Saturday Fulham Stuff - 14/08/21...

[WhiteJC]

Huddersfield Town v Fulham: Carlos Corberan hoping to make life awkward for Cottagers on Championship return
FOR teams relegated from the Premier League, reacquainting themselves with the second tier is sometimes far from straightforward.

It is something that Huddersfield Town know full well after failing to win in nine matches at the start of 2019-20 following their demotion from the top-flight at the end of the previous season.

No-one will be expecting today's opponents Fulham to toil so badly, but early wobbles are common for Championship returnees as the Cottagers can also vouch for.

Following their previous relegation from the top-flight, Fulham lost their opening game in 19-20 to a pumped-up Barnsley side at Oakwell and they were pegged back last week in a 1-1 home draw with Middlesbrough at Craven Cottage.

On whether facing a relegated side early in the season is not necessarily a bad thing, head coach Carlos Corberan commented: "It (Fulham) is a team who have not worked many times together, this is true.

"They now have a new coach and some new players, but the majority were in the first team last year and have played together.

"I think from now until the end of the market that they can make more signings.

"But in my analysis of the game, they are still a strong squad with a lot of possibilities for the level they have.

"I also know they have a coach who is going to improve the team, week by week.

"I am sure they are going to be stronger than previous weeks, but that is something that normally happens in football.

"We need to be concentrated in our opportunities and do our best job in defence and attack. Because to take something positive, we will have to be at our highest level – as players and as a team."

In their first home league game of last term, Town also faced a relegated side and put on a spirited performance against Norwich before a late mistake gifted the visitors victory.

The challenge for the Terriers is to keep the mistakes to a minimum and make an impact at the other end of the pitch – and give their supporters something to feed off.

Renowned for their raucous support during the David Wagner years in particular and the atmosphere they regularly created at the John Smith's Stadium, Town will not be short in the backing stakes today as supporters make their long-awaited return after watching games remotely for the best part of 18 months.

In that regard, successive home games with Fulham and Preston offer plenty.

Corberan, hoping to be in attendance at the end of his isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 last week, added: "This is exactly what we want and what every team wants.

"But we are cool and we wait for our first opponent to face and the first game is Fulham and we know how demanding it is going to be.

"We know how much concentration we need and must play with a lot of spirit, courage and not be afraid."



https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/huddersfield-town-v-fulham-carlos-corberan-hoping-to-make-life-awkward-for-cottagers-on-championship-return-3346265

[WhiteJC]

Comment: Fulham boss should make this selection change to his defence v Huddersfield Town today

Following a disappointing performance at home to Middlesbrough last weekend, could we see a change at left-back and see Joe Bryan come in for his first appearance of the season v Huddersfield Town today?

Antonee Robinson started last Sunday in the 1-1 draw v Boro and played the full 90 minutes, but failed to make a significant impact on the game averaging a match rating of 6.3 on SofaScore.com – the joint lowest performer on the pitch.

The American international lost possession 15 times during the game and only completed one cross, when comparing this to right back Kenny Tete who attempted 10. With having a striker like Aleksandar Mitrović who thrives upon crosses, Bryan's ability to deliver crosses might be needed when Fulham face Huddersfield Town this afternoon.

Bryan played a key role in Fulham's promotion-winning campaign where he scored three goals and got seven assists, having a memorable game against Brentford in the 2020 play-off final where he scored two goals.

The former Bristol City player ended last season strongly where he started the final three games of the season and also grabbed a goal at Old Trafford.

With 45 games to go, Marco Silva's team have a long season ahead of them. Having two quality Championship left-backs we will more than likely see Robinson and Bryan interchange in the starting eleven, however there could be a change could be as soon as this weekend.



https://the72.co.uk/245018/comment-fulham-boss-should-make-this-selection-change-to-his-defence-v-huddersfield-town-today/

[WhiteJC]

Silva urges Carvalho to sign new Fulham deal

Marco Silva has urged promising midfielder Fabio Carvalho to commit his future to Fulham.

The teenage academy graduate turned down Fulham's first offer of a new contract earlier this summer and is now in the final year of his current deal at Craven Cottage. Carvalho, who broke into the senior side at the end of last season, scored on his first Premier League start at Southampton and is reportedly interesting a number of top sides, including Leeds, West Ham and Porto.

Silva told his pre-match press conference yesterday afternoon:

"I think it's important for us that he signs, and to be honest with you, it's important for him. He came from the academy and Fabio is performing well. He is in the team. But I need him to concentrate on his football."

