Monday Fulham Stuff - 05/08/22...

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Results

Sunday
Forest	1-0	West Ham
Chelsea	2-2	Spurs

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Bruno Lage says Aleksandar Mitrovic and Morgan Gibbs-White should have seen red
Tempers flared in the baking heat during stoppage time when Wolves forward Gibbs-White reacted after being hauled down by Mitrovic


Wolves' Morgan Gibbs-White, right, and Aleksandar Mitrovic clashed in Saturday's goalless stalemate at Molineux (David Davies/PA)

Wolves boss Bruno Lage claimed both Aleksandar Mitrovic and Morgan Gibbs-White should have been sent off in Saturday's 0-0 draw at Molineux.

Tempers flared in the baking heat during stoppage time when Wolves forward Gibbs-White reacted after being hauled down by Mitrovic, whose late penalty had been saved by Jose Sa.

The Fulham striker and Gibbs-White squared off, leading in with their foreheads, in an ugly flashpoint that earned them yellow cards from referee John Brooks.

Lage said: "I didn't see the situation, but if they did (headbutt) it's a red card for both. For me it's so clear.

"I can say with the situation with Mitrovic, it's not about him, it's about the rules.

"When you foul to break the transition, it is a clear yellow card, for me or for the opponent. It depends on the way you stop the transition.

"If you kick or are too aggressive, it's not a yellow card, it's a red card.

"I didn't see it, but they asked me if it's yellow or red, and my opinion is with the way you stop (the transition).

"If it's a normal foul, it's a yellow card. If it's with aggression, it's a red card. If the player goes to kick him in the legs, it's not a normal foul."

Lage's opposite number Marco Silva was relieved not to have lost his key goalscorer to suspension and felt the incident warranted only yellow cards.

Silva  said: "There was reaction from both players not just Mitro. I know it was Mitro as always and he knows, it's nothing new for him.

"It will be all season, it was last season and two seasons ago. The tackle was clear, it was Mitrovic who did it, but the reaction was from both players.

"If the player from Wolves stayed on the grass and did not react, it wouldn't have happened.

"For sure, I don't want Mitro to do it, for sure Bruno doesn't want the same from his player.

"The referee and VAR, they saw it and they saw there was nothing really special and they decide for yellow card for both players."

Wolves remain winless in their last nine Premier League matches following their opening-day defeat at Leeds, while Fulham have taken a point from their opening two games following promotion.

Lage's side created the better chances, with Marek Rodak denying Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-chan in quick succession in the first half.

Daniel Podence skewed a clear chance wide after a mix-up between Rodak and Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo.

Mitrovic's penalty following Rayan Ait-Nouri's challenge on Bobby Cordova-Reid was saved in the 81st minute.

Cordova-Reid had earlier gone close for the Londoners when his first-half header from Andreas Pereira's corner was cleared by Wolves skipper Ruben Neves.



https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/arid-40939727.html

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Fulham assessed by Micah Richards and Alan Shearer after Wolves draw

What have the pundits said about Fulham?

Fulham picked up another point after a 0-0 draw away at Wolves.

The Cottagers missed a golden chance to win the game though but striker Aleksandar Mitrovic had a second-half penalty saved by Jose Sa.

Marco Silva's side have drawn both their opening games of the new Premier League season after holding Liverpool on the opening day.

'Decent'...

Speaking on Match of the Day, pundit Micah Richards said:

"He (Mitrovic) was a hero last week, obviously getting his header (Liverpool) and slotting home his penalty.

"It was a clear penalty (foul by Rayan Aït-Nouri) and you think it is going to be dispatched but he steps up and it is actually a very good save."

The former Manchester City man believes Mitrovic will bounce back:

"100%. I think he will be alright. From how he started against Liverpool, he's got that confidence."

Shearer then added:

"I know they will be disappointed because they missed a golden opportunity to get all the points but I think it is a decent start for Fulham."

What next for Fulham?

Fulham are back in action next weekend and welcome London rivals Brentford to Craven Cottage.

