt, size small in a bid to stave off any weight gain throughout the season but achieving this feat within a few minutes left me with a good ninety more before a ball would be kicked in anger.

Glancing towards the Cottage gates Charlton had just arrived on their coach with plenty of time to spare. I decided to join the handful of fans eagerly awaiting the home team but gave up after forty minutes as the overcast skies finally delivered on what they had been threatening for a while and hosed it down, with little sign of Marco Silva's arrival.

This seemed an appropriate moment to slip through the turnstiles and source refreshments before adjourning to my seat for a read of the programme. Just as I am informed that Cottage pies are not available today the paper bag containing my new home shirt perishes from its exposure to the downpour and dumps the pristine white on the dirty floor. I hope this is not an omen for the season ahead and seek solace in my second choice pastry... a Chicken Balti.

The decision to sit in the Johnny Haynes stand is a treat only for pre-season. I suspect I'm one of many displaced fans today finding themselves in unfamiliar surroundings. The opportunity to view a match side on rather than from behind a goal feels a little strange with the only familiarity being the cold black plastic of the seat having not risked splinters by pitching further back on the wooden ones. I sit a perfectly measured distance to get a smell of the turf and manicured bowling green with the added bonus of shelter above from the elements.

The announcement of a delayed kick-off from 3 to 4pm was to be expected given the coach's no show earlier on. This allowed more time to appreciate the progress made on the new towering Riverside stand. Much of the seating and structure now in place, it occurred that glimpses of the river through the glass on the lower tier may soon be the only way the Thames can be seen from inside the stadium. As the corners are gradually filled in those of us in the Hammersmith end will no longer be able to seek comfort staring at passing rowers on those days when things aren't going so well on the pitch. The only thing steeper than the Riverside stand in fact is the £3 I was charged for a Diet Coke (minus the lid) .. Oh how we missed this.

The rain ceased as we crept closer to the revised kick off. Fulham's line up offered a blend of familiar faces, young prospects and players who we all fully expect not to be here for much longer. In Fabio Carvalho and Tyrese Francois we see glimpses of the riches that exist within our under utilised youth system while the likes of Tim Ream and Anthony Knockaert may again get the chance to prove their worth having been previously discarded. New signing Paulo Gazzaniga in goal gave us two "man buns" in the back line, something that inspired about as much confidence as Gabor Kiraly's tracksuit trousers.

Aside from the only goal of the game which came courtesy of beautiful combination from Francois and Carvalho around the 30 minute mark, the highlight of the first half was the enthusiasm and banter brought by Charlton's travelling band of fans, approximately three hundred of whom had made the trip. Naturally the atmosphere was flatter than usual, lone voices trumping anything in the way of a collective sing-a-long. Some would argue that many in attendance were as plastic as the coverings adorning the new seating in the Riverside stand. A point best illustrated by the number of people committing the cardinal sin of trying to drink alcohol at their seat. Something that would suggest they are not perhaps regular attendees but rather there for a nice day out. The inevitable "This is a library" and "We forgot that you were here" seemed fully justified although I will take my hat off and say that "Your ground's too big for you" was particularly inspired. I draw a line at "Your just a bus stop in Chelsea" though as any cartophile will know Chelsea is very much a club IN Fulham.

To say the performance was a breath of fresh air from last season would be a stretch. Fulham certainly looked lively at times, neat passing from the back but as usual our crossing ability and cutting edge in the final third was predictably woeful. A season at Nottingham Forest has done little to dampen Anthony Knockaert's enthusiasm but if he had been half as good as the digger currently situated between the Hammersmith and Riverside stands at burying things then Fulham's advantage would have been much more commanding

Although Charlton gave a good account of themselves, Gazzaniga didn't really have a save to make. Mitrovic certainly looked leaner than last season, but struggled to splutter out of first gear. The obligatory "Mitro's on fire" was sung to inspire him, but the man himself barely got warm. 

Fulham were in control for most of the second half without really ever exciting. The final twenty minutes were littered with substitutions and, with ten to go, Silva sent on Bryan and Mawson for Robinson and Ream leaving my preferred back four to play out time. I wouldn't expect that to be the case against Middlesbrough, with Mawson's previous fitness injury, but Robinson's defensive shortcomings should at least bring Bryan into the conversation.

Predictably the game was over bang on the ninety minutes. The advantage of the Johnny Haynes Stand is the swift exit in to Stevenage Road, providing a prompt arrival at my dinner engagement despite the delay to kick off. It certainly wasn't a game that will live long in the memory, an appetiser for what is to follow next week but one welcomed with open arms by fans who have been desperately hungry for a taste of seeing Fulham in the flesh once again.

Here's to another season of dreaming #COYW 



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/fear-and-loathing-at-craven-cottage-volume-1-charlton-h/

WhiteJC

'Fulham interested': Director discusses if £4m man will join Marco Silva's side

Fulham have shown an interest in Siriki Dembele but the Championship giants have made 'no recent contact' for the Peterborough United forward, director of football Barry Fry tells the Peterborough Telegraph.

