Thursday Fulham Stuff - 11/11/21...

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Sean Davis details importance of key Fulham figure to Aleksandar Mitrovic's recent form

Former Fulham midfielder Sean Davis has lauded manager Marco Silva for Aleksandar Mitrovic's upturn in form, saying that the team are now playing to his strengths as he penned a piece on the official club website.

Silva, 44, arrived at the club at the start of July this year after Scott Parker's departure to AFC Bournemouth, having just been relegated from the Premier League and spending just one season back in the top flight before their second-tier return.

Serbian international Mitrovic was one man who failed to make a real impact for the Cottagers last term, scoring just three goals in 27 top-tier appearances and struggling to adapt to life at a higher level despite his existing experience there.

Football League World understands he was even open to an exit in the summer had Silva's predecessor Parker remained in the dugout at Craven Cottage this term, with a 'strained' relationship between the two possibly why he was unable to perform to his potential.

However, he has been in scintillating form during 2021/22 so far, scoring 20 goals in just 17 Championship matches and looking as though he will continue to break goalscoring records throughout the campaign.

Although the likes of Bobby Decordova-Reid, Neeskens Kebano and Harry Wilson have provided the creativity needed for the 27-year-old to make such a remarkable start to the season, he has arguably won games for the west London outfit on his own in recent months, scoring the only goal of the game against Peterborough United last weekend to secure all three points.

But former Cottager Davis has outlined another key figure as crucial to the forward's recent form, praising manager Silva for his impact on the Serbian.

Writing a column for the club website, he said: "Mitro has hit 20 goals already and we're barely into November.

"I've never seen anything like it. He's genuinely on fire. Sharing a dressing room with him and seeing that confidence, the players will know that if they can get good balls into the area, then he will hurt teams.

"He's always been a hungry player, but this season he looks ravenous.

"A new manager coming in seems to have done him the world of good, the team are playing to his strengths, he's signed a new deal, he's happy at the Club.

"All that bodes well, and hopefully he can go on and break all sorts of records."

The Verdict:

Although many people would label him as a player who's too good for the Championship but not quite good enough for the Premier League, almost fitting into the Dwight Gayle mould in that sense, Mitrovic has shown he can perform at the highest level.

Scoring nine goals in 34 games for Newcastle United during 2015/16 and recording 11 goals in 37 displays for his current side during 2018/19, he has proved he belongs in the top flight despite a disappointing campaign last season.

Translating this goalscoring form from the second tier to the top division would be a challenge for the 27-year-old if the Cottagers do gain promotion as expected, and there are no guarantees he will remain in this form for the remainder of this campaign after scoring at a rate of over one goal per game, but he has now given himself a great platform to build on.

Not only has he built and improved on his relationship with the likes of Kebano and Decordova-Reid – but his partnership with summer signing Wilson is also coming along nicely and that will only get better as the season progresses.

The forward also deserves credit for his creativity, supplying five assists in the Championship this term and recording a magnificent 25 goal contributions in total, something that looks unsustainable for the rest of the season but a brilliant record to have, nonetheless.

Credit to Silva too, because he's managed to give Mitrovic the confidence and freedom to get back to his best, showing why the Cottagers need to retain the 44-year-old.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/sean-davis-details-importance-of-key-fulham-figure-to-aleksandar-mitrovics-recent-form/

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Watch Fulham FC Women in action this Sunday!

Calling all Fulham fans! Show your support this Sunday as Fulham FC Women take on Oxford United Women at Motspur Park Training Ground in Vitality Women's FA Cup action, kick-off 2.30pm.

Fulham FC Women's dramatic penalty shootout win over Dartford secured their progression to the First Round proper of the FA Cup for the first time in six seasons and we want you to be part of the journey!

The day will be host to plenty of activities to keep families entertained, including face painters, balloon modellers and an appearance from Billy the Badger, with gates opening at 2pm.

Both teams head into the Cup tie in good form with Fulham FC Women notably stretching their current unbeaten run to eight games this past weekend.

Tickets for this fixture are priced at £5 for adults and £1 for juniors. A limited number of tickets are also available to Season Ticket Holders free of charge, on a first come first served basis.

Fans can secure their seats now online, by phone on 0203 871 0810 (opt. 1) or in person from the Fulham FC Ticket Office.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/november/08/watch-fulham-women-in-action-this-sunday-/

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Liverpool plot Fulham transfer raid: Is it a good potential move? Would he start? What does he offer?

