Friday Fulham Stuff - 09/09/22...

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A foundation, a stand, a new No.9 and so much more: the legacy of Adam Stansfield

'Adam meant everything to this football club. The fact that his name is still sung at every game, over 12 years since his passing, tells you everything that you need to know. As a person, Adam was selfless. A number of his acts of generosity only came to light after his death. As a player, Adam always gave 110%. He must have been a nightmare to play against because, not only did he chase down lost causes, but he also had a real eye for goal.'

Exeter City fan Jack Vickery was nine-years-old when Adam Stansfield, Exeter City's No.9, passed away. Most young football fans 'lose' their idol to a bigger club, but Jack lost his idol to something much more final. Jack was relatively old compared to Adam's three sons: Jay, Taylor and Cody, who were seven, five and two respectively.

Stansfield played for Exeter City between 2006 and 2010. He made 142 appearances for the Grecians, scoring 37 goals. Adam helped Exeter win back-to-back promotions from the Conference to League One. In April 2010, the former Yeovil and Hereford striker was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Despite having surgery and undergoing chemotherapy, Adam Stansfield died on 10th August 2010.

Following Adam's death and his funeral on 25th August 2010, Adam's wife, Marie, and the Stansfield family were overwhelmed by the amount of love and support shown by the football community – not only from the supporters of clubs that Adam had played for, but from football fans all over the country. The family became aware that people wanted to fundraise and undertake charitable activities in Adam's memory so, in September 2010, the Adam Stansfield Foundation was formed.

The foundation aims to give young people the opportunity to develop life skills by using the power of football, whilst also assisting them in trying to achieve their goals. For example, if a grassroots football team in the Devon, Somerset or Hereford area doesn't have enough funding for balls, cones, bibs etc., the foundation would try to help them in order to promote and increase participation in sport. Through both their website and social media pages, the foundation also strives to highlight and raise awareness of bowel cancer and other issues and illnesses related to this particular type of cancer.

'At the start of 2019, my brother, Tom, decided that he wanted to do the Great West Run in order to raise money for the foundation. It was nine years since Adam's passing and, with Adam spending his career wearing the No.9 shirt, we thought it would be fitting to do so. So, in January 2019, we set up a fundraising page. We decided to use the power of social media to contact professional players from a range of sports: football, cricket, golf, rugby, darts and horse racing to name just a few! We asked for signed items that we would be able to auction off. We ran the auctions on social media for a few days. The highest bidder would win the item and donate the amount to the fundraising page. Due to the amazing support that we received (both before and after the run), we've been fundraising for the foundation ever since. Our poor Mum has parcelled up and sent over 1000 items. It wouldn't have been possible without her; she's been at the heart of this fundraising journey with us.'

At the time of writing, Jack and Tom (and their Mum!) have raised over £175,000 for the Adam Stansfield Foundation. In Jack's own words, 'The next stop is £200,000.' It won't surprise you to know that Jack and Tom have been named ambassadors for the foundation; a title which they are both deserving of and incredibly proud of in equal measure.

Then, on Friday 2nd September 2022, something magical happened; something that transcended football. Adam's eldest son, Jay, joined Exeter City on loan. Jay had played for Exeter until the age of 16 when he decided to join Fulham's Category One academy. Despite making three appearances in the Premier League at the start of the 2022/23 season, the prodigal son had returned. 'A signing has never left me with a tear in my eye or a lump in my throat, but this was one did! It's the best signing in my lifetime so far and the best I'll ever see.'

Twelve years after Adam Stansfield had passed away and Exeter City had retired the No.9 shirt, Jay Stansfield ran out at a packed St James Park, in front of the stand bearing his father's name, wearing the No.9 shirt. 'It was a very, very special moment, but also an emotional one – especially for the Stansfield family.' The story of Jay's return to Exeter has touched the hearts of football fans up and down the country. It's the sort of narrative that Hollywood writers dream of, but sport actually delivers. Nevertheless, it's a move that has the potential to benefit all parties. 'As much as this is an emotive signing, it also makes a lot of sense. Given how we produce young players, develop them and progress them up the pyramid, Jay will not only be loved here, but he will also return to Fulham as a better player.'

