Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 11/01/22...

[WhiteJC]

Fulham 'open to offers for Kongolo'

Fulham will consider offers for injury-plagued defender Terence Kongolo during the January transfer window, according to the Athletic's Peter Rutzler.

The Dutch international, who made a permanent move to Craven Cottage for Huddersfield Town for around £4m last October after his initial loan spell was scuppered by injury, has made just four first team appearances for Fulham. The 27 year-old, who has another two years to run on his current contract, is most likely to leave on loan if a suitor can be found this month.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/01/fulham-open-to-offers-for-kongolo/

[WhiteJC]

Cottagers visit Berkshire

Our preview of Tuesday's clash with Fulham

Promotion chasers Fulham are the visitors for our second home game of 2022, and they travel from the capital to Berkshire on Tuesday 11 January for an 8pm kick-off in RG2.

The Royals are still one of just two sides to beat Fulham at Craven Cottage this season, so they'll be looking to complete a rare double over Marco Silva's men who go into their meeting with Veljko Paunovic's team, occupying third spot in the table, just one point shy of the top two.

A win for the Royals would ensure a positive start to the new calendar year - and set us on our way to hopefully continuing that positive momentum into our weekend trip to Middlesbrough.

Tickets
Tickets for this fixture will go off sale at 6pm, two hours before kick-off on matchday.

Suspension of some Reading Buses services
Like many businesses, Reading Buses have been affected staffing shortages, and as a result they have decided to suspend some services for the 8pm kick-off on Tuesday 11 January for the game against Fulham.

The good news is that they will still be operating the F1 shuttle from Reading Station, the park & ride services and the longer distance routes where customers have no alternative to get to the match.

For full details regarding which services will not be running for this match, please click here or on the button below.

We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause to some of our supporters - please see the alternative bus routes suggested by Reading buses for those services not running on Tuesday night.

The opposition
Former Everton boss Silva's return to the Championship has been a case of, so far, so good, and the Portugese manager has the Cottagers firmly in contention for an instant return to the Premier League this season.

Fulham have stumbled a little with results in recent weeks, but they're still right up there having already recorded 13 wins from the first half of the campaign.

After seeing a run of games postponed, Fulham haven't been in league action since December, when they were beaten 1-0 at home by a resurgent Sheffield United side.

Beaten just four times prior to Christmas, the Cottagers have threats from every angle, spearheaded by the league's top scorer.

The divison's top scorers as a team too, there's a reason they're on course for a shot at promotion, and the Royals will need to produce a performance as good as the one which saw us take three points from Fulham back in September, to acheieve the same feat again.

One to watch: Aleksandr Mitrovic
It goes without saying that Fulham's Serbian sharp shooter has been in red hot form this season.

Mitrovic, who is in his fifth year at Craven Cottage, is the Championship's leading scorer, netting 22 goals in his first 22 games of the campaign.

Promoted to the top tier twice as a Cottager, the 27-year-old former Anderlecht and Newcastle United man is integral to how Silva's men operate.

The explosive forward has made just shy of 400 career appearances, and was named Fulham's Player of the Year for 2020. Undoubtedly a man to contain if the Royals are to beat their visitors again this season.

Head-to-head
The Royals are looking to make it three wins on the spin against Fulham when the Cottagers come to town on Tuesday night.

When we last met, it was the Royals who ran out victorious, as two stunning efforts from Ovie Ejaria ensured it was an away day to remember for our supporters in London.

Our last home win over Fulham was an unforgettable one, as Yann Kermorgant's penalty sent us to Wembley in the 2016-17 Play-offs.

There have been 58 meetings between the teams since 1905, with Reading winning 20 and drawing 16 of those.

Ref watch
Tony Harrington will referee our meeting with the Cottagers at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

This will be Harrington's third Royals match of the season, and he last oversaw our away win at Swansea City, before previously officating our defeat away to Blackburn Rovers in October.

Marc Perry and Matthew Wilkes will assist Harrington for our Tuesday evening clash, while his fourth official will be Dean Whitestone.

