Thursday Fulham Stuff - 16/12/21...

[WhiteJC]

What is the latest with Aleksandar Mitrovic's situation at Fulham amid West Ham interest?

Aleksandar Mitrovic has enjoyed an excellent start to the Championship season, netting 22 goals in just 21 matches thus far.

His prolific form in front of goal means that he has averaging a goal every 83 minutes in the second-tier, and he has played a vital role in Fulham's rise to the Championship summit.

Late last month, Spanish club Villarreal registered their interest in the 27-year-old, as per a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes.net.

Now, according to Hammers insider, ExWHUemployee, David Moyes' side have joined the chase for the impressive forward as January nears.

The Spanish outlet mentioned a €16 million fee, but with all things considered, that would seem very cheap for the frontman's services.

Not only will Mitrovic be a vital component of what remains this season at Craven Cottage, but it is likely that he would be integral if they return to the Premier League.

Given his ability, importance to the team now, and potential importance with next year in mind, a very generous fee will have to be proposed for Mitrovic for Fulham to even bat an eyelid.

Mitrovic is staring down the Championship top scorer record, with Ivan Toney's 31 from last season under serious threat with the Serb on the case.

If he was to depart, Rodrigo Muniz would seemingly be the only out-and-out option at Craven Cottage, and whilst he is certainly making progress, it would still appear that he learning his trade in England.

Fulham would most likely try to generate enough of a fee from Mitrovic, if he was to depart so that they can ensure sustainability within their forward line.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/what-is-the-latest-with-aleksandar-mitrovics-situation-at-fulham-amid-west-ham-interest/

[WhiteJC]

Sources: Brentford open to player exit as Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Fulham lurk

Brentford are open to letting Marcus Forss leave on loan in the January transfer window as they have been inundated with interest in the Finnish star, Football League World understands.

Several Championship sides are currently taking a look at the young forward, with Fulham, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, Stoke City, Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion all having him on their respective radars.

Top flight clubs in France and Germany have also shown an interest, but Brentford ideally want him to stay in this country if he does leave in the January market.

The Bees have no intention of letting the player leave the club permanently in the next window, but are open to letting him leave on a temporary basis, with a number of sides looking at him as a potential boost to their hopes for the second half of the season.

All six Championship sides mentioned have play-off or promotion ambitions for the remainder of the campaign and the extra firepower that Forss could bring them could be what makes the difference between achieving their goals or not by the end of the year.

Forss has been used largely as a sub so far this season, and it appears the case that the Bees are looking to give him some more minutes elsewhere.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/sources-brentford-open-to-player-exit-as-nottingham-forest-middlesbrough-sheffield-united-and-fulham-lurk/

[WhiteJC]

The season so far for Fulham: Standout players? Areas to improve? January agenda?

Fulham have enjoyed an impressive start to the season in the Championship, finding themselves top of the league after 22 games.

Marco Silva's side are currently on an 11 game unbeaten run and are the top scorers in the league with 51 goals. Despite this positive run, they are without a win in four games and have seen teams below them start to slowly catch up.

Last season Fulham's 22nd league game was a 2-0 home defeat to Leicester City in the Premier League. Fulham were sat in 18th-place and were on a run of 11 games without a win. Despite a small turnaround in form, Fulham were relegated back to the Championship.

Since Silva's arrival Fulham have been playing free flowing football and have only lost three games under his management.

Here we take a look at Fulham's 2021/22 season so far...

Standout players...
With 22 goals to his name this season, Aleksandar Mitrović has played a key role for Fulham. The Serbian has the ability to be in the right place at the right time and is scoring a variety of different goals.

Harry Wilson has also shone since his arrival from Liverpool. The winger has contributed 13 goals this season and is averaging 2.4 key passes per game (SofaScore).

Jean Michaël Seri's return to the starting XI has been very beneficial for Silva's side. The holding midfielder has the ability to pick out a team mate from anywhere and has already got himself six assists.

