Thursday fulham Stuff - 19/08/21...

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Results

Wednesday
Birmingham	0-2	Bournemouth
Hull	0-1	Derby
Middlesborough	2-3	QPR
Forest	1-2	Rovers
West Brom	4-0	Sheff Utd

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Millwall boss calls for "better way" after Fulham stars booed whilst taking the knee

The taking of the knee has been a regular pre-match sight for over a year, with players showing their support in the fight against racism and discrimination

Millwall manager Gary Rowett believes that football must find another way to symbolise anti-racism after opposition players were booed for taking the knee last night.

The Lions hosted Fulham in the Championship, with the visitors taking part in the pre-match stance that has become a familiar sight at games over the past year. Millwall's players, similar to many other clubs, chose instead to stand.

Boos were heard while the players performed the gesture.

Rowett, whose side lost 2-1 to the Cottagers, was quizzed on the booing post-match and whilst not referring to the incident specifically he did suggest a new symbol or different way of tackling racism and discrimination needs to be looked at.


The taking of the knee has been a regular pre-match sight for over a year

Rowett told Sky Sports : "If you look up and down the country, there are so many football clubs that do such good work in their communities around equality and anti-racism.

"What we need at the moment is the authorities to help clubs out and find a better way to unify people.

"I don't want to comment on individual people's decisions to do that, but we need to find a way to unify people and at the moment 20 seconds, 30 seconds in a game is causing such a rift and divide in football.

"Football is a great spectacle, we're all privileged to be part of it. It has the power to help communities and help do some really good work behind the scenes. It's not just our football club, it's a lot of clubs doing that, but we need help to find a more positive way of making some form of action."

His comments follow those of Sky Sports' EFL pundit Don Goodman, who recently told the Mirror he believes taking the knee has "lost some of its power".

Speaking earlier this month, he said: "My personal opinion regarding the knee is that I feel that it has lost its power, slowly but surely.

"It's just lost some of what it had.

I just think football, the clubs and Kick It Out have missed a trick really in not coming up, in the close season, with something just different."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/millwall-knee-boos-better-way-24783261

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Fulham confident of agreeing new Carvalho contract

Fulham are confident of agreeing a new contract with their teenage prospect Fabio Carvalho, according to the Athletic's Peter Rutzler.

The young playmaker has made a terrific start to life in the Championship after impressing when introduced to the first team by Scott Parker following Fulham's relegation from the top flight. He has scored twice in three games – including a brilliant winner as the Whites extended their unbeaten start to the new season with victory at Millwall last night.

The 18 year-old is into the final year of his current Craven Cottage contract and reportedly turned down Fulham's first offer of an extension in June, with a number of clubs – including Leeds, West Ham, Norwich and Porto – closely monitoring his availability. But the club are now confident that recent discussions could prove fruitful, with Carvalho's strong relationship with new head coach Marco Silva thought to be particularly persuasive.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/fulham-confident-of-agreeing-new-carvalho-contract/

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Fulham and West Brom in transfer chase to sign attacker who scored 11 goals last season

Championship rivals Fulham and West Bromwich Albion are set to battle it out for Spezia striker M'Bala Nzola, according to beIN Sports correspondent Tancredi Palmeri.

The Angolan recorded 11 goals and four assists in 25 appearances for the Italian club in Serie A last term after their promotion to the top flight – and proved to be a vital asset to their cause as they finish six points above the drop zone.

With this, Fulham and West Brom are both reported to have made contact with Spezia regarding his services, with teams in Portgual and Turkey also interested in his availability.

As things stand, his price tag current stands as just over €7m, a considerable amount for both Championship sides as they look to operate within the EFL's financial rules.

With the Cottagers seemingly splashing the cash in an attempt to get back to the Premier League, reportedly closing in on an €8m deal for Rodrigo Muniz and agreeing the £12m transfer of Harry Wilson last month, this move for the 25-year-old would continue the high-spending theme at Craven Cottage this summer.

Meanwhile, the Baggies have exercised a more cautious approach to their summer business after being relegated along with Fulham last season, although the calls for a new striker in the West Midlands are growing louder by the minute.

It is currently unclear whether either side will follow up their initial interest with a bid to lure him to England between now and the transfer deadline at the end of this month.

The Verdict:

If Fulham manage to get the Muniz deal over the line after seemingly beating Middlesbrough to his signature, it would be hard to imagine them going back in for Nzola with the likes of the Brazilian, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Bobby Decordova-Reid all available as top-quality options up top.

