Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 29/11/22...

[WhiteJC]

Jay Stansfield = 10/10: Rating all of Exeter City's summer signings out of 10 – Do you agree?

Some neutral observers were concerned by Exeter City's lack of transfer business, especially ahead of the 2022/23 season kicking off, but the Grecians' squad have largely made the step up from League Two with ease.

City have been one of the most exciting teams to follow this season and will remain optimistic about having an outside chance of finishing in the top six this season.

Here, we have rated all of the Grecians' summer signings out of ten, do you agree?

1. Jamal Blackman – 6

Limited resale value due to only signing a one-year deal with the club, Jamal Blackman has not looked wholly convincing between the sticks and appears unlikely to be first choice above third tier level in the near future.

The 29-year-old has conceded 27 goals from 24.2 expected goals on target, as per Opta Analyst, and does not rank favourably when compared to the rest of the keepers in the division.

2. Rekeem Harper – 7

Harper has chipped in with two assists in ten third tier appearances but has been very much a squad rotation player under Matt Taylor and Gary Caldwell.

The 22-year-old has struggled to cement a starting berth due to the performances of Harry Kite and Timothee Dieng, and it would not be an enormous surprise to see him recalled in January by Ipswich Town.

That said, he is a valued member of the squad and offers something different than the other central midfielders at the club.

3. Jay Stansfield – 10

Stansfield has been an outstanding pick-up for the Grecians, and it is clear to see why Marco Silva trusted the 20-year-old with a Premier League start early on in the season.

Four goals and five assists in all competitions does not paint the full picture of how influential he has been, complimenting the talents of Jevani Brown and Sam Nombe in the final third.

4. Kgaogelo Chauke – 6

Chauke has not accumulated a tonne of minutes, with most of his action coming in the Papa John's Trophy but remains a valued option in and around the first team squad in offering competition for places.

At just 19, it has been a good learning experience so far, but increased gametime will be the desire of the parent club, Southampton, and individual.

5. Harry Smith – 5

Harry Smith's season-long move from Leyton Orient was cut short due to off-pitch reasons last month.

The towering striker made five League One substitute appearances before returning to the capital.

Smith has not turned out for Richie Wellens' O's since his loan spell in Devon came to an end.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/jay-stansfield-10-10-rating-all-of-exeter-citys-summer-signings-out-of-10-do-you-agree/

[WhiteJC]

Inter set sights on Fulham's Robinson as Gosens replacement

Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio is a huge fan of Antonee Robinson and is reportedly working on a possible deal next summer for the Fulham left back.

The 25-year-old American full back has been called up by the USMNT for the World Cup in Qatar and he's appeared in both of their games against England and Wales, seeing over 180 minutes of action. Robinson has shown good signs for both Fulham and the US national team, attracting the attention of Ausilio and Inter.

As reported by The Sun, Inter are planning ahead for the future and believe Robinson could be the perfect replacement for Robin Gosens, who has failed to impress since making his move from Atalanta in January of this year. 

Robinson, who also holds an English passport, was close to a loan move to Milan in January 2020 before the deal collapsed due to a heart problem, which has since been resolved. 

The 25-year-old American is contracted to Fulham until 2024, so a definitive deal would be fairly low cost in the summer but a loan move may be impossible to pull off. 



https://football-italia.net/inter-set-sights-on-fulhams-robinson-as-gosens-replacement/

[WhiteJC]

Wigan Athletic in line for huge cash bonanza

Wigan Athletic could well be in line for a huge cash bonanza courtesy of Antonee Robinson's elevation to World Cup star.

The 25-year-old has impressed during the USA's opening two contests against Wales and England.

And Italian giants Inter Milan have been linked with a £20million move for his services.

Robinson spent two years with Latics before joining Fulham in the summer of 2020 - one of the first players out of the door after administration.

Fulham took advantage of a clause in Robinson's contract that meant he could leave for £1.9million if Latics were relegated from the Championship - which was triggered by their 12-point deduction.

Fulham actually paid £2million to help Latics out but - crucially - they accepted a sell-on clause of 20 per cent.

