Thursday Fulham Stuff - 18/08/22...

[WhiteJC]

The kids are alright

One of the most pleasing elements about Saturday's hard-earned pointed in the heat of Molineux was the way Marco Silva's side finished the game. Heads didn't drop after Aleksandar Mitrovic's failure from the penalty spot, but Fulham dug deeper to keep a precious clean sheet. There were experienced heads on the field (we should continue to commend Tim Ream's excellence at the heart of the defence, for instance) but the role of Fulham's academy has been overlooked. I wrote on Sunday about how moving it was for me to see Jay Stansfield make his Premier League debut from the bench – and we owe Exeter most of the credit for the teenage forward's development – but there were two other men largely made at Motspur Park who helped the Whites hold on for a share of the spoils.

Marek Rodak's Fulham career was presumed over for much of the summer. The commentary on social media, in particular, focused on his failings from last season, rather than acknowledging that the Slovakian international – who joined the club from Kosice as a sixteen year-old – had played a pivotal part in two promotions. The goalkeeper had never previously had a chance to prove himself at Premier League level, having been demoted to the bench by the arrival of Alphonse Areola, and he has worked hard so far to keep the shirt ahead of new signing Bernd Leno. Everyone still presumes it remains a case of when and not if the German international usurps Rodak as Fulham's first choice, but the 25 year-old did his charges of a longer run in the first time no harm by keeping the club's first top flight clean sheet since March 2021.

As well as turning to Stansfield to offer fresh legs from the bench to a squad that has been depleted by injuries, Silva sent on Tyrese Francois, another academy graduate who was thought to be leaving the Cottage this summer. The midfielder, who hails from Campbelltown in New South Wales, told Mark Schwarzer last year that he was ready to explore all of his options with his contract up at the end of the season. That looked like meaning a move abroad, but Fulham were able to keep hold of the inaugural winner of the Fulham Supporters' Trust's Johnny Haynes Trophy for the academy player of the year, principally because of Silva's commitment to blood the club's bright young stars. Francois, who was handed his full debut at the Portuguese head coach on the opening weekend of the last campaign against Middlesbrough, was able to offer extra energy to shut down Wolves in the searing heat and showed a desire to take the attack to the opposition deep into stoppage time.

The importance of the club's category one academy, the product of a painstaking ten year revolution at Motspur Park overseen by Alistair Mackintosh, Huw Jennings, Malcolm Elias and Steve Wigley, has only grown given Fulham's struggles to stay within the EFL and Premier League's Financial Fair Play footprint. Producing your own young stars is the only way to avoid paying out big sums on the type of players required to compete at the top level – and Fulham have done brilliantly at that in the past few years. The likes of Ryan Sessegnon will come along once in a blue moon (and the predatory nature of the big clubs paired with the presence of parasitic agents promising the world to young players means we won't always get the value for the players we produce), but convincing the likes of Stansfield and Francois to commit their futures to the club suggests the Whites are getting better at holding onto their own.

The easiest way to ensure that our homegrown talent remains at Craven Cottage and progresses through to a lengthy career in the white shirt is by bucking the yo-yo trend, but that is much easier said than done – as the Khans have found out since they bought the club from Mohamed Al-Fayed. But Silva has made an excellent start in making his rather threadbare squad competitive even as he waits for the final pieces of Fulham's jigsaw to fit together in the tail end of the transfer window. He has shown a penchant for picking the best academy prospects and offering them an opportunity to train with the first team – as shown by his use of the gifted Luke Harris over the summer.

The Welsh teenager, a frequent source of goals from midfield for Steve Wigley's PL2 promotion winning outfit last year, scored a sensational hat-trick against a Chelsea under 21 side packed with senior experience at Kingsmeadow on Monday. Harris has already featured on the first team bench against Liverpool and helped tilt the balance of the final pre-season friendly against Villarreal back towards the Whites when he came on as a late substitute at Craven Cottage at the end of July. Having signed a two-year scholarship in the summer in the face of interest from all across Europe, it is just a matter of time before Harris, who captains his country at under 19 level, makes a first senior appearance. He's almost certain to be involved in the League Cup tie at Crawley Town, barring injury, of course.

Harris isn't the only promising youngster who Fulham have managed to keep hold of this summer. Ollie O'Neill, an erudite and exceptionally talented midfielder who also starred for Wigley's under 23s last term, was the subject of a tug of war between the Whites, who were desperate for him to stay with them, and several leading Premier League clubs, including West Ham and Tottenham. The Irish under-21 international opted to accept Fulham's offer of a new deal during the close season and has been rewarded with the captain's armband as the under 21s returned to the top flight. O'Neill has proved worthy of succeeding Sonny Hilton in that leadership role already, scoring one and creating another as the Whites beat the Hammers 3-0 at Motspur Park in the first league game of the season and skippering the side to a fine win over Chelsea on Monday night.

Hilton, the most recent winner of that Johnny Haynes' award after a superb season with the under 21s, has gone on loan to Carlisle United, where he is working under one of his old England youth coaches in Paul Simpson. Finding the right opportunity for Fulham's youngsters to get a taste of senior football is one of the toughest tasks for the head honchoes in the academy. Done well it can prove transformational for a young player's career: just how ask both Marcus Bettinelli, who progressed through Fulham's youth set up from the age of thirteen and made 120 first-team appearances for the Whites, how helpful his early loan experiences at Dartford and Accrington Stanley were for his development. Rodak, who succeeded him in goal also learnt his trade on loan with Farnborough, Welling, Accrington and Rotherham. That path to senior football is also being utilised by Kieron Bowie, who scored his first EFL goal for Northampton last night, and Taye Ashby-Hammond, who has quickly become Steve Evans' number one at Stevenage and kept his first Football League clean sheet at home to Rochdale last night.