They may want to add one more striker to their ranks to improve their squad depth further – but this should be a cheaper and more low-key signing that can come in if an injury crisis occurs in west London.

For West Brom, this could be the ideal signing after seeing Mbaye Diagne return to Turkish top-flight side Galatasaray on the expiration of his loan deal in the summer.

Although recruiting Nzola would be a change in transfer direction from their calm and cautious approach thus far, they have the ability to splash the cash after selling one of their most valuable assets in Matheus Pereira to Al-Hilal this summer.

And considering his record in the Italian top flight last term, this signing could be key to their promotion hopes, as long as the Angolan can adapt to Valerien Ismael's distinct style of play. Nzola's ability to operate as a winger could also be valuable to the Baggies' cause.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-and-west-brom-in-transfer-chase-to-sign-attacker-who-scored-11-goals-last-season/

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Silva delights in Carvalho and another dominant Fulham performance - Millwall reaction

Marco Silva praised Fabio Carvalho after the youngster turned in his best performance so far for the Whites in a 2-1 derby win at Millwall.

The 18-year-old was a class apart at the Den on Tuesday night, scoring one and laying on the opener and he might have had two more goals. He was full of guile, energy and vision and away fans were left in raptures, chanting his name during and after the match.

"He's fantastic," said Fulham's boss after a victory which kept his team on top of the table.

"It's something that he's doing since pre-season. He started well the competition [Championship]. Against Boro [on the opening day] he did a good game. But it's not just him. Every single game that we are playing, we are playing better, achieving better things. The team is being more consistent.

"He looks fresh every time - not just with the ball, because he did fantastic work without the ball as well and did everything we were asking of him.

"He's a player showing very good things and it's up to me to keep giving the right information for him and for him to keep his feet on the floor because it's a long journey for him to go and we give him the first steps. There will be days not so good as today when he has to answer in the right way.

"If we want to play with this intensity as we did here we have to work this way as well in training because nothing comes without work before and he has this during the training sessions."

Looking back on a dominant win - a late goal for the Lions made for a tighter final score than it should have been - Silva added: "I'm really pleased, not just because we won the game but because we showed character, personality and very good quality. The players are learning fast and doing what we're asking them.

"We were the dominant team on the pitch and we created so many chances to score more.

"Last time we scored five [at Huddersfield] and we should have scored more than two but I'm really pleased with the way we controlled the game. Our opponents had maybe two shots, nothing more.

"After a really unlucky goal that we conceded, we still controlled the game well and we deserved the three points."

Lions boss Gary Rowett conceded Fulham made life very difficult for his team.

"I was disappointed with the two goals and, until about 75 minutes, the performance of the team," he said. "Fulham gave us a real lesson in movement, work-rate and quality - they're a fabulous side.

"At some point you have to force the issue. We tried to do that in a more direct way in the second half and make it more physical, but they make it really difficult for you to create any sort of momentum in attack.

"I thought we showed character in the latter stages of the game. Maybe it's the goal that gives you belief but I'd like to have seen a little of that belief when we conceded two early goals."



https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/silva-delights-in-carvalho-and-another-dominant-fulham-performance-millwall-reaction

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'Has his mojo back' – Many Fulham fans react as post-match Aleksandar Mitrovic footage emerges

Fulham continue to lead the way in the Championship after picking up their second win of the season last night.

After beating Huddersfield Town 5-1 at the weekend, the Cottagers made the short trip across the capital to face Millwall at The Den.

Marco Silva's men were ahead after three minutes, too, with Fabio Carvalho embarking on a mazy run and pulling the ball back for Aleksandar Mitrovic to tap in.

Carvalho then doubled Fulham's lead soon after, running onto Neeksens Kebano's through ball and firing beyond Bart Bialkowski.

Millwall were to pull one back late on, with Matt Smith's header ricocheting off Benik Afobe and into the Fulham net.

But the Cottagers held on to record their second win in the matter of the days, leaving them sitting top of the table along with Stoke City.

Mitrovic's strike means it is now two goals in two games for the Serbian, who was obviously in high spirits after a positive result and performance.

After the game, he was filmed in high spirits getting on the players' coach, blowing kisses at Millwall fans who had plenty to say for themselves.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/has-his-mojo-back-many-fulham-fans-react-as-post-match-aleksandar-mitrovic-footage-emerges/

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EXCLUSIVE: Former Fulham ace Healy reckons the Whites could do with another McBride

By Alessandro Schiavone


David Healy believes that Fulham could do with a player of Brian McBride's ilk to get them promoted from the Championship for a third consecutive time.