Names such as Dieng, Jay, Brown and Nombe will no doubt adorn the backs of many a replica shirt in the south west of England this season, but something tells us that 'Stansfield 9' will be the overwhelming favourite...



https://thenearpost.org/2022/09/07/a-foundation-a-stand-a-new-no-9-and-so-much-more-the-legacy-of-adam-stansfield/

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Graham Potter arrives at Chelsea's training ground with confirmation of appointment as their manager imminent - and departing Brighton boss gets long-term contract from Todd Boehly

    Graham Potter will become Chelsea's new manager after agreeing a deal
    He is set to be in the dugout for Chelsea's game against Fulham on Saturday
    The talented Seagulls boss was scheduled to speak to the media on Thursday
    The south coast club confirmed Potter's press conference has been cancelled

Graham Potter will be appointed as Chelsea's manager - and an announcement could come as soon as Thursday night after he arrived at the training ground to sign his contract.

Potter, the 47-year-old Brighton boss, has agreed terms on a five-year contract to switch to Stamford Bridge.

He has been captured arriving in a car at Chelsea's Cobham training ground this afternoon to sign the contract alongside Kyle Macaulay, the recruitment expert that worked with Potter at Brighton after saying his goodbyes at Brighton earlier today.

Controlling owner Todd Boehly wasted no time in dispensing Thomas Tuchel after the disastrous Champions League loss away to Dinamo Zagreb and he has moved quickly to get Potter.

The Seagulls boss was due to speak to the media on Thursday ahead of his current side's Premier League clash with Bournemouth, and he was seen pulling into their training base for the last time early on Thursday morning.

Potter is expected to be in the Chelsea dugout, along with his Brighton staff, for the Blues' match against Fulham on Saturday.

Potter quickly emerged as Chelsea's No 1 target and he was locked in advanced talks with the Blues on Wednesday night, thrashing out an agreement.

Having made a formal approach to Brighton, Chelsea were granted permission to speak to Potter soon after news broke about Tuchel's departure.

Those talks are understood to have been led by co-owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali in London on Wednesday afternoon and continued into the evening. Sources said the only way Chelsea would not appoint him is if he turned down the role - which has not proven to be a stumbling block with Potter keen to head for west London.

The identification of Potter as Chelsea's preferred option to replace Tuchel - who Sportsmail revealed will receive as much as £13million in compensation after his shock dismissal - has come during a period in which the club are without a sporting director.

Boehly has taken interim charge, but it is understood the club are close to appointing someone in that role.

Sources have even said the new man has had some influence on the move for Potter.

Former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards and ex-Tottenham and Southampton recruitment guru Paul Mitchell are among those being considered by Chelsea.

Potter, 47, is understood to have a release clause of at least £12m in his contract, meaning Brighton are powerless to stop their manager leaving.

Recruitment analyst Kyle Macaulay and first-team coach Billy Reid are among the Brighton staff set to follow Potter to south west London.

Tuchel was sacked on Wednesday hours after his side's 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb, Chelsea's third loss in seven games.

It is believed the decision was made before the chastening result in Croatia.

The German's dismissal comes against a backdrop of difficulties behind the scenes, amid claims from multiple sources that he had lost the dressing room.

There was also said to be a disconnect between Tuchel and the club's academy.

A Chelsea spokesman said: 'As the new ownership group continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition.'

Chelsea, who are currently sixth, will now hope they can get an immediate bounce from the imminent arrival of Potter in a bid to breathe new life in their domestic and Champions League campaigns. 



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11192783/Graham-Potter-VERBALLY-AGREES-Chelsea-manager.html

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Preview: Fulham vs. Chelsea - prediction, team news, lineups

The post-Thomas Tuchel era at Chelsea begins with a challenging Premier League West London derby on Saturday, as Fulham welcome their capital counterparts to Craven Cottage.

The Blues enter the contest on the back of a 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, while the hosts went down 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

Match preview
Few defences have been able to quell the goalscoring juggernaut that is Aleksandar Mitrovic, but the Serbian's stunning effort against Tottenham was in vain last weekend as Fulham lost 2-1 to their London rivals.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Harry Kane had made the net ripple for the Lilywhites before Mitrovic found the top corner with aplomb, but away days continued to bedevil the Cottagers, who have still proven to be a tough nut to crack so far this term.

A tally of eight points from their opening six fixtures is enough to see Fulham occupy a top-half place in the table - 10th more specifically - and their only two league defeats this season have come by just the one goal against Arsenal and Tottenham.