At the back, Marek Rodák has kept five clean sheets in 10 games since his inclusion in goal. The Slovakian came into the side in October and has earned countless points for Fulham, including a Man of the Match performance against Peterborough United.

Areas to improve...
It is difficult to suggest areas for Fulham to improve on when they are top of the league and 11 unbeaten. Despite scoring 51 goals and being the top scorers in the league, it could be argued that Fulham still need to show more ruthlessness in front of goal.

The front three of Mitrovic, Wilson and Neeskens Kebano are averaging 8.7 shots per game but Fulham are only averaging 2.3 goals per game. It is harsh on the Championship top scorers but there are always areas to improve on.

When looking at the current teams in the play-offs, West Brom, Blackburn, QPR and Stoke City, Fulham have beaten these sides by an aggregate score line of 17-1. But when playing against teams further down the league such as Blackpool, Bristol City, Reading and Derby, Fulham have found it hard to break down these teams and failed to get a victory against any of those sides. Some might say that Fulham need to show more consistency against the poorer teams.

January agenda?
Silva is still looking to add to strengthen his attack and it has been reported that an £18 million transfer offer for Angers attacking midfielder Angelo Fulgini could be on the cards. The 25-year-old has three goals and two assists to his name this season.

Another main target for Fulham is to try to agree terms with Fabio Carvalho and for him to put pen to paper and sign a new contract. The youngster's contract expires in the summer and Premier League clubs such as Liverpool and Chelsea are reportedly in for the creative midfielder.

When speaking about whether Fulham would do any business in January Silva expects it to be a quiet transfer window.

"At this moment we are happy. We did what we should do last summer, as it is always tough for a club after relegation," Silva told West London Sport.

Fulham are next in action on Monday evening as they welcome Sheffield United to Craven Cottage.



https://the72.co.uk/257735/the-season-so-far-for-fulham-standout-players-areas-to-improve-january-agenda/

[WhiteJC]

'Could arguably demand up to £40m' – West Ham in transfer chase for Fulham star: The verdict

This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

West Ham United have now joined the race for Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, as per a report from ExWHUemployee.

The Hammers join  Villarreal with an interest in the 27-year-old, with the Spanish outlet reportedly valuing him at €16 million.

Mitrovic has netted 22 times in the league this season, scoring at a rate of one goal every 83 minutes of Championship action.

Fulhams' talisman finds himself nine goals short of the Championship record, the one that Ivan Toney set last year during Brentford's promotion-winning season.

Three of our writers here at FLW have shared their thoughts as to whether or not they can see Mitrovic departing in January, and what kind of figure would make Fulham even consider parting company with him...

Toby Wilding
It feels hard to imagine Mitrovic leaving Craven Cottage anytime soon.

The Serbian is playing in just about the form of life, he looks happy at Fulham, and right now, the Cottagers are well on track for a swift return to the Premier League.

As a result, it wouldn't seem to make much sense for him to leave them in January, especially for a club such as West Ham, where he could be playing second fiddle to Michail Antonio, which the Serb is unlikely to want at this stage of his career.

Given he is contracted to Fulham until the summer of 2026, and the fact that his goals are vital to their hopes of promotion, you can't see the Cottagers being in any mood to let him go in the near future.

With that in mind, the fact that Fulham are in such a strong position to negotiate any offers that come in, you imagine it could take somewhere in the region of £35million-£40million to prise him away from Craven Cottage in January.

Adam Jones
It would be very hard to see Fulham cash in on the Serbian unless they receive an obscene bid for his services.

You can't rule out a potential departure – because they could use the money generated from his possible sale to ensure they stay on the right side of the EFL's financial rules and reinvest in their squad – but they look like so much more of a force with him and that's why he's likely to remain at Craven Cottage.

The striker himself seems to be enjoying life under manager Silva and that's showing in his performances, so a move in January could end up being detrimental to his momentum and with that, his career.

As a man who is clearly settled in west London, he probably knows his best option is to remain at his current side until the end of the season and then reassess his future after that, with the potential chance to play Premier League football at Fulham next season.