One of the administrators, Paul Stanley, confirmed that was the case during one of the press conferences at the time.

And with Fulham in line to bank around £18million of profit, Latics would be looking at a sum in the region of £3.6million.

It's understood the sell-on clause was originally inserted by then chief-executive Jonathan Jackson, in the deal that brought Robinson from Everton in the summer of 2019.

Indeed, administrator Stanley admitted last year Latics could be in line for up to £10million in add-ons negotiated during the mass clear-out of 2020.

"From all the players sales, I managed to get clauses for appearances and achievable targets, as well as sell-ons if they are sold on at a profit," he said in March 2021.

"They range between 10-25 per cent, depending on the player and where they went, and how much of a negotiating position I had.

"All that has been passed on to the new club, and will be coming into the new club as part of the deal."

Latics banked a very healthy sell-on in January after Bournemouth signed Kieffer Moore from Cardiff, who took him from Latics.

In addition, Latics are due appearance-related payments for Premier League trio Joe Gelhardt, Jensen Weir and Alfie Devine, with six figures on the way for every 10 league starts up to a certain level.

Ironically, Robinson came within a whisker of joining neighbours AC Milan in the January of 2020 for around £6million.

However, a hitch with the medical put paid to that move.



https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/football/wigan-athletic-in-line-for-huge-cash-bonanza-3933763

[WhiteJC]

Antonee Robinson praises career revival of USMNT & Fulham teammate Tim Ream

United States Men's National Team full-back Antonee Robinson has heaped praise on his club and international teammate Tim Ream for his late-career renaissance.

At 35 years old, Ream has gone from being on the outside of the USMNT setup, picking up just one cap in 2020, to being a rock at the heart of Gregg Berhalter's defense in Qatar.

Ream's revival has been thanks to his incredible form in the Premier League with Fulham, with the veteran center-back coming first among his teammates in a number of key metrics so far, such as interceptions (21), blocks (23), clearances (50), and passes completed (715).

The man next to him both at club and international level, Robinson, has enjoyed Ream's career turnaround firsthand and has revealed just how much it means to him.

"The standard that [Ream] has been at, it's been amazing," Robinson told ESPN. "He's such a calming presence on the ball. It's no shock to me. I've played with him for a long-enough time now to know what he's all about. But to see him actually come out on this stage, when it was at one point looking like he wouldn't be here, and raise his level even more than he has done already this season, it means a lot to me."

Ream and the USMNT have a great chance to reach the World Cup knockout stages when they face Iran on Tuesday, with a victory enough to see them finish at least second in Group B. Anything less and they'll find themselves on the next plane home from Qatar and planning for their 2026 campaign as co-hosts.



https://www.90min.com/posts/antonee-robinson-praises-career-revival-of-usmnt-fulham-teammate-tim-ream

[WhiteJC]

World Cup: Mitro Off The Mark

Aleksandar Mitrović was on target in Serbia's rollercoaster 3-3 draw with Cameroon in the World Cup on Monday morning.

The momentum of the game shifted back and forth throughout the Group G encounter, and Mitrović will have been frustrated neither of his efforts found the net prior to Jean-Charles Castelletto's opener.

His left footed curler looked destined for the far corner only to thwack the post, before he sent a snapshot wide after the ball had dropped kindly to him in the area.

Cameroon looked set to go in at half-time in front when Castelletto tapped in, but Serbia turned things around courtesy of stoppage time goals from Strahinja Pavlovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Mitrović applied the finish to a wonderful team move early in the second half to seemingly put his nation in control, but the introduction of Vincent Aboubakar turned the tide back in Cameroon's favour.

Twice in four minutes the striker sprung the offside trap, first lobbing in a beautiful goal of his own, before teeing up Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting for the equaliser.

Having lost their openers, both teams wanted to take maximum points from this one, and Mitrović was unfortunate to see his late swirling effort just fail to curl back inside the post.

