Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 05/10/22...

[WhiteJC]

Craig Dawson must be first name on the team-sheet for Fulham with Aleksandar Mitrovic threat, so David Moyes must leave him out against Anderlecht

Craig Dawson must be first name on the team-sheet for Fulham with Aleksandar Mitrovic threat, so David Moyes must leave him out against Anderlecht.

The Hammers earned what was a vital three points against Wolves on Saturday, and in my opinion, it was no coincidence that Craig Dawson made his first start of the season under David Moyes.

Dawson, who earns around £50k-a-week at the London Stadium (Salary Sport), has been magnificent for West Ham and Moyes over the past couple of years.

Daws ended up staying at West Ham though, and thank God that he did. We are so much more solid defensively when he plays.

David Moyes must have realised during our win over Wolves on Saturday that Craig Dawson has a key role to play in this West Ham team.

And as a result, the former West Brom and Watford man now has to be integral to the Scot's plans going forward, for this season at least...

Craig Dawson first name on David Moyes team-sheet for Fulham
The strong, old school centre-back absolutely must start alongside Kurt Zouma for Sunday's clash with Fulham at the London Stadium.

Thilo Kehrer can then slot in at right-back again – a position that he excelled in during the clash with Wolves.

Fulham have one of the most physically strong and aerially dominant strikers in the Premier League at their disposal in the form of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The 28-year-old has already bagged six goals in eight Premier League appearances so far this season. And that is after scoring 43 goals in 44 Championship outings last term (Transfermarkt).

Mitrovic is a real handful for any centre-back that he faces. However, I truly believe that Craig Dawson will relish the battle with the Serbia international.

He originally joined the Hammers on a season-long loan from Watford in October 2020. West Ham then made his move to the London Stadium a permanent one for a further £3 million in the summer of 2021 (The Sun).

£3 million for the no-nonsense, tough-tackling centre-back now seems like an absolute bargain.

Daws has established himself as a cult hero at West Ham but he's actually a lot more than that. He's a very good good defender, and labelling him as a cult hero really doesn't do him justice.

The 32-year-old is one of the best passers amongst the West Ham centre-backs now having worked really hard to improve that aspect of his game, and he deserves huge credit for that.

He has been described as an 'immense' centre-back by the Evening Standard. And ex-Hammer Carlton Cole once labelled him as 'special' (Daily Mail).

Craig Dawson is at his best when coming up against physically robust and aerially strong centre-forwards – something that David Moyes must be fully aware of.

Because of this, Dawson should be the first name on the Scot's team-sheet for the Premier League game against Fulham on Sunday.

And as a result, Moyes should not risk him against Anderlecht on Thursday night. That's my take on it anyway. Whether Moyes agrees with that notion remains to be seen though.



https://www.hammers.news/club-news/craig-dawson-must-be-first-name-on-the-team-sheet-for-fulham-with-aleksandar-mitrovic-threat-so-david-moyes-must-leave-him-out-against-anderlecht/

[WhiteJC]

Watch Fulham U21s at Craven Cottage this Wednesday

BE THERE AS FULHAM U21s KICK-START THEIR INTERNATIONAL CUP CAMPAIGN AGAINST VALENCIA U21s THIS WEDNESDAY!

Steve Wigley's side take on Spanish opposition in their first group game of the tournament at Craven Cottage on Wednesday 5th October, kick-off 7pm.

Supporters are encouraged to secure their seats in advance, with all tickets available in the Johnny Haynes Stand at this match, and priced at £3 for Adults & £1 for Concessions (65+ and Under 18s). 22/23 Season Ticket Holders can also purchase their tickets for just £1.

Fans can buy online at tickets.fulhamfc.com anytime, or from the Fulham FC Ticket Office either in person or by phone on 0203 871 0810 (9:30am-4:30pm).

An exciting campaign awaits, with some of Europe's very best sides taking part in the prestigious competition.

Ticket information regarding future fixtures against Celtic and Porto, both schedueled to be played at Motspur Park, will be made available on fulhamfc.com in due course.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/october/03/valencia-tickets/

[WhiteJC]

"This is unacceptable" – Club chief frustrated with player's move to Fulham in summer

Manor Solomon reached an agreement to join Fulham in the summer window after using the FIFA ruling to his advantage.

