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

[WhiteJC]

Fulham PL2 3 Albion PL2 0

Albion's PL2 side suffered their first defeat of the season against Fulham at Motspur Park on Friday evening.

Terry Ablade's double and Sonny Hilton's close-range finish gave the home side a strong lead at the interval.

The Baggies pushed to turn the tide of the game in their favour after the break, but the Cottagers held firm to see out the win.

Fulham began the game on the front foot and showed their effectiveness on the counter-attack regularly during the night.

The Baggies were forced into a lot of early defending and were caught out by a splitting through ball for the first goal of the night. Ablade's movement allowed him to go in-between Caleb Taylor and Saul Shotton, before rounding stopper Palmer to poke home the opener.

Pressure increased on Albion's back-line after the Cottagers made the breakthrough, with midfielder Jonathon Page and Ollie O'Neill having shots blocked as they searched for a second goal.

But Albion hit back instantly as Robert Snodgrass' well-timed volley was palmed wide by Fulham keeper Luca Ashby-Hammond, before forward Jovan Malcolm was denied from close-range.

Despite the Baggies' best efforts, Fulham extended the lead further when Ablade netted a carbon copy of the first goal, weaving between the lines to round the keeper and score his second.

And Hilton made sure the home side had breathing space at the interval when a sweeping move down the right ended with the midfielder firing the ball under Palmer, increasing their advantage to 3-0.

The second half saw plenty of fight from Albion's youngsters as they looked for a response. Substitutes Owen Windsor and Rico Richards came inches away from finding the net, but the goals wouldn't come as Richard Beale's side fell to defeat in the capital.

Albion: Palmer; Shotton, Taylor, Delaney; Ingram (Richards 60), Snodgrass (Andrews 46), King, Gardner-Hickman; Fellows, Faal (Windsor 60), Malcolm.

Substitutes: Hollingshead, Ashworth.



https://www.wba.co.uk/news/fulham-pl2-3-albion-pl2-0

[WhiteJC]

'It's all just noise' - Swansea City's Matt Grimes comments on transfer links amid Fulham interest as Russell Martin says 'nothing's changed'

Swansea City skipper Matt Grimes has been linked with a move away from the club this summer

Matt Grimes says speculation linking him with a move away from Swansea City is "all just noise around me".

The Swans skipper's future has been subject of intense debate this summer, with Fulham the frontrunners tracking him.

Swansea head coach Russell Martin has made no secret of his desire to keep hold of his captain, saying Grimes would love to play the way he wants his teams to set up.

Grimes, though, kept his cards close to his chest when asked about his future following the 1-0 win over Bristol City on Friday night - a game in which he excelled once again in Martin's system.

"No, it's all just noise around me at the moment," he told Sky Sports when asked if he could provide any comment on his future.

"I'll give everything I can for this club every time I step foot on the pitch, and that's all I can say about it really."

Martin, speaking after the match, hammered home is stance over Grimes and his hopes for after the window closes.

"He couldn't believe he got the man of the match award, he's very humble," Martin said.

"He's been great for us since we've come in, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well, the way he conducts himself, he's the captain for a reason, and he takes big responsibility on the pitch. He was a bit tired towards the end because he's played just about every minute for us

"Nothing's changed, really. He's our player, we haven't had a bid, he's really happy here, as is his partner, who loves the area.

"So as far as I'm concerned he's ours.

"And until someone tells me different I'll enjoy working with him."

"Yeah, course (happy if he stays)," he added.

"He's a fantastic footballer and we just hope we can add a few ourselves to help him and the others around him."



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/its-just-noise-swansea-citys-21367103

[WhiteJC]

Title contenders Fulham sign Brazilian Rodrigo Muniz from Flamengo... with the 20-year-old forward set to challenge 2019-20 Championship top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic for a spot in the starting XI

    Rodrigo Muniz has scored 11 goals in 38 games during his fledgling career
    Muniz praised the club's fans and his new boss Marco Silva upon joining Fulham
    The Cottagers signed Paulo Gazzaniga and Harry Wilson earlier this summer
     Fulham sit second in the Championship having suffered relegation last season

Championship title contenders Fulham have strengthened their attacking options with the arrival of Rodrigo Muniz from Flamengo for an undisclosed fee.

The 20-year-old forward, who has scored 11 goals in 38 games to date during his fledgling career, will provide competition for talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic, who was the top scorer in England's second tier two seasons ago with 26 goals and already has two strikes to his name this term.


Rodrigo Muniz has joined Fulham to bolster Marco Silva's attacking options at Craven Cottage


The 20-year-old is set to challenge talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic for a spot in the starting XI


The Serbian was Championship top scorer in 2019-20 and already has two goals this term

'I've always dreamed of playing in Europe, in a league like the Championship, and I'm very motivated to do a great job.

'Fulham is a very important club in England with much history. They presented me with an excellent proposal and a career project that was fundamental in my decision.

'Fulham is a traditional club in England, over 140 years old, and had great players who made their careers in different teams worldwide. It has a sensational structure and a passionate crowd.

'Marco Silva is a great coach, young and with great potential. He likes to work with young athletes, and I know that I will evolve a lot with him daily, together with my teammates. I hope to learn a lot from him, his staff, and my teammates as well.'