Liverpool are said to be leading the race to sign Fulham's Fabio Carvalho this season, as per a recent report by TEAMtalk.

The 19-year-old is said to have turned down numerous offers of a new contract at Craven Cottage and is now seemingly nearing an exit from the West London club.

Here, we weigh up his potential move to Anfield as the speculation persists over his future with the Whites.

Is it a good potential move?

You only have to look at how well another Fulham academy graduate in Harvey Elliott has progressed at Liverpool to understand just how much faith the Reds are putting in their younger players.

They offer a good environment that doesn't put too much emphasis on loaning young players out as soon as possible.

There are now genuine chances to feature regularly in the first team under Jurgen Klopp and for that reason more and more youngsters are being attracted to the red side of Merseyside.

Carvalho would be going to a club that can take his game to the next level on both the domestic and European stage.

Would he start?

Initially the teenager would be used as more of a squad option by Liverpool and would have to work hard on the training pitch to show that he is ready to slot into the starting eleven in the long run.

Klopp demands a lot from his squad, with their defensive responsibilities being as important their attacking ones, which means Carvalho would have to work more on developing the former.

If he couldn't be afforded the game time he requires at Anfield, it would be fair to assume that the club could look to loan him out to a Premier League or Championship side.

Managing his development if he made the move would be crucial to Liverpool getting the best out of a player who has undoubted potential to go to the very top of the game.

What does he offer?

Carvalho offers a low centre of gravity and creative skills that make him stand out amongst his teammates.

He is arguably in the same mould as former Liverpool player Philippe Coutinho, due to the fact that he can operate as an out and out number 10 or on either flank.

His dribbling ability also allows him to draw in opponents, which creates space for others in the final third.

Lastly he is still at the very beginning of his senior career and offers the Reds the potential to become one of the best players of his generation if his development continues on its upwards trajectory.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/liverpool-plot-fulham-transfer-raid-is-it-a-good-potential-move-would-he-start-what-does-he-offer/

[WhiteJC]

How's Aboubakar Kamara faring since his Fulham exit?
Aboubakar Kamara left Fulham to join Greek side Aris in the summer – so how's the attacker faring at his new club?

Kamara, 26, spent four years at Fulham between 2017 and 2021.

He featured 94 times in all competitions and scored 17 goals, starting in both the club's Championship play-off finals in 2018 and 2020.

Kamara made 11 Premier League appearances last season and one Championship appearance this time round before securing a reported £4million move to Greek Superleague side Aris.

After nine league games of the season Aris sit in 7th-place of the Superleague table. There's only 14 teams in the Greek Superleague and so Aris are in the mid-table position as it stands, with Kamara having featured in all nine of his side's league outings so far this season.

And the Mauritania international is the club's second-highest goalscorer in the league this season, with two goals and two assists to his name in the league.

Kamara has started and finished most league fixtures for Aris since his multi-million move and he's so far providing the goods, but his new club will be wanting more from the 26-year-old.

He's proved himself with Fulham in the past – Kamara often had spells in the side where he became a really important player, especially at times under Scott Parker in the Championship.

His most prolific season with Fulham came in the 2019/20 campaign where he scored four and assisted as many in his 28 Championship outings, with the bulk of those coming off the bench.

Fulham fans will hope to see Kamara continue to prevail at his new home.



https://the72.co.uk/255147/hows-aboubakar-kamara-faring-since-his-fulham-exit/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham wonderkid Fabio Carvalho is being chased by super-agent Jorge Mendes who wants to fix midfielder with Liverpool move, after failing to convince Barcelona and Real Madrid about the England Under-18s star

    Fabio Carvalho is wooed by Jorge Mendes, who wants him to move to Liverpool
    The Fulham wonderkid has impressed in the Championship so far this season
    Carvalho is in the final year of his contract and has scored three goals so far
    Mendes tried to offer Carvalho to Real Madrid and Barcelona without success

Super-agent Jorge Mendes is wooing Fulham youngster Fabio Carvalho and is trying to fix him up with a move to Liverpool.

Mendes, whose client list is headed by Cristiano Ronaldo and brokered the move that took Ruben Dias to Manchester City, sees Carvalho as a potential star of the future.

The teenage midfield creator is in the final year of his contract at Craven Cottage having scored four goals in 12 games for Marco Silva's team.