The London Road outfit have a history when it comes to unearthing diamonds in the rough before turning them into polished gems capable of shining at a far higher level.

And, as Siriki Dembele hopped, skipped and slalomed his way through League One defences during a superb 2020/21 campaign, it seemed only a matter of time before the one-time Grimsby Town prospect was following in the footsteps of Dwight Gayle, George Boyd, Britt Assombalonga and Ivan Toney.

The dazzling Dembele has been linked with Celtic, Rangers, Wolves and Newcastle United.

He even handed in a transfer request in January. 

Six months ago, you'd have got long odds on Dembele starting for Peterborough during the opening game of the 2021/22 season, away at Luton Town on August 7.

That appears to be the case, however, with the interest drying up quicker than a puddle in the depths of Death Valley despite suggestions that Dembele is now available for just £4 million (The Sun).

Has Siriki Dembele missed his Fulham chance?

"I suspect that's his agent trying to drum up interest. I've heard nothing from any of those clubs," Fry said when quizzed about reported interest from Bournemouth, Stoke City and Marco Silva's Cottagers.

"Fulham have been interested in Siriki for a while, but I've had no contact from them recently."

A change of coach at Craven Cottage – ex-Everton boss Silva replaced Scott Parker a few weeks ago – means a change of transfer plans too. 

Fulham have brought in Harry Wilson from Liverpool and could strengthen their frontline further with a £7 million deal for Rodrigo Muniz.

The Flamengo striker has agreed a five-year deal in West London, turning down Middlesbrough in favour of Fulham.

Fry, meanwhile, has also played down reports linking another Peterborough star – 33-goal striker Jonson Clarke-Harris – with Rangers.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/08/03/fulham-interested-director-discusses-if-4m-man-will-join-marco-silvas-side/

WhiteJC

Middlesbrough Tickets


Be there at Craven Cottage this weekend for Marco Silva's first home league game in charge as Fulham kick-off their Sky Bet Championship campaign against Middlesbrough on Sunday 8th August, 1.30pm.

With Craven Cottage set to welcome supporters back for a league game for the first time since February 2020, we can't wait to see you all in SW6!

Tickets for this fixture are now on General Sale with fans able to purchase up to six tickets per person priced from £30 for adults, £25 for concessions and £15 for juniors. 21/22 Members are able to take advantage of their £5 discount on home league match tickets (£2 for concessions.) Supporters are advised that there will be a £5 price increase on matchday so be sure to secure your seat in advance.

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/august/Middlesbrough-Tickets/


WhiteJC

EFL confirms iFollow service changes with 3pm kick-offs gone to protect attendances

With the 2021-22 season just days away, the 72 clubs in the EFL are preparing to welcome back fans

The EFL have confirmed its in-house streaming service, iFollow, has returned to a format similar to the one employed pre-Covid.

The move is being made in order to protect returning matchday attendances, with clubs finally permitted to allow capacity crowds for the first time since March 2020.

The vast majority of fans have been locked out completely and as such have had to rely on he iFollow service, or their club-hosted alternative. The services allowed fans to stream games from home via their phone, laptop or tablet and proved to be a lifeline for supporters of the 72 members clubs.


In their absence, many clubs allowed fans to design cardboard cut-outs to populate empty stadiums

Temporary streaming laws were introduced that allowed clubs to brodcast games - providing a much-needed income albeit considerably less than normal gate receipts.

Fans not permitted to travel or enter grounds could still catch their sides' match by paying a one-off fee per game or subscribing on a monthly or season basis.

Now, with the UK finally out of lockdown and capacity limits scrapped, the EFL is placing a big emphasis on luring fans back to stadiums.

The knock-on effect of that is that iFollow now returns to its pre-pandemic format. That means games outside the usual Saturday 3pm slot will not be televised, although midweek matches will be - provided they are not being televised on Sky Sports.

An EFL spokesperson said: "With COVID capacity restrictions lifted and EFL fixtures set to be played in front of full crowds again for the first time since March 2020, the best place to see your team live in season 2021/22 is, of course, at the stadium.

"In respect of domestic streaming, the EFL will return to the position as was prior to the pandemic when the live broadcast or streaming of any match in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is prohibited between the hours of 2:45pm-5:15pm on Saturday afternoons.

"EFL Clubs will have the right to live-stream midweek matches on iFollow or Club equivalent service, with Sky Sports also able to stream the same Championship fixtures to subscribers across their Red Button interactive and digital services."

The iFollow service flourished during the pandemic. In the season just gone, 55 of the 72 clubs employed the service (The others used their own in-house platforms) with over 360,000 fans in 175 different countries tuning in.

In total, revenue exceeded more than £42million thanks to streaming games.