Muniz is currently midway through a 10-day quarantine period in Spain, but should be able to fly to England early next week. 

His signing is the latest of a busy summer transfer window for Fulham, who have already bought Paulo Gazzaniga on a free transfer after his Tottenham contract expired, and Harry Wilson, who arrived at Craven Cottage on a loan deal with an obligation to buy.

The departure of Aboubakar Kamara earlier this week freed up space and money for Muniz's arrival, with the Cottagers sitting second in the table behind West Brom on goal difference.

Silva's men started their campaign with a draw against Middlesbrough before successive wins on the road against Huddersfield and Millwall as they target an immediate return to the Premier League following relegation last season under Scott Parker. Their next match is at home to Hull on Saturday.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9913509/Championship-high-fliers-Fulham-sign-Rodrigo-Muniz-provide-competition-Aleksandar-Mitrovic.html

[WhiteJC]

Muniz Joins Fulham

Fulham Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Rodrigo Muniz from Flamengo for an undisclosed fee.

The exciting young striker has signed a five-year deal, with the Club holding an option to extend by a further year.

After finalising the deal, Muniz said: "I am pleased about this new challenge. I've always dreamed of playing in Europe, in a league like the Championship, and I'm very motivated to do a great job.

"Fulham is a very important club in England with much history. They presented me with an excellent proposal and a career project that was fundamental in my decision.

"Fulham is a traditional club in England, over 140 years old, and had great players who made their careers in different teams worldwide. It has a sensational structure and a passionate crowd.

"Marco Silva is a great coach, young and with great potential. He likes to work with young athletes, and I know that I will evolve a lot with him daily, together with my teammates.

"I hope to learn a lot from him, his staff, and my teammates as well."

Tony Khan added: "I'm very happy to welcome Rodrigo Muniz to the Fulham family, he's an exciting young player with great potential and attributes that make him capable of scoring a variety of goals.

"Rodrigo will strengthen our squad, and there was strong competition against other clubs that were interested in signing him in this window, so I'm delighted that he's joining us now as we continue working to earn promotion this season.

"Come on Fulham!"

With his off-the-ball movement and ability to score all types of goals, the 20-year-old gained admirers from a host of clubs across Europe, but has chosen Craven Cottage as the ideal location to continue his football journey.

He came through the youth system at Desportivo Brasil, but was snapped up by Flamengo and subsequently went on to help them enjoy one of the most prosperous periods in their history, as they won the top-flight in both 2019 and 2020.

Muniz had enjoyed a good 2021 campaign for Flamengo to date, scoring three Série A goals having started the same number of matches.

He's also netted for Flamengo across two cup competitions this season.

Last year, Muniz spent a month on loan at fellow top-flight side Coritiba, where he scored once in three starts.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/august/Muniz-Joins-Fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Rodrigo Muniz: Fulham sign Brazilian striker from Flamengo

Rodrigo Muniz has scored three goals in nine league outings for Flamengo this season

Championship club Fulham have signed striker Rodrigo Muniz from Brazilian Serie A side Flamengo for an undisclosed fee.

The 20-year-old Brazilian has agreed a five-year contract, and the Whites have the option to extend the deal by a further 12 months.

Muniz becomes the west London club's third signing of the summer.

"He's an exciting young player with great potential," vice chairman Tony Khan told the club website.

"There was strong competition against other clubs that were interested in signing him in this window, so I'm delighted that he's joining us now as we continue working to earn promotion this season."

Fulham, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, are unbeaten in three league games at the start of the 2021-22 campaign under new boss Marco Silva.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58286996

[WhiteJC]

Fulham v Hull City: Grant McCann refusing to panic after double setback
In failing to even score a goal, let alone earn a point from their opening two home games of the season, it could be said that Hull City have missed a trick.

Winning the League One title last term as they secured an immediate return to the Championship, then beating Preston North End 4-1 away on the opening day of 2021-22 meant there was a long-overdue feel-good factor about the MKM Stadium when Tigers fans were finally able to return this week.

There was an opportunity to build further momentum as Queens Park Rangers and Derby County visited East Yorkshire, though City ended both games empty-handed.

Head coach Grant McCann has acknowledged that harnessing the positive energy which he and his players have worked so hard to create is important, but insists that, although untimely, Hull's back-to-back defeats do not represent reason to panic.

"It's definitely something we want to harness. The atmosphere in the two home games was brilliant, the fans have been excellent. We're disappointed we never gave them anything to shout about," he said ahead of this afternoon's trip to high-flying Fulham.

"I think it's important not to get carried away, we're three games into the season. There's going to be ups, there's going to be downs.

"There will be times when we lose two in a row like we've just seen. We can't get reactive. It's a long season and we saw it last year when a lot of people wrote us off after some defeats. We've got a group who can bounce back.