Fans will always build a special bond with a young player coming through the ranks to the senior side. That's why there's so much love for Sean Davis, the only player to have appeared in all four divisions for the club, even if the legendary midfielder – who scored those special stoppage-time goals against Blackburn and Sheffield Wednesday to win the Division One title under Jean Tigana – now admits he should never have left Craven Cottage for Spurs in 2004. Some of the intricacies of running a category one academy will always need to remain under wraps, but Fulham's progress in creating the stars of tomorrow should be commended and celebrated in equal measure. It is a sure fire to become sustainable in the long-term, even if it doesn't always feel like it.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/08/the-kids-are-alright-2/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham considering last-minute move for Neal Maupay

Fulham are plotting a late swoop to land a Premier League rival's target...

What's the word?

According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Nottingham Forest could falter in their pursuit of Brighton and Hove Albion striker Neal Maupay.

Despite the Reds having seemingly finalised the deal, both the Cottagers and Everton are now considering pushing to seal his signature late on.

Writing on Twitter, Crook claimed that there "could be a late twist in Neal Maupay's move from BHAFC to NFFC with both EFC and Fulham pushing for the Frenchman".

Imagine him and Mitrovic

With the season starting off relatively well for Marco Silva's side, it has already become clear that they will rely heavily on the goals of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Serbian bagged an astounding 43 Championship goals last season in just 44 games, smashing the record for the most goals in that division in a 46-match campaign, and bringing in Maupay alongside him could quickly form one of the better strike partnerships in the top flight.

To place the hulking 27-year-old beside the 5 foot 8 Frenchman could see the latter latch on to Mitrovic's flick-ons, as the Serbian won just over 50% of his aerial duels last season.

Conversely, Maupay could thread through some astute passes his potential strike partner, with his 77.8% pass success rate ranking him in the top 13% for strikers among Europe's five biggest leagues over the past 12 months.

Dubbed "exceptional" by journalist Andy Naylor, the Brighton marksman can also be proficient in front of goal, as highlighted by his eight Premier League strikes last season, while his lethal touch in front of goal earned the 26-year-old the praise of being a "brilliant finisher" by journalist Joe Chapman.

Adding another proven goalscorer at this level to Fulham's ranks could go a long way towards ensuring that they will not be dragged towards a relegation battle this season. Maupay has featured 102 times in the Premier League across his career, scoring 26 goals and setting up a further eight.

Also, the symbiotic partnership that he would likely form with Mitrovic could be one of the most feared in the league for opposition centre-backs, so Silva should swoop quickly to ensure that this idea can become a reality.



https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-fc-transfer-rumours/neal-maupay-transfer-brighton-fulham-aleksandar-mitrovic

[WhiteJC]

Everton To Rival Fulham For This Brighton Forward: What Will He Bring To Merseyside?

In a recent tweet, talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook revealed that Everton are set to rival Fulham for Brighton and Hove Albion forward Neal Maupay. It is believed that the Toffees are hoping to secure the services of the French striker during this summer transfer period.

Maupay's Form At Brighton Last Season
Maupay had a decent campaign at the American Express Community Stadium as he put in a run of fruitful displays as the focal point of Graham Potter's frontline. The 26-year-old registered nine goals and two assists in 35 matches for the Seagulls last season across all fronts.

The Versailles-born sensation gave a good account of himself in the final third based on his average of 1.9 shots, 0.7 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per game in the Premier League. He was even excellent when distributing the ball in the opponent's half after making 77.8% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).

Maupay has just got a year left to run in his Brighton contract, so the Toffees have a good chance of landing him on a cut-price deal during this summer transfer window.

What Will Maupay Bring To Everton?
Maupay can create space for himself to get a few strikes in at goal and can be a steaky goal-scorer on the attacking end of the field. He can set up some decent chances for his teammates inside the opponent's penalty box and can make a few clever runs with the ball up top. Maupay is primarily a centre-forward but can also play as a secondary striker alongside someone in the final third. However, he needs to work on improving his passing accuracy a bit if he wants to be a regular feature in top-flight football.

The French striker is good enough to fight for a regular starting spot at Goodison Park if Everton can find a way to get him on board before the end of this transfer window.

We can expect Maupay to bring more goals and energy to Frank Lampard's attack and increase competition for places within his match-day squad.

At 26, the French talent is about to enter his prime and has what it takes to make an instant impact at the Merseyside club if Lampard can devise a way to win the race for his services during this summer transfer window. He might even help the Toffees push for a top-half finish in the Premier League this season.


https://the4thofficial.net/2022/08/everton-to-rival-fulham-for-this-brighton-forward/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham close in on Justin Kluivert with ace ready to reject European football to fulfill Premier League dream

Fulham are edging closer to the signing of Roma's Justin Kluivert, who has told the newly-promoted club he wants to move to Craven Cottage.

The 23-year-old winger is willing to reject interest from French sides Marseille and Nice to realise his dream of playing in the Premier League.

Kluivert, the son of legendary Dutch striker Patrick Kluivert, is a key target for Fulham manager Marco Silva, who has been negotiating directly with Roma transfer chief Tiago Pinto.

The structure of the deal remains the final hurdle to overcome. Fulham's latest offer is for a loan with an obligation to buy for £10million next summer, depending on appearances this season.

