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Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 11/08/21...

Started by WhiteJC, August 11, 2021, 12:04:39 AM

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WhiteJC

Wilson: 'I know I've made the right decision'

Fulham's new signing Harry Wilson gave a very interesting interview to Goal yesterday, discussing his departure from Anfield with the website's Liverpool correspondent Neil Jones.

The Welsh international was adamant that this was the time to move on, after a succession of impressive loan spells – both in the Championship and the Premier League – had got him no closer to the Liverpool starting line-up. "I'd been thinking that for a couple of years, to be honest. wouldn't say it was an easy thing to do, but it is definitely the right thing for me. I know I've made the right decision."

Wilson, who scored a stunning opening goal on his debut in the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough on Sunday, underlined the importance of Marco Silva's influence in convincing him to pick Craven Cottage over other options.

"When you move clubs, it has to be the manager who wants you. The owners and the chief executive, whoever, might like you, but the manager is the one picking the team every weekend. He's the one that matters. In this deal, I feel like it was the manager who drove it forward. When I was on my holidays after the Euros, he was ringing me up. I felt like he'd watched me, that he understood my game. He told me the positions I'd play in his team, how he'd want me to play, and I felt like it'd be a great fit."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/wilson-i-know-ive-made-the-right-decision/

WhiteJC

High-profile Fulham absentee explained as speculation lingers

Andre-Frank Anguissa was left out of the Fulham squad at the weekend due to his desire to leave Craven Cottage, according to The Athletic.

Anguissa joined Fulham from Marseille in the summer of 2018, arriving from the French club for a deal worth around £22.3million.

The midfielder is yet to play a single minute of Championship football having spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Villarreal, but he has made 58 appearances across two Premier League seasons.

Fulham's relegation from the Premier League has led to plenty of interest in his signature this summer, from the likes of Italy, Spain and England.

On Sunday, he was left out of the squad which faced Middlesbrough on the opening day of the campaign, as Marco Silva's men drew 1-1.

The Athletic have now provided a reasoning behind this, with Anguissa left out due to his desire to leave the club this summer.

Silva does not want any uncommitted players playing for Fulham as they target an immediate return to the top-flight this season, with Anguissa's future up in the air.

The 25-year-old has another two years left on his deal at Craven Cottage, and the club also have a year's extension option. The club rejected a loan bid from Valencia last week, and it remains to be seen if any other offers come in.

The Verdict

This is undoubtedly the right decision made by Silva.

Anguissa's head can't be in the right place at the moment, as he is being linked with so many places and so many clubs.

He didn't play in the Championship last time around, and I don't see that mindset changing anytime soon. They need to get him off the wage bill if he isn't going to play.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/high-profile-fulham-absentee-explained-as-speculation-lingers/

WhiteJC

Fulham dealt Leo Ostigard transfer blow

Fulham have been dealt a major blow in their bid to bring Leo Ostigard to Craven Cottage this summer.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by Football League World, who claimed that Stoke City have beaten off the competition to secure a loan deal for the Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back, with the 21-year-old having undergone a medical with the Potters ahead of his temporary switch to the bet365 Stadium.

Indeed, a host of Championship clubs were reported to have been keen on a move for the coveted defender, with Sheffield United and Middlesbrough, along with Fulham and Stoke, also credited with an interest in the Norway under-21 international.

However, it now appears as if Tony Khan will have to turn his attention elsewhere regarding additions to the Fulham defence in the summer transfer window, with Ostigard set to complete a move to Stoke in the very near future.

Khan will be fuming

With Fulham having lost the services of loanee Joachim Andersen at the end of last season, and the Cottagers' director or football having so far failed to replace the 25-year-old centre-back with a new signing in the position this summer, Khan is sure to be fuming over missing out on a deal for Ostigard.

The 21-year-old impressed over his 39 Championship appearances while on loan at Coventry City last season, with the £2.7m-rated man helping his side to keep 11 clean sheets, averaging one interception, 0.7 tackles and 4.1 clearances and winning 6.6 duels per game.

He also chipped in for his team in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals, registering two assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of one shot and making 0.2 key passes per fixture.

These returns saw the man who Mark Robins dubbed an "outstanding" player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.84, ranking him as Coventry's joint seventh-best performer in the Championship last term.