While the Cottagers have struggled to stamp their authority on rival turf, home is where the heart is for Silva and co, as they could win three Premier League games in a row at Craven Cottage for the first time in a decade with victory over an unstable Chelsea.

The Mitrovic-inspired hosts have also struck at least two goals in each of their three home games this season - albeit while failing to keep a clean sheet - but the trusty new manager bounce could come into play for those in blue.

Thomas Tuchel remained loyal to Chelsea even when their existence was being questioned at one stage, but shades of Roman Abramovich were unearthed when Todd Boehly gave the green light to the German's departure on Wednesday morning.

Tuchel had been given free rein to mould the squad as he pleased following the exit of sporting director Marina Granovskaia, but a £250m summer outlay could not save Chelsea from an underwhelming start to the season, which reached a low ebb on Tuesday.

Mislav Orsic struck the winner for Dinamo Zagreb in what proved to be Tuchel's 100th and final game in charge of Chelsea, who are reportedly on the brink of appointing Brighton & Hove Albion's Graham Potter to take the poisoned chalice.

While Chelsea followed a pattern of losing one and then winning one in Tuchel's final days, the defeat to Dinamo Zagreb marked a third straight away loss for the West London club in all tournaments, and their exhaustive defensive spending has only led to a five-game run without a Premier League clean sheet.

Potter's arrival is expected to be confirmed before the Craven Cottage bout kicks off, but interim staff may still be tasked with taking charge of the West London derby, as sixth-placed Chelsea aim to kick off yet another new era with an eighth-straight win against Fulham.

Fulham Premier League form:

    D    D    W    L    W    L

Fulham form (all competitions):

    D    W    L    L    W    L

Chelsea Premier League form:

    W    D    L    W    L    W

Chelsea form (all competitions):

    D    L    W    L    W    L


Team News
Fulham lost left-back Antonee Robinson to an ankle sprain in the first half of their defeat to Tottenham, meaning that Kevin Mbabu - a right-back by trade - ought to fill in for Silva's side this weekend.

Attackers Harry Wilson and Manor Solomon remain out of contention with their respective knee injuries, but the Cottagers have no other fresh concerns, and the attacking reinforcements are lining up for their opportunities.

Carlos Vinicius is fighting an uphill battle to displace Mitrovic in the number nine spot, but Neeskens Kebano and Bobby Reid are now facing increased competition from Willian and Daniel James, the latter of whom will expect to be in with a good chance of starting here.

Similarly, Chelsea also have few concerns to worry about on the injury front and should only be without the luckless N'Golo Kante, whose thigh injury may not heal completely until after the international break.

While Potter can be expected to implement a Tuchel-like back three that made him so successful at Brighton, it remains to be seen how the interim staff will set up this Chelsea side, which should feature Edouard Mendy and Marc Cucurella in defence after the pair were benched in Zagreb.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's forgettable Chelsea debut ended after just 59 minutes on Tuesday, but the ex-Arsenal and Barcelona man should fend off Armando Broja to start upon his return to the Premier League.

Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Ream, Mbabu; Reed, Palhinha; Decordova-Reid, Pereira, James; Mitrovic

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Mendy; Fofana, Silva, Koulibaly; James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Cucurella; Mount, Aubameyang, Sterling

We say: Fulham 1-1 Chelsea

Without being able to accurately predict how Chelsea will set themselves up for a fiery West London derby, a Fulham side who have that golden touch at home should have a glint in their eyes.

The Blues' recent record in this fixture does make for positive reading, but we are struggling to pick a clear winner, and a misfiring Chelsea attack will aim to take advantage of Fulham's own defensive lapses to take a point back to base.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/chelsea/west-london-derby/preview/preview-fulham-vs-chelsea-prediction-team-news-lineups_494113.html?cQx=NN&newsnow

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Fulham loanee Bowie called up by Scotland U21s and will be absent for Cobblers
Young forward will miss at least one game for the Cobblers

Cobblers are set to be without Fulham loanee Kieron Bowie for at least one game later this month after he was called up by Scotland U21s.

Scott Gemmill's young side will travel to Belfast for a match on Thursday, September 22, at Danny Blanchflower Stadium in Belfast, before hosting Northern Ireland at The SMiSA Stadium in Paisley on Sunday, September 25.