Fulham are keen to strengthen their wide position after new signing Manor Solomon suffered a serious knee injury in training.

They have also made enquiries to sign several other forwards including Brighton's Neal Maupay, Marseille's Bamba Dieng, Bayern Munich's Joshua Zirkzee and Bordeaux's Ui-jo Hwang.

Maupay currently favours a switch to Nottingham Forest, with Everton also in the race for the former Brentford man.

Fulham have also seen an approach for former striker Moussa Dembele, now at Lyon, rejected.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-transfer-news-kluivert-b1019074.html

[WhiteJC]

Neal Maupay transfer chase sees three Premier League rivals move for Brighton star

Neal Maupay is attracting plenty of interest from several Premier League clubs as he tries to force his way out of Brighton after struggling for form under Graham Potter

Neal Maupay is at the centre of a three-way Premier League transfer battle, with Everton and Fulham ready to battle Nottingham Forest to the Brighton striker's signature.

The 26-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Seagulls this summer after falling out of favour, with Danny Welbeck and Deniz Undav ahead of him in the pecking order. Maupay was left out of the Brighton squad for their 0-0 draw against Newcastle United on Saturday.

That came after newly-promoted Forest agreed a £15million fee for the Frenchman, with Steve Cooper keen to strengthen their forward line despite already signing Emmanuel Dennis and Taiwo Awoniyi for a combined £32million. However, Maupay is stalling on agreeing personal terms with the Reds after holding talks with Frank Lampard.

The Toffees boss is desperate to bring in a forward before the transfer window slams shut, after Richarlison joined Tottenham for £60m, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still out for at least another month. Lampard has identified Maupay as a target, with Michy Batshuayi and Serhou Guirassy both linked also.

It is understood that Fulham have also joined the race for Maupay as they look to ease the goalscoring burden on Aleksandr Mitrovic, who scored twice on the opening day against Liverpool. Rodrigo Muniz is currently the Cottagers' second-choice striker, but he is still learning his trade and netted just five times last term in their promotion campaign.

Maupay joined the Seagulls from Brentford for £20m in 2019 and played in all but one Premier League game in his first season, scoring 10 goals in 37 appearances. He struck a further eight times in the following campaign, before also finding the net on eight occasions.

As for Brighton, Graham Potter could now be looking to add another striker with Maupay set to leave and the Seagulls boss has not ruled out the possibility of that happening. However, Potter has reiterated that he is still pleased with the attacking options he has at his disposal.

"I am always content. I think you have got to look at the squad and look at how you can improve. We have got a different mix of players but there probably isn't another Danny Welbeck in terms of profile so that is something we may look at if we are going to look anywhere," Potter said, via SussexLive.

"But we have got some good attacking options. Deniz [Undav] didn't come on today [against Newcastle], we still have got Evan Ferguson, still got Julio [Enciso] who we believe in, we've still got young players.

"Leandro Trossard has played up front as a nine so then Kaoru [Mitoma] can play wide so there's lots of different profiles from an attacking perspective. But as I say, while the window is open we have to keep looking and see what is out there."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/neal-maupay-brighton-transfer-chase-27759990

[WhiteJC]

Away Day Guide – Crawley Town

Fulham have been handed an away trip to League Two Crawley Town, now under the management of former Fulham winger and academy coach Kevin Betsy, in the second round of the League Cup, on Tuesday 23 August with a 7.45pm kick off.

TICKETING INFORMATION
Fulham have been allocated 1,344 tickets for Tuesday's fixture, split between 144 seated tickets and 1,200 standing tickets. The seated tickets in the East Stand are priced at £17 for adults, £12 for supporters aged 60 and above, £12 for students (who will need to provide current student ID), £5 for supporters aged between 12 and 20, £4 for supporters aged between 12 and 15. Juniors aged under 12 are free with a paying adult. The standing tickets in the KR-stand are priced at £15 for adults, £10 for supporters aged 60 and above and students, £5 for supporters aged between 16 and 20, £4 for supporters aged between 12 and 15. Junior supporters under 12 are free with a paying adult.

The on-sale schedule for supporters is as follows:

    Tuesday 16 August: On sale to season ticket holders with 800+ loyalty points (1 per person)
    Wednesday 17 August: On sale to season ticket holders with 400+ loyalty points (1 per person)
    Thursday 18 August: On sale to season ticket holders with 200+ loyalty points (1 per person)
    Friday 19 August: On sale to all 2022/23 season ticket holders (2 per person)
    Saturday 20 August: On sale to all members and supporters with a previous booking history

Fulham fans can book their tickets via the official Club website, by visiting the ticket office on Stevenage Road or calling 0203 871 0810.

GETTING TO THE BROADFIELD STADIUM
BY CAR

Leave the M23 at Junction 11 (Pease Pottage). Take the third exit, following the brown signs for stadium, and the ground will be on your left at the bottom of Brighton Road – about two minutes drive from the motorway exit.

Fulham fans should be advised that there is no parking available at the stadium. There are a number of free parking options nearby which are signposted as approach the ground itself.

BY TRAIN AND BUS
Crawley Station is just over a mile from the ground. It is walkable in twenty minutes, but taxis from the station will cost around £6 and the Fastway number ten bus (which runs every ten minutes) will take you to Broadfield Stadium. To catch the bus, you need to be at Stop A at the Crawley Bus station, which is over the road from the train station.