The prominent American striker was a cornerstone of Fulham's teams between 2004 and 2008 as he struck 38 times in 152 outings, mainly playing as a deep-lying centre-forward and off the main striker.

Healy spearheaded Fulham's frontline alongside McBride at Craven Cottage back in 2007/2008 and thinks that the American marksman would send the Fulham faithful into wonderland if he was still around.

When asked which player he would pick from his own side 14 years ago to strengthen Marco Silva's current crop, the Northern Irishman picked none other than McBride, whose deadly sucker punches often bulldozed opponents.

"Personally, throughout my career I played with a lot of very good American players, even when I was at Rangers. Obviously [Carlos] Bocanegra was at Fulham and at Rangers", said Healy, who is currently the head coach of Northern Ireland giants Linfield FC.

"All the Americans, one thing that they are is they play the way the train. They look after themselves and they are very professional. It's disrespectful to some of the old players that played there but if I had to put one player in the Fulham team at the minute it's Brian McBride. He was a huge fan favourite.

"I had the pleasure of playing with Brian at Fulham and I had the pleasure of playing with Brian at Preston North End, in the early season when he first came over from the States before he signed for Everton.

"He was a fantastic professional, brilliant person on and off the pitch, a leader on and off the pitch. He could score goals with his head and create goals with his feet. Brian had a huge amount of ability."



https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/exclusive-former-fulham-ace-healy-reckons-the-whites-could-do-with-another-mcbride

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Fulham's whopping £148m squad value and how Championship rivals compare

The Cottagers' have made an impressive start to the season thanks to their talented but expensive roster - how does their value compare to the other 23 teams?

Fulham's team for last night's Championship clash with Millwall drew plenty of attention for the huge combined cost of the 11 who started.

Prior to live coverage of the game, Sky Sports showed a graphic claiming that the XI who Marco Silva chose to start at the Den had a combined transfer total of more than £120million.

Their line-up included the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ivan Cavaleiro, just two players signed for big fees in the past.

And they even had the luxury of bringing André-Frank Zambo Anguissa off the bench - a player who cost them £30m back in 2018 and has been heavily linked with a top flight return before the end of the window.

In stark contrast, last night's opponents Millwall had a starting XI that is said to have cost them just over £6m.

It highlights the vast financial disparity that exists in the second tier. And it is a pattern that continues when you look at the market value of each squad in the Championship.

Unsurprisingly, Fulham come top of that particular list according to figures from reliable industry website transfermarkt.

They list Fulham's entire squad as having a market value of £148.68m - higher than four Premier League clubs.

That includes Anguissa as their most valuable player at £22.5m, whilst Harry Wilson (£15.3m), Mitrovic (£14.4m) and Tosin Adarabioyo (£10.8m) also help swell Fulham's total.

The total value exceeds that of top flight quartet Brentford, Norwich, Watford and Burnley.

Second on the list is Sheffield United, listed at just over £111m - with Sander Berge top of the pile thanks to a value of £16.2m. Rhian Brewster and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale - a major target for Arsenal this summer - are ranked at £10.8m each.

Bournemouth are third on the list, with their value also exceeding £100m. The Cherries total value comes in at £103m with David Brooks (£14.4m) their most valuable asset.

erhaps surprisingly, West Brom's squad is rated much lower at £69.8m.

At the other end of the table, the newly-promoted trio of Peterborough, Hull City and Blackpool are ranked as the bottom three sides in terms of market value.

Posh's squad comes in at just £8.19m - with Siriki Dembele top-rated at just over £1m.
Championship squads' current total market value

Fulham £148m

Sheff Utd £111m

AFC Bournemouth £103m

West Brom £69m

Stoke City £41m

Middlesbrough £38m

Bristol City £37m

Cardiff City £36m

Birmingham, Swansea City, Nottingham Forest all £34m

Huddersfield £32m

Blackburn, Reading, Derby, Preston, Millwall all £31m

QPR £28m

Barnsley £27m

Luton £17m

Coventry £14m

Blackpool, Hull City £10m



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fulham-whopping-value-championship-rivals-24785152

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Aboubakar Kamara Leaves Fulham for Aris Thessaloniki

Fulham have confirmed that forward Aboubakar Kamara has joined Greek Super League side Aris Thessaloniki on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee. The 26-year-old striker departs Craven Cottage after spending four years at the club.

On Monday, Aris released a teaser on social media that a deal for Kamara would be completed soon. The transfer was then confirmed the following day.