In terms of his price tag, Fulham are under no pressure to sell considering his deal doesn't run out until 2026, so they could arguably demand up to £40m for his signature considering his goalscoring form.

Charlie Gregory
I think for him to leave Fulham would be a huge blow but for West Ham it would be a superb bit of business.

David Moyes has a penchant for dipping into the EFL with West Ham and signing some of the best players – see Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma as just two examples.

While they don't always pay off, under the tutelage of the former Everton boss, they often do. This could be another case of it working wonders for the Hammers, with Mitrovic already experienced in the Premier League and proving to be the single best attacker in the entire Championship this year.

For Fulham though, it would be a huge loss. With the side chasing promotion and with the vast majority of their goals coming from Mitrovic, it would be a massive blow to lose him in January.

They'll be desperate to hold onto him – and if they can, then that would be a coup within itself.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/could-arguably-demand-up-to-40m-west-ham-in-transfer-chase-for-fulham-star-the-verdict/

[WhiteJC]

Transfer Tracker: What's the latest on Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's future amid Crystal Palace, Napoli links?
Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has been enjoying a fruitful loan spell with Napoli this season – but what's the latest on his future at Craven Cottage?

Anguissa, 26, was a standout performer in an otherwise poor season for Fulham last time round.

He featured 36 times in the Premier League and made three Championship outings at the start of this campaign, before joining Napoli on loan with a view to a permanent deal.

Soon after, Napoli were said to be keen on signing the Cameroonian on a permanent basis, with Crystal Palace having also been linked with the midfielder.

So what's the latest on Anguissa's Fulham future?
Reports crediting Napoli with an interest in triggering the buy option in Anguissa's loan deal are rife. The last report doing so was last month though – reports coming out of Europe revealed that Napoli remain very keen on a permanent deal, and that they Italian club were in constant talks with Fulham over that prospect.

Fulham boss Marco Silva has previously expressed his desire to keep Anguissa, with the player himself having refused to be drawn into speculation about his future.

Interestingly though, Fulham were linked with a January move for Angers' Angelo Fulgini soon after Crystal Palace were linked with Anguissa.

The midfielder could be seen as a direct replacement for Anguissa with Fulgini said to be keen on a move to England.

Anguissa has only recently returned from an abductor injury and so speculation surrounding his future seemingly took a backseat for a few weeks.

But with January just around the corner, expect that to heat up once again.



https://the72.co.uk/257965/transfer-tracker-whats-the-latest-on-andre-frank-zambo-anguissas-future-amid-crystal-palace-napoli-links/

[WhiteJC]

Last 10 Championship teams top at Christmas and how they fared as Fulham lead race

Marco Silva's side are looking a good bet for an instant return to the Premier League - here, we look at where the last 10 leaders of the second tier on December 25 have finished

Fulham fans have plenty to cheer about as we approach the busy festive season.

Their side are top of the Championship and are the division's most potent team with an immediate Premier League return looking a safe bet.

Marco Silva's side are five points clear of third-placed West Brom as we approach the halfway stage of the season.

But what are the omens for the Cottagers as we head into the second half of the campaign?

Well, pretty good as it turns out.

Nine of the last 10 seasons have seen the side sitting top of the Championship on Christmas Day go on to seal automatic promotion.


Fulham can ensure they are top on Christmas Day with a point in their next game, against Sheffield United on Monday, or if Bournemouth fail to beat Middlesbrough before then

Five of them - Cardiff City, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Wolves and Norwich City - have gone on to cling on to top spot and go up as worthy champions.

Four others - Southampton, Burnley, Middlesbrough and West Brom - lasted the pace and sealed automatic promotion by finishing second.

However, just one side sitting atop the second tier on December 25 has gone on to finish outside the top two spots.

That was in the 2018-19 season when Leeds United befell the unfortunate fate.

Marcelo Bielsa's side beat Aston Villa just before Christmas to stay top of the table. They were 2-0 down at Villa Park before a second half salvo saw them seal a dramatic victory that sent them clear of Norwich.

They were a point clear of the second-placed Canaries and six clear of third-placed West Brom when the big day came.