Brooks has shown 33 yellow cards and one red in his opening ten games taken charge of this term.



https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2022/january/10/cottagers-visit-berkshire/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham's Sylvester Jasper to explore options in a higher division after Colchester United spell
Colchester United boss Hayden Mullins says Sylvester Jasper will explore his options in a higher division after heading back to Fulham, as per a report by Gazette.

Colchester United won't be bringing him back for the second-half of this season.

Jasper, 20, was a hit with the U's after linking up with them over the summer to get some first-team experience under his belt.

He made 24 appearances for the League Two club in all competitions and chipped in with three goals and two assists.

'Explore things in a higher division'...

Mullins has said: "Sylv's loan was up and I think he wants to explore things in a higher division which is fine. That's football. We thank him for his services and I spoke to Sylv on the phone."

What next?

Jasper proved his worth in the fourth tier and could now look to test himself higher up the football pyramid. It will be interesting to see if a League One club makes a move for him between now and the end of the transfer window.

Story so far

The Bulgaria Under-21 international started his career in the academy at QPR before switching to Fulham.

He was handed his senior debut by the London club in an FA Cup clash against Manchester City in January 2020 and signed his first professional contract in August of the same year.

Jasper went on to play a further two games for the Cottagers before he was loaned out to Colchester.

Colchester situation

Losing one of their key players is a blow to the U's. They are currently in 22nd place in the table and face a battle for survival this term.

Mullins' men are only three points above the relegation zone where Oldham Athletic and Scunthorpe United are sat right now.



https://the72.co.uk/259589/fulhams-sylvester-jasper-to-explore-options-in-a-higher-division-after-colchester-united-spell/

[WhiteJC]

Away Day Guide – Stoke City

Our busy January continues with a trip to the West Midlands to playoff-chasing Stoke. We can't promise the highs of Bairdinho's brace back in 2010, but we can give you all the essential information for those planning to make the trip.

TICKETING INFORMATION
BY CAR

Exit the M6 at Junction 15 and head straight over to roundabout onto the A500 towards Stoke. Leave the A500 at the slip road following signs for the A50 towards Derby. Turn right at the roundabout and take the second from left lane, which is clearly signposted for the Bet365 Stadium, which should come into view on your right. Parking is available at the stadium for £5 – do not risk parking on the nearby wasteland, your car will be ticketed!
BY TRAIN

It is around a two mile walk from Stoke station to the stadium – so supporters are advised to either take a taxi or use the shuttle bus from Glebe Street (£4 adults, £2 concessions).
BY COACH

The official club coaches will leave Craven Cottage and Motspur at 9am on matchday. Tickets are priced at £20 for adults and £15 for juniors for season ticket holders and £25 for adults and £20 for juniors for non-season ticket holders.
AWAY PUBS

There are two traditional offering for away fans arriving by train. The Terrace Bar (185 Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2BW) is a five minute walk from the station with large television screens showing live sport and a good selection of food on offer. The Venue Bar (College Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DE), housed on the campus of nearby Staffordshire University, is also served by the shuttle bus from the station and has previously been popular with visiting Fulham fans.

Supporters waiting for the shuttle bus are highly recommended to try The Glebe (35 Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 1HG) which offers a warm welcome, a wide selection of ales and food, including pork pies and cheeseboards.

Next to the stadium itself is the Trentham LakesHarvester (Sir Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4TL) that welcomes away fans and shows Sky Sports. Supporters can park at the Harvester for £3.

The nearby Power League (Trentham Lakes, Dennis Violet Avenue, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4TN) opens their bar to visiting supporters on matchdays and also shows televised sport and offers car parking from around £4.50.

The Longton Rugby Club (Sir Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4TL) has two bars in operation on matchdays, screens showing televised sport, and parking available for £5. It is about a twenty minute walk from the Rugby Club to the away entrance.

Supporters who fancy something different could venture down to the canal and drive the Boatcake – which predictably offers oatcakes – or Bargain Inn Booze that offers beer or lager priced around £2. Both home and away fans mingle without any issues. You can reach the canal by heading towards the bottom left of the car park outside the away end, heading towards the bridges and taking the pathway down from beneath the second bridge.

Alcohol is available within the away end, including Carlsberg (£4.20 pint), Marstons Pedigree (£4 pint), Cider (£4.20, 500ml bottle) and Smirnoff Ice (£4.20, 275ml bottle), plus small wine bottles and miniature spirits (all £4.30).