Fulham Striker Aboubakar Kamara Leaves Club for Aris Thessaloniki
Kamara Departs for Greece

Kamara joined Fulham in the summer of 2017 from French side Amiens for a fee of just over £5 million.

But after a four-year stay in west London, he will now leave the Cottagers for Thessaloniki in Greece, with 94 appearances and 17 goals to his name.

The Mauritian international played a role in Fulham's two promotion campaigns, starting in both Championship play-off final victories against Aston Villa in 2018 and Brentford in 2020 respectively.

The forward managed to record 23 appearances in both of Fulham's brief stints in the Premier League and spent the second half of last season on loan at Ligue 1 side Dijon.

What Was Said?

Speaking to the club's website on Kamara's exit, Fulham co-owner and director of football Tony Khan said: "I'm grateful to Abou for his service to Fulham since his arrival in 2017. He made valuable contributions over the years, and he started for us at Wembley in both of our Play-Off Final wins in 2018 and 2020.

"I expect that he'll excel for his new team during the next chapter of his career in Greece, and all of us at Fulham wish him all the best, and we thank him for his time at the Club. Good luck Abou!"

Kamara becomes Fulham's fourth permanent departure of the summer alongside Marcus Bettinelli, Stefan Johansen and Kevin McDonald, who has become a free agent after the expiration of his contract.



https://lastwordonsports.com/football/2021/08/18/aboubakar-kamara-leaves-fulham-for-aris-thessaloniki/

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Fulham make approach for Michael Obafemi

Fulham have made the first move in their bid to bring Michael Obafemi to Craven Cottage this summer.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by Football League World, who claimed that Tony Khan has made an approach to Southampton regarding the availability of the 21-year-old striker ahead of a potential move for the Republic of Ireland under-21 international in what remains of the summer transfer window.

Indeed, talkSPORT's Alex Crook recently claimed in a post on Twitter that Blackburn Rovers, Bournemouth and Fulham, as well as a host of other Championship clubs, are interested in the striker, with whom Ralph Hasenhuttl's side are believed to be willing to part ways this summer.

However, following Football League World's latest update, it would seem as if the Cottagers could be leading the race for Obafemi.

Fans will be buzzing

With Khan having already landed two impressive signings in the shape of Harry Wilson and Paulo Gazzaniga in the summer transfer window, reports that Fulham's director of football appears intent on continuing the Cottagers' business in the transfer market – particularly for a player as exciting as Obafemi – are sure to have the Craven Cottage faithful buzzing.

Indeed, despite starting just eight of his 21 Premier League appearances back in 2019/20, the £2.7m-rated centre-forward still bagged three goals, provided two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 0.6 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

As such, taking into account that the £12k-per-week Obafemi is still just 21 years of age, the man who Hasenhuttl dubbed a "quality" player would very much seem to be an incredibly exciting prospect.

If Khan can follow up on his initial contact with an acceptable offer for the striker, the prospective signing of the Southampton starlet certainly appears to have the potential to go down as something of a transfer masterclass by the Cottagers co-owner.



https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-fc-transfer-rumours/fulham-transfer-news-marco-silva-tony-khan-southampton-michael-obafemi-the-championship

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Fulham closing in on major boost as player update emerges amid transfer speculation

Fulham attacker Fabio Carvalho is close to signing a new contract with the club, a report from The Athletic has revealed.

After emerging on to the scene towards the latter stages of last season, the 18-year-old's future has been the subject of much speculation in recent months.

It was reported earlier this summer by The Daily Mail that Carvalho had rejected the offer of a new contract with Fulham, with just a year remaining on his current deal, amid interest from the likes of Leeds, West Ham, Norwich and Porto.

Now however, it seems the teenager may yet be set to extend his stay at Craven Cottage, beyond the current campaign.

According to this latest update, it is now looking more and more likely that Carvalho will put pen to paper on a new contract with Fulham.

It is thought that the player and his representatives are in positive discussions with the club over an agreement, leading to an increasing confidence that a new deal to keep him at the club will be signed.

So far this season, Carvalho has scored two goals and provide one assist in Fulham's opening three games of the Championship season, helping Marco Silva's side to seven points from a possible nine since the start of the campaign.

The Verdict

What a boost this will be for Fulham if they are indeed able to get a new contract for Carvalho signed.

It is already clear that the 18-year-old is a huge talent, and you feel he is only likely to improve even further, as he gets more experience of first-team football.