"We know that football is fickle. You win one and you're the best, you lose one and you're the worst. It's a case of not getting too flustered and the group sticking together, which they do. We've got a very good changing room and we're just looking forward to the Fulham game."



https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/hull-city/fulham-v-hull-city-grant-mccann-refusing-to-panic-after-double-setback-3354803

[WhiteJC]

Hull City told where they must improve ahead of Fulham test

The Tigers will hope to replicate their 3-0 win in November 2019 when they head to the Cottage this afternoon

Greg Docherty says Hull City must be more streetwise as they prepare to take on their toughest challenge since leaving the Championship a year ago.

City head to Fulham on Saturday afternoon looking to inflict a first defeat on the Cottagers when they come up against former boss Marco Silva, who has so far masterminded two wins and a draw from their opening three games, which included a thumping 5-1 win at Huddersfield Town.

A stunning 4-1 opening day victory at Preston North End has since been followed by two successive home defeats against QPR and Derby County with Grant McCann's men failing to find the net, as the reality of life back in the second tier of English football began to bite.

Docherty admits the opening three games have been something of a tough baptism of fire for his teammates, and one they must learn from quickly if they're to pick up points in the coming weeks.

"It has been a huge learning curve for us in what we've faced in the opening three Championship games," he told BBC Humberside.

"We couldn't have asked for three more different experiences to learn about this league.

"We had the highs of Preston and we really deserved that result. For QPR, we were on top and dominant for quite a long time in the game and then you're done by a simple set-piece and a deflection and before you know it, the game has gone away from you.

"Then with Derby, it's a difficult one, if anything I think it should have been a draw."

The Scottish midfielder, so impressive last season following his summer move from Rangers, says it's important City don't dwell on those disappointing results, and in particular, the uncharacteristically poor display on Wednesday night.

"These are the games you can't get too down in, there's things to improve on, we weren't at our best and we're not denying that - we'll be honest with each other and we'll learn from it," he said.

"Ultimately, the last two results have been disappointing; there's no point in covering the cracks, two home games we really wanted to pick up points I, especially on the back of Preston.

"However, we'll learn from it and we can only take these experiences on board and keep trying to improve on them.

"We need to be a bit more streetwise, we're coming up against a better calibre of player, but it's all about picking your moments of when we can press teams as we're a high energy team that wants to win the ball back in packs in dangerous areas and I think we need to get back to that as a team."



https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-vs-hull-city-championship-5812571

[WhiteJC]

Fulham announced they have landed land Flamengo's €8-million starlet

After weeks of negotiating, Fulham FC has finally landed the striker they've been pursuing.

Brazilian club Flamengo announced the departure of Rodrigo Muniz, who will be heading to the Championship side as they look to earn a promotion to the Premier League. TNT Sports Brazil reports that the deal will be for €8-million, with Flamengo receiving 25-percent from a future sale.

Muniz is the third striker on the depth chart for Flamengo, but he impressed during the absences of Gabigol and Pedro. The 20-year-old scored three goals and registered one assist in nine games for the South American giant.

For Flamengo, selling the third player at a deep position is good business since he wouldn't see much playing time with Gabigol and Pedro ahead of him. Fulham spent last season in the Premier League but was relegated, and now Muniz is tasked with helping them score goals to earn a spot in England's top-flight league next season.



https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/08/21/fulham-announced-they-have-landed-land-flamengos-e8-million-starlet/

[WhiteJC]

Ablade brace beats West Brom

Fulham's under 23s continued their excellent start to the new PL2 campaign with a second successive victory as they beat West Bromwich Albion 3-0 at Motspur Park last night.

A brace from striker Terry Ablade and another fine finish from the in-form Sonny Hilton saw Fulham's youngsters ease into a three-goal lead before half-time on another encouraging night for the club's academy. Cyrus Christie gained some minutes at the heart of a reshaped defence, replacing Idris Odutayo after the see-saw win at Sunderland on Monday night, and Luca Ashby-Hammond came in for his brother Taye in goal.

It took the hosts just eleven minutes to hit the front. Young Luke Harris, who scored the under 23's first goal of the season up at Sunderland earlier this week, produced a peach of pass to unlock the Albion defence and Ablade effortlessly rounded stranded goalkeeper Alex Palmer and slotted home the opener. The visitors responded spiritedly with veteran Robert Snodgrass seeing a free-kick cause a few moments of panic in the Fulham area and Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Snodgrass, on two occasions, coming very close to levelling matters. Ashby-Hammond also produced a strong reaction save to deny Jovan Malcolm.

But Fulham doubled the lead on the half hour as Ablade added a similar second to the goal he had already grabbed. Harris played another perfect through ball between the retreating West Brom defenders and the 19 year-old Finnish forward confidently cantered around the goalkeeper to extend the hosts' lead. Christie, who had saved his side with a smart defensive header as Albion looked to fight back, floated a fine ball over the Albion backline to release Hilton and the attacking midfielder fired in another fantastic finish right on the stroke of half time.

Ablade missed a chance to complete his hat-trick eight minutes after the interval when he burst clear along the left flank and beat the onrushing Palmer to ball but could only stab a finish wide. The away side had more chances in a quieter second period, with both Rico Richards and Owen WIndsor going close to grabbing a consolation goal but Kieron Bowie and Ablade missed good opportunities to extend Fulham's lead right at the death.

The comprehensive victory means Fulham's under 23s are level on points with Aston Villa, who they face in their next fixture at Bodymoor Heath on Friday night, at the top of the early table.