As such, it would very much seem as if Ostigard would have made a fantastic addition to Marco Silva's options in defence ahead of a hectic Championship campaign. However, with Stoke appearing to have all but secured the signing of the centre-back, Khan must now turn his search elsewhere over what remains of the summer transfer window.



https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-fc-transfer-rumours/fulham-transfer-news-brighton-hove-albion-marco-silva-tony-khan-leo-ostigard-stoke-city-the-championship


WhiteJC

Report: Sheffield United, Fulham and Middlesbrough plan Premier League raid

Graham Potter will let Leo Ostigard leave Brighton and Hove Albion with Fulham, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough just three Championship clubs showing an interest, as reported by TEAMtalk.

Despite the £50 million departure of Ben White to Arsenal, Brighton still have more than enough centre-halves to go round.

Lewis Dunk, Dan Burn, Joel Veltman and the criminally underrated Adam Webster will all be battling for a place in Potter's starting XI this season. Shane Duffy, meanwhile, has returned with a point to prove following a disastrous loan spell at Celtic.

It's hard to imagine 21-year-old Ostigard forcing his way into the first team picture at The Amex, especially when you consider he hasn't made a single league appearance for the Seagulls since arriving from Molde in 2018.

Ostigard did impress on loan at Coventry City last season, however, helping Mark Robins' side finish comfortably clear of the relegation zone.

And, according to TEAMtalk, the Norway U21 international will be returning to the Championship before the month is out after Potter agreed he wouldn't stand in his way.

Promotion favourites Fulham, Sheffield United, Bournemouth and Middlesbrough are all interested, as are Stoke City and Barnsley.

Sheffield United boss Slavisa Jokanovic has already confirmed his desire to bring in a new centre-half, with Liverpool's Ben Davies another target, while Middlesbrough could face a late-window battle as they look to retain the highly rated Dael Fry.

Leicester City are keen on the Boro-born giant and could step up their interest following the news Wesley Fofana will be missing until 2022 because of his broken leg.

"He has done well, he has been good in training," Potter told The Argus in July of Ostigard, who has just one year left on his contract.

"I thought today (a 0-0 friendly draw with Rangers) he did really well, defended his box well and showed good composure on the ball.

"So he was a real positive from the game. He is a young player who had a really good loan last season."



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/08/10/sheffield-united-ostigard/

WhiteJC

Club 'keeping an eye' on Fulham flop – 'Studying feasibility of a potential transfer' as cover for injured starter

Never managing to impose himself at Fulham following his big transfer from OGC Nice, Jean-Michael Seri only has one year left on his contract.

A move away from Craven Cottage seems like the likeliest option for the Ivorian, and there is one club in particular who could offer him a new chance at playing regular football at the top level.

According to Foot Mercato, that is Napoli in Italy, who are looking for a new player to bring in to 'compensate for the lengthy absence of Diego Demme'.

The website explain they are 'keeping an eye' on the Fulham player, and are currently 'studying the feasibility of a potential transfer'.

They aren't the only ones, though, since Galatasaray, where Seri has played before on loan from Fulham, are 'keeping a watchful eye on the evolution of the situation'.

There are no details of how much the player would cost, but with less than a year left on his contract, there is little chance of the Championship side recouping close to what they initially paid for him.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/club-keeping-eye-fulham-flop-studying-feasibility-potential-transfer-cover-injured-starter/

WhiteJC

Napoli weigh up Seri swoop

Napoli are weighing up a move for Fulham midfielder Jean Michael Seri, according to reports this afternoon.

The Ivorian midfielder, who has entered the final year of his contract at Craven Cottage, is expected to be leave Fulham before the end of the transfer window despite being an unused substitute as Marco Silva's side started their Championship campaign with a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough on Sunday. Seri, who has made only 36 appearances for the Whites since his big money move from Nice three years ago, spent the second half of last season on loan at Bordeaux.

The French football website Foot Mercato claims that Napoli are keeping a close eye on Seri as a possible replacement for their injured German midfielder Diego Demme. It is understood that they made an enquiry with the Cottagers earlier this summer about taking the 30 year-old to Serie A. Napoli may face competition from Galatasaray, where Seri spent the 2019/20 season on loan, with the Turkish side also interested in offering him a possible exit from west London.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/napoli-weigh-up-seri-swoop/


WhiteJC

The tricky nature of the transfer market

Tempers tend to get a bit heated in the middle of the transfer window. It's called the silly season for a reason – and Fulham's dealings in the market, as well as their recruitment methods, have been a hot topic for a while now. During a pandemic, with money clearly tight for a lot of clubs, the issue how much people will spend on a new signings is definitely up for debate.