As a result, Fulham are not going to want to lose him any time soon, given the potential he has to be such a big asset for the club in the future. With that in mind, the fact that the chances of Carvalho now looks likely to sign a new contract will surely be a huge relief for those associated with the club.

Indeed, given the interest there was from elsewhere, this will be something of a coup for Fulham, and suggests they still have the ability to compete in the market, despite their relegation to the Championship at the end of last season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-closing-in-on-major-boost-as-player-update-emerges-amid-transfer-speculation/

[WhiteJC]

Southampton, Norwich City keen on Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo

Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo is attracting interest from Premier League duo Southampton and Norwich City, according to reports.

The former Manchester City starlet has played every minute of the season so far as Marco Silva enjoys a strong start to life with Fulham.

Adarabioyo was a mainstay in the Cottagers' starting 11 last season, playing 34 times across all competitions.

Now, it has been claimed that the 23-year-old is attracting interest from the Premier League, with top-flight duo Southampton and Norwich City both said to be eyeing up a deal.

As per a report from The Express, the Saints have entered the race for the Fulham centre-back.

Norwich were first said keen on Adarabioyo back in June, and it seems the Canaries are maintaining their interest as Daniel Farke eyes potential additions at the back.

The report adds that there is a release clause of £10m included in his current deal with the club. However, the Daily Mail's report on the situation back in June states that clause expired 30 days before the start of the Championship season, meaning clubs have missed the chance to trigger the clause.

A promising season ahead

After impressing in the Premier League despite Fulham's struggles, Adarabioyo will be looking to enjoy a successful 2021/22 campaign.

The commanding central defender performed well alongside Joachim Andersen, so it comes as little surprise to see him attracting top-flight interest.

The situation at Craven Cottage

As one of the Championship's more well-off sides, Fulham shouldn't be under any pressure to offload Adarabioyo. He also only penned a three-year deal last summer, meaning that they are at no risk of losing him for nothing for a while yet.

With less than two weeks remaining in the transfer window, it will be interesting to see if the rumoured interest in Adarabioyo develops into anything more serious.



https://the72.co.uk/246302/southampton-norwich-city-keen-on-fulhams-tosin-adarabioyo-release-clause-revealed/

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Hull City Tickets

Tickets are still available for Fulham's clash with Hull City at Craven Cottage this weekend, as Marco Silva takes on his former side!

The Whites will be looking to make it three wins in a row when we host the Tigers on Saturday 21st August, kick-off 3pm.

Tickets for this fixture are each priced from £30 for adults, £25 for concessions and £15 for juniors. Adult Members will receive a discount on the price of their ticket, while all prices will increase by £5 on matchdays.

Fans are 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/Hull-City-Tickets/

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What are the latest developments with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa at Fulham amid previous Everton interest?

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's potential transfer away from Craven Cottage and back into the Premier League is still bubbling away in the background, as we enter the window's final fortnight.

The Cameroonian replaced Josh Onomah as a half time substitute as Marco Silva's men earned back to back away victories with a 2-1 win at Millwall on Tuesday evening.

Anguissa's involvement in the first team further reinforces the notion that Silva is keen to retain the services of the 25-year-old as the Cottagers look to waltz their way towards a top two finish. As the Mirror reported earlier this week.

Emiliano Buendia inflicted masterclasses on inferior opposition compared to his individual skill in 2020/21 as Norwich City were crowned champions, they play in different positions but the comparison would be there in terms of possessing quality that extends to a much higher level than the Championship, if Anguissa stays put and applies his trade in the second tier this season.

His introduction from the bench in the club's last two league outings suggests that he is being respectful to Fulham and not in any way forcing a move away from the club, also hinting that his relationship with Marco Silva is strong regardless of the speculation.

Aston Villa still seem to be in pole position in pursuit of his signature rather than Everton, however it is fair to say that their chase has quietened down over the last few days.

Giving Fulham supporters hope of keeping their Rolls Royce central midfielder. Should there be no further updates in the coming days, Anguissa is likely to make the squad when the Cottagers host newly promoted Hull City on Saturday.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/what-are-the-latest-developments-with-andre-frank-zambo-anguissa-at-fulham-amid-previous-everton-interest/

[WhiteJC]

Talking Points: Millwall

Ice cold Carvalho

Having already faced them in pre-season, Fabio Carvalho knew he was in for a kicking against Millwall on Tuesday, but that did not faze the 18-year-old, and nor did the intimidating atmosphere that the Den is famed for. Instead, he racked up an assist and a goal inside eight minutes, and went on to channel his inner Ryan Sessegnon when celebrating his second of the season.