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2022/01/away-day-guide-stoke-city/

[WhiteJC]

Manchester City to Host Fulham in FA Cup

Blues Welcome Londoners to Manchester

Manchester City will welcome Fulham to the Etihad Stadium as the continue their pursuit of the FA Cup. The blues beat Swindon Town 4-1 at the County Ground on Friday evening, while Fulham needed an extra time goal from Harry Wilson to overcome fellow Championship side Bristol City.

The blues are looking to win the trophy for the 7th time in their history, and the meeting with the West London side, which will take place on 5th February, will be the fourth time these two have been drawn together in the competition.

The last meeting was as recently as January 2020 when the blues ran out 4-0 winners, their first meeting in the FA Cup for 106 years. The blues overcame Fulham in the competition in January 1914, emerging as 2-0 winners, and avenging a 3-1 replay defeat at Fulham in 1908 after the first match at Hyde Road ended 1-1.



https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/2022/1/9/22876085/manchester-city-to-host-fulham-in-fa-cup

[WhiteJC]

2 Fulham transfer sagas to keep an eye on this week

Fulham will be looking forward to getting back to league action as soon as possible as they aim to get themselves back at the summit of the Sky Bet Championship in the near future.

The Whites have had a good campaign so far but have stuttered a bit in recent weeks and will hope that any dip in form that they are having now will not hamper their promotion chances too greatly.

Whilst we wait and see how they do this weekend in the league, then, here are some transfer stories to potentially keep an eye on in the coming days...

Offers arrive for Terence Kongolo
The Athletic's Fulham correspondent Peter Rutzler has reported that the Cottagers are open to offers for Terence Kongolo with the player suffering rotten injury luck during his time at the club.

He's made just a handful of appearances and the Cottagers are now open to either letting him leave on loan or permanently if the right offers come in.

We could well see clubs taking a look at him, then, but they will want assurances over his fitness levels too.

Sylvester Jasper heads out on fresh loan
As per a report from the Colchester Gazette, we could see Sylvester Jasper head onto a loan at a higher level than League Two in the near future.

Those are the thoughts of current Colchester boss Hayden Mullins at least, with the player possessing plenty of ability and talent.

A number of good youngsters are on the books at Fulham, and getting him a loan to a club in the EFL could be high on the Whites' list of January priorities.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/2-fulham-transfer-sagas-to-keep-an-eye-on-this-week/

[WhiteJC]

Marlon Fossey reveals the aims of his loan spell at Bolton Wanderers

Fulham academy graduate Marlon Fossey is currently spending the second half of the season away from the Cottagers and with Ian Evatt's Bolton Wanderers.

It is the 23-year-old's second loan spell in League One after making nine appearances for Shrewsbury Town in the first half of last term. Fossey excelled for the Fulham U23 side in Premier League 2 earlier this campaign and will be hoping to carry on that form at The UniBol.

Fossey explained that he is hoping to use the spotlight on him at Bolton to stake a claim for a call-up to the USA national team when he spoke to The Bolton News.

He said: "I have definitely got eyes on getting myself back into that international scene. You have got the World Cup coming up and I want to play at the highest level. I will see what I can do.

"Bolton is a big club and there will be eyes on this team. I think from what you guys achieved last year (promotion from League Two), everyone on the outside will still not be comfortable around this team. This is still a side that can rise up the ranks, as they showed last year. We are hoping to do that again this year, at least to the play-offs, and then we will see what happens."

Gethin Jones' injury has really hit Bolton hard this season and the signing of Fossey should go some way to filling that void. Bolton's style of play may have made them an attractive destination from Fulham's point of view and in that Fossey could be a real force marauding forward from right back in the coming months.

The Verdict
Bolton's recent run has been extremely concerning and if they are unable to stop the rot they will hurtle towards a return to League Two. The Trotters have won just two of their last 12 league games, with the gap between them and the bottom four shrinking to just three points, and those victories have been against the current bottom pair in Doncaster Rovers and Crewe Alexandra.