The sport's governing body allowed players in Ukraine, who are not Ukrainian nationals, to suspend their contracts until June 2023. This was done after Russia invaded their neighbour earlier this year.

Solomon, who has a deal with Shakhtar Donetsk until December 2023, exercised this option and arrived at Fulham in July.
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This has not pleased the Ukrainian club's sporting director, Darijo Srna. Marca interviewed the Shakhtar Donetsk chief and he used Marco Silva's man as an example to share his views about the FIFA ruling.

"We had 14 foreigners whose market value was between €150m and €200m. They were allowed to go out on loan without freezing their contracts. Solomon and Teté had a year and a half of contract, they have gone to Fulham and Lyon and when they return, they will only have six months left to be free. This is unacceptable," Srna said.

"Everyone said that they were going to help us, that they didn't want our players for free... but there are teams that have taken advantage of our situation. Nothing happens. Life is long and it's like a boomerang, you throw it, and it comes back to you."

The Israel international has made one substitute appearance since joining Fulham and that came against Liverpool on the opening day. Since then, he has been out of action due to a knee injury.

Had Solomon stayed at Shakhtar Donetsk and was available for selection, he would have been in contention to face Real Madrid in the Champions League later today.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/unacceptable-chief-frustrated-players-move-fulham-summer/

[WhiteJC]

Manchester City (A) Tickets

Tickets for Fulham's away game against Manchester City are now on sale!

Fulham make the trip to Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City on Saturday 5th November, kick-off 3pm. Tickets for this fixture will be released to Season Ticket Holders (Max 4 per person) from Tuesday 4th October at 10am before further release later to Members on Thursday 6th October, 10am (Max. 4 per person) and Supporters with a previous booking history on Monday 10th October, 10am (Max. 4 per person).

TICKETS FOR THIS FIXTURE ARE PRICED AS BELOW:

AGE CATEGORY	PRICE
ADULT	£30
18-21 YEARS	£25
UNDER 18	£18
OVER 65	£25
WHEELCHAIR/AMBULANT	£20

Fans will be able to secure their seats online at tickets.fulhamfc.com or by calling the Fulham FC Ticket Office on 0203 871 0810.

Please note, supporters will need to ensure they are logged in to their OneFulham Account and have linked their ticketing account in order to purchase online. For more information on the OneFulham Account, please click here.
FURTHER INFORMATION

    Allocation: 3,065
    Loyalty Points: 5
    'Non-Standing Seats' can be purchased over the phone and are allocated in the front rows

DISABLED SUPPORTER INFORMATION

Wheelchair Disabled:  x25 pairs - prices as above

Accessible Seating: Taken out of standard seating, prices as above

Onsite Accessible Parking: Manchester City are pleased to offer 14 spaces in Grey Car Park Gate 7 M11 3DL. We require name, email and registration number of the supporter who requires accessible parking. All requests must be received within 72 hours of kick off.
COACH TRAVEL

    Coaches will depart from Motspur Park & Craven Cottage at 7.30am on matchday
    Coach tickets for Season Ticket Holders & Members are priced at £30 for adults and £20 for juniors. For all other supporters Coach Tickets are on General Sale priced at £35 for adults and £25 for juniors.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/october/04/manchester-city-away-tickets/

[WhiteJC]

"He gave everything up at Arsenal" – Player defended after Gunners exit failed, had unfair treatment

Brazil midfielder Oscar has leaped to the defence of Fulham's Willian and his decision to leave Corinthians this summer, just a year after his arrival from Arsenal.

The forward joined the Brazilian side from Arsenal in August last year, leaving the Gunners on a free transfer after coming to an agreement to terminate his contract.

The return to his homeland was something of a dream one for the veteran, with Corinthians his boyhood club and one he had wanted to play for again after starting his career there before a move to Shakhtar in 2007.

He would go on to make 36 appearances in all competitions for the club last season, scoring one goal and registering four assists.

However, he made the decision to leave the club this summer for Fulham after receiving threats on social media involving his family.

It had left him concerned something was going to happen and so he decided to return to England for a third spell in London, this time at Fulham.