Fulham's Fabio Carvalho is being chased by agent Jorge Mendes over a Liverpool move


Mendes sees Carvalho as a future star and believes he can sort out a move to the Reds

Mendes has alerted Barcelona and Real Madrid without joy but believes Liverpool are more interested in the 19-year-old having signed another Fulham academy graduate Harvey Elliott with great success.

Mendes has good relationships with the Anfield club having been involved in Diogo Jota's move there from Wolves.

Though born in Lisbon, Carvalho moved to England at the age of 12 and has represented the Three Lions up to under-18s level.


Carvalho has scored three goals for Fulham in their bright start to the Championship season

Silva is aware Fulham could lose their young talent. 'We are in the process to try and renew his contract, everyone knows that,' he said.

'But I hope everyone advising him makes him think just about football, and nothing (distracts) him from the most important thing in his life, playing football and doing his best every single day.'

Carvalho has recently returned from a toe injury having scored three goals in Fulham's bright start to the Championship season.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10186347/Fulhams-Fabio-Carvalho-chased-super-agent-Jorge-Mendes-plotting-Liverpool-move.html

[WhiteJC]

Sean Davis delivers verdict on Rodrigo Muniz amid lack of Fulham first-team opportunities

Ex-Fulham midfielder Sean Davis has listed Rodrigo Muniz's athleticism and eye for goal as two of his best assets, singling out the Brazilian for praise in his column after seeing him bag a brace against Blackburn Rovers last week.

The forward, who was also previously the subject of Championship rivals Middlesbrough in the summer, arrived at Craven Cottage for an €8m fee back in mid-August, with the purpose of competing with Serbian international Aleksandar Mitrovic for a starting spot in the English capital.

But despite his promise and the hefty fee Marco Silva's men invested in him, he has been limited to substitute appearances in the league so far, wholly due to Mitrovic's form in front of goal this term.

Scoring a remarkable 20 goals in 17 Championship matches, he has virtually been undroppable and doesn't look like slowing down at any point, looking on course to topple Ivan Toney's 2020/21 total of 31 goals in the league.

Despite his limited opportunities, Muniz has managed to get himself in and amongst the goals, scoring against Reading in September and securing a late brace against Blackburn at Ewood Park last Wednesday to take his tally to three goals in eight league cameos.

His performance in Lancashire last week was particularly impressive, outmuscling a defender to prod the ball home for his first, before meeting a cross with a perfectly-placed header to make it two for him and seven for the Cottagers on the night.

One man who has been particularly impressed with the Brazilian is former Fulham man Davis, writing in his column for the official club website: "I was pleased for Rodrigo Muniz to come on and bag a brace, as he's had to be very patient.

"He'll have been over the moon at coming on and scoring a couple of goals.

"It keeps that pressure on Mitro which can only be a good thing.

"I really like Muniz, he's such an athletic player and has a great eye for goal."

The Verdict:

Although Mitrovic is rightly getting praise for being in such good goalscoring form, this has overshadowed the performances of Muniz which is a shame because the 20-year-old has done brilliantly well in adapting to life in England and looks a real threat up top.

At some point during the season, the Serbian is likely to either sustain an injury, pick up a suspension or suffer a loss in form, so the fact his competitor was firing on all cylinders against Blackburn should be a great source of encouragement for Fulham fans.

The creativity of Neeskens Kebano, Harry Wilson and Bobby Decordova-Reid means he won't be short of chances if he comes into the starting lineup at some point – but after starting just once for the Cottagers in a Carabao Cup tie – it may take him one or two games to adapt.

After that, he should be flying and at 20, there's still a lot of time for him to develop his game.

Whether he would be ready to take on the potential opportunity of competing in the Premier League next season remains to be seen, but he's certainly doing well enough at the moment and should get the sufficient opportunity to shine throughout the remainder of this campaign, regardless of Mitrovic's form.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/sean-davis-delivers-verdict-on-rodrigo-muniz-amid-lack-of-fulham-first-team-opportunities/

[WhiteJC]

Geoff Horsfield on pneumonia horror after unknown blood clots left ex-striker near death

Medics saved the former Fulham, Birmingham City and West Brom after a bout of pneumonia revealed blood clots throughout his body and almost cost the 48-year-old his life

Geoff Horsfield has said a public 'Thank you' to medics after a bout of pneumonia sparked a scare that almost cost him his life.

