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

[WhiteJC]

U18s Report: Young Eagles held by Fulham in close clash

Crystal Palace Under-18s came from behind to earn a point against London rivals Fulham, thanks to two very well taken goals from Hindolo Mustapha and Caleb Kporha.

Summary

    Rob Quinn made three changes, brining in Mofe Jemide, Hindolo Mustapha and Zach Marsh

    Asher Agbinone hit the post for Palace a quarter of an hour in

    Fulham took the lead from a corner 20 minutes in

    Half-time: Crystal Palace 0-1 Fulham

    Mustapha equalised for Palace shortly after the restart

    Caleb Kporha put Palace ahead just after the hour-mark

    Fulham responded in the 70th minute to draw level through Lupalo-Bi

    Full-time: Crystal Palace 2-2 Fulham

The young Eagles welcomed London rivals Fulham to Copers Cope as they looked to get back to winning ways following a 5-1 defeat to Leicester City last weekend.

Rob Quinn made three changes to the side, with Jake Grante returning from international duty in place of Kalani Barton, Hindolo Mustapha in for Freddie Bell and Zach Marsh - who recently signed his first professional contract - coming in for Junior Dixon.

The visitors got off to a flying start, enjoying more of the ball and creating a number of chances early on in the half.

Jackson Izquierdo made a smart save in the opening 10 minutes to turn Harvey Arajuo's goal bound header from a Fulham free-kick behind and the Palace defence reacted quickly to scramble the ball off the line from the resulting corner.

Palace's best attempt of the half came a quarter of an hour in through Asher Agbinone. The winger cut inside and saw his attempt from the edge of the box cannon back off the post.

Fulham took the lead 20 minutes in through Arajuo, as the defender rose highest and managed to flick the ball in at the near-post from a Lemar Gordon corner.

Chances were few and far between for both sides as the first-half went on as play was broken up intermittently due to a number of fouls from both sides.

Palace came racing out the blocks in the second-half looking to draw level and they managed to do so just seven minutes into the second-half. Mustapha picked up the ball in space about 25-yards out from goal and managed to rifle in the equaliser from distance, bouncing past Alfie McNally in the Fulham goal.

After the equaliser, momentum swung Palace's way as they looked to get their noses in front. Mustapha turned provider this time around as he picked up the ball and drove forward in midfield. He picked out Caleb Kporha who took a touch in his stride and buried the ball past McNally to give Palace the lead just after the hour-mark.

The young Eagles' lead was short-lived, however, as Fulham equalised 10 minutes later through Loupalo-Bi. The forward finished neatly inside the box, finding the bottom corner following Fulham's high press to win the ball back in the final-third.

In the closing stages, Mustapha had two chances that were both well held by McNally, whilst Izquierdo was rarely troubled by Fulham efforts aside from a strong shot from Lupalo-Bi late on that he saved with ease.

The referee's whistle brought an end to proceedings and saw the points shared at Copers Cope. The result means that Quinn's side remain second in the Under 18 Premier League South, two points behind leaders West Ham United.

Crystal Palace: Izquierdo, Kporha, Grante, Jemide, Williams, Gibbard, Mustapha (Cardines, 87), Socoliche (Barton, 45), Nascimento, Marsh, Agbinone.

Subs not used: Shala, Marroni, Henry.

Fulham: McNally, Arajuo, Amissah, King (Olyott, 74), Avenall, Loupalo-Bi, de Fougerolles, Gofford, Parker (de Jesus, 56), Works (Nwoko, 58), Gordon.

Subs not used: Allen, Osmond.



https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/match-reports/crystal-palace-v-fulham-in-the-under-18-premier-league-south/2022-10-31/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham targeting three players from same club – €35m package could do the trick

With Fulham being linked at the weekend to a few São Paulo players, we now get to see how the Brazilian club stand regarding those potential sales.

Club dedicated account SPFC Play comes up with a tweet saying how much the Tricolor demand for the transfers of Rodrigo Nestor, Igor Gomes and Pablo Maia.

According to the report, Nestor is the most expensive of them, and São Paulo would only accept negotiating the midfielder for €15m.