It also saved clubs millions in refunds to existing season ticket holders.



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/efl-ifollow-changes-confirmed-streaming-24490150

WhiteJC

The 2021/22 Championship Preview

With the 2021/22 Championship campaign commencing this week, we take a look at what awaits Fulham, from new stadiums to familiar faces.

The start

On paper, August's fixtures appear to be a good start to the season, with none of our five opponents finishing higher than 10th last year, but we're long enough in the tooth to know that there are no easy matches in England's second tier.

Nobody has won promotion to the top-flight more times than Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock, having led Notts County, Sheffield United, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City to the promised land.

Huddersfield Town are our first away opponents, with the Terriers welcoming club legend Jordan Rhodes back this summer. The striker scored an astonishing 87 goals in three years at the John Smith's Stadium under the tutelage of Fulham favourite Lee Clark a decade ago.

Millwall away always represents a different kind of test, Hull City won 27 league matches last season to ensure an immediate return to the Championship, and Stoke City have improved their final position in the table in each of their three seasons out of the Premier League.

New turf

Fulham will visit the Ricoh Arena for the first time ever at the start of October, after it was confirmed that Coventry City would be returning to the stadium following two years of ground-sharing at Birmingham City's St Andrew's.

With various relegations and promotions, Fulham and the Sky Blues have avoided each other over the years. It's more than half a century since we've met in the league, when Steve Earle's goal earned us a point in a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage in what was our last top flight campaign for 33 years.

Peterborough United are another rarely faced opponent, with this season only our second ever in the same division as the Posh. They did the double over us on that occasion, in 1991/92, en route to winning the third tier Play-Offs.

London Road – or the Weston Homes Stadium as it's now called – does not represent a new ground, though, as Peterborough have played there throughout their history.

Familiar faces

We will come up against each of the men responsible for our promotions from the Championship in our previous two seasons in the division.

Following their relegation from the Premier League, Sheffield United swooped to bring Slaviša Jokanović back to the UK, and the Serb will be targeting a third promotion having also led Watford to the top flight.

Scott Parker will also be back at the Cottage this season with his AFC Bournemouth side in December. In fact, our final two away matches are at Vitality Stadium and Bramall Lane, which could make for a dramatic finale.

There are also a number of former Fulham players plying their trade in the Championship.

Ollie Norwood will have been pleased with Jokanović's appointment having thrived under him in 2017/18, while his teammates in that promotion side Tomas Kalas and Stefan Johansen are now at Bristol City and QPR, respectively.

Barnsley and Cauley Woodrow have been a perfect match since his move to Oakwell, while Millwall fielded no fewer than three former Whites in our recent friendly; Matt Smith, Shaun Hutchinson and Scott Malone.

Neil Etheridge is the number one choice at Birmingham, where he has recently been joined by Jordan Graham, while David Button and Jordan Archer have backup roles with West Bromwich Albion and QPR.

Wayne Routledge is about to enter his 11th season with Swansea City, Chris Martin is in Bristol, and Harry Arter made a permanent switch to Nottingham Forest after his Fulham loan.

Blackpool have two former Whites left-backs in their ranks in James Husband and Luke Garbutt, while two Academy products – Elijah Adebayo and Djed Spence – are regulars with Luton Town and Middlesbrough, respectively.

Transfers

Most of the Championship incomings this summer have been free transfers and loans, though a couple of clubs have brought in new players on undisclosed deals.

Barnsley have added plenty of firepower with three new strikers, including Andrew Cole's son and Michy Batshuayi's brother.

The Tykes lost captain Alex Mowatt to West Brom, who have also brought in plenty of Championship knowhow with Adam Reach and Matt Clarke.

Swansea parted with a reported seven figures to get Dutch youth international Joel Piroe, with similar amounts apparently spent by Stoke on Ben Wilmot and QPR on Andre Dozzell.

There has been some cross-Championship business done, too, with old school number nine James Collins swapping Luton for Cardiff, Martyn Waghorn heading 50 miles north from Derby to Coventry, Sammy Ameobi moving from the red of Nottingham to the red of Middlesbrough, and our very own Stefan Johansen making the short switch to Rangers.

One club yet to do any business is Derby, who are currently operating under strict financial restrictions in the transfer market.

The likes of Sone Aluko and Richard Stearman have been amongst the trialists with the Rams, and now Wayne Rooney has some decisions to make in the knowledge that he can only bring in four players.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/august/The-2021-22-Championship-Preview/

WhiteJC


Cottage Talk Season Preview With Fulham Legends Gordon Davies And Robert Wilson

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

This is our season preview for Fulham, and joining us for this show was Fulham legends Gordon Davies and Robert Wilson. We will get you ready for the upcoming season as we analyze the team. We end with our season predictions.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2021/8/3/22608487/cottage-talk-season-preview-with-fulham-legends-gordon-davies-and-robert-wilson