Silva will see the clash against the Bees an opportunity to get their first win of the campaign in front of their own fans but will know it will be a tough clash, especially with Thomas Frank's side making the short trip on the back of their 4-0 win over Manchester United.

The Cottagers then have League Two side Crawley Town in the Carabao Cup which will be a chance to give some fringe players and youngsters the opportunity to get some game time.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/fulhams-start-to-the-season-assessed-by-micah-richards-and-alan-shearer-3805197

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Fulham eyeing versatile ace as Marco Silva seeks signing number eight

Fulham are reportedly keen on versatile Hellas Verona man Pawel Dawidowicz.

The Cottagers are in the hunt for their eight signing of the summer.

They have so far delved into the transfer market to sign Bernd Leno, Issa Diop, Kevin Mbabu, Manor Solomon, Andreas Pereira, Joao Palhinha and Shane Duffy.

Now though, Football Insider claim they are seeking more defensive minded additions with Dawidowicz on their radar along with fellow Premier League side AFC Bournemouth.

Who is Dawidowicz?

Dawidowicz is a Poland international who has eight caps under his belt.

The 27-year-old, who can operate in defence and midfield, has been on the books at Hellas Verona since 2018 and helped them gain promotion from Serie B in his first year.

He started out at Lechia Gdańsk and broke into their first-team as a youngster before earning a move to Benfica.

The Olsztyn-born man then spent five years with Portuguese giants but only ever played for the B team before loan spells away at Bochum and Palermo.

Dawidowicz would give Fulham more competition and depth in their squad if they were to lure him to Craven Cottage and cover for the likes of Tim Ream and Tosin Adabarioyo as well as their defensive midfield players.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/fulham-eyeing-versatile-ace-as-marco-silva-seeks-signing-number-eight-3805230

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Fulham hold talks with reported Celtic striking target from Marseille

Premier League club Fulham have held talks with Marseille over the potential signing of Bamba Dieng. The 22-year-old, who was a key component as OM finished second to Paris Saint-Germain last season, had been linked with a move to Ange Postecoglou's Celtic.

According to The Daily Mail, Fulham are keen on the Senegalese forward as they look for competition for talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic. The report also states that the Scottish Champions have an interest in the player but it would appear that the West London club are now in the ascendancy with regards to a deal for Dieng.

Celtic had been linked with the player, amongst a number of other clubs. OM are keen to offload the player as opportunities will be limited due to the arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Inter Milan. Dieng is said to have fallen out of the manager's plans and the Ligue 1 outfit are said to be willing to sell the player and are quoting £8m for a permanent deal.

The player has made 42 appearances for Marseille, scoring 9 goals and assisting once. You would expect that the fee quoted is too steep for Celtic given that the club have already spent heavily on Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers. However, you would expect that the club are considering another centre forward with Albian Ajeti seemingly out of the first team picture.



https://thecelticstar.com/fulham-hold-talks-with-reported-celtic-striking-target-from-marseille/

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Ticket pricing survey – full results

The announcement of the match ticket prices for the first game of the season against Liverpool created quite a stir amongst Fulham fans. With adult ticket prices in the range £65-£100 outside of the family area, supporters who aren't in the position to have a season ticket found themselves looking at an outlay significantly higher than the highest priced matches from last season (£35-£50) and at a similar level to clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs and West Ham.

With our inbox overflowing we relayed your thoughts to the Club, but wanted to dig into the detail through a survey which took place from 17th to 24th July. A massive thank you to over 2,200 of you who responded. To put that into context, it's over 10% of home capacity at Craven Cottage and so highly representative of your views.

What was initially striking was that the strong views about match ticket pricing were held by both season ticket holders and non-season ticket holders alike, with over half of respondents being season ticket holders.



Whilst predominantly male (92%), replies were received across the age groups, with the largest number in the range 22-39.



Satisfaction with prices

The key question we asked was for your level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the prices as announced for the Liverpool match. 82% of you said that you were either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied compared with only 7% satisfied or very satisfied.