Supporters can also reach the stadium from Three Bridges station by taking a Fastway 20 bus from Stop C or from Gatwick Airport by catching either the Fastway 10 or 20 southbound towards Broadflield or Bewbush by following the signs for 'Local public buses/Metrobus'.

BY COACH
Fulham's official Club coaches will depart Craven Cottage and Motspur Park at 4.30pm. Coaches are priced at£17 for adult season ticket holders and members and £10 for juniors. For non season ticket holders and members, they are priced at £22 for adults and £15 for juniors.

AWAY PUBS
The New Moon (Brighton Road, Crawley, RH10 6SZ) enthusiastically welcomes away fans and offers a wide range of reasonably-priced drinks, with live sport on their TV screens.

The Downsman (Wakehurst Drive, Crawley, RH10 6DH) offers an excellent Indian-inspired food menu, available to eat in as well as take away, and a wide selection of drinks.

Away fans are also able to visit the Redz Bar at the ground located at the back of the Bruce Winfield Stand before the game – but not afterwards. Fulham fans should note that alcohol is not normally made available to away fans inside the stadium on a matchday.



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2022/08/away-day-guide-crawley-town/

[WhiteJC]

Kluivert keen on Fulham switch

Justin Kluivert is prepared to reject rival offers from Marseille and Nice to sign for Fulham in order to realise his dream of playing in the Premier League, according to the Evening Standard this morning.

The Dutch winger, son of legendary former Ajax and Holland international Patrick, has always wanted to test himself in England after his father spoke of his enjoyment of his year playing for Newcastle United. The Roma winger, who has spent the last two seasons on loan at Red Bull Leipzig and Nice, has become a prime target for Marco Silva, who is personally handling the negotiations over this deal with his compatriot Tiago Pinto, who is Roma's general manager.

Fulham are eager to bring in Kluivert, a versatile winger who can play on either flank or as a second striker, following Manor Soloman's knee injury that seems set to sideline the Israeli international until December. The 23 year-old, who helped Ajax reach the final of the Europa League in 2017 and got to the final of the French Cup with Nice last season, has won two senior caps for his country after coming through the Ajax academy to star in their senior side.

His £15m move to Roma – engineered by a phone call from Francesco Totti to Patrick Kluivert – has fizzled out and Kluivert senior told the Italian press last week that his son needs 'consistency' to realise his potential. With the player having told Fulham he wants to sign for them, all that remains are the practicalities of the deal. Fulham have baulked at Roma's desire to recoup the fee they paid five years ago and have instead proposed a season-long loan with an option to buy, worth around £10m, which would come into play depending on how many league appearances Kluivert makes this season.

It looks unlikely at this stage that a deal will be concluded in time for Kluivert to face Brentford on Saturday, with Silva short on wingers after injury robbed him of the services of Harry Wilson as well as Solomon. The fatigue caused by the heat at Wolves last weekend forced the Fulham head coach to replace Neeskens Kebano with teenage striker Jay Stansfield, who made his Premier League debut on the right wing.

The Standard also says that the Whites remain in the market for a striker to act as understudy to Aleksandar Mitrovic, which would allow Rodrigo Muniz to go out on loan. The Brazilian forward is rumoured to be ready to taste more Championship action with Middlesbrough, who Fulham beat to his permanent signing last summer. The Cottagers are casting a wider net for potential reinforcements up front after Bamba Dieng expressed a preference to move elsewhere, Moussa Dembele rejected the chance to return to SW6 and Nottingham Forest moved ahead of a clutch of Premier League sides in the race to sign Neale Maupay, the former Brentford front man, from Brighton.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/08/kluivert-keen-on-fulham-switch/

[WhiteJC]

Stansfield: Making my Premier League was 'a dream'
Fulham forward Jay Stansfield says making his Premier League debut last weekend was 'a great feeling' – and he is already targeting more top flight action.

The nineteen year-old striker replaced Neeskens Kebano towards the end of the Whites' goalless draw with Wolves on Saturday and showed both his desire and versatility by making an immediate impression despite being asked to play out of position on the right wing. Stansfield, who scored his first senior goal in the League Cup at Birmingham last season, has impressed head coach Marco Silva over the summer and has been included in both league matchday squads this term.

The fact that Silva turned to Stansfield, a regular goalscorer at youth level since joining Fulham from Exeter City where his late father Adam quickly became a cult hero, was not a surprise but it still felt surreal. He told the club's official website:

    "It was a great feeling. It's what you dream of as a kid, and then for it to come true, I've got no words to describe it really. I had my family in the Fulham end and they were obviously happy to be there when I made my debut, so that was nice.

    When I was a little kid I always used to come home from school and only want to watch football on the TV. Then on Saturdays and Sundays that was all I wanted to watch on TV, so to come on in the Premier League – something I used to watch – is just a dream come true."

He was modest about his own impact on what became a gripping contest in the closing stages.

    "I thought I did alright. It was quite hard to get into the game as it was end to end. They probably had the upper hand on us towards the end so it was quite hard to get into a flow, but I thought I did alright with the jobs I had to do. Obviously it was a dream come true coming on, but I think it's a platform to build on now.

    I've set the standards for myself and I have to be hungry if I want more of those opportunities, because I want to play at the highest level possible. Hopefully I can get more minutes to be able to come on and show what I can actually do."

Stansfield already has an eye on the prospect of influencing Saturday's local derby against Brentford.