The friendly matches will represent the start of a new cycle for the Under-21s and the beginning of preparations towards the next European Championship qualifying campaign, which begin next year.

It is the first time Bowie has been called up and means he will miss Northampton's home game against Stockport on September 24. He's also likely to be absent for the Papa John's Trophy tie with Cambridge United on September 20.

Gemmill said: "It's a really exciting time and a big responsibility to work with largely a new group of players and give them that opportunity to maximise their potential. The time they are with us may be small but it's a really important part of their development.

"We have to get that balance right between trying to help the players develop as much as they can and push towards the full squad but at the same time, we try to be as competitive as we can be and to be competitive we have to be organised.

"These games against Northern Ireland will be excellent preparation for the competitive matches next year, and particularly for the new players, it's a chance to show them how we work and what's expected of them tactically.

"With being a Scotland youth international, there's a lot of responsibility that comes with that. It's a big thing for these players coming to play for their country and the experience has to be good for them as well so we have to get everything right."

Full squad:

Elliot Anderson – Newcastle United

Kieron Bowie – Northampton Town (on loan from Fulham)

Flynn Clarke – Norwich City

Tommy Conway – Bristol City

Matthew Craig – Tottenham Hotspur

Michael Craig – Reading

Lucas De Bolle – Hamilton Academical (on loan from Newcastle United)

Adam Devine – Rangers

Josh Doig – Hellas Veronas

Ben Doak – Liverpool

Jay Hogarth – Alloa Athletic (on loan from Rangers)

Leon King – Rangers

Sam Long – Boston United (on loan from Lincoln City)

Connor McAvoy – Fulham

Cole McKinnon – Partick Thistle (on loan from Rangers)

Stuart McKinstry – Motherwell

Chris Mochrie – Dunfermline Athletic (on loan from Dundee United)

Adam Montgomery – St Johnstone (on loan from Celtic)

Josh Mulligan – Dundee

Lewis Neilson – Heart of Midlothian

Cieran Slicker – Rochdale (on loan from Manchester City)

Connor Smith – Heart of Midlothian

Rory Wilson – Aston Villa



https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-loanee-bowie-called-up-by-scotland-u21s-and-will-be-absent-for-cobblers-3835788

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Nominations For Marco & Mitro

Marco Silva and Aleksandar Mitrović have received nominations for the Barclays Manager and EA Sports Player of the Month awards, respectively.

It follows the news of Mitro's nomination on Wednesday for the PFA version of the player accolade.

Silva led Fulham to our most productive start to a Premier League campaign in years, as we suffered just one defeat in five, narrowly against league leaders Arsenal.

The Whites claimed an impressive seven points from nine at home, in addition to securing another draw away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

August was a hugely prolific one for Mitrović, who made a mockery of the lazy notion from outside the Club that he could not compete at this level.

Five goals in as many games – following up his brace on opening day against Liverpool with efforts against Brentford, Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion – meant that only Erling Haaland had scored more.

The Manchester City striker is amongst the nominees, as are Pascal Gross, Gabriel Jesus, Wilfried Zaha, Rodrigo Moreno, Martin Ødegaard and Nick Pope.

Silva's competition comes from Pep Guardiola, Graham Potter, Mikel Arteta and Antonio Conte.

You can vote for Marco and Mitro at the below links until midday on Monday.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/september/08/monthly-nominations/

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Vinicius: Here To Help

Carlos Vinicius is delighted to be back in the Premier League, and this time for good.

The Brazilian striker had a taste of it while on loan with Tottenham Hotspur in 2020/21, but is now able to put down roots having signed an initial three-year deal with Fulham.

"It's a historic club and this is the best league in the world, so it was easy to take this decision," Vinicius said.

"I'm very happy to be here. Deadline day was crazy for me but it's a permanent deal with a long contract so there's only one word to describe how I feel being here – happy."

Aleksandar Mitrović's start to the season has been nothing short of sensational – with the big man nominated for both PFA and Premier League Player of the Month – but he now has strong competition in the form of Vinicius.

"When you have more players in the squad, that can only be good for the team," he explained. "It brings more quality. Mitro is in a very good moment but I am here to help the team.

"I'm a very aggressive player. I think I can bring a lot of quality and different characteristics to the team, along with Mitro. I can still improve, but I will always give my best for the team.