I can't be alone in considering some of the fees banded about these days as astronomical. Ben White for £50m, Joe Willock for £25m – they seem extremely high for rather average English players. But the big spending Premier League sides are not the only ones to blame. We've seen how the financial pinch has decimated all of the French sides bar PSG and the Chinese Super League now seems an attractive destination for players who are chasing a quick pay day. All of this means some very average footballers are able to retire with millions in the bank and worth more than what some League Two clubs are worth.

Fulham are undoubtedly still struggling when it comes to Financial Fair Play as a result of their summer spending spree on reaching the top flight in 2018. It is easy to blame one man, but I think there's a bigger picture to consider. Inflated transfer fees have been around for a while, but the amount of money going out of the game to agents has risen similarly unchecked. Clubs find it difficult to navigate a way around paying intermediaries – as they are now universally known – and there's always been a suspicion that this is one of the reasons for some of the more eyebrow-raising deals.

One of the most interesting cases is how Wolves, through their links with Fosun and the super agent Jorge Mendes, landed a lot of premium Portuguese players on their way up from the Championship. Before their amazing ascent to the top of the division, they signed Ivan Cavaleiro – now of this parish – and Helder Costa. Nuno's arrival saw Ruben Neves sign for nearly £16m and a host of high-profile loanees. It isn't as though big spending in the Championship is a new thing – Fulham splashed out some £60m on new signings from 2014 to 2018 – Middlesbrough paid out £30m on three strikers, Stoke revamped their squad at a cost of £56m and Aston Villa spent £76m in the season when they bought Ross McCormack.

Nobody is holding a gun to anybody's head and demanding that they pay extortionate transfer fees. Clubs are shrewd at pricing up their most prised assets. Look at how Crystal Palace have proven able to hold onto their most influential player, Wilfred Zaha, by valuing him at £75m. They know how important he is to their fortunes and have acted accordingly. That is the same price that Barcelona, another club now counting the cost of horrendous financial missteps, paid for Neymar. It may be trite to say so now, but the market approach – and amount of money oozing out of the game – is ruining football. No amount of regulation will be able to stop it and the leagues are essentially powerless.

The game's problems are far bigger than how Tony Khan choses to act as Fulham's director of football – whatever we think about whether he should hold the post. Clubs like Wigan, Luton, Bury and Southend have all fallen victim to what appear draconian punishments for actions by absentee owners or unprincipled asset-strippers – and, in Bury's case at least, the lack of intervention from the EFL should be a permanent stain on that organisation. The leading Spanish clubs are struggling, Tottenham have had to take out a loan worth almost £400m and some of the wages that substitutes are on at the leading continental clubs appear staggering.

The chronology of Fulham's transfer dealings under the Khans makes for interesting and, sometimes, painful reading. They have been some excellent signings – look at the impact of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Harrison Reed, Joe Bryan, Kenny Tete and loanees like Lucas Piazon, Tomas Kalas, Matt Targett and Oliver Norwood. Fulham's use of the loan system has been criticised but it got us the likes of Calum Chambers and Joachim Andersen for a season when the pair were quoted as being worth a combined £40m should we want to acquire them permanently. Many others were far less successful and the splurging on Jean Michael Seri, Maxime Le Marchand and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa looks ill-advised in hindsight, especially as it seemed like Slavisa Jokanovic looked unsure as to how to use them.

The nature of our FFP predicament means that Marco Silva and Fulham will have to get creative in order to add further signings in the closing weeks of the transfer window. But the same issues are afflicting plenty of clubs – look at Liverpool's lack of transfer business to date; any acquisitions Jurgen Klopp makes are dependent on outgoings from Anfield. The times of Fulham splashing the cash to reach the Premier League belong to that glorious bygone era under Mohamed Al-Fayed and it makes every transfer window something of a waiting game these days.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/the-tricky-nature-of-the-transfer-market/

WhiteJC

Kamara's Aris move back on?

Reports from Greece this evening claim that Fulham forward Aboubakar Kamara's move to Aris is back on.

The Aris Thessaloniki chairman Thodoris Karipidis personally handled the negotiations in London between Fulham and Kamara's representatives and will fly back to Greece with the Mauritanian international. The deal is believed to be a structured one, with Aris paying an upfront fee of around £3m.

Kamara's brief substitute appearance against Middlesbrough on Sunday at Craven Cottage may now prove to be his final Fulham outing.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/kamaras-aris-move-back-on/

WhiteJC

Wolves have to target Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa this summer

Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a very quiet couple of weeks in the transfer market.

On Saturday, Wolves will begin their Premier League campaign against former champions Leicester City, and fans will surely want to see more new faces soon.

One player that Wolves should make a bid for this summer is Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who was left out of the Cottagers' recent matchday squad.