The eighteen year-old is set for an extended run in the first team with club captain Tom Cairney facing a further spell on the sidelines in his battle to beat troublesome knee injuries.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/silva-urges-carvalho-to-sign-new-fulham-deal/

[WhiteJC]

Marco Silva sends clear message to Fulham man amid transfer claims

Fulham manager Marco Silva says that winger Fabio Carvalho should sign a new contract to extend his stay at Craven Cottage beyond this season.

After emerging onto the first-team scene in the latter stages of last season, there has been plenty of speculation around Carvalho's future this summer.

It was recently reported that Carvalho, who has just a year remaining on his current Fulham contract, has turned down the offer of a new deal with the club, with West Ham, Norwich, Leeds and Porto all credited with an interest in the 18-year-old.

Now however, it seems as though Silva believes that the best deal for Carvalho, would be to sign a new contract with the Cottagers.

Discussing the situation surrounding the teenager, Silva was quoted by West London Sport as saying: "I think it's important for us that he signs, and to be honest with you, it's important for him.

"He came from the academy and Fabio is performing well. He is in the team. But I need him to concentrate on his football."

To date, Carvalho has made seven first-team appearances in all competitions for Fulham, scoring once in their 3-1 defeat at Southampton towards the end of last season.

The Verdict

You can certainly understand why Silva would want Carvalho to stay at Fulham from a footballing perspective.

Carvalho is a hugely promising young player, who is already making an impact at Craven Cottage, so he could be an extremely useful asset for Fulham for years to come, if they are able to retain his services.

Indeed, it could also be argued that were Carvalho to make the move to one of those other sides, it could be harder for the teenager to get regular first-team football at top-flight level.

As a result, it could make sense for the attacker to sign a new contract with Fulham, and it would be a coup for the club if they could get him to do that.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/marco-silva-sends-clear-message-to-fulham-man-amid-transfer-claims/

[WhiteJC]

Predicted Huddersfield Town lineup to face Fulham

Fans will return to the John Smith's Stadium today for the first time since the start of the pandemic. I'm ridiculously excited about the prospect of being back under those lovely bendy arches later today and it almost feels like what happens on the pitch will be secondary to the experience of physically attending a game. This novelty factor may work to Town's advantage as the goodwill created by being back in the stadium will be needed as they face one of the best teams (on paper at least) in the league.

Recently relegated Fulham come to Town with a squad that isn't much weaker than the one they had in the Premier League and they are likely to be competing at the top end of the table this season. Town are still missing players through covid isolation and injury, so it may be a tough one to watch from a Town perspective today.

Goalkeeper: Ryan Schofield
Some keepers have to wait literally years to get another opportunity when another keeper comes in and replaces them, so Schofield must have been secretly chuffed when covid ruled out Nicholls last weekend (even though I'm sure he'd say he'd never want a teammate to fall ill). The debate about Schofield is well-trodden ground now, so I'll not rehash it here but to say we're most likely to see him again today. The fact we've now got one of the lads from the academy as our sub keeper shows that we took a bit of a risk in not bringing in an experienced third choice this summer. I'd feel happier with an old hand like Nick Colgan provided for a number of years in the past. Given Colgan is now 47 years old, we'd have to find another keeper happy to warm the bench in the twilight of their career.

Defence: Pearson, Sarr, Colwill
Town's three at the back looked fairly solid last weekend against Derby but they'll most likely experience a sterner test today against Fulham. So far, Colwill looks like a very high quality player but I suspect Mitrovic will target him today to see what he's made of. While he's physically big enough, youth football won't have prepared Colwill for the kind of challenge Mitrovic brings with him and he'll need to show he can handle a player that has been a thorn in our side every time he's played against us. Expect lots of elbows and flailing arms from the dirty but unquestionably talented striker.

Naby Sarr had a pretty good game last weekend and seemed suited to playing in the middle of the three. His strength in the air gave us our goal last weekend but is useful defensively too. Being in the middle of the three also means he's less likely to have his lack of pace exposed and naturally gives him more passing options, so it seems like a good role for him.

I highlighted in my stats article earlier in the week that Pearson's pass completion stats were much lower than his central defensive partners last weekend, as he opted to punt it downfield more than the others. I can't see him changing that philosophy this weekend but I hope that his execution improves a bit today as we don't want to hoof the ball away for it just to come straight back to us.

Midfield: Turton, High, Hogg, Holmes, Thomas
Town's wingbacks were somewhat asymmetrical last weekend, with Turton more likely to hang back and Thomas pushing much higher up the field. This plays into both player's natural strengths so I suspect we'll go with a slightly wonky shape again. Thomas was our best player against Derby and I hope we continue to give him licence to push forward down the left. Turton showed he likes to make a tackle at Pride Park last weekend, so it may be that he's closer to a traditional rightback today than a flying wingback.