Evatt will have his eye on a handful of extra targets to bolster his squad this month, if the Trotters can get back to the performance levels they showed at the beginning of the season, coincidentally with Gethin Jones a driving force in the side, then they will have no problem pulling away from the drop conversation. However, it could get worse before it gets better looking at the team's recent trajectory.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/marlon-fossey-reveals-the-aims-of-his-loan-spell-at-bolton-wanderers/

[WhiteJC]

Jasper lines up League One loan

Sylvester Jasper could be looking at League One loan spell after returning to Fulham from Colchester, according to U's manager Hayden Mullins.

The Bulgarian under-21 international headed back to Craven Cottage after spending four months with the League Two – scoring three goals in 24 appearances – and Mullins told the Daily Gazette yesterday that the winger feels ready to perform at a higher level:

"Sylv's loan was up and I think he wants to explore things in a higher division which is fine. That's football. We thank him for his services and I spoke to Sylv on the phone. He's a good young player."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/01/jasper-lines-up-league-one-loan/

[WhiteJC]

EXCLUSIVE: Promotion hopefuls Fulham, Blackburn enter battle for standout Championship star

Blackpool could be set to lose star winger Josh Bowler this month to one of a number of Championship rivals, TEAMtalk understands.

The Tangerines snapped up the 22-year-old after he left Everton in the summer. He has been outstanding for Neil Critchley's this term.

Bowler signed an initial 12-month deal but with an option for another, which Blackpool are set to take in order to protect themselves.

Even so, we understand a host of Championship clubs are looking to swoop for Bowler – who can operate on either flank.

Fulham, Blackburn, Stoke and Nottingham Forest are amongst the clubs ready to make a move.

Blackpool's number 11 has started 16 Championship matches this season, coming on in 10 more. He has provided one goal and three assists.

Furthermore, he scored once from his only substitute appearance in the Carabao Cup, after previously starting one more game in an earlier round of that competition.

The Chertsey-born ace came through QPR's academy before playing once for their first team. He then earned a move to Everton, who never used him but loaned him to Hull City in the 2019-20 season.

He made 28 Championship appearances in his first full taste of a second-tier season. Bowler has built up a lot more experience since leaving Everton as a free agent for Blackpool.

It remains to be seen how long he will stay at Bloomfield Road, though. All four of his other suitors in the Championship are currently in a superior league position.

Blackburn are currently second in the table, hoping to seal automatic promotion. Fulham are in the play-off places, aiming for an instant return to the Premier League.

Stoke and Forest are eighth and ninth respectively, with plenty of time to make ground on the top six.

Blackpool are having a good season themselves, sitting in mid-table. But there are clubs who could give Bowler the next platform on which to express his talents.

Critchley comments on Josh Bowler future

Earlier this month, there were reports of Blackpool rejecting a bid from Forest for Josh Bowler.

Despite this, Critchley admitted The Tangerines don't want to sell their star performer this transfer window.

Speaking to the Blackpool Gazette, Critchley said: "I'm not going to confirm anything or get involved in speculation. That would be wrong.

"Silly season has started today, hasn't it?

"You've only got to look at how Josh played today [on New Year's Day against his former side Hull City] to see it didn't affect him. Because I thought he was terrific.

"He's been fantastic for us this season so we want to keep him at this football club."



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/josh-bowler-blackpool-transfer-fulham-blackburn-stoke-nottingham-forest-exclusive

[WhiteJC]

Fulham ready to oversee experienced duo's departures

Fulham are open to offers for Anthony Knockaert and Terence Kongolo this month, as per a report from The Athletic's Peter Rutzler.

Kongolo, who is yet to appear at first-team level for the Cottagers this season, has been struggling with an injury and fitness.

Knockaert finds himself way down the pecking order at Craven Cottage, with the vastly-experienced winger playing just 21 minutes of Championship football this season.

The 30-year-old played no part in Fulham's FA Cup triumph at Bristol City at the weekend, despite Marco Silva naming a much-changed side for the cup competition.

In 18 months with the Whites, Knockaert has only featured a handful of times for the Whites, spending last season on loan with Nottingham Forest.

However, most of Kongolo's football in recent months has come with the club's U23s.

The verdict

Fulham have moved on it seems and have a settled squad where Silva is eyeing a consistent team as his approach to return to the Premier League.

Both players have evident and demonstrated ability, however, their futures do not lie with the West London club.