According to a report in The Athletic, this is because the Cameroon international is looking to leave.

Until now there have been no concrete links linking him with Wolves. However, the midfielder would be a fine addition to the depleted midfield.

Considering that Real Madrid were linked as recently as last summer, Anguissa may be a smart purchase for Wolves.

Why Anguissa?
Initial impressions of the combative midfielder may not great. This is understandable given his involvement in Fulham's last two relegations.

However, his experience across Europe has demonstrated that he can operate at a very high level.

During his final season at Olympique de Marseille in 2018, he was a key part in the team that reached the Europa League final.

A year after his ill-fated first season with Fulham, he shone abroad again – this time with Villarreal in Spain. Ranked among the top ten players for number of tackles made during the 2019/20 La Liga season, his contribution was immense.

Furthermore, Anguissa possesses excellent technical ability. He was a key player for Fulham despite their relegation last term. The 90 players that he successfully dribbled past were the highest for any midfielder in the Premier League during the 2020/21 campaign.

Both of these traits would add a lot of dynamism to the Wolves midfield.

What is stopping Wolves from signing him?
First of all, there is the price tag. Fulham paid Marseille £22.3 million to sign the midfielder, as reported by Sky Sports. The Cottagers are unlikely to sell at too much of a loss.

A much cheaper alternative is Okay Yokuslu, who is a similar profile to Anguissa. The Celta Vigo midfielder could be available for as little as £5m.

Secondly, there is the competition. A number of teams have expressed their interest in the Cameroonian, including Everton. Valencia have had a loan bid rejected for him last week.

Finally, Wolves may be concerned that he will be absent for a month due to his likely participation at the African Cup of Nations. With Willy Boly and Romain Saiss already likely to be at the competition, the club may deem this just a risk not worth taking.



https://www.molineux.news/opinion/andre-frank-zambo-anguissa-wolves-fulham/


WhiteJC

2 dilemmas Fulham boss Marco Silva faces after Middlesbrough draw

Marco Silva's Fulham side had to settle for a 1-1 draw on Sunday afternoon in their season opener at a packed Craven Cottage.

Harry Wilson's stunning opener on the half-hour mark was cancelled out by Marc Bola's strike 13 minutes from time, leaving both teams with a point to take home to begin the season.

On paper, Marco Silva definitely has one of the strongest squads in the division, after keeping a lot of their players from the Premier League. He does have some fresh issues to look at after the weekend's result in order to prepare to head to Huddersfield on Saturday, we take a look at what they are:

Aleksandar Mitrovic
We all know Mitrovic has quality, and he has had incredible seasons in the Championship in the past, with his best campaign coming with 26 goals in 2019/2020. However, after a poor season last year only grabbing 3 goals, his position could be in jeopardy.

On Sunday, he looked isolated and the game really passed him by, the striker hasn't seemed himself in recent times. Fulham have options like Bobby Decordova-Reid on the bench, so there is nothing to say he has to play.

An unbalanced midfield
The Cottagers lined up on Sunday in a 4-2-3-1 formation, typically you would associate that two in midfield with a holding midfielder and a box-to-box midfielder/central midfielder. The two that took up that spot against Middlesbrough were Josh Onomah and Tyrese Francois.

Onomah throughout his career has been widely regarded as an attacking midfielder who can play in the number 10 role, so playing as a central midfielder who may have to cover the defence does not seem like it should be the position for him.

Although playing this way will get Fulham fans on the edge of their seats with attacking football, it could leave them very exposed at the back. Despite this, Onomah put in a good defensive performance against Middlesbrough, winning 9 duels and making 3 tackles.

With options like Jean Michael Seri on the bench, who is more equipped as a holding midfielder, Fulham do have the options to play a more balanced midfield.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/2-dilemmas-fulham-boss-marco-silva-faces-after-middlesbrough-draw/

WhiteJC

Abraham strike knocks out Ipswich

Fulham loanee Timmy Abraham scored the only goal of the game as Newport County knocked Ipswich Town out of the League Cup at Portman Road tonight.

Abraham produced a brilliant backheel to flick Finn Azaz's cross past Tomas Holy from a quickly taken Kevin Ellison free-kick after just four minutes. The 20 year-old forward made the most of his first start for County, having made his debut as a substitute in the win at Oldham Athletic at the weekend.

Elsewhere, winger Sylvester Jasper played 80 minutes as Colchester United were narrowly beaten by Birmingham City at St. Andrew's this evening. It was his first start for the League Two side after he also had made his debut for the U's last weekend.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/abraham-strike-knocks-out-ipswich/