Perhaps more importantly from a Club perspective, and of concern to us as a Trust because of the risk of alienating long-term Fulham fans, we found that these prices would reduce our non-season ticket holders' likelihood of attending games, with 65% of attendees planning to attend fewer matches and almost a quarter planning to attend no matches at all.



Your ticket price suggestions

Most clubs, including Fulham, have tended to categorise games by popularity of the opposition, with the Liverpool game known to be viewed by the Club as a category A+ game (£65-£100 adult, non-family area). Since the announcement of the Liverpool prices, we have now seen two additional lower pricing categories for Brentford and Brighton which we suspect are category B (£50-£80) and C or D (£30-£60) respectively.

Most fans don't really view matches at this level of granularity, so we asked you for your view of a reasonable adult ticket price in each of the stands for a high category (e.g., Liverpool) and a low category (e.g., Bournemouth) game. We took the (mean) average of your responses to summarise your views. It is worth comparing these numbers with a pro-rated new season ticket seat price (one 19th of a new season ticket, not a renewal) which is also included in this table.



Memberships

Fulham's memberships cost £50 for adults and provide a number of benefits, the most notable being priority access to home match tickets with a £5 discount. We asked for your views on the price of the membership and the discount provided, with the results being relatively evenly split.



Suggested ticketing options

Aside from reducing prices, there are a number of more innovative models the Club could adopt should they choose to, which might help supporters who cannot afford match ticket prices at the Liverpool level. We asked for your thoughts on these and found that there is a broad spread of views, but with the emphasis still on higher discounts for single match tickets.



Next steps

The FST meets regularly with the Club, both through our formal monthly meetings and also in between these on a range of topics. We asked you for your thoughts on next steps should ticket pricing remain an issue, with the largest number supporting further dialogue, followed by a visible matchday protest.



Thank you once again for your contributions to the survey and all the comments received which we are still reading. The next opportunity to continue our dialogue with the Club on ticket pricing will be on Wednesday 10th August at the monthly meeting and we will feedback to members shortly afterwards as usual.



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2022/08/ticket-pricing-survey-full-results/

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Notes from August meeting with FFC

On Wednesday 10 August at 13.30, the Fulham Supporters' Trust (FST) met with Fulham FC via video conference.

The Club was represented by:

    David Daly (Non-Executive Director, DD)
    Carmelo Mifsud (Communications Director, CM)
    Katy Brecht (Head of Ticketing, KB)
    Nicola Walworth (Supporter Relations Manager, NW)
    Eleanor Rowland, (Head of Safeguarding, ER)
    Chris Baker (Head of Safety, CB)
    Matt Lowery (Marketing Director, ML)
    Samuel Curteis (Supporter Relations Executive, SCu)

The FST was represented by:

    Jerry Cope (Treasurer & Membership Secretary, JC)
    Sue Couch (Board Member, SC)
    Hayley Davinson (Board Member, HD)

HOW IT WORKS
The Trust asks any questions that it judges are of interest to supporters, based on responses from Trust members to the advance notification of the meeting, and by generally interacting with the wider supporter base. There is no restriction placed on which questions the Trust choose to ask or points raised with the Club. These notes are then sent to members only, in advance of being posted on our website.

If any member has raised an issue that it was not possible to discuss in the time available, then please do contact us again in good time before the next meeting or alternatively we can seek to raise it between meetings if that is more appropriate. The agenda was particularly heavy this month, so apologies if your question was not covered.

TOPICS DISCUSSED
    Introduction
    Ticket Prices
    Female Supporters/#HerGameToo
    Craven Cottage
    Sponsorship

INTRODUCTION
On behalf of the Trust and the wider Fulham fanbase, JC offered delight at the wonderful atmosphere at our first home game of the season, notwithstanding the number of Liverpool supporters with tickets in home areas of the ground. The Trust also expressed its good wishes for a quick recovery to Harry Wilson and Manor Soloman, two key first team squad members, with reported long-term injuries.