The draw keeps both teams alive in the group, but Serbia will have to defeat Switzerland on Friday to stand any chance of progressing to the knock-out stage.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/november/28/world-cup-mitro-off-the-mark/

[WhiteJC]

How Fulham winger has fared since acrimonious Bristol Rovers loan exit

Bristol Rovers had the Fulham winger on loan for a matter of 51-days before he was returned to his parent club.

Bristol Rovers had just claimed an impressive result against Plymouth Argyle when it was announced Sylvester Jasper's loan would be terminated. The Gas came from two goals down to claim a draw against the League One leaders and earned the plaudits for their performance.

The biggest news to come from October 22 however was that Jasper - not included in the match-day squad - would be returning to his parent club early. The 21-year-old joined Rovers on a season-long loan but after just 51 days, headed back to West London.

Barton claimed that Jasper was not happy with the lack of pitch time that he was getting and he did not want to stand in his way. The Cottagers winger in a deleted social media post however denied that and thanked 'everyone for their support' and wished them well for the future.

How did Jasper do at Bristol Rovers?
In his month-and-a-half as a player after joining on Deadline Day, Jasper made eight appearances in total for Rovers, starting two EFL Trophy matches, but was limited to just six substitute appearances in League One.

His best moment in a Rovers shirt will have been to set up Ryan Loft for a last-gasp equaliser against Exeter City in early October, making the most of his eight-minute cameo. He did provide an assist too for Loft again in the EFL Trophy, and that is as far as his goal contributions go.

In total, he played 261 minutes in the blue and white quarters. The arrival of Scott Sinclair more or less sped up Jasper's return given the two play the same position.

Has he returned to Fulham?
Jasper is now back at his parent club and has since played since returning to Craven Cottage. Six days after his loan ended, Jasper started against Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League 2, which is a league for top-flight academies.

Earlier this month, Jasper scored a brace against Nottingham Forest's Under-21's in the Premier League Cup.

He is only eligible to play for Fulham's youth side until the January window opens on January 2.

What next?
When the January transfer window opens, Jasper will be available for another loan move. He is not in Fulham's 25-man squad for the Premier League and is unlikely to feature for their first team.

His loan spells have seen him play in the Scottish Premiership with Hibernian and with Colchester United in League One, so there could be several options available to him.



https://www.bristolworld.com/sport/football/bristol-rovers/sylvester-jasper-fulham-bristol-rovers-joey-barton-3933935

[WhiteJC]

Why Fulham's luck was always in with Leno

It should be no surprise that Fulham's German shot-stopper has settled into life in SW6 so quickly.

Fulham's exploits in the opening months of the 2022/23 season may have raised a few eyebrows outside of Craven Cottage, but they really shouldn't. The Cottagers have learned from the mistakes of the past and always looked well-prepared to face this Premier League challenge head on.

Quality has been favoured over quantity in the transfer market, with some shrewd recruitment ticking plenty of important boxes in West London. Marco Silva now has enough talent and top-flight know-how at his disposal to rub shoulders with the very best in the business.

Experience

Let us know in the replies 👇 pic.twitter.com/uHgTE6ufqJ

— Premier League (@premierleague) November 25, 2022

Willian, Issa Diop and Andreas Pereira were among those drafted in with prior experience of life in one of the most demanding divisions in world football. Then, in a vital area of the field, there was proven shot-stopper Bernd Leno.

The German goalkeeper could have been forgiven for staying put at Arsenal, allowing him to compete for game time at a club that has shortened to 11/5 in Premier League title odds, but personal ambition burned much brighter than filling a bit-part role.

Such a stance is to be applauded, with it refreshing to see players in the modern era stepping out of their comfort zone and taking on new challenges when sitting tight – especially when they're on the books of a supposed heavyweight outfit – would be the easy option.

Leno made it clear from the moment that he lost a starting berth at the Emirates Stadium that he wasn't prepared to accept back-up duty. When the chance to move across London presented itself, he grabbed it with two of the most reliable hands around.