Fulhamish ending

After absolutely dominating the match, it felt typically Fulhamish that we had to endure a nervy ending following Benik Afobe's jammy goal. But thanks to a composed reaction from the boys, and the introduction of Alfie Mawson as a third centre-back, it was nowhere near as anxious a finale as it could have been.

Josh's substitution

With Josh Onomah putting in another influential display orchestrating the Fulham midfield, his half-time substitution could only have been due to injury. Marco Silva explained more to FFCtv after the game: "He had a small issue with his leg. Let's hope it's nothing serious but he had a small issue, so to protect him and take no risks we decided to make the change."

Squad goals

With how Fulham are playing, it's easy to forget that a number of key individuals are still missing from the squad. Returns for Harrison Reed and Tom Cairney will add top quality to the middle of the park, while the likes of Anthony Knockaert and Terence Kongolo are closing in on returns. The timing of Bobby De Cordova-Reid's injury was unfortunate, too, after his unplayable display at the weekend, but his replacement Neeskens Kebano proved a more than able deputy.

Best start since 2016/17

It's five years since Fulham took seven points from our opening three matches. That season we began with a victory over title favourites – and eventual champions – Newcastle United at Craven Cottage, before beating Preston North End and drawing with Leeds United on the road. We remained unbeaten for two more matches, taking four points from meetings with Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers, before eventually falling to a slender defeat by Birmingham City in mid-September.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/august/Talking-Points-Millwall/

[WhiteJC]

Carvalho feels the confidence flowing

Fabio Carvalho feels the sky is the limit for Fulham this season after another magnificent display at Millwall last night.

The teenager made one and scored another in a devastating first eight minutes that put Marco Silva's side in complete command at the New Den, although the home side threatened a late comeback after Benik Afobe opened his Millwall account in bizarre circumstances. Carvalho conceded that the margin of victory should have been far greater in an interview with Fulham's official website this afternoon:

"It was a great win for us, but it could've been a lot more comfortable. Towards the end of the game we felt their pressure. They got their fortunate goal and were spurred on by their fans. I want to say thank you to our fans as well, they kept us going when it got tough. They helped us see out the game and get the result we thoroughly deserved.

The game could've been done and dusted from the get-go. I had a few more chances I should've buried, we had a couple more that could've had us out of sight. We needed to be a bit more clinical. We spoke inside as a collective, it's good we're creating these chances, the clinical nature will come. If we keep performing like this, we'll score lots of goals."

The young playmaker revealed that hard work on the Motspur Park training ground is behind his own flying start to the season and says he is loving working under Silva.

"I've been working on getting into positions like that throughout my time at Fulham and through the academy. The coaches have helped me a lot. I can get behind making those runs so easily, we'll keep creating chances. We work on Marco's ideas every day. It's so direct and there's a target to every pass and position. We want to go forward and play with freedom because goals win games.

We've got the players to break scoring records! We've got players that can score, create and finish. We've got a great squad with a lot of talent and a blend of youth and experience. The older boys have helped me to keep pushing myself."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/carvalho-feels-the-confidence-flowing/

[WhiteJC]

West Brom and Fulham 'monitoring situation' of Angola international – Club want €5-6m, player 'up for sale'

With both Callum Robinson and Karlan Grant scoring in the first two games of the Championship, it remains to be seen whether West Bromwich Albion need a new striker before the end of the transfer window.

Despite that, however, they are being linked with one alongside Fulham, as Gazzetta dello Sport claim both the Baggies and the Cottagers are 'monitoring the situation' surrounding M'Bala Nzola.

The 25-year-old striker currently plays for Spezia in Serie A, for whom he scored 11 goals in 25 games last season, as well as picking up three assists, and has drawn interest from a number of clubs both in Italy and abroad.

Closer to home, it's Udinese and Cagliari who are providing competition for West Brom and Fulham for a player who 'doesn't appear to be in the plans of Thiago Motta'.

That's why the Angola international is 'up for sale' this summer, with Spezia looking for a fee of around €5-6m to fill their coffers.

That is an amount 'English clubs of a certain prestige like West Brom and Fulham won't have a problem reaching'.

We'll have to see about that.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/west-brom-fulham-monitoring-situation-angola-international-club-want-e5-6m-player-sale/

[WhiteJC]

Seri 'wants to stay' at Fulham – Silva

Fulham boss Marco Silva says he does not want to lose record signing Jean Michael Seri and expects him to play a significant role in his side's push for promotion.