FULHAM UNDER 23s (4-2-3-1): L. Ashby-Hammond; Fossey, Larkeche (Odutayo 89), Christie, McAvoy; Page (Bowie 51), Pajaziti; O'Neill, Hilton, Harris; Ablade. Subs (not used): Las, Davis.

GOALS: Ablade (11, 30), Hilton (45).

WEST BROMWICH ALBION U23s (3-4-2-1): Palmer; Shotton, Taylor, Delaney; Ingram (Richards 60), Snodgrass (Andrews 45), King, Gardner-Hickman; Fellows, Malcolm, Faal (Windsor 60). Subs (not used): Hollingshead, Ashworth.

BOOKED: Gardner-Hickman.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/ablade-brace-beats-west-brom/

[WhiteJC]

Is Fulham's financial might really the problem?

In the wake of Fulham's fine start to the season, the relative strength of the Craven Cottage squad and the club's financial might has been subject of much comment in the media and on one particular podcast. The situation is more complex that the suggestion that the Whites have spent twice as much as anyone else in the division, so I thought it was worth examining in detail. The amount of money splashing around in this transfer window has been reduced following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, so a fuller analysis needs to take a longer view.

In my previous article, I discussed the spending of a number of clubs such as Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Looking back through the years from when the Whites first competed back in the Championship in 2014/2015 until now, I've compiled a list of the most expensive Championship signings as well as looking at the major club spending and who has made the biggest loss.

The record signing in the Championship is currently the Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves, who moved to Molineux for £16m and enjoyed a remarkable campaign as Wolves stormed to the title and was nominated as the EFL player of the year and young player of the year. A list of the other nine most expensive transfers in the division over this period – using the data compiled by Transfermarkt – makes for instructive reading:

1st. Ruben Neves, £16 million to Wolverhampton Wanderers

2nd. Britt Assombalonga £15 million to Middlesbrough.

3rd. Joaõ Carvalho £13.5 million to Nottingham Forest.

4th. Hélder Costa £13.5 million to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

5th. Ross McCormack £12 million to Aston Villa

6th. Harry Wilson, £12 million to Fulham (although this has been widely reported as being an initial loan from Liverpool).

7th. Benik Afobe £12 million to Stoke City.

8th. Jonathan Kodjia £11 million to Aston Villa

9th. Isaac Mbenza £11 million to Huddersfield.

10th. Andre Gray £11 million to Burnley.

I have now looked at the transfer income received and spent by each Championship club season-by-season since 2014/15 to look at who really have been the big spenders.

In 2014/15;

Fulham spent: £15.69M, income: £16.11M – profit £420k.

Middlesbrough spent: £10M, income: £5.53M. – loss £4.47M.

Norwich spent: £18.32M, income: £17.44M. – loss 876K.

Watford spent: £8.10M, income: £0.495K. – loss £7.61M.

QPR spent: £12.74M, income: £16.57M. +£3.8M in profit.

2015/16 season;

Burnley spent: £23.13M, income: £16.63M. -£4.5M in loss.

QPR spent: £15.67M, income: £10.62M. -£5.05M in loss.

Middlesbrough spent: £30.06M, income: £6.39M. -£23.67M in loss.

Derby spent: £30.65M, income: £0. -£30.65M in loss.

Sheffield Wednesday spent: £13.91M, income: £1.22M. -£12.69M in loss.

Fulham spent: £7.80M, income: £8.57M. +770k in profit.

Brighton spent: £12.12M, income: £0. – £12.12M in loss.

2016/17 season;

Newcastle spent: £57.83M, income: £90.79M. +32.96M in profit.

Norwich spent: £23.81M, income: £33.03M. +£9.23m in profit.

Aston Villa spent: £76.95m, income: £41.22M. -£35.73M loss.

Derby spent: £15.54m, income: £14.63m. -905k loss.

Sheffield Wednesday spent: £9.81m, income: £0. -£9.81m loss.

Birmingham spent: £9.08m, income: 180K. -£8.90m loss.

Wolves spent: £32.49m, income: £2.69m. -£29.80m loss.

Fulham spent £23.00m, income: £21.40m. -£1.59m loss.

2017/18

Hull City spent: £17.86m, income: £40.65m. +22.79m in profit.

Middlesbrough spent: £50.09m, income: £48.87m. -£1.22m loss.

Reading spent: £12.69m, income: £1.86m. -£10.83m loss.

Sheffield Wednesday spent: £13.68m, income: £0m. -£13.68 loss.

Fulham spent: £18.15m, income: £16.38m. -£1.77m loss.

Leeds United spent: £25.59m, income: £15.75m. -£9.84m loss.

Cardiff City spent: £11.40m, income: £2.39m. -£9.02m loss.

Wolves spent: £22.15m, income: £5.69m. -£16.46m loss.

Bristol City spent: £12.09m, income: £2.97m. -£9.12m loss.

Birmingham spent: £15.89m, income: £4.23m. -£11.66m loss.

2018/19 season

Stoke City spent: £56.61m, income: £27.14m. -£29.48m loss.

Aston Villa spent: £17.19m, income: £14.54m. -£2.66m loss.