For Pablo Maia, as well known, the price is €10m. That had already been reported when it was said Fulham placed a €7.5m bid for his signing, as that was turned down by the Tricolor. The Brazilian media claims the negotiations for this one are continuing.

And for Igor Gomes, the demand is said to be of €10m.

That could be considered the biggest demand here, since his contract expires in March.

It's worth recalling that besides those three, Fulham were also linked to São Paulo defender Luizão.

The defender's contract, however, expires at the end of January, and even in case there's a compensation from the clubs who want to have him by the start of the year, that should be very little.

Despite the interest from the Whites, it's West Ham who are believed to be leading the race for his signing.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-targeting-three-players-club-e35m-package-trick/

[WhiteJC]

'What I would say': Dermot Gallagher now shares whether Aleksandar Mitrovic should have been sent off against Everton

Everton came away from Craven Cottage on a Saturday with a hard-fought point against newly promoted Fulham.

The hosts had the better of the chances, but the game ended in a goalless draw.

Speaking on Sky Sports, via Football Daily, former referee Dermot Gallagher reviewed one of the game's most contentious moments.

In the first half, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Idrissa Gueye battled in the centre of the park.

They both tried to pounce on the loose ball with Gueye just getting in ahead of the Serbian striker.

Mitrovic brought his studs down on Gueye's ankle, and the Senegalese midfield was clearly in some pain.

Referee John Brooks awarded Mitrovic a yellow card, and it wasn't upgraded after a VAR review.

Gallagher has now had his say on whether Mitrovic should have been sent off on Saturday

The Fulham forward had plenty of chances after the incident to open the scoring, but Everton fans will feel some justice was done that he failed to convert them.

Should Mitrovic have been sent off
Speaking on Sky Sports, Gallagher delivered his verdict on the incident: "I didn't think it was a red card on Saturday, I still don't.

"But what I would say is there's lots of people who do, he goes in and it doesn't look nice but I think both players are reaching for the ball.

"I think what helps Mitrovic is he comes from a short distance, he hasn't got the momentum, he hasn't got the intensity and therefore it lacks the impact.

🗣️ “I don’t think that was a red card.”

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher says he didn’t believe the Aleksandar Mitrović challenge on Idrissa Gueye was a red card. 🟥 pic.twitter.com/h56H3FIEu0

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 31, 2022

"I think it's what I would say is a strong yellow card.

"Because both players are low, both are reaching for the ball, it's not one where the player's come from a distance and it's started high and hit him above the ankle.

"The key there for me was the fact that he was so close to the ball, that he didn't get that stamp in intensity."

Frank Lampard insisted in his post-match press conference that Mitrovic should have been sent off at the weekend.

It was reminiscent of a tackle by Allan last season that he was originally booked for before a VAR review determining it was a red card.

Lampard was very pleased with the performance of his goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who denied Mitrovic and his teammates on plenty of occasions.

Amadou Onana was also fantastic and admitted he'd already learnt a lot from his midfield partner Gueye.

There's sure to be plenty more controversial refereeing decisions over the course of the season.

Whether or not they ever even themselves out is something fans will continue to debate for a long time to come.



https://tbrfootball.com/what-i-would-say-dermot-gallagher-now-shares-whether-aleksandar-mitrovic-should-have-been-sent-off-against-everton/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham boss singles out player for high praise after Everton performance

Who impressed for Fulham over the weekend?

Fulham boss Marco Silva has heaped praise on Willian after his performance against Everton. The Cottagers were held 0-0 by the Toffees but their summer recruit stood out again.

The 34-year-old made the move back to London on deadline day on a free transfer and has since adapted well to life back in the Premier League. He caused problems for Frank Lampard's side on Saturday but his team weren't able to find a winner in the end.

Since his switch to Craven Cottage, he has made six appearances in all competitions, chipping in with a single goal and an assist. Here is what Silva made of his showing last time out, as per The Athletic:

"When you are a top-class player, you are a top-class player. If you're 20, it's fantastic because you have so many years ahead of you. When you are 34, you don't lose the quality. You can lose some things like physicality, but quality you don't lose. Willian has that.