Seri had become Craven Cottage's forgotten man, having been loaned out for the past two seasons, to Galatasaray and Bordeaux, and looked set to to leave the club this summer having failed to live up to the £27m transfer fee the Whites forked out for him in 2018.

But Silva has brought the diminutive Ivorian in from the cold and named him in his starting line-up for the past two matches, which his side have won 5-1 and 2-1 away at Huddersfield and Millwall respectively.

Fulham have an abundance of central midfielders in their squad, with neither Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa nor Harrison Reed, who were mainstays in the Premier League last season, featuring at Millwall.

Anguissa came off the bench and Reed is recovering from injury, but Silva said he is keen to keep Seri – and that the 30-year-old has indicated he wants to stay.

"Since I arrived at the club I have spoken with him and I was clear with him," Silva said.

"He had a very good pre-season and has really impressed me in all the games he has played so far.

"He is still working hard to keep his place in the starting 11 but I am really happy with him.

"In the next few games he will improve his physical condition, he needs to play 90 minutes regularly to become fitter.

"He wants to stay and hasn't told me anything otherwise."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/football-seri-wants-to-stay-at-fulham

[WhiteJC]

Jack and Loz Not at Den - Blog 184

Date: 17th August 2021

Opposition: Millwall

Score: 1-2

Fulham Goal Scorers: 🔥,Carvalho

MOTM (football): in a match in which many Fulham players demonstrated their mastery of the skills of football one still managed to stand out. Whether assisting, scoring, running forward to pick the perfect pass or racing back to calmly defend, Fabio Carvalho didn't put a foot wrong. Comparisons with Ryan Sessengnon (now 21) are easy and indeed unavoidable when Fabio cupped his ears to the crowd in a tribute to our former favourite, but Fab is his own man and he will Carve(alho) his own path through life and football

MOTM (non-football): Tim Ream has taken charge of Fulham Twitter and we're all for it

Dinner: Loz – prawn curry and Cabernet Sauvignon; Jack – veggie pasta and accidentally appropriate Porta 6

Even before Tuesday night, Fulham fans had the feeling that this season could be a bit special. We were already top of the league. We had just smashed 5 goals past Huddersfield, 2 of them when we had only 10 men on the pitch. Marco, Boa and Co have not only revitalised Tim Ream and Ivan Cavaleiro (which we perhaps expected in the Championship anyway) but they have reignited Mitro and possibly reincarnated Frank and Seri as permanent Fulham players.

However, no one expected tough and tenacious Millwall to be as generous as Huddersfield. No one should therefore have been disappointed with the result, but such was Fulham's dominance for 80 minutes of the match that the narrow victory feels like a travesty.

In the first half, Millwall didn't know what had hit them. Our two quick fire goals left them punch drunk and scrabbling to gain any sort of hold on the match.

Nothing says "Mitro is back" like a shot snatched out of chaos in the box which hits the back of the net via the flailing limbs of confounded defenders. That goal was made by the speed and grace of Fabio. His own goal was better and neater and owes much to the vision and touch of Neeskens Kebano who was already having a superb game.

"There's so many of them," cried the appalling commentator. No, there were only 11 but they were so fast and so good that it always looked like we had a spare man. We already knew how good Josh Onomah is at this level but during the first half he and Kebano were in complete control – Millwall couldn't deal with their pace or intent, even by desperate shirt tugging and ruthless tackles.

Robinson has been one of the weaker links so far this season but on Tuesday he proved invaluable – racing all over the pitch, flinging in crosses and making sure Millwall could never clear the ball further than the halfway line. On the other wing Kenny Tete (or "Tater" as he is ridiculously known at Sky) was so slick he was untouchable.

Which brings us to Jean Michel Seri, first among equals in a whole team of players who looked like a computer error had produced a Championship opponent for them. For Seri, the game was effortless. He bossed the midfield without even seeming to be in it. Although it is worth noting that he could only do this due to the strength of Onomah, the pace of Kebano and the willingness of Carvalho around him.

But, of course, there is always a But with Fulham. Football is a game about scoring goals not dominating games. We should have been out of sight by half time and over the horizon by 90 minutes. But the third goal just wouldn't come. To their credit, the Millwall defence rallied and dug in. To their debit neither Mitro nor Carvalho could repeat their clinical finishing and the less said about Cav's waywardness the better.