He said upon arriving at Fulham: "I'm relieved that everything is done. I'm just happy to be here. It took a little bit of time but in the end we made it, and that's the most important thing." Vice-chairman Tony Khan added on the arrival of a seasoned performer: "He has played at the highest level, and he'll bring this experience and his leadership to our team. He'll be a great addition to Marco's squad."

That has proven to be the case, with it remarkable to think that such pedigree could be required for an initial outlay of £3 million – with the potential there for a further £5 million in add-ons.

Leno may have kept just two clean sheets prior to the World Cup break, but he has made 59 saves – a record that has only been bettered by two players in the Premier League. His value to the collective cause is clear for all to see.

Business

Happy and delighted to finally join @FulhamFC.
I can‘t wait to join the training today and I’m looking forward to play at Craven Cottage😍💪🏽⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/pzBCkrntTd

— Bernd Leno (@Bernd_Leno) August 3, 2022

That's no real surprise, given all that he is achieved, with nobody having graced the level he has while earning nine international caps for their country without having a bit of something about them.

Fulham's transfer team probably could not believe their luck when they learned Arsenal were willing to do business at such an attractive asking price; there was always little risk involved in a deal that has allowed the Cottagers to build a bright start to the current campaign on the sturdiest of foundations.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2022-11-28-why-fulhams-luck-was-always-in-with-leno/

[WhiteJC]

Chelsea confirm date for postponed Fulham fixture and Crystal Palace game moves

Chelsea's match against Fulham was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September and will the Blues have confirmed it will no be played in January

Chelsea's match against Fulham FC has been confirmed for January 12 and has seen the Blues' match against Crystal Palace moved back a day as a result. Graham Potter's side will now meet the Eagles on January 15.

The Chelsea boss was due to see his first match in charge of the club be against the Cottagers but the west London derby was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The Premier League postponed the full weekend of fixtures at that time as a mark of respect.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said at the time: "We and our clubs would like to pay tribute to Her Majesty's long and unwavering service to our country. As our longest-serving monarch, she has been an inspiration and leaves behind an incredible legacy following a life of dedication.

"This is a tremendously sad time for not just the nation but also for the millions of people around the world who admired her, and we join together with all those in mourning her passing."

Chelsea will now face Fulham on a Thursday January 12 at 8.00pm with the match following their FA Cup third round clash which will be drawn on Monday night. As a result the game against Palace will be moved from Saturday to Sunday January 15 and will now kick off at 2.00pm.

The Blues still await news on when their game against Liverpool will be played after that was also postponed in September.



https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/breaking-chelsea-fulham-crystal-palace-25624369

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https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/breaking-chelsea-fulham-crystal-palace-25624369

Marco Silva has taken his Fulham squad to Portugal this week for a mid-season training camp.

The boys – minus our six players competing at the World Cup – travelled to the Algarve today, Monday 28th November, for a seven-night stay.

As part of the trip, we will face Portuguese top-flight side Portimonense SC in a behind-closed-doors friendly match on Sunday.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/november/28/squad-heads-to-portugal/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham could face battle to keep key player amid transfer speculation

Fulham could face battle to keep key player amid transfer speculation.

Fulham full-back Antonee Robinson has been linked with a move to Inter Milan over recent times. The defender is currently at the World Cup with USA.

In this latest update by The Sun, the Serie A giants are reported to be 'lining' up a move for him. Fellow Premier League sides Wolves and Manchester City have also been credited as two clubs who have tracked him in the past.

Fulham will not want to lose Robinson with the January transfer window on the horizon. He has been a key player for the London club over the past few years and played a key role in their promotion from the Championship in the last campaign.

Robinson, 25, made the move to Craven Cottage in 2020 having previously been on the books at Everton and Wigan Athletic. He has since made the left-back spot his own and has made 83 appearances in all competitions to date, chipping in with three goals.

He is an established USA international and has started in both of their first two games over in Qatar against Wales and England. His country need to beat Iran in their next clash to qualify for the Round of 16.