"It has been fantastic to have him here. Everyone likes him and he is enjoying every moment. He is showing his quality, his 100 per cent commitment with our club, with our project. He's enjoying every single day at the training ground and that is the main thing. After, it is up to me to get the best from him."

Willian, who has played for both Chelsea and Arsenal in the past, penned a one-year deal at Craven Cottage and has showed his quality for the Whites already. They are back in action this Saturday with a tricky away trip to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/fulham-boss-singles-out-player-for-high-praise-after-everton-performance-3899807

[WhiteJC]

Aiden McGinlay attracts Fulham transfer interest as Premier League sides queue up for Partick Thistle youngster

The teenager has been a star for Scotland at youth level and may be the latest talented kid to swap Firhill for the Premier League.

Partick Thistle youngster Aiden McGinlay was watched by Fulham in Scotland's Victory Shield win as the teenage sensation attracts more Premier League interest.

McGinlay has also been watched by Crystal Palace and West Ham this season and is widely viewed as one of the most promising youngsters to come out of Thistle's impressive academy. The Cottagers watched as the Fir Park kid helped the young Scots to a 3-1 triumph over Northern Ireland on Sunday.

London rivals West Ham are also scouting McGinlay, having seen him net a double for the Jags. There has been growing interest in the youngster from the English Premier League. Thistle will hope their youngster will sign pro-forms but know they face a fight with the number of English suitors now on his trail. The Jags have a thriving youth academy that have seen Rangers sign Cameron Cooper from them in the summer. The Championship side also sold Aidan Fitzpatrick to Norwich City when they were in England's top-flight.



https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/aiden-mcginlay-attracts-fulham-transfer-28372745

[WhiteJC]

West Ham locked in transfer battle with Fulham to sign Partick Thistle teenager Aiden McGinlay

West Ham are reportedly locked in a transfer battle with Fulham and Crystal Palace to sign Partick Thistle teenager Aiden McGinlay.

According to the Daily Record on 31 October, all three clubs have scouted the left-sided midfielder this season who has been finding the back of the net quite frequently.

The Scottish club are hoping he'll sign new terms, but the growing interest from Premier League clubs will certainly make matters difficult.

Act quickly

West Ham have a good talent identification system and have signed a number of hot prospects over the past few years.

If they have decided that McGinlay is one of the priorities for the Under-18s or the Under-21s, they need to act soon.

Fulham and Palace are both hot on his heels and will want to sign the midfielder ahead of West Ham who currently are a grade above them.

The Hammers have finished in European places in the last two seasons and have spent big money this summer to ensure that they can get to the next level.

They certainly will be able to offer more in terms of wages to the youngster and it could be down to what he sees is the quickest way to senior football.

Either way, West Ham cannot afford to let one of their targets be snapped up by their Premier League rivals and hopefully, something comes from this pursuit.

They have already scouted him so it's pretty evident that their interest is real and it's now down to whether or not they can touch base with him and take things forward.



https://www.westhamzone.com/news/west-ham-locked-in-transfer-battle-with-fulham-to-sign-partick-thistle-teenager-aiden-mcginlay/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham mull McGinlay move
Fulham scouts watched Partick Thistle winger Aiden McGinlay in the Victory Shield yesterday with a view to signing the Scottish teenager, according to the Daily Record.

McGinlay, already the subject of interest from West Ham United earlier this year, starred as the Scots beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in an impressive start to their tournament. The left winger is widely regarded as one of the brightest youth talents north of the border and has strung together a series of superb displays for the Jags' under-16 side so far this season.

Thistle want to try and hold on to the latest talent from their academy, which has produced Cameron Cooper, since signed by Rangers, and Aidan Fitzpatrick, who left for Norwich City, in recent years but McGinlay could be lured south by Premier League football.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/10/fulham-mull-mcginlay-move/

[WhiteJC]

'Absolutely excellent': Sky Sports pundit thinks player Arsenal axed last year is a 'man reborn'

Alan Smith has hailed Willian after his performance for Fulham in their 0-0 draw with Everton on Saturday evening.