In the second half the disparity between the sides was made even more obvious with the introduction of Frank who is surely the Championship's most expensive player. But whilst the supremacy continued so did the fruitless search for a goal with Fulham wasting all our chances (or "shances" as Marco rather charmingly calls them). The attacking intent was still there and the fast, accurate passes and the fluid movement which could open up acres of space, but our shooters had lost their sharpness and Millwall were looking more dangerous.

Millwall's goal was fluky but not unexpected to the Fulham faithful. The commentator however was astonished by both the goal and the way we unravelled. After 80 minutes of looking a class apart we ended up clinging on to a one goal lead with Mitro and Joe Bryan fighting (literally in Mitro's case) to keep the ball in the corner.

"Welcome to the championship" the commentator roared at Marco. But no, its welcome to Fulham, Marco, where anything can go wrong, and something certainly will.

Random musings:-

- We're not often swayed by sponsorship but we might just have to check out Huski chocolate

-Marco's choice of the black crewneck jumper was interesting. Will we see this more casual look at all evening games?

- Its always a pleasure to see Matt Smith, but even more so when he puts a good shance over the bar

- As for Scott Malone, what has he done to his hair? It matched his yellow card!

- Alfie Mawson was Marco's first Fulham defensive sub. We were understandably worried but he didn't get injured or assist a Millwall goal which was refreshing

- In our excellent team, Ream and Cav looked a little off the pace, but was that simply because everyone else was so good?

It's too early in the season to start a detailed analysis of the contrasts with the last one but one obvious difference has emerged already: while Scott Parker was overly cautious, Marco Silva is a risk taker. That may turn out to be a mixed blessing but the positive effect he's had on the players in only 5 weeks cannot be denied. They look happy, purposeful and united. Yes, this is a different league but the improvement in their play is astronomical.

But all out attack may come at a price. That match was brilliant to watch for 80 minutes then terrifying for the last 10. We are top of the league but we will only stay there if we start collecting some clean sheets. This is a minor gripe however. It Tuesday night has set the standard for the football we will be watching this season then we're in for a treat.

Bloggers note: when we started Jack and Loz at the Cottage we blogged only about matches we had actually attended, either at or Away From the Cottage. All that changed during lockdown and although blogging about matches we've watched on TV is a lot less fun and lacks a unique perspective it had to be done. Our intention this season is to add televised matches to our usual match reports from the Cottage and any other grounds we go to.



https://werdsmith.com/p/UB6zgTUPH852k

[WhiteJC]

Rodrigo Muniz to Fulham: Is it a good potential move? Would he start? What does he offer?

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that a deal has been agreed upon between Fulham and Flamengo regarding the transfer of Rodrigo Muniz.

Middlesbrough gave the newly-relegated Championship club a battle for the 20-year-old's signature, but it appears that Fulham have won the race and are near to revealing the signing.

Romano's tweet states that Fulham will pay a fee of £8 million, whilst the Brazilian club have inserted a 25% sell-on fee onto the contract.

Despite his age, Muniz has played 20 times for the Brazilian outfit since his 2019 debut, scoring six times in the process.

Here, we assess the potential deal in more detail...

Is it a good potential move?

Reports have compared this move to Watford's signing of Richarlison from Fluminense back in 2017, and if Muniz is able to replicate the success that the 24-year-old has had in the English game, then this £8 million fee will seem like a bargain.

Muniz has gained experience in Brazilian's top tier – a division that has proved to be rather competitive in recent years, and for a Championship club to sign a player with such potential, this must be perceived as good business.

Should no complications arrive within this deal, Muniz will be operating within a team who will consistently create chances for him. Fulham have some excellent, creative players who thrive on providing for their front men.

Would he start?

It is difficult to determine whether he will immediately be a part of Marco Silva's plans. Aleksandar Mitrovic is the club's talisman, and Silva has so far opted to deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation, leaving just one position for a striker.

The signing of Muniz could allow Silva to be more flexible with how he sets his team up, although, that would mean taking out a midfield – an area that The Whites are extremely strong in.

It may be a case of playing deputy to Mitrovic for a while, but as he adapts to the English game, he may see more and more first-team opportunities arise.

What does he offer?

A master of all trades is premature, given his age, but he does possess several attributes that suggest he can become an excellent player in the future.

Muniz's aerial ability has been there for all to see thus far in his career, whilst he also has the strength to cause havoc in forward areas.

The young forward has displayed that he is just as competent turning his defender and running into space, matching that up with some tremendous pace.

Muniz is also a clinical finisher and can be relied upon when the ball is at his feet in the area.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/rodrigo-muniz-to-fulham-is-it-a-good-potential-move-would-he-start-what-does-he-offer/