TICKET PRICES
The Trust presented highlights from our recent survey, results of which were also sent to members. JC stressed the following points:

    The survey had attracted over 2,200 responses despite only being open for a week, with a representative sample across different groups of supporters;
     
    An enormous 82% were dissatisfied with prices for the Liverpool game, disappointingly repeated for Chelsea – Fulham supporters could not understand why the seats behind the goal for such so-called big team matches were higher than other comparable London Clubs;
     
    This, at a time of huge cost-of-living pressures, meant supporters would attend fewer matches this season, endangering their medium-term commitment to the Club, a point reinforced by the very many hostile written comments that accompanied responses to the survey;
     
    There was an acceptance that prices in the Riverside stand, with its better facilities, might be higher than in the Hammersmith and Putney ends, but affordable tickets for all matches somewhere in the ground were critical to maintaining the supporter base;
     
    Nearly all survey respondents wanted/demanded that the Trust keep up their campaigning on this issue, which would not go away;

In a full discussion, DD stressed that Fulham needed to become sustainable. It could not rely on the Khan family's generosity forever and needed to comply with FFP rules. Every opportunity had to be taken, whether that was through sponsorship, merchandising, hospitality; to increase revenue and ticketing was part of that mix. SC pointed out that high prices should be matched by high quality facilities, and the experience in the Hammersmith and Putney ends was very different to the Riverside. JC added that the cost of a (say) £20 reduction for 2000 or so seats in the Hammersmith end for 4 high profile matches was only £160k and dwarfed by media receipts yet was giving genuine supporters a very bad feeling about their Club.

The Club agreed to look further at the points made by the Trust but asked in turn that the Trust Board also bore in mind the need for the Club to become sustainable.

The Liverpool game
Discussion on ticketing then moved on to the specifics of the Liverpool game. KB pointed out that the family section, where cheaper tickets were available, had been the last to sell out for the game. There was also disappointment that a number of Fulham supporters had bought and then passed on tickets to overt Liverpool fans. Some of these Fulham supporters had been traced and banning order letters were being issued to those Fulham fans. More investigations were still being progressed.

The Trust agreed to stress that outside the away end, tickets were for Fulham supporters and Fulham supporting friends only and would ask members to respect this, so as many tickets as possible are available to our own supporters.

CB reported that the fixture presented some challenges for stewards and there were some ejections of Liverpool supporters. The remainder of the match had passed relatively peacefully, albeit this had stretched Fulham's resources. The Trust recognises that the efforts of stewards at the match were appreciated by both home and away supporters. Liverpool's own liaison team and indeed many away fans had congratulated Fulham for their fair but firm handling of the game. Encouragingly no flares had been let off.

FEMALE SUPPORTERS / #HERGAMETOO
Following discussions at the Trust/Club meetings in April and May, HD enquired how the various agreed actions were progressing.

ER responded that the Club were pleased with progress on four main fronts with

    female staff, where focus groups had increased the voice of female staff within the Club;
    the Foundation, where every opportunity was being taken to engage with young girls to build on the success of the Lionesses;
    the female teams where an U-18 section was being established; and
    female supporters.

Notwithstanding Fulham having a higher proportion of female supporters than many clubs, more was being looked at including special season tickets, more female stewards, particularly those employed by the Club, and safer travel. HD will follow up with ER the specifics outlined.

A draft Fulham Female Strategy was nearing completion and would be shared with the Trust in September with a view to a public-facing version being published later in the autumn.

On the specific issue of female friendly clubwear, including the main football shirt, this was now under active consideration. Trust members are invited to send in links to female orientated clubwear from other sports, not only football, so that these could also be considered.

The Club and the Trust congratulated the Fulham Lillies on their highly successful launch and looked forward to more collaboration and ideas amongst us all.