It was a frustrating end to his dream return but former Brazil teammate Oscar has defended the choice, particularly after the sacrifice he made to make it.

"I am very close to Willian, the families," he told the Desimpedidos YouTube channel, relayed by ESPN Brazil.

"I talked to him. It was kind of sad, he is a Corinthians player, he gave everything up at Arsenal to play for Corinthians, a huge contract.

"He gave everything up to come here and this happened. Then you say: 'what happened to the guy'. Imagine the kids at school, then you start thinking: it is not worth it."



http://sportwitness.co.uk/gave-everything-arsenal-player-defended-gunners-exit-failed-unfair-treatment/

[WhiteJC]

Tottenham Hotspur: Alasdair Gold claims signing Daniel James would've made sense in the summer

Alasdair Gold believes that Daniel James would've been a useful signing for Tottenham Hotspur over the summer.

As the transfer window was approaching its conclusion, reports started to emerge about Tottenham looking to sign a winger, and someone of interest appeared to be James.

The Wales international was only signed by Leeds United for £25m in the summer of 2021, but has already seemingly been deemed surplus to requirements at Elland Road and was shipped out on loan to Fulham for the season.

Gold has admitted on his YouTube channel that James would indeed have been a decent signing for Spurs amid their worrying form.

He said: "I do know they were properly talking about it behind the scenes, and that includes Conte as well.

"Look, do I think Dan James is an advert for end product? No. Again, though, do I think [he could have been] an option off the bench that probably would have been used more because of the experience of Bryan Gil? Yes. If it had been a loan, like Fulham have got, I think it would have made sense."

TIF Thoughts on Spurs' interest in James...
As Gold alluded to, James certainly wouldn't have the answer to Tottenham's occasional struggles in front of goal given he's managed to score just 10 goals in 89 Premier League games, but he may have been a sufficient impact sub.

Given the speed he possesses, bringing the Wales international on for the final 10-15 minutes of games would have made him a large threat as a winger or even wing-back under Conte, but instead, the club decided to stick with Bryan Gil, who's not even getting a look-in at present.

James and Spurs may both be thinking about what could have been, with Tottenham desperate for options off the bench at the minute given Dejan Kulusevski's injury, and James could have been playing Champions League football once again.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2022/10/blogs/premier-league/tottenham-hotspur-thfc-transfer-rumours-daniel-james-alasdair-gold/

[WhiteJC]

Hull City news: Tigers eye ex-Fulham boss, Bristol City man eyed by EFL club

Latest news from around the Championship

Hull City return to the action tomorrow night at home to Wigan Athletic.

The Tigers have lost their last four league outings on the spin.

They are in the hunt for a new manager to replace Shota Arveladze, with Andy Dawson currently in caretaker charge.

Here is a look at the latest news and rumours from around the Championship....

Hull City linked with ex-Fulham boss
Hull City have drawn up a four-man managerial shortlist of former Fulham and Bournemouth boss Scott Parker, Sergen Yalcin, Carlos Corberan and Carlos Carvalhal (Football Insider).

Middlesbrough managerial latest
Middlesbrough will not be making an approach for Bournemouth caretaker manager Gary O'Neil, whilst Rob Edwards, who was recently sacked by Watford, remains in their 'thoughts' (Northern Echo).



https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/hull-city/hull-city-news-tigers-eye-ex-fulham-boss-bristol-city-man-eyed-by-efl-club-3867258

[WhiteJC]

Ex-Fulham man reveals he was 'potentially' going to sign for Derby County over the summer

This Fulham favourite was back at Craven Cottage over the weekend

Former Fulham midfielder Kevin McDonald has revealed he was on Derby County's radar over the summer.

The Scotsman was 'potentially' going to join the Rams before picking up an injury.

McDonald, 33, spent time with Dundee United in the last campaign and played 11 times for the Scottish Premiership side.

He returned to Craven Cottage over the weekend as Fulham lost 4-1 at home to Newcastle United and has been inducted into the Forever Fulham Hall of Fame.

McDonald has outlined his immediate plans for the future, as per the club's official website:

"I picked up a little injury when I was away to potentially sign with Derby. I've (since) been in with the 23s (at Fulham) and I'm going to do some coaching as well.