    "If the opportunity came along I'd grab it with two hands because there's no better environment than to be able to come on in the Premier League and show everyone at Craven Cottage what you can do. They had a good result on the weekend, but we had a good performance too and could have got the win. It's a local derby and a good chance to be able to push and get our first three points."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/08/stansfield-making-my-premier-league-was-a-dream/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham, Bournemouth and Forest find early season reasons to be cheerful


Fulham, Bournemouth and Forest have been widely tipped to go straight back down this season, but predicting the future is seldom that easy.

It's extraordinarily early in the season to be saying something so blasphemous, but it's probably reasonable to say that some of F365's pre-season predictions are already looking somewhat shaky. After two games of the Premier League campaign, Liverpool are already four points off Manchester City, while rumours of Chelsea's imminent decline are already starting to look a little overstated.

But if spinning a coin between Liverpool and Manchester City was always likely to be something of a crapshoot, predicting the relegated teams usually feels a little easier. The financial gulf between the Championship and the Premier League is vast, and no-one on our team went for all three promoted clubs to stay up.

After two games of the new season, one of the more curious trends to have arisen has been that the three newly-promoted clubs have each had some tangible cause for optimism. And that raises the question of whether this year's Premier League newcomers might be stronger than those of previous years.

For Fulham and Bournemouth, this came on the opening weekend with a draw against Liverpool and convincing win over Aston Villa respectively.

Nottingham Forest's performance at Newcastle might have given their supporters a little cause for concern, but their bounce back against West Ham was similarly impressive, if reliant on a little good luck.

After six games between them, the newly-promoted clubs have won two, drawn two and lost two. Four of their opponents – Liverpool, Wolves, Manchester City and West Ham – finished in the top half last season, with Aston Villa and Newcastle hardly gimmes.

So, what does this all *mean*? Well, it's possible that it means very little. This year's newly-promoted teams are only two points better off than last season's – Norwich, Watford and Brentford picked up a win, two draws and three defeats from their first two games – and so we're into the realms of inferring too much from too small a statistical sample.

And that's an entirely fair criticism. No-one, for example, expects Manchester United to still be bottom of the Premier League come next May. Okay, maybe that's a bad example, but the fact remains that paying too much heed to results (or certainly league tables) in August is something of a fool's errand. After all, only one of the three teams in the relegation places after two games this time last year ended up there come the end of the season.

But shouldn't a little glimmer of optimism be welcome? After all, it does tend to feel as though the prognoses for newly-promoted clubs gets increasingly apocalyptic with each passing season. Promotion should be a time for celebration, but it can feel at times as though the pre-season narratives are as much about reminding new arrivals to know their place as anything else.

For now, those three teams will all feel reasonably satisfied with their starts. Fulham held Liverpool in a match in which they led twice and were only denied a win at Wolves by a penalty save from the Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa. Two points they've thus far accumulated might have been six.

Bournemouth's opening day win against Aston Villa was pretty comprehensive, and there's no disgrace in losing to Manchester City, especially if your defence manages to prevent Erling Haaland from scoring.

And Nottingham Forest's meekness at Newcastle on the opening weekend could be partly explained by their vast number of personnel changes and was corrected by beating West Ham in their second match, even if they did require a modicum of good fortune to claim all three points.

If we look at the historical record for newly-promoted clubs into the Premier League, it's more likely that all three clubs will stay up than that all three will go straight back down. Over its 30 years, all three promoted clubs have stayed up on three occasions – in 2002, 2012 and 2018 – while only once, when Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and Crystal Palace were relegated in 1998, have all three promoted clubs been relegated straight back.

Curiously, none of those three teams were promoted back again the following season, with only one of them – Bolton – getting as high as a play-off place. Of the other two, Crystal Palace would only play one of the 15 seasons following their 1998 relegation in the top flight, while Barnsley haven't returned at all since. It's all a long way removed from Fulham and their recent yo-yoing between the top two divisions.

There are, of course, many reasons why these three clubs should continue to be wary. Two games is very little, and plenty of clubs have had a better start to the season than any of these three and ended up struggling regardless. The sunny optimism of football's summer months can easily fade away as the relentless schedule starts to truly kick in.

There are plenty of ways in which this season could yet go wrong for the newly-promoted clubs. They don't have the same space for error that, say, the 'Big Six' have when it comes to making new signings. Managers are frequently sacked after a bad set of results, only for things to not improve once these changes have been made. Last year's three relegated clubs burned through seven managers between them.

None of those teams improved enough to avoid relegation after pulling that particular trigger. Watford did it twice. And while the likelihood of all three promoted teams getting relegated straight back may be slim, all three staying up isn't that likely either. Ninety per cent of Premier League seasons have ended in at least one newly-promoted club heading back down through the relegation trapdoor.

But the early signs are that this year's newly-promoted clubs could acquit themselves better than in some previous years. It won't be easy. All three have challenges to meet, from supporter discontent at Fulham to Nottingham Forest's broadly new first team. But these early results and performances have given the supporters of all three a reason to be cheerful at this early stage.

If you can't feel that way at the start of a season, well, when can you?



https://www.football365.com/news/fulham-bournemouth-and-forest-find-early-season-reasons-to-be-cheerful

[WhiteJC]

Fulham: Alan Nixon delivers Rodrigo Muniz transfer verdict

Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz could well be set to stay at Craven Cottage, despite persistent links regarding a move elsewhere.

What's the word?

According to respected journalist Alan Nixon, the 21-year-old appears in line to remain part of Marco Silva's plans this season, despite reports that Championship outfit Middlesbrough are eyeing a possible loan swoop.