The former Fulham, Birmingham City and West Brom striker has paid tribute to the doctors for their quick-thinking that prevented a disaster after what he thought was nothing more than a shortness of breath turned into an emergency situation.

Horsfield, 48, a crowd favourite at all of his clubs, has already recovered from testicular cancer but this latest attack on his health went undetected.

He said: "Early last month, I felt a bit lethargic, a bit under the weather. It had been going on for two or three weeks, I just thought to myself: 'I can get through this.'

"All of a sudden, I was at work - not carrying anything - but I was walking upstairs and I started heavy breathing, getting out of breath.

"I thought it would pass so I went to my wife Tina to her nan's house. When I walked in, she said to me: 'Geoff, you don't look right, you've gone as white as a sheet.'


Former Birmingham City and West Brom striker Geoff Horsfield has thanked medics for their quick actions ( Image:
Birmingham Mail)

"I was hobbling about. I sat on the settee and the chair and I went dizzy and so we called an ambulance.

"The paramedics came around and the first thing they did was to take my blood pressure. It was sky-high. Off the chart.

"Their first thought was that I was having a heart attack so they rigged me up to the machines and that showed there wasn't a problem.

"So, they blue-lighted me to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield.

"What they didn't know was that I had blood clots. My own nan had them and that was her cause of death. I've always assumed it was hereditary.

"I had my bloods taken. What I didn't know is that doing this can show up the possibility that you have a clot.


Horsfield salutes the fans during his time at West Bromwich Albion ( Image:
Birmingham Post and Mail)

"So they then took a chest X-ray and also found foreign bodies on my lungs. The doctors asked me if I'd had any pain anywhere else on my body.

"I'd had a real soreness in my right calf and I thought it was a pull but they scanned me and found a clot the size of a 50 pence piece. They also found one in my lungs.

"They said if I hadn't been taken to hospital when I was, that could have been it. It could have progressed through my body at any time - hit my heart - and that would have been it. Game over. Gone.

"I didn't realise how serious it was. They scanned my chest and discovered I'd had pneumonia for three weeks.

"If I hadn't contracted that we might never have known about it. I could have been walking around with the clots now. I was a ticking timebomb."

Horsfield went on a course of antibiotics, receiving four injections on the first day of his treatment and then the blood-thinning drug Warfarin and will have to take one tablet per day for the rest of his life.

"They've scanned me since then," said Horsfield who runs a charity helping the homeless in Birmingham, "and the drugs have dissolved the clot.

"The doctors told me I'd had a really narrow escape. They were brilliant. They saved my life, 100 per cent.

"One of the nurses apologised to me for the time it was taking and I said: 'Don't worry, you've got people worse off than me, you do what you have to.'

"It's just a shame they are so stretched. I got them all wine, flowers and chocolates afterwards. They've been brilliant with me. So, I'd like to say 'Thanks' to them.

"It's given me a kick-up-the-backside. I mean, I might have to change my lifestyle - do more walking or cut down on my drinking. It looks like I'll be doing more walking.

"I'm joking. But I'm here. I've got my three kids. After this, every day is a blessing. It really is."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/geoff-horsfield-pneumonia-horror-after-25423794

[WhiteJC]

How is Felix Magath getting on ever since leaving Fulham?

Fulham are on course to win promotion back to the Premier League, with the appointment of Marco Silva looking like a smart one from the hierarchy at Craven Cottage.

Of course, the Cottagers haven't always got their managerial decisions right, and the one bad call that sticks out is Felix Magath.

The former West Germany international arrived for his first spell in English football with a good reputation, having won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich twice, and, more impressively, with Wolfsburg once.

Whilst that was earlier in his career, the Fulham board hoped Magath's experience would help the team stay in the top-flight as they battled relegation.

As many will remember, it didn't happen. The former Hamburg chief didn't bring an improvement in the team and a disastrous start to the Championship saw him unsurprisingly dismissed.

After that, many of his bizarre methods were revealed, including telling Brede Hangeland to treat his knee injury with cheese.

As you would expect, those stories, combined with the relegation, had a big impact on Magath's career, and he would only have one job after leaving the Londoners, which was in China with Shandong Luneng Taishan, although he was thought to have had offers from Spartak Moscow and Austria Vienna.

Nevertheless, Magath would have just one year in China, where he guided the team to a sixth place finish before leaving in 2017. Since then, he has made it clear that he no longer wants to be a manager, but he was involved with football again as a key figure at a Global Soccer company.