"My objective is to help the team. I have individual objectives as well, but you know the most important thing is to help the team."

Having made his debut at former club Spurs on Saturday, Vinicius has eyes on three points in another London derby at the weekend, when we welcome neighbours Chelsea to the Cottage.

"We have all the conditions to win this game," he stated. "We play at home and we are working really hard to win this game on Saturday.

"Derbies are there to be won. When you win a derby you bring more confidence to the team, to the Club, so that is what we are going to try to do."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/september/08/vinicius-here-to-help/

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Analysing the effectiveness of Andreas Pereira
Sean Guest gets knee-deep in numbers to assess our Brazilian's first half-dozen games.

Of all the players Fulham signed this summer, Andreas Pereira might be the most intriguing. Handpicked by Sir Alex Ferguson himself, he never quite fulfilled his potential at Manchester United and has spent the bulk of his career to date on loan at clubs like Valencia and Lazio.

Ferguson isn't the only manager Pereira's impressed though. Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all gave him opportunities at Old Trafford, while, according to the player himself, Marco Silva was a "key factor" in him signing for Fulham.

And it didn't take long to see why. Our high press in the opening game of the season against Liverpool utilised the 26-year-old's energy and effort levels to great effect, prompting praise from pundits and fans alike.

Since then, Pereira's performances have been hit (Brentford) and miss (Wolves), so let's take a look at some of his strengths and weaknesses to see how he can become a more consistent contributor.

The good
As Peter Rutzler of The Athletic pointed out over the summer, the data from Pereira's best run in the United team (2019/20 season) illustrated that he's "adept at breaking up opposition moves".

According to FBref.com, he has the fifth most pressures of all Fulham players (84) through the first six games. 39 of these pressures have come in the attacking third (joint first, with Mitrovic), while 40 have been made in the midfield third (fourth best). Although his work rate in these areas has been commendable, there's still some room for improvement here too, as his hustle has thus far resulted in a pressure success rate of 29.8% and three tackles won, numbers you would expect to see improve throughout the season.

Peter also highlighted Pereira's ability as a "progressive passer", something we've seen plenty of through the first six games. He's currently third among all Fulham players for progressives passes (15), while he leads the team in key passes (12) and is fourth for both completed passes that enter the final third of the pitch (14) and completed passes into the penalty area (three). What's more, he's currently second in shot-creating actions (17) while leading the team in xG assisted (0.8).

Pereira's also very capable of advancing possession with the ball at his feet and is currently third in carries (147), second in progressive carries (19) and third in carries into the box (three). These numbers are undermined slightly by his dribble success percentage (33.3%), but teams like Fulham need players who can run with the ball and after just six games Pereira's already right up there with the likes of Neeskens Kebano and Antonee Robinson in that category.

The bad
One key area in which Pereira needs to improve if he's to be a success at Fulham is end product. While he's been known to net the occasional screamer (check out the absolute worldie he scored against Brentford in preseason last year), over the course of his career he's scored just 16 professional goals while struggling to offer a consistent goal-scoring threat.

That's been the case this season too, as despite registering the third most shots (seven) and shots on target (two) and the fourth-highest shots on target percentage (28.6) of all Fulham players, he has an xG of just 0.2, which is sixth best on the team.

As his heatmap, courtesy of SofaScore shows, one of the reasons for this is the fact that he touches the ball far less than those who play in similarly advanced roles in the opposing team's penalty area. So far Bobby Reid has had 24 touches in the box while Kebano has 14 in two fewer games, compared to Pereira's eight. This observation is reinforced by the fact that his average distance, in yards, from goal of all shots taken is 24.6, while Kebano (15.8) and Reid (10.7) have a tendency to shoot from much better attacking positions.



Pereira's other clear weakness is giving the ball away. Coupled with the low dribble success percentage mentioned above, he has already been dispossessed seven times this season (third most among Fulham players). He's also made 15 mistakes while trying to control the ball (second highest) while recording a passes received percentage of 73.6. Given that he has been the target of 197 passes already this season (second only to Mitro), his ability to improve this figure is going to be essential to Fulham's chances of retaining possession.

And while this might not be a huge issue yet, it's also worth noting that Pereira has taken 17 of Fulham's 21 corners this season, as well as nine free kicks – more than any other outfield player – resulting in just one assist.