"The club again have been unbelievable with me and it's nice to be back as well."

Fulham favourite
The former Burnley, Sheffield United and Wolves man was a real favourite at Fulham during his playing stint there and they swooped to sign him back in 2016.

He went on to make 128 appearances in all competitions for the London outfit and chipped in with six goals. McDonald helped the Cottagers gain promotion to the Premier League twice.

Time will tell what he does next but for now his ex-club are helping him train and could now provide him with a pathway into the coaching world too.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/ex-fulham-man-reveals-summer-interest-from-derby-county-3867412

[WhiteJC]

Chelsea now 'looking at' £22m striker 'who's like Drogba' at Stamford Bridge

There are 'murmurs' that Chelsea are 'looking at' Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic following his impressive form, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Mitrovic has shown he belongs in the Premier League with a string of strong displays in the opening weeks of the current campaign, potentially catching the eye of other clubs.

What is the latest news involving Chelsea?
Chelsea allowed club-record signing Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner depart Stamford Bridge over the summer after the duo failed to impress under former manager Thomas Tuchel.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was brought in from Barcelona as a result, while academy graduate Armando Broja has been given an opportunity to shine following his impressive stint on loan at Southampton.

However, it remains to be seen what new boss Graham Potter has got planned for his attacking options going forwards after only being in the job for a few weeks.

A recent report from ESPN has stated that Potter has 'not closed the door' on Lukaku reviving his career at Chelsea, but that has not ended the possibility of the 47-year-old tactician bringing in his own striker.

What has Jones said about Mitrovic?
Jones has disclosed that although there isn't anything 'specific' in the speculation surrounding Mitrovic's future, there are whispers that Chelsea are monitoring his progress.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, he said: "At the moment, there's not really anything in this specific rumour, but it won't be too long.

"I mean, there are murmurs that Chelsea are looking at Mitrovic, and if you score this many goals, then other teams will be looking at you too."

Would Mitrovic be a good signing?
Mitrovic arrived at Fulham from Newcastle United via a £22 million deal back in 2018 and elevated his game to new heights last season, hitting a record 43 goals in 44 Championship appearances.

The Serbia international maintained that form in the opening weeks of 2022/23, finding the back of the net on six occasions in his first seven outings, earning the praise of teammate and former Chelsea star Willian.

"Aleksandar is a very good player," said the experienced winger. "He reminds me of Didier Drogba and Diego Costa. He is strong, he can hold the ball, can attack space and can score goals like them."

At 28, Mitrovic is now entering the prime years of his career, and if Chelsea do decide to make a move for him, then they could pick up a natural goalscorer, something they arguably currently lac



https://www.givemesport.com/88065960-chelsea-now-looking-at-22m-striker-whos-like-drogba-at-stamford-bridge

[filham]

Mitro to Chelsea ? ? No it doesn't seem a good fit either for Mitro or Chelsea but they are always willing to spend millions if the see the faintest of chances of getting a few more goals so it is not impossible but seems more like a journalist creating false news than reality.

If there is any truth at all in it then I hope we will put an enormous price on his head.

[Bassey the warrior]

Mitro to Chelsea ? ? No it doesn't seem a good fit either for Mitro or Chelsea but they are always willing to spend millions if the see the faintest of chances of getting a few more goals so it is not impossible but seems more like a journalist creating false news than reality.

If there is any truth at all in it then I hope we will put an enormous price on his head.

I think it's a load of BS. Potter has never played with an out and out target man, he prefers his front 3 to be quite fluid and pacy. He has plenty of options for those roles.

[hovewhite]

Mitro to Chelsea ? ? No it doesn't seem a good fit either for Mitro or Chelsea but they are always willing to spend millions if the see the faintest of chances of getting a few more goals so it is not impossible but seems more like a journalist creating false news than reality.

If there is any truth at all in it then I hope we will put an enormous price on his head.

I think it's a load of BS. Potter has never played with an out and out target man, he prefers his front 3 to be quite fluid and pacy. He has plenty of options for those roles.

it woul mean him rewriting his formation manual.