Robinson's performances on the big stage seem to be attracting attention and Fulham could face a battle to keep hold of him this winter, with Inter Milan reported to be eyeing a swoop for him. His contract expires in June 2024.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/fulham-could-face-battle-to-keep-key-player-amid-transfer-speculation-3934585

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Fulham in Portugal for training camp
Fulham's first team squad – save the six participations at the current World Cup finals – have flown to Portugal for a mid-season training camp that will finish with a friendly against Portimonense SC on Sunday.

Marco Silva's squad flew travelled to the Algarve today and will remain in Portugal for seven days as they begin preparations for the resumption of the Premier League campaign on Boxing Day. The Whites will take on Portimonense, who are currently seventh in the Primeira Liga, in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Sunday ahead of their Craven Cottage friendly against West Ham United on Saturday 17 December.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/11/fulham-in-portugal-for-training-camp/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham face Hull City in FA Cup third round
Fulham have been handed a trip to Hull City in tonight's FA Cup third round draw.

The trip to the MKM Stadium will offer a myriad of reunions. Marco Silva started his English managerial journey at Hull City when he was appointed their manager after the sacking of Mike Phelan in January 2017. The Tigers are currently managed by former Fulham full back Liam Rosenior, who has Jean Michael Seri and Cyrus Christie among his first team squad. Hull sit twentieth in the Championship table after an agonising defeat at home to Reading in their last league fixture before the winter break.

The tie will be played on the weekend of the 7th January 2023.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/11/fulham-face-hull-city-in-fa-cup-third-round/

[WhiteJC]

Inter's Pursuit Of Marcus Thuram & Antonee Robinson Depend On Sale Of Robin Gosens, Italian Media Detail

Inter's pursuit of both Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram and Fulham wingback Antonee Robinson would be linked with cashing in on Robin Gosens in a timely manner.

This according to today's print edition of Milan-based newspaper Il Giorno, via FCInter1908, who report that the Nerazzurri could hope to complete a sale of Gosens before they move for targets Thuram and Robinson.

Thuram is a player who Inter are very much keen to sign, either in January for a fee or next summer on a free transfer.

Given the competition for the Frenchman's signature, the Nerazzurri could be hoping to get a deal wrapped up as soon as possible, although having the cash on hand from a Gosens sale could be important for making a deal.

Meanwhile, Robinson has emerged as a target for the left side if Gosens is to depart, but given that his club Fulham would have little intention of going down from the €23 million price tag for the US international, the Nerazzurri would have to first cash in on Gosens.



https://sempreinter.com/2022/11/28/inters-pursuit-of-marcus-thuram-antonee-robinson-depend-on-sale-of-robin-gosens-italian-media-detail/

[WhiteJC]

Can USMNT tune out distractions of contentious World Cup game vs. Iran?

AL-RAYYAN, Qatar – Before a question could be posed, Tim Ream asked for a moment.

"Can I say something first?" said the US men's national team's veteran defender at the start of Sunday evening's media availability at their Al-Gharafa training base. "Welcome to the bun brothers' press conference."

Ream was sitting on the dais next to his center-back partner and fellow man-bun devotee Walker Zimmerman, you see. And while it didn't quite bring the house down in a room of journalists still processing the breaking news of U.S. Soccer's controversial use of an altered Iranian flag on some social media posts ahead of the two nations' enormous do-or-die World Cup match on Tuesday (2 pm ET | FOX, Telemundo), the brief moment of levity was appreciated.

Growing tensions
From the moment both nations were drawn together in Group B, this was always going to be a torrid occasion, full of hot blood, contentious history and geopolitical intrigue. Then the results in the first two rounds of group play set the two sides up as head-to-head rivals for what is likely (but not guaranteed) to be the second-place spot behind England, and the ticket to the Round of 16 that grants.

That's all been dialed up to 11, though, by the events of the past few days. From Jurgen Klinsmann's remarks about Iranians' perceived gamesmanship to the flag posts to Monday's startlingly confrontational press conference, it's now unlike anything this team has experienced before.

"It is unique. It is something different," acknowledged Ream. "We're all human, we understand that there are things going on that are out of our control. And so that's where we find ourselves. Again, we understand and empathize with the Iranian people. And at the end of the day, we are still having to focus on what is our job, what we've been preparing to do, what we've been focused on for many, many years.