AP + TC: the perfect blend?
Despite the areas of his game that need improvement, it's already clear to see why Marco Silva decided to bring Pereira to Craven Cottage this summer. Not only is he showing that he may be able to fill the hole left by Fabio Carvalho thanks to his energy levels in the high press and ability to advance the ball, he also works well in tandem with Tom Cairney.

Cairney's already been subbed in for Pereira four times in our opening six games, and while the latter offers a higher workrate early in games when we're looking to press, the former provides more stability late in games when our opponents' xG increases exponentially. His ball retention, for instance, is far better. In significantly fewer minutes, it should be noted, Cairney has only mis-controlled the ball three times to Pereira's 15, while his passes received percentage is higher too (91.2 versus 73.6).

Like Pereira, Cairney hasn't touched the ball a great deal in the opponent's box, but his shot-creating actions per 90 isn't dramatically lower (3.14 vs 3.20) while he too has registered an xG of 0.2 in addition to a superior average distance, in yards, from goal of all shots taken (14.4 vs 24.6). He doesn't progress the ball like Pereira through carries (five vs 19) or passes (188 vs 675) but he has a surprisingly high successful pressure percentage (66.7 vs Pereira's 29.8) which is extremely useful when Fulham are attempting to be compact late in games.

Over the course of the season Marco Silva may come to trust Pereira more in close, late-game situations. But for now, by using him in tandem with TC, he seems to have found a fairly effective stop-gap solution.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2022-09-08-analysing-the-effectiveness-of-andreas-pereira/

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Fulham linked with potential swoop for Aberdeen youngster along with Leeds United

The latest Fulham news and rumours on Thursday

Fulham are being linked with a move for Aberdeen youngster Lewis Pirie.

The Cottagers are one of a couple of Premier League clubs credited with an interest in the promising Scottish Premiership attacker.

Pirie is a product of the Dons' academy and is being tipped for a bright future in the game.

A report by the Daily Record claims the Whites 'watched' the teenager in action for Scotland U16s along with fellow top flight outfit Leeds United.

One for the future?
Fulham could see Pirie as one for the future as they keep one eye on their development sides.

Their academy has produced gems like Ryan Sessegnon and Harvey Elliott over recent years, with those two now playing regularly for Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool respectively.

The likes of Luke Harris and Jay Stansfield are two more recent youngsters who will be eyeing first-team football in the near future at Craven Cottage, with the latter now on loan at Exeter City.

Pirie is causing a bit of a stir up in Scotland and Aberdeen won't want to lose another bright prospect to England again after selling Calvin Ramsey to Liverpool in the last transfer window.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/fulham-linked-with-potential-swoop-for-aberdeen-youngster-3836239

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Chelsea appoint Graham Potter in time for Saturday's crunch Fulham clash

Former Brighton manager Graham Potter will take charge of Chelsea for the first time against Fulham on Saturday after replacing Thomas Tuchel as head coach at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea have confirmed Graham Potter as their new head coach following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.

Potter joins from Brighton & Hove Albion, where he spent just over three seasons in charge. The 47-year-old boss earned widespread praise on the south coast for transforming the Seagulls' style of play and turning them into top-half finishers last season.

He will take charge of his first official game as Chelsea manager this weekend when the Blues make the short trip across west London to face Fulham, live on BT Sport. Getting Potter has not come cheap for Todd Boehly, who has had to pay around £16million to release the former Swansea and Ostersund manager from his contract at the Amex Stadium, according to reports.

The much-admired boss is only Chelsea's second permanent English manager since the turn of the millennium, with Blues legend Frank Lampard being the only other.

On making the move to Stamford Bridge, Potter said: "I am incredibly proud and excited to represent Chelsea FC, this fantastic football club. I am very excited to partner with Chelsea's new ownership group and look forward to meeting and working with the exciting group of players and to develop a team and culture that our amazing fans can be proud of.

"I would also like to place my sincere thanks to Brighton & Hove Albion for allowing me this opportunity and in particular Tony Bloom and all the players, staff and supporters for their continued support during my time at the club."

Potter has a tough act to follow at Stamford Bridge after replacing Tuchel. Although results did not make for good reading at the start of this season, the 49-year-old German delivered Champions League and Club World Club success in his 21 months in charge.