But come the end of the campaign Bielsa's side were overtaken by Norwich and Sheffield United. They would eventually finish third, six points shy of the second-placed Blades. They then lost out in the play-offs to compound their misery.

As for Fulham, they will be hoping to avoid a similar collapse after blowing the majority of their rivals away so far.

As mentioned, Silva's troops are top scorers by some distance this term. They have hit 51 goals so far. For context, Bournemouth AND Blackburn are joint second-highest scorers on 37 each.

A huge factor in that has been the sensational form of striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serbian has hit 22 goals so far and is just nine away from equalling the second tier's best-ever tally (since it was revamped in 2004-05).
Aleksandar Mitrovic has 22 goals for Fulham in the Championship already

The chances of Fulham being top on Christmas Day are pretty high. The only side that can take that honour away from them is Bournemouth, led by ex-Fulham boss Scott Parker.

The Cherries would need to win away at Middlesbrough on Saturday lunchtime and then hope for a Fulham slip-up.

Silva's side are not in action until Monday evening when they host Sheffield United at Craven Cottage.

Last ten teams to top the Championship table on December 25 (where they finished)

2011-12 Southampton (2nd)

2012-13 Cardiff (1st)

2013-14 Burnley (2nd)

2014-15 Bournemouth (1st)

2015-16 Middlesbrough (2nd)

2016-17 Newcastle (1st)

2017-18 Wolves (1st)

2018-19 Leeds United (3rd)

2019-20 West Brom (2nd)

2020-21 Norwich (1st)



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fulham-promotion-omens-leeds-mistake-25707311

[WhiteJC]

Ex-England international names the most impressive Championship team this season

Championship table-toppers Fulham have been named as the most impressive side in the division so far this season by former England international Michael Dawson.

As we approach the half-way stage of the season, Marco Silva's side are top of the pack despite not winning in any of their last four matches.

Draws against Derby, Preston, their nearest challengers Bournemouth and then Luton Town has meant just four points out of a possible 12 for the west London club.

Before the goalless draw against Derby though they did win seven matches on the spin – including a 7-0 dismantling of Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park and naturally they have caught the eye from a number of ex-professionals who now work as pundits.

With Dawson now retired after a final spell at his boyhood club Nottingham Forest, he's been able to take in a lot of EFL action and has been suitably impressed by the Cottagers the most.

"In terms of a most impressive team it has to be Fulham, which doesn't surprise me," Dawson told the Express.

"With the squad that Marco Silva has got, you would expect them to be in the top two.

"The calibre of player who is there and has stayed there from the Premier League – they are nearly the same team who got promoted two years ago.

"Aleksandar Mitrovic scoring 22 goals before Christmas is an amazing return."

The Verdict

It doesn't take a half-decent pundit to work out that Fulham over the course of the season so far have been the most impressive side.

But if we are going on more recent performances then you could say others have trumped the Cottagers, even though Silva's side are still playing relatively well without winning matches.

With how Nottingham Forest are playing recently it's perhaps a surprise that Dawson did not show a bit of bias but even still Steve Cooper's side right now are one of the form teams and are playing great football.

But some of Fulham's attacking performances have been mind-blowing – and for the players they have at their disposal so they should be.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/ex-england-international-names-the-most-impressive-championship-team-this-season/

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

inconsistency

Thrashing teams one week and struggling the next .

Individual inconsistency:  Lots of players are 'thrilling' one game and not so the next
BDR,  Kebano, Seri and Wilson are examples

[Twig]

inconsistency

Thrashing teams one week and struggling the next .

Individual inconsistency:  Lots of players are 'thrilling' one game and not so the next
BDR,  Kebano, Seri and Wilson are examples

At a push you could say the same about Mitro but they are all forward leaning players, either goal scorers or expected to initiate attacking moves. I don't know many players in those positions who excel week in week out. A defender or a defensive mid is less likely to be branded inconsistent but also less likely to be "thrilling".

Don't necessarily disagree with your general point, just commenting.