Middlesbrough spent: £19.35m, income: £43.28m. +£23.93m in profit.

Nottingham Forest spent £24.69m, income: £1.08m. -£23.60m loss.

2019/20

Cardiff City spent: £16.21m, income: 17.82m. +£1.61m in profit.

Fulham spent: £33.30m, income £25.65. -£7.65m loss.

West Brom spent: £19.35m, income: £33.54m. +£33.54m in profit.

Derby spent: £7.38m, income: £1.22m. -£6.17m.

Bristol City spent: £29.66m, income: £43.86m. +£14.21m in profit.

Brentford spent: £31.19m, income: £36.83m. +£5.64m in profit.

Birmingham spent: £9.25m, income: £21.42m. ++£12.17m in profit.

Reading spent: £11.61m, income: 765k. -£10.85m loss.

2020/21 season

Nottingham Forest spent: £13.45m, income £14.18m. +£729K.

The spending in this current season has obviously not finished – we are not even at the end of the summer transfer window yet. Middlesbrough have spent around £6.86m. Some outlets have suggested that Fulham have already spent £20m but when the club's only signings have been Paulo Gazzaniga (on a free transfer from Tottenham) and Harry Wilson on an initial loan (which could eventually rise to as much as £12m) you realise that there are some inaccuracies involved. The impending arrival of Rodrigo Muniz for a fee believed to be eventually more than £6m will increase the club's spending, but you also have to factor in the departures of Aboubakar Kamara – for around £4m – and Stefan Johansen (reportedly sold for an initial £600,000 to QPR) and whether any other players will depart before the end of August.

I have also selected a set of sides, including Fulham, comparing how much they've spent, how much income they got from transfers and if they made profit or a loss since 2014/15 – bearing in mind, that like the Whites, several clubs have been promoted and relegation in this period.

Aston Villa

Relegated to the championship for the 2016/17 season until promotion took them back to the Premier League for the 2019/20 season.

Spent in total: £96.66m, income in total: £71.81m. They made a total loss of -£24.85m in their three years in the championship.

Birmingham City

Spent in total: £46.72m, income: £54.68m. They made a total profit of +£7.96m

Derby County

Spent in total: £83.77m, income: £55.66m. They made a total loss of -£28.11m.

Reading

Spent in total: £47.51m, income: £33.765m. They made a total loss of -£13.745m

Sheffield Wednesday

Spent in total: £41.639m , income: £9.32m. They made a total loss of -£32.319m

Nottingham Forest

Spent in total: £65.06m, income in total: £80.92m. They made a total profit of +£15.86.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

From 2014 until promotion in 2018

Spent in total: £66.52m, income: £23.6m. They have made a total loss of -£42.92m.

Fulham

This will be broken down into two sections as Fulham have been up and down between championship and PL – 2014-18, 19-20

From 2014-18 they have spent in total: £64.64m, income: £62.46m. This marks a loss of -£2.18m.

in 2019/20 they spent £33.30m, income: £25.65m. This marks them at a loss of -£7.65m.

in total they have spent: £97.94m, income: £88.11. In total loss of -£9.83m.

Middlesbrough

From 2014 until promotion from the Championship at the end of 2015/16 season.

They spent in total: £40.06m, income: £11.92m. They made a total loss of -£28.14m.

Following their relegation they were back for the 2017/18 season.

Since 2017/18

They have spent in total: £75.31m, income: £105.286m. They made a profit of £29.976m.

Meaning they are in total profit of £1.836m.

As you can see from the detailed lists above, Fulham's spending is not an outlier when we consider the recent finances of Championship clubs. There is probably a legitimate argument about whether the financial structures of English football create an even greater gulf between the have and have nots – something that is arguably only enhanced by the parachutes payments that clubs who drop down from the Premier League receive. There is no doubt that the instability of a number of clubs is also caused by the game's lax governance and the unsuitability of the ironically named fit and proper person's test for owners and directors. Reigning in rampant spending would be a laudable aim but it requires the powers that be to take action. Until they do, clubs will try to use any advantage possible to put them in the strongest position on the pitch.




https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/is-fulhams-financial-might-really-the-problem/

[WhiteJC]

From The Opposition Stand – Hull City (h)

Ahead of this afternoon's return to Craven Cottage, I got the lowdown on our visitors from Hull City supporters' website Tigerlink, including their thoughts on the new Fulham head coach Marco Silva, whose first spell in English football came when he took charge of this afternoon's opponents.

What are your expectations of Hull this season?

    Winning the League One title has given Hull City momentum, but a solid mid table finish would be more than acceptable with survival the clear priority.

    Despite promotion, the Club's ambitions are severely limited by our owners the Allams who run the Club almost on League One wage levels, won't spend money and have alienated many diehards over recent years with bizarre anti-fan policies. Large numbers of Hull City supporters won't attend games until the Allams sell up and leave. As a result our membership and attendances are very poor, we desperately need change at the top to unite the fanbase and fill our stadium again.

What have you made of Hull's opening to the season?

    A fine 4-1 away victory at Preston on the opening day was followed a week later by a down to earth 3-0 home defeat to QPR. We then lost narrowly 1-0 at home to struggling Derby County last Wednesday but failed to impress and so far we appear to be struggling with the step up in class.