This does not mean that they will not find success elsewhere, instead, it is a slight stumbling block in their professional careers.

Knockaert has particularly shown a lot of quality in the English game and it would be no surprise to see him with a fair few suitors after this latest update.

He is likely to command a high wage, which could force a lot of clubs to reconsider their stance when it comes to interest in him.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-ready-to-oversee-experienced-duos-departures/

[WhiteJC]

Games for mid-week 11/01
We're making the short trip to play Reading at the renamed "Madejski" now the "Select Car Leasing Stadium"

It was a shame that we missed out on the game however, due to COVID (yeah right) and injuries to the Reading team, we've now got a chance to get our own back against Reading for the defeat earlier in the season.

@WalkAndTalkMMH had organised a walk from Craven Cottage to Reading, thankfully they weren't affected by either COVID or injuries and walked through the night anyway, such a shame their efforts couldn't be rewarded with a game to watch at the end of their walk!

After having 3 games cancelled we now find ourselves 4 points behind Bournemouth, hopefully this game will allow us to claw 3 points back.

After a rather lacklustre performance against Bristol City in the cup, still at least we won, we did look better once more of the "first" team came on in the 2nd half. Hopefully that return to winning ways will be just the spark we need to reignite our league campaign.

Our record against Reading is remarkably even with 7 wins and losses and 4 draws

Current league form:
Reading LWDLP
Fulham DDDLP

With Seri off this would be my team, once again assuming that everyone is fit...

COYW's

come on over to the forum and join in the conversation...
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=36.0



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=1902

[WhiteJC]

Odutayo fired up for Forest

Idris Odutayo is excited to try and continue Fulham's outstanding under-23 form at Nottingham Forest this evening.

Steve Wigley's side go searching for a tenth straight league win against his old club at Alfreton Town tonight having built up an eleven point lead at the top of the PL2 Second Division before the Christmas break. Odutayo, who has enjoyed an excellent season at the heart of the Fulham defence, told the club's official website that his team-mates are raring to get going again.

"We're really excited to get back to things and I believe that's come across in training this past week. The intensity and competitiveness is there for all to see and we'll be looking to take that into Monday's game.

I'm confident we can pick up where we left off. We're certainly not complacent and we know we'll need to carry on doing the things that helped us get into this position in the first place."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/01/odutayo-fired-up-for-forest/

[WhiteJC]

Stoke City and Fulham keen on Blackpool winger Josh Bowler
Stoke City and Fulham are keen on Blackpool winger Josh Bowler, according to a report by TEAMtalk.

Blackpool could face a battle to keep hold of the former Everton man this winter with Blackburn Rovers and Nottingham Forest also credited with an interest.

Bowler, 22, has been a hit at Bloomfield Road since making the move to the Seasiders over the summer.

He has made 29 appearances in all competitions during the first-half of the season, scoring two goals and gaining three assists.

Career to date

Bowler started his career with spells as a youngster at Fulham and Aldershot Town before his move to QPR in 2013. He then spent four years on the books of the R's and was a key player at various youth levels for them.

He made one first-team appearance for the London club before earning a move to the Premier League with Everton in 2017.

The Surrey-born man never played for the Toffees at senior side but gained experience out on loan at Hull City during the 2019/20 season.

Bowler made 31 appearances in all competitions for the Tigers but couldn't prevent them from being relegated to League One under Grant McCann.

Blackpool move

He returned to Goodison Park after his spell at the MKM Stadium ended but was released by the Merseyside outfit at the end of last season.

Blackpool swooped in to sign him on a free transfer and that decision has paid off for Neil Critchley's side and he is enjoying a new lease of life with the Tangerines.



https://the72.co.uk/259597/stoke-city-and-fulham-keen-on-blackpool-winger-josh-bowler/

[WhiteJC]

Covid-19: Reading FC football buses cancelled for Fulham visit

Ten dedicated football bus routes will not be running for Reading FC's game against Fulham this coming Tuesday, 11 January, it has been announced.

Reading Buses say this is due to the increased prevalence of Omicron, which has reduced the availability of driving staff.

Spectators who would normally use these dedicated services can still attend the game using normal Reading Buses services that serve the same areas.