Amid that interest, the transfer insider provided an update on the future of the Brazilian, writing on Twitter: "That one isn't moving forward very quickly ... still needed at Fulham ... and they've not brought anyone extra in to force him away ..."

The highly-rated forward only arrived in England on a five-year deal last summer, playing a bit-part role as the west London outfit secured promotion back to the Premier League.

Solomon replacement
The £4.5m-rated striker unsurprisingly found it difficult to usurp the prolific presence of Aleksandar Mitrovic in attack last term, with the Serbia international having scored a record-breaking tally of 43 league goals.

Despite having been largely resigned to a supporting role, Muniz still managed to showcase his "exciting" talent – as dubbed by Tony Khan – on occasion in his debut campaign with the Cottagers, scoring five goals from 28 appearances in all competitions – only four of which came from the start.

The 5 foot 10 menace had been earmarked as a hugely impressive prospect during his previous stint in Brazil – where he scored five goals in 25 games for Flamengo – with talent scout Jacek Kulig notably dubbing him a "revelation".

Also lauded for his "killer instinct" in front of goal by Kulig, the explosive forward could well prove something of a hidden gem for Silva and Fulham this season, despite having failed to make it off the bench in the opening weeks of the season.

Further involvement could also be on the cards following the cruel recent blow to summer signing Manor Solomon, with the winger set to be ruled out until after this year's World Cup after sustaining a knee injury in a behind-closed-doors match last week.

With the 23-year-old now expected to be on the sidelines for an extended period of time, it could well provide young Muniz with the chance to fill that attacking void, with the £7.5k-per-week ace having briefly featured on the flanks in his career thus far.

While there are reports that the Cottagers are plotting a move for a new striker in the form of Brighton and Hove Albion's Neal Maupay, the loss of Solomon should ensure that Muniz is kept at the club regardless, with Silva's squad already lacking attacking depth.



https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-fc-transfer-rumours/fulham-muniz-solomon-silva-premier-league

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Ex-Chelsea star Willian to hold talks with Fulham over potential Premier League return - with Brazilian set to train with Marco Silva's side after terminating his Corinthians contract

    Willian is expected to speak to promoted Fulham about a Premier League return
    The winger, 34, recently left Brazilian side Corinthians so can be signed on a free
    Former Chelsea and Arsenal star Willian could start training with the Cottagers

Willian is training with Fulham as the former Chelsea star prioritises a return to England this summer.

The 34-year-old, who left Brazilian club Corinthians last week, is a free agent and has had offers from sides across Europe.

Fulham are believed to be one of the clubs showing an interest in signing the former Brazil international.


Willian (pictured) is training with Premier League side Fulham ahead of a potential move

And Willian is training with Marco Silva's squad at Fulham's Motspur Park HQ as he maintains fitness.

As a free agent, Willian can join a new club outside the transfer window, which closes on August 31.

Willian said: 'My goal is to live abroad. In London, I have an English passport, so I can live and live there with my family, that's my goal. (I will) without a doubt be (living) abroad.

'I don't have a club yet. I will decide there. 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.'

The 70-cap international spent seven years in west London with Fulham's rivals Chelsea, before moving to Arsenal on a free transfer.   

After leaving the Gunners by mutual consent in August 2021, he returned to his home country to sign for Sao Paulo-based Corinthians, signing a two-and-a-half year deal.

But after playing 32 games in all competitions, scoring once, he announced last week he had walked away from his boyhood club due to the threats he endured.

He said: 'The threats never stopped. Whenever Corinthians lost and if sometimes I was not doing well in the game, my family received threats, curses on social media. My wife, my daughters, after a while they also started attacking my father, my sister.

'I did not come to Brazil to be threatened, to have my family threatened with every game I lost or if I didn't play a good game. I know it's the minority, but it (has) a very big impact and mental damage, especially on my daughters.

'Emotionally it affects a lot. When it comes to threats, especially to the family, we are worried. My family is my greatest asset, so I have to take care of them.'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11119689/Fulham-Ex-Chelsea-star-Willian-hold-talks-Cottagers-potential-Premier-League-return.html

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Games for the Weekend 20/08...
This weekend we welcome Brentford to the Cottage for the first "top flight" encounter between our clubs.

It was a shame Mitro couldn't score the penalty against Wolves, I'm sure he'll get the next one, but in truth I think a draw was a fair outcome for that game.
One highlight of the game was Jay Stansfield getting his Premier League debut, he didn't look out of place did he.

Brentford are going to be full of confidence after their 4-0 win against Man Utd and the fact that they always do well at the Cottage, this would be a nice game for us to start to redress the balance.

Our record against the bees 3 wins, 7 losses and 3 draws.

I'm surprised that neither Leno, Diop, Mbabu or Duffy have started so far, having said that why change an unbeaten team? however I would make a couple of changes mainly to add a little extra "steel" to the squad, my team would be...

COYW's

Games of Interest...
Saturday 20th
Spurs v Wolves
Palace v Villa
Everton v Forest
Fulham v Brentford
Bournemouth v Arsenal

Sunday 21st
Leeds v Chelsea
West Ham v Brighton

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=2310

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Anderlecht Join Race For Fulham And Southampton Target

Fulham and Southampton are keen on snapping Joshua Zirkzee from Bayern Munich, but Anderlecht have let the Germans know that they want to sign him again.

Zirkzee played last term on loan at the Belgian outfit, where he was a regular for them in both league and cup competitions.

The 21-year-old racked up 18 goals and 13 assists across all competitions in Belgium and is presently back at Bayern Munich following an impressive season abroad.