What are your thoughts on Hull manager Grant McCann

    Manager Grant McCann won over many Tigers' fans by winning League One last season but he is still unproven at Championship level (he took us down from the Championship to League One the previous year and presided over one of the worst losing runs in our history) so it's a very important year for him and some fans still need to be convinced he is up to management in the Championship

Who is Hull's player to look out for?

    Key players George Honeyman and Mallik Wilks are likely absentees on Saturday due to injury. We are missing them badly.

    Tom Huddlestone played for us in our Premier League days, he has re-signed and debuted this week, he may feature at Fulham. But look out for midfielder Greg Docherty who has a touch of class and Keane Lewis-Potter a lively young attacker with a bright future.

What is your opinion on the Fulham team and ex Hull manager Marco Silva?

    Marco Silva was Hull Manager in the early part of 2017 and narrowly failed to keep us in the Premier League. He had notable wins against Liverpool and Manchester United during that time.

    His stock has plummeted since so he will be very keen to be successful again and it would be no surprise if the Cottagers bounced straight back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

    We reckon Fulham will make the play offs at the very least

How do you expect the game on Saturday to go?

    Fulham have managed to hold on to many of their Premier League squad. They have started very well and have players of proven quality. In contrast Hull City have an exciting young team but this is the first taste of the Championship for many of our squad and and we look low on experience and quality.

    We expect a gutsy performance and we are cautiously optimistic about our attacking threat, but we may struggle defensively

    If our former players Harry Wilson and Tom Cairney are missing from Fulham's line-up it may help our chances.

And finally, what's your score prediction?

    Fulham 3-1 Hull City

MY PREFFERED FULHAM STARTING XI (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga, Tete, Ream (C), Tosin, Bryan; Seri, Onomah; Carvalho, Kebano, Cavaleiro; Mitrovic.

@FFCSeb's Score Prediction– Fulham FC 1-0 Hull City (I've only got one right so far this season!)

Many thanks to Tigerlink for taking the time to answer our queries ahead of this weekend's meeting at Craven Cottage. Do check out their informative Twitter feed for their take on Hull City's fortunes and other events across East Yorkshire. We'd like to wish Hull City all the best for the remainder of the season.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/08/from-the-opposition-stand-hull-city-h/

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Fulham complete deal for Brazilian striker Rodrigo Muniz

Fulham have signed Rodrigo Muniz from Flamengo for an undisclosed fee.
The Brazilian, 20, has signed a five-year deal at Craven Cottage, with the club holding an option to extend by a further year.
Muniz said: "I am pleased about this new challenge. I've always dreamed of playing in Europe, in a league like the Championship, and I'm very motivated to do a great job.
"Fulham is a very important club in England, with much history. They presented me with an excellent proposal and a career project that was fundamental in my decision.
"Fulham is a traditional club in England, over 140 years old, and had great players who made their careers in different teams worldwide. It has a sensational structure and a passionate crowd.
"Marco Silva is a great coach, young and with great potential. He likes to work with young athletes, and I know that I will evolve a lot with him daily, together with my teammates.
"I hope to learn a lot from him, his staff, and my teammates as well."



https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/fulham-complete-deal-for-brazilian-striker-rodrigo-muniz/

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David Prutton delivers his verdict on Hull City's chances of Fulham result

The Sky Sports presenter anticipates a stern test for the Tigers in the capital.

David Prutton expects Hull City to struggle away at Fulham in his latest round of Championship predictions.

The EFL presenter and Hull-born ex-midfielder claimed that the optimism at the MKM Stadium has faded slightly following back-to-back defeats against Queens Park Rangers and Derby County.

Their upcoming opponents, on the other hand, are enjoying contrasting emotions following consecutive victories against Huddersfield Town and Millwall.

Writing in his weekly predictions column for Sky Sports, Prutton highlighted that Craven Cottage is one of the last places City will want to be visiting as they look to get back to winning ways.

He said: "It's been a good week for Fulham. A massive win at the weekend, and then a good win at Millwall in midweek that probably ended up being closer than it should have been. They won't struggle to score goals in this league.

"Hull started the season with such a positive result, but back-to-back defeats has seen that optimism ebb away a little. This is not a good place to go to try and get back on the horse. Home win."

Claiming that the home side will come away with a 3-1 victory, the 39-year-old expects Grant McCann's side to get on the scoresheet but cannot see them coming away with any points.

In their first three games of the season, the Tigers have enjoyed more success on the road, albeit in only one match, where they comfortably beat Preston North End 4-1 on the opening day.

They will take some confidence from that performance at Deepdale ahead of their trip to London where they will be desperate to score a goal for the first time in over 180 minutes.



https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/david-prutton-delivers-verdict-hull-5811477

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Exclusive: Mark Crossley tips Fulham to win promotion despite summer of change

Mark Crossley is certain former club Fulham will seal an immediate return to the Premier League.

The Cottagers went into the new campaign following a summer of change, with boss Scott Parker departing by mutual consent and taking on the Bournemouth job.