The central midfield combo of High, Hogg and Holmes provides a pleasing bit of alliteration in midfield but just because their surnames all start with a H doesn't mean they're a natural fit together. None of these three is the type of player that will be able to put their foot on the ball and dictate the tempo of play from the middle. But we've not had this kind of player for years, so there's not much we can do about that probelm I suppose.

Of these three, I'm most concerned about Duane Holmes, as he struggled to get into the game against Derby. High is obviously inexperienced too but his all-action style means that he brings something to the team whenever he's on the pitch, whereas Holmes can fade out of the game for spells. Hogg is Hogg and will most likely continue to provide that good-without-being-exceptional level of performance that has marked his career at Town.

Attack: Campbell, Koroma
The forward line is probably the area of the pitch I'm least certain about for this game. Ward and Rhodes started up front last weekend but didn't really click and Town looked a more potent threat when Campbell and Koroma both came on in the second half.

While we have options up front it seems sensible to rotate and select the best players for the opposition we're facing. Fulham are likely to starve us of possession today, so having Campbell on to press their backline and Koroma to provide pace on the break seems like a good combination of the talent we've got available. Ward and Rhodees can then be kept on the bench in case we find ourselves chasing the game later in the afternoon.

Some unrelated notes about the practicalities of today's game
It doesn't really fit with this article, but I thought I'd throw in some public service announcements about being back in the stadium today:

    Season card holders should have already received their cards in the post. Some fans have also had an email with instructions on how to load your season card onto your mobile phone. I've not had mine at the point of writing this, so I assume there's been some sort of delay. I've got my card, so I'm not too bothered.
    The concession stalls in the ground have gone cashless. This was confirmed by the club on social media last night but I think many fans won't be aware and it's likely to cause some aggravation this afternoon. So bring a card with you if you fancy a half-time Bovril.
    New foodstalls outside the stadium have been put up which will provide local independent food sellers a chance to sell their wares. I think this is a great move and a step towards providing a fan zone around the stadium which I know the club aspire to provide. In the Premier League it was common for clubs to have outdoor fan zones near to their stadiums and they worked really well. Town's equivalent down at Canalside was good but having something right next to the ground would be better.
    The club are recommending fans arrive early and wear a mask between the turnstiles and their seat. There's no requirements for vaccine passports or recent tests or anything like that but these suggestions are there to try and reduce congestion and limit the chances of Town games becoming "superspreader" events. I'd also recommend getting down there early anyway as there's always potential for delays and queues whenever the ticketing system changes, particularly with it being the first game at the stadium in such a long time. Besides, it'll be nice to be in the ground nice and early to soak up the atmosphere and get hyped up about watching live football in our stadium again.



http://www.terrierspirit.com/predicted-huddersfield-town-lineup-to-face-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Blackburn, Bournemouth and Fulham set for transfer battle, fee could be £5m+

Fulham are reportedly set to battle Bournemouth, Blackburn Rovers, and other Championship clubs for Southampton forward Michael Obafemi, though it could cost more than £5 million to sign him this summer.

The 21-year-old is in the final year of his contract with the Saints and seems excess to requirements after the arrival of Adam Armstrong.

It was originally suggested that Obafemi could move to Ewood Park as part of the deal that saw Armstrong join Southampton from Blackburn but it is understood that he rejected the transfer.

According to talkSPORT's Alex Crook, there is no agreement between Rovers and the in-demand forward but his current club are keen to offload him but want more than £5 million for him.

Crook claims that there are lots of other Championship clubs interested in Obafemi, including Bournemouth and Fulham.

The Republic of Ireland international was starved of opportunities last season, playing just 63 minutes of senior football, but had the most productive season of his career in 2019/20 – scoring four goals and adding three assists in 25 appearances.

The Verdict

Armstrong's arrival looks to have spelt the end of Obafemi's career at St Mary's and it's no surprise that there are plenty of Championship clubs queueing up to agree a deal for him.

The 21-year-old may not have proven himself a consistent goalscorer at senior level just yet but his speed and quality in front of goal do make him a real nuisance while he should only improve in the next few years.

Blackburn, Bournemouth, and Fulham all look as though they could do with adding some firepower to their squad, and with all three currently having first choice number nines you feel Obafemi would suit a role with less goalscoring responsibility better right now.

It seems the player has ruled out a move to Ewood Park, while the fee may prove an issue for the other two – particularly as Fulham appear to be close to a deal for Rodrigo Muniz.

Even so, a move looks likely for Obafemi in the next few weeks.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/blackburn-bournemouth-and-fulham-set-for-transfer-battle-fee-could-be-5m/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham dealt Tom Cairney injury blow

Fulham have been dealt a big injury blow ahead of their Championship fixture this Saturday.