Reading Buses announce that the following services will not operate:

F10 – Sonning Common

F11 – Emmer Green

F12 – Emmer Green & Caversham

F13 – Caversham Park

F21 – Norcot

F22 – Tilehurst

F24 – Purley

F31 – Woodley Airfield

F32 – Woodley

F33 – Lower Earley

Reading Buses Marketing and Communications Manager Jake Osman: "Spectators can board local services to the town centre and then transfer onto the F1 shuttle service which will still get them to the game.

"After the match spectators can ride on the F1 shuttle service back into the town centre and transfer to the local service to return home.

"For customers transferring onto the F1, a special Matchday ticket will be available on the bus network priced at £4.50 for adults and £2.90 for Boost. This will be available even if boarding outside the normal Reading zone.

"Customers will need to retain this ticket and show it to the drivers/supervisors of the F1 services who will then allow them to board without any additional charge."

Reading Buses say spectators from further afield will still have their dedicated services to the football stadium, which will continue operating as normal. These are:

. F1 – Reading Station Shuttle

. F2 -  Shinfield Park park & ride

. F3 – Mereoak park & ride

. F14 – Henley on Thames

. F 23 - Theale & Pangbourne

. F 20 – Newbury Bus Station

. F 30 – Twyford

. F 51 – Basingstoke, Tadley & Burghfield

. F 52 – Farnborough, Yateley & Crowthorne

. F 53 – Wokingham, Emmbrook & Winnersh

. F 54 – Bracknell



https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/19836301.covid-19-reading-fc-football-buses-cancelled-fulham-visit/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham linked with Bowler reunion

Fulham are one of a number of Championship clubs keen on signing Blackpool winger Josh Bowler, according to Teamtalk.

The Chertsey-born winger spent two years in Fulham's academy before released in 2011 and has made a habit of reminding the Whites of his talents since then. He scored in Hull City's 3-0 win at Craven Cottage in 2019 whilst on loan from Everton and grabbed the Seasiders' winner as Blackpool inflicted Marco Silva's first defeat as Fulham boss back in September.

Stoke, Blackburn Rovers and Nottingham Forest are all reportedly interested in signing the 22 year-old but Blackpool will fiercely resist any bids this month. The Tangerines are ready to trigger one-year extension on the contract Bowler signed in June in order to strengthen their bargaining position as well. Neil Critchley, doing a terrific job at Bloomfield Road, has already dismissed speculation linking one of his star players with a move elsewhere.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/01/fulham-linked-with-bowler-reunion/

[WhiteJC]

Hilton shortlisted for PL2 player of the month

Fulham midfielder Sonny Hilton is on the shortlist for the PL2 player of the month award after an outstanding December.

The Liverpudlian playmaker scored twice and added three assists as Steve Wigley's side consolidated their position at the top of the Second Division and remained on course to progress through the group stages of the Premier League Cup game. Hilton's equaliser against Wolves sparked a strong comeback to preserve Fulham's unbeaten home record and he put Fulham in front against our nearest challengers West Brom at the end of the month as well.

Hilton, who is thriving back in the under-23 set up after a successful loan spell in Finland, is nominated alongside West Brom's Reyes Cleary, Thomas Dickson-Peters of Norwich, the Leeds striker Joe Gelhardt and Everton's Reece Walsh.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/01/hilton-shortlisted-for-pl2-player-of-the-month/

[WhiteJC]

Silva: 'Loan would be very good for Kongolo'

Fulham manager Marco Silva says a loan would be 'a very good solution' for defender Terence Kongolo, who has struggled to recover from a succession of injuries at Craven Cottage.

The Holland international was sidelined by a broken foot that ended his loan spell at Fulham and has made just four appearances since making a permanent move from Huddersfield in October 2020. The Athletic's Peter Rutzler broke the news that Fulham would listen to offers for Kongolo during the January transfer window and Silva told his pre-match press conference before tomorrow's game against Reading:

"You haven't seen Terence because he wasn't in the

condition, that's the main thing. One thing is to train, the other is to be in condition to compete at a high level, at a high intensity. Kongolo, wasn't and is still not, in this condition. He needs to play more. He needs to play games. A loan option would be a very good solution for him, because he's a player that we believe has the quality, and needs to play more games and go somewhere where he can play."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/01/silva-loan-would-be-very-good-for-kongolo/

[WhiteJC]

Cavaleiro not ready for Reading

Ivan Cavaleiro will miss Fulham's rescheduled trip to Reading tomorrow night as he continues to recover from a groin injury.