Following relegation to the Championship and Parker's exit, Marco Silva was appointed as head coach on a three-year deal having already managed Hull City, Watford and Everton in the Premier League.

Silva reacted by boosting his squad with the £12million arrival of Wales international winger Harry Wilson from Liverpool and ex-Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga heading to west London.

Fulham have got their campaign off to a promising start and went into the weekend undefeated after three outings back in the second tier of English football.

Crossley, who featured between the sticks for Fulham during his playing days, is adamant Silva and his squad are capable of enjoying success this season.

He exclusively told TIF: "I can't see them being outside of the top six all season. I think they will definitely get promoted because they've got the squad and the manager.

"I can only see good things coming out of Fulham."



https://thisisfutbol.com/2021/08/blogs/championship/fulham/exclusive-mark-crossley-tips-fulham-to-win-promotion-despite-summer-of-change/

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Fulham fans' guide to Hull City clash – Injuries, expected line up, how to watch

Fulham will be looking to make it three wins in a week with the visit of Grant McCann's Hull City at Craven Cottage this afternoon.

With two convincing away wins at Huddersfield and Millwall, Marco Silva will be hoping to get his first home victory of the season and keep this undefeated record going.

Hull, who started the season with a fantastic 4-1 away victory at Preston, have struggled to kick on from that result and find themselves still on three points. A poor defeat in midweek to Wayne Rooney's Derby County sees themselves in 18th-place.

Injuries
Josh Onomah was substituted at half-time in Tuesday's game with Millwall, the midfielder sustained a slight injury with his knee and may not be risked tomorrow.

There is still no news on Bobby Decordova-Reid who took no part in the game at The Den. Fulham will still be without defender Terence Kongolo and skipper Tom Cairney.

Harrison Reed has been back in training since Monday and is yet to feature in a match day squad. We could still have to wait to see the 26-year-old midfielder whose first minutes could come against Birmingham City next week in the Carabao Cup.

On the back of two wins we do not expect to see many changes to this Fulham side. Here is our we expect them to line-up.

Predicted line up: (4-2-3-1)
GK) Gazzaniga

(RB) Tete

(CB) Tosin

(CB) Ream

(LB) Robinson

(CM) Seri

(CM) Anguissa

(RW) Kebano

(CAM) Carvalho

(LW) Cavaleiro

(ST) Mitrović


How to watch
If you are unable to attend the game in person, audio is available on Fulham's Official website and can be bought as either an Audio Match Pass or part of the Audio Season Pass.

Fans outside of the UK are able to purchase a Match Pass to watch the game.



https://the72.co.uk/247121/fulham-fans-guide-to-hull-city-clash-injuries-expected-line-up-how-to-watch/

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Fulham: Silva must unleash Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa vs Hull

Marco Silva's reign at Craven Cottage has so far got off to a fine start, with the 44-year-old's Fulham side remaining unbeaten in the Championship after three games played and the Cottagers having secured a number of impressive signings in the summer transfer window.

Having said that, it would be naive to ignore the fact that there is still a considerable amount of interest reported in a couple of Fulham's biggest stars – none more so than Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who was absent from the Portuguese manager's matchday squad on the first day of the season as a result of his reported desire to leave west London.

However, with Silva revealing that he has no intention of sanctioning the sale of the 25-year-old this summer, and subsequently reintroducing the midfielder to his side in the form of two substitute appearances against Huddersfield Town and Millwall, today's clash with Hull City would appear to be the perfect opportunity for the 44-year-old to unleash the Cameroon international from the off.

With Josh Onomah picking up an injury in Tuesday's win at The Den, there is a spot which needs filling in Fulham's midfield. Considering how well Anguissa performed in place of the 24-year-old, it would seem advisable for Silva to stick with the 25-year-old against Hull.

Indeed, over his 45 minutes on the pitch last time out, the £22.5m-rated man completed 95% of his attempted passes, created one big chance, completed five of his seven attempted dribbles, made one key pass and won six of his nine duels.

These returns saw the man who Scott Parker dubbed a "superb" talent earn a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.4, ranking him as Silva's third-best player to feature in the match.

As such, from this performance it would certainly appear as if Anguissa's focus is back on doing all he can to ensure that Fulham have the best chance of securing an immediate return to the Premier League this season, with the midfielder's commitment to the cause potentially being a real game-changer not only in the Hull clash but also for the Cottagers' campaign as a whole.



https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-fc-news/fulham-team-news-hull-city-marco-silva-andre-frank-zambo-anguissa-the-championship

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Matt Grimes sends clear message on his Swansea City future amid Fulham claims

Swansea City captain Matt Grimes has played down reports linking him with a move away from the Welsh club during the summer transfer window.

Grimes' future has been the subject of much speculation this summer, with reports from The Daily Mail claiming that Fulham are closing in on a deal to sign the 26-year-old.

Now however, it seems as though Grimes has now interest in those claims, with his focus fully on helping Swansea's cause in the Championship.

Speaking about his future after his side's 1-0 win over Bristol City on Friday night, Grimes was quoted by Wales Online as telling Sky Sports: "No, it's all just noise around me at the moment. I'll give everything I can for this club every time I step foot on the pitch, and that's all I can say about it really."