CRAVEN COTTAGE
Owing to time constraints some of the issues arising from the Cottage walk-around in July would be further pursued outside the meeting, but SC, on behalf of the Trust, raised the following:

    The need for a definitive statement on safe standing options for the ground – CB responded that the introduction of safe standing at Fulham was very unlikely in the foreseeable future; both the Hammersmith and Putney ends stands were 'demountable structures' with very steep rakes completely unsuited for safe standing; it was also pointed out similar provision had to be made under the regulations for home and away supporters; in summary it was very unlikely that safe standing could be introduced at the Cottage in advance of new stands being built at either or both ends, which was not in current plans with many competing operational pressures;
     
    It was however confirmed that removing the FX branding from the roofs of the Hammersmith and Putney stands was being looked at – the current structures were however not capable of taking the weight of solar panels, which the Trust was very pleased to learn had been included in the new Riverside stand design;
     
    At both the Villarreal and Liverpool games, bottled water had run out at the concessions – CB was aware of this and had raised with Sodexo; in response to a Trust question, he would also ask if any water fountains could be made available;
     
    CM confirmed there were no references to VAR, causing a significant delay to the match, for the Club to broadcast or communicate on screens at Saturday's game, and the links with the two large screen were in operation; there was no further news on providing VAR screens at the back of the listed Johnny Haynes stand, but this was still being considered;
     
    The free sanitary towels were now at the exit rather than, as was needed, at the entrance of some female loos following welcome changes to the exits – this would be looked at;
     
    It was confirmed that entry to the Riverside bar after the game for those in the Hammersmith end would for safety reasons – flow of spectators – not be allowed until at least 20 minutes after the end of the game; access to the Riverside bar from other parts of the ground will also depend on available capacity. In other words, if not enough people leave the Riverside post-match, others will not be allowed in. Stewards would be reminded to let supporters know this rather than simply saying they could not enter.

SPONSORSHIP
SC, on behalf of the Trust, whilst understanding the economics, expressed disappointment at the re-introduction of a main betting sponsor of club shirts, which was not only contrary to emerging Premier League and Government policy but would also mean that young supporters would be unable to wear an authentic 1st team replica shirt. This contrasted with the good feeling experienced when the World Mobile sponsorship had been introduced last year.

DD responded that whilst he understood the feelings around this, the decision was one of economics and the need to increase Club revenues. The sponsorship offer received had been significantly higher – indeed a record amount for Fulham in a tough economic climate – than any other proposals. The Club is delighted that it also continues its partnership with World Mobile which has presence on the sleeves of the playing shirts as well as appearing on the training wear.


The meeting closed at 14.50.



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2022/08/notes-from-august-meeting-with-ffc-4/

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Fulham 'monitoring' Villarreal man with Everton and Southampton also credited with an interest

Fulham are reportedly keen on Villarreal attacker Nicolas Jackson.

The Cottagers have been credited with an interest in the La Liga ace.

Jackson, 21, scored for his current club in their 3-0 win away at Real Vallodolid yesterday.

According to a report by Football Insider, Marco Silva's side are 'monitoring' his situation.

Fellow Premier League pair Everton and Southampton have also been mentioned as a potential suitors.

More on Jackson

Jackson signed for Villarreal back in September 2019 after rising up through the Casa Sports academy in Senegal.

He has since progressed up through the ranks at Estadio de la Cerámica and burst into the B team in 2020.

The Senegalese youth international was then loaned out to Spanish second tier side Mirandes during the 2020/21 campaign to get some first-team appearances under his belt.

On his return to his parent club, he started to enjoy more game time and has made nine senior appearances for them so far in his career.

Fulham could see him as someone to bolster their attacking options and his young age suggests he is still one for the future.

Jackson has another couple of years left on his contract at Villarreal.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/fulham-monitoring-transfer-situation-of-villarreal-man-3805299

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Newcastle United battle Aston Villa, Fulham for Victor Nelsson

Newcastle United are reportedly in a battle Aston Villa and Fulham for Danish centre-back Victor Nelsson from Turkish giants Galatasaray.

According to Fichajes, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Fulham could reportedly be involved in a transfer battle for Danish central defender Victor Nelson, who has recently asked to leave Galatasaray after extensive links to Premier League and La Liga clubs.