Marco Silva's men created so many chances against Everton but it just wouldn't go in.

That was one night of frustration but this has been a strong start to the season from Fulham and much better than their recent Premier League attempts.

A strong summer window has contributed to that start with Silva focusing on adding proven Premier League players.

Alan Smith has hailed Willian
Bernd Leno, Andreas Pereira, Issa Diop, Carlos Vinicius, Shane Duffy, Daniel James and Kevin Mbabu have all played in the Premier League before.

Sprinkle in newcomers Joao Palhinha, Manor Solomon and Layvin Kurzawa, and Fulham appear to have the foundations of a good side.

There was also the addition of Willian, which came as something of a surprise.

The 34-year-old had been a Premier League star with Chelsea, racking up 39 goals in 234 league outings for the Blues.

A 2020 move to Arsenal proved to be a disaster though as Willian failed to live up to his billing after signing a lucrative deal.

Willian ripped up his Arsenal contract in August 2021 and headed back to Brazil with Corinthians.

Few would have expected to see Willian in Premier League action again but Fulham swooped in to give him a one-year deal after leaving Corinthians.

The veteran has has been outstanding of late and that continued against Everton.

Willian racked up four key passes and three shots on target against the Toffees, doing everything he possibly could to try and beat Jordan Pickford.

Willian is enjoying something of a renaissance just over a year since Arsenal let him go and former Gunner Alan Smith has now praised him.

Speaking to Sky Sports (29/10, 7:20pm), Smith suggested that Willian was 'absolutely excellent' both on and off the ball.

Smith added that Willian looks like a 'man reborn' after those Arsenal struggles, naming him as the man of the match at Craven Cottage.

"I think he's been absolutely excellent," said Smith. "He's kept on pushing all night, done his fair share of defensive work as well, seen loads of the ball. A man reborn really," he added.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/10/31/fulham-willian-arsenal-alan-smith/

[WhiteJC]

FulView for October 2022

I'm starting up a monthly series here where I'll take a look at the past month and how Fulham has done. These will be posted on the FulhamUSA.com homepage so that it stays a little bit more current - although if anyone has any articles they'd like to write to fill that space, please let me know! Below is the first shot at this, let me know if there are other things you'd add.

First off, let's thank this month's site sponsor, @astroevan! Thanks for keeping things going here for the month of October.

Where Fulham Started October:

    11 Points
    6th Place


October Record: 2W 2L 2D
10 GF, 11 GA
Points Per Match: 1.3 (1.5 for the season)

Where Fulham Ended October:

    19 Points
    7th Place


In October, Fulham came out of the international break and immediately suffered their two worst losses of the season. An early red card against Newcastle prevented Fulham from ever getting into the match before going down 4-1, the first time Fulham lost by more than a goal this season. In the following match Fulham jumped out to an early lead, but were eventually undone by a penalty and two non-handball calls on the following goals as the Whites went down 3-1 to West Ham.

The bad times seemed like they would continue when Bournemouth scored in the opening two minutes on a disorganized Fulham back line. Fulham bounced back and earned a draw that restored some confidence. That confidence was on display in the next match when Fulham got their biggest win of the season in a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa. Fulham was already in control, but then ran away with the match after overwrought acting from Mitrovic got Villa down to just 10 men.

In the following match against Leeds, Fulham went down a goal in the first half, but bounced back with three unanswered goals to eventually win 3-2. Fulham then got points from their fourth consecutive match in a scoreless draw against Everton.

Going into October, we certainly hoped Fulham would collect a couple wins. They would only play one team above them (Newcastle) while the rest were in the bottom half and occasionally in the mix for relegation. Getting eight points was about what I would have hoped at the end of September, but given that Fulham had to play six matches in one month without a proper right back - eight points may have even been a little better than anticipated. Fulham will only play six matches in a month one more time in April. Only Chelsea was able to move past Fulham in the table during October although Brighton, Liverpool, and Crystal Palace are all within three points of Fulham with a game in hand.