The Angolan winger, who has been out since limping out of the 4-1 derby win over Queens Park Rangers in October, has returned to full training at Motspur Park and could be in contention to be part of Marco Silva's matchday squad for Saturday's meeting with Bristol City at Craven Cottage.

The Fulham head coach told FFCTV:

"We have just Ivan Cavaleiro coming back from injury. He's not 100 per cent fit. He's been working with the team for the last two weeks. Now it is a matter for him to get more minutes in his legs, training session after training session, to help the team in the future."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/01/cavaleiro-not-ready-for-reading/

[WhiteJC]

Talking Points: Bristol City

Glorious Gazza

Paulo impressed upon his return to the starting eleven, contributing by being a key player in our win over Bristol City. The Robins tested our backline on several occasions, but Gazza ensured he kept the ball out of his net and the clean sheet helped his side through to the next round of the FA Cup. His performance was deservedly deemed Man of the Match worthy by the Fulham fans.

Did Wilson mean it?

Harry Wilson's goal that sent us through to the fourth round of the FA Cup wasn't a bad effort at all... if it was indeed a shot? I think many will agree that Harry was looking for one of our dangermen in the area when he swung an effort into the box, which fortunately evaded everyone and ended up in the back of the net.

Chopped and changed line-up

With the fully packed schedule to come throughout January, it wasn't much of a surprise to see that Marco had made several changes to the starting eleven, which meant opportunities landed at the feet of some players who haven't had much taste of first-team action so far this season, including the likes of Tyrese Francois, Nathaniel Chalobah and Domingos Quina. The minutes on the pitch will have no doubt done some good for the lads.

Ever-reliable away support

A 12:30pm kick-off on a Saturday in Bristol isn't always the easiest of fixtures to attend but there was a great noise coming from the away end, who undoubtedly were excited to see their side play for the first time since before Christmas and there were some excellent limbs when that goal went in after extra-time. We've seen the photos... hope you are all okay?!

Soon: Man City!

There is always plenty of excitement when getting through a round in the FA Cup about who will be next up on the cards. Drawing the current Premier League leaders away will certainly prove a challenge for Marco and his team in the next round.

There does seem to be a common theme of Fulham drawing Manchester City in cup competitions, having already played them in the FA Cup in January 2020 and in the League Cup in 2018.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/january/10/Talking-Points-Bristol-City/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham, Stoke and Blackburn join Nottingham Forest in transfer battle for Championship midfielder

Blackpool winger Josh Bowler is a wanted man in the Championship, with multiple clubs joining Nottingham Forest in the race for his services, according to TEAMtalk.

Forest reportedly submitted an offer for the 22-year-old, who only arrived at the Seasiders over the summer on a free transfer from Everton, only for it to be turned down by Neil Critchley's side.

Alan Nixon suggested that bid to be in the region of a paltry £100,000 and with the Tricky Trees now aiming to bring Millwall's Jed Wallace to the City Ground, it remains to be seen if another offer is tabled.

Now though a trio of second tier clubs are looking to make a move for the winger, who has one goal and three assists to his name this season.

High-flyers Fulham and Blackburn Rovers, as well as Stoke City, are now said to be in the hunt for the Tangerines man, who has less than six months remaining on his current deal – although the club have the option to extend it by another season.

The Verdict

The aforementioned contract option is something you can surely see Blackpool taking up to protect Bowler's value.

But the interest will be somewhat unsettling considering he's played in every single match in the Championship for the Seasiders this season.

You could say that Bowler does have something to offer for all the clubs that are interested but he's not guaranteed to be a starter at any of the interested parties.

He is probably best sticking by Blackpool – a team where he's getting regular minutes – although if a seven-figure offer comes in for his services then they may find it tough to turn down depending on the size of it.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-stoke-and-blackburn-join-nottingham-forest-in-transfer-battle-for-championship-midfielder/