However, after being backed to the tune of over £250million in the transfer market over the summer, results were not deemed to be good enough and the former Borussia Dortmund boss was sacked after Tuesday night's Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.

It was also revealed in the aftermath of Tuchel's departure that he did not agree with the club's interest in signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United in the summer. This is believed to have contributed to his downfall.

It is now down to Potter to unite a squad of players that currently finds themselves sixth in the Premier League, three points adrift of his former club Brighton and only five points behind league leaders Chelsea.

Todd Boehly, Chelsea chairman, said: "We are thrilled to bring Graham to Chelsea. He is a proven coach and an innovator in the Premier League who fits our vision for the club. Not only is he extremely talented on the pitch, he has skills and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch which will make Chelsea a more successful club.

"He has had a major impact at his previous clubs' and we look forward to his positive impact at Chelsea. We look forward to supporting him, his coaching team and the squad in realising their full potential in the coming months and years."



https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/breaking-chelsea-appoint-potter-tuchel-27936983

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Graham Potter has already outlined Chelsea's key strengths following head coach announcement

Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Graham Potter as the club's new Head coach after Thomas Tuchel was sacked on Wednesday.

Graham Potter has already outlined the Blues' key strengths ahead of his first game in charge as Chelsea's new Head coach.

Potter was confirmed as Thomas Tuchel's successor on Thursday afternoon after signing a five-year contract following positive talks with Todd Boehly in London on Wednesday. The English manager will reunite with Marc Cucurella at Stamford Bridge, with a major decision needing to be made as to whether the Spaniard or Ben Chilwell starts in defence.

Following the announcement, Potter said: "I am incredibly proud and excited to represent Chelsea FC, this fantastic football club." Todd Boehly now has a manager that fits into his long-term vision of the club, highlighted by the decision to hand Potter a five-year deal after the club had signed exciting youngsters Wesley Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei in the summer transfer window.

Speaking ahead of Brighton's clash against the Blues last term, Potter outlined Chelsea's key strengths admitting Tuchel's side were 'hard to create chances against'. Potter said: "They do what they do very well, at a world-class level. They've been a back three, went to a four against Tottenham. They have that flexibility. Always very strong. Set plays very good.

"Defensively, so hard to create chances against. In attack they have various options, can go with Lukaku or have movement with Havertz and Werner. Plenty of flexibility there."

Chelsea are without Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner this season but have replaced the pair with Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The England international and Aubameyang can both play centrally or on the wing, offering the same flexibility to Potter for his first game in charge against Fulham this weekend.

Attack has been an area of concern for the Blues this season, with Sterling currently the club's top scorer with three goals. Defensively there has been a slight adjustment following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, with Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana looking to settle in quickly alongside Thiago Silva, though injuries have meant Reece James has been required to start at centre-back on occasions this season.

It remains to be seen whether he will select Cucurella or Chilwell to start in defence, or what system he looks to use. Tuchel favoured a five-man defence with wing-backs offering width in attack, with Potter utilising a similar system as the German.

Brighton lost 2-1 to Fulham earlier this season with Potter set to face the Cottagers for a second time in the space of a couple of weeks after becoming the new Head coach at Stamford Bridge. The English boss will be hoping for a better result this time around as he looks to turn Chelsea's form around and chase down Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.



https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/graham-potter-already-outlined-chelseas-24968224

[WhiteJC]

Her Majesty The Queen

Fulham Football Club joins the world in mourning following Buckingham Palace's announcement that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has passed away.

The United Kingdom's longest serving monarch, having reigned for 70 years, gave remarkable service to the UK and the Commonwealth.

The thoughts of everyone at FFC are with the Royal Family.

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/september/08/her-majesty-the-queen/

[WhiteJC]

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/

[ffcwickford]

If the game goes ahead I hope the turnstiles don't open at 1.30pm as the game kicks off at 12.30pm!

[Mickeyboro]

If the game goes ahead I hope the turnstiles don't open at 1.30pm as the game kicks off at 12.30pm!

Bizarrely the item referring to the Brentford game shows up on the official site after the Queen... so guess that's why it's been cut and pasted here in error!


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[filham]

The data on Periera suggests that we may have signed anther low scoring attacker.

Surely with Robinson injured newly signed left back Kurzawa plays rather than right back Mbabu who struggled when played out of position against Spurs.