Earning points against lower teams in October, despite a cobbled together back line, will help provide a good foundation for the remainder of the season. Fulham is currently on pace for 56 points. That would be good enough for a top 10 finish and in rare cases even enough to qualify for European play. With a third of the season completed, Fulham is 10, 11, and 9 points better than where they were in the last three relegation seasons at this point. Fulham is halfway to 38 points, which is average number of points earned by the team just outside the relegation zone at the end of the season.

There are two matches are coming up in November before the World Cup break and then two more in December. Just four more matches for the remainder of 2022.



https://fulhamusa.com/threads/fulview-for-october-2022.10371/

[WhiteJC]

Happy birthday, Rachel Yankey
Today is Rachel Yankey's birthday. It is possible that there is an entirely new generation of football fans who aren't aware of just how much of a trailblazer she was. Yankey, who shaved her hair and claimed her name was Ray in order to play for boys' teams for two years whilst at school, was already an England international of three years standing when she went on loan to Canadian outfit Layal Dynamites, and had a conversation with Gary Mulcahey, then head of community at Fulham, about how Mohamed Al-Fayed – inspired by the 1999 Women's World Cup in the United States – was about to make the Whites' the first English professional women's side.

Yankey dropped two divisions to sign for Fulham becoming England's first professional female player. Her first season saw the side win every game until they were narrowly beaten in the FA Cup final by the Gunners, but the diminutive winger still insists that painful defeat on the big stage was the best thing to happen to a Fulham side that soon established themselves as a domestic powerhouse. The Whites went on to win the treble in 2002-03, remaining unbeaten in an eighteen-game league season (winning sixteen fixtures, drawing two) as they scored 63 goals and conceded just thirteen, to take the title some eight points ahead of Doncaster Belles. It was some way to finish their first term in the top flight. Yankey, and her fellow WSL Hall of Famer Katie Chapman, both scored as the Belles were beaten 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Selhurst Park and Gaute Haugenes' side also won the Premier League Cup for good measure.

The Whites went on to win both Cups for a second successive year the following season, but Al-Fayed was already becoming frustrated by the Football Association's failure to support the establishment of a fully-professional women's top flight – which had been promised following the 1999 World Cup to give the English game the boost already experienced across the Atlantic. By the end of Yankey's third season at Fulham, all bar one member of the senior women's squad had won international honours. Al-Fayed, concerned by the poor form of the men's side and having been forced by a fans' campaign to abandon his plans to build luxury housing on Craven Cottage and return Chris Coleman's team to their historic home, pulled the plug on his professional women's project in April 2004.

Fulham's Ladies side soldiered on until 2006 – when the link with the football club was lost. Although the women's side was supported by the Fulham Foundation for a number of years, the formal link with the football was only re-established following last summer's academy re-organisation. The successful Fulham women's side which had swept all before it between 2000 and 2003 swiftly broke up. Yankey went to Birmingham City before rejoining Arsenal and contined to collect major trophies. Alongside former Fulham team-mate Rachel Unitt, she helped the New Jersey Wildcats win their only W-League title whilst on loan in 2005. She remained an inspiration to young boys and girls across the country having delivered online coaching tutorials via the BBC website and went on to win what was then a record 129 England caps as well as represent Great Britain in 2012 Olympics. Rachel, awarded an MBE in 2006 and an OBE in 2014 for her unstinting service to the game, led the London Bees for a year and remains a regular grassroots coach in addition to her role as a football pundit and mentor to many young players.

Yankey has been a regular at Motspur Park and steadfast in her support for Fulham's women's side and the development programmes run by Fulham's foundation and the academy. We wish her happiest of birthdays.

It would be a tremendous indication of how her legacy has empowered the next generation if Fulham Women's first Craven Cottage fixture since the days when Rachel wore the white shirt – the Capital Cup first round tie against AFC Wimbledon on Sunday 20 November sold out. You can buy your ticket to support Steve Jaye's side here or by calling the Fulham ticket office on 0203 871 0810 and selecting option one.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/11/happy-birthday-rachel-yankey/