As things stand, Grimes is now into the final year of his Swansea contract, meaning this could yet be Swansea's final chance to receive a fee for the midfielder.

That win over Bristol City was Russell Martin's first in the league as Swansea manager, and leaves the club with four points from their opening four games of the Championship season.

The Verdict

You feel that these comments from Grimes will be a big relief to those of a Swansea City persuasion.

The midfielder obviously has a huge influence on the club, both with the ability he possesses with the ball, and his leadership abilities in his role as captain.

It would therefore be a big loss if he was to move on, so the fact he does not seem to even be considering a transfer this summer, is obviously a good thing as Swansea look to find their feet under Martin.

However, it does still leave the club in a slightly precarious situation with regards to his contract, as they will not want to let a player of his calibre leave for free next summer, so you imagine a new deal for Grimes ought to be something of a priority for the club.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/matt-grimes-sends-clear-message-on-his-swansea-city-future-amid-fulham-claims/

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West Brom and Fulham handed boost in transfer pursuit as club's transfer stance outlined

Spezia are going to be willing to allow in-demand forward M'Bala Nzola to leave the club before the transfer window closes as Cagliari and Udinese enter the race for the 25-year-old, according to Citta Della Spezia.



Spezia are going to be willing to allow in-demand forward M'Bala Nzola to leave the club before the transfer window closes as Cagliari and Udinese enter the race for the 25-year-old, according to Citta Della Spezia.

It has already been reported that both West Brom and Fulham are interested in making a potential move for Nzola before the transfer window comes to a close.

Both sides are believed to have made contact with Spezia over a possible move for the 25-year-old.

It is also believed that Nzola could be available for a fee of around €7 million (£6 million) and that there are also clubs from Turkey and Portugal that are interested in his services.

The latest report from Citta Della Spezia, has now revealed that Spezia are willing to allow the forward to leave the club before the window closes with him no longer featuring heavily in their plans for this season.

That comes despite the 25-year-old scoring 11 goals in 25 league appearances last term.

It is believed that both Cagliari and Udinese have now been alerted to his potential availability and that they are ready to rival Fulham and West Brom for his signature.

The verdict

This is something of a blow to West Brom and Fulham's chances of signing Nzola in the sense that they are now facing competition from clubs in Serie A for his signature.

The 25-year-old will therefore potentially have a major decision to make over whether to remain in the Italian top-flight or to the Championship.

Both Cagliari and Udinese should have the finances to meet the £6 million fee that Spezia could demand for the forward.

However, it remains to be seen whether West Brom or Fulham are willing to move to that level of transfer fee to secure his signature.

It is a surprise to see Spezia not be keen to keep hold of Nzola considering that he managed to star for them last season in Serie A with his attacking output.

It might be a case of them needing the financial injection from his sale as opposed to not valuing him on the field.

West Brom and Fulham should be encouraged by this update in the sense that it at least seems like Spezia are not going to stand in his way of a potential exit.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/west-brom-and-fulham-handed-boost-in-transfer-pursuit-as-clubs-transfer-stance-outlined/

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Russell Martin delivers update on future of Swansea City ace as Fulham and Bournemouth circle

Swansea City manager Russell Martin has insisted that the Swans have not got any bids on the table for midfielder Matt Grimes and that he is happy to remain with the club.

Grimes' future has been in doubt throughout the summer transfer window and the midfielder was heavily linked with a potential move to Fulham.

There were even reports that the 26-year-old was close to completing a move to Craven Cottage at one stage, but the after-effects of Covid-19 prevented him from having a medical.

The likes of Bournemouth, Brighton and Watford have also been credited with an interest in Grimes during the summer window. However, at this stage none of those three clubs have come in with a concrete offer for his services.

Speaking to Wales Online following Swansea's 1-0 win at Bristol City on Friday night where Grimes starred, Martin insisted that the midfielder had not attracted a transfer offer at this stage and that he was confident that the 26-year-old is happy with the Swans.

He said: "He's been great for us since we've come in, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well, the way he conducts himself, he's the captain for a reason, and he takes big responsibility on the pitch. He was a bit tired towards the end because he's played just about every minute for us

"Nothing's changed, really. He's our player, we haven't had a bid, he's really happy here, as is his partner, who loves the area.

"So as far as I'm concerned he's ours.

"And until someone tells me different I'll enjoy working with him."

The verdict

This is excellent news for Swansea supporters to here because it is essential that they manage to keep hold of Grimes this summer.

The midfielder has been in brilliant form since the start of the campaign and he has adapted brilliantly to the way that Martin wants to get his side playing in the Championship this term.

It had been looking likely that Grimes could potentially leave the club before the transfer window closes with Fulham at one point looking close to securing his signature.

The 26-year-old would have been a huge loss given that they have already lost a number of key players from their squad this summer.

From these comments, it seems that Fulham's interest has died down somewhat and also that the likes of Brighton, Watford and Bournemouth have yet to test their resolve over the midfielder.

That suggests that there is a strong chance that Swansea will be able to keep hold of one of their most influential performers and that will be huge if they can do so.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/russell-martin-delivers-update-on-future-of-swansea-city-ace-as-fulham-and-bournemouth-circle/