Zirkzee is keen on clocking up game time on a regular basis this season as well but he is unlikely to earn that at the Allianz Arena, where he is facing fierce competition for places.

But the striker is not short of suitors at present as Stuttgart, Borussia Monchengladbach and Augsburg are all keen on him, while the Premier League duo of Fulham and Southampton want to snare him away to England.

And according to German magazine Sport Bild, the likes of Fulham and the Saints are facing even more competition for Zirkzee's services as Anderlecht have added to his admirers.

The Belgians have contacted Bayern Munich and have let them know that they want to take him back to the Jupiler Pro League.

Bayern Munich are claimed to be open to selling Zirkzee for a fee in the €15m to €20m range while he only has a year left on his current deal at the club.



https://insidefutbol.com/2022/08/17/anderlecht-join-race-for-fulham-and-southampton-target/573793/

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Fulham reach agreement for new summer signing– 'White smoke nearby'

Reports from the Italian media now claim that Fulham and AS Roma have an agreement for the transfer of Justin Kluivert.

The latest claims are made by Francesco Balzani on CentroSuonoSport (via Forza Roma), saying that the negotiation 'has been unlocked' in the last few hours.

Fulham and Roma reportedly shook hands for a loan with an obligation to buy, depending on the player's number of appearances for the Whites this season.

It's said there's 'white smoke nearby', even though it's not said how much the Craven Cottage side will need to pay for the deal.

This week, other reports had already been saying the negotiations for Kluivert had been developing. In France, Foot Mercato even claimed that the player had said 'yes' to a move to Fulham, who'd now need to reach an agreement with Roma.

Meanwhile, with Benfica and Sporting also interested in the signing, the Portuguese media had also been talking about the case, always pointing out that the player was more likely to choose the Premier League, partly because the Whites would be able to provide the desired level of salary.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-reach-agreement-new-summer-signing-white-smoke-nearby/

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Willian training with Fulham as ex-Chelsea winger plots return to European football after Corinthians spell

Former Chelsea and Arsenal winger Willian is training with Fulham as he seeks a move back in European football after a brief spell with Corinthians.

The Cottagers have yet to offer the 34-year-old a contract and are keeping the arrangement casual as the Brazil international awaits offers on a free transfer.

Willian left his home country after his family grew unsettled and sought a return to Europe, where he has spent most of his adult life.

Marco Silva saw an opportunity to bring in an international player to help lift the level of his training sessions as he awaits further signings.

The west Londoners are in talks to sign Justin Kluivert on loan from Roma with further talks ongoing around forwards including Bordeaux's Ui-jo Hwang, Bayern Munich's Joshua Zirkzee and Brighton's Neal Maupay.

Silva is keen to bolster his flanks after Shakhtar loan star Manor Solomon suffered a serious knee injury in training, the manager having already felt he was short on numbers in the position after Harry Wilson was also ruled out.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/willian-fulham-chelsea-arsenal-transfer-b1019192.html

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In profile: Willian

Jack Stroudley looks at former Chelsea and Arsenal winger Willian and if he's the right fit for Fulham.

With the devastating news coming through that Manor Solomon has picked up a lengthy injured and with Harry Wilson already on the sidelines, the signing of a winger seems imminent. We're reportedly close to Justin Kluivert, but we aren't stopping there. The internet is abuzz with rumours that we're looking at former Chelsea and Arsenal winger Willian on a free transfer.

The transfer will reportedly be a one-year deal with the former Brazilian international allegedly earning around £30,000 a week during his time at SW6. There's been much debate online whether he would actually be a good signing, so I thought I'd do some research to see if Willian is the right fit for Fulham.

The fact file
Unlike some of the signings this summer most people will already know a fair bit about Willian so I'll keep this part short and sweet! Willian came through the Corinthians youth system and made his debut for the first team in 2007, he impressed during his time in Brazil playing just under 30 times over two seasons before being sold to Shakhtar Donetsk for €14 million.

Willian played in Ukraine from 2007-2013 and helped Shakhtar win four league titles, five cups as well as the UEFA Cup. On a personal note, he was awarded the Ukrainian league best player for the 2010-11 season (he also played for Shakhtar when they were knocked out of the Europa League by Fulham.)

Willian made 11 appearances for Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala before signing for Chelsea in 2013. The former Brazilian international played at Chelsea for seven years and made well over 200 appearances during his time across the road winning two league titles, two cups and one Europa League. Willian then made the move to north London for a season at Arsenal before heading back to Corinthians in 2021.

A deeper dive
During his time at Corinthians, Willian has played in a few positions across the attacking line, but has played most regularly and performed the best on the left hand side indicating he will be covering Manor Solomon during his time out injured but could also play on the right if necessary.

I thought I would look at his last Premier League season for Arsenal and break down his stats to see what he was good at and what necessarily wasn't his strongest attributes.

    An OK pass completion at 79.3%
    Someone who is good from dead ball situations (particularly corners)
    A player in the top 15% of wingers for chance creation
    Extremely poor defensive stats
    Likes a lot of touches in the attacking third, not as active in the middle third and not active at all in the defensive third
    Very impressive progressive carry stats being in the top 10%
    Not clinical at all, being in the bottom 4% for shots on target per 90

The graph below shows all of his shots while playing at Arsenal, from this we can see someone who isn't clinical and won't take many shots (particularly in the box) his only goal came from a set piece with an xG of 0.05.