"We know that this game isn't played in a bubble. There are a lot of things that happen around the world and people want our opinions, but our opinion is that we want to play the game. And the game is for everyone."

Tyler Adams mispronounced Iran and was called out by an Iranian journalist - who followed up with a question on discrimination in the United States.

His response: An all time classy answer- Captain & Leader. #USMNT 👏  pic.twitter.com/pELQmBttPl

— Stu Holden (@stuholden) November 28, 2022

Stick to sports?
US players and coaches weren't consulted about the posts with the altered flag, which was intended as a gesture of solidarity to the Iranian human-rights demonstrators mounting passionate street protests since September. Sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while she was being detained by morality police for allegedly failing to properly cover her hair, per the restrictions of the nation's fundamentalist Islamic government, they've been met with violent reprisals and thousands of arrests, with hundreds of deaths and thousands of detainments reported.

But this USMNT group has stood up for marginalized people repeatedly, dating back to their "Be the Change" motto, launched in the wake of George Floyd's murder in Minnesota in 2020 and the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests that followed.

That leaves these players walking a tricky tightrope.

"We're huge supporters of women's rights," said Zimmerman. "We didn't know anything about the post, but we are supporters of women's rights. We always have been. We're focused a lot on Tuesday from the sporting side as well, so you [a reporter] mentioned it's a distraction. I think this is such a focused group on the task at hand. But at the same time we empathize, and we are firm believers in women's rights and support them."

USMNT captain Tyler Adams reiterated that stance under intense scrutiny from Iranian media in Monday's matchday-1 press conference.

"Listen, we support Iran's people and Iran's team," said the New York Red Bulls homegrown product. "That being said, we're laser-focused on this match, as they are as well. We know how important this is, our progress of our team, and what we want to do to prove to our country how hard we've been working. And we know they [Iran] want to do exactly the same."

We know what we have to do. pic.twitter.com/zYNgjz00pu

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) November 28, 2022

Zimmerman was also asked about the topic that sparked the brouhaha around Klinsmann, who suggested on a BBC broadcast it was Iran's "culture" to engage in underhanded tactics and "work the referees" in the wake of their nerve-jangling 2-0 win over Wales.

"You come up against gamesmanship and different styles in Concacaf all the time," said the Nashville SC linchpin. "So you look at every single team in the World Cup, they all have a different kind of style, different ways of gamesmanship. And that is just the nature of this sport. That's the nature of our game. And it's not something that you can overly prepare for. But it's an understanding that it's going to happen, and you just have to keep your cool and not let it bother you."

The big picture
There was something ironic about members of the Iranian media lashing out against what they called "psychological warfare" on their team on the part of Klinsmann, U.S. Soccer and the Western media at large, in the process creating a firestorm that risks creating a very similar effect on the USMNT. Berhalter has repeatedly praised his young group's composure and dedication, and did so again on Monday.

"What I see from the group is this tremendous amount of focus. There's no real distractions," Berhalter said. "I know there's a lot going on here. But the group is focused on how do we get a win. It's been a pleasure working with this group for the last four years, there's been a lot of growth within this group. And tomorrow's a great challenge for this group, and I'm really excited to see how we respond to that."

It's not exactly fair to judge an entire World Cup cycle and managerial tenure by one game. Yet Berhalter recognizes that the stakes of this tournament, and Tuesday's matchup specifically, mean the outcome will have an outsized effect on how he and his time in charge of the national team are viewed.

Some 20 million viewers across the United States tuned in to the Yanks' 0-0 draw with England on Friday, and another big turnout is expected for the Iran match. For many, it will centrally influence their judgment of Berhalter's work since he took the post in December 2018.

"That's our business," said the coach. "Our job, we said that this team is going to be judged on what we do at the World Cup. So that's fine. We'll deal with it. We're focused on winning tomorrow, a good game tomorrow, and keep going in this tournament."



https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/can-usmnt-tune-out-distractions-of-contentious-world-cup-game-vs-iran