Fulham fans won't remember him fondly at all, with Magath's spell in the capital a sad way for what had been a successful career in the top leagues to end.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/how-is-felix-magath-getting-on-ever-since-leaving-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Chris Wilder has made a claim about Fulham and West Brom

Speaking on the BBC Radio Five Live Football Daily Podcast, Chris Wilder has been speaking about the landscape of the Championship after his return to management.

Wilder is back in the EFL. He's taken the reins from Neil Warnock at Middlesbrough, and he's immediately looking at a place in the top six.

However, despite being an eternal-optimist, Wilder has conceded that his side probably won't get into the top three this season, claiming that Fulham, West Brom and Bournemouth will be at least 10 points better off than their competitors.

What's been said?

Wilder was speaking about the unpredictability in the Championship, but even in the most erratic league in the world, the former Sheffield United boss thinks there are three standout teams.

"I think anything can happen in the Championship. You look at it and I've been to a few games this season and looked at a few teams and kept up to date with it. Obviously, things never change in that division, any result can happen. The top two in terms of Bournemouth and Fulham, as well as West Brom, they'll be 10 to 15 points clear of the group behind them, but to get into that group behind them is doable," Wilder said.

Fight for the top two

We may only be in the early stages of the season, but it does seem as though it's a three-horse race for a place in the top two.

Fulham and Bournemouth have been exceptional this season and while West Brom aren't playing their best football right now, they've shown already this term that they have what it takes to beat any team in the division.

Wilder's Boro will probably have to aim for a place in the top six rather than the top two this term, but as the Championship has shown so many times, anything is possible at this level.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/11/10/chris-wilder-has-made-a-claim-about-fulham-and-west-brom/

[WhiteJC]

Harris scores as Wales U17 beat Ukraine

Fulham midfielder Luke Harris led Wales Under 17s to a 3-1 win over Ukraine tonight as they began their European U17 Championship qualifying campaign in fine style.

The teenage midfielder, named as captain for the first group game by manager Rich Williams for the opening game of qualifying in Portugal, put Wales in from with an assured finish after being set up by Swansea forward Ben Lloyd. A second half strike from Alex Roberts doubled the Welsh advantage and, although Nazar Balaba reduced Ukraine's arrears, substitute Cole Fleming made sure of victory with seven minutes remaining.

The young Welsh side face hosts Portugal, who thrashed Kazakhstan 5-0 tonight, in their next game on Saturday.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/11/harris-scores-as-wales-u17-beat-ukraine/

[WhiteJC]

Posh chairman has "never seen Darren Ferguson so angry" than after Fulham defeat
Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony has said that he has never seen Darren Ferguson so angry as after the defeat against Fulham on Saturday (November 6).

Posh put in an impressive performance against the side that currently sit in second in the table, creating more chances, hitting the woodwork on two occasions and creating a number of great one-on-one opportunities.

Jonson Clarke-Harris and Sammie Szmodics were the main two players that were guilty of not converting their chances but no one in the Posh side could find the breakthrough. They were then undone when Aleksandar Mitrovic was left unmarked in the box to score a free header and seal a 1-0 win.

Ferguson was very downbeat after the game and commented that it was a "rubbish result" and that it was the most disappointed he had felt all season.

Speaking on his Hard Truth podcast, MacAnthony revealed that, when he spoke to Ferguson after the game, he was the agnriest that he had ever seen him.

He said: "I've never seen me manager so angry after a game. He was an angry man at full time; he was angry with our defenders for letting that goal in and he was angry that everybody was going to talk about how good we were, but we didn't get anything out of the game'

"He even said that somebody from their bench came over and said well done at full time and it's like for what? I expected to win this game and I like that about my manager. He's irritated and angry because you don't get any prizes for losing football matches.

"Whilst it was a very good performance and it was spirited, zero was the accumulation of points and we had a poor week at home with one point out of two games, when we really should have had minimum of four or even six.

"Our defenders need to start looking themselves in the mirror and ask themselves, how does the leading scorer in the Championship find himself on his own five yards from goal for a cross? He's not the most mobile centre forward.

"That's happening too often from experienced defenders and that can't happen anymore. Some of those defenders need to come out of the international break with their own minds reset."



https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/sport/football/peterborough-united/posh-chairman-has-never-seen-darren-ferguson-so-angry-than-after-fulham-defeat-3453588