What's the latest?

According to a report by The Athletic, Tom Cairney has only taken part in training once since the arrival of Marco Silva at Craven Cottage earlier this summer, with the midfielder having to withdraw from this session due to a recurrence of his knee injury which has so far kept the 30-year-old out of action for nine months.

Speaking about Cairney's injury, the Portuguese manager stated: "It's a situation we have to see day by day. He had one training session with me and then he got worse, and after we decided to stop him."

It is then claimed that the Scotland international will not be available for the Huddersfield Town fixture this afternoon, with his return date being unknown at present. Harrison Reed and Terence Kongolo are also set to miss the clash due to knocks, while Anthony Knockaert is a doubt due to a back injury.

Silva will be gutted

While knocks to the likes of Reed, Kongolo and Knockaert will come as a blow to Silva, it is Cairney's ongoing injury in particular which will leave the 44-year-old gutted.

The absence of the midfielder was drastically felt by Fulham last season, and considering the level of his performances in the club's last promotion-winning campaign, he would very much appear to be a player who has the ability to fire the Cottagers back to the top flight once again this term.

Indeed, over his 34 Championship appearances for Fulham in 2019/20, the £8.1m-rated ace bagged eight goals, provided three assists and created six big chances for his teammates, taking 1.1 shots and making 1.8 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £27k-per-week midfielder earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as the club's second-best performer in the second tier that year.

As such, Silva will undoubtedly be hoping that Cairney will be able to recover from his knee injury as quickly as possible, as the 30-year-old would most likely be a key player for the Portuguese manager this season whenever he's available once more.

However, with it appearing very uncertain at present as to exactly when the Scot will make his return to first-team football, Silva will simply need to make do without the midfielder for a little while longer just yet, starting with Huddersfield this weekend. Not knowing when the 30-year-old will be back in action must be a killer for the new Fulham manager.



https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-fc-news/fulham-injury-team-news-tom-cairney-marco-silva-huddersfield-town-the-championship

[WhiteJC]

Blackburn fail to agree deal for Michael Obafemi – Fulham, Bournemouth amongst interested clubs
Blackburn Rovers struggled last season in the Championship and they were far from convincing in their 15th place finish.

Blackburn fans will be the first to admit that their side were indebted to the 28 goals of striker Adam Armstrong.

However, Armstrong has left Ewood Park and has swapped Lancashire for Hampshire and the Premier League with Southampton.

His goals will need to be replaced and Tony Mowbray will be well aware of that need. Mowbray has admitted interest in Southampton youngster Michael Obafemi although that deal is yet to advance.

Obafemi and his Southampton stay

Youngster Obafemi has been at St Mary's since arriving from London side Leyton Orient and their youth set-up in 2016.

Before his time with the Os, Obafemi was on the youth books at Arsenal, Chelsea and Watford.

His progress at Southampton has seen him move through the youth ranks and into some measure of first-team action. In total, he has made 38 appearances for the Saints, scoring five goals and adding four assists.

32 of those appearances for Southampton's senior squad have been in the Premier League.

Obafemi and Blackburn – no movement yet

Despite Tony Mowbray admitting a degree of interest in Obafemi, there has been nothing more concrete than that so far.

That is summed up by the following tweet from talkSPORT presenter Alex Crook:

No agreement between Michael Obafemi and #Rovers at this stage despite a willingness from #SaintsFC to get the deal done. Lots of other Championship interest including #AFCB and #FulhamFC

— Alex Crook ⚽️🎙 (@alex_crook) August 13, 2021

Crook's tweet also throws a few spanners in the spokes with the "lots of other Championship interest" comment. Bournemouth and Fulham are two of those clubs he names.

Thoughts?
Blackburn need to replace Adam Armstrong, that much is clear. Without replacing those goals from Armstrong, Rovers are only going to suffer.

Understandably, Blackburn do not want to leap headlong into spending the £15million received from the sale of Adam Armstrong – 40% of which is due to Newcastle United.

If they are to bring someone in, time is of the essence. There are only 17 days left of the current transfer window.

With time being important, it is also of note that several of Blackburn's Championship rivals are also interested in Michael Obafemi.

That should be a worry for Blackburn, especially as they are lacking firepower at the moment. With four fixtures due before the closing of the transfer window, they could do with getting a new striker in.

At the moment, Michael Obafemi is no that list. It might be prudent to push on this a little more.



https://the72.co.uk/245055/blackburn-fail-to-agree-deal-for-michael-obafemi-fulham-bournemouth-amongst-interested-clubs/