Nelsson made his name in his homeland with FC Copenhagen before sealing a move to Turkey last year. Galatasaray paid €7 million to recruit him, and it appears the investment proved worth it. The 23-year-old centre-back has been a regular for the Turkish club and was a bright spark in a dismal 2021/22 campaign for them as they finished in a lowly 13th position in the Super Lig table.

However, Galatasaray could turn a quick profit by cashing in on him after his busy debut season as they look to reinvest that amount in their squad. Nelsson has already made 47 appearances in all competitions for the club, while his impressive performances in the UEFA Europa League have caught the eye of onlookers, with a host of top clubs interested in him.

La Liga giants Sevilla looked like the most obvious destination for the 23-year-old, with the Andalusian club looking to reconstruct their defence after losing Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos this summer. But negotiations between Sevilla and Galatasaray have stalled, and the interest from several English clubs could scupper the arrival of the Danish defender at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

It is noted that Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Fulham are all vying for the 23-year-old's services. Aston Villa, for one, have already strengthened their rearguard by signing Diego Carlos. But there is still a feeling that they need to further boost their defensive options before the end of the transfer window.

Aston Villa's sporting director, Johan Lange, knows Nelsson from his time at Copenhagen and wants to bring the promising defender to Villa Park this summer to address the centre-back issue. Meanwhile, newly-promoted Fulham have recently signed Issa Diop from West Ham for £15 million.

But Marco Silva's side are still in the market for another defender to add depth, with Tim Ream not a Premier League option at 35 years old, making Nelsson a viable option for Fulham. Newcastle are also reported to be keen on signing Nelsson. While Eddie Howe has no shortage of central defenders, Nelsson is renowned for his height, composure and ball-playing attributes.

At 23, he would represent a solid investment for the future too as they look to climb up the Premier League ladder. It remains to be seen whether any of Aston Villa, Fulham and Newcastle will make a move for the 23-year-old centre-back.



http://www.thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2022/08/14/newcastle-united-battle-aston-villa-fulham-for-victor-nelsson/

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'That's my goal': 70-cap star suggests he'd love to join Fulham this summer

Former Chelsea and Arsenal winger Willian admits he wants to return to London as Fulham look to bring the experienced international back to the Premier League, speaking to Globo Esporte. 

It's fair to say Willian won't look back on the last two years as the highlight of his otherwise storied career.

The veteran wideman proved to be one of the most disappointing signings in Arsenal's modern history during an ill-fated 2020/21; Failing to replicate even a shred of the form he displayed down the road in Chelsea blue.

And, last week, Willian terminated his contract with Brazilian giants Corinthians, detailing just how bad things got for him at the Timao in a hard-hitting interview with Globo Esporte. 

The question is, where next for Willian? Well, few would have expected when he left Arsenal a year ago that a third spell in English football would be on the cards 12 months down the line. But, according to Goal, talks between Willian and Fulham are very much underway.

Willian wants London return amid Fulham interest

"My goal is to live abroad, in London," explains the two-time Premier League winner. "I have an English passport, so I can live there with my family. That's my goal. 

"Not that I won't come to visit Brazil again, spend a few days with my family. But to live, without a doubt, it will be abroad.

"I don't have a club yet. I will decide (soon). I'm going to travel with the family and there I'll decide calmly, with a clear head, to see what will be the best option for me and my family as well."

You don't need a PHD in geography to know where Craven Cottage is located. In fact, Fulham can offer Willian the chance to return to his beloved West London home, just down the road from Stamford Bridge.

But while Fulham feels like the right club for Willian, is Willian the right player for Fulham? Even at 34, his technical ability, big-game experience and devastating delivery from wide areas means Willian feels, at the very least, like like a risk worth taking.

His arrival would also offset the losses of injury-hit duo Harry Wilson and Manor Solomon.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/08/15/thats-my-goal-70-cap-star-suggests-hed-love-to-join-fulham-this-summer/