Yes or no?
While his shooting stats leave a lot to be desired, I think Willian is a fairly smart piece of business. With injuries at the moment, we are in need of depth at both left wing and right wing and Willian is somebody who can play on both sides. A player with eight years of Premier League experience for two top sides who is also willing to be on £30,000 a week it seems a bit of a no-brainer to me.

I've seen a lot of people online comparing this signing to Andre Schurrle and while that question currently remains unanswered I think Willian is someone who would be prepared to be a squad player when the likes of Solomon and Wilson return, I also think we could do a lot worse for squad depth than a former two-time Premier League winner.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2022-08-17-in-profile-willian/

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Nottingham Forest Tried To Enter Race For Roma Man, Quickly Backtracked

Nottingham Forest have looked into the possibility of a move for Roma man Justin Kluivert, but cooled their interest in the winger as Fulham are at an advanced stage over a deal for him, it has been claimed in Italy.

The Tricky Trees have gone on a massive spending spree in the ongoing window, roping in no fewer than 15 new signings.

Nottingham Forest supremo Evangelos Marinakis has heavily backed boss Steve Cooper this summer to provide him the best chance to keep his side in the Premier League and they are still on the hunt for further signings.

Cooper still wants to bolster his attacking department and had identified a potential target in Italy.

The Nottinghamshire giants looked into the possibility of entering the race for the services of winger Kluivert from Roma.

However, according to Italian journalist Flavio Tassotti, Nottingham Forest quickly cooled their interest in the Dutchman after learning that their top flight rivals Fulham are advanced in their negotiations to land him.

The Cottagers are closing in on securing the signature of Kluivert, who is claimed to have let the club know that he is ready to sign for them this summer.

Nottingham Forest realised they were likely to fail if they joined the pursuit for Kluivert and it remains to be seen whether they will turn to alternative options.



https://insidefutbol.com/2022/08/17/nottingham-forest-tried-to-enter-race-for-roma-man-quickly-backtracked/573868/

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Barcelona icon's son snubs Champions League transfer option to join Fulham

Justin Kluivert has set his sights on joining Marco Silva's Fulham as he tries to achieve his dream to play in the Premier League - after his father played for Newcastle

Fulham are closing in on a deal to sign Roma winger Justin Kluivert on loan, according to reports.

Marco Silva is keen to bolster his attacking options after Manor Solomon, who arrived from Shakhtar Donetsk earlier this summer, suffered a serious knee injury in a friendly. Harry Wilson is also out for the foreseeable future with a knee issue and could be facing a race in time to be fit for the World Cup in November.

This has seen the Cottagers explore the possibility of signing 23-year-old Kluivert, who is the son of former Barcelona forward and Netherlands international Patrick Kluivert. According to the Evening Standard, the winger is willing to reject interest from French sides Marseille and Nice to realise his dream of playing in the Premier League.

The last hurdle to overcome is the structure of the deal. Fulham's latest offer is a loan with an obligation to buy for £10million next summer, depending on appearances this season. The Whites are hoping to tie down a deal for Kluivert ahead of their game against west London rivals Brentford on Saturday.

Kluivert has struggled for form since his move to Roma from Ajax in 2018 and has not played a minute for the Italian side since the start of the 2020/21 season. He spent last campaign on loan at Nice, scoring just six times in 31 appearances. This is after enduring a spell in the Bundesliga at RB Leipzig, where he scored against Manchester United in the Champions League.

Fulham have made a positive start to their Premier League campaign, having held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw on the opening day, before drawing 0-0 at Wolves. Silva's side should have beaten the West Midlands outfit, however, as Aleksandr Mitrovic saw a late penalty well saved by Jose Sa.

With Silva ready to bolster his forward line, the Whites have also made enquiries to sign several other attackers, including Brighton's Neal Maupay, Marseille's Bamba Dieng, and Bordeaux's Ui-jo Hwang. However, Fulham are set to miss out on Maupay, who is close to joining Nottingham Forest for £15m.

Meanwhile, Fulham seen an approach for former striker Moussa Dembele rejected by Lyon. They are hoping to ease the scoring burden on Mitrovic, who did strike twice against Liverpool. Ex-Chelsea star Willian has also been thrown into the mix as a forward option, although, like Kluivert, he is more of an out-and-out winger.

The 34-year-old veteran recently left Brazilian side Corinthians after claiming he and his family received vile threats from the club's fans. The Brazilian could start training with Silva's side, with a view to signing a contract with the newly-promoted Cottagers as they look to avoid relegation back to the Championship this season.



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fulham-transfer-justin-kluivert-barcelona-27763454

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Willian training with Fulham ahead of potential move

Former Chelsea star Willian is training with Fulham ahead of a possible move to Craven Cottage.

The 34-year-old is keen to move back to England following a brief spell with Corinthians in his native Brazil.

Whites boss Marco Silva knows him well – and is looking to sign a winger because recent signing Manor Solomon has been sidelined by a knee injury.

Willian had seven years at Chelsea before spending a season at Arsenal. He left the north London club by mutual consent last summer.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/willian-training-with-fulham-ahead-of-potential-move

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Travel Disruption

Fans are warned of expected disruption to their journey to Craven Cottage this Saturday.

In addition to nationwide strikes on the railway, there will also be no service on the District line between Wimbledon and Parsons Green before 8am and after 6pm, while a number of bus services in West/South-West London and Surrey are affected.

As a result, it is anticipated that roads in and around Fulham will be severely congested throughout the day.

Supporters are strongly advised to plan journeys accordingly, and aim to get to Craven Cottage in good time. Turnstiles open at 1.30pm.